Door latch detection with motor current analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12021463-B2
Application number	US-202117469592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2021
Priority date	Sep 8, 2021
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

Controlling a door latch of a cooking appliance is provided. A controller monitors motor current of a motor driving a door latch during a locking operation of a door of the cooking appliance. The controller deactivates the motor responsive to the motor current reaching a closed door threshold amount of current. The controller indicates the door being in a closed state responsive to the current draw over time matching a predefined current draw curve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a door latch of a cooking appliance, comprising:
monitoring, by a controller, current draw of a motor driving a door latch during a locking operation of a door of the cooking appliance;
deactivating, by the controller, the motor responsive to the current draw reaching a closed door threshold amount of current; and
indicating, by the controller, the door being in a closed state responsive to the current draw over time matching a predefined current draw curve.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating, by the controller, an error condition responsive to the current draw over time during the locking operation failing to match a predefined current draw curve.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising indicating an obstruction condition responsive to the current draw reaching the closed door threshold amount of current within a shorter timeframe than as indicated by the predefined current draw curve.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating the locking operation responsive to selection of a pyrolytic cycle from a user interface of the cooking appliance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined current draw curve is an average of the current draw over time for previous cycles of the locking operation of the door.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined current draw curve is preprogrammed to the controller.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring, by the controller, the current draw of the motor driving the door latch during an unlocking operation of the door of the cooking appliance;
deactivating, by the controller, the motor responsive to the current draw reaching an open door threshold amount of current; and
indicating, by the controller, the door being in an open state responsive to the current draw over time matching a second predefined current draw curve for opening of the door.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising indicating an obstruction condition responsive to the current draw being in excess of the second predefined current draw curve for opening of the door.

9. A system for controlling a door latch of a cooking appliance, comprising:
a motor configured to drive a door latch;
a current sensor configured to measure current draw of the motor; and
a controller programmed to
monitor motor current of the motor during a locking operation of a door of the cooking appliance,
deactivate the motor responsive to the motor current reaching a closed door threshold amount of current, and
indicate the door being in a closed state responsive to the current draw over time matching a predefined current draw curve.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to indicate, in a user interface, an error condition responsive to the current draw over time during the locking operation failing to match the predefined current draw curve.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to indicate, in the user interface, an obstruction condition responsive to the motor current reaching the closed door threshold amount of current within a shorter timeframe than as indicated by the predefined current draw curve.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to initiate the locking operation responsive to selection of a pyrolytic cycle from a user interface of the cooking appliance.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the predefined current draw curve is an average of the current draw over time for previous cycles of the locking operation of the door.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the predefined current draw curve is preprogrammed to a non-volatile storage of the controller.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a controller of a cooking appliance, cause the cooking appliance to perform operations including to:
monitor current draw of a motor driving a door latch during a locking operation of a door of the cooking appliance;
deactivate the motor responsive to the current draw reaching a closed door threshold amount of current; and
indicate the door being in a closed state responsive to the current draw over time matching a predefined current draw curve.

16. The medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the controller, cause the cooking appliance to perform operations including to indicate an error condition responsive to the current draw over time during the locking operation failing to match the predefined current draw curve.

17. The medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the controller, cause the cooking appliance to perform operations including to indicate an obstruction condition responsive to the current draw reaching the closed door threshold amount of current within a shorter timeframe than as indicated by the predefined current draw curve.

18. The medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the controller, cause the cooking appliance to perform operations including to initiate the locking operation responsive to selection of a pyrolytic cycle from a user interface of the cooking appliance.

19. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the predefined current draw curve is an average of the current draw over time for previous cycles of the locking operation of the door.

20. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the predefined current draw curve is preprogrammed to the controller.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Rohatgi Pratyaksh

Classifications

• F24C15/022

  Latches · CPC title

• G01R19/0092

  Measuring current only · CPC title

• E05B2047/0067

  Monitoring · CPC title

• F24C14/02

  pyrolytic type · CPC title

• E05B47/023

  the bolt moving pivotally or rotatively · CPC title