Gas oven control with proof of ignition

Abstract

A gas oven having an electronic controller for directly controlling the gas valve and burner ignition. The controller opens the gas valve and activates the ignitor whenever oven heating is required and then determines whether ignition has occurred, detected by an indicator of ignition, often a conventional oven thermostat, a thermocouple, a resistance temperature device (RTD), or other type of temperature sensor. Positive proof of ignition is given by determining whether the detected temperature is increasing at a particular rate. The gas valve is closed if ignition does not occur within a predetermined time, preferably about 10-15 seconds. Re-ignition may be attempted after a sufficient delay. The controller also closes the gas valve whenever the oven temperature is decreasing at a predetermined rate or is increasing at less than a predetermined rate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.