Systems and methods for controlling heat distribution for cooking

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices include a griddle device with a heat management system and a digital control system. The griddle device includes a body defining an internal space and the heat management system is disposed within the internal space and below a griddle top. The heat management system includes one or more partitions and an underbracing panel to divide the internal space into a plurality of heat compartments, each with a primary burner, a secondary burner (e.g., a pilot burner), and/or a temperature sensor. The digital control system receives temperature data from the temperature sensors, compares the temperature data to a temperature threshold value, and actuates one or more gas valves to increase or decrease fuel supplied to the burners (e.g., the primary burner). Griddle leveling feet secure the griddle top to the body and are used to adjust the griddle top between a level position and a slanted position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking device comprising:
 a body having one or more side walls and an interior space;   a griddle top disposed over the interior space;   a heat management system, in the interior space, defined by at least one or more partitions and an underbracing panel;   one or more burners disposed in the heat management system to provide a heat distribution to the griddle top;   one or more temperature sensors; and   a digital control system including a microcontroller and a memory storage device storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the microcontroller, cause the cooking device to:
 receive an input temperature setting value; 
 receive temperature data from the one or more temperature sensors corresponding to the heat distribution of the griddle top; and 
 adjust an amount of fuel provided to the one or more burners to change the heat distribution based on the input temperature setting value and the temperature data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooking device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more partitions define a plurality of heat compartments of the heat management system; and   the one or more burners are evenly distributed among the plurality of heat compartments.   
     
     
         3 . The cooking device of  claim 2 , wherein the griddle top includes one or more dividers extending from a bottom surface of the griddle top to define the plurality of heat compartments. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking device of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the one or more burners include a plurality of primary burners and a plurality of secondary burners; and   an individual heat compartment of the plurality of heat compartments includes:
 one primary burner of the plurality of primary burners; and 
 one secondary burner of the plurality of secondary burners. 
   
     
     
         5 . The cooking device of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the one or more temperature sensors include a plurality of temperature sensors; and   the individual heat compartment includes one temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors.   
     
     
         6 . The cooking device of  claim 4 , wherein adjusting the amount of fuel provided to the one or more burners increases an amount of fuel provided to the one primary burner while providing a constant, non-zero amount of fuel to the one secondary burner. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking device of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of primary burners ignite in response to adjusting the amount of fuel while the plurality of secondary burners maintain a plurality of pilot lights. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more temperature sensors include a plurality of thermocouples contacting a bottom side of the griddle top. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking device of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more displays for presenting the input temperature setting value or the temperature data corresponding to the heat distribution. 
     
     
         10 . The cooking device of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more displays are disposed on one or more gas knobs used for providing the input temperature setting value, and the one or more displays intermittently present both the input temperature setting value and the temperature data corresponding to the heat distribution. 
     
     
         11 . A cooking device comprising:
 a heat management system disposed in an interior space of a metal body, the heat management system defined by at least one or more partitions and an underbracing panel;   one or more burners disposed in the heat management system to provide a heat distribution to a griddle top disposed over the heat management system;   one or more temperature sensors; and   a digital control system including a microcontroller and a memory storage device storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the microcontroller, cause the cooking device to:
 receive an input temperature setting value; 
 receive temperature data from the one or more temperature sensors corresponding to the heat distribution of the griddle top; and 
 adjust an amount of fuel provided to the one or more burners to change the heat distribution based on the input temperature setting value and the temperature data. 
   
     
     
         12 . The cooking device of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more partitions of the heat management system divide the interior space of the metal body into a plurality of rectangular heat compartments below the griddle top. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking device of  claim 12 , wherein the underbracing panel defines a bottom of the plurality of rectangular heat compartments and provides lateral structural support for the metal body. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking device of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 one or more digital dials for providing the input temperature setting value communicatively coupled to the microcontroller; and   a heat shield panel disposed between the one or more digital dials and the one or more burners.   
     
     
         15 . The cooking device of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of griddle leveling feet extending from a bottom surface of the griddle top for adjusting the griddle top between a level position and a slanted position relative to the metal body. 
     
     
         16 . The cooking device of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of griddle leveling feet include a plurality of side protrusions operable to mate with a plurality of openings in the metal body for securing the griddle top to the metal body such that the griddle top provides lateral support for the metal body. 
     
     
         17 . The cooking device of  claim 11 , further comprising a first side shelf extending from a first side of the metal body and a second side shelf extending from a second side of the metal body, the first side shelf and the second side shelf being foldable between a level position and a folded position, and the first side shelf and the second side shelf including a plurality heat distribution perforations. 
     
     
         18 . A method for controlling heat distribution for a cooking device, the method including:
 defining a heat management system of the cooking device with one or more partitions and an underbracing panel, the heat management system being disposed below a griddle top of the cooking device;   providing the heat distribution to the griddle top using one or more burners disposed in the heat management system;   receiving an input temperature setting value at the cooking device;   receiving temperature data from one or more temperature sensors measuring the heat distribution at a bottom surface of the griddle top; and   adjusting an amount of fuel provided to the one or more burners to change the heat distribution based on the input temperature setting value and the temperature data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising adjusting the griddle top between a level position and a slanted position using one or more griddle leveling feet that mate with a body of the cooking device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the one or more partitions define a plurality of heat compartments of the heat management system; and   adjusting the amount of fuel provided to the one or more burners to change the heat distribution includes:
 increasing a first amount of fuel provided to a first primary burner in a first heat compartment of the plurality of heat compartments; and 
 maintaining a second amount of fuel provided to a second primary burner in a second heat compartment of the plurality of heat compartments.