Patent Application
20250093039
The present invention relates to a safety apparatus for controlling operation of a stove to shut off the burners of the stove in response to detection of a dangerous condition, and more particularly relates to a safety apparatus including sensors to detect a dangerous condition, a plurality of remote controlled knobs for mounting on the stove and an application executable on an electronic device for notifying a user of the dangerous condition.
Currently, there are a number of solutions for monitoring a stove's burner. One of these solutions attempts to set an alarm when a set time has passed, but this solution fails to meet the needs of the market because the user may not hear the alarm. Another solution attempts to rely on a smoke detector, but this solution is similarly unable to meet the needs of the market because a fire or a lot of smoke has already occurred. Still another solution seeks to double-check the burners, but this solution also fails to meet market needs because users may forget or not be present within the residence or space to double-check.
It would be advantageous to have an apparatus that monitors the heat from a stove top. Furthermore, it would also be advantageous to have an apparatus that was configured remotely to turn stove tops or ovens off. Still further, it would be advantageous to have an apparatus that sensed dangerous heat levels and turned the appliance off. Therefore, there currently exists a need in the market for an apparatus that monitors stove top appliances remotely from a smart device.
The invention advantageously fills the aforementioned deficiencies by providing a remote controlled stove knob with integrated safety sensor coupled to an application which provides a user the ability to turn the appliance off from a remote location.
The apparatus fulfils the need for ensuring the stove top is shut off.
Among other things, it is an advantage of the invention to provide a remote controlled stove knob with safety sensor that does not suffer from any of the problems or deficiencies associated with prior solutions.
It is still further an advantage of the invention to sense a dangerous condition.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for use with an electronic device for controlling operation of a stove having a stove housing and a cooking surface supporting two or more burner assemblies thereon, each burner assembly including a burner for cooking and an operational shaft associated with the burner to control a heating level of the burner, the apparatus comprising:
In some embodiments, the application is configured to instruct the one or more remote controlled knobs to turn off the operational shaft connected thereto based upon the user response being non-responsive to the user prompt.
Preferably the safety sensor comprises a plurality of infrared sensors associated with respective portions of the cooking surface, each infrared sensor being configured to measure heat being emitted by the respective portion of the cooking surface and determine the dangerous condition if the measured heat from any one infrared sensor exceeds a prescribed heat threshold. The instruction signal may be associated with all of the remote controlled knobs such that all of the remote controlled knobs are instructed to be turned off by the main controller in response to determination of the dangerous condition by any one of the infrared sensors.
When the safety sensor comprises a sensor housing and a plurality of infrared sensors commonly mounted on the sensor housing, the infrared sensors are preferably adjustable in orientation relative to the sensor housing whereby each infrared sensor may be associated with a respective portion of the cooking surface such that each infrared sensor is configured to measure heat being emitted by the respective portion of the cooking surface and determine the dangerous condition if the measured heat from that infrared sensor exceeds a prescribed heat threshold.
The safety sensor preferably further comprises an activation button supported on the sensor housing, in which the infrared sensors are inoperative until commonly activated by depressing the activation button on the sensor housing. The sensor housing comprises (i) a rear wall including an adhesive layer thereon so as to be arranged to adhere the sensor housing to an upright supporting surface adjacent to the stove and (ii) a front wall that is sloped upwardly and outwardly away from the rear wall, wherein the front wall supports the plurality of infrared sensors thereon.
A camera may also be supported on the sensor housing so as to be configured to capture an image of the burner assemblies and communicate the image to the application. The image may be captured and communicated to the application in response to determination of the dangerous condition, or alternatively the image may be captured and communicated to the application in response to a request signal from the application.
Each remote controlled knob according to the preferred embodiment comprises: (i) a gripping portion supported on the respective operational shaft of the stove externally of the stove housing so as to be arranged to be gripped in a hand of a user; (ii) a base portion arranged to be fixed relative to the stove housing; (iii) a knob motor arranged to drive rotation of the gripping portion and the operational shaft connected thereto relative to the stove housing; and (iv) a knob controller arranged to activate the knob motor in response to the instruction signal.
The gripping portion of each knob may comprise a main body including (i) a shaft mounting socket that directly mounts the gripping portion on the respectively operational shaft of the stove and (ii) a driven portion directly coupled to an output of the knob motor to drive rotation of the operational shaft directly through the gripping portion. The driven portion of the main body of the knob preferably comprises a ring gear and the output of the knob motor preferably comprises a spur gear in meshing engagement with the ring gear.
The main body of the knob preferably comprises a single unitary body forming both the shaft mounting socket and the ring gear integrally thereon.
The base portion of the knob includes an adhesive layer thereon so as to be arranged to adhere the base portion to the stove housing.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for controlling operation of a stove having a stove housing and a cooking surface supporting two or more burner assemblies thereon, each burner assembly including a burner for cooking and an operational shaft associated with the burner to control a heating level of the burner, the apparatus comprising:
The safety sensor may further comprise an activation button supported on the sensor housing such that the plurality of infrared sensors are inoperative until commonly activated by depressing the activation button on the sensor housing.
The sensor housing may comprises (i) a rear wall including an adhesive layer thereon so as to be arranged to adhere the sensor housing to an upright supporting surface adjacent to the stove and (ii) a front wall that is sloped upwardly and outwardly away from the rear wall, wherein the front wall supports the plurality of infrared sensors thereon such that the infrared sensors are arranged to be directed downwardly and forwardly onto the cooking surface of the stove.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use with an electronic device for controlling operation of a stove having a stove housing and a cooking surface supporting two or more burner assemblies thereon, each burner assembly including a burner for cooking and an operational shaft associated with the burner to control a heating level of the burner, the apparatus comprising:
According to another embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided an apparatus to rotate an operational shaft of a stove, comprising: a knob including: a main body having an outer surface and an inner surface; a shaft connector extending from the inner surface of the main body, the shaft connector being mountable to an operational shaft of the stove; a plurality of teeth disposed on the inner surface; and a position indicator located on the inner surface; and a control unit configured to engage the plurality of teeth in response to a fault condition, the control unit including: a gear for selective movement of the plurality of teeth; a motor for actuating the gear; a sensor configured to detect the position indicator; and controller circuitry for operating the motor upon the fault condition.
In some embodiments, the knob further comprises an extender including: a first end including a first socket for connecting with the shaft connector; and a second end including a second socket mountable to the operational shaft of the stove.
In some embodiments, the first socket and the second socket are identical.
In some embodiments, the first socket and the second socket are different.
In some embodiments, the second socket has a shape corresponding to the operational shaft, and the second socket is mountable to the operational shaft.
In some embodiments, the position indicator is located on the inner surface at a first angular position indicative of a HOME position.
In some embodiments, the plurality of teeth comprises a recess at a second angular position indicative of the HOME position.
In some embodiments, the control unit further includes a toggle switch, the toggle switch being configured to detect the recess.
In some embodiments, upon alignment of the position indicator and the sensor, indication of the HOME position is provided to the controller circuitry.
In some embodiments, upon engagement of the recess by the toggle switch, indication of the HOME position is provided to the controller circuitry.
In some embodiments, the controller circuitry includes a wireless receiver for receiving indication of the fault condition from a safety sensor, thereby activating the motor.
According to another embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a system for controlling a stove shaft upon fault conditions, the system comprising: a safety sensor, the safety sensor configured to detect a fault condition of a stove shaft; a knob comprising: a main body having an outer surface and an inner surface; a shaft connector extending from the inner surface of the main body; a plurality of teeth disposed on the inner surface; a position indicator located on the inner surface; and an extender including: a first end including a first socket for connecting with the shaft connector; and a second end including a second socket mountable to the operational shaft of the stove; and a controller unit including: a gear for selective movement of the plurality of teeth; a motor for actuating the gear; a sensor configured to detect the position indicator; and controller circuitry, the controller circuitry being in communication with the safety sensor for operating the motor upon the fault condition.
In some embodiments, the safety sensor, the knob and the controller unit are in wireless communication with an electronic device.
In some embodiments, the controller circuitry receives indication of the fault condition wirelessly from the safety sensor for activating the motor.
According to another embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a kit for installation on a stove, the kit comprising: a knob for attachment to an operational shaft of the stove, the knob including: a main body having an outer surface and an inner surface; a shaft connector extending away from the inner surface of the main body, the shaft connector capable mounting to an operational shaft of the stove; a plurality of teeth disposed on the inner surface; and a position indicator capable of being fixed on the inner surface; and a control unit capable of engaging the plurality of teeth in response to a fault condition, the control unit including: a gear capable of selectively move the plurality of teeth; a motor capable of actuating the gear; a sensor capable of detecting the position indicator; and controller circuitry capable of operating the motor upon the fault condition.
In some embodiments, the kit further comprises a plurality of extenders, each extender including: a first end including a first socket capable of connecting with the shaft connector; and a second end including a second socket mountable to the operational shaft of the stove.
In some embodiments, the controller circuitry is connectable wirelessly to a safety sensor for operating the motor upon the fault condition.
In some embodiments, the first socket and the second socket of at least one of the plurality of extenders are identical.
In some embodiments, the plurality of extenders includes one or more extenders where the first socket and the second socket are different.
In some embodiments, the second socket is mountable to the operational shaft of the stove, and the second socket has a shape corresponding to the shaft, the second socket being mountable to the shaft.
Some embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
Following are more detailed descriptions of various related concepts related to, and embodiments of, methods and apparatuses according to the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that various aspects of the subject matter introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any of numerous ways, as the subject matter is not limited to any particular manner of implementation. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes.
Referring to the accompanying
The electronic device 14 typically comprises a portable computer, for example a tablet computer or a smartphone including an internal processor and a memory storing programming instructions thereon which are executable by the processor. The electronic device further includes (i) an interface such as a screen for outputting information and for receiving touch input from the user, (ii) buttons and a microphone for receiving touch and speech inputs from the user respectively, and (iii) speakers for outputting audible notifications to the user.
The stove 12 generally comprises a stove housing 16 having an upper surface defining a cooking surface 18 for receiving cooking receptacles thereon for cooking food. Multiple burner assemblies are supported on the cooking surface of the stove housing 16 in which each burner assembly includes one burner 20 and one operational shaft 22 rotatably supported relative to the housing to control the heating level of the burner 20 in the usual manner of a stove appliance. The burners 20 receives respective cooking receptacles thereon and function to heat the receptacles for cooking food therein. The operational shaft 22 typically protrudes outwardly through a respective aperture in the housing for communication between an electronic burner controller 24 supported internally within the housing 16 and a manual control knob fixed onto the outer end of the operational shaft 22 externally of the housing 16. The user manually rotates the knob fixed onto the operational shaft 22 for controllably varying the heating level of the associated burner 20 through a range of levels including an off position, a high position opposite the off position, and various low through medium intermediate level positions between the off and high positions.
The apparatus 10 generally includes: (i) an application 26 in the form of programming instructions which are transferable onto the electronic device for storing on the memory of the device and for being executed by the processor of the device to execute the various functions described herein; (ii) a plurality of remote controlled knobs 28 which replace the manual knobs of the stove 12 by mounting each remote controlled knob 28 on a respective operational shaft 22 for manually or automatically rotating the shaft 22 to control the heating level of an associated burner; (iii) a safety sensor 30 arranged to be supported in proximity to the stove 12 to sense a dangerous condition associated with one or more of the burner assemblies of the stove; and (vi) a main controller 50 of the apparatus receives sensor input from the safety sensor 30 for comparison of the sensed data to suitable criteria to determine when the apparatus should generate an instruction for one or more of the knobs 28 to change the level or turn the associated burners 20 to the off position as described in the following. The safety sensor 30 generally includes a sensor housing 34 which is elongate in a lateral direction between two opposing end walls 36 which are generally triangular in shape. The sensor housing 34 further includes a rear wall 38 which is generally flat and vertical in orientation in a mounted position to span the full height of the sensor housing 34 and the full length in the lateral direction between the opposing end walls 36. An adhesive layer 40 is supported on the rear wall 38 for adhering the rear wall 38 in fixed relation to an upright supporting surface such as the rear wall 38 extending vertically upward at the rear side of the stove 12.
The sensor housing 34 also includes a front wall 42 spanning the full height of the sensor housing 34 by being sloped upwardly and outwardly in a forward direction from the bottom end of the rear wall. The top end of the front wall 42 and the top end of the rear wall 88 are joined to one another by a top wall 44 which is generally horizontal in orientation and which spans the full length in the lateral direction between the opposing ends 36 of the housing 34 such that the rear wall 38, the front wall 42 and the top wall 44 collectively define a triangular shape of the sensor housing 34 spanning along a length of the sensor housing 34 between opposing ends of the housing 34 as shown in the
A plurality of individual burner sensors 46 are supported on the sensor housing 34 such that each burner sensor 46 is associated with a respective portion of the cooking surface 18 of the stove 12 which may be a respective individual burner 20 of the stove 12 or an area of the cooking surface 18 encompassing part of one or more burners 20 or multiple burners 20 respectively. Each burner sensor 46 comprises an infrared sensor which measures heat emitted by the respective portion of the cooking surface 18 of the stove 12 with which it is associated.
The burner sensors 46 are mounted on the front wall 42 of the housing 34 such that each sensor 46 is directed downwardly and forwardly onto the top surface of the stove 12 for measuring heat emitted from the respective portion of the cooking surface 18 with which it is associated. Each burner sensor 46 is recessed into a respective aperture formed in the front wall 42 with a transparent shield fully spanning across the front wall 42 to protect the individual sensors 46 behind the transparent shield. Each infrared burner sensor 46 is adjustably supported relative to the housing 34 by suitable pivotal structures such that an angular orientation of the sensor 46 about two different axes is permitted. During initial set up and calibration of the safety sensors, the individual burner sensors 46 are each directed towards a respective portion of the cooking surface 18 locating a respective one of the burners 20 therein such that each sensor 46 measures heat emitted from the respective burner 20 with which it is associated.
The sensor housing 34 also includes a camera 48 mounted on the front wall so as to be similarly recessed within a respective aperture in the front wall 42 so as to be covered by the transparent shield, for example a glass pane spanning the surface of the front wall 42. The mounting of the camera 48 within the front wall 42 suitably orients the camera 48 to be directed downwardly and forwardly onto the stovetop to capture an image of the entirety of the stovetop in a preferred arrangement. The camera 48 may also be adjustably supported relative to the housing 34 by suitable pivotal structures such that an angular orientation of the camera 48 about two different axes is permitted. During initial set up and calibration of the safety housing 34, the camera 48 is directed towards the cooking surface 18 to capture an image of the entire cooking surface 18 including all of the burners 20.
A sensor controller 50, providing the function of a main controller for the apparatus, is supported inside the sensor housing 34. The sensor/main controller 50 comprises a processor and a memory storing programming instructions thereon executable by the processor to perform the various functions of the safety sensor 46 as described herein. A transceiver 52 is also received within the sensor housing 34 in communication with the main controller 50 for wireless communication with the individual knobs 28. The main controller 50 also communicates with a wireless communications network, for example a local network such as Wi-Fi to a local modem which in turn communicates with the Internet. The application executable on the electronic device preferably uses the transceiver of the electronic device to similarly communicate over a communications network such as the Internet such that the main controller 50 of the apparatus 10 may communicate with the application 26 on the user electronic device 14 as described herein.
Once activated, the main controller 50 of the safety sensor 30 directly communicates with the individual burner sensors 46 to acquire heat measurements from the sensors 46. An activation button 54 is supported externally on the top wall 44 of the sensor housing 34 to be actuated by a user depressing the external button. The button 54 may also be used to deactivate the apparatus 10. When deactivated, the apparatus 10 does not activate the individual burner sensors 46 such that the temperature of the stovetop is not monitored. Once activated however, the sensors 46 continue to measure heat from the associated portions of the cooking surface 18 of the stove 12 at regular intervals. The heat measurements from the individual burner sensors 46 are individually compared to respective heat thresholds stored on the main controller 50 for determining a dangerous condition if any one of the heat measurements exceeds the prescribed heat thresholds. The dangerous condition may be determined for all of the burners 20 collectively as a whole, or alternatively the dangerous condition may be associated with an individual burner 20 or area of the cooking surface 18 associated with the burner sensor 46 that detected the heat measurement that exceeded the threshold.
Once a dangerous condition has been determined, the main controller 50 generates and transmits a notification signal to the application 26 on the user electronic device 14 by communicating the notification over the communication network therebetween. If further criteria are met by user interaction with the application 26, the main controller 50 subsequently receives an instruction signal from the application 26, or alternatively may directly generate an instruction signal based on determination of the dangerous condition, for subsequently transmitting the instruction signal to any knobs 28 of burners 20 associated with the dangerous condition for turning off selected burners 20 within an associated portion of the cooking surface 18 from which the dangerous condition was determined or for turning off all burners 20 according to the configuration of the programming instructions.
The main controller 50 is further arranged to communicate with the camera 48 for capturing images of the stovetop and storing the images on the main controller 50 for subsequent transmission over the communications network to the application 26 on the user electronic device 14. In further instances, the user may interact with the application 26 on the user electronic device 14 so as to generate an image request from the application 26 which is transmitted over the communications network to the main controller 50. The main controller 50 receives the request signal and captures a new current image using the camera 48 in response to the request signal, followed by subsequent transmission of the newly captured image back to the application 26 for viewing by the user on the user electronic device 14.
Each of the remote controlled knobs 28 includes a main body 56 formed as a single, unitary structure of a common material which is seamless and continuous throughout. The main body 56 has an outer surface defining a cylindrical shaped lower portion 58 and an upwardly protruding rib 60 extending upward from a top end of the lower cylindrical portion 58 such that the outer surface collectively defines a gripping portion of the main body 56 which may be gripped by the fingers of the user for rotating the knob 28 and the operational shaft 22 of the stove 12 upon which the knob 28 is mounted in fixed relation. The protruding rib 60 spans diametrically across the cylindrical lower portion 58 while protruding axially upwardly from the top end of the lower cylindrical portion 58.
A hollow cavity is formed within the interior of the body 56 which is open to the bottom end 62 thereof. A shaft mounting portion 64 of the body 56 is located within the hollow cavity in the form of a post which is concentric with the cylindrical portion 58 of the outer surface to extend downwardly from the top end of the main body 56 to a bottom end of the shaft mounting portion 64 in proximity to the bottom end 62 of the body 56. A socket 66 extends axially upward from an open bottom end at the bottom end of the shaft mounting portion 64 of the body 56. The socket 66 is non-circular in shape for meeting non-rotatably with the operational shaft 22 of the stove 12. The socket 66 is sized for interference fit with the operational shaft 22 such that friction is sufficient to retain the main body 56 mounted in fixed relation directly upon the operational shaft 22.
The main body 56 may be gripped directly in the hand of a user for manually turning the knob 28 and the connected operational shaft 22 for manually adjusting the heating level of an associated burner 20. Alternatively, rotation of the knob 28 may be actuated remotely in response to an instruction signal from the main controller 50 as described herein.
Actuation of the knob 28 rotation is accomplished by a motor housing 68 received within the hollow cavity inside the main body 56 in the mounted position of the knob 28 on the stove 12. The motor housing 68 includes a base having a flat bottom 70 supporting an adhesive layer on the bottom side thereof such that the motor housing 68 may be adhered directly to an outer surface of the stove housing 16 surrounding the operational shaft 22 associated therewith. The motor housing 68, including the base thereof includes an aperture extending upwardly therethrough from the flat bottom 70 to receive the operational shaft 22 and the shaft mounting portion 64 of the body 56 of the knob 28 therethrough without interference such that the knob 28 remains readily rotatable relative to the stove 12 together with the operational shaft 22 relative to the motor housing 68 which is fixed relative to the stove housing 16.
The motor housing 68 includes a knob motor 72 supported therein in the form of an electric rotary motor driven by a battery 74 also supported within the motor housing 68. A knob controller 76 also within the motor housing 68 comprises a processor and a memory storing programming instructions thereon executable by the processor to perform the various functions described herein. The knob controller 76 also includes a transceiver 77 for wireless communication with the main controller 50 and/or communication with the application 26 over the wireless communications network. The knob controller 76 receives instruction signals from the main controller 50 and generates appropriate actuation signals for the knob motor 72 to control the knob motor 72 in response to commands from the main controller 50.
The knob motor 72 includes a rotary output which is operatively connected to a spur gear 78 rotatably supported on the motor housing to protrude from the housing 68 and engage an inner surface of the main body 56 of the knob 28. The spur gear 78 is supported for rotation about an axis oriented parallel to the socket 66 of the knob 28 and the axis of the corresponding operational shaft 22 received therein.
The main body 56 of the knob 28 further includes a driven portion formed on the inner surface of the body 56 in the form of a ring gear 80. The ring gear 80 comprises a plurality of gear teeth circumferentially spaced about an axis of the knob 28 for meshing engagement with the spur gear 78 of the knob motor 72. The ring gear 80 is integrally moulded and formed as a unitary structure with the remainder of the main body 56 including the socket 66 receiving the operational shaft 22 therein.
The motor housing 68 is formed to include a passage extending fully therethrough between opposing top and bottom sides of the motor housing 68 to receive the operational shaft 22 extending therethrough as well as the surrounding shaft mounting portion 64 of the main body 56. As shown in
When the motor housing 68 surrounds the operational shaft 22 and the shaft mounting portion 64 of the main body 56 of the knob 28, an optional positional sensor 82 may be operatively connected between the motor housing 68 and the main body 56 of the knob 28 for detecting the angular position of the knob 28 and the operational shaft 22 connected thereto about an upright axis of the shaft 22 relative to the motor housing 68 fixed upon the stove housing. The angular position measured by the optional position sensor 82 may be reported to the knob controller 76 which in turn reports to the main controller 50, which in turn reports to the application 26 such that the angular position of each burner control knob 28 is readily known by the application 26 for display to the user at any time.
The knob controller 76 includes suitable circuitry for monitoring the level of the battery 74 connected thereto such that the battery level may also be reported by the knob controller 76 back to the main controller 50, which in turn reports the battery level to the application 26 for display to the user at any time.
The application 26 generally comprises programming instructions which may be transferred to and stored on the electronic device 14 of the user for subsequent execution of the programming instructions by the processor of the electronic device to perform the various functions described herein. The application 26 uses the transceiver of the electronic device to communicate with the main controller 50. The application 26 may request status information from the main controller 50 at any time when the system has been activated. When the user interacts with the application 26 on the electronic device 14, the measured position data and/or determined positions of the knobs 28 stored in memory may be presented to the user to indicate the operational level of each operational shaft 22 and the associated burner 20. In addition, or alternatively to the knob 28 position, the individual burner sensors 46 may be used to sense heat emitted by each burner 20 so that the heat measurements may also be recorded in association with each burner 20 for display to the user.
As illustrated in a sample screenshot shown in
A numerical heat measurement for each burner 20 is displayed adjacent to the respective burner icons along with a symbol indicating the battery level associated with each knob 28. As shown in
The user interface further allows the user to interact with a temperature button displayed on the screen which then allows the user to be provided with controls for selecting a specified temperature within the operating range of the burner 20. Any change in the temperature setting by the user using the application 26 results in a corresponding instruction signal being generated by the application 26 for communication back to the knob controller 76 through the main controller 50 communication for corresponding actuation of the associated knob 28.
The application 26 further includes a camera button displayed on the user interface of the electronic device 14. Actuation of the camera button allows the user to view a current image captured by the camera of the stovetop. This may be a recently captured image stored in memory. If the user desires a more current image, actuation of a refresh button causes the application 26 to generate a request signal for a new image which is forwarded from the application 26 back to the main controller 50 which in turn instructs the camera to capture a new image followed by communication of the new image data back to the application 26 for display on the electronic device 14.
In some instances, the application 26 may be registered by the user under the settings commands to be associated with more than one stove appliance. In this instance, each stove appliance is provided with its own safety sensor bar having a plurality of individual burner sensors 46 associated with the respective burners 20 of that stove 12. All data communicated from the main controller 50 of each system to the common application on the user electronic device 14 further include a unique identification associated with the sensor bar so that each sensor bar only responds to appropriate commands having the proper identification associated therewith. Likewise all information reported from the main controllers 50 of the two systems back to the application 26 are associated with the proper stove 12 by the application 26. Suitable controls on the application 26 allow the user to toggle between different devices being displayed by the application 26.
Use of the device begins with the user depressing the activation button on the sensor housing 34 to activate the individual burner sensors 46 for monitoring heat emitted from the associated portions of the cooking surface 18 of the stovetop. The captured heat measurements are recorded by the main controller 50 together with image data captured by the camera 48 for subsequent transmission of the data back to the application 26 over the communications network. At any time, the user may activate the application 26 for accessing the data. The user may also interact with the application 26 for controllably varying the condition of any of the remote controlled knobs 28 as may be desired.
When the system is actively monitoring temperatures, at any time if the heat emitted from a respective portion of the cooking surface 18 associated with one of the burners 20 is monitored by one of the burner sensors 46 and exceeds the heat threshold stored on the main controller 50, the main controller 50 automatically determines a dangerous condition associated with the affected burners 20 or with the stove 12 as a whole. In an exemplary automated mode, the main controller 50 may be configured to automatically turn off the affected burner 20 or all burners 20 according to user preference when a dangerous condition is detected. In addition, the main controller 50 generates an appropriate notification signal sent to the application 26 when the dangerous condition is detected such that the application 26 may generate a suitable alert for the user such as an audible alert or a visual alert in the usual manner of notifications on a personal electronic device 14.
In an interactive mode of operation, when a dangerous condition is determined, the main controller 50 initially generates a notification signal for communication to the application 26 on the user electronic device 14. The application 26 on the electronic device 14 in this instance generates a prompt for the user using audible and/or visual indications through the user interface of the electronic device 14. The prompt may be a query such as a request for the user to acknowledge that they are at the location of the stove 12 or a request for the user to confirm that the stove 12 should be turned off. If a user responds by confirming their presence at the stove 12 or confirming that they do not want the stove 12 to be turned off, the system will not take further action to actively turn off the burner 20 against the user's wishes. Alternatively, if the user responds by confirming that they are not present at the stove 12 or by confirming that they do wish the stove 12 to be turned off, then the system will immediately generate appropriate instruction signals for the affected knobs 28 to turn off the affected burners 20 of the stove 12. A lack of user response to the prompt generated by the application 26 is determined by the system as confirmation that the user is not present at the stove such that the system will automatically generate an instruction signal to turn off the affected burners 28 of the stove 12.
As described herein, the apparatus 10 comprises remote controlled knobs 28 with a safety sensor 30 according to the present disclosure. The knobs 28 of the device are configured for universal use and replace the existing knobs on a stove appliance. Within an interior of the knob assembly motorized gears are configured to rotate the knob 28 to the off position and turn the burner 20 off from a remote location though an application 26 hosted on an electronic device 14.
The sensor 30 of the device is generally adapted to sense, through an infrared sensor, the presence of a dangerous condition. The sensor 30 is generally a bar shape configured for mounting above the stove top to monitor heat levels. Preferably the sensor 30 is fastened to a surface above the application by a peel and stick adhesive. The sensor 30 includes a built-in camera 48 and heat sensor 46 configured to communicate with the application 26 to verify that the stove 20 is off, or if not off enable a user or turn it off. The sensor 30 includes a plurality of adjustable, infrared temperature sensors 46 which are angled at the burners 20. The heat sensors 46 enable monitoring and may turn off the stove top when an unsafe heat level is reached.
Below is described another embodiment of a knob 1340, which is configured to be operatively connected to a control unit 1760. Such as the remote controlled knob 28 described above, The knob 1340 and the control unit 1760 may be used in the apparatus 10 in replacement of the remote controlled knobs 28. To do so, the knob 1340 and the control unit 1760 may interact with the safety sensor 30 and the electronic device 14 for rotation of the knob 1340 in response to an instruction signal from the safety sensor 30.
While the above referenced embodiment details one particular remote controlled knob, an alternative remote controlled knob will now be shown and described with regard to
Now referring to
In some further alternative embodiments, it should be understood that the knob 1340 may have no protruding rib 1341 and may be held in different manners by the user, e.g., via the side of the knob by the user holding or otherwise manually grabbing its outer surface extremities, or may not be intended to be held by the user. In such latter instance, it would be readily apparent that the motorized aspect of the alternative remote controlled knob would be preferred over manual operation of the knob.
Now referring to
In the possible alternative configuration the shaft connector 1443 may be mounted directly to the operational shaft 22 of the stove 12, such an alternative form of the shaft connector 1443 may comprise, on its extremity a cavity having an inner surface and configured to be mountable to and to connect with the operational shaft 22 in a similar manner as shown and described with regard to the earlier embodiment (e.g., socket 66 in
In some embodiments, the shaft connector 1443 may be directly fixed on the inner surface of the knob 1340. In such instance, the connector base 1442 is not needed because the shaft connector 1443 would be directly fixed or otherwise integrated with the inner surface of the knob 1340 thereby linking the inner surface of the knob 1340 and the operational shaft 22 of the stove 12 or to the extender 1550.
It should also be noted from
In some embodiments, the recess 1445 may be replaced by any element which may be detected by a detector. Examples of detectors are discussed below.
Referring again to
In the embodiment as shown, only one recess 1445 and the position indicator 1444 may be present on the inner surface of the knob 1340. Here, only one recess 1445 and the position indicator 1444 are used to determine the position of the knob 1340 relative to the stove 12.
Now referring to
In some embodiments, the extender 1550 has an external surface 1552 that is cuboid, spherical, cone-shaped, or of any other form.
In some embodiments, the first and second cavities are connected as to form a hollow extender 1550. The internal surface of the hollow extender 1550 (e.g., the radial thickness) may vary throughout the extender's 1550 length.
In some embodiments, the dimension of the extender 1550 is variable. The length of the extender may be less than 1 cm, between 1 cm and 5 cm or more than 5 cm. The thickness of the extender 1550 may be less than 1 cm, between 1 cm and 3 cm or more than 3 cm.
In some embodiments, the extender 1550 is absent from the knob 1340 and the shaft connector 1443 has a cavity for direct connection or mounting with the operational shaft 22 of the stove 12.
Now referring to
Now referring to
While the motor is not shown or described, details of such are well known in the motor art such that the motor is, for instance, a DC Brushed Motor, a Brushless DC Motor, a Stepper Motor, a Servo Motor, or a Miniature Geared Motor.
In some embodiments, the gear 1764 may be replaced, for instance, by a cylinder, a worm gear or by any other element capable of engaging and rotating the plurality of teeth 1441 (or another form of the plurality of teeth 1441 discussed above).
In some embodiments, the engagement between the gear 1764 and the plurality of teeth (or other forms of the plurality of teeth 1441 discussed above) may be a meshing engagement.
Referring further to
In some embodiments, the sensor 1763 and the position indicator 1444 may instead, for instance, be formed respectively by: a light sensor and a light-emitting diode; a hall effect sensor and a magnet; or a pressure sensor and an actuator.
In some embodiments, the auxiliary sensor 1762 and the recess 1445 may be respectively replaced for instance by: a light sensor and a light-emitting diode; a hall effect sensor and a magnet; or a pressure sensor and an actuator.
The sensor 1763 and the auxiliary sensor 1762 are both placed at a specific predetermined position on the control unit 1760 so as to be able to detect the position indicator 1444 and the recess 1445, respectively.
In some embodiments, the sensor 1763 and the auxiliary sensor 1762 detect, respectively, the position indicator 1444 and the recess 1445 at the HOME position. This HOME position indicates that the knob 1340 is at a specific angular position relative to the stove 12, which corresponds to the OFF position of the burner 20 (i.e., no heating).
In some embodiments, both the sensor 1763 and the auxiliary sensor 1762 are used as to detect the HOME position. This may allow a double safety means for the user as previously mentioned.
In some embodiments, the sensor 1763 is used to detect a OFF position and the auxiliary sensor 1762 is used to detect any another position; or the opposite.
In some embodiments, only one of the sensor 1763 and the auxiliary sensor 1762 is used to detect the OFF position.
In some embodiments, the knob 1340 comprises at least an additional position indicator, in addition of the position indicator 1444 and the recess 1445; and the control unit 1760 comprises at least another sensor, in addition to the sensor 1763 and the auxiliary sensor 1762, to detect the additional position indicator.
In some embodiments, the knob 1340 comprises a plurality of position indicators and the controller unit 1760 comprises only one sensor for detecting the plurality of position indicators. This may allow detecting any position of the knob 1340, relative to the stove 12.
Referring still to
Now referring to
Now referring to
In some embodiments, the elements of the control unit 1760 are within the knob 1340 and the elements of the knob 1340 are within the control unit 1760. In other words, the knob 1340 may comprise the sensor 1763, the auxiliary sensor 1762, the gear 1764, the motor and the controller circuitry 1765; and the control unit 1760 may comprise the connector base 1442, the shaft connector 1443, the rotational support element in the form of a plurality of teeth 1441, the position indicator 1444 and/or the recess 1445.
In some embodiments, the apparatus described above, comprising the control unit 1760 and the knob 1340, is connected and exchanges information (wirelessly via any suitable communications protocol such as, but not limited to, Bluetooth or WiFi) with a safety sensor 30. When the safety sensor 30 detects a dangerous or a fault condition (comparison of heat measurement with a threshold), the safety sensor 30 communicates to the controller circuitry 1765 indications to activate the motor. The controller circuitry then activates the motor to rotate the gear 1764. As the gear 1764 is rotated, the knob 1340 also rotates to deactivating the burner (towards the HOME or OFF position). The rotation is continued until the sensor 1763 and/or the auxiliary sensor 1765 detect respectively the position indicator 1444 and/or the recess 1445.
In some other embodiments, the apparatus comprising the control unit 1760 and the knob 1340 is further connected to the electronic device 14 and the rotation of the knob 1340 may be interrupted or initiated by the user using the electronic device 14 via the application 26. In some embodiments, the user may activate a burner 20 from the HOME position (OFF position) to any heating position using the electronic device 14.
In some embodiments, the control unit 1760 and the knob 1340 exchange information with the safety sensor 30 or any other external device (e.g., electronic device 14) wirelessly.
In some embodiments, the gear 1764 and the plurality of teeth 1441 (or other forms of the plurality of teeth 1441 discussed above) are only engaged when a fault condition is detected. When no fault condition is detected, the gear 1764 is not engaged with the plurality of teeth 1441 or is otherwise freely movable and the user may rotate the knob 1340 by hand as desired.
In other embodiments, the gear 1764 and the plurality of teeth 1441 (or other forms of the plurality of teeth 1441 discussed above) are constantly engaged but the user is still able to rotate the knob 1340 by hand as desired.
In some embodiments, the user is notified of any action on the knob and/or of any heating position of the burners on the electronic device 14.
It should be understood that the present invention may be provided in the form of a kit such that a knob, control unit, and a plurality of variously configured extenders may be provided together for use with a variety of stoves having differing operational shafts. Such a kit may be mountable as disclosed herein and comprises the knob 1360, the control unit 1760, and/or the safety sensor 30 as in any embodiments described above.
In some embodiments, the knob 1360 in the kit is provided with elements unassembled and with at least one extender 1550 for a specific operational shaft 22. In some advantageous embodiments, the kit is provided with at least 2 or more extenders 1550 for compatibility with different stove models.
In some embodiments, some elements of the knob 1340, from the control unit 1760 and/or from the safety sensor 30 in the kit are already assembled together or may be assembled by the user. The number or the specific elements that are already assembled may vary. For example, the control unit may be a standalone element of the kit whereas varied knobs and/or extenders may be additionally provided as additional standalone elements and which, when combined by the user form the apparatus of the various embodiments disclosed hereinabove.
In some embodiments, in the kit, the shaft connector 1443 is already assembled on a main body of the knob 1340, the plurality of teeth 1441 are disposed on the inner surface of the knob 1340 and the position indicator 1444 is capable of being fixed on the inner surface of the knob 1340. The control unit 1760 includes a gear 1763, a motor, a sensor 1764 and a controller circuitry 1762 which may be all already assembled altogether.
In some embodiments, the kit only comprises one or two of: the knob 1360, the control unit 1760 and the safety sensor 30 as in any embodiments described above.
In some embodiments, the device described above may be installed and used by the user as follows.
The user may start installing the device by removing the manual knobs from a given stove. The operational shaft 22 would thus be visible. Then, the user may install the control unit 1760 by passing the operational shaft 22 through the second cavity 1962 of the control unit 1760 and fixing the control unit 1760 to the stove using for instance an adhesive layer or tape as previously mentioned. The operational shaft 22 would pass through the control unit 1760 and still be accessible by the user.
After, the user may install the knob 1340 on the operational shaft 22 by carefully aligning the sensor 1763 and the auxiliary sensor 1762 of the control unit 1760 with the position indicator 1444 and the recess 1445 of the knob 1340, respectively. The user may also carefully engage the plurality of teeth 1441 to the gear 1764.
After or before installing the controller unit 1760 and the knob 1340, the user may install the safety sensor 30 on the wall for allowing the burner sensors 46 to detect and monitor the burners 28. The burner sensors 46 should be correctly directed to their respective burners 28.
The electronic device 14 may also be connected to the safety sensor 30 and the controller unit 1760.
When the installation is finished, the safety sensor 30 will notify the user on the electronic device 14 when a default condition occurs (e.g., when the burners emit too much heat or when the burners are left on for a long time). The user then may choose to turn off the burners 28 or not, using the electronic device 14. If the user chooses to turn off the burners, the safety sensor 30 will give instructions to the control unit 1760 to rotate the knob 1340 to turn off the burners 28. If the user chooses not to turn off the burners, the safety sensor 30 will not give any instructions to the control unit 1760. However, if the default conditions still occur after a first duration (e.g., after one minute), another notification will be sent to the user. The user may change the first duration on the application 26 of the electronic device 14.
If no indication is given by the user from the emission of the default condition notification within a second duration (e.g., after 30 seconds), the safety sensor 30 will automatically give instructions to the control unit 1760 to rotate the knob 1340 to turn off the burners 28.
It should be readily apparent that the present disclosed embodiments may be used in conjunction with cooking. In other words, rather than a remotely controlled knob that actuates to the HOME/OFF position, the present disclosed embodiments may be used in cooking determinations to remotely control the desired heat for a given cooking event. For example, the heating requirement for melting chocolate differs from the heating requirement for boiling water while neither event may trigger an overheating fault condition. With this in mind, the present disclosed embodiments may be combined with thermal mapping of the stove top during a cooking scenario. Further, using artificial intelligence embodied in cloud based software in the network (as shown in the basic configuration of
While specific artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are beyond the intended scope of the present invention, it should be readily understood that known AI techniques such as normalization, filtering, and feature extraction may be applied to the present invention.
In terms of cooking scenarios that may be enhanced by the present invention through the use of AI combined with thermal mapping in order to maximize culinary experiences, the following are examples of advantageous implementations of the presently disclosed embodiments.
The presently disclosed embodiments may be used with smart cooking assistants. This may include real-time monitoring whereby AI may be provided to analyze thermal data to track the cooking progress of different dishes simultaneously. This may also include optimal cooking times by recognizing specific food items and their heat signatures whereby the implementation would, for example, suggest optimal cooking times and temperatures. Still further, this may include personalized recommendations where AI may learn individual preferences and suggest heating adjustments to recipes based on past experiences.
The presently disclosed embodiments may be used for recipe guidance and feedback. This may include step-by-step guidance where AI may provide visual and auditory cues, guiding users through complex recipes. This may also include error detection whereby the implementation may identify mistakes like undercooking or overcooking and offer corrective advice. This may further include ingredient identification by analyzing thermal signatures whereby AI may recognize different ingredients and suggest appropriate heating techniques—e.g., searing versus blanching.
The presently disclosed embodiments may be used for energy efficiency. This may include optimized cooking cycles whereby AI may adjust cooking times and temperatures to minimize energy consumption while maintaining food quality. This may include predictive energy usage by analyzing historical data whereby the system may predict energy usage for future cooking sessions.
The presently disclosed embodiments may be used for culinary skill enhancement. This may include expert guidance whereby AI may provide tips and tricks from professional chefs, helping users improve their cooking skills in terms of heating and timing. This may also include personalized feedback whereby the implementation may provide tailored feedback based on individual performance of heating and timing, encouraging continuous learning.
The presently disclosed embodiments may be used for food safety monitoring. This may include hazard detection whereby AI may identify potential food safety risks related to heating and timing, such as undercooked meat or spoiled ingredients. This may also include temperature control whereby the implementation may monitor food temperatures to ensure safety and suitability for consumption—e.g., undercooked poultry as relates to salmonella concerns.
As mentioned, the details relating to AI algorithms are outside the scope of the present invention. However, generally speaking the integration of AI and thermal mapping involves an interplay of data processing and pattern recognition. Data acquisition would occur using a thermal camera provided within the sensor 30 of the general schematic of
As would be known in the AI arts, data preprocessing would then enable the raw thermal data to be cleaned and preprocessed to remove noise and artifacts. This may involve known techniques like normalization, filtering, and feature extraction. In terms of feature extraction, it should be understood that AI algorithms would extract relevant features from the preprocessed thermal data. These features might include temperature gradients (e.g., how rapidly the temperature changes across different regions), heat signatures (e.g., unique patterns associated with specific objects or events such as a boiling pot or a pan with oil), and temporal patterns (e.g., changes in heat distribution over time).
As would further be known in the AI arts, a given AI model would be trained. Using a large dataset of labeled thermal images from the implementation of the presently disclosed embodiments, an AI model would be trained. This dataset may include images representing various cooking scenarios, including normal cooking, spills, boiling over, and unattended cooking. In such a known manner, the AI model would learn to recognize patterns and anomalies in the data, associating them with specific events. This may include real-time analysis whereby, during operation, the AI model would analyze incoming thermal images in real-time. This would compare the current image to the learned patterns to identify any deviations or anomalies that may indicate a potential hazard thus invoking the remotely controllable knob of the present embodiments.
As would further be known in the AI arts, decision making would be provided based on the analysis where the AI system may make decisions such as sending alerts to the user via the network to their electronic device, automatically shutting off the stove via the network to the remotely controlled knob, or adjusting the cooking settings via the network to the remotely controlled knob.
The use of AI in conjunction with the presently disclosed embodiments therefore provides advantageous benefits through the combing of AI and thermal mapping. These include enhanced accuracy whereby AI may identify subtle patterns and anomalies that may be difficult for human users or traditional algorithms to detect, adaptability whereby AI models may learn and adapt to different cooking styles and user preferences so as to improve accuracy over time, proactive intervention whereby analyzing historical data enables AI to predict potential hazards and take preventive actions, reduction of false alarms whereby AI may help minimize false alarms by distinguishing between normal and abnormal cooking behaviors. Overall, the presently disclosed embodiments, by leveraging the power of AI and thermal mapping, may thereby provide more intelligent, reliable, and effective cooking and aid in prevention of kitchen accidents.
While the invention has been described above in terms of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments.
Upon reading the teachings of this disclosure many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and which are intended to be and are covered by both this disclosure and the appended claims. It is indeed intended that the scope of the invention should be determined by proper interpretation and construction of the appended claims and their legal equivalents, as understood by those of skill in the art relying upon the disclosure in this specification and the attached drawings.
Because various modifications may be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/884,624 which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/853,321, filed May 28, 2019, each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62853321 | May 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16884624 | May 2020 | US |
| Child | 18960983 | US |
