Patent Publication Number: US-10782027-B2

Title: Cooking appliance with user-selectable sear feature

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     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. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     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. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a cooking appliance embodied as a double oven and having a user interface that includes a touchscreen; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the touchscreen displaying information related to a cooking program selected by a user and a selectable sear feature; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the sear feature in progress; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the sear feature and selection thereof being disabled. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     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. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a cooking appliance  10  is exemplarily shown as a double oven. The cooking appliance  10  includes a cabinet  12  defining at least one cooking cavity shown as a first cooking cavity  14  and a second cooking cavity  16 . The first and second cooking cavities  14 ,  16  are accessible through corresponding hinged doors  17 ,  18  and contain one or more heating elements  20  for generating heat to cook food items  21 . The heating elements  20  may be conventional heating elements located on a floor, ceiling, and/or wall of the respective first and second cooking cavities  14 ,  16 . One or more lights  22  may be provided in the first and second cooking cavities  14 ,  16  to allow a user to see the contents thereof. The cooking appliance  10  also includes a control panel  23  having a user interface  24  configured to allow selection of a cooking program for cooking food items  21  in the first and/or second cooking cavities  14 ,  16 . While the cooking appliance  10  is described herein as a double oven, it will be appreciated that the cooking appliance  10  may also include a traditional single oven, a cooktop, a cooktop griddle, a barbeque grill, or any other cooking appliance configured to apply heat to food items. 
     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 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the touchscreen  26  is shown displaying a progress bar  29  positioned relative a timeline  30 . The progress bar  29  visually indicates one or more stages of a cooking program selected by the user in a previous menu. In the depicted embodiment, the progress bar  29  includes an idle stage  31 , a preheating stage  32 , and a grill stage  34 . The respective stages  31 - 34  may be illustrated as separate segments and may be color coded to distinguish therebetween. A progress indicator  36  spans across the progress bar  29  and timeline  30  in real time to notify the user of the current stage and visually relate the progress bar  29  to the timeline  30  so that the user can quickly track the progress of the selected cooking program. In the depicted embodiment, the current stage corresponds to the grill stage  34  as indicated by virtual icon  38 . As shown, the grill stage  34  began at approximately 5:30 PM and is set to end at 6:12 PM. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 2 , the touchscreen  26  is also configured to display other information related to the selected cooking program. For example, virtual icon  40  indicates the specified cooking cavity (e.g., cooking cavity  14 ) in which the cooking program is executed. Virtual icon  42  indicates a current cooking temperature (e.g., 400° F.) inside the specified cooking cavity and virtual icon  44  indicates a duration (e.g., 42:00) in minutes and seconds for the current stage, or alternatively, the selected cooking program. The current time (e.g., 5:35 PM) may be displayed in the upper left corner of the touchscreen  26 . Virtual icon  46  enables the user to specify a cooking program for an unselected cooking cavity (e.g., cooking cavity  16 ) and virtual icon  48  enables the user to save the current cooking program to favorites. Virtual icon  50  enables the user to navigate to a home screen or other menu. The user may interact with virtual icons  46 - 50  by simply touching the virtual icons  46 - 50  and following prompts or instructions presented on another screen or sub-screen. It is contemplated that the various stages of the cooking program and the corresponding cooking temperatures and durations may be specified by the user in a previous menu screen, for example, prior to the commencement of the selected cooking program. 
     With further reference to  FIG. 2 , a sear feature shown as virtual icon  52  is selectable while the selected cooking program is underway. Alternatively, the sear feature may be configured as a button or other known user-input device located on the control panel  23 . The selection of the sear feature increases a cooking temperature inside the specified cooking cavity to a maximum cooking temperature without otherwise interrupting the selected cooking program that is underway. That is, except for an increase in cooking temperature, the grill stage  34  is unaffected by the selection of the sear feature and retains its duration, as previously specified by the user. Advantageously, the sear feature is selectable without having to exit the current screen of the touchscreen  26 . To select the sear feature, the user simply touches virtual icon  52 , and in response to the touchscreen  26  registering the touch event, the processor  27  operates one or more heating elements in the specified cooking cavity so as to increase the cooking temperature therein to the maximum cooking temperature. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , selection of the sear feature at 5:35 PM results in the word “searing” appearing above the progress indicator  36  at that time to further reinforce that the sear feature has been selected. In the depicted embodiment, the change in the current time has resulted in the progress indicator  36  moving further along the progress bar  29 . Additionally, due to the selection of the sear feature, the cooking temperature inside the specified cavity has increased to 450° F. as indicated by virtual icon  42 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the maximum cooking temperature is reached at approximately 6:00 PM. In the depicted embodiment, the maximum cooking temperature corresponds to 500° F., which has been arbitrarily chosen for purposes of illustration and not limitation. Thus, it is to be understood that the maximum cooking temperature may correspond to other temperatures above or below 500° F. It is further contemplated that the maximum cooking temperature may be predetermined by the user based on allowable ranges set by the manufacturer of the cooking appliance  10 . Upon reaching the maximum cooking temperature, the sear feature and selection thereof becomes disabled and the user must temporarily wait before selecting the sear feature again. As shown, a progress bar  54  or timer may appear in virtual icon  52  indicating the amount of time remaining before the sear feature becomes available. 
     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.