Cooking appliance with multifunction knobs

• US 5,349,164 A
• Filed: 05/10/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohta, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US08/058,267
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 219/10.55 B, 219/10.55 R, 219/10.55 E, 219/506, 219/492, 219/493, 219/715, 219/719, 219/720, 219/702, 99/325
• US Class Current: 219/506
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6482 combined with radiant heating, e.g. infrared heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/66 Circuits

Abstract

An automatic cooking appliance has a magnetron to cook the food. The cooking appliance has a dial, which is rotatable and capable of being pressed, on an operation panel thereof. A cooking mode in the menu is selected due to the rotation of the dial. The cooking mode is determined by pressing of the dial. The cooking appliance controls the magnetron in accordance with the determined cooking mode. This enables the dial to be used for multiple purposes to thereby save space on a control panel.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance comprising:

a) heating means for heating food;

b) an actuator having at least two kinds of function of actuation, a first actuation selecting a cooking mode among plural kinds of cooking modes in a menu, and a second actuation commanding that the selected cooking mode be started; and

c) means, responsive to the first and second actuations of the actuator, for setting the cooking modes in plural kinds of menus based on the first actuation of the actuator, for determining the set cooking mode only when the second actuation being maintained for a first predetermined period greater than a shortest possible actuation duration unless the first actuation is performed again during the first predetermined period, in which case the controlling means setting a second cooking mode which is again set by the first actuation, the controlling means determining the second cooking set mode based on the second actuation being maintained for a second predetermined period from a point when the first actuation is performed again, for controlling the heating means based on the second determined cooking mode.

2. A cooking appliance according to claim 1, further including a display, the cooking mode set by the first actuation being displayed on the display.

3. A cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined period is the same as the second predetermined period.

4. A cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means determines the second set cooking mode when the first actuation is performed only beyond a predetermined range again during the first predetermined period.

5. A cooking appliance according to claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a button switch, and the first actuation of the button switch includes a rotating actuation, and the second actuation of the button switch includes a pressing actuation.

6. A cooking appliance comprising:

a) heating means for heating food;

b) an actuator having at least first and second kinds of function of actuation, the first actuation selecting a cooking mode among plural kinds of cooking modes in a menu, and the second actuation commanding that the selected cooking mode be started; and

c) means, responsive to the first and second actuations of the actuator, for setting the cooking modes among the plural kinds of cooking modes in the menu based on the first actuation of the actuator in the condition of the first actuation being held for a first predetermined period greater than a shortest possible actuation duration, and for determining the set cooking mode based on the second actuation, for resetting a new cooking mode after the first cooking mode is set when the first actuation is performed beyond a predetermined value of actuation, for controlling the heating means based on the reset cooking mode.

7. A method of operating a cooking appliance which includes heating means for heating food, an actuator having a first actuation and a second actuation, the first actuation selecting a cooking mode among plural kinds of cooking modes in a menu, and the second actuation commanding that the selected cooking mode be started, and the controlling means for controlling the heating means, comprising the steps of:

sensing the first actuation of the actuator to set a first cooking mode in plural kinds of menus,

sensing the second actuation of the actuator,

setting a new cooking mode different than the first cooking mode, without executing the first cooking mode, based on sensing the first actuation during a predetermined period, greater than a shortest possible actuation duration, after sensing the second actuation, and

determining the new cooking mode after a predetermined period after stopping the performing the latter first actuation.

8. A method of operating a cooking appliance which includes heating means for heating food, an actuator having a first actuation and a second actuation, the first actuation selecting a cooking mode among plural kinds of cooking modes in a menu, and the second actuation commanding that the selected cooking mode be started, and the controlling means for controlling the heating means, comprising the steps of:

sensing a first actuation of the actuator to set a cooking mode among plural kinds from a menu,

sensing a second actuation, indicating execution of the first actuation, being held for a predetermined period, greater than a shortest possible actuation,

executing a selected cooking mode based on said sensing steps,

resetting a new cooking mode by sensing the first actuator being moved beyond a predetermined value of actuation, and

determining the new cooking mode upon sensing the second actuation.