GAS BURNER ARRANGEMENT FOR A GAS-COOKING APPLIANCE WITH A THERMOCOUPLE

Abstract

A gas burner arrangement (1) for a gas-cooking appliance (10), particularly a gas hob (10), comprising at least one gas burner (2) adapted to receive a fuel flow from a fuel supply (3) and for providing a fuel-supplied flame (4) to a cooking vessel (5), at least one support (6) arranged to support the cooking vessel (5) above the gas burner (2), particularly above the fuel-supplied flame (4), a thermocouple (7) adapted to generate a thermocouple signal (8) depending on the thermal state of said thermo-couple (7), and a control unit (9) connected to the thermocouple (7), the control unit (9) being adapted to receive the thermocouple signal (8) and to process said thermocouple signal (8) to an output signal, wherein the control unit (9) is capable of determining if the cooking vessel is placed on the support (6), particularly above the fuel-supplied flame (4), dependent on the thermocouple signal (8).

Claims

1. A gas burner arrangement for a gas-cooking appliance, comprising at least one gas burner adapted to receive a fuel flow from a fuel supply and for providing a fuel-supplied flame to a cooking vessel, at least one support arranged to support the cooking vessel above the gas burner, a thermocouple adapted to generate a thermocouple signal depending on a thermal state of said thermocouple, and a control unit connected to the thermocouple, the control unit being adapted to receive the thermocouple signal and to process said thermocouple signal to an output signal, the control unit being effective to determine if the cooking vessel is placed on the support dependent on the thermocouple signal.

2. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the support is arranged such that the cooking vessel is placed above the gas burner by a distance up to about 3.0 cm.

3. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the thermocouple signal is a thermo-tension and/or a thermoelectric current.

4. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the thermocouple is arranged such that the thermocouple signal is indicative of whether the cooking vessel is placed above the fuel-supplied flame.

5. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the thermocouple is arranged at a position below a cooking vessel to be placed on the support.

6. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the thermocouple is arranged adjacent to the fuel-supplied flame from the gas burner.

7. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is connected to at least one regulation means capable of regulating the fuel received by the at least one gas burner from the fuel supply dependent on the output signal.

8. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the at least one regulation means is an electronic gas valve.

9. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the fuel comprises air, and wherein the fuel supply comprises an air actuator means for providing said air, and wherein the control unit is connected to said fuel supply and/or to said air actuator means, wherein the air actuator means is capable of regulating the amount of air in the fuel dependent on the output signal.

10. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the fuel supply comprises a gas actuator means for providing said gas, wherein the control unit is connected to said fuel supply and/or to said gas actuator means, and wherein the gas actuator means is capable of regulating the amount of gas in the fuel dependent on the output signal.

11. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one regulation means is capable of regulating the amount of fuel received by the at least one gas burner from the fuel supply dependent on the output signal.

12. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to process said thermocouple signal to an output signal, and wherein the control unit is connected to at least one signal output device, the signal output device being capable of generating a signal perceptible to a user that is dependent on the output signal.

13. A gas-cooking appliance, comprising the gas burner arrangement according to claim 1.

14. A method for determining if a cooking vessel is placed above a fuel-supplied flame provided by a gas burner, comprising: a) providing a thermocouple signal from a thermocouple to a control unit, b) comparing thermocouple signal to at least one predetermined set value, c) generating an output signal dependent on the comparison in step b), wherein the output signal is indicative of whether a cooking vessel is placed above the fuel-supplied flame, d) providing said output signal to at least one signal output device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said method in step b) further comprises comparing the thermocouple signal to a first said predetermined set value for a first predetermined amount of time, and if the thermocouple signal for the first predetermined amount of time is lower than the first predetermined set value, said output signal generated in step c) is indicative of a state in which a cooking vessel is placed above the fuel-supplied flame.

16. The method according to claim 15, said method in step b) further comprising comparing the thermocouple signal to a second predetermined set value for a second predetermined amount of time, and if the thermocouple signal for the second predetermined amount of time is higher than the second predetermined set value, said output signal generated in step c) is indicative for a state in which no cooking vessel is placed above the fuel-supplied flame.

17. A gas burner arrangement for a gas-cooking appliance, comprising a gas burner adapted to receive a fuel mixture from a fuel supply and to provide a fuel-supplied flame to a cooking vessel supported above said flame, a thermocouple positioned adjacent to said flame and in a position below said cooking vessel when said cooking vessel is supported above said flame, said thermocouple being adapted to generate a thermocouple signal depending on a thermal state thereof, a control unit connected to the thermocouple, the control unit being adapted to receive the thermocouple signal and to determine therefrom if the cooking vessel is supported above said flame by comparing said thermocouple signal to a first predetermined set value for a first predetermined amount of time, and to generate an output signal, based on said thermocouple signal in comparison to said first predetermined set value, indicating whether said cooking vessel is supported above said flame, said control unit further being connected to an electronic valve effective control whether said fuel mixture is received by the gas burner from said fuel supply, said control unit being adapted to operate said electronic valve to lower or turn off a flow of said fuel mixture to said burner if no cooking vessel is detected above said fuel-supplied flame, based on comparing said thermocouple signal to said first predetermined value during said first period of time, said fuel supply comprising an air actuator for delivering air to said fuel mixture and a gas actuator for delivering fuel to said fuel mixture, said control unit being connected to and effective to operate each of said air actuator and said fuel actuator to thereby regulate a composition of said fuel mixture for supply to said burner via said electronic valve, thereby providing closed-loop combustion control of said fuel-supplied flame wherein said thermocouple signal constitutes a feedback signal for control of an air/fuel ratio in said fuel mixture, said thermocouple signal comprising a thermos-tension or a thermoelectric current.

18. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 17, said control unit being operative to adjust said air/fuel ratio in order to achieve a CO concentration lower than a predetermined CO concentration threshold based on burner performance indicated by said thermocouple signal.

19. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 17, said output signal being indicative of a functional state of said gas burner and being effective to diagnose a malfunction thereof in response to a change in said thermocouple signal or to a magnitude of deviation between said signal and said first predetermined value.

20. The gas burner arrangement according to claim 17, said control unit being further effective to operate said burner by regulating said air/fuel ratio and/or a total flow rate of said fuel mixture to said burner in response to changes in said thermocouple signal over time according to a predetermined cooking program comprising a plurality of cooking phases.

Description

[0058] The present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings from which further features, embodiments and advantages may be taken, and in which:

[0059] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate schematical side views of a gas burner arrangement showing a first inventive embodiment;

[0060] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematical side view of a gas burner arrangement showing a second inventive embodiment;

[0061] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2 show a gas burner arrangement 1 for a gas-cooking appliance 10, particularly a gas hob, which comprises at least one gas burner 2, which is adapted to receive a fuel flow from a fuel supply 3 and for providing a fuel-supplied flame 4 to a cooking vessel 5. In FIG. 1B the cooking vessel 5 in form of a usual cooking pot is placed on the gas burner 2. The cooking vessel 5 is placed on a support 6 arranged adjacent to the gas burner 3 to support the cooking vessel 5 above the flame 4. FIG. 1A shows the gas burner arrangement 1 of FIG. 1B without m the vessel. The gas burner arrangement 1 comprises a thermocouple 7, which is arranged adjacent to the burner 3, particularly adjacent to the fuel-supplied flame (4), such that dependent on whether the cooking vessel 5 is placed above the support 6, or not, the thermocouple signal 8 generated by the thermocouple 7 is changed. Therefore, the thermocouple 7 is arranged such that the thermocouple signal 8 is indicative for whether the cooking vessel 5 is placed above the support 6, particularly above the fuel-supplied flame 4. The thermocouple 7 is arranged at a position, which is below a cooking vessel 5 to be placed on the support 6, particularly above the fuel-supplied flame 4. The thermocouple 7 is thereby adapted to generate a thermocouple signal 8 depending on the thermal state of said thermocouple 7, which particularly depends on whether a vessel 5 is placed above the flame 4 and above the burner 3, or not. It may be particularly seen when FIGS. 1A and 1B are viewed vis--vis, that the flame structure of the flame 4 is significantly different, if a vessel 5 is placed on the support 6 compared to a situation where no vessel 5 is placed on the support 6. Particularly, the point of contact between the flame 4 and the thermocouple 7 is changed if a vessel 5 is placed on the support 6 compared to a situation where no vessel 5 is placed on the support 6. This change is also changing the thermocouple value. Accordingly, in order to determine, if a cooking vessel 5 is placed above the gas burner 2 of the gas burner arrangement 1 of the gas-cooking appliance 10, particularly on the support 6 above a fuel-supplied flame 4 provided by the gas burner 2, the method according to the present invention can be carried out. For this purpose a thermocouple signal 8 is provided from the thermocouple 7 to the control unit 9, the thermocouple signal 8 is compared to at least one predetermined set value in the control unit, and the control unit generates an output signal 11 dependent on the comparison. The output signal 11 thereby is indicative for whether a cooking vessel 5 is placed on the support 6, particularly above the fuel-supplied flame 4, or not. The output signal is further provided to at least one signal output device. Said output device can be of various forms, e.g. a display to inform the user, or a regulation means for regulating at least one function of a gas gas-cooking appliance, particularly a gas burner assembly. Particularly, when comparing the thermocouple signal 8 to the at least one first predetermined set value for at least one first predetermined amount of time, and if the thermocouple signal 8 for the first predetermined amount of time is higher than the at least one first predetermined set value, said output signal 11 is indicative for a state in which a cooking vessel 5 is placed on the support 6, particularly above the fuel-supplied flame 4. Additionally or alternatively, the comparison of thermocouple signal 8 to at least one second predetermined set value for at least one second predetermined amount of time, and if the thermocouple signal 8 for the second predetermined amount of time is lower than the at least one second predetermined set value, said generated output signal 11 is indicative for a state in which no cooking vessel 5 is placed on the support 6, particularly above the fuel-supplied flame 4.

[0062] As may be best seen from FIG. 2, which shows the gas burner arrangement 1 of FIGS. 1A and 1B with further elements, such as an air actuator 14, and a gas actuator 15, the gas burner arrangement 1 further comprises a control unit 9, which is connected to the thermocouple 7. The control unit 9 is adapted to receive the thermocouple signal 8 as an input signal and to process said thermocouple signal 8 to an output signal 11. According to the present invention, the control unit 9 is capable of determining if the cooking vessel 5 is placed above the support 6 dependent on the thermocouple signal 8. As may be particularly seen from FIG. 1 the support 6 is arranged such that the cooking vessel 5 is placed above the gas burner 2 with a distance to about 3.0 cm, preferably of about 2.0 cm, more preferably of about 1.0 cm. In the shown embodiment the thermocouple signal 8 is a thermostension and/or a thermoelectric current.

[0063] More particularly, the control unit 9 is connected to regulation means 12. The regulation means 12, which are provided as electronic valves, are capable of regulating the fuel received by the at least one gas burner 2 from the fuel supply 3, dependent on the output signal 11.

[0064] Particularly, the an air-gas mixture, may be provided, whereby the air is provided by an air actuator means 14, particularly a fan element, and the gas is provided from a gas actuator means 15. The control unit 9 is connected to said air actuator means 14 and to said gas actuator means 15. The air actuator means 14 is capable of regulating the amount of air in the fuel and the gas actuator means 15 is capable of regulating the amount of gas in the fuel, dependent on the output signal 11, and particularly be control of the respective valves 12. Particularly, one valve 12 is provided, which is capable of regulating the amount of fuel received by the at least one gas burner 2 from the fuel supply 3, dependent on the output signal 11. The control unit 9 is adapted to process the thermocouple signal 8 to an output signal 11, is connected to at least one signal output device 13, which is not shown in the Figs. The signal output device 13 is capable of generating a signal dependent on the output signal 11, wherein the signal is perceptible to a user, for example a display informing the user.

[0065] The features of the present invention disclosed in the specification, the claims, and/or the figures may both separately and in any combination thereof be material for realizing the invention in various forms thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0066] 1 gas burner arrangement [0067] 2 gas burner [0068] 3 fuel supply [0069] 4 flame [0070] 5 cooking vessel [0071] 6 support [0072] 7 thermocouple [0073] 8 thermocouple signal [0074] 9 control unit [0075] 10 Gas-Cooking appliance [0076] 11 output signal [0077] 12 regulation means [0078] 13 signal output device [0079] 14 air actuator means [0080] 15 gas actuator means