The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 04, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 06, 2000
Allan John Connolly, Albany, NY (US);
Austars Raymond Schnore, Jr., Scotia, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
The temperature of a cooktop is controlled such that a maximum temperature of a cooktop reaches about a predetermined maximum temperature. The temperature is controlled by controlling power supplied to a radiant heating element positioned below the cooktop. The radiant heating element heats the cooktop. A user power input device allows a user to select a user power level corresponding to a desired temperature range for heating the cooktop. A temperature sensor is supplied that senses the temperature of the cooktop. A thermal limiter controller is connected to the radiant heating element, the user power input device and the temperature sensor. The thermal limiter controller determines a thermal limiting power level. The thermal limiter controller applies the smaller of the user power level and the thermal limiter power level to the radiant heating element. An anti-wind up controller is connected to the thermal limiter controller and tracks the thermal limiter power level to the user power level whereby a maximum temperature of the cooktop reaches about the predetermined maximum temperature.