Safety burner system with automatic shut-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety devices for gas cooking surfaces fail to effectively address the hazard of unattended gas burners due to their inability to accommodate the varied activities and utensils used in cooking, often leading to premature shut-offs or failure to turn off the burner when unattended.
Innovation Solution
A gas burner safety system that uses PIR sensors to detect the temperature and presence of a human hand near the manual control and the flame signature above the burner, comparing these to stored data to determine if a pot or pan is present and if the burner should be turned off, ensuring safe operation by integrating a central control unit with a microprocessor and solenoid valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If weight sensors or fiber-optic sensors are used to determine when a utensil is on a burner, then the system can detect utensil presence, but the burner may be turned off prematurely when utensils are regularly removed and replaced during cooking
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the burner area and adjusts the burners operation state based on real-time detection of hand presence and utensil presence, creating a feedback loop that adapts to cooking activities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces hand presence detection as an intermediary condition between utensil detection and burner shut-off decision, preventing premature shut-off during normal cooking operations where utensils are frequently handled
2Reliability
If motion detectors are used to sense general movement around a range, then the system can detect cooking activity, but the burner may be shut down prematurely due to normal cooking movements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses localized sensors positioned specifically around the burner area to detect hand presence, rather than general motion detectors that respond to any movement in the kitchen, thereby distinguishing between cooking activities and unattended conditions
3Reliability
If a timer is used to shut off the gas supply after a preselected time period, then the system can address unattended burners, but the burner may be turned off during ongoing cooking or left on when unattended
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the monitoring period and shut-off timing based on continuous detection of hand presence and utensil presence, rather than using a fixed timer, allowing flexibility to accommodate varying cooking durations and activities
4Measurement precision
If PIR sensors are used to detect flame signature and hand presence, then the system can accurately distinguish between utensils and hands, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sensor systems with PIR sensors that use infrared detection to identify flame signatures and hand presence, reducing mechanical complexity while improving measurement precision through thermal field detection
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
The system effectively prevents unattended gas burners from remaining on by accurately distinguishing between a pot or pan and a human hand, reducing the risk of fires and injuries by ensuring the burner is turned off when not in use.
Implementation Method 1
A gas burner safety system uses PIR sensors to detect the temperature and presence of a human hand near the manual control
Implementation Method 2
detecting a flame signature above the burner
Data Source
AI summary
A gas burner safety system comprises dual sensor arrays, the first array positioned proximal to the gas burner and the second array positioned proximal to a control used to turn on and off and regulate the flame of the gas burner. The first array senses the flame components such that a flame signature is obtained when no object is placed on or above the flame and a flame image is obtained when an object is proximal to the flame. By comparing the flame signature and the flame image, a central control unit operatively connected to the sensor arrays can determine the presence or absence of an object proximal to the flame. The second sensor array is positioned to detect a human hand proximal to the control. In operation, if the flame image matches the flame signature and a human hand is not detected proximal to the control, the central control unit turns off the gas burner by causing the closure of a valve in the gas supply line to the gas burner.