Cooking apparatus equipped with heaters and method of controlling the same

• US 7,005,614 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Won-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US10/350,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20040040447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 219/413
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6408 Supports or covers specially adapted for use in microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/645 using temperature sensors

Abstract

A cooking apparatus equipped with heaters and a method of controlling the same. An aspect of the present invention is to increase convenience of a user by identifying a kind of an accessory, such as a wire rack, a crumb tray or the like, present in a cooking cavity based on a variation in an inner temperature of a cooking cavity at an initial operating stage of a cooking mode using the heaters and automatically performing the ON/OFF control mode of the heaters suitable for a corresponding accessory. A cooking apparatus is provided including two or more heaters installed in a first position of a cooking cavity heating food, the crumb tray is inserted in a second position of the cooking cavity and is used to contain the food in cooking modes using the heaters, and a temperature detection unit is installed between the first and second positions to detect an inside temperature of the cooking cavity. When a temperature variation rate of the cooking cavity detected by the temperature detection unit is greater than a preset value, the crumb tray is determined to be used as a cooking accessory, so an ON/OFF state of the heaters is controlled to be suitable for the cooking mode using the crumb tray.

Claims

1. A cooking apparatus having two or more heaters installed in a first position of a cooking cavity to heat food, and a crumb tray insertable in a second position in the cooking cavity and used to contain the food in cooking modes using the two or more heaters, comprising:

a temperature detection unit provided between the first and second positions to detect an inside temperature of the cooking cavity; and

a control unit to determine that the crumb tray is used when a temperature variation rate of the cooking cavity is greater than a preset value.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an ON/OFF state of the two or more heaters is controlled for a selected cooking mode using the crumb tray when the crumb tray is determined to be used.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the two or more heaters comprise:

a first heater; and

a second heater, the first and second heaters being alternately switched ON and OFF when the crumb tray is determined to be used.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first and second heaters are simultaneously switched ON or OFF when the crumb tray is determined not to be used.

5. A cooking apparatus having two or more heaters installed in a cooking cavity to heat food, and a crumb tray insertable in the cooking cavity and used to contain the food in cooking modes using the two or more heaters, comprising:

a single cooking mode selection button to select one of the cooking modes using the two or more heaters; and

a control unit to determine that the crumb tray is used when a temperature variation rate of the cooking cavity is greater than a preset value in the cooking mode using the two or more heaters.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the cooking modes comprise:

a baking mode; and

a broiling mode, the cooking modes being selectable through the single cooking mode selection button.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein an ON/OFF state of the two or more heaters is controlled for a selected cooking mode using the crumb tray when the crumb tray is determined to be used.

8. A method of controlling a cooking apparatus, the cooking apparatus having first and second heaters installed in first and second positions of a cooking cavity, respectively, to heat food, and a crumb tray inserted between the first and second positions and used to contain the food in cooking modes using the first and second heaters, comprising:

operating simultaneously the first and second heaters when one of the cooking modes using the first and second heaters is initiated;

obtaining a temperature variation rate by periodically detecting a temperature of the cooking cavity; and

determining whether the crumb tray is used based on the temperature variation rate.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein that the crumb tray is determined to be used when the temperature variation rate is greater than a preset value.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

controlling the first and second heaters to be alternately switched ON and OFF when the crumb tray is determined to be used.

11. A cooking apparatus having a cooking cavity, comprising:

first and second heaters installed in upper and lower positions of the cooking cavity, respectively, to heat food;

a crumb tray inserted between the upper and lower positions and used to contain food in cooking modes using the first and second heaters; and

a temperature detection unit installed between the first heater and the crumb tray to detect an inside temperature of the cooking cavity;

wherein the first and second heaters are alternately switched ON and OFF when one of the cooking modes using the first and second heaters is selected through a single cooking mode selection button, a temperature variation rate of the cooking cavity is detected and the temperature variation rate is greater than a preset value.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the cooking modes comprise:

one of a baking mode and a broiling mode, the cooking modes being selectable through manipulation of the single cooking mode selection button.

13. A cooking apparatus having a first heater provided in a first position of a cooking cavity to heat food, and a cooking accessory removably insertable in a second position in the cooking cavity to contain the food to be heated using the first heater, comprising:

a temperature detection unit provided in the cooking cavity between the first and second positions to detect the temperature therebetween; and

a control unit to determine if the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity by a temperature variation rate being greater than a preset value according to the detected temperature from the temperature detection unit.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the control unit, in one or more cooking modes, controls the first heater according to whether the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

at least a second heater, wherein an ON/OFF state of the first and at least second heaters is individually controlled according to whether the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first and at least second heaters are periodically switched ON and OFF when the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first and at least second heaters are alternately switched ON and OFF when the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity.

18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first and second heaters are simultaneously switched ON or OFF when the cooking accessory is removed from the second position in the cooking cavity.

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein the first and second heaters are simultaneously switched ON or OFF when the cooking accessory is removed from the second position in the cooking cavity.

20. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the cooking accessory is one of a crumb tray and a wire rack.

21. A cooking apparatus having a first heater provided in a first position of a cooking cavity to heat food, a temperature detection unit provided in the cooking cavity to detect the temperature therein, and a cooking accessory removably insertable in a second position in the cooking cavity to contain the food to be heated using the first heater, comprising:

a single cooking mode selection button to select one of a plurality of cooking modes of using the first heater; and

a control unit to determine if the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity by a temperature variation rate being greater than a preset value in the one selected cooking mode according to the detected temperature from the temperature detection unit.

22. The apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein the plurality of cooking modes comprise:

one of a baking mode and a broiling mode, the cooking modes being selectable through manipulation of the single cooking mode selection button.

23. The apparatus as set forth in claim 21, wherein the control unit, in one or more cooking modes, controls the first heater according to whether the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity.

24. The apparatus as set forth in claim 21, further comprising:

at least one second heater, wherein an ON/OFF state of the first heater and at least one second heater is individually controlled according to whether the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity.

25. The apparatus as set forth in claim 24, wherein the first heater and the at least second heater are periodically switched ON and OFF when the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity.

26. The apparatus as set forth in claim 24, wherein the first heater and the at least second heater are alternately switched ON and OFF when the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity and are simultaneously switched ON or OFF when the cooking accessory is removed from the second position in the cooking cavity.

27. A method of controlling a cooking apparatus, the cooking apparatus having a heater installed in a cooking cavity to heat food, and a cooking accessory removably insertable in a second position in the cooking cavity to contain the food to be heated using the first heater, comprising:

operating the first heater when one of cooking modes using the heater is initiated;

obtaining a temperature variation rate by repeatedly detecting a temperature of the cooking cavity; and

determining whether the cooking accessory is used based on the temperature variation rate.

28. A method of controlling a cooking apparatus, the cooking apparatus having a first heater provided in a first position of a cooking cavity to heat food, a cooking accessory removably insertable in a second position in the cooking cavity to contain the food to be heated using the first heater, and a temperature detecting unit in a vicinity of the second position in the cooking cavity to detect a temperature thereat, comprising:

operating the first heater;

repeatedly detecting the temperature in the vicinity of the second position in the cooking cavity; and

determining whether the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity according to a variation in the detected temperature.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein a second heater is provided in a third position in the cooking cavity, the second position, in which the cooking accessory is insertable, is between the first and third positions, further comprising:

simultaneously operating the first and second heaters when a selected cooking mode using the first and second heaters is initiated.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29, further comprising:

individually controlling the first and second heaters according to whether the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity.

31. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein the individually controlling comprises:

alternately switching ON and OFF the first and second heaters when the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity; and

simultaneously switching ON or OFF the first and second heaters when the cooking accessory is removed from the second position in the cooking cavity.

32. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the determining comprises:

establishing that the cooking accessory is inserted in the second position in the cooking cavity when a temperature variation rate is greater than a preset value.