Patent Application
20190113239
The present disclosure generally relates to a cooking appliance with a selectable sear feature, and more particularly, to a cooking appliance having a touchscreen user interface for displaying the sear feature and allowing selection of the sear function via a touch event.
Some cooking appliances such as ovens have means for allowing a user to increase a cooking temperature to sear a food item. However, in order to implement a sear, conventional cooking appliances may require the user to exit a currently selected cooking program or manually adjust the cooking temperature. This is not only inconvenient, but also time consuming. Accordingly, there is a need for a cooking appliance with a sear feature that may be implemented without having to exit a currently selected cooking program. The present disclosure is intended to satisfy this need.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a cooking appliance is provided. A heating element is configured generate heat for cooking a food item. A user interface is configured to allow selection of a cooking program for cooking the food item and includes a sear feature that is selectable while a selected cooking program is underway. Selection of the sear feature increases a cooking temperature to a maximum cooking temperature without otherwise interrupting the selected cooking program that is underway.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a user interface of a cooking appliance is provided. A touchscreen displays information related to a cooking program that is underway. A sear feature is displayed on the touchscreen and is selectable while the cooking program is underway. Selection of the sear feature increases a cooking temperature to a maximum cooking temperature without otherwise interrupting the cooking program that is underway.
According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a cooking method is provided and includes the steps of: providing a touchscreen on a cooking appliance that allows selection of a cooking program for cooking a food item; displaying a sear feature that is selectable while the cooking program is underway and without having to exit a current screen of the touchscreen, the current screen configured to display information related to the selected cooking program; registering selection of the sear feature; and increasing a cooking temperature to a maximum cooking temperature without otherwise interrupting the cooking program that is underway.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present disclosure will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In the drawings:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are provided herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to a detailed design and some schematics may be exaggerated or minimized to show function overview. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the teachings of the present disclosure.
As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.
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In the depicted embodiment, the user interface 24 includes a touchscreen 26 in communication with a processor 27 operably coupled to the heating elements 20 of the first and second cooking cavities 14, 16. The touchscreen 26 is configured to display a variety of menus and options thereon to enable a user to select a cooking program for the first and/or second cooking cavities 14, 16. In turn, the processor 27 executes the selected cooking program by controlling one or more heating elements 20 in the specified first and/or second cooking cavities 14, 16. To monitor the cooking temperature inside the first and second cooking cavities 14, 16, the processor 27 may receive temperature information from a temperature sensor 28.
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Alternatively, the sear feature and selection thereof may be temporarily disabled after a predetermined time period regardless of whether the maximum cooking temperature is reached. Alternatively still, the sear feature and selection thereof may be temporarily disabled if the processor 27 determines that the cooking temperature inside the specified cooking cavity exceeds an allowable temperature threshold based on temperature information supplied by the temperature sensor 28. Alternatively still, the sear feature may be temporarily disabled based on user-input provided via the user interface 24. Once the sear feature becomes disabled, the cooking temperature in the specified cavity is returned to a pre-sear level while the selected cooking program continues to runs its course. For example, the cooking temperature in the specified cavity may return to 400° F. as the grill stage 34 continues to completion. Assuming there is sufficient time left in the selected cooking program, the user may once again select the sear function after it becomes available.
Modifications of the disclosure will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the disclosure. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.
It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described disclosure, and other components, is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the disclosure disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms: couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature, or may be removable or releasable in nature, unless otherwise stated.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the disclosure, as shown in the exemplary embodiments, is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts, or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the cooking appliance may be varied, and the nature or numeral of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the cooking appliance may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
It will be understood that any described processes, or steps within described processes, may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.
It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure, and further, it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims, unless these claims, by their language, expressly state otherwise. Further, the claims, as set forth below, are incorporated into and constitute part of this Detailed Description.
