Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Europe B.v.

Luca Frasnetti

Gianpiero Santacatterina

Davide Cabri

Franco Brindani

Marco Maritan

Adriano Scaburri

Giorgio Braghini

Daniele Franchi

Alessandro Distaso

Giampiero Santacatterina

Robert S Elliott

Guido Gagliardi

Daniele Valassina

A device for obtaining rapid ignition of a gas burner of a cooking hob fed via a gas pipe provided with a solenoid safety valve, with said burner there being associated a usual igniter and a knob for controlling its activation, the solenoid valve being connected to powering means immersed in the flame generated by the burner to maintain the solenoid valve in a working position which ensures gas feed to the burner, further powering means being provided to maintain said solenoid valve in said working position immediately a user activates the burner by means of the knob, without any further action on the knob by said user.

Device for obtaining rapid ignition of a cooking hob gas burner fed via a gas pipe provided with a solenoid safety valve

A device for sensing the presence of cooking utensils on a cooking hob comprising at least one heat source. The device includes an electrically conductive coil turn fed by the signal generated by an oscillator. The oscillator is preferably a voltage-controlled oscillator generating square wave signals. The coil turn operates, when utensil sensing occurs, to modify the cut-off frequency of a low pass filter (L/R) fed by said oscillator (VCO).

Device for sensing the presence of pans and the like on cooking appliances

A ventilation system for electrical food-cooking appliances comprising a cooking hob and an oven with a fan positioned in a compartment between the two in order to generate air flow for cooling electronic components controlling the oven operation, in which the fan is of variable speed, its speed being gauged on the basis of the appliance use.

Control panel ventilation system for electrical food cooking appliances

A system for indicating by means of at least one warning light the residual heat of at least one pan support grid for a gas burner in domestic cooking or heating appliances controlled by an electronic control device, in which the residual heat of the grid is measured indirectly by the electronic control device on the basis of data relative to the flame level set for the burner and the time for which said flame level is maintained, these data being corrected by a factor which takes account of the physical characteristics of the grid, such that the warning light is and remains activated when the residual heat of the grid exceeds a predetermined safety threshold (A) for its handling by the user.

System for indicating the residual heat of the pan support grids of

An atmospheric burner is associated with a flame presence sensor and an electrical-discharge ignition device. It is fed via a flow rate control device. Both the ignition device and the flow rate control device are controlled by a microcontroller. A user interface enables the user to select the desired power by sending to the microcontroller a request for altering the flow rate and hence for altering the minimum power deliverable by the burner.

System for automatically seeking the minimum power deliverable by

A safety device associated with a heating element of a glass ceramic cooking hob and arranged to prevent overheating of the cooking hob, the element comprising an insulating body defining a seat containing at least one heat generator, the device comprising a measuring member arranged to measure the temperature of the heating element and to deactivate the operation of the heat generator whenever this temperature exceeds a predetermined value, the measuring member being associated externally with a side wall of the insulating body and having a measuring part connected to a body passing through said wall and projecting to a limited extent above the heat generator.

Temperature control and safety device associated with a heating element

Solenoid valves for controlling the gas flow to burners are controlled by an electronic microprocessor card by means of pulse-width modulated signals. The electronic card can receive signals from a timer to be set by the user, and from means by which the user selects the heat output of the burners. The first of said means to be operated by the user after setting the time makes the relative burner dependent on the timer. When the two data (time and heat output) have been set, the card extinguishes the flame of the dependent burner when the set time has expired.

Gas appliance for heating and/or cooking food and the like

The method consists of providing a portion of greater cross-section in the gas feed conduit between the electromagnetic valve and the diffuser in a gas appliance, preferably for cooking or heating food.

Method for silencing and stabilizing the flame of gas burners fed via

The method provides for applying to the solenoid valve, during its movement of closure by the action of a spring, a voltage signal the purpose of which is to brake this closure movement. The circuit comprises a static switch connected between the coil of the solenoid valve and earth, and an intermediate tap between these two components from which a voltage signal is withdrawn and is transformed by a microcontroller into a control signal for the static switch, such as to apply the braking signal to the solenoid valve.

Growing community of inventors

Cunardo, Italy

Luca Frasnetti