An apparatus, cooking appliance and method functionally verify a gas burner that is controlled by two or more electronically-controlled gas valves coupled in series with one another. Functional verification is performed during ignition and/or shut off of the gas burner at least in part by sequencing the activation and/or deactivation of the gas valves and testing the ignition state of the gas burner while one of the valves is activated and the other is deactivated.

A knob assembly includes a front panel, a knob located at a front side of the front panel and configured to rotate based on operation by a user, a knob shaft that is coupled to the knob and that extends through the front panel, a supporting pipe that receives the knob shaft and that supports the knob shaft, the supporting pipe being configured to maintain a position relative to the front panel, a valve configured to control supply of gas to the appliance, a valve shaft connected to the valve and configured to control the valve to adjust a flow rate of gas based on rotation of the valve shaft, and a joint that couples the knob shaft to the valve shaft and that is configured to transfer at least one of a rotational motion or a linear motion of the knob shaft to the valve shaft.

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 vertical grilling assembly for uniform grilling of food with reduced flareups includes a housing, which defines an interior space. A retaining unit, which is engaged to a food item is insertable through an opening, which is positioned in a front of the housing, so that the food item is positioned in the interior space substantially equally distant from opposed sides of the housing. A first door is hingedly engaged to the housing and is positioned to selectively close the opening. A pair of heaters is engaged singly to the opposed sides of the housing and positioned in the interior space. The heaters selectively heat the interior space to grill the food item. A controller is engaged to the housing and is operationally engaged to the pair of heaters. The controller is positioned to control heat output from the pair of heaters.

A system for igniting a grill can include a solenoid valve, a flame rectification sensor, an igniter, and a control circuit connected to the solenoid valve and the flame rectification sensor. The solenoid valve controls flow of gas to the grill's burner and includes a switch that closes when a handle connected to the switch opens the solenoid valve. The control circuit sends current to the solenoid valve when the switch is closed to hold the solenoid valve open. After the switch closes, the igniter is ignited. After ignition, the control circuit monitors the presence of a flame with a flame rectification sensor. If no flame is detected after a certain amount of time, the control circuit stops sending current to the solenoid valve to close the solenoid valve.

A knob assembly includes a front panel, a knob located at a front side of the front panel and configured to rotate based on operation by a user, a knob shaft that is coupled to the knob and that extends through the front panel, a supporting pipe that receives the knob shaft and that supports the knob shaft, the supporting pipe being configured to maintain a position relative to the front panel, a valve configured to control supply of gas to the appliance, a valve shaft connected to the valve and configured to control the valve to adjust a flow rate of gas based on rotation of the valve shaft, and a joint that couples the knob shaft to the valve shaft and that is configured to transfer at least one of a rotational motion or a linear motion of the knob shaft to the valve shaft.

A cooking appliance and method generate an audible and/or visual indication to a user while an igniter is activated during ignition of a gas burner to notify the user that the igniter is active.

The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance including a valve holder assembly for preventing movement of a valve. The cooking appliance includes a main body including a heating part, a valve positioned at least partially inside the main body to supply fuel to the heating part, and a knob unit coupled to the main body to regulate the degree of opening and closing of the valve, wherein the knob unit includes an operating part provided on a front surface of the main body to be operable and to which the valve is coupled at least partially, and a valve holder assembly positioned at the rear of the operating part, and the valve holder assembly includes a valve holder configured to allow a portion of the valve to pass therethrough, a valve holder casing configured to receive the valve holder, and an elastic member provided on the valve holder casing and configured to contact the valve holder to prevent movement of the valve.

The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance including a valve holder assembly for preventing movement of a valve. The cooking appliance includes a main body including a heating part, a valve positioned at least partially inside the main body to supply fuel to the heating part, and a knob unit coupled to the main body to regulate the degree of opening and closing of the valve, wherein the knob unit includes an operating part provided on a front surface of the main body to be operable and to which the valve is coupled at least partially, and a valve holder assembly positioned at the rear of the operating part, and the valve holder assembly includes a valve holder configured to allow a portion of the valve to pass therethrough, a valve holder casing configured to receive the valve holder, and an elastic member provided on the valve holder casing and configured to contact the valve holder to prevent movement of the valve.

A cooking appliance and method may generate one or more audible and/or visual indications to a user of various gas burner states during the operation of a gas burner, including, for example, states that are associated with different types of ignition operations, such as initial ignition operations, programmed re-ignition operations and/or flame loss re-ignition operations and/or states that are associated with ignition operations, normal operating conditions, and/or failure conditions.