Whirlpool Corporation

Anders B Zeijlon

James Charles Johncock

Jack Xu

Winner Wang

Rodger An

Lai Kwok Wah

Richard A McCoy

Matthew Peter Ebrom

Mark Eugene Glotzbach

Hakan Carlsson

Ulf Nordh

Alan D Bengtson

Brian N Radford

Christopher S Moes

Eckart Wilholm Braunisch

Renee M Garnham

Ettore Arione

Giuseppe Arena

Roberto Lazzarotto

Per Torngren

Hans Lindgren

Michael A Morrell

Hakan Lundstrom

Laura E Petzke

Bjorn Goransson

A method of popping popcorn in a microwave includes operating an energy source to provide energy to a cooking chamber and detecting, by a microphone sensor, sound waves in the cooking chamber and providing an output signal indicative of the detected sound waves to a control unit. The control unit can determine that the output signal is indicative of a popping sound generated by popcorn kernels popping and control the energy source to stop providing energy to the cooking chamber based on the detected popping sounds.

Method for detecting the status of popcorn in a microwave

A method of popping popcorn in a microwave having a cooking chamber, an energy source which provides energy to the cooking chamber, a humidity sensor, and a microphone sensor, includes the steps of placing a plurality of popcorn kernels in the cooking chamber. The energy source is operated during a popcorn popping cycle. Popping sounds generated when the popcorn kernels are popped are detected, as is the humidity level in the cooking chamber. The energy source is directed to stop operating when the popping sound and the humidity level satisfy one or more end status indicators. The current disclosure also includes a microwave for carrying out the above described process.

A cooking oven, particularly a microwave oven, provides for detecting food data and for adjusting food heating and/or cooking process. The oven particularly includes an user interface with at least one socket-shaped seat adapted to receive a removable plug-shaped button which stores the food data and which is adapted to be pressed by the user for starting the heating and/or cooking process or for programming such heating or cooking.

Microwave oven with one-touch button user interface

The invention relates to a network system of at least two appliances, each appliance configured to perform a cycle of operation on an article, and each appliance having its own software architecture. An embedded virtual router enables communication among appliance components independent of the architecture of the software.

Software architecture system with embedded virtual router

A capacitive touch switch having a printed circuit board and capacitive electrode provided on a surface of the printed circuit board is disclosed. The printed circuit board is interposed between a transparent planar light guide and the electrode, the planar light guide being attached to a first face of a transparent cover whose second face is adapted to be touched by the user, a light source being connected to the printed circuit board and being able to convey light to the planar light guide.

Capacitive touch switch and domestic appliance provided with such switch

A microwave oven for use in cooking food having a door and door mounted controls and a cooling system where the door mounted controls are disclosed. The microwave oven having an external enclosure defining an outer cabinet and an oven cavity supported within the external enclosure where the oven cavity has a front access opening. The door is rotatably supported adjacent the external enclosure for selectively closing the access opening. A control unit is mounted within the door and a ventilation cooling path is formed within the door for cooling the control unit mounted with the door. A blower is supported within the external enclosure for directing an air flow toward the door and into the ventilation cooling path. The microwave can further include a housing which is supported within the door for enclosing the control unit and where the housing forms part of the ventilation cooling path. A baffle is disposed within the housing wherein the housing and the baffle direct the air flow initially upwardly and then downwardly to pass along the control unit.

Microwave oven having a door ventilation system

Growing community of inventors

Norrkoeping, Sweden

Anders B Zeijlon