Cooktop appliance with temperature sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas cooktop appliances face challenges in accurately measuring cooking utensil temperatures due to sensors being prone to contamination and damage from spills and heat, and existing solutions complicate assembly and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A cooktop appliance design featuring a temperature sensor positioned outside the gas burner footprint with a thermally conductive probe extending to a sensor finger above the burner, allowing for indirect temperature measurement while shielding the sensor from direct heat and spills.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor passes through the gas burner to contact the cooking utensil, then temperature measurement is achieved, but assembly and cleaning of burner parts becomes greatly complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermally conductive probe as an intermediary element that extends from the cooking utensil through an opening in the grate to contact a temperature sensor positioned on the cooktop surface. This mediator allows temperature measurement without requiring the sensor to pass through the gas burner assembly, thereby simplifying burner construction and facilitating easier assembly and cleaning of burner parts while maintaining accurate temperature monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensing system is segmented into separate functional components: the temperature sensor remains positioned on the cooktop surface away from the burner, while the thermally conductive probe extends separately through the grate opening to contact the cooking utensil. This segmentation allows the burner assembly to be independently assembled and cleaned without the sensor interfering with burner parts, resolving the complexity issue while preserving measurement function
2Measurement precision
If openings in the gas burner accommodate sensors, then temperature sensing is enabled, but spills pass through the gas burner causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The thermally conductive probe serves as a protective intermediary that transmits thermal information from the cooking utensil to the temperature sensor without requiring the sensor itself to be positioned in the spill-prone area below the gas burner. The sensor is located on the cooktop surface where it is shielded from spills, while the probe extends through the grate opening to maintain thermal contact with the cooking utensil, thus enabling temperature sensing without exposing the sensor to contamination hazards
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensor is extracted from the gas burner assembly and positioned on the cooktop surface outside the burner footprint. This extraction removes the sensor from the harmful environment where spills occur, while the thermally conductive probe maintains the necessary thermal connection to the cooking utensil through the grate opening, achieving contamination-free temperature monitoring
3Measurement precision
If the temperature sensor is positioned inside the gas burner footprint, then direct contact with cooking utensil is achieved, but the sensor is exposed to direct heat and spills causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The thermally conductive probe acts as a thermal intermediary that bridges the gap between the cooking utensil and the temperature sensor. It extends from the cooking utensil through the grate opening to contact the sensor on the cooktop surface, transmitting thermal energy while keeping the sensor positioned outside the gas burner footprint where it is protected from direct heat exposure and spills, thus maintaining both measurement accuracy and sensor reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensor is repositioned from a vertical position inside the gas burner footprint to a horizontal position on the cooktop surface outside the burner footprint. This dimensional relocation moves the sensor out of the harmful thermal and spill environment while the thermally conductive probe extends through the grate opening to maintain thermal contact with the cooking utensil, achieving both accurate measurement and enhanced durability
4Reliability
If the temperature sensor is positioned outside the gas burner footprint, then protection from heat and spills is achieved, but direct thermal contact with cooking utensil is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The thermally conductive probe serves as a thermal mediator that extends from the cooking utensil through an opening in the grate to contact the temperature sensor positioned on the cooktop surface outside the gas burner footprint. This intermediary maintains effective thermal contact between the sensor and cooking utensil while allowing the sensor to remain in the protected position away from direct heat and spills, thus resolving both requirements simultaneously
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 design provides a robust and durable temperature monitoring system that prevents sensor contamination and damage, enabling effective monitoring of cooking utensil temperatures without complicating assembly or cleaning processes.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally conductive probe extending from the temperature sensor to the sensor finger above the gas burner
Data Source
AI summary
A cooktop appliance includes a top panel with a gas burner disposed on the top panel. The cooktop appliance also includes a grate with a plurality of fingers. The grate is removably positioned above the gas burner. The plurality of fingers includes a sensor finger. The cooktop appliance also includes a temperature sensor extending from the top panel adjacent to the gas burner. The temperature sensor is positioned outside of a footprint of the gas burner. The cooktop appliance further includes a thermally conductive probe extending from the temperature sensor to the sensor finger above the gas burner.