Power control for cooking appliance with transient operating modes

摘要

A power control system for a heating element in a cooking appliance having a plurality of possible power settings which provides transient Fast-Heat and Fast-Cool operating modes initiated in response to user-initiated changes to higher or lower appliance power settings, respectively, to reduce the response required for the heating element temperature to reach the operating temperature associated with the new power setting. Approximate heating element temperature information is provided to the control system by an energy counter which is incremented at a rate which is approximately proportional to the rate of increase of the heating element when energized at the power level being implemented. This information is used to prevent initiation of a transient mode if the temperature of the element when the change in setting is made is such that operation in that mode is likely to overshoot the desired new operating temperature.