Abstract:
A cooking device includes a user interface having an outer surface. The user interface is connected to an outer enclosure. A duct is connected to the user interface. A door is connected to the outer enclosure. A cooling device is in thermal communication with a member selected from the group consisting of the outer surface and the door. The cooling device is connected to the user interface or the door by the duct.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/275,608, filed Sep. 1, 2009. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/275,608, filed Sep. 1, 2009 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates generally to cooling a user interface and/or door and methods therefore. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to cooling an outer surface of a user interface and/or door. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Cooking devices such as ovens that use microwave, hot air, heating elements and the like, typically include a user interface so that a user may input, and/or the user interface may display, settings for temperature, time, and other parameters of the cooking device. To allow a user access, the user interface is typically placed above a door to a cooking chamber on a front wall of the cooking device. However, while food is heated within the cooking chamber, heat may be transferred to other portions of the cooking device including the user interface. The heat transferred to the user interface can cause damage and reduce the service life or time the user interface performs its intended function. Further, after food is heated within the cooking chamber and the door is opened to remove the food, the cooking device vents heat by releasing hot air and steam. The hot air and steam released from the cooking chamber can come into contact with the user interface that can both heat the user interface to an untouchable level and reduce service life of the user interface. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it has been determined by the present disclosure, there is a need for a device to cool a user interface of a cooking device. There is a further need for a cooling device that cools an outer surface of a user interface and/or door. There is still a further need for a cooling device that deflects hot air and/or steam that emanates from a cooking device away from user interface. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A cooking device is provided that includes a user interface with an outer surface. The user interface is connected to an outer enclosure. A duct is connected to the user interface. A door is connected to the outer enclosure. A cooling device is in thermal communication with a member selected from the group consisting of the outer surface and the door. The cooling device is connected to the user interface or the door by the duct. 
         [0008]    The above-described and other advantages and features of the present disclosure will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a partial front perspective view of a cooking device having a user interface according to the present disclosure; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a side, cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of the cooking device having the user interface of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    Referring to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an exemplary embodiment of a cooking device according to the present disclosure is generally referred to by reference numeral  100 . Cooking device  100  may be any device that heats food, such as, for example, an oven. 
         [0012]    Cooking device  100  has an outer enclosure  125  and an inner enclosure  110 . Inner enclosure  110  has a chamber wall  115  surrounding an interior volume  120 . Chamber wall  115  may include a first sidewall  116 , a second sidewall (not shown) opposite first sidewall  116 , a top wall  117 , a bottom wall  118 , and an open front portion  119 . Open front portion  119  of inner enclosure  110  is covered by a door  109  when door  109  is in a closed position. Door  109  abuts against outer enclosure  125  to cover open front portion  119  in the closed position, as shown in  FIG. 2 , and uncovers or provides access to open front portion  119  when the door  109  is moved away from outer enclosure  125  in an open position, as shown in  FIG. 1 . Door  109  may move from the closed position to the open position, for example, by rotating about a hinge connected to both outer enclosure  125  and door  109  toward and away from outer enclosure  125 . 
         [0013]    Outer enclosure may have an outer wall  125   a  that has a first sidewall  126 , a second sidewall  126   a  opposite first sidewall  126 , a top wall  127 , a bottom wall  128 , a front wall  129 , a rear wall  121 , and an edge wall  123 . Front wall  129  has an opening  122  therethrough covered by door  109  in the closed position and opening  122  is accessable when door  109  is in the open position. Edge wall  123  may be connected to front wall  129  on a side opposite to top wall  127  and extend toward interior volume  120  within opening  122 . 
         [0014]    Food (not shown) is placed within interior volume  120  to be heated. The food may be heated by impingement, convection, microwave, radiant heat, or other heating device. Interior volume  120  may be heated by an air heating device  135 . Air heating device  135  is any device that heats inner enclosure  110 , such as, for example, an electric heater or gas heater. Air heating device  135  may include a heating coil  140 . Heating coil  140  may be an infrared heater and/or electric resistive coil. Air heating device  135  may also include a fan  144 . A motor  147  rotates fan  144 . Fan  144  circulates air across heating coil  140  to heat the air. Fan  144  directs the heated air into interior volume  120 . Fan  144  may direct the air into interior volume  120  through a jet plate  150  that has apertures therethrough to heat the food by impingement. 
         [0015]    Food (not shown) placed within interior volume  120  may be heated by a microwave device (not shown). The microwave device communicates microwaves through a plate  155  into cooking chamber volume  115 . The microwaves within cooking chamber volume  115  heat the food. 
         [0016]    Cooking device  100  has a control panel or user interface  171  connected to outer enclosure  125 . User interface  171  allows a user to input, and/or user interface  171  may display, settings for temperature, time, and other parameters of the cooking device. User interface  171  may be any type user interface, such as, for example, a touchscreen, for example, a capacitive or resistive touchscreen, or any graphical, conversational or gesture user interface. User interface  171  is connected to cooking device  100  so that a portion  181  is in fluid or thermal communication with a duct  130 . A portion  175  of user interface  171  may also be in fluid or thermal communication with duct  130 . User interface  171  may be enclosed by a control box  176 . Control box  176  has one or more holes  177  therethrough so to extend duct  130  to user interface  171 . Portion  181  may be disposed outside of outer enclosure  125 . 
         [0017]    User interface  171  has a cooling device  178 . Cooling device  178  reduces or maintains portion  181  of user interface  171  at a predetermined temperature, such as, for example, a temperature that reduces or prevents damage to user interface  171  due to heat. Cooling device  178  may also reduce or maintain portion  175  of user interface  171  at a predetermined temperature. Temperature reductions of portion  175  of user interface  171  can be in excess of 50 degrees Celsius. 
         [0018]    Cooling device  178  is connected to user interface  171  by duct  130 . Duct  130  may be formed between outer enclosure  125  and inner enclosure  110 . However, duct  130  may be any duct placing user interface  171  and/or door  109  in fluid or thermal communication with cooling device  178 . Cooling device  178  may include a fan  170 . Fan  170  draws air from outside of cooking device  100  into duct  130 . Fan  170  may be activated continuously when oven  100  is operating. Fan  170  is shown at a bottom of cooking device  100 , however, fan  170  may be placed in other locations where air can be drawn into duct  130  from outside of cooking device  100 . 
         [0019]    User interface  171  may be connected to outer enclosure  125  adjacent door  109 . Cooling device  178  may include fan  170  and/or one or more holes  180  in outer enclosure  125  and/or inner enclosure  110 . Cooling device  178  may include fan  170  that generates an airflow within duct  130  and one or more holes  180 . Holes  180  are below user interface  171  and above door  109 . Holes  180  may be through edge wall  123 . User interface  171  may be directly above holes  180 . Holes  180  may be positioned across a full span of or surround open front portion  119 . The size, pitch (or number) and shape of holes  180  vary depending on pressure of fan  170  and other external outlets of oven  100 . Holes  180  may be between user interface  171  and door  109 . 
         [0020]    During operation of oven  100 , heat is generated by heating device  135  and/or the microwave device and communicated to oven chamber  110  to heat food (not shown) within interior volume  120 . Interior volume  120  increases in temperature with the activation of air heating device  135  and/or the microwave device. Heat generated by air heating device  135  and/or the microwave device may also be communicated to other areas of oven  100  such as a transformer  160  connected to a power source, motor  147  and user interface  171  that can cause damage or reduce service life. In addition, motor  147 , transformer  160  and user interface  171  may generate heat when activated. 
         [0021]    The air outside of oven  100  is at a lower temperature than duct  130  when oven  100  is heating interior volume  120 . Fan  170  circulates the air from outside oven into duct  130  as shown by arrow  148 . The air from outside oven  100  is directed, as shown by arrows  146 , past user interface  171  removing heat to reduce or maintain a temperature within a predetermined range. The predetermined range reduces or prevents damage to user interface  171  due to heat. Circulating the air from outside oven  100  cools user interface  171  reducing an effect of the heat on the service life of user interface  171 . User interface  171  can have a reduction in temperature of over 50 degrees Celsius, reducing the heat transfer to the user when the user contacts portion  181  of user interface. The air from outside oven  100  that is directed, as shown by arrows  146 , past user interface  171  that may pass through holes  177  in control box  176  into contact with user interface  171 . The air from outside oven  100  may also be directed past transformer  160  and motor  147  removing heat and reducing an effect of the heat on the service life. 
         [0022]    Cooling device  178  may use an internal air pressure within duct  130  that is increased when fan  170  circulates the air from outside oven into duct  130 . The internal air pressure creates an airflow through any holes in outer enclosure  125  to outside of oven  100  or ambient, for example, through vents  179  and one or more holes  180 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , holes  180  create airflow  185 . The airflow is circulated into interior volume through fan  170 , as shown by arrows  145 , past user interface, as shown by arrows  146 , and out of holes  180 , as shown by arrows  185 . Airflow  185  is directed away from user interface  171  when passing through holes  180 . When passing through holes  180 , the airflow  185  cools the closed door  109  and creates an air curtain protecting the user interface  171  from heat radiation. 
         [0023]    When door  109  is opened after interior volume  120  is heated, cooking device  100  vents heat by releasing hot air and/or steam through open front portion  119 . It has been found by the present invention, that airflow  185  deflects the hot air and/or steam that emanates from interior volume  120  away from user interface  171  when door  109  is open. Airflow  185  keeps user interface  171  at a reduced temperature than without airflow  185 . Airflow  185  creates an “air curtain” that creates a barrier between the hot air and steam that rises out of interior volume  120 , and user interface  171 . The air curtain is created so that when door  109  is opened the air curtain directs the hot air and steam away from user interface  171  and cushions portion  181  of user interface  171  in cool air. Airflow  185  protects user interface from the hot air and steam when door  109  is open and maintains user interface  171  cooler to the touch of a user than without airflow  185  to increase the service life of user interface  171 . When the door  109  is in the closed position, air passes through the holes  180  and is forced by the door to take the path shown by the arrows  185  creating an air curtain. When the door  109  is opened, the steam and air pressure created in the interior volume  120  is released through the open front portion  119 , forcing the air to follow the path shown by the arrows  185  to create the air curtain. Temperature reductions of portion  175  of user interface  171  can be in excess of 50 degrees Celsius. 
         [0024]    When door  109  is in the closed position, fan  170  may be in fluid communication with a passageway around door  109 . The passageway may comprise holes  180  to create an airflow or air curtain directed over door  109 . Door  109  is maintained at a cooler temperature than an oven without the airflow through holes  180  over door  109 . Alternatively, the passageway may direct the airflow around a surface of door  109  within outer enclosure  125 . Door  109  having a reduced temperature, reduces heat transfer to the user when the user contacts door  109 . Airflow  185  can reduce the door  109  temperature more than 50 degrees Celsius. 
         [0025]    It should also be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “upper”, “lower”, “above”, “below”, and the like may be used herein to modify various elements. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated. 
         [0026]    While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.