Home appliance cavity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12016105-B2
Application number	US-201916693415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Nov 25, 2019
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

A home appliance, in particular a home cooking appliance, includes a home appliance cavity used as a cooking cavity. The home appliance cavity includes a substrate that is a fibrous matrix and an inorganic resin that is thermally resistant. In certain examples, the home appliance cavity is a single unit construction, eliminating assembly seams. Also described herein are methods of making the home appliance cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A home appliance cavity, comprising:
a concave outer shape formed from a shaped composite material, wherein the shaped composite material comprises an inorganic resin and a substrate configured to be impregnated by the inorganic resin, wherein the substrate is a single material sheet, and wherein the home appliance cavity is devoid of an assembly seam; and
a bottom portion of the concave outer shape, the bottom portion being formed of the shaped composite material and having a trapezoidal shape with sloped portions configured to guide convective air flow.

2. The home appliance cavity of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a fibrous matrix.

3. The home appliance cavity of claim 2 , wherein the fibrous matrix comprises a ceramic fiber, a carbon fiber, a glass fiber, or any combination thereof.

4. The home appliance cavity of claim 2 , wherein the fibrous matrix comprises a woven ceramic fiber fabric.

5. The home appliance cavity of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic resin comprises a cured inorganic resin.

6. The home appliance cavity of claim 5 , wherein the cured inorganic resin comprises a thermally cured inorganic resin, a photo-cured inorganic resin, or a chemically cured inorganic resin.

7. The home appliance cavity of claim 5 , wherein the cured inorganic resin has a glass transition temperature of at least 1075° C.

8. The home appliance cavity of claim 5 , wherein the cured inorganic resin comprises a photo-cured inorganic resin.

9. The home appliance cavity of claim 1 , wherein the home appliance cavity is devoid of a liner and additional thermal insulation.

10. The home appliance cavity of claim 9 , comprising:
a mounting frame configured to secure the home appliance cavity to a home appliance structure, wherein the mounting frame comprises at least one mounting hole configured to provide an attachment point configured to allow a fastener to engage the home appliance structure;
the concave cavity, wherein the mounting frame and the concave cavity are formed from the single material sheet, wherein the concave cavity is configured to support at least one heating element, at least one rack, and at least one light, and wherein the concave cavity is configured to provide the convective air flow within the concave cavity;
at least one access port configured to supply energy for the at least one heating element;
a light access port configured to supply energy for the at least one light; and
an exhaust port configured to remove exhaust from the home appliance cavity.

11. A method of producing a home appliance cavity, comprising:
conforming a substrate to a mold;
impregnating the substrate with an inorganic resin to form an uncured composite home appliance cavity;
curing the uncured composite home appliance cavity to form a cured home appliance cavity; and
removing the cured home appliance cavity from the mold to form the home appliance cavity, wherein the home appliance cavity is formed from a single material sheet and is devoid of any assembly seams, and wherein the home appliance cavity comprises a concave outer shape with a bottom portion having a trapezoidal shape with sloped portions to guide convective air flow.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises a fibrous matrix comprising a ceramic fiber, a carbon fiber, a glass fiber, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein impregnating the substrate with the inorganic resin comprises impregnating the substrate with a curable inorganic resin.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the home appliance cavity is devoid of a liner and additional thermal insulation.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein impregnating the substrate with the inorganic resin comprises depositing the inorganic resin over the substrate and absorbing the inorganic resin into the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein impregnating the substrate with the inorganic resin further comprises encapsulating the substrate within the inorganic resin.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein curing the uncured composite home appliance cavity comprises thermal curing, photo-curing, chemical curing, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein thermal curing the uncured composite home appliance cavity comprises heating the uncured composite home appliance cavity to a curing temperature required by a thermally-cured inorganic resin, maintaining the curing temperature for a period of time required by the thermally-cured inorganic resin, and cooling the cured home appliance cavity to a temperature between 15° C. to 30° C. after maintaining the curing temperature.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thermally cured inorganic resin has a glass transition temperature of at least 1075° C.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising finishing the cured home appliance cavity, wherein finishing the cured home appliance cavity comprises removing excess cured inorganic resin, removing protruding substrate, providing accessory installation detents, providing mounting points, or any combination thereof.

Assignees

• Bsh Home Appliances Corp
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Johnson Sean
• Jones Kenneth
• Parchman Robert

Classifications

• F27D1/00

  Casings; Linings; Walls; Roofs · CPC title

• F27D1/0009

  Comprising ceramic fibre elements · CPC title

• B29C70/46

  using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs · CPC title

• B29L2031/762

  Household appliances · CPC title

• H05B6/6402 Primary

  Aspects relating to the microwave cavity · CPC title