Microwave cooking appliance with user interface display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11770882-B2
Application number	US-202017037460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2020
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 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;
a user interface panel; and
wherein in a direction from the interior face of the door towards the exterior face of the door, the frame is positioned followed by the conductive mesh layer, and then followed by the user interface panel.

2. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the user interface panel is disposed over the conductive mesh layer.

3. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the door further includes one or more conductive engagements between the frame and the conductive mesh layer, wherein a leak detection device is positioned adjacent the one or more conductive engagements.

4. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 3 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.

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

6. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 4 includes the conductive gasket.

7. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 4 includes the conductive tape, wherein the conductive tape surrounds an outer edge of the conductive mesh layer and one or more glass layers.

8. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the user interface panel includes an outer protective layer.

9. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the door includes one or more first contact pins and a remaining portion of the housing having one or more second contact pins, wherein the one or more first contact pins engage the one or more second contact pins when the door is in a closed position and wherein the one or more first contact pins are disengaged from the one or more second contact pins when the door is in an open position.

10. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the user interface panel is positionable between a transparent configuration and an opaque configuration.

11. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the user interface panel includes a touch screen configured to receive input from the user.

12. 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 inner periphery defining a through opening, 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 across the through opening, and wherein the conductive mesh layer is electrically grounded to the frame;
a transparent user interface display disposed over the through opening and towards the exterior face of the door away from the frame, the conductive mesh layer, and the one or more glass layers; and
wherein in a direction from the interior face of the door towards the exterior face of the door, the frame is positioned followed by the conductive mesh layer, and then followed by the transparent user interface display.

13. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 12 wherein the transparent user interface display includes an outer protective layer.

14. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 12 the transparent user interface display includes a touch screen configured to receive input from the user.

15. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 12 wherein the door further includes one or more contact pins to engage a remaining portion of the housing when in a closed position.

16. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 12 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.

17. The microwave cooking appliance of claim 12 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.

18. 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;
one or more conductive engagements between the frame and the conductive mesh layer;
a transparent user interface display disposed over the through opening and exterior to the conductive mesh layer and one or more glass layers; and
wherein in a direction from an interior face of the door towards an exterior face of the door, the frame is positioned followed by the conductive mesh layer and one or more conductive engagements, and then followed by the transparent user interface display.

19. The door of claim 18 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%.

20. The door of claim 18 wherein the transparent user interface display includes a touch screen configured to receive input from the user.

21. The door of claim 18 wherein the transparent user interface display includes an outer protective layer.

Assignees

• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Trice Daniel J
• Langness Brian
• Woodling Pierce

Classifications

• H05B6/6435 Primary

  Aspects relating to the user interface of the microwave heating apparatus · CPC title

• H05B6/6414

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

• H05B6/6432

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

• H05B6/763

  Microwave radiation seals for doors · CPC title

• H05B6/766

  Microwave radiation screens for windows · CPC title