Control system and method of making the same

Claim 2

In a control system comprising a high energy control circuit means having an output relay driver transistor for operating a heating means of said system, manually operated means for initiating the operation of said high energy control circuit means, microcomputer means for operating said high energy control circuit means after said manually operated means has initiated the operation thereof, and supervisory circuit means for detecting failure of said system and disabling said high energy control circuit means if said system is not operating in a normal mode thereof, said supervisory circuit means having means requiring the manual operation of said manually operated means before permitting power to reach said high energy control circuit means whereby said high energy control circuit means is disabled unless said manual operation of said manually operated means has taken place and said system is operating in said normal mode thereof, said supervisory circuit means having a supervisory transistor therein that is in series with said relay driver transistor and that must be switched on to enable said relay driver transistor, said supervisory circuit means having a capacitor therein for sustaining the on condition of said supervisory transistor, said manually operated means comprising means for initially charging said capacitor and switching on said supervisory transistor when said manually operated means has been manually operated to inititate the operation of said high energy control circuit means, said system having means for continuing the charging of said capacitor after the initial manual operation of said manually operated means if said system is operating in a normal mode thereof, the improvement wherein said means for continuing the charging of said capacitor comprises temperature sensing means that is disposed intermediate said microcomputer means and said supervisory circuit means and continues the charging of said capacitor only as long as said temperature sensing means is sensing an output temperature effect of said heating means that is below a predetermined high temperature limit for said system and that terminates the charging of said capacitor when said sensed temperature is above said predetermined high temperature limit.

Claim 3

A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control system is for a cooking apparatus that has an oven and said predetermined high temperature limit is approximately 635° F. for a cooking operation in said oven.

Claim 4

A control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control system is for a cooking apparatus that has an oven and said predetermined high temperature limit is approximately 935° F. for a high temperature cleaning operation in said oven.

Claim 5

A control unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for continuing the charging of said capacitor comprises AC coupling means.

Claim 6

A control unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for initially charging said capacitor comprises a transistor that is temporarily switched on by the manual operation of said manually operated means.

Claim 7

A control unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said high energy control circuit has another output relay driver transistor that is also in series with said supervisory transistor and in parallel with the first-mentioned output relay driver transistor.

Claim 8

A control unit as set forth in claim 6 wherein said manually operated means comprises a plurality of electrical switch means respectively operatively associated with said output relay driver transistors through said microcomputer.

Claim 9

In a control system for a cooking oven having a heating means and an oven door, said system comprising a high energy control circuit means having an output relay driver transistor for operating an oven door latching motor means of said system, manually operated means for initiating the operation of said high energy control circuit means, microcomputer means for operating said high energy control circuit means after said manually operated means has initiated the operation thereof, and supervisory circuit means for detecting failure of said system and disabling said high energy control circuit means if said system is not operating in a normal mode thereof, the improvement wherein said supervisory circuit means has a supervisory transistor therein that is in series with said relay driver transistor and that must be switched on to enable said relay driver transistor, said supervisory circuit means having a capacitor therein for sustaining the on condition of said supervisory transistor, said system having operating means for initially charging said capacitor and switching on said supervisory transistor to initiate the operation of said high energy control circuit means, said operating means being adapted to continue the charging of said capacitor after the initial charging thereof if said system is operating in a normal mode thereof, said operating means for continuing the charging of said capacitor comprising temperature sensing means that is disposed intermediate said microcomputer means and said supervisory circuit means and continues the charging of said capacitor only as long as said temperature sensing means is sensing an output temperature effect of said heating means that is below a predetermined high temperature limit for said system and that terminates the charging of said capacitor when said sensed temperature is above said predetermined high temperature limit.

Claim 10

In a control system for a cooking oven having a heating means and an oven door, said system comprising a high energy control circuit means having an output relay driver transistor for operating an oven door latching motor means of said system, manually operated means for initiating the operation of said high energy control circuit means, microcomputer means for operating said high energy control circuit means after said manually operated means has initiated the operation thereof, and supervisory circuit means for detecting failure of said system and disabling said high energy control circuit means if said system is not operating in a normal mode thereof, the improvement wherein said supervisory circuit means has a supervisory transistor therein that is in series with said relay driver transistor and that must be switched on to enable said relay driver transistor, said supervisory circuit means having a capacitor therein for sustaining the on condition of said supervisory transistor, said system having operating means for initially charging said capacitor and switching on said supervisory transistor to initiate the operation of said high energy control circuit means, said operating means being adapted to continue the charging of said capacitor after the initial charging thereof if said system is operating in a normal mode thereof, said operating means for continuing the charging of said capacitor comprising temperature sensing means that is disposed intermediate said microcomputer means and said supervisory circuit means and continues the charging of said capacitor only as long as said temperature sensing means is sensing an output temperature effect of said heating means that is below a predetermined high temperature limit for said system and that terminates the charging of said capacitor when said sensed temperature is above said predetermined high temperature limit.

Claim 11

In a method of operating a control system that comprises a high energy control circuit means having an output relay driver transistor for operating a heating means of said system, manually operated means for initiating the operation of said high energy control circuit means, microcomputer means for operating said high energy control circuit means after said manually operated means has initiated the operation thereof, and supervisory circuit means for detecting failure of said system and disabling said high energy control circuit means if said system is not operating in a normal mode thereof, said supervisory circuit means having means requiring the manual operation of said manually operated means before permitting power to reach said high energy control circuit means whereby said high energy control circuit means is disabled unless said manual operation of said manually operated means has taken place and said system is operating in said normal mode thereof, said supervisory circuit means having a supervisory transistor therein that is in series with said relay driver transistor and that must be switched on to enable said relay driver transistor, said supervisory circuit means having a capacitor therein for sustaining the on condition of said supervisory transistor, said manually operated means comprising means for initially charging said capacitor and switching on said supervisory transistor when said manually operated means has been manually operated to initiate the operation of said high energy control circuit means, said system having means for continuing the charging of said capacitor after the initial manual operation of said manually operated means if said system is operating in a normal mode thereof, the improvement comprising the step of continuing the charging of said capacitor with temperature sensing means that is disposed intermediate said microcomputer means and said supervisory circuit means and continues the charging of said capacitor only as long as said temperature sensing means is sensing an output temperature effect of said heating means that is below a predetermined high temperature limit for said system and that terminates the charging of said capacitor when said sensed temperature is above said predetermined high temperature limit.

Claim 12

In a method of operating a control system that comprises a high energy control circuit means having an output relay driver transistor for operating a heating means of said system, manually operated means for initiating the operation of said high energy control circuit means, microcomputer means for operating said high energy control circuit means after said manually operated means has initiated the operation thereof, and supervisory circuit means for detecting failure of said system and disabling said high energy control circuit means if said system is not operating in a normal mode thereof, said supervisory circuit means having means requiring the manual operation of said manually operated means before permitting power to reach said high energy control circuit means whereby said high energy control circuit means is disabled unless said manual operation of said manually operated means has taken place and said system is operating in said normal mode thereof, said supervisory circuit means having a supervisory transistor therein that is in series with said relay driver transistor and that must be switched on to enable said relay driver transistor, said supervisory circuit means having a capacitor therein for sustaining the on condition of said supervisory transistor, said manually operated means comprising means for initially charging said capacitor and switching on said supervisory transistor when said manually operated means has been manually operated to initiate the operation of said high energy control circuit means, said system having means for continuing the charging of said capacitor after the initial manual operation of said manually operated means if said system is operating in a normal mode thereof, the improvement comprising the step of continuing the charging of said capacitor with temperature sensing means that is disposed intermediate said microcomputer means and said supervisory circuit means and continues the charging of said capacitor only as long as said temperature sensing means is sensing an output temperature effect of said heating means that is below a predetermined high temperature limit for said system and that terminates the charging of said capacitor when said sensed temperature is above said predetermined high temperature limit.