Oven having an imaging device

• US 10,591,218 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Abdoo, Joshua G., Bruno, Ariana M., Giacomini, Neomar
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Benjamin W
• Application Number:
  US15/795,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20190128611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 432 32, 99341
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/008 Illumination for oven cavities
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/34 Elements and arrangements for heat storage or insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2021/026 using a video installation
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 21/02 Observation or illuminating devices

Abstract

An oven can include an oven body having a peripheral wall at least partially defining a cooking cavity with a top wall comprising spaced interior panels and exterior panels defining a channel therebetween. Furthermore, the oven can include insulation located in the channel and an imaging device with a field of view including at least a portion of the cooking cavity.

Claims

1. An oven, comprising:

an oven body comprising a set of interior panels and a set of exterior panels that are spaced from the set of interior panels such that a channel is defined between the set of interior panels and the set of exterior panels, wherein the set of interior panels comprises an interior panel peripheral wall and an interior panel top wall that at least partially define a cooking cavity, and wherein each interior panel of the set of interior panels has an inner surface and an outer surface;

insulation located in the channel;

an imaging device mounted in the channel in thermal engagement with the insulation with a field of view including at least a portion of the cooking cavity;

a heat sink provided on the outer surface of the interior panel peripheral wall and coupled to the imaging device; and

a heat pipe having a first end that is coupled to the imaging device and disposed along the outer surface of the interior panel top wall and a second end spaced from the first end that is coupled to the heat sink and disposed along the outer surface of the interior panel peripheral wall.

2. The oven of claim 1 wherein the oven body defines an inner top edge where the interior panel top wall meets the interior panel peripheral wall.

3. The oven of claim 2 wherein the imaging device is mounted on the interior panel top wall along the inner top edge.

4. The oven of claim 1 further comprising an aperture in one of the interior panels through which the imaging device'"'"'s field of view passes.

5. The oven of claim 4 further comprising a clear cover for the aperture.

6. The oven of claim 5 wherein the clear cover is glass.

7. The oven of claim 6 wherein the glass comprises multiple layers of glass disposed between the one of the interior panels and the imaging device.

8. The oven of claim 1 further comprising a fan coupled to the oven body for generating an airflow through a portion of the channel.

9. The oven of claim 8 wherein the fan is located adjacent the imaging device for directing the airflow over the imaging device.

10. The oven of claim 1 further comprising a damper coupled to the oven body and the imaging device for absorbing mechanical vibrations.

11. The oven of claim 10 wherein the damper is one of foam or rubber.

12. The oven of claim 1 further comprising a door having an open position and a closed position, wherein in the closed position the door forms part of the cooking cavity.

13. The oven of claim 1 wherein the oven further comprises an LCD screen or a user mobile device in communication with the imaging device.

14. The oven of claim 13 wherein either the imaging device or a cloud in a network comprises an image recognition algorithm for detecting blurry images.

15. The oven of claim 14 wherein either the imaging device or the cloud in the network further comprises a deblurring image algorithm for correcting the blurry images.

16. The oven of claim 15 wherein the imaging device or the cloud in the network transmits images to the LCD screen or the user mobile device.

17. The oven of claim 1 further comprising a controller in communication with the imaging device and further in communication with one of an LCD screen on the oven or a user mobile device, wherein the controller transmits images to the LCD screen or the user mobile device.

18. The oven of claim 1 wherein the heat sink is provided within the channel.

19. The oven of claim 1 wherein the heat sink is provided external to the cooking cavity.

20. The oven of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of each interior panel is external to the cooking cavity.