Gas stoves

Abstract

The present invention provides a gas stove comprising: an electromagnetic safety valve that is forcibly opened by pressing an operating member to an ignition position (ignition operation); an electrically driven fire control valve; and a cooking vessel detection mechanism that detects the presence of a cooking vessel on a fire support. If the absence of a cooking vessel is detected during the ignition operation, power to the electromagnetic safety valve is stopped, and the fire control valve is switched to a fully closed state, thereby stopping the supply of gas to the stove burner. This prevents the fire control valve from malfunctioning during the ignition operation, which would otherwise occur if the fire control valve were left in the fully closed state. If the absence of a cooking vessel is detected during the ignition operation, the fire control valve is maintained in the fully closed state only when the operating member is in the ignition position. When the operating member is moved from the ignition position, the fire control valve is switched from the fully closed state to a predetermined, non-use standby state, in which the valve is displaced toward the open position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas stove as described below, which comprises: a stove burner facing a burner opening provided in a top plate opening; a manual operating member that can be freely pressed from a flameout position to an ignition position, and is moved to a combustion position between the flameout position and the ignition position by releasing the pressing at the ignition position, and is locked; an electromagnetic safety valve that is provided on a gas supply path that supplies gas to the stove burner, the electromagnetic safety valve being forcibly opened by pressing the operating member toward the ignition position and being maintained in the open state by energizing the valve in the forcibly opened state; and a valve that is electrically connected to the valve. A magnetic safety valve is arranged in series on a gas supply path that supplies gas to a stove burner. The meta-valve is opened by pressing an operating component toward an ignition position. Even if the operating component is moved to a combustion position, the meta-valve is maintained in the open position. When the operating component returns to a flameout position, the meta-valve is closed; an electrically driven fire regulating valve is arranged in series with the electromagnetic safety valve and the meta-valve on a gas supply path that supplies gas to a stove burner; a fire support is arranged on the top plate in a manner that surrounds an opening for the burner; and a cooking container detection mechanism is used to detect the presence or absence of a cooking container on the fire support. Background Art

[0002] As is well known, in the past, as for this type of gas stove, according to Patent Document 1, when the operating member is pressed to the ignition position for ignition operation, if the cooking container detection mechanism detects that there is no cooking container, the spark discharge by the ignition electrode is terminated, and the stove burner is not ignited. At the same time, the electrically driven fire control valve is switched to a fully closed state. Even if the electromagnetic safety valve and the element valve are opened, the supply of gas to the stove burner is stopped, so that liquid gas is not released.

[0003] Furthermore, in the gas stove described in Patent Document 1, the electrically driven fire control valve comprises an orifice that sets the minimum fire intensity, a first solenoid valve connected in parallel with the orifice, and a second solenoid valve connected in series with the orifice and the first solenoid valve. Closing the second solenoid valve creates a fully closed state. Furthermore, as is well known, electrically driven fire control valves are motor valves driven by an electric motor.

[0004] However, in the gas stove described in Patent Document 1, when the cooking vessel detection mechanism detects the absence of a cooking vessel during ignition, the electrically driven fire control valve is switched to a fully closed state. Furthermore, the electrically driven fire control valve may remain fully closed for a long period of time until the next ignition operation.

[0005] Here, in the case where the electric drive type fire damper is composed of a motor valve, when it is placed in the fully closed state, sometimes biting (Japanese: 食付き) may occur in the linkage mechanism that联动opens or closes the valve body of the fire damper in联动with the electric motor, resulting in a situation where the fire damper fails to open properly during the ignition operation. Additionally, in the case where the electric drive type fire damper is the solenoid valve type fire damper described in Patent Document 1, the second solenoid valve placed in the closed valve state may sometimes experience adhesion between the valve body and the valve seat, leading to a situation where the second solenoid valve fails to open properly during the ignition operation.

[0006] Patent Document

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-139189 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention has been completed in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a gas stove as described below. That is, when it is detected that there is no cooking container during the ignition operation, even if the electric drive type fire damper is switched to the fully closed state, the fire damper does not experience a failure to open properly during the next ignition operation.

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the gas stove of the present invention comprises: a stove burner, which faces the burner opening provided in the top plate opening; a manual operating member, which can be freely pressed from the flameout position to the ignition position, and is moved to the combustion position between the flameout position and the ignition position by releasing the pressing at the ignition position, and is locked; an electromagnetic safety valve, which is provided in a gas supply path for supplying gas to the stove burner, the electromagnetic safety valve is forcibly opened by pressing the operating member toward the ignition position, and is maintained in the open state by energizing the valve in the forced open state; a meta valve, which is provided in series with the electromagnetic safety valve in the gas supply path for supplying gas to the stove burner, the meta valve is opened by pressing the operating member toward the ignition position, and is maintained in the open state even if the operating member is moved to the combustion position, and is closed when the operating member returns to the flameout position; an electrically driven fire regulating valve, which is provided in series with the electromagnetic safety valve and the meta valve in the gas supply path for supplying gas to the stove burner The gas supply path includes a fire support member disposed on the top plate so as to surround an opening for the burner; and a cooking container detection mechanism for detecting the presence of a cooking container on the fire support member, wherein when the operating member is pressed from the flameout position to the ignition position to perform an ignition operation, if the cooking container detection mechanism detects that there is no cooking container, the power supply to the electromagnetic safety valve is stopped, the fire intensity control valve is fully closed, and the gas supply to the stove burner is stopped. The gas stove includes an ignition position detection mechanism capable of detecting when the operating member is in the ignition position. When the ignition operation is performed, if the cooking container detection mechanism detects that there is no cooking container, the fire intensity control valve is maintained in the fully closed state only while the ignition position detection mechanism detects that the operating member is in the ignition position. When the ignition position detection mechanism does not detect that the operating member is in the ignition position, the fire intensity control valve is switched from the fully closed state to a specified non-use standby state in which it is displaced to the open direction.

[0010] According to the present invention, during the ignition operation, if the absence of a cooking vessel is detected, the electrically driven fire control valve is switched to a fully closed state. Even if both the electromagnetic safety valve and the main valve are opened during the ignition operation, gas will not be supplied to the stove burner, thereby preventing the release of liquid gas. Furthermore, after the operating member is released from the ignition position by being pressed, the fire control valve is switched to a non-fully closed, standby state, thereby preventing the fire control valve from malfunctioning during the next ignition operation. Furthermore, if the absence of a cooking vessel is detected during the ignition operation, power to the electromagnetic safety valve is terminated, and the operating member moves from the ignition position, releasing the forced opening of the electromagnetic safety valve and closing the electromagnetic safety valve. Therefore, even if the fire control valve is switched to a non-fully closed, standby state, gas will not be supplied to the stove burner, thereby preventing the release of liquid gas.

[0011] Furthermore, in the present invention, when the electrically driven fire control valve is a motor valve driven by an electric motor, the aforementioned non-use standby state is preferably set to a minimum fire state, where the fire intensity of the stove burner is at its lowest. Thus, when an ignition operation is performed and the absence of a cooking vessel is detected, the fire control valve can be quickly switched to a fully closed state, regardless of whether it is driven by the electric motor, thereby preventing the release of liquid gas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a gas stove according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a circuit diagram showing gas piping of a gas stove according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional side view of a stove burner valve unit provided in the gas stove according to the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional side view of the main parts showing the operation of the electromagnetic safety valve and the operating member of the main valve provided in the valve unit for the stove burner.

[0016] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a micro switch for detecting the position of an operating member provided in a valve unit for a stove burner.

[0017] Figure 6 This is an enlarged, cutaway side view of an electrically driven fire control valve installed in a valve unit for a stove burner.

[0018] Figure 7This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the operation of the cooking vessel detection mechanism provided in the gas stove according to the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the control contents of the electrically driven fire regulating valve in the gas stove according to the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 9 This is a circuit diagram showing another example of an electrically driven fire control valve.

[0021] Symbols and Markings

[0022] 2...top plate, 3...stove burner, 4...fire support, 71...electromagnetic safety valve, 72...element valve, 73...electrically driven fire control valve, 735...electric motor, 75...operating member, 77...micro switch, 772...second contact (ignition position detection mechanism), 9...cooking container detection mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Figure 1 The illustrated gas stove of the embodiment of the present invention includes: a pair of left and right stove burners 3, 3 facing a pair of left and right burner openings (not shown), which are openings provided in a top plate 2 covering the upper surface of a stove body 1; a pair of left and right fire supports 4, 4 placed on the top plate 2 so as to surround the left and right burner openings; and a grill 5 assembled to the stove body 1. A front panel 11 of the stove body 1 is provided with: ignition and extinguishing keys 12, 12 for the left and right stove burners; stove burner fire control knobs 13, 13 located above these ignition and extinguishing keys 12, 12; an ignition and extinguishing key 14 for the grill; and a pair of upper and lower fire control knobs 151, 152 located above the upper and lower fire control knobs 152 for the upper and lower burners of the grill 5.

[0024] Reference Figure 2The gas supply path 6 branches into a pair of stove burner gas supply paths 6a, 6a for supplying gas to the left and right stove burners 3, 3, and a grid gas supply path 6b for supplying gas to the upper burner 51 and lower burner 52 of the grid 5. A stove burner valve unit 7 is provided on each stove burner gas supply path 6a. This valve unit 7 includes an electromagnetic safety valve 71, a primary valve 72, an electrically driven fire control valve 73, and a manual fire control valve 74 linked to the fire control knob 13. A grid valve unit 8 is provided on the grid gas supply path 6b. This valve unit 8 includes an electromagnetic safety valve 81, a primary valve 82, a manual upper burner fire control valve 831 linked to the upper burner fire control knob 151, and a manual lower burner fire control valve 832 linked to the lower burner fire control knob 152.

[0025] Below, refer to Figure 3 , the valve unit 7 for the stove burner is described in detail. The structures of the electromagnetic safety valve 81, the element valve 82, and the manual fire regulating valves 831 and 832 of the valve unit 8 for the grid are the same as the structures of the electromagnetic safety valve 71, the element valve 72, and the manual fire regulating valve 74 described later in the valve unit 7 for the stove burner, and therefore their description is omitted.

[0026] The stove burner valve unit 7 includes a valve housing 70 having an inlet 70a connected to the upstream portion of the stove burner gas supply line 6a and an outlet 70b connected to the downstream portion of the stove burner gas supply line 6a. Furthermore, within this valve housing 70, assembled in order from the upstream side are an electromagnetic safety valve 71, a primary valve 72, an electrically driven fire control valve 73, and a manual fire control valve 74.

[0027] The electromagnetic safety valve 71 includes a valve seat 711, which can be opened from the upstream side, that is, from the rear ( Figure 3 The valve body 712 is seated on the valve seat 711 (center left), the armature 713 is connected to the valve body 712 by the valve shaft 712a extending rearward, the electromagnet 714 abuts against the armature 713 when the valve body 712 moves to the predetermined valve opening position away from the valve seat 711, and the valve body 712 is moved to the valve closing position ( Figure 3 The valve element 72 comprises a valve seat 721, a valve body 722 which can be seated on the valve seat 721 from behind and is fixed to an operating rod 76 described later, and a valve spring 715 which biases the valve body 722 toward the closed position ( Figure 3 The valve spring 723 is applied with force (in the position shown).

[0028] The valve unit 7 also includes a manual operating member 75 slidably supported in the front-rear direction by a guide block 751, and the guide block 751 is attached to the front end of the valve housing 70. The operating member 75 is urged forward by a spring 752 and abuts against the back of the ignition / off key 12. The ignition / off key 12 is used to move the operating member 75 from the front end to the ignition / off position ( Figure 3 The operating member 75 is pressed to the rear end of the ignition position (shown in the figure). Furthermore, the operating member 75 is moved to a predetermined combustion position between the extinguishing position and the ignition position by a push mechanism 753, and is locked when the push is released in the ignition position. The pushing mechanism 753 is composed of a heart-shaped cam groove 753a and a locking member 753b engaging therewith. Furthermore, an ignition key and an extinguishing key are provided side by side, allowing the operating member 75 to be pressed to the ignition position by the ignition key. Furthermore, a locking mechanism is provided in conjunction with the extinguishing key. This locking mechanism temporarily locks the operating member 75 in the combustion position when it returns after being released from the ignition position. The locking mechanism can be released by pressing the extinguishing key, allowing the operating member 75 to return to the extinguishing position.

[0029] In addition, the operating rod 76 opposite to the rear of the operating component 75 is inserted into the valve housing 70 so as to be able to move forward and backward in the front-to-back direction. When the operating component 75 is pressed from the flameout position, the operating component 75 presses the operating rod 76 to move rearward, and the valve body 722 of the elemental valve 72 fixed to the operating rod 76 will resist the force of the valve spring 723 and leave the valve seat 721, so that the elemental valve 72 is opened. When the operating rod 76 moves further rearward, the operating rod 76 will abut against the valve body 712 of the electromagnetic safety valve 71, and the valve body 712 will resist the force of the valve spring 715 and be pressed rearward. Moreover, when the operating component 75 is pressed to the ignition position, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown in (a), the valve body 712 is pressed to the valve opening position where the armature 713 abuts against the electromagnet 714, thereby forcibly opening the electromagnetic safety valve 71. In addition, when the pressure at the ignition position is released, the operating member 75 returns to the combustion position by the force of the valve spring 723 and the spring 752, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown in (b), while the main valve 72 is maintained in the open state, the rear end of the operating rod 76 is displaced forward of the valve seat 711 of the electromagnetic safety valve 71, thereby releasing the forced opening of the electromagnetic safety valve 71. Furthermore, when the pressing operation is released after the pressing operation in the combustion position, the operating member 75 is returned to the flameout position by the forces of the valve spring 723 and the spring 752, and the main valve 72 is closed.

[0030] Reference Figure 5 The guide block 751 is provided with a micro switch 77 for detecting the position of the operating member 75. The micro switch 77 has two contacts 771 and 772, the first and the second. When the operating member 75 is in the off position, Figure 5 As shown in (a), the first and second contacts 771, 772 are disconnected, but when the operating member 75 is in the burning position, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (b), the first cam portion 7541 provided on the operating member 75 is pressed, and the first contact 771 is connected. When the operating member 75 is in the ignition position, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (c), the second cam portion 7542 provided on the operating member 75 is pressed, and in addition to the first contact 771, the second contact 772 serving as the ignition position detection mechanism is also connected.

[0031] The on / off signals of the first and second contacts 771 and 772 are input to a control mechanism, or controller (not shown). The controller uses the pressing operation of the operating member 75 from the flameout position to move the operating member 75 to the combustion position. When the first contact 771 is closed, the controller begins energizing the electromagnet 714 of the electromagnetic safety valve 71, moving the operating member 75 to the ignition position. When the second contact 772 is closed, spark discharge occurs via the ignition electrode 31 provided with the stove burner 3, igniting the stove burner 3. After ignition, the spark discharge via the ignition electrode 31 ends when the operating member 75 is returned to the combustion position and the second contact 772 is opened. However, after the first contact 771 is closed, the electromagnet 714 of the electromagnetic safety valve 71 continues to be energized until a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, keeping the electromagnetic safety valve 71 open. During this waiting period, if the electromotive force of thermocouple 32, a flame detection element attached to stove burner 3, rises above a specified level, the controller will continue to energize electromagnet 714 until the electromotive force of thermocouple 32 drops below the specified level due to a fire in stove burner 3. By returning operating member 75 to the flameout position, first contact 771 is disconnected, stopping the flow of power to electromagnet 714. This closes not only the main valve 72 but also the electromagnetic safety valve 71.

[0032] The manual fire control valve 74 has the following features: Figure 3The needle valve body 742 is inserted into the valve hole 741 at the upper part of the valve housing 70 connected to the outflow port 70b) and is connected to the outlet port 70b. The pin 743 extending upward is fixed to the front end of the needle valve body 742 protruding from the valve housing 70. In addition, the fire adjustment knob 13 is axially supported so as to swing freely in the horizontal direction by the boss portion 701 protrudingly provided on the upper end surface of the valve housing 70. In addition, the fire adjustment knob 13 is formed with a cam hole 131 in the shape of a long hole that is inclined in the horizontal direction relative to the front-to-back direction. Moreover, a guide plate 702 is fixed to the upper end of the valve housing 70, and a guide hole 702a that is longer in the front-to-back direction is formed on the guide plate 702, so that the pin 743 is engaged with the cam hole 131 through the guide hole 702a. Accordingly, by swinging the fire intensity adjustment knob 13 in the lateral direction, the pin 743 moves forward and backward through the cam hole 131, that is, the needle valve body 742 moves forward and backward in the front-back direction, thereby adjusting the fire intensity of the stove burner 3. In addition, when the ignition operation is performed by pressing the operating member 75 to the ignition position, the fire intensity adjustment knob 13 is swung in the direction of increasing the fire intensity by means of the linkage mechanism outside the figure, thereby switching the manual fire intensity adjustment valve 74 to: making the fire intensity of the stove burner 3 at the maximum fire state (maximum fire state) Figure 3 status shown).

[0033] The electrically driven fire regulating valve 73 is configured to be able to freely switch to a fully closed state that stops the supply of gas to the stove burner 3. It is urged toward the opening direction by a force applying mechanism 734, and is switched to the fully closed state by a direct-acting member 737 that resists the force of the force applying mechanism 734. The direct-acting member 737 is driven by an electric motor 735 composed of a stepping motor or the like through a linkage mechanism 736. Figure 6 To be more specific, the electrically driven fire regulating valve 73 comprises: a valve seat 731, a valve member 732, a valve member 733, a valve member 734, a valve member 735, a valve member 736, a valve member 737, a valve member 738, a valve member 739, a valve member 740, a valve member 741, a valve member 742, a valve member 743, a valve member 744 Figure 6 The right side of the valve seat 731 and the opening direction of the valve seat 731 ( Figure 6 The main valve body 732 (shown on the left side in the figure) and the auxiliary valve body 733, which faces the main valve body 732 in the opening direction and abuts against the linear member 737. The main valve body 732 includes a needle portion 732a that can be inserted into the valve hole 731a provided in the valve seat 731; a sealing portion 732b made of elastic material that can be seated on the valve seat 731; a throttle hole 732c that allows gas to flow from the upstream side to the downstream side of the main valve body 732 even when the sealing portion 732b is seated on the valve seat 731; and an auxiliary valve seat 732d that allows the auxiliary valve body 733 to seat and opens the throttle hole 732c. To improve sealing performance when seated on the auxiliary valve seat 732d, a gasket 733a made of elastic material is attached to the auxiliary valve body 733, facing the auxiliary valve seat 732d.

[0034] The biasing mechanism 734 consists of a first biasing mechanism 734a that biases the main valve body 732 in the opening direction, and a second biasing mechanism 734b that biases the auxiliary valve body 733 in the opening direction relative to the main valve body 732 with a force stronger than that of the first biasing mechanism 734a. Furthermore, a stopper mechanism 738 is provided to prevent the auxiliary valve body 733 from moving in the opening direction relative to the main valve body 732 at a fixed position. This stopper mechanism 738 consists of a window 738a formed in the cylindrical portion 732e of the main valve body 732, which surrounds the auxiliary valve body 733, and a claw 738b that protrudes from the outer circumference of the auxiliary valve body 733 and is inserted with some play into the window 738a. When the claw 738b engages the opening-direction edge of the window 738a, the auxiliary valve body 733 is prevented from moving further in the opening direction relative to the main valve body 732.

[0035] The linkage mechanism 736 comprises a feed mechanism, which in turn comprises an external thread 736a connected to the output shaft 735a of the electric motor 735, and a slider 736b that is threadedly engaged with the external thread 736a and fixed to prevent rotation. The slider 736b abuts against a diaphragm 737a, which seals the portion where the linkage mechanism 736 is located against the gas. Furthermore, the linear actuator 737 is connected to the diaphragm 737a.

[0036] like Figure 6As shown, the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is fully closed when the sealing portion 732b of the main valve body 732 is seated on the valve seat 731 and the auxiliary valve body 733 is seated on the auxiliary valve seat 732d of the main valve body 732, thereby sealing the orifice 732c. This stops the gas supply to the stove burner 3. From this fully closed state, when the direct-acting member 737 is moved in the opening direction by the electric motor 735 via the linkage mechanism 736, the auxiliary valve body 733, under the force of the second biasing mechanism 734b, follows the direct-acting member 737 and moves in the opening direction. The force of the second biasing mechanism 734b prevents the auxiliary valve body 733 from moving in the opening direction relative to the main valve body 732 until the stopper mechanism 738 stops the auxiliary valve body 733 from moving in the opening direction relative to the main valve body 732. Therefore, the sealing portion 732b of the main valve body 732 is maintained in the state seated on the valve seat 731, and the sub-valve body 733 separates from the sub-valve seat 732d, opening the orifice 732c. As a result, the electrically driven fire intensity control valve 73 is in the minimum fire intensity state, which is the minimum fire intensity specified by the orifice 732c. After the movement of the sub-valve body 733 in the opening direction relative to the main valve body 732 is stopped by the stopper mechanism 738, if the sub-valve body 733 is further moved in the opening direction, the main valve body 732 follows the sub-valve body 733 due to the force of the first biasing mechanism 734a and moves in the opening direction. The sealing portion 732b of the main valve body 732 separates from the valve seat 731, and the fire intensity of the stove burner 3 gradually increases.

[0037] The stove burner 3 is provided with a pot bottom temperature sensor 33 that contacts the bottom surface of the cooking container on the fire support 4. When the temperature adjustment mode is selected for cooking, the controller performs temperature adjustment control, adjusting the fire intensity of the stove burner 3 between minimum and maximum intensity via the electrically driven fire intensity adjustment valve 73 so that the temperature detected by the pot bottom temperature sensor 33 reaches a predetermined set temperature.

[0038] In addition, the gas stove of this embodiment is equipped with a cooking vessel detection mechanism 9 for detecting the presence of a cooking vessel on the fire support 4. Specifically, the cooking vessel detection mechanism 9 is formed by using a pot bottom temperature sensor 33. Here, the pot bottom temperature sensor 33 is supported so as to be able to be raised and lowered freely. Figure 7 As shown, a micro switch 91 is provided which cooperates with a pressure plate 92, and the pressure plate 92 is installed in a component which rises and falls together with the pot bottom temperature sensor 33. The micro switch 91 and the pressure plate 92 constitute a cooking vessel detection mechanism 9. When there is no cooking vessel on the fire support 4, as shown in FIG. Figure 7As shown in (a), the pot bottom temperature sensor 33 rises, the micro switch 91 is disconnected, and when there is a cooking container P on the fire support 4, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown in (b), the pot bottom temperature sensor 33 is lowered, and the micro switch 91 is pressed on the pressure plate 92 and is turned on.

[0039] Here, in order to ensure safety, it is necessary to prevent the stove burner 3 from being ignited when there is no cooking container on the fire support 4. Therefore, when the ignition operation is performed by the operating component 75, if the cooking container detection mechanism 9 detects that there is no cooking container, the spark discharge by the ignition electrode 31 is stopped, and the power supply to the electromagnetic safety valve 71 (more precisely, the power supply to the electromagnet 715 of the electromagnetic safety valve 71) is stopped. In addition, the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is switched to a fully closed state so that liquid gas will not be released from the stove burner 3. Figure 8 , which explains the contents of the controller controlling the electrically driven fire regulating valve 73.

[0040] According to the control of the electrically driven fire intensity control valve 73, first, in STEP 1, it is determined whether the operating member 75 has been used for ignition. Specifically, it is determined whether the operating member 75 has been pressed into the ignition position, thereby closing the second contact 772 of the microswitch 77. If the ignition operation has been performed by the operating member 75, the process proceeds to STEP 2, where the presence of a cooking vessel on the fire support 4 is detected by turning the microswitch 91 on and off. If the microswitch 91 is on, detecting the presence of a cooking vessel, the process proceeds to STEP 3, where the electrically driven fire intensity control valve 73 is switched to a state suitable for ignition (ignition intensity state), for example, to a state of maximum intensity.

[0041] Next, the process proceeds to STEP 4, where it is determined whether the operating member 75 has returned to the burning position. Specifically, it is determined whether the first contact 771 of the microswitch 77 is closed and the second contact 772 is open. If the operating member 75 has returned to the burning position, the process proceeds to STEP 5, where normal control of the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is performed. This normal control is performed by controlling the electrically driven fire control valve 73 based on the temperature detected by the pot bottom temperature sensor 33 when the temperature adjustment mode is selected. If the temperature adjustment mode is not selected, the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is kept at its maximum fire intensity, allowing the manual fire control valve 74 to adjust the fire intensity.

[0042] Next, the process proceeds to STEP 6, where it is determined whether the operating member 75 has been turned off. Specifically, it is determined whether the operating member 75 has returned to the off position, disconnecting the first contact 771 of the microswitch 77. Until the off operation is performed, the process returns to STEP 5, where normal control of the electrically driven fire control valve 73 continues. Furthermore, if the operating member 75 is turned off, the process returns to STEP 7, switching the electrically driven fire control valve 73 to a predetermined non-use standby state. The process then returns to STEP 1, where the electrically driven fire control valve 73 remains in the non-use standby state until the next ignition operation. The non-use standby state is defined as a state in which the valve has been shifted from a fully closed state toward an open state.

[0043] If, in STEP 2, the microswitch 91 remains in the off position and the absence of a cooking vessel is detected, the process proceeds to STEP 8, where the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is switched to the fully closed state. Furthermore, in STEP 9, an error display is displayed to inform that the absence of a cooking vessel is present. Next, in STEP 10, a determination is made as to whether the ignition operation by the operating member 75 has ended. Specifically, the determination is made as to whether the operating member 75 has been released from the ignition position and returned to the combustion position, causing the second contact 772 of the microswitch 77 to be open. The process returns to STEP 9 and continues to display the error display until the ignition operation is complete. Furthermore, when the ignition operation is complete, the process proceeds to STEP 7, where the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is switched to a non-use standby state.

[0044] According to the above control, when the ignition operation is performed, if no cooking container is detected, the electrically driven fire regulating valve 73 is switched to a fully closed state. Therefore, even if the electromagnetic safety valve 71 and the element valve 72 are opened during the ignition operation, gas will not be supplied to the stove burner 3, thereby preventing the release of liquid gas.

[0045] Furthermore, it is conceivable that, when the electric-driven fire-intensity regulating valve 73 is switched to the fully closed state if the absence of a cooking vessel is detected during the ignition operation, it will remain in the fully closed state until the next ignition operation. However, if the electric-driven fire-intensity regulating valve 73 is left in the fully closed state for a long time, the reverse closing force acting on the linkage mechanism 736 by the direct-acting component 737 may cause the linkage mechanism 736 to bite (the external thread 736a bites into the slider 736b), resulting in the electric-driven fire-intensity regulating valve 73 not opening properly during the next ignition operation, and thus preventing the valve from quickly switching to the ignition state.

[0046] In this embodiment, when the ignition operation is performed and the absence of a cooking vessel is detected, the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is maintained in a fully closed state only while the operating member 75 is in the ignition position. When the operating member 75 moves from the ignition position, the electrically driven fire control valve 73 switches from the fully closed state to an unused standby state, displaced toward the open position, in STEP 7. This prevents the electrically driven fire control valve 73 from malfunctioning during the next ignition operation. Furthermore, when the absence of a cooking vessel is detected during the ignition operation, power to the electromagnetic safety valve 71 is terminated. Therefore, when the operating member 75 moves from the ignition position and the forced opening of the electromagnetic safety valve 71 is released, the electromagnetic safety valve 71 closes. Therefore, even when the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is switched to the unused standby state (not fully closed), gas is not supplied to the stove burner, thereby preventing the release of liquid gas.

[0047] Furthermore, if the electrically driven fire control valve 73 is configured as a motor valve driven by an electric motor 735, as in this embodiment, setting the non-use standby state to a wide-open state, such as the ignition state, can lead to the following undesirable situation. Specifically, if the absence of a cooking vessel is detected during ignition, it takes time for the electric motor 735 to fully close the electrically driven fire control valve 73, during which time liquid gas may be released. Therefore, if the electrically driven fire control valve is configured as a motor valve, the non-use standby state is preferably set to a minimum fire state, where the fire intensity of the stove burner 3 is at its minimum. Consequently, if the absence of a cooking vessel is detected during ignition, the electrically driven fire control valve 73 can be quickly switched from the non-use standby state to the fully closed state, thereby preventing the release of liquid gas.

[0048] However, the electrically driven fire regulating valve 73 is not limited to the motor valve of the above embodiment, and may also be Figure 9The following solenoid-type control valve is shown. It consists of an orifice 73a that sets the minimum fire intensity, a first solenoid valve 73b connected in parallel with the orifice 73a, and a second solenoid valve 73c connected in series with the orifice 73a and the first solenoid valve 73b. When using this solenoid-type, electrically driven fire intensity control valve 73, the switching control to the ignition fire intensity state in STEP 3 is performed by opening the first and second solenoid valves 73b and 73c, switching to the maximum fire intensity state of the stove burner 3. Furthermore, the normal control in STEP 5 is performed by maintaining the second solenoid valve 73c open when the temperature adjustment mode is selected, and opening and closing the first solenoid valve 73b based on the temperature detected by the pot bottom temperature sensor 33. When the temperature adjustment mode is not selected, the first and second solenoid valves 73b and 73c are opened. Furthermore, as the switching control to the fully closed state in STEP 8, the second electromagnetic valve 73 c is controlled to be closed.

[0049] If the second solenoid valve 73c is left closed for a long period of time until the next ignition operation, the valve body of the second solenoid valve 73c may adhere to the valve seat, causing the second solenoid valve 73c to fail to open properly during the ignition operation. Therefore, as part of the control to switch to the non-use standby state in STEP 7, both the first and second solenoid valves 73b and 73c are controlled to open, thereby avoiding the possibility of failure to open properly due to adhesion between the valve body and valve seat of the solenoid valves 73b and 73c.

[0050] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the above embodiment, the electrically driven fire control valve 73 includes a main valve body 732 and a sub-valve body 733. However, an electrically driven fire control valve having a single valve body may also be used. Furthermore, the linkage mechanism 736 provided on the electrically driven fire control valve may also be composed of components other than feed mechanisms, such as a rack and pinion mechanism or a cam mechanism.

[0051] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, while the cooking vessel detection mechanism 9 is configured to detect the presence of a cooking vessel on the fire support 4 by raising and lowering the pot bottom temperature sensor 33, the cooking vessel detection mechanism 9 may also be configured using other mechanisms such as optical sensors. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the detection mechanism for detecting whether the operating member 75 is in the ignition position is configured using the second contact 772 of the microswitch 77. However, the ignition position detection mechanism may also be configured using a mechanism other than a microswitch, such as a reed switch.

Claims

1. A gas stove comprising: a stove burner facing a burner opening provided in a top plate opening; a manual operating member that can be freely pressed from a flameout position to an ignition position, and is moved to a combustion position between the flameout position and the ignition position by releasing the pressing at the ignition position, and is locked; an electromagnetic safety valve provided in a gas supply path for supplying gas to the stove burner, the electromagnetic safety valve being forcibly opened by pressing the operating member toward the ignition position and being maintained in the open state by energizing the valve in the forcibly opened state; and a primary valve connected in series with the electromagnetic safety valve. The primary valve is arranged on the gas supply path for supplying gas to the stove burner, and is opened by pressing the operating member toward the ignition position. Even if the operating member is moved to the combustion position, the primary valve is kept open, and is closed when the operating member returns to the flameout position; an electrically driven fire regulating valve is arranged in series with the electromagnetic safety valve and the primary valve on the gas supply path for supplying gas to the stove burner; a fire support is arranged on the top plate in a manner surrounding the burner opening; and a cooking container detection mechanism is used to detect the presence of a cooking container on the fire support, and is characterized in that When the operating member is pressed from the flameout position to the ignition position to perform the ignition operation, if the cooking container detection mechanism detects that there is no cooking container, the power supply to the electromagnetic safety valve is stopped, and the fire control valve is fully closed, stopping the supply of gas to the stove burner. The gas stove is provided with an ignition position detection mechanism capable of detecting when the operating member is in the ignition position. When the ignition operation is performed, if the cooking vessel detection mechanism detects that there is no cooking vessel, the fire intensity regulating valve is maintained in the fully closed state only while the ignition position detection mechanism detects that the operating member is in the ignition position. When the ignition position detection mechanism does not detect that the operating member is in the ignition position, the fire intensity regulating valve is switched from the fully closed state to a prescribed non-use standby state in the open direction. The fire intensity regulating valve is composed of a motor valve using an electric motor as a driving source, and the non-use standby state is set to a minimum fire intensity state in which the fire intensity of the stove burner is at a minimum state.

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