Cooking appliance using thin-film heating element

Abstract

In a cooking appliance and method for baking a food product, the appliance has a generally solid plate member, a first heating element disposed above the solid plate member in spaced relationship therewith and a thin-film heating element coupled to the solid plate member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking appliance comprising:
 a generally solid plate member;   a first heating element disposed above the solid plate member in spaced relationship therewith; and   a thin-film heating element coupled to the solid plate member.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the solid plate member is constructed of at least one of: ceramic, clay, stone, glass, concrete, brick, porcelain, or the like. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the first heating element comprises an additional thin-film heating element. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 3  wherein the additional heating element is coupled to a substantially transparent substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the thin-film heating element comprises a resistive film extending between a pair of electrical bus bars. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 5  wherein the resistive film is coupled to a top surface of the solid plate member. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 5  wherein the resistive film is coupled to a bottom surface of the solid plate member. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the cooking appliance further comprises a bottom housing, the solid plate member being supported by the bottom housing and providing a heatable cooking surface, and a top housing, the first heating element being supported by the top housing. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 8  wherein the top housing is configurable between a raised position and a lowered cooking position, the first heating element being spaced from the solid plate member in the lowered cooking position of the top housing. 
     
     
         10 . A method for baking a food product, the method comprising:
 supplying current to a first heating element of a cooking appliance to generate heat from the heating element;   supplying current to a thin-film heating element separate from the first heating element, the thin-film heating element coupled to a solid plate member to initiate heating of the solid plate member, the first heating element being positioned above the solid plate member in spaced relationship therewith; and   placing a food product to be baked on the solid plate member.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising adjusting a height of the first heating element above the solid plate member at least in part as a function of the size of the food to be baked by the cooking appliance. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising encasing the solid plate member and thin-film heating element within a housing of the cooking appliance. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising one of reducing or terminating operation of the thin-film heating element independent of operation of the first heating element. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein supplying current to a first heating element comprises supplying current to an additional thin-film heating element. 
     
     
         15 . A cooking appliance comprising:
 a bottom unit; and   a top unit hingedly coupled to the bottom unit, wherein at least one of the bottom unit and the top unit comprises a thin-film heating element.   
     
     
         16 . The cooking appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the bottom unit comprises a first thin-film heating element, and wherein the top unit comprises a second thin-film heating element. 
     
     
         17 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second thin-film heating elements comprises a resistive film extending between a pair of electrical bus bars. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16  wherein at least one of the first and second thin-film heating elements is coupled to an electrically insulating substrate. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking appliance of  claim 18  wherein at least one of the first and second thin-film heating elements is sputter coated onto the electrically insulating substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The cooking appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the top unit comprises a substantially transparent thin-film heating element coupled to a substantially transparent substrate, the substantially transparent thin-film heating element and the substantially transparent substrate forming a window that enables a user to view a food product placed in the cooking appliance. 
     
     
         21 . The cooking appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the bottom unit comprises a perforated grill plate comprising the thin-film heating element. 
     
     
         22 . The cooking appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the cooking appliance is a broiler. 
     
     
         23 . The cooking appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the cooking appliance is an outdoor grill.