Apparatus and method of controlling a triple heating element of a cooking appliance
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsRobert S. Donarski, Steven M. Swayne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cooking appliance and method of operating the same is disclosed. The method includes energizing each of a first heating element, a second heating element, and a third heating element to a maximum power level to supply heat to a separately controlled cooking area, maintaining the second heating element at the maximum power level after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, and selectively energizing the first heating element and the third heating element to the maximum power level after the predetermined time interval has elapsed.
Claims20
A cooking appliance comprising:
- a cooktop including a plurality of separately controlled cooking areas,
- a plurality of heating elements positioned below one of the separately controlled cooking areas, the plurality of heating elements including a first heating element, a second heating element, and a third heating element, and
- an electronic controller electrically coupled to the plurality of heating elements, the controller comprising (i) a processor, and (ii) a memory device electrically coupled to the processor, the memory device having stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
- (a) energize each of the plurality of heating elements at a maximum power level for a predetermined time interval,
- (b) maintain the second heating element at the maximum power level after the predetermined time interval has elapsed, and
- (c) alternately energize the first heating element and the third heating element at the maximum power level after the predetermined time interval has elapsed such that the first heating element and the third heating element are not energized concurrently.
A method of operating a cooking appliance, comprising:
- energizing a first heating element to a first maximum power level, a second heating element to a second maximum power level, and a third heating element to a third maximum power level for a predetermined time interval such that heat is supplied to a separately controlled cooking area,
- maintaining the second heating element at the second maximum power level after the predetermined time interval has elapsed, and
- alternately energizing the first heating element to the first maximum power level and the third heating element to the third maximum power level after the predetermined time interval has elapsed.
A method of operating a cooktop, comprising:
- energizing each of a first heating element, a second heating element, and a third heating element to a maximum power level to supply heat to a separately controlled cooking area,
- maintaining the first heating element and the second heating element at the maximum power level and deenergizing the third heating element after a first predetermined time interval has elapsed,
- deenergizing the first heating element and energizing the third heating element to the maximum power level after a second predetermined time interval has elapsed, and
- energizing the first heating element to the maximum power level and deenergizing the third heating element after a third predetermined time interval has elapsed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.