COOKING APPLIANCE USING THIN-FILM HEATING ELEMENT
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.
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.