Self-cleaning top burner for a stove
AssigneeElectrolux Home Products, Inc.
InventorWarren Fowler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pyrolytic cleaning top burner system for a stove having a normal cooking mode includes a top burner coupled to a stove, a cover for seating on the stove surface, means for heating a top burner, and an exhaust outlet. The cover covers at least the top burner in a cleaning mode. The heating means heats to a cleaning temperature in a cleaning mode that permits baked on food that is positioned under the cover to be disintegrated with heat. The exhaust outlet exhausts air from under the cover. A method for pyrolytically cleaning a top burner of a stove or cooktop is also disclosed.
Claims20
A pyrolytic cleaning top burner system for a stove top having at least a normal cooking mode, said system comprising:
- a top burner coupled to a stove top surface;
- a cleaning mode associated with the stove top surface;
- a cover for seating on the stove top surface that covers at least the top burner in the cleaning mode;
- means for heating a top burner to a cleaning temperature in the cleaning mode that permits baked on food matter that is positioned under the cover to be disintegrated with heat.
A pyrolytic cleaning top burner system for a stove top having at least one top burner having at least a cooking mode for operating the at least one top burner, said system comprising:
- a cleaning mode providing burner temperatures that exceed temperatures associated with the cooking mode;
- a cover that covers at least the top burner in a cleaning mode;
- and
- means for heating a top burner to a cleaning temperature in the cleaning mode that permits baked on food matter that is positioned under the cover to be disintegrated with heat.
A method of pyrolytically cleaning a burner having heating means for raising the temperature of the burner to a cleaning temperature when a cover is installed thereon and a controller for controlling the operation of the burner between a cooking mode and a cleaning mode, said method comprising:
- installing a cover over a burner of a stove top;
- increasing the temperature of the burner via the controller until a cleaning temperature is achieved;
- regulating the temperature to maintain the cleaning temperature via the controller;
- and
- exhausting air from under the cover during the cleaning mode, wherein the cleaning temperature is maintained for a prescribed time period that is anticipated to ensure that any food waste under the cover has been oxidized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.