Oven with control panel cooling system

A cooking oven controlled by an included retail-grade control device having a capacitive glass touchscreen and running a specialized cooking and controlling app, such as an Android tablet. A cooling system for the oven provides a reverse air flow cooling system that pulls air in from the top front of the oven rather than pushing it out. A single cooling fan provides adequate cooling to the control device, as well as providing cooling to a front door of the oven and also convective flow through the heating chamber. The control device is mounted in an upper control bezel which has a series of lateral air intake openings on a rear wall. The cooling fan actively cools the control device by pulling air into the intake openings and through a lower exhaust opening.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to ovens with touch screen control panels and, more particularly, to an efficient cooling system for such control panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Ovens may be electric or gas powered and may include a convection component. Convection ovens include one or more fans, typically in the rear of the heating chamber, that circulate air within the heating chamber to create convection currents.

Oven cooling systems rely on one or more internal fans to convectively cool the area around the control electronics as well as around the front door, to enable a user to open the door without danger of being burned. One form of oven cooling system features an internal fan that pulls air past areas that require convective cooling and pushes the heated air out of the front of the oven above the door, which can be uncomfortable especially in hot climates. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,010 to the Whirlpool Corp. has a fan mounted centrally above the insulated cooking chamber which pulls heated air and mixes it with ambient air, then exhausts the mixed air out the front top of the oven. U.S. Pat. No. 7,856,973 to LG Electronics, Inc. also includes an upper front exhaust. Another configuration of oven cooling system blows the hot exhaust air downward rather than out the top front of the oven. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,009 to LG Electronics, Inc. blows the hot air down through the door. Dacor® Appliances of Industry, CA has a line of ovens with a reverse air flow cooling system that pulls air in from the front of the oven above the door and ports it out from the bottom, which keeps the oven door temperature comfortable to touch and avoids hot air being blown directly toward the user. In some ovens the same fan used to create convective flow within the cooking chamber is also used for cooling other areas of the oven.

Conventional ovens often have control panels that are on the front of the oven just above the door. Modern ovens have begun to incorporate sophisticated LCD displays in the control panels with capacitive glass touchscreens that are susceptible to damage from overheating. The sensitive electronics are especially vulnerable during the self-cleaning cycle of an oven when the interior temperature can reach up to 900° F.

Despite the long history of oven design, there is a need for an enhanced cooling system that will protect the sensitive electronics more regularly found in modern ovens, and in particular a cooling system that does not add to the cost of the oven such as, for example, adding a fan dedicated to cooling the electronic components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment, the present application discloses an oven having a control panel cooling system, the oven including a housing having a front and rear and defining within a first insulated heating chamber having a front door therefor. The front door has an air flow channel extending from an opening in a lower edge to an opening in an upper edge. A main air intake channel commences at an opening toward the front of the housing and adjacent the opening in the upper edge of the door and extends to the rear of the housing. A control panel bezel mounts above the front door and encloses therein electronics for the oven including on a front face thereof an LCD display with a capacitive glass touchscreen. A secondary air intake channel commences at a lower exhaust opening in a rear wall of the control panel bezel and extending to the rear of the housing. An air exhaust channel opens to an outlet of the cooling fan and has an exit from the housing located at a bottom of the housing. A first cooling fan mounted within the rear of the housing outside of the first heating chamber is arranged to pull air from both the main and secondary air intake channels and push air through the air exhaust channel and out of the exit so as to cool both the door and the electronics in the control panel bezel. Desirably, the electronics for the oven comprises retail-grade electronics for a standard tablet computer.

The exemplary control panel bezel has upper air intake openings on both lateral sides of the rear wall. The lower air exhaust opening may be centrally located in the rear wall so that the air flow through the bezel commences at the upper lateral air intake openings and travels down and toward the center of the bezel. The control panel bezel may also have two other lower air exhaust openings in the rear wall to one side of the central lower air exhaust opening, and the oven housing defines a horizontal manifold that has a relatively wide mouth adjacent the exhaust openings and narrows toward the rear and the cooling fan, the manifold defining the secondary air intake channel.

The exemplary heating chamber may include convective flow outlets that open into the main air intake channel so that the cooling fan also pulls convective flow through the heating chamber. In some embodiments, the housing also contains a second insulated heating chamber stacked below the first heating chamber, and the oven includes a second cooling fan mounted within the rear of the housing in a rear space open to a middle space defined between the first and second heating chambers. The second cooling fan is arranged to pull air both through the middle space and from the outlet of the first cooling fan mounted thereabove.

In a second embodiment, an oven having a control panel cooling system comprises an oven including a housing defining within a first insulated heating chamber having a front door therefor, the front door having a door air flow path extending from an opening in a lower edge to an opening in an upper edge. A control panel bezel mounts above the door and encloses therein electronics for the oven including on a front face thereof an LCD display with a capacitive glass touchscreen. The control panel bezel further has air intake openings and an air exhaust opening spaced therefrom defining a control panel bezel air flow path therebetween. An inlet of a first cooling fan mounted within and to the rear of the housing outside of the heating chamber communicates with separate air intake channels within the housing that converge and are arranged to pull air separately through both the door air flow path and control panel bezel air flow path. Finally, an air exhaust channel opens to an outlet of the cooling fan and has an exit from the housing. Desirably, the electronics for the oven comprises retail-grade electronics for a standard tablet computer.

The exemplary control panel bezel has upper air intake openings on both upper lateral sides of a rear wall thereof. The air exhaust opening of the control panel bezel is preferably centrally located in a lower portion of the rear wall so that the air flow through the bezel commences at the upper lateral air intake openings and travels down and toward the center of the bezel. The control panel bezel also may have two other lower air exhaust openings in the rear wall to one side of the central lower air exhaust opening, and the oven housing defines a horizontal manifold that has a relatively wide mouth adjacent the exhaust openings and narrows toward the rear and the cooling fan.

In the second embodiment, the heating chamber may include convective flow outlets that open into a flow channel above the heating chamber that is open to the door air flow path so that the cooling fan also pulls both convective flow through the heating chamber and cooling flow through the door air flow path. The housing also may contain a second insulated heating chamber stacked below the first heating chamber and having a second door with a second door air flow path. A second cooling fan mounted within the rear of the housing in a rear space opens to a middle space defined between the first and second heating chambers, the middle space being open to the second door air flow path such that the second cooling fan is arranged to pull air both through the middle space and from the outlet of the first cooling fan mounted thereabove.

A third embodiment of an oven having a control panel cooling system, comprising an oven including a housing defining within at least one insulated heating chamber having a front door therefor. A control panel bezel mounted above the door encloses retail-grade electronics for the oven including on a front face thereof a LCD display and capacitive glass touchscreen and corresponding circuitry. The control panel bezel has upper air intake openings on both lateral sides of a rear wall thereof and an air exhaust opening in the rear lower wall of the control panel bezel defining a control panel bezel air flow path therebetween. A first cooling fan mounts within and to the rear of the housing outside of the heating chamber. An air intake channel commences at the air exhaust opening of the control panel bezel and extends to an inlet of the cooling fan, and air exhaust channel opens to an outlet of the cooling fan and has an exit from the housing located at a bottom of the housing. Consequently, operation of the fan pulls air through the air flow path of the control panel bezel and through the air intake channel, and pushes air through the air exhaust channel and out of the exit so as to cool the electronics in the control panel bezel. The retail-grade electronics for the oven may comprise components from a standard retail Android tablet.

The air exhaust opening of the control panel bezel is desirably centrally located in the rear wall so that the air flow through the bezel commences to the upper lateral sides and travels down and toward the center of the bezel. The control panel bezel also preferably has two other lower air exhaust openings in the rear wall to one side of the central lower air exhaust opening, and the oven housing defines a horizontal manifold that has a relatively wide mouth adjacent the exhaust openings and narrows toward the rear and the cooling fan. The oven front door may have a door air flow path extending from an opening in a lower edge to an opening in an upper edge, and the first cooling fan is arranged to also pull air through the door air flow path. The heating chamber also may include convective flow outlets that open into a flow channel above the heating chamber that is open to the door air flow path so that the cooling fan also pulls both convective flow through the heating chamber and cooling flow through the door air flow path. The housing also may contain a second insulated heating chamber stacked below the first heating chamber and having a second door with a second door air flow path. The second cooling fan is mounted within the rear of the housing in a rear space open to a middle space defined between the first and second heating chambers, the middle space being open to the second door air flow path, and the second cooling fan is arranged to pull air both through the middle space and from the outlet of the first cooling fan mounted thereabove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present application discloses an enhanced cooking oven controlled by an included retail-grade control device running a specialized cooking and controlling app. The cooking oven may be electric or gas, with or without convection and have typical oven features having electronic hardware, software and a cooking and controlling application included. One suitable control device is an Android tablet or similar device which provides a user-interface in the way of a touch screen and suitable software. The Android software included in the oven is preferably a version of the Android operating system provided by Google, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. (As of the time of the filing this patent application Google, Inc. has a pending application to register the Android trademark. As of the filing of this patent application, the Android name is not a registered trademark for software.) One such exemplary Android-controlled oven is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0277353 to Joseph, et al., filed Oct. 24, 2013, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. It should be understood, however, that the control device and associated software could be any number of similar models, such as an Apple iPad or the like.

The present application discloses an advanced cooling system for conventional cooking ovens (electrical or gas) with a reverse air flow cooling system that pulls air in from the top front of the oven rather than pushing it out. Typically, the oven ports exhaust air out from the bottom of the oven, which keeps the oven door temperature comfortable to touch and avoids hot air being blown directly toward the user standing in front of the oven, however other exhaust configurations are possible. The cooling flow through the oven is sufficient to cool modern retail-grade electronic hardware in a controlled bezel at the upper front of the oven, such as the Android software disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0277353. In particular, the cooling system effectively cools the sensitive electronics even during the self-cleaning cycle of the oven, which can reach 900° F.

The term, “retail-grade” means that the control device hardware is the same as is used in retail hand-held devices, such as a standard Android processor and associated circuits, including a standard capacitive glass touch screen. Such retail-grade components are not designed to withstand extremely high temperatures, and most will function only up to a maximum temperature of about 140° F. (about 70° C.). On the other hand, industrial- or commercial-grade devices are available that can withstand even higher temperatures. Such commercial-grade devices often have enhanced insulation, special high-temperature solders and the like. Though such non-retail grade components could be used, they are more expensive and thus drive the overall cost of the oven up markedly. For the consumer market, the present application describes a cooling system that permits the use of retail-grade components such as a standard Android control device to keep the price of the oven within reach of residential consumers.

Moreover, the cooling system accomplishes the necessary cooling with only the cooling fan used for the heating chamber. This avoids the additional cost and complexity of a secondary fan and provides a more controlled air flow system. If the oven has a single heating chamber, there is a single cooling fan, whereas a double heating chamber will have just two fans. Therefore, the exemplary cooling system utilizes no more than one fan per heating chamber.

With reference now toFIGS. 1 and 3, an exemplary cooking oven20incorporating the advanced cooling system of the present application is shown. The oven20has dual cooking chambers, with an upper cooking chamber22mounted above a lower cooking chamber24. In the illustrated embodiments, and for the most part, the cooking chambers22,24are substantially identical, and thus like parts will be given like element numbers. Each of the respective cooking chambers22,24has a front door26that pivots outward about lower hinges (not shown) using a handle28. A control panel bezel30mounted above the upper cooking chamber22includes a control panel32having a central display window34and a plurality of control buttons36. The central display window34preferably includes a liquid crystal display with a capacitive glass touchscreen capability. The cooling system described herein maintains the temperature of at least the handles28of the front doors26low enough to avoid discomfort to the user. Furthermore, the cooling system maintains the temperature within the control panel bezel30below a threshold value which is considered necessary for proper functioning of the electronics therein. In one embodiment, the cooling system maintains the temperature within the control panel bezel32below about 110° F.

The term “control panel bezel” or simply “bezel” refers to that portion of the oven housing that encloses the control panel electronics, including the capacitive glass touchscreen. In the illustrated embodiment, the control panel bezel30comprises a generally rectangular box-shape formed by a plurality of walls of sheet metal have various openings for creating an air curtain for cooling and passage of wires and such. A “bezel” in one conventional sense refers to a rim surrounding a display area, such as the metallic rim surrounding the face of a watch. Indeed,FIG. 1shows a solid metallic portion of the control panel bezel30surrounding the control panel32. However, as used herein, the term “bezel” is deemed to be the three-dimensional portion of the housing within which the control panel electronics are mounted.

An oven housing40comprises numerous structural frame and inner and outer surface pieces, as will be described in some detail herein. In general, the term “housing” means the aggregate of structural components that define and support the insulated heating chamber(s)22,24. The housing40of each of the heating chambers22,24includes a sheet metal outer enclosure42.

FIG. 2is a horizontal sectional view taken looking down along line2-2ofFIG. 1showing the top of the oven below a top panel of the outer enclosure42, whileFIG. 2Ais a view of the same area looking downward on the top of the oven at an angle with the top panel of the outer enclosure42removed.

Now with reference toFIG. 3, a vertical sectional view of the exemplary cooking oven20illustrates the oven housing40surrounding and defining the two vertically stacked heating chambers22,24. As mentioned above, the two illustrated heating chambers22,24are substantially the same size and have the same effective volume. However, it should be understood that the chambers22,24may be dissimilar in size.

Still referring toFIG. 3, the housing40of each of the heating chambers22,24includes the sheet metal outer enclosure42surrounding an insulated inner enclosure44within which is defined a cooking space46. The outer enclosure42surrounds both inner enclosures44, and is not interposed therebetween. The outer enclosure42is larger than the inner enclosures44so as to define spaces or offsets therebetween for insulation, cooling channels, and the mounting of various functional components. As seen inFIG. 3, a relatively wide rear space or offset48extends vertically the height of both of the heating chambers22,24, a lower space or offset50extends underneath the lower heating chamber, and a relatively tall upper space or offset52is created above the upper heating chamber. Although not shown inFIG. 3, side offsets are also provided between the outer and inner enclosures42,44. Furthermore, in the case of an oven having more than one heating chamber, such as shown, a middle offset54extends between the two inner enclosures44.

As seen on the right side ofFIG. 3, each of the heating chambers22,24has a cooling fan60,62associated therewith, and the general cooling air flow through the oven housing40and around the heating chambers22,24is shown by flow arrows. More specifically, an upper cooling fan60associated with the upper heating chamber22mounts at the rear upper corner of the housing40, generally at the intersection between the rear offset48and upper offset52, and a lower cooling fan62associated with the lower heating chamber24mounts in the rear offset48at a location aligned with the middle offset54. Both of the cooling fans60,62pull air horizontally in a rearward direction from the front of the oven20and push air downward through the rear offset48. The lower cooling fan62also receives air moving downward from the upper cooling fan60and pushes it further downward. Ultimately, the fans push the hot air to the bottom of the oven20, wherein it is forced 90° and forward through the lower offset50or air exhaust channel toward an exit port64located at the bottom front of the housing40. As mentioned above, there may be an alternative exit such as through a side port leading to a heat exhaust vent or other such accommodation.

In addition to providing cooling flow, the lower cooling fan62provides convective airflow within the heating space46of the lower heating chamber24. More particularly, a flow arrow70is shown exiting from the rear upper region of the heating space46. The air flows laterally in a forward direction through a sub-channel approximately half the total front-to-back dimension of the oven20and then turns 180° at72to continue rearward through the middle offset54, toward the lower cooling fan62. A majority of the middle offset54is open to provide good airflow therethrough. Air is also pulled through the middle offset54from spaces formed within the door26of the lower heating chamber24. That is, upward flow arrows74are shown passing through the door26and then turning 90° to the rear at the middle offset54. In this regard, vents (not shown) are provided in a front panel76of the housing40that otherwise covers and disguises the middle offset54. Actuation of the lower cooling fan62creates a negative pressure differential in a rearward direction through the middle offset54, which acts on and pulls the hot air rising through the door26of the lower heating chamber24into the middle offset toward the fan. In this way, the door26of the lower heating chamber24remains relatively cool so that the handle28can be grasped without discomfort.

The upper cooling fan60functions much in the same manner as the lower cooling fan62to cool spaces around the upper heating chamber22. The fan60is also positioned to provide convective airflow within the heating space46of the upper chamber, as seen at flow arrows80and82. Likewise, hot air rising through spaces in the door26as shown by arrow84is pulled in a rearward direction at86by the fan60so as to cool the door at its handle28.

In addition, the upper cooling fan60provides active cooling flow to the control panel bezel30. With reference toFIG. 3A, a flow arrow88shown entering an upper end of the vessel30passes across the sensitive electronics therein and is pulled in a rearward direction at90toward the upper cooling fan60. It is important to note that an internal panel92within the upper offset52separates the flow of hot air86from the upper door26and the convective flow82exiting the heating space46from the air flow90pulled through the control panel bezel30. The upper offset52is thus divided into a main air intake channel below the internal panel92and a secondary air intake channel above it. The size of the main and secondary air intake channels as well as the position and strength of the upper cooling fan60have been calibrated such that sufficient cooling is provided to both the upper door26and control panel bezel30. The main airflow channel generally extends from the upper end of the door26to the fan60, while the secondary air intake channel extends generally from the bezel30to the fan60.

The particular active flow passages through the bezel30will now be described with reference to all ofFIGS. 2-8. As best seen inFIGS. 2 and 2A, the upper cooling fan60mounts at a rear left side of the housing40. The secondary air intake channel is defined within a dogleg-shaped manifold100above the internal panel92. The manifold100is in fluid communication with exhaust openings provided in the control panel bezel30at the front of the oven, and is also in fluid communication with an intake of the upper cooling fan60. As seen inFIG. 2, the manifold100commences at a relatively wide front mouth102which is off-center to the right of the oven. A left border wall104of the manifold extends rearward at an angle toward the back left corner of the oven and terminates in the vicinity of the left side of the intake of the fan60. A right border wall106of the manifold extends rearward for a short distance and then angles to the left before turning again to continue straight back toward the right side of the intake of the fan60. The width of the intake of the fan60is somewhat smaller than the front mouth102of the manifold100. The airflow generated by actuation of the fan60is shown by flow arrows108in bothFIGS. 2 and 2A. In general, cooling air is collected from openings in the front bezel30that extend more than half the width thereof, the air then converging as indicated by arrows108in a rearward direction at the fan60.

FIG. 4is an enlarged portion of the vertical sectional view ofFIG. 3Ashowing the control panel bezel30and electronics110including circuit boards therein.FIG. 5shows a rear upper edge of the control panel bezel30having air intake openings112on both lateral sides thereof.FIG. 6is taken along line6-6ofFIG. 4and shows the internal components of the control panel bezel looking forward from the rear.FIG. 7is looking rearward along line7-7ofFIG. 4and showing a rear wall114of the control panel bezel30from the inside and an air flow path through the bezel. Finally,FIG. 8illustrates the control panel bezel30with the rear wall114removed to further illustrate the air flow path therethrough.

As seen inFIG. 4, the active cooling airflow through the control panel bezel36generally a downward vertical path from an upper portion of the rear wall114until it enters the manifold100.FIGS. 5, 7 and 8show that the cooling airflow commences at the upper air intake openings112on both lateral sides of the rear wall114and moves inward as it is pulled downward through the bezel30. The sensitive electronics110found within the control panel bezel30are generally concentrated in a middle portion thereof, as opposed to being placed at the lateral sides. This porting arrangement where the airflow starts at the outside and moves inward serves two purposes. First, the intake air through the openings112will be at a lower temperature at the lateral sides of the oven in contrast to the temperature directly in the center of the oven, because the oven's heat profile is greatest in the center and gradually diminishes toward the sides. Secondly, the airflow is pulled into the middle so that it most effectively cools the electronic110that are found in the middle of the bezel30.

Now with reference toFIGS. 2 and 7, the rear wall114of the control panel bezel30has a relatively wide central air exhaust opening120in the form of a horizontal slot. In addition, a pair of exhaust openings122comprising smaller slots are formed to the right of the central opening120. Looking down as inFIG. 2, these three exhaust openings120,122generally span the front mouth102of the manifold100. With the upper cooling fan60asymmetrically mounted at a rear left side of the housing40, the added exhaust openings122to the right of the central opening120create a desirable air flow passage that reaches the components on the right hand side as well as in the middle of the oven. One option is to flip this air flow passage configuration (apply it to the left) which provides flexibility as to where the upper fan60is placed—i.e., on the left or right.