Systems and methods for operating a gas-fired appliance such as a gas-fired cooking grill are provided. An embodiment of the system includes a gas burner for heating a chamber of the gas-fired appliance. The system includes a first valve associated with the gas burner to control a gas flow to the gas burner. The system includes a second valve configured to controllably supply gas to the gas burner via the first valve. The second valve is automatically adjustable based on a desired temperature of the chamber and an actual temperature of the chamber.

A knob assembly for a gas cooktop may include a knob configured to control a flow of gas from a burner of a cooktop starting at a resting position, the knob defining a hollow interior and having a support cylinder extending vertically through the hollow interior, wherein the support cylinder includes a projection flap protruding therefrom, an inner lock ring arranged at least partially within the hollow interior of the knob and having a chamfered region defining a ring opening adjacent an inclined portion, where the opening is configured to selectively receive the projection flap in response to depression of the knob and where the projection flap slides along the inclined portion in response to subsequent rotation of the knob, the inclined portion imparting frictional resistance on the projection flap to prevent against unintentional rotation of the knob.

The present invention relates to an electromechanical system for automating the turning off of the knobs of a stove. The system can quickly identify the occurrence of a gas leak and turn off the knob corresponding to the burner that is leaking. The system is also connected to a user interface, providing real-time information about the status of the burners and allowing the user to turn off the knobs remotely. The system has an improved service life, does not considerably change the aesthetics of the stove and can be designed to fulfil different torque requirements. The invention also relates to cooktops comprising said system.

Systems and methods for a gas train assembly for an automated cooking system are provided. In one embodiment, the gas train assembly includes an electronic controller, a booster, a first burner assembly, and a first mass flow controller. The electronic controller is configured to identify a recipe associated with an order for a food item. The booster is configured to increase the pressure of the gas to a high-pressure value. The first burner assembly is downstream from the booster. The first mass flow controller is interposed between the booster and the first burner assembly. The first mass flow controller receives a first burner setting from the electronic controller. The first burner setting is based on the recipe. The first mass flow controller allows gas to flow through the first mass flow controller and toward the first burner assembly at a first pressure value corresponding to the first burner setting.

A cooking appliance including an oven compartment, and first and second gas burners positioned to supply heat to the oven compartment. The first and second gas burners respectively include first and second electromechanical modulating valves that respectively couple the first and second gas burners to a gas supply. A controller is used to control the first and second gas burners to heat the oven compartment, and the controller, when maintaining a predetermined temperature in the oven compartment, controls the electromechanical modulating valves of the first and second gas burners to vary respective output levels of the first and second gas burners while maintaining a substantially constant combined output level for the first and second gas burners.

A cooking appliance that includes: a gas cooking element; an igniter located next to the gas cooking element to ignite the gas cooking element; a gas valve for regulating gas flow to the gas cooking element; a burner control coupled to the gas valve to vary the gas flow to the gas cooking element; and a control circuit coupled to the burner control and for activating the igniter when the burner control is positioned within a predetermined range of positions, where the control circuit detects when the burner control has been moved through the predetermined range of positions in less than a predetermined time, and in response to determining that the burner control has been moved through the predetermined range of positions in less than the predetermined time, generate an alert to a user.

An improved gas fireplace hearth provides a controller and can perform new features. A pressure sensor may be provided to communicate to the controller to warn of a drop of inlet gas pressure to indicate a problem with gas service rather than the hearth. An ambient temperature sensor can provide an input to the controller for various features including a safety feature to shut off gas flow if the hearth becomes too hot. The hearth can be made more efficient by having the controller implement a zero voltage alternating current system to adjust the speed of the fan, flame height, lighting, BTU output or other feature.

A digital gas cooking appliance is disclosed. The digital gas cooking appliance has the ability of self-initiating an automatic calibration process to determine an optimum valve position to be used for an electromechanical valve when igniting a gas cooking element by performing a plurality of ignition sequences for the gas cooking element at a plurality of respective valve positions of the electromechanical valve. During each of the plurality of ignition sequences, a respective ignition duration between a start of the respective ignition sequence when an igniter is active and the electromechanical valve is open, and a flame is detected by a flame detector, may be determined.

Cooktop appliances are provided. A cooktop appliance can include a gas burner; a manifold having a gas input; a primary line extending between the manifold and the gas burner, wherein the primary line operates as a non-modulated minimum gas flow line when the cooktop appliance is in an automatic mode; a secondary line extending between the manifold and the gas burner, wherein a gas flow rate of the secondary line is controllable by a flow control valve; a primary valve in fluid communication with at least the primary line; and a control system including: a sensor configured to detect a temperature corresponding to the gas burner; and a controller regulating: (i) the flow control valve in response to the detected temperature to achieve a desired temperature, and (ii) the primary valve when the flow control valve is closed and the detected temperature exceeds the desired temperature.

A system for controlling digital gas valves of an appliance utilizing a configurable duty cycle that includes a configurable ON time, a configurable cycle period and one or more configurable burner power level variables. In some instances, the configurable duty cycle may be configured at least in part by operation of a control knob, and in some instances, multiple burner power levels may be specified such that cycling may be performed between multiple burner power levels.