Cooking appliance

• US 9,668,602 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Ruperee, Prashant
• Primary Examiner(s): LEFF, STEVEN N
• Application Number:
  US14/021,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20150072054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 426231, 99325, 99326, 99334, 219494, 219710, 219712, 219492, 219497
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/10 General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat

Abstract

A method of heating an item in a cavity of a cooking appliance including the steps of detecting the size of the item at a first time during a cooking cycle and detecting the size of the item at a second time during the cooking cycle. The cooking cycle is then controlled at least partially based on the size of the item at the second time during the cooking cycle. A cooking appliance for carrying out the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of heating an item in a cavity of a cooking appliance, comprising the steps of:

detecting a one-dimensional height of the item at a first time during a cooking cycle;

detecting the one-dimensional height of the item at a second time during the cooking cycle; and

controlling the cooking cycle based solely on a difference between the one-dimensional heights of the item at the second and first times during the cooking cycle, wherein the cooking cycle stops when the one-dimensional height of the item at the second time reaches a predetermined maximum one-dimensional height, wherein the predetermined maximum one-dimensional height is a user-selected one-dimensional height of the item to be cooked.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one-dimensional height of the item is detected with a sensor, wherein the sensor is chosen from a group consisting of an IR sensor, a thermal sensor, and a proximity sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the one-dimensional height of the item includes sensing the one-dimensional height of the item within the cavity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

comparing the one-dimensional height of the item at the first time to the one-dimensional height of the item at the second time; and

controlling the cooking cycle based solely on the one-dimensional height of the item at the first time and the one-dimensional height of the item at the second time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of controlling the cooking cycle includes calculating a rate of change in the one-dimensional height of the item from the first time to the second time, and controlling the cooking cycle based on the rate of change in the one-dimensional height of the item from the first time to the second time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of controlling the cooking cycle includes stopping the cooking cycle when the item reaches a predetermined maximum rate of change.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined maximum one-dimensional height is calculated based upon the one-dimensional height of the item at the first time during the cooking cycle.

8. A method of cooking an item in a cooking appliance, comprising the steps of:

measuring a one-dimensional physical property of the item at multiple times during a cooking cycle, wherein the one-dimensional physical property is a height of the item;

calculating a velocity of a rate of change of the one-dimensional physical property of the item; and

controlling the cooking cycle based solely on the velocity of the rate of change of the one-dimensional physical property during the cooking cycle, wherein the cooking cycle stops when the velocity of the rate of change of the one-dimensional physical property during the cooking cycle exceeds a controller-predetermined maximum velocity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the height is measured by a sensor, and wherein the sensor is chosen from a group consisting of an IR sensor, a thermal sensor, and a proximity sensor.