Range Top Burner Temperature Cutoff for Unattended Cooking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cooking technologies lack effective solutions to prevent cooking accidents caused by unattended cooking, as users often forget to adjust heat settings, leading to boiling over, boil dry, or overheating, which can result in fires, and existing safety measures do not adequately address the risk of ignition temperatures for flammable materials.

Innovation Solution

A temperature sensing device is placed below the coil or drip pan to monitor the temperature of cooking utensils and automatically interrupt the power supply if it exceeds 720 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing for easy installation and replacement of traditional burner elements, and incorporating a temperature switch that can be connected to the burner element or its wiring to prevent overheating.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a temperature control device is installed to prevent cooking accidents, then cooking safety is improved, but the complexity of the cooking appliance increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking safetyVSAvoidappliance complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A temperature sensing device acts as an intermediary between the heating element and the control system. The sensor is positioned to detect temperatures near the heating element and triggers a shutdown when a predetermined temperature threshold is reached, preventing cooking accidents without requiring complex processor-based systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The temperature control system performs self-monitoring and automatic shutdown functionality. The temperature sensing device continuously monitors conditions and autonomously interrupts power when unsafe temperatures are detected, eliminating the need for constant user attention while maintaining simple appliance architecture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If a temperature sensing device is placed below the coil to sense radiant heat, then temperature monitoring accuracy is improved, but the difficulty of installation and replacement of burner elements increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature monitoring accuracyVSAvoidinstallation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The temperature control system is designed as a separate, modular temperature sensing device that can be independently installed and removed. This segmentation allows the burner element to be easily replaced without removing the temperature control components, maintaining both measurement accuracy and installation ease

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If existing temperature control devices prevent water from boiling, then fire safety is improved, but the usability of the cooking appliance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefire safetyVSAvoidcooking usability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The temperature control system uses localized temperature sensing near the heating element to detect unsafe conditions, rather than monitoring the temperature of the cooking contents. This allows the system to prevent fires by detecting overheating of the element itself while still permitting normal cooking operations including water boiling to proceed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution significantly reduces the likelihood of cooking fires by preventing temperatures from exceeding ignition levels for flammable materials, while allowing for easy integration with existing cooking technologies and maintaining the ability to boil water, thus enhancing cooking safety without requiring extensive processor-based systems.

Implementation Method 1

remotely sensing temperatures at a location spaced from the burner element so as not to sense conducted heat, but instead radiant heat from the traditional element construction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadiant heat sensing: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 2

a temperature circuit interruption switch... to attempt to keep the temperature of the cooking utensil and material therein below an ignition temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature-based circuit interruption: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS9220130B1Method and apparatus for controlling operation of range top heating elements for cooking

Publication Date: 2015.12.22 BROWN STOVE WORKS

AI summary

A range has burner elements which are connected in series with a temperature switch. Upon reaching a predetermined temperatures, the switch opens and power to the burner element is secured. The burner elements are preferably open coil units, but radiant burner elements may employ similar technology with a lower upper threshold than prior art units have used. Lowering the temperature in a cooking utensil below common ignition temperatures while still allowing boiling is an objective of many embodiments.