US 7,126,088 B2 · Cooking appliance control system

Abstract

A control system for a cooking appliance enables a consumer to selectively program a cooking appliance through a control panel in a conventional mode based on established cooking times and temperatures, as well as in a simplified mode incorporating a minimal number of programming steps. In the simplified mode, the consumer selects a first, non-temperature related special features button and inputs a cook time. Immediately following input of the cook time, the control system starts a cooking operation. If the selected time is greater than a predetermined value, the control system automatically operates the cooking appliance in a cold start mode. An override is provided to disable the cold start mode if so desired. In addition, the control system allows a consumer to input both minimum and maximum cook times for the cooking operation.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A cooking appliance comprising:

an oven cavity including top, bottom, rear and opposing side walls;
a door pivotally mounted for movement relative to the oven cavity for selectively closing the oven cavity;
at least one heating element positioned to direct heat into the oven cavity;
means for establishing a non-temperature related cooking parameter for a cooking operation;
means for inputting at least one time parameter for the cooking operation, said at least one time parameter including both minimum and maximum cooking times for the cooking operation;
and
control means for selectively activating the at least one heating element to perform the cooking operation in the oven cavity based upon requiring only the non-temperature related cooking parameter and the at least one time parameter, wherein said control means provides a signal upon termination of the minimum cooking time.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cooking appliance control system

Life of this patent

Cooking appliance control system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21