Method for operating fans within an appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10791592-B2
Application number	US-201514945886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A method for operating fans within a microwave appliance is provided. The microwave appliance includes a sensor fan and an exhaust fan. The method includes operating the sensor fan of the microwave appliance when the exhaust fan of the microwave appliance is running. The sensor fan of the microwave appliances urges air over a sensor of the microwave appliance when the sensor fan is operating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating fans within a microwave appliance, the microwave appliance comprising a temperature sensor, a control panel, a control fan positioned adjacent the control panel, a microwave cabinet defining a duct, and an exhaust fan configured for drawing air through the duct, the temperature sensor contained with a sensor housing, sensor housing positioned at a bottom of the microwave cabinet and the sensor housing having a chamber contiguous with a portion of the duct at the bottom of the microwave cabinet, the sensor housing comprising a sensor fan configured for drawing air out of the duct of the microwave cabinet via the chamber of the sensor housing and urging the air towards a cooking surface of a range below the microwave cabinet, the temperature sensor positioned for monitoring the cooking surface below the microwave cabinet, the method comprising:
operating the sensor fan at a first power while the exhaust fan is deactivated;
activating the exhaust fan; and
operating the sensor fan at a second power and activating the control fan after the exhaust fan is activated, the second power being different than the first power, the control fan and the sensor fan urging air out of the duct of the microwave cabinet via the chamber of the sensor housing while the sensor fan is operating at the second power and the control fan is activated.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a temperature sensor activation signal prior to operating the sensor fan at the first power, wherein said step of operating the sensor fan at the first power comprises operating the sensor fan at the first power in response to receiving the temperature sensor activation signal while the exhaust fan is deactivated.

3. A method for operating fans within a microwave appliance, the microwave appliance comprising a temperature sensor, a control panel, a control fan positioned adjacent the control panel, a microwave cabinet defining a duct, and an exhaust fan configured for drawing air through the duct, the temperature sensor contained within a sensor housing, the sensor housing positioned at a bottom of the microwave cabinet and the sensor housing having a chamber contiguous with a portion of the duct at the bottom of the microwave cabinet, the sensor housing comprising a sensor fan configured for drawing air out of the duct of the microwave cabinet via the chamber of the sensor housing and urging the air towards a cooking surface of a range below the microwave cabinet, the temperature sensor positioned for monitoring the cooking surface below the microwave cabinet, the method comprising:
determining whether the sensor is positioned proximate a heating element on the cooking surface of the range in response to receiving a heating element activation signal from the range; and
operating the sensor fan at a first power while the sensor is positioned proximate the heating element of the range or operating the sensor fan at a second power while the sensor is positioned proximate the heating element of the range and the exhaust fan is running, the second power being different than the first power, the sensor fan urging air out of the duct of the microwave cabinet via the chamber of the sensor housing while the sensor fan is operating.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising deactivating the sensor fan in response to a temperature measurement from the temperature sensor being less than a temperature limit.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said step of deactivating the sensor fan comprises deactivating the sensor fan in response to the temperature measurement from the temperature sensor being less than the temperature limit after a predetermined period of time from receiving a heating element deactivation signal from the range.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising activating the control fan while the sensor is positioned proximate the heating element of the range and the exhaust fan is running, the control fan and the sensor fan urging air out of the duct of the cabinet via the chamber of the housing while the sensor fan is operating at the second power and the control fan is activated.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising deactivating the sensor fan and the control fan in response to a temperature measurement from the temperature sensor being less than a temperature limit.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said step of deactivating the sensor fan and the control fan comprises deactivating the sensor fan and the control fan in response to the temperature measurement from the temperature sensor being less than the temperature limit after a predetermined period of time from receiving a heating element deactivation signal from the range.

9. A method for operating fans within a microwave appliance, the microwave appliance comprising a temperature sensor, a control panel, a control fan positioned adjacent the control panel, a microwave cabinet defining a duct, and an exhaust fan configured for drawing air through the duct, the temperature sensor contained within a sensor housing, the sensor housing positioned at a bottom of the microwave cabinet and the sensor housing having a chamber contiguous with a portion of the duct at the bottom of the microwave cabinet, the housing comprising a sensor fan configured for drawing air out of the duct of the microwave cabinet via the chamber of the sensor housing and urging the air towards a cooking surface of a range below the microwave cabinet, the temperature sensor positioned for monitoring the cooking surface below the microwave cabinet, the method comprising:
operating the sensor fan at a first power in response to receiving a heating element activation signal from the range; and
operating the sensor fan at a second power while the exhaust fan is running, the second power being different than the first power, the sensor fan urging air out of the duct of the microwave cabinet via the chamber of the sensor housing while the sensor fan is operating.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising deactivating the sensor fan in response to a temperature measurement from the temperature sensor being less than a temperature limit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of deactivating the sensor fan comprises deactivating the sensor fan in response to the temperature measurement from the temperature sensor being less than the temperature limit after a predetermined period of time from receiving a heating element deactivation signal from the range.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising activating the control fan while the exhaust fan is running, the control fan and the sensor fan urging air out of the duct of the cabinet via the chamber of the housing while the sensor fan is operating at the second power and the control fan is activated.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising deactivating the sensor fan and the control fan in response to a temperature measurement from the temperature sensor being less than a temperature limit.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said step of deactivating the sensor fan and the control fan comprises deactivating the sensor fan and the control fan in response to the temperature measurement from the temperature sensor being less than the temperature limit after a predetermined period of time from receiving a heating element deactivation signal from the range.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Shoup Cory Blaine
• Armstrong James Lee

Classifications

• H05B6/6423

  wherein the microwave oven air circulation system is also used as air extracting hood · CPC title

• H05B6/645 Primary

  using temperature sensors · CPC title