US 11,435,086 B2Granted

Cooktop appliance and methods of operation

AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.

InventorPaul Bryan Cadima

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Abstract

A cooktop appliance includes a first burner and a second burner which are spaced apart with a grate positioned above the burners. The grate includes a first sensor finger with a first temperature sensor over the first burner and a second sensor finger with a second temperature sensor over the second burner. The cooktop appliance also includes a first control valve and a second control valve which selectively direct fuel to the respective burners. A controller of the cooktop appliance is operably coupled to the temperature sensors and the control valves. The controller may be operable for and/or methods of operating the cooktop appliance may include receiving a set temperature, receiving a first temperature measurement from the first temperature sensor and a second temperature measurement from the second temperature sensor, and adjusting each control valve based on the set temperature and the corresponding temperature measurement.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A cooktop appliance comprising:

a first burner disposed on a panel of the cooktop appliance;
a second burner spaced apart from the first burner on the panel;
a grate with a plurality of fingers positioned above the first burner and the second burner, the plurality of fingers comprising a first sensor finger with a first temperature sensor mounted thereto positioned over the first burner and a second sensor finger with a second temperature sensor mounted thereto positioned over the second burner;
a first control valve in fluid communication with the first burner to selectively direct a flow of gas thereto;
a second control valve in fluid communication with the second burner to selectively direct a flow of gas thereto;
and
a controller operably coupled to the first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, the first control valve, and the second control valve, the controller operable to:
receive a combined command for the first burner and the second burner, the combined command consisting of a single set temperature for the first burner and the second burner;
receive a first temperature measurement from the first temperature sensor;
receive a second temperature measurement from the second temperature sensor;
adjust the first control valve based on the first temperature measurement and the single set temperature;
and
adjust the second control valve based on the second temperature measurement and the single set temperature,
wherein the controller is operable to simultaneously adjust the first control valve based on the first temperature measurement and the single set temperature and adjust the second control valve based on the second temperature measurement and the single set temperature.

11 more elements

A method of operating a cooktop appliance, the cooktop appliance comprising a first burner, a second burner spaced apart from the first burner, and a grate having a plurality of fingers, the method comprising:

receiving a combined command for the first burner and the second burner, the combined command consisting of a single set temperature;
receiving a first temperature measurement from a first temperature sensor positioned above the first burner and mounted to a first sensor finger of the plurality of fingers;
receiving a second temperature measurement from a second temperature sensor positioned over the second burner and mounted to a second sensor finger of the plurality of fingers;
adjusting a first control valve in fluid communication with the first burner based on the first temperature measurement and the single set temperature;
and
adjusting a second control valve in fluid communication with the second burner based on the second temperature measurement and the single set temperature,
wherein the step of adjusting the first control valve and the step of adjusting the second control valve are performed simultaneously.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.