Methods for safe operation of a cooktop appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsTae-Hoon Lim, Jungin Kim, Younghan Choi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cooktop appliance and methods for safely operating a cooktop appliance are provided. In particular, in instances when a cooking utensil is filled with a liquid and a cooking operation is performed, the cooktop appliance and methods provided herein include features that prevent a dried cooking utensil condition and/or a low liquid level condition, e.g., to prevent fires and/or to enhance cooking performance.
Claims18
A method for detecting a low liquid level of a liquid contained within a cooking utensil placed on a heating element of a cooktop appliance during a cooking operation, the method comprising:
- receiving a temperature signal from a liquid temperature sensor;
- receiving a temperature signal from a cookware temperature sensor, wherein the temperature signal received from the cookware temperature sensor is indicative of a surface temperature of the cooking utensil;
- determining whether the surface temperature of the cooking utensil is greater than a set temperature error threshold;
- determining, if the surface temperature of the cooking utensil is not greater than the set temperature error threshold, whether a temperature of the liquid contained within the cooking utensil is less than a low liquid temperature threshold during the cooking operation based at least in part on the temperature signal received from the liquid temperature sensor;
- and
- generating a control action if the temperature of the liquid contained within the cooking utensil is less than the low liquid temperature threshold during the cooking operation.
A method for detecting a low liquid level of a liquid contained within a cooking utensil during a precise cooking operation, the method comprising:
- receiving a temperature signal from a liquid temperature sensor during the precise cooking operation;
- determining whether a temperature associated with the temperature signal is less than a target temperature threshold during the precise cooking operation;
- and
- generating a control action if the temperature associated with the temperature signal is less than the target temperature threshold during the precise cooking operation.
A method for detecting a dried utensil condition of a cooking utensil containing a liquid and placed on a heating element of a cooktop appliance during a cooking operation, the method comprising:
- receiving a temperature signal from a cookware temperature sensor, the temperature signal indicative of a surface temperature of the cooking utensil;
- determining whether the liquid within the cooking utensil has reached a boiling temperature;
- ascertaining, if the liquid within the cooking utensil has reached the boiling temperature, whether the surface temperature is greater than a predetermined temperature, wherein the predetermined temperature is greater than the boiling temperature;
- determining, if the surface temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature, whether the surface temperature has increased rapidly over a predetermined time;
- and
- generating a control action if the surface temperature has increased rapidly over the predetermined time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.