The present invention relates to a driving control apparatus for an electric range having a function of self-diagnosis. More particularly, it relates to a control apparatus for an electric range which can control the operation of the electric range within a preestablished temperature range by correctly measuring a temperature of the interior of an oven, and to enhance the reliability and safety of an electric range by automatically detecting and diagnosing a failure fault of a hardware.
In a conventional driving control device for an electric range, there is provided a mechanical operator for selecting each function, a temperature controller which turns ON/OFF in accordance with the temperature within an oven and a heater drive and control unit for controlling the drive of a heater in accordance with the ON/OFF state of the temperature controller. And the temperature within the oven is indicated on the temperature controller by a scale and a numeral. Accordingly, when a user sets the temperature at a predetermined range by rotating a knob of the temperature controller, the heater drive and control unit is operated to increase the temperature within the oven, and at this moment the temperature reaches to the established temperature, a switch of the temperature controller turns off and the heater drive and control unit stops its operation so that the temperature within the oven. Thereafter, when the temperature within the oven is lower than the established temperature, the switch of the temperature controller turns on and the temperature within the oven rises again to the established temperature.
However, in such a conventional electric range, it is not only difficult to obtain an accurate control of the temperature at the established range since the temperature control device has a mechanical construction, but the failure fault occurs frequently since the useful life of such a temperature control device is too short. In addition, it lacks safety because no device is provided for preventing the operation of the heater drive and control unit in the case of the occurrence of a failure fault.