Grill safety systems and methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to grill assemblies for generating heat from various sources. In particular, the present invention relates to grill assemblies including various control members to detect unintended heating and terminating such. The present invention also relates to various methods of detecting the unintended heating by the heating elements and stopping such operations. The present invention also relates to various processes for providing various control members and grill assemblies including such control members. Such control members may be incorporated into grill assemblies for generating heat from various sources, e.g., burning gas, flowing electricity, irradiating electromagnetic waves thereby, and so on. In addition, the control members of this invention may be implemented into various stationary and/or portable grills and ovens for cooking food, various fireplaces or burners for heating interior, and the like.

1 . A grill assembly with at least one heating element configured to convert input energy into heat comprising: 
 at least one first sensor configured to be disposed between a source of said input energy and said heating element and to monitor supply of said input energy to said heating element;    at least one second sensor configured to be disposed adjacent to said heating element and to sense intention of an user to generate said heat by said heating element; and    at least one control member configured to be coupled to said first and second sensors and to initiate a safety protocol upon detecting said supply of said input energy to said heating element and upon detecting absence of said intention of said user to generate said heat by said heating element.    
   
   
       2 . The grill assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said second sensor is configured to sense said intention of said user based upon at least one of presence and absence of said user within a preset distance from said heating element, presence and absence of an object disposed above said heating element, presence and absence of said object inside said heating element, and movement of said user within another preset distance therefrom.  
   
   
       3 . The grill assembly of  claim 1  further comprising at least one time sensor configured to receive an user input and to provide said supply of said input energy for a preset period of time determined by said user input, wherein said second sensor is configured to sense said intention of said user based upon presence and absence of said user input.  
   
   
       4 . The grill assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said input energy is combustible gas and wherein said heating element is configured to generate said heat by burning said combustible gas.  
   
   
       5 . The grill assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said first sensor is configured to sense at least one of presence of said supply of said gas to said heating element and a rate of said supply of said gas to said heating element.  
   
   
       6 . The grill assembly of  claim 5  further comprising at least one control valve which is configured to be disposed between said source of said input energy and heating element and to move between an on-position and off-position, wherein said control member is configured to move said control valve to said off-position and to stop said supply of said gas to said heating element upon sensing both of said supply of said input energy and said absence of said intention.  
   
   
       7 . The grill assembly of  claim 6 , wherein said control valve is disposed between said source of said energy and a plurality of said heating elements and wherein said control member is configured to stop said supply of said energy to all of said heating elements upon detecting both of said supply and absence.  
   
   
       8 . The grill assembly of  claim 4  further comprising at least one switch configured to be coupled to said source and heating element, to move between an off-position with none of said supply of said gas and at least on-position with a preset amount of said supply of said gas, and to adjust an amount of said supply of said gas to said heating element in each of said positions, wherein said first sensor is configured to sense disposition of said switch in one of said positions.  
   
   
       9 . The grill assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said control member is configured to move said switch to said off-position and to stop said supply of said input energy to said heating element upon sensing both of said supply of said input energy and said absence of said intention.  
   
   
       10 . The grill assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said control valve is disposed between said switch and one of a plurality of said heating elements and wherein said control member is configured to stop said supply of said energy to said one of said heating elements upon detecting said supply and absence.  
   
   
       11 . The grill assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said input energy is electric current and wherein said heating element is configured to generate said heat by flowing said electric current therethrough.  
   
   
       12 . The grill assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said first sensor is configured to sense at least one of presence of said supply of said electric current to said heating element and a rate of said supply of said electric current to said heating element.  
   
   
       13 . The grill assembly of  claim 12  further comprising at least one control valve which is configured to be disposed between said source of said input energy and heating element and to move between an on-position and off-position, wherein said control member is configured to move said control valve to said off-position and to stop said supply of said current to said heating element upon sensing both of said supply of said input energy and said absence of said intention.  
   
   
       14 . A grill assembly having at least one heating element which is configured to generate heat from at least one of combustion of gas therein, application of electric current therethrough, and generation of electromagnetic waves thereby and to supply said heat to an object contained in a container, said grill assembly comprising: 
 at least one third sensor configured to be placed adjacent to at least one of said container and heating element and to sense at least one of temperature of said container and at least one substance resulting from combustion of said object and emitting from said container; and    at least one control member which is configured to be operatively coupled to said third sensor and to initiate a safety protocol upon detecting at least one of said substance beyond a preset amount and said temperature exceeding a preset value.    
   
   
       15 . The grill assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said third sensor is one of a temperature sensor and a mass detection sensor, wherein said temperature sensor is configured to detect temperature beyond said preset temperature, and wherein said mass detection sensor is configured to sense presence of said substance exceeding said preset value.  
   
   
       16 . A method of detecting leak of input energy from a grill assembly including at least one heating element for converting said input energy into heat comprising the steps of: 
 monitoring supply of said input energy to said heating element;    sensing intention of an user to generate said heat by said heating element; and    detecting said leak of said input energy upon sensing said supply of said input energy to said heating element without said intention of said user to generate said heat by said heating element.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of; 
 supplying combustible gas as said input energy; and    generating said heat by burning said combustible gas by said heating element.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , said monitoring step further comprising at least one of the steps of; 
 monitoring presence of flow of said gas to said heating element; and    monitoring a rate of said flow of said gas to said heating element.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , said sensing step further comprising at least one of the steps of; 
 sensing presence and absence of an object over said heating element;    sensing presence and absence of an object inside said heating element;    sensing movement of an user within a preset distance from said grill assembly; and    sensing presence and absence of an user within a preset distance therefrom.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the steps of; 
 stopping said supply of said gas to said heating element upon said detecting.