Video flame detection system and method for controlling a range

An electric range comprising:

• a hood, a body coupled to the hood, the body having a top surface for receiving a cooking apparatus, and at least one heating element disposed within the body and below the top surface;
• a video flame detection system coupled to the body, the video flame detection system comprising:
• a video flame detector assembly having a camera, the video flame detector assembly coupled to one of the hood or the body;
• a video flame detector system interface coupled to the video flame detector assembly, the video flame detector system interface having a relay control board with a smoke contact, a flame contact, a relay module, and a processor;
• a range control system disposed within the body and coupled to the relay control board, the range control system having a control relay;
• where, upon detection of one or more of smoke or flames, the video flame detector assembly activates one or more of the smoke contact or the flame contact, respectively, on the relay module of the relay control board, causing the control relay of the range control system to one or more of:
• (1) modulate the electric current provided to the heating element according to at least one of a first pattern or a second pattern when smoke is detected, the first pattern including applying the electric current to the heating element and then removing the electric current applied to the heating element, the first pattern continuing for a period of time, where a period of time the electric current is applied to the heating element is greater than a period of time the electric current is removed from the heating element;
• and/or (2) remove all power from the heating element when one or more flames are detected,
• where, upon detection of smoke and when smoke continues to be detected, the smoke contact is activated causing the control relay of the range control system to modulate the electric current to the heating element according to the second pattern, the second pattern including applying the electric current to the heating element and then removing the electric current applied to the heating element, where a period of time in which the electric current is applied to the heating element is less than a period of time in which the electric current is removed from the heating element.

A method of controlling an amount of electric current being applied to a heating element of a range, the method comprising:

• detecting smoke via a camera of a video flame detector assembly;
• activating, via the video flame detector assembly, a smoke contact on a relay module of a relay control board coupled to the video flame detector assembly;
• modulating the electric current provided to the heating element according to one or more of a first pattern or a second pattern, the first pattern occurring for a period of time, and the second pattern occurring only when smoke continues to be detected after the period of time of the first pattern;
• detecting one or more flames via the camera of the video flame detector assembly;
• activating, via the video flame detector assembly, a flame contact on the relay module of the relay control board;
• and
• removing power being applied to the heating element via a range control system upon detecting one or more flames at any time via the video flame detector assembly,
• where modulating the electric current provided to the heating element according to the first pattern comprises applying electric current to the heating element and removing electric current to the heating element, the first pattern continuing for a period of time when the smoke is detected, wherein a period of time the electric current is applied is greater than a period of time the electric current is removed,
• where, when smoke continues to be detected by the video flame detector assembly after the period of time of the first pattern, modulating the electric current provided to the heating element according to the second pattern includes applying electric current to the heating element and then removing the electric current to the heating element, where a period of time in which the electric current is applied to the heating element is less than a period of time in which the electric current is removed from the heating element.

A video flame detection system comprising:

• a video flame detector assembly having a camera, the video flame detector assembly adapted to be coupled to a range;
• and
• a relay control board coupled to the video flame detector assembly, the relay control board having a flame contact and a relay module;
• wherein, upon detection of smoke, the video flame detector assembly activates a smoke contact to cause a range control system to modulate an electric current to a heating element according to a first pattern or a second pattern, the first pattern including applying the electric current to the heating element for a first period of time T1 and removing the electric current applied to the heating element for a second period of time T2, the first pattern continuing for a third period of time T3, the first period of time T1 being greater than the second period of time T2, and
• where the second pattern includes applying the electric current to the heating element and then removing the electric current to the heating element when smoke continues to be detected, where a period of time in which the electric current is applied to the heating element is less than a period of time in which the electric current is removed from the heating element, and
• where, upon detection of one or more flames via the video flame detector assembly, the video flame detector assembly is configured to activate the flame contact, causing the range control system to remove all power from the heating element of the range.