Gas cooking appliance and gas cooking method

Abstract

According to one implementation a cooking appliance is provided that includes an enclosure, a controller, a gas burner and an electrovalve. The electrovalve is capable of assuming an open position where the passage of gas the gas burner is allowed and a closed position where the passage of gas to the gas burner is not allowed. The incandescent element is suitable for igniting the gas burner when the electrovalve is open and gas is being supplied to the gas burner. According to one mode of operation the controller is adapted to control the position of the electrovalve and the amount of current being delivered to the incandescent element so that only the incandescent element provides heat to the enclosure to maintain the enclosure temperature close to a specific set-point temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gas cooking appliance comprising:
 an enclosure,   a gas burner located inside the enclosure,   a user interface for selecting a desired specific set-point temperature inside the enclosure,   an electrovalve located in a gas supply passage of the gas burner, the electrovalve capable of assuming an open position where the passage of gas to the gas burner is allowed and a closed position where the passage of gas to the gas burner is not allowed,   at least one incandescent element located in the enclosure adjacent the gas burner, the incandescent element capable of being heated to a gas combustion temperature of a gas supplied to the gas burner and to ignite the gas burner upon reaching the gas combustion temperature, the incandescent element further being capable of providing heat to the enclosure to maintain the enclosure temperature close to the specific set-point temperature; and   a controller operatively coupled to the user interface, electrovalve and incandescent element, the controller adapted to cause the electrovalve to assume the open position or the closed position, the controller adapted to control the flow of current to the incandescent element, according to one mode of operation the controller is adapted to cause the electrovalve to transition from the open position to the closed position and to cause the flow of current to the incandescent element to be regulated to maintain the enclosure temperature close to the specific set-point temperature.   
     
     
         2 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to cause the electrovalve to transition from the open position to the closed position and to cause the flow of current to the incandescent element to be regulated to maintain the enclosure temperature close to the specific set-point temperature only when the specific set-point temperature is less than a threshold temperature. 
     
     
         3 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein the threshold temperature is between 50+ C. and 75+ C. 
     
     
         4 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 3 , wherein the controller is adapted to control the flow of current to the incandescent element to maintain the enclosure temperature within ±0.5° C. to the specific set-point temperature. 
     
     
         5 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein according to another mode of operation the controller is adapted to cause the electrovalve to assume the open position and to cause the flow of current to the incandescent element to be regulated to ignite the gas burner. 
     
     
         6 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 5 , wherein the controller is adapted to cause the electrovalve to transition from the open position to the closed position upon the enclosure temperature being close to the specific set-point temperature while continuing to regulate the flow of current to the incandescent element. 
     
     
         7 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 6 , wherein according to another mode of operation when the specific set-point temperature is greater than a threshold temperature the controller is adapted to control the position of the electrovalve to cause the gas burner to provide heat to the enclosure to maintain the enclosure temperature close to the specific set-point temperature. 
     
     
         8 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller is adapted to concurrently regulate the flow of current to the incandescent element to assist the gas burner in maintaining the enclosure temperature close to the specific set-point temperature. 
     
     
         9 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to control the flow of current to the incandescent element to maintain the enclosure temperature within ±2.5° C. to the specific set-point temperature. 
     
     
         10 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the heating capacity of the gas burner and the incandescent element is between 15 and 150. 
     
     
         11 . A gas cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein upon an initial heating of the enclosure the controller is adapted to implement a heating step to cause the gas burner and the incandescent element to be activated for heating the enclosure until reaching the set-point temperature and to implement a maintenance step wherein only the incandescent element is kept activated to keep the temperature of the enclosure close to the set-point temperature. 
     
     
         12 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further adapted to read the current flow passing through the incandescent element and, when the electrovalve is in the open position, to cause the electrovalve to maintain the open position only when the current flow read by the controller is stable and greater than a pre-established minimum current. 
     
     
         13 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 12 , wherein the pre-established minimum current flow is a minimum current flow necessary for the incandescent element to be capable of igniting the gas. 
     
     
         14 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 12 , wherein the controller determines the flow of current to be stable when the variation between two consecutive current values read by the controller is less than 5%. 
     
     
         15 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the incandescent element heats by convection. 
     
     
         16 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the threshold temperature is in a range of between 50+ C. and 75+ C. 
     
     
         17 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the incandescent element exhibits NTC-type or PTC-type behavior. 
     
     
         18 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the gas burner and the incandescent element are arranged in a lower part of the enclosure. 
     
     
         19 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the incandescent element is arranged at an end of the gas burner close to a first flame port of the gas burner. 
     
     
         20 . A cooking appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is an oven cavity.