Inventors:
William J. Garceau - Reading PA
Thomas F. Speakman - Reading PA
International Classification:
F24C 300
Abstract:
A cooking machine control system for controlling the consumption of fuel by cooking machines, including cooking machines of the type used in restaurant kitchens, such as gas/barbecue broilers, and home cooking machines such as grills, and gas flow valves usable in such cooking machine control systems. The cooking machine control system controls the flow of gas to the burners of the cooking machine to maintain the cooking surface of the cooking machine at an appropriate standby temperature when no food is being cooked, to bring the cooking surface to an appropriate cooking temperature for a predetermined period of time when food is being cooked, and then to return the cooking surface to the standby temperature. In one embodiment, a valve in the gas pipe controls the flow of the gas to provide the desired cooking levels. This valve provides a first gas flow path for flow of gas at a rate required for cooking of food and a second gas flow path for flow of gas at a lower rate to maintain the standby temperature of the cooking machine.