Apparatus for regulating the temperature of a grill, in particular a gas grill

Abstract

An apparatus for regulating the temperature of a grill is disposed between a supply unit for gas and a gas outlet unit, which is part of the grill and is used for grilling the food, wherein the apparatus includes a control element for regulating the gas using a gas outlet regulator, which can generally be operated by hand. The apparatus includes at least one electronic regulation element, a regulation unit, as well as at least one sensor, wherein the regulation element includes a holding element and a transmitter element, wherein the holding element can be coupled with the mechanical control element of the grill, and the transmitter element, and thereby the mechanical control element, is adjustable as a function of the variable that is determined by the regulation unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for actively adjusting at least one mechanical control element provided on a grill for regulating the amount of power to be given off, wherein the apparatus comprises a regulation element that comprises a holding element and a transmitter element, wherein a. a regulation unit (14) coupled with the regulation element (11) is provided, and the regulation unit (14) or the regulation element (11) comprises at least one sensor (16) coupled with this unit, b. the regulation unit (14) comprises an external processing unit, by means of which different temperature/time progressions can be selected, and c. the holding element (12) of the regulation element (11) has fixation elements for holding the mechanical control element of the grill and attachment to the grill, the holding element having a cylindrical formation adapted to be fitted in a rotationally fixed manner onto the at least one mechanical control element of the grill for mechanically adjusting the at least one mechanical control element as a function of a variable determined by the regulation unit to control the feed of the power to be given off.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external processing unit is an application that can run on a tablet PC or smart phone.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a regulation element (11) has means for a master function, wherein one or more further regulation elements (11) have means for a slave function dependent on the master function.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (16) is connected with the regulation element (11) in hard-wired manner.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sensor (16) is a platinum measurement resistor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one regulation element (11) is disposed on a panel (17), which in turn has means for attachment to the grill.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the panel (17) has a display (18).

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter element (13) is a servomotor or actuator motor.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) These show:

(2) FIG. 1 a view of a commercially available grill having mechanical control elements and the apparatus according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 a further view of the grill according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 a schematic view of an electronic regulation element of the apparatus according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 a view of a schematic representation of the panel, with the regulation elements and the regulation unit, as well as a display.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

(6) The apparatus 10 can be used for a grill 1, which can generally be used outdoors.

(7) Such a grill 1 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It consists of a housing 2 having a top side 3 and an underside 4. A grill surface 5 is present on the top side 3; the food to be cooked is laid onto this surface. A hood 6 is provided facing the top side 3 and articulated onto one side of the top side 3, which hood forms a cavity in the closed state, facing the top side. This hood 6 ends flush with the top side 3.

(8) A spark is generated in the vicinity of a gas outlet on a burner 8 by pressing an ignition button 7. The spark ignites the gas and the burner 8 begins to generate heat. The food to be grilled is heated using this heat. The amount of heat is generally controlled by means of a rotary disk or a rotary knob in the configuration of a mechanical control element 9, which allows more or less gas to flow into the burner.

(9) The apparatus 10 according to the invention now comprises a total of four regulation elements 11 in the exemplary embodiment presented here, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. These regulation elements 11 are set onto the respective rotary knob (mechanical control element 9).

(10) Such a regulation element 11 consists of a holding element 12 and a transmitter element 13. The holder element 12 preferably has a cylindrical configuration and can be structured in such a manner that the cylindrical configuration is set onto the rotary knob (mechanical control element 9) of the grill in torque-proof manner. By means of the corresponding configuration in the interior of the holding element, preferably torque-proof coupling is only possible by means of setting it on. For this purpose, crosspieces in the interior of the holding element 12 engage around the handle element of the rotary knob (mechanical control element 9).

(11) The holding element 12 is coupled with the transmitter element 13. This transmitter element 13 is a servomotor or actuator motor, which is controlled by a regulation unit 14.

(12) The regulation unit 14 is an electronic circuit 15, which has the property that here, for one thing, the transmitter element 13 is controlled, and for another thing, the values that the sensors 16 that are coupled with the regulation element 11 make available are also processed there accordingly. Thus, the desired temperature can be predetermined by way of an input field. This temperature is displayed on a display 18. The regulation unit 14 constantly checks whether or not the desired temperature has been reached, in that it reads out the data of the sensor. If the temperature has not been reached, the amount of heat is optionally maintained or increased until the desired temperature has been reached. This is done in that the regulation unit predetermines the number of angular degrees by which the transmitter element is supposed to adjust in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Then the rotary knob of the grill is adjusted accordingly, by the same value, by means of the coupling with the holding element 12.

(13) The transmitter elements 13 can be servomotors or stepper motors 13 or means that have a similar effect. Even small rotations can be implemented accordingly, using these means.

(14) In order to allow easy installation, the panel 17 is provided, which is affixed to the grill in that it is placed over the existing rotary knobs (mechanical control elements 9). This panel 17 is attached by means of magnets or other means that have a similar effect. If parts of the grill are not magnetic, attachments means such as tensioning elements, tensioning belts, adhesive strips or similar means can also be provided.

(15) The electronic regulation elements 11 are already provided on the panel 17. These elements then enter into a connection with the rotary knobs, in that the respective holding element 12 is placed over the existing rotary knob and enters into a torque-proof connection with it, wherein at the same time, the panel 17 enters into a connection, preferably a releasable connection, with the grill 1. Because of the configuration as a unit, very easy installation is possible.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

(16) 1 grill 2 housing 3 top side 4 underside 5 grill surface 6 hood 7 ignition button 8 burner 9 control element 10 apparatus 11 regulation element 12 holding element 13 transmitter element 14 regulation unit 15 electric circuit 16 sensors 17 panel 18 display