Grill safety systems and methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to grill assemblies for generating heat from various sources. In particular, the present invention relates to grill assemblies including various control members to detect unintended heating and terminating such. The present invention also relates to various methods of detecting the unintended heating by the heating elements and stopping such operations. The present invention also relates to various processes for providing various control members and grill assemblies including such control members. Such control members may be incorporated into grill assemblies for generating heat from various sources, e.g., burning gas, flowing electricity, irradiating electromagnetic waves thereby, and so on. In addition, the control members of this invention may be implemented into various stationary and / or portable grills and ovens for cooking food, various fireplaces or burners for heating interior, and the like.

Description

[0001] The present application claims a benefit of an earlier filing date of a U.S. Provisional Application which is entitled “Grill Safety Systems and Methods” and filed on Apr. 19, 2004 by the same Applicant and which bears a U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 563,148, an entire portion of which is to be incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention generally relates to various grill assemblies capable of generating heat from various energy sources. More particularly, the present invention relates safety grill assemblies including various control members capable of detecting unintended heating by their heating elements and terminating such heating upon detecting such unintended operations. The present invention also relates to various methods of detecting such unintended heating by the heating elements of various grill assemblies and terminating such unintended operations. The present invention further relates to various processes for providing various control...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] As will be described in greater detail below, various grill assemblies according to this invention may be used to prevent fire hazards and / or gas poisoning which may occur due to user's mistakes or other unforeseeable circumstances. For example, an user may turn on the grill but not accidentally check whether gas is properly ignited. In case the gas is not ignited, such gas will leak and poison an area around the grill such as a kitchen or a dining room. In another example, the user may turn on the gas and successfully ignite such gas, but its flame goes off when water or food boils and spills onto such flame. The gas then leaks until it poisons a neighboring area. In another example, the user may turn on the gas and successfully ignite the gas, but gas supply may be terminated due to malfunction of the grill or gas supplier, construction of a gas supply line, and the like. When the gas supply is back on, such gas will leak and poison the area. Such gas leak may not only poison persons and animals in the above area but also cause explosion when the user ignites a cigarette or causes a electric spark. In yet another example, the user may properly turn on the gas and ignite such but forget to turn it off. As a result, the grill overcooks food disposed thereon, burns the food, and causes excessive heating of the grill, container, and food, while generating fumes and smokes, and even causing fire. Although electric grills may not cause the gas poisoning, unintended heating of their electric coils may burn the unwary user and even cause fire. Various grill safety systems of this invention are aimed to prevent these accidents by sensing unintended operation of the grill and cutting off supply of various energy source to the grill upon detecting such an operation. As will be described in greater detail below, the grill assemblies of this invention may incorporate various sensors for detecting unintended operation thereof.

Problems solved by technology

In case the gas is not ignited, such gas will leak and poison an area around the grill such as a kitchen or a dining room.

In another example, the user may turn on the gas and successfully ignite such gas, but its flame goes off when water or food boils and spills onto such flame.

The gas then leaks until it poisons a neighboring area.

In another example, the user may turn on the gas and successfully ignite the gas, but gas supply may be terminated due to malfunction of the grill or gas supplier, construction of a gas supply line, and the like.

When the gas supply is back on, such gas will leak and poison the area.

Such gas leak may not only poison persons and animals in the above area but also cause explosion when the user ignites a cigarette or causes a electric spark.

As a result, the grill overcooks food disposed thereon, burns the food, and causes excessive heating of the grill, container, and food, while generating fumes and smokes, and even causing fire.

Although electric grills may not cause the gas poisoning, unintended heating of their electric coils may burn the unwary user and even cause fire.

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