Safety shutoff device for a stove
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for controlling an object, comprising:
- sensor means, disposed near said object, for producing an output when a user is detected in a vicinity of said object, and for producing no output when said user is out of said vicinity of said object for longer than a first predetermined time;
control means, coupled to said sensor means, for enabling said object to operate when said output is produced, and for disabling said object, so that it cannot operate, when no output is produced; and
means for overriding said control means and maintaining said object in said disabled state, independent of any presence of a user, after said sensor means has not produced an output for a second predetermined time, is detected.
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Abstract
A control device for controlling the operation of an object of cooking such as a stove or the like. The presence of a user in the area of the stove is detected. When the user is present, the stove operation is enabled. After the user has been absent from the area for a first predetermined time, the stove is temporarily disabled, an again enabled when the user enters the area. If the user is absent from the area of the stove for a second predetermined time, the stove is permanently disabled, so that it cannot again be enabled until manually reset.
53 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling an object, comprising:
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sensor means, disposed near said object, for producing an output when a user is detected in a vicinity of said object, and for producing no output when said user is out of said vicinity of said object for longer than a first predetermined time; control means, coupled to said sensor means, for enabling said object to operate when said output is produced, and for disabling said object, so that it cannot operate, when no output is produced; and means for overriding said control means and maintaining said object in said disabled state, independent of any presence of a user, after said sensor means has not produced an output for a second predetermined time, is detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for controlling an object of control, comprising:
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sensor means for detecting a user in the vicinity thereof, and producing an output when said user is in the vicinity thereof, said output persisting for a first predetermined time after said user leaves said vicinity; control means, responsive to said output of said sensor, for enabling said object of control to operate when said output is produced, and disabling said object of control so that it cannot operate when no output is produced; switch means, connected between said sensor means and said object of control, for enabling a current path to reach said object of control when said switch means is closed, and for disabling said current path to said object of control when said switch means is open; and switch control means, for controlling the operation of said switch means, such that said switch means is controlled to a latched open state after said output of said sensor means is continuously absent for a second predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of controlling an object, comprising the steps of:
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using a sensor which produces an output when a user is in the vicinity thereof and which produces no output after said user leaves the vicinity thereof for more than a first predetermined time; enabling said object of contol to operate when said output is detected and disabling said object of control so that it cannot operate when said output is not detected; and maintaining said disabling of said object of control when a condition is detected wherein no output is produced for a second predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification