MOVABLE COOKING APPLIANCE

• US 20110248021A1
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: FARACHI, FRANCESCO, GUTIERREZ, DIEGO NEFTALI, SANTACATTERINA, GIANPIERO
• Granted Patent: US 9,879,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/620
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/16 Shelves, racks or trays inside ovens; Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/166 with integrated heating means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7032 making use of a separate bridging element directly cooperating with the terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7037 making use of a magnetically operated switch

Abstract

A movable cooking appliance comprises a structure which is adapted to be placed on a kitchen worktop appliance or inside a cooking oven appliance and includes a heating element and releasable connector assembly for making electrical connection with power supply connectors. The heating element is an induction heating element and an electronic driving unit is mounted on the appliance. The releasable connector assembly comprising a plug connector having a plurality of terminals designed in order to provide a disconnection signal to the electronic unit before the power supply connectors are fully extracted.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance comprising:

a cooking unit defined by a kitchen worktop or an oven cavity, said cooking unit including a power source and an electronic driving unit;

an induction tray including an induction heating element, wherein the induction tray is configured to be removably attached to the cooking unit; and

a connector assembly interconnecting the induction tray to the cooking unit in order to provide power to and control the induction tray, said connector assembly including;

a female connector assembly including a plurality of female terminals, the female connector assembly being attached to one of the induction tray or the cooking unit; and

a male connector assembly including a plurality of male terminals, the male connector assembly being attached to another one of the induction tray or the cooking unit, wherein the plurality of male terminals are configured to be selectively inserted into, or removed from, respective ones of the plurality of female terminals to interconnect the induction tray to the power source and electronic driving unit of the cooking unit, said connector assembly incorporating safety means for causing the power source to be disconnected from the induction tray power through the male and female connector assemblies before the plurality of male terminals are fully removed from the plurality of female terminals.

2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the safety means comprises at least one male terminal of the plurality of male terminals being shorter in length than other ones of the plurality of male terminals, such that the at least one male terminal is removed from at least one female terminal of the plurality of female terminals so as to provide a disconnection signal to the electronic driving unit before all of the plurality of male terminals are fully removed from their respective plurality of female terminals.

3. The cooking appliance according to claim 2, wherein the at least one male terminal is a temperature sensor terminal electrically connected to a temperature sensor of the induction heating element.

4. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the safety means comprises switching means acted upon by one of the plurality of male terminals so as to provide a disconnection signal before all of the plurality of male terminals are fully extracted from the plurality of female terminals.

5. The cooking appliance according to claim 4, wherein the switching means comprises a mechanical switch.

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 4, wherein the switching means comprise a proximity switch.

7. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the safety means comprises at least one male terminal of the plurality of male terminals being longer in length than other ones of the plurality of male terminals and configured to disengage from a switch provided in the female connector assembly so as to provide a disconnection signal to the power controller before all of the plurality of male terminals are fully removed from the plurality of female terminals respectively.

8. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of male terminals and at least one of the plurality of female terminals establish a ground connection for a sensor circuit for detecting a temperature of the induction heating element.

9. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of male terminals of the male connector assembly include first and second sensor terminals, first and second power terminals and a ground terminal.

10. The cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein various ones of the plurality of male terminals vary in length.

11. The cooking appliance according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of male terminals includes at least three sets of terminals with distinct lengths.

12. The cooking appliance according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of male terminals includes at least five male terminals, with two of the at least five male terminals constituting sensor terminals, two of the at least five male terminals constituting power terminals and one of the at least five male terminals constituting a ground terminal.

13. The cooking appliance according to claim 12, wherein the sensor terminals are shorter in length than the power terminals and the power terminals are shorter in length than the ground terminal.

14. A cooking appliance comprising:

a cooking unit defined by a kitchen worktop or an oven cavity, said cooking unit including a power source and an electronic driving unit;

an induction tray including an induction heating element, wherein the induction tray is configured to be removably attached to the cooking unit; and

releasable connector means interconnecting the induction tray to the cooking unit in order to provide power to the induction tray from the power source and control the induction tray from the electronic driving unit, said connector assembly including safety means for causing the power source to be disconnected from the induction tray through the releasable connector means prior to completely disconnecting the releasable connector means.

15. The cooking appliance according to claim 14, wherein the connector means includes:

a female connector assembly including a plurality of female terminals, the female connector assembly being attached to one of the induction tray or the cooking unit; and

a male connector assembly including a plurality of male terminals, the male connector assembly being attached to another one of the induction tray or the cooking unit, wherein the plurality of male terminals are configured to be selectively inserted into, or removed from, respective ones of the plurality of female terminals to interconnect the induction tray to the power source and electronic driving circuit of the cooking unit, and wherein various ones of the plurality of male terminals vary in length.

16. The cooking appliance according to claim 15, wherein the safety means comprises switching means acted upon by one of the plurality of male terminals so as to provide a disconnection signal before all of the plurality of male terminals are fully extracted from the plurality of female terminals.

17. The cooking appliance according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of male terminals includes at least three sets of terminals with distinct lengths.

18. The cooking appliance according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of male terminals includes at least five male terminals, with two of the at least five male terminals constituting sensor terminals, two of the at least five male terminals constituting power terminals and one of the at least five male terminals constituting a ground terminal.

19. The cooking appliance according to claim 18, wherein the sensor terminals are shorter in length than the power terminals and the power terminals are shorter in length than the ground terminal.

20. An induction tray configured to be removably attached to a cooking unit comprising:

an induction heating element; and

a connector assembly adapted to interconnect the induction tray to a cooking unit in order to provide power to and control the induction tray from the cooking unit, said connector assembly including a plurality of male terminals establishing at least three sets of terminals with distinct lengths.