Microwave cooking appliance with leak detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11765796-B2
Application number	US-202017037463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2020
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A microwave cooking appliance for increasing visibility into the cooking cavity. The microwave cooking appliance may include a door. The door may include a conductive mesh layer. The door may include a frame supporting the conductive mesh layer. The door may include a conductive and/or sealing engagement between the conductive mesh layer and the frame. The door may include a leak detection device. The leak detection device may be adjacent the conductive and/or sealing engagement. The door may include a user interface display and/or a touch screen.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microwave cooking appliance comprising:
a housing having a door to form a cooking cavity, wherein the door includes an interior face arranged to face towards the cooking cavity and an exterior face arranged to face away from the cooking cavity; and
the door comprising
a conductive mesh layer and one or more glass layers;
a frame having an outer periphery and a choke groove extending along the outer periphery, wherein the frame supports the conductive mesh layer and the one or more glass layers, and wherein the conductive mesh layer is electrically grounded to the frame;
one or more conductive engagements between the frame and the conductive mesh layer; and
a leak detection device is positioned adjacent the one or more conductive engagements between the frame and the conductive mesh wherein the leak detection device is activated when microwave energy escapes away from at least one of the one or more conductive engagements between the frame and the conductive mesh layer.

2. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the leak detection device is positioned adjacent an inner periphery of the frame and the conductive mesh layer.

3. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the one or more conductive engagements includes at least one of a conductive glass sealant, a conductive gasket, a conductive tape, and/or a mechanical fastener electrically grounding the frame to the conductive mesh layer.

4. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 3 includes the mechanical fastener, wherein the mechanical fastener is a metal clip.

5. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 3 includes the conductive gasket.

6. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 3 includes the conductive tape, wherein the conductive tape surrounds an outer edge of the conductive mesh layer and one or more glass layers.

7. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the leak detection device includes one or more light sources.

8. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 7 wherein the one or more light sources includes one or more LEDs.

9. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 8 wherein the one or more LEDs are activated when microwave energy escapes away from at least one of the frame and the mesh layer.

10. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the leakage detection device is a plurality of LEDs annularly spaced in the door activated when microwave energy escapes away from at least one of the frame and the mesh layer.

11. A microwave cooking appliance comprising:
a housing having a door to form a cooking cavity, wherein the door includes an interior face arranged to face towards the cooking cavity and an exterior face arranged to face away from the cooking cavity; and
the door comprising an engagement with an area surrounding an opening of the cooking cavity of the housing;
a conductive mesh layer and one or more glass layers;
a frame having an inner periphery defining a through opening, an outer periphery, and a choke groove extending along both the outer periphery of the frame and the area surrounding the opening of the cooking cavity of the housing, wherein the frame supports the conductive mesh layer and the one or more glass layers across the through opening, and wherein the conductive mesh layer is electrically grounded to the frame; and
a leak detection device positioned adjacent the inner periphery defining the through opening of the frame and the conductive mesh layer and spaced inwardly from the area surrounding the opening of the cooking cavity of the housing, and wherein the leak detection device is activated when microwave energy escapes between the through opening of the frame and the conductive mesh layer.

12. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 11 wherein the leak detection device includes one or more light sources.

13. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 12 wherein the one or more light sources includes one or more LEDs.

14. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 13 wherein the one or more LEDs are activated when microwave energy escapes away from at least one of the frame and the mesh layer.

15. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 11 wherein the conductive mesh layer allows at least 80% optical transmittance into the cooking cavity and includes an EMI shielding effectiveness of about 30 dB to about 70 dB.

16. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 11 wherein the door further includes one or more conductive engagements between the frame and the conductive mesh layer, wherein the one or more conductive engagements includes at least one of a conductive glass sealant, a conductive gasket, a conductive tape, and/or a mechanical fastener electrically grounding the frame to the conductive mesh layer.

17. A door for a microwave cooking appliance comprising:
a multi-layered shielding panel having a conductive mesh layer and one or more glass layers;
a frame having an inner periphery defining a through opening, an outer periphery, and a choke groove extending along the outer periphery, wherein the frame supports the multi-layered shielding panel across the through opening, and wherein the conductive mesh layer is electrically grounded to the frame; and
one or more light sources adjacent the inner periphery defining the through opening and spaced inwardly from the choke groove extending along the outer periphery, wherein the one or more light sources are activated when microwave energy escapes between the multi-layered shielding panel and the inner periphery of the frame through the through opening.

18. The door of claim 17 wherein the conductive mesh layer includes an EMI shielding effectiveness of about 30 dB to about 70 dB while maintaining optical transmittance of about 88% to about 99%.

19. The door of claim 17 further includes one or more conductive engagements between the frame and the conductive mesh layer.

20. The door of claim 17 wherein the one or more light sources is a plurality of LEDs annularly spaced in an exterior side of the door.

Assignees

• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Guo Jun
• Langness Brian
• Trice Daniel J
• Woodling Pierce

Classifications

• H05B6/6432 Primary

  Aspects relating to testing or detecting leakage in a microwave heating apparatus · CPC title

• H05B6/6414

  Aspects relating to the door of the microwave heating apparatus · CPC title

• H05B6/763

  Microwave radiation seals for doors · CPC title

• H05B6/766

  Microwave radiation screens for windows · CPC title