Granted Patent B2

US 12,631,336 · App. 18/494,831 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Brian C. Donnelly (Naperville, IL); Ryan P. Lundberg (Des Plaines, IL); Ethan Albrecht (Chicago, IL); David Eckhardt (Oswego, IL); Laasya P. Vadlamani (Wheeling, IL)

F24B1/028A47J36/321A47J37/0704A47J37/079F23Q7/02F24B1/003F24B13/04G07C3/10

Abstract

Claims (63)

1 . A pellet grill, comprising:

a cooking chamber;

a burn pot;

an ignitor extending into the burn pot and configured to ignite pellet fuel located within the burn pot; and

a controller configured to:

detect a temperature pattern of the cooking chamber corresponding to a flame out condition of the burn pot;

in response to detecting the temperature pattern, command the ignitor to activate during a first duration;

following expiration of the first duration, determine whether a temperature of the cooking chamber increased during the first duration; and

in response to determining that the temperature has not increased during the first duration, command the ignitor to activate during a second duration.

2 . The pellet grill of claim 1 , wherein the ignitor is a DC-powered glow plug.

3 . The pellet grill of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

command a counter to increment an activation count in response to the respective activations of the ignitor;

determine whether the activation count has reached a threshold activation count; and

in response to determining that the activation count has reached the threshold activation count, generate a notification indicating at least one of an occurrence of the flame out condition, a failure to remedy the flame out condition, or an initiation of a shutdown operation associated with an engine of the pellet grill.

4 . The pellet grill of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the notification to be presented at a user interface of the pellet grill.

5 . The pellet grill of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the notification to be wirelessly transmitted from the pellet grill to a device located remotely from the pellet grill.

6 . The pellet grill of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

command a counter to increment an activation count in response to the respective activations of the ignitor;

determine whether the activation count has reached a threshold activation count; and

in response to determining that the activation count has reached the threshold activation count, initiate a shutdown operation associated with an engine of the pellet grill.

7 . The pellet grill of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to command an auger motor of the pellet grill to rotate an auger of the pellet grill during the first duration, the rotation of the auger to cause pellet fuel to be added to the burn pot during the first duration.

8 . The pellet grill of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

command a timer to initiate measurement of an elapsed time associated with the first duration;

determine whether the elapsed time exceeds a threshold duration associated with the first duration; and

in response to determining that the elapsed time exceeds the threshold duration, determine that the first duration has expired.

9 . A method for implementing an ignition-based protocol of a pellet grill, the method comprising:

detecting, via a controller of the pellet grill, a temperature pattern of a cooking chamber of the pellet grill corresponding to a flame out condition of a burn pot of the pellet grill;

in response to detecting the temperature pattern, commanding, via the controller, an ignitor of the pellet grill to activate during a first duration, the ignitor extending into the burn pot and configured to ignite pellet fuel located within the burn pot;

following expiration of the first duration, determining, via the controller, whether a temperature of the cooking chamber increased during the first duration; and

in response to determining that the temperature has not increased during the first duration, commanding, via the controller, the ignitor to activate during a second duration.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

commanding, via the controller, a counter to increment an activation count in response to the respective activations of the ignitor;

determining, via the controller, whether the activation count has reached a threshold activation count; and

in response to determining that the activation count has reached the threshold activation count, generating, via the controller, a notification indicating at least one of an occurrence of the flame out condition, a failure to remedy the flame out condition, or an initiation of a shutdown operation associated with an engine of the pellet grill.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising causing, via the controller, the notification to be at least one of (a) presented at a user interface of the pellet grill or (b) wirelessly transmitted from the pellet grill to a device located remotely from the pellet grill.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

commanding, via the controller, a counter to increment an activation count in response to the respective activations of the ignitor;

determining, via the controller, whether the activation count has reached a threshold activation count; and

in response to determining that the activation count has reached the threshold activation count, initiating, via the controller, a shutdown operation associated with an engine of the pellet grill.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising commanding, via the controller, an auger motor of the pellet grill to rotate an auger of the pellet grill during the first duration, the rotation of the auger to cause pellet fuel to be added to the burn pot during the first duration.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

commanding, via the controller, a timer to initiate measurement of an elapsed time associated with the first duration;

determining, via the controller, whether the elapsed time exceeds a threshold duration associated with the first duration; and

in response to determining that the elapsed time exceeds the threshold duration, determining, via the controller, that the first duration has expired.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of a pellet grill, the pellet grill further including a controller, a cooking chamber, a burn pot, and an ignitor, the ignitor extending into the burn pot and configured to ignite pellet fuel located within the burn pot, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the controller to at least:

detect a temperature pattern of the cooking chamber corresponding to a flame out condition of the burn pot;

in response to detecting the temperature pattern, command the ignitor to activate during a first duration;

following expiration of the first duration, determine whether a temperature of the cooking chamber increased during the first duration; and

in response to determining that the temperature has not increased during the first duration, command the ignitor to activate during a second duration.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller to:

command a counter to increment an activation count in response to the respective activations of the ignitor;

determine whether the activation count has reached a threshold activation count; and

in response to determining that the activation count has reached the threshold activation count, generate a notification indicating at least one of an occurrence of the flame out condition, a failure to remedy the flame out condition, or an initiation of a shutdown operation associated with an engine of the pellet grill.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller to cause the notification to be at least one of (a) presented at a user interface of the pellet grill or (b) wirelessly transmitted from the pellet grill to a device located remotely from the pellet grill.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller to:

command a counter to increment an activation count in response to the respective activations of the ignitor;

determine whether the activation count has reached the threshold activation count; and

in response to determining that the activation count has reached a threshold activation count, initiate a shutdown operation associated with an engine of the pellet grill.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller to command an auger motor of the pellet grill to rotate an auger of the pellet grill during the first duration, the rotation of the auger to cause pellet fuel to be added to the burn pot during the first duration.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the controller to:

command a timer to initiate measurement of an elapsed time associated with the first duration;

determine whether the elapsed time exceeds a threshold duration associated with the first duration; and

in response to determining that the elapsed time exceeds the threshold duration, determine that the first duration has expired.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (147)