Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.

Michael Andrew Funk

James Lee Armstrong

Stephen Bernard Froelicher

Michael Robin Blackwood

Rebekah Leigh Tyler

Robert Charles Pfaffinger, Jr

A door assembly for a microwave appliance includes a door frame that defines a door plenum and an air inlet. A monitor cradle is positioned toward a front of the door frame for receiving an image monitor. A duct is mounted to the door frame to divide the plenum into a low pressure region and a high pressure region, and an air handler is mounted to the duct to urge a flow of air from the air inlet, through the low pressure region, and into high pressure region. The flow of air cools electronics in the high pressure region before passing through an upper outlet that directs the flow of air along a surface of the image monitor and through a lower outlet that directs the flow of air along a transverse direction below the image monitor.

Over-the-range microwave including airflow regulating features

A door assembly for a microwave appliance includes a door frame that defines a door plenum and an air inlet. A monitor cradle is positioned toward a front of the door frame for receiving an image monitor seated on top of or flush with a front of the door frame. A duct is mounted to the door frame to divide the plenum into a low pressure region and a high pressure region, and an air handler urges a flow of air through the door plenum. A trim piece is removably mounted to a top of the door frame and includes a front guide that is spaced apart from the image monitor to define an upper outlet through which the flow of air passes downward along the vertical direction in front of the image monitor.

A method of operating a microwave appliance includes determining that a vent fan is on, and instructing an air handler within a door of the microwave appliance to operate in response to determining that the vent fan is on.

Over-the-range microwave including cooling fans and method of operating an over-the-range microwave

A microwave appliance, as provided herein, may include an outer casing, an inner liner, a door, and an air handler. The outer casing may define an air inlet above a cooktop appliance. The outer casing may extend in a lateral direction between a first side end and a second side end. The inner casing may define a cooking chamber. The door may include a peripheral frame and a front window bounded by the peripheral frame. The peripheral frame may define an air outlet downstream from the air inlet and below the front window along the vertical direction. The air handler may be mounted within the outer casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough. The air outlet may define an airflow curtain path extending outward from the outer casing in front of the door.

Over-the-range microwaves having one or more airflow features

Cooking exhaust systems for use with a cooktop appliance are provided herein. An exhaust system may include a casing, an image monitor, and an air handler. The casing may define an air inlet and an air outlet above the cooktop appliance. The image monitor may be supported on the casing. The air handler may be mounted within the casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough. The air outlet may define an airflow curtain path extending outward from the casing in front of the image monitor.

Cooking exhaust systems having one or more airflow features

A cooking engagement system and methods therefore are provided. The system includes a cooktop appliance and an interactive assembly positioned above the cooktop appliance. The interactive assembly includes an image monitor that presents various images and information to a user, e.g., recipes. The system includes an infrared sensor for detecting operation of the cooktop appliance. When the infrared sensor senses a temperature level that exceeds a threshold, a controller communicatively coupled thereto activates an air handler to move or motivate an airflow across or about the image monitor. In this way, the image monitor may be cooled and condensation is prevented from forming on the imaging surface of the image monitor.

Cooking engagement system equipped with infrared sensor

An exhaust system for a cooking or cooktop appliance is provided herein. The exhaust system may include a casing, an image monitor, an air handler, and a diverter plate. The casing may define an air inlet and an air outlet above a cooktop appliance. The image monitor may be supported on the casing rearward from the air outlet. The image monitor may include an imagining surface extending in a vertical direction between a top edge and a bottom edge. The air handler may be mounted within the casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and outlet. The diverter plate may be attached to the casing below the imaging surface. The air outlet may be defined proximal to the top edge and may define a coolant airflow path. The diverter plate may define an airflow curtain path extending outward from the coolant airflow path.

A ventilation system for a cooktop appliance comprising a cooktop surface. The ventilation system defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The ventilation system includes a casing positioned above and spaced apart from the cooktop appliance along the vertical direction with an image monitor supported on the casing at a front end of the casing. The ventilation system is selectively configurable to provide fluid communication from an air inlet to one of a recirculation outlet, a first exhaust outlet, and a second exhaust outlet without removing or rearranging an air handler of the ventilation system.

Ventilation systems having reconfigurable airflow features

A cooking engagement system includes a cooktop appliance and an interactive assembly positioned above the cooktop appliance. The interactive assembly includes an image monitor that presents various images and information to a user, e.g., recipes, and a capacitive touch sensor that senses touches on an imaging surface of the image monitor. When the capacitive touch sensor senses a capacitance level below a threshold indicative of contamination on the imaging surface, a controller communicatively coupled thereto activates an air handler to move or motivate an airflow across or about the image monitor. In this way, the image monitor may be cooled and condensation is prevented from forming on the imaging surface of the image monitor.

Cooking engagement system with capacitive sensing of image screen contamination

An exhaust system for a cooking or cooktop appliance is provided herein. The exhaust system may include a casing, an image monitor, and an air handler. The casing may define an air inlet and an air outlet above the cooktop appliance. The image monitor may be supported on the casing above a cooktop surface. The image monitor may include an imagining surface extending in a lateral direction between a first edge and a second edge. The air handler may be mounted within the casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough. The air outlet may be defined proximal to the first edge and defines a coolant airflow path extending along the lateral direction across the imaging surface from the first edge.

A cooking engagement system and methods therefore are provided. The system includes a cooktop appliance and an interactive assembly positioned above the cooktop appliance. The interactive assembly includes an image monitor that presents various images and information to a user, e.g., recipes. The system includes a humidity sensor for detecting operation of the cooktop appliance. When the humidity sensor senses a humidity level that exceeds a threshold, a controller communicatively coupled thereto activates an air handler to move or motivate an airflow across or about the image monitor. In this way, the image monitor may be cooled and condensation is prevented from forming on the imaging surface of the image monitor.

Cooking engagement system equipped with humidity sensor

A cooking engagement system and methods therefore are provided. The system includes a cooktop appliance and an interactive assembly positioned above the cooktop appliance. The interactive assembly includes an image monitor that presents various images and information to a user, e.g., recipes. The system includes a thermistor for detecting operation of the cooktop appliance. When the thermistor senses a temperature level that exceeds a threshold, a controller communicatively coupled thereto activates an air handler to move or motivate an airflow across or about the image monitor. In this way, the image monitor may be cooled and condensation is prevented from forming on the imaging surface of the image monitor.

Cooking engagement system equipped with thermistor

A camera assembly for an oven appliance including an attachment mechanism, an arm, and a camera is provided. The attachment mechanism is configured for attachment to a handle of an oven appliance door. The arm extends from the attachment mechanism to the camera, and attaches to at least one of the camera or a housing, if provided. The camera records or transmits images of the oven cavity to, e.g., a user device allowing a user to monitor a doneness of any food items positioned within the oven appliance.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

Michael Andrew Funk