Patent ID: 11933502
Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  G | IPC F

Claim 19:
20. A cooking appliance, comprising:
a gas burner;
a gas valve configured to supply gas to the gas burner; and
a self-closing user control mechanically coupled to the gas valve and configured to control a rate of gas flow through the gas valve, wherein the self-closing user control includes:
a knob that is rotatable about a first axis of rotation by a user from within a range of angular positions that includes an off position at which the cooking element is inactive;
rotatable and fixed closure members, the rotatable closure member being rotatable about the first axis of rotation and mechanically coupled to the knob for rotation therewith, the fixed closure member being non-rotatable about the first axis of rotation, and each of the rotatable and fixed closure members including a pin recess;
a torsion spring coupled between the rotatable and fixed closure members and configured to be loaded in response to rotation of the knob away from the off position, the torsion spring having first and second legs extending generally radially from the axis of rotation, the first leg of the torsion spring coupled to one of the rotatable and fixed closure members, and the second leg defining a second axis of rotation; and
a pin coupled to the second leg of the torsion spring and rotatable about the second axis of rotation, the pin including first and second radial members extending generally radially from the second axis of rotation and angularly offset from one another about the second axis of rotation, the first radial member configured to engage the pin recess of the rotatable closure member when the knob is in a first subrange of angular positions, the second radial member configured to engage the pin recess of the fixed closure member when the knob is in a second subrange of angular positions, and the pin configured to rotate about the second axis of rotation to disengage the first radial member from the pin recess of the rotatable closure member and engage the second radial member with the pin recess of the fixed closure member when the knob transitions from the first subrange of angular positions to the second subrange of angular positions.