Cooking appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9668602-B2
Application number	US-201314021095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2013
Priority date	Sep 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A method of heating an item in a cavity of a cooking appliance including the steps of detecting the size of the item at a first time during a cooking cycle and detecting the size of the item at a second time during the cooking cycle. The cooking cycle is then controlled at least partially based on the size of the item at the second time during the cooking cycle. A cooking appliance for carrying out the method is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of heating an item in a cavity of a cooking appliance, comprising the steps of:
detecting a one-dimensional height of the item at a first time during a cooking cycle;
detecting the one-dimensional height of the item at a second time during the cooking cycle; and
controlling the cooking cycle based solely on a difference between the one-dimensional heights of the item at the second and first times during the cooking cycle, wherein the cooking cycle stops when the one-dimensional height of the item at the second time reaches a predetermined maximum one-dimensional height, wherein the predetermined maximum one-dimensional height is a user-selected one-dimensional height of the item to be cooked.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one-dimensional height of the item is detected with a sensor, wherein the sensor is chosen from a group consisting of an IR sensor, a thermal sensor, and a proximity sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting the one-dimensional height of the item includes sensing the one-dimensional height of the item within the cavity.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
comparing the one-dimensional height of the item at the first time to the one-dimensional height of the item at the second time; and
controlling the cooking cycle based solely on the one-dimensional height of the item at the first time and the one-dimensional height of the item at the second time.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of controlling the cooking cycle includes calculating a rate of change in the one-dimensional height of the item from the first time to the second time, and controlling the cooking cycle based on the rate of change in the one-dimensional height of the item from the first time to the second time.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of controlling the cooking cycle includes stopping the cooking cycle when the item reaches a predetermined maximum rate of change.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined maximum one-dimensional height is calculated based upon the one-dimensional height of the item at the first time during the cooking cycle.

8. A method of cooking an item in a cooking appliance, comprising the steps of:
measuring a one-dimensional physical property of the item at multiple times during a cooking cycle, wherein the one-dimensional physical property is a height of the item;
calculating a velocity of a rate of change of the one-dimensional physical property of the item; and
controlling the cooking cycle based solely on the velocity of the rate of change of the one-dimensional physical property during the cooking cycle, wherein the cooking cycle stops when the velocity of the rate of change of the one-dimensional physical property during the cooking cycle exceeds a controller-predetermined maximum velocity.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the height is measured by a sensor, and wherein the sensor is chosen from a group consisting of an IR sensor, a thermal sensor, and a proximity sensor.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Ruperee Prashant

Classifications

• F24C7/087

  of electric circuits regulating heat · CPC title

• A23L5/10

  General methods of cooking foods, e.g. by roasting or frying · CPC title

• A47J27/62 Primary

  by devices for automatically controlling the heat supply by switching off heaters or for automatically lifting the cooking-vessels · CPC title

• F24C7/085 Primary

  on baking ovens · CPC title