Stove burner simmer control
AssigneeThermador Corporation
InventorsDavid L. Witham, Michael W. Barbato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A burner control provides a pulsed flame sequence in response to a user's selective manipulation of an actuator through a range of response. A microcontroller-based control module switches both a burner ignitor control and an electric valve for gas supply to the burner in a predetermined time sequence depending upon the actuator position within the predetermined range. Preferably, one or more of a plurality of burners on a single cooking top are controlled for pulsed sequence operation, and a single actuator for each channel, preferably in a form of a rotary knob, provides a simple user interface for utilizing the pulsed flame sequence, preferably in a low gas flow or simmer cooking range.
Claims13
A burner control for a burner having an ignitor and a gas conduit coupled to a gas source, the control comprising;
- a valve coupled to said gas conduit for selectively delivering a variable volume of gas to said burner from the gas source;
- an actuator having a valve control responsive to manipulation of said actuator throughout a predetermined range,
- an ignitor control for controlling an electrical charge to the ignitor in response to manipulation of said actuator through at least a first portion of said predetermined range;
- and
- means for periodic sequencing of the flow of gas and the ignitor charge when said actuator is in said first portion of said predetermined range of said control, including a switch responsive to manipulation of said actuator throughout said first portion for adjusting the period of sequencing.
A stove having a plurality of burners a source of gas, an ignitor at each burner, and a control channel for at least one of the plurality of burners comprising:
- an actuator having a range of response;
- a valve coupled to said actuator for controlling delivery of a variable volume of gas from said source to its respective burner;
- at least one solenoid valve interposed between the gas source and one said control channel burner;
- an ignitor control coupling said actuator to a respective control channel ignitor;
- a timer control having a periodic sequencing control output for charging said respective control channel ignitor and controlling said solenoid valve for periodic gas flow to its respective burner;
- wherein said actuator has a switch for actuating and adjusting said periodic sequencing in said timer control in at least a portion of said range of response.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.