Lockout system for surface burners of a cooking appliance
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsLeo Edward Hodapp, Jr., Michael Bernard Hitchcock, William Lee Holbrook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lockout control system for a cooktop appliance having a surface heating unit includes a controller coupled to the cooktop, a lockout device coupled to the controller, a surface burner state switch coupled between the controller and the lockout device, the surface burner state switch configured to prevent operation of the lockout device when the surface heating unit is enabled.
Claims19
A cooktop appliance comprising:
- a heating unit for the cooktop appliance configured to switch between an active state and a de-activated state;
- a control for the heating unit;
- a burner state switch coupled to the control for the heating unit;
- and
- a lockout device configured to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state;
- wherein when the appliance generates a lockout device select command to change a state of the lockout device, the state of the lockout device is monitored to determine if the heating unit is in the active state;
- and
- a gas valve switch controlled by the lockout device, a state of the gas valve switch corresponding to a state of a gas valve for the heating unit, wherein an operation of the lockout device is detected from a change in state of the gas valve switch.
A lockout control system for a cooktop appliance having a surface heating unit, comprising:
- a controller coupled to the cooktop;
- a lockout device coupled to the controller;
- a surface burner state switch coupled between the controller and the lockout device, the surface burner state switch being configured to monitor a state of a surface heating unit control for the surface heating unit and to prevent operation of the lockout device when the surface heating unit is enabled;
- the controller comprising a lockout enable relay coupled in series between a power source and the surface burner state switch, the lockout enable relay being configured to energize the lockout device when the lockout enable relay is enabled;
- and
- a gas valve switch controlled by the lockout device and coupled to the controller, a state of the gas valve switch indicating a state of a gas valve for the surface heating unit, wherein the controller detects an operation of the lockout device from a change in state of the gas valve switch.
A method of determining a state of a heating unit in a cooktop appliance using a controller, the controller:
- generating a lockout device select command;
- monitoring a state of a lockout device for a pre-determined time period;
- determining if the lockout device changes state responsive to the lockout device select command during the pre-determined time period;
- and
- determining that a state of the heating unit is enabled if the lockout device does not change state during the pre-determined time period;
- wherein determining if the lockout device changes state responsive to the lockout device select command during the pre-determined time period comprises:
- monitoring a state of a gas valve switch for the heating unit controlled by the lockout device;
- and
- detecting a change in state of the gas valve switch, the change in state of the gas valve switch indicating the change in state of the lockout device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.