KR101474537B1 - safety control apparatus of gas range and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for safety control of a gas range and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a safety control apparatus for a gas range having at least one burner, which comprises a thermo-couple ); An MPU (Magnetic Power Unit) generating a magnetic force according to the thermo couple generated by the thermocouple and controlling the opening and closing of the gas valve by an elastic member connected at one end; A first connection line and a second connection line connected between the thermocouple and the MPU for separating (+) electromotive force and (-) electromotive force from each other; A temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of a heating target heated by the flame of the burner; And a microcomputer for outputting a gas shutoff control signal for forcibly applying an opposite polarity to the first connection line and the second connection line when the gas path shutoff time is determined, .
The present invention can cut off the gas path using the counter electromotive force between the thermocouple and the MPU to prevent danger such as fire due to overwork of the gas range or carelessness of the user or overheating of the heating object, The safety of the battery can be further increased and the power consumption of the battery can be reduced.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety control apparatus for a gas range,

The present invention relates to an apparatus for safety control of a gas range and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a safety control apparatus and method for a gas range that safely controls a gas range for shutting off a gas path by forcibly applying a counter electromotive force to a thermocouple and an MPU, And a control method therefor.

Generally, a gas range is a heating mechanism using propane gas or butane gas as fuel. At least one or more burners are provided on the upper surface of a body having a predetermined volume in a domestic gas range, and an ignition function and a thermal power control And a number of gas supply ports, which correspond to the number of the burners, are provided between the venturi pipe and the gas supply pipe of the burner, And a regulating valve is provided.

Therefore, in order to heat or cook unspecified foods using the gas range, first, the knob connected to the burner is operated to operate the speaker, and the valve is opened to ignite the gas. Then, The knob may be appropriately rotated clockwise or counterclockwise to control the opening and closing amount of the gas supply adjusting valve connected to the burner.

In addition, when it is recognized that the cooking of the specific food is completed, the knob connected to the burner is operated to close the gas supply control valve connected to the burner, so that the gas supply is cut off and the fire is extinguished.

Korean Patent Registration No. 0154146 discloses a gas detection circuit for an electronic gas oven which includes a key input circuit for inputting commands such as a clock, a timer, a time increasing / decreasing function and the like to a microcomputer, and a gas valve (MPU) A flame detection and gas valve driving circuit for causing a thermocouple TC to close and a predetermined signal corresponding to an electromotive force generated in the thermocouple to the microcomputer, A thermocouple and a gas valve are connected to the flame detection and gas valve driving circuit by a predetermined output when the clock mode command is input through the key input circuit, When the flame is detected and the salt voltage is inputted through the gas valve drive circuit according to the success of ignition, the display circuit (TC) and the gas valve (MPU) are closed when the timer mode command is being inputted through the key input circuit by performing a predetermined output to the flame detection and gas valve driving circuit so that the thermocouple (TC) and the gas valve And a microcomputer for counting the timer after outputting a signal to the display circuit so that the lamp is lit when the salt voltage is input through the gas valve detection circuit and the gas valve driving circuit.

The ignition sense circuit of the electronic gas oven according to the prior art requires the relay to operate to form a closed circuit of the thermocouple TC and the gas valve MPU. When the gas valve MPU is closed, the thermocouple TC is not heated The electromotive force is not generated and the gas valve (MPU) does not operate because there is no electromotive force even when the relay is operated.

Further, the electromotive force of the thermocouple TC is very small, so that the gas valve MPU can not be forcibly turned on.

Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2003-0097512 relates to a gas-burner control circuit for a gas oven range, the gas-oven range comprising at least one burner, wherein the thermocouple detects a flame of the burner to generate thermoelectric power, An MPU (Magnetic Power Unit) generating a magnetic force according to the generated thermal power to control the opening and closing of the gas valve, a micom for outputting a control signal for extinguishing the burner, a transistor for turning on / off according to a control signal of the micom, And a relay for controlling the magnetic force of the MPU according to the ON / OFF state of the transistor.

The burner control circuit of the gas oven range according to the related art uses a relay to form a magnetic force generated in the thermocouple at the same level to destroy the magnetic force, but the magnetic force flows into the thermocouple 10G and the MPU 20G, And an electromotive force does not flow due to the contact resistance of the relay, so that it may not actually operate.

Korean Patent Registration No. 0154146 Korean Patent Publication No. 2003-0097512

The present invention can cut off the gas path using the back electromotive force between the thermocouple and the MPU to prevent danger such as fire due to overwork of the gas range or carelessness of the user or overheating of the heating object, A safety control device and a method thereof are provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safety control apparatus for a gas range, which comprises at least one burner, A thermocouple generating power; An MPU (Magnetic Power Unit) generating a magnetic force according to the thermo couple generated by the thermocouple and controlling the opening and closing of the gas valve by an elastic member connected at one end; A first connection line and a second connection line connected between the thermocouple and the MPU for separating (+) electromotive force and (-) electromotive force from each other; A temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of a heating target heated by the flame of the burner; And a microcomputer for outputting a gas shutoff control signal for forcibly applying an opposite polarity to the first connection line and the second connection line when the gas path shutoff time is determined, .

At this time, the microcomputer normally generates (-) electromotive force for the first connection line and (+) electromotive force for the second connection line, and generates the gas shutoff control signal when the gas path is blocked by the overheated state of the heating target (+) Electromotive force is applied to the first connection line and (-) electromotive force is applied to the second connection line, the potentials of the first connection line and the second connection line are made equal within a specific time.

The MPU normally opens the gas valve by restraining the elastic member by the thermoelectric power to be in an adsorbed state, and when the potential of the first connection line and the second connection line become equal by the gas shutoff control signal, And closes the gas valve by releasing the restraining force and releasing the gas valve.

The safety control method of the gas range includes at least one or more burners, a thermo couple for generating a thermoelectric power by sensing a flame of the burner, a magnetic force generating unit for generating a magnetic force according to the thermal power generated from the thermocouple, And a microcomputer for outputting a control signal for extinguishing the burner, the ignition control method comprising the steps of: a) controlling the ignition timing of the heating object heated by the flame of the burner Transmitting a temperature sensing result of the heating object to the microcomputer; b) when the temperature of the heating object reaches the overheat temperature range, the microcomputer determines that the gas path is blocked and outputs a gas shutoff control signal; c) applying a reverse polarity to the first connection line and the second connection line for separating (+) electromotive force and (-) electromotive force between the thermocouple and the MPU through the gas shutoff control signal; And d) a potential of the first connection line and the second connection line becomes equal within a predetermined time, and is connected to one end of the MPU to release the restraining force of the elastic member for opening and closing the gas valve, thereby closing the gas valve .

The safety control device and method of a gas range of the present invention is characterized in that a gas path is formed between a thermocouple and an MPU using a counter electromotive force to prevent danger such as fire due to overwork of a gas range or carelessness of a user, The reliability of the operation is high, the safety of the gas appliance can be further enhanced, and the power consumption of the battery can be reduced.

1 is a circuit diagram illustrating a safety control apparatus for a gas range according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view for explaining a connection state between the thermocouple and the MPU of FIG.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the safety of a gas range according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram illustrating a process of shutting off a gas path by the gas shut-off control signal of FIG.

The description of the present invention is merely an example for structural or functional explanation, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the embodiments described in the text. That is, the embodiments are to be construed as being variously embodied and having various forms, so that the scope of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents capable of realizing technical ideas. Also, the purpose or effect of the present invention should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, since it does not mean that a specific embodiment should include all or only such effect.

All terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used predefined terms should be interpreted to be consistent with the meanings in the context of the related art and can not be interpreted as having ideal or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating a safety control apparatus for a gas range according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a connection state between the thermocouple and the MPU of FIG.

1 and 2, the safety control apparatus 100 for a gas range includes at least one burner (not shown), a thermocouple 110, an MPU (Magnetic Power Unit) 120, A temperature sensor 140, a microcomputer 150, and a buzzer 160.

At this time, the thermocouple 110 senses the flame of the burner to generate thermoelectric power, and the MPU 120 generates magnetic force according to the thermoelectric power generated by the thermocouple 110, And controls the opening and closing of the gas valve (not shown).

When the magnetic force is generated according to the thermo-electric power, the MPU 120 restricts the elastic member 125 to be adsorbed, thereby opening the gas valve. When the thermoelectric power is lost, the binding force of the elastic member 125 is released, The valve can be closed.

2, the thermocouple 110 and the MPU 120 separately transmit (+) electromotive force and (-) electromotive force through the first connecting line 131 and the second connecting line 132 (-) electromotive force flows through the first connecting line 131 and the (+) electromotive force flows through the second connecting line 132 at a normal time.

The temperature sensor 140 detects the temperature of a heating object such as a pot placed on the burner and transmits the sensed temperature to the microcomputer 150.

The microcomputer 150 receives the temperature detection result of the heating object from the temperature sensor 140 and determines that the temperature of the heating target object reaches the overheat temperature range, and outputs a gas shutoff control signal.

(+) Electromotive force is applied to the first connection line 131 and (-) electromotive force is applied to the second connection line 132, and the potential of the first connection line 131 and the second connection line 132 The restraining force of the elastic member 125 is released and the MPU 120 is released and the gas valve is closed.

That is, when the microcomputer is normally ignited, (-) electromotive force is applied to the first connection line and (+) electromotive force is caused to flow through the second connection line. When the microcomputer is in the overheated state, (+) Electromotive force to the first connecting line, and (-) electromotive force to the second connecting line by forcibly applying a (-) electromotive force to the first connecting line, the potentials of the first connecting line and the second connecting line are made equal within a predetermined time, .

The buzzer 160 is operated by a gas shutoff control signal to generate an alarm sound so that the user can recognize the overheated state of the heating object.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the safety of a gas range according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a process of shutting off a gas path by the gas shutoff control signal of FIG.

3 and 4, when the flame of the burner is sensed, an electromotive force is generated in the thermocouple 110 to attract the MPU 120. When the knob is turned counterclockwise, The elastic member 125 connected to one end of the gas valve is restrained, and the gas valve is opened to allow the gas to pass therethrough.

When the knob is turned to the end, the spark device is operated by the switch to generate a spark and ignite. When the flame is generated for a predetermined time, an electromotive force is generated in the thermocouple 110 and the MPU 120 continues to be opened Lt; / RTI >

At this time, when an electromotive force is generated, (-) electromotive force is generated in the first connection line 131 and (+) electromotive force is generated in the second connection line 132.

On the other hand, if the user turns the knob clockwise to the OFF state (initial state) when the cooking is completed and the gas is shut off, the gas is shut off and the flame disappears. As the electromotive force is removed from the thermocouple 110, The restraining force of the elastic member 125 is released and the gas valve is closed to shut off the gas path.

Meanwhile, in the safety control method of the gas range, the temperature sensor 140 senses the temperature of the heating object heated by the flame of the burner, and transmits the detection result to the microcomputer 150 (see step S1).

The microcomputer 150 determines that the temperature of the heating target object received from the temperature sensor 140 reaches the overheat temperature range and outputs a gas shutoff control signal (refer to steps S2 and S3). At this time, The overheating temperature range is 300 ° C to 400 ° C, but may vary depending on the material of the heating object.

(-) electromotive force and (+) electromotive force are applied to the first connection line 131 and the second connection line 132, respectively. However, when a gas shutoff control signal is generated, (+) electromotive force is applied to the first connection line 131, (-) electromotive force is forcibly applied to the second connection line 132 (refer to step S4)

The electric potentials of the first connection line 131 and the second connection line 132 become equal to each other within a predetermined time and within about one second so that no electricity is supplied to the elastic member 125 of the MPU 120, 125 is released and the MPU 120 is released (OFF). When the MPU 120 is disengaged, the gas valve is closed to extinguish while the gas path is blocked (see steps S5 and S6)

The thermocouple 110 and the MPU 120 are driven in the state where the thermocouple 110 and the MPU 120 are not connected to the first connection line 131 and the second connection line 132, The battery 170 that provides power supplies the power to detect the generation of the thermal power of the thermocouple 110 and to control the disengagement / attraction of the MPU 120. Accordingly, when the battery for low power consumption is used, Is doubled.

Further, when the thermocouple 110 is sensed, the microcomputer 150 may malfunction, thereby causing the MPU 120 to be sucked and the gas valve to be opened, thereby causing a safety risk such as a fire.

However, since the thermocouple 110 and the MPU 120 are connected to the first connection line 131 and the second connection line 132, the consumption of the battery 170 by the thermocouple 110 and the MPU 120 is reduced There is no power and the malfunction rate of the microcomputer 150 can be significantly reduced.

(-) electricity to the first connection line 131 and (+) electricity to the second connection line 132 arbitrarily by detecting the initial operation signal, and before the thermocouple 110 fully exhibits the thermal power Electricity can be supplied to the MPU 120 for a predetermined period of time so that the MPU 120 can accurately perform the initial ignition.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims It can be understood that

110: Thermocouple 120: MPU
125: elastic member 131, 132: first connecting line and second connecting line
140: Temperature sensor 150: Microcomputer
160: buzzer 170: battery

Claims (4)

A safety control device for a gas range having at least one burner,
A thermocouple for sensing a flame of the burner to generate thermoelectric power;
An MPU (Magnetic Power Unit) generating a magnetic force according to the thermo couple generated by the thermocouple and controlling the opening and closing of the gas valve by an elastic member connected at one end;
A first connection line and a second connection line connected between the thermocouple and the MPU for separating (+) electromotive force and (-) electromotive force from each other;
A temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of a heating target heated by the flame of the burner;
And a microcomputer for receiving a detection result from the temperature sensor to determine a gas path shutoff timing and outputting a gas shutoff control signal for forcibly applying an opposite polarity to the first connection line and the second connection line when the gas path shutoff timing is reached and,
(-) electromotive force is normally applied to the first connection line and (+) electromotive force is caused to flow in the microcomputer, and the gas shutoff control signal is generated when the gas path is blocked by the overheated state of the heating target object, (+) Electromotive force is applied to the first connection line and (-) electromotive force is applied to the second connection line so that the potentials of the first connection line and the second connection line become equal within a specific time,
The MPU normally opens the gas valve by restraining the elastic member by the thermoelectric power to be in an adsorbed state, and when the potential of the first connection line and the second connection line become equal by the gas shutoff control signal, And closes the gas valve by releasing the restraining force and releasing the gas valve.
delete delete delete

Images