Method for controlling a cooking point of a gas oven and device

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for operating a cooking point with a gas burner of a gas hob is disclosed in which pan detection is provided for switching off the gas burner when the pan is removed, wherein the pan detection unit can detect the re-placement of a removed pan onto the cooking point and then cause a further operation of the gas burner by igniting the gas burner. When the gas burner is ignited after re-placement of the pan, a power level originally set for the gas burner is only achieved after a time delay, thereby preventing any injury to the user.

1 . A method for operating a cooking point with a gas burner of a gas hob comprising:
 switching off the gas burner by a pan detection unit by switching off the gas burner by closing a corresponding gas valve when a pan is detected initially at the cooking point and then detected as being removed at the cooking point;   detecting by the pan detection unit when a removed pan is re-placed onto the cooking point; and   causing a renewed operation of the gas burner by igniting the gas burner by opening the gas valve, wherein, when the gas burner is ignited after the pan is placed on said cooking point again, wherein the set power level originally set for the gas burner only takes place to the full extent with a delay.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the delay is half a second to five seconds. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pan detection unit detects immediately when said pan is placed on again and only re-ignites the gas burner again after the time delay. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said re-ignition of the gas burner after the delay takes place with the power level previously set. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gas burner is ignited immediately when said pan is placed on again, or immediately after detection of said pan occurs by the pan detection unit, with a power level which lies below the power level previously set, the power level then being increased up to the power level previously set over the time period of the delay. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the gas burner is ignited with a power level in the range of the minimum power required for the ignition of the gas burner and followed by increasing the power level of the gas burner. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein removal of the pan from the cooking point is optically indicated. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the removal of the pan is optically indicated by an illumination source. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a signal is output shortly before re-ignition of the gas burner. 
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the signal is an acoustic signal. 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, after a maximum time is exceeded, the power level setting is cancelled and operation of the cooking point when the pan is replaced does not take place automatically but wherein a power level is manually set. 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the power level is set by manually resetting the power level to zero and subsequently increasing the power. 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the maximum time is three minutes to fifteen minutes. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein slow turning-off with a turning-off time of a few seconds is provided for switching off the cooking point by turning off the gas burner. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the turning off takes place with one or more of an optical or acoustic indication taking place at the same time. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for operating a cooking point of a gas burner of a gas hob comprising:
 a pan detection unit for detecting the presence of a pan on said cooking point;   a gas valve configured to control the flow of gas provided to said gas burner of said cooking point; and   a controller configured to receive a first signal from said pan detection unit indicating the presence of said pan, said controller configured to close said gas valve from a set value when removal of said pan is determined from a second signal received from said pan detection unit, said controller configured to open said gas valve when a third signal is received from said pan detection unit indicating replacement of said pan onto the cooking point, wherein said gas valve is opened to said set value after a time delay.