IP Library Granted Patent US 12,222,107
Granted Patent B2
US 12,222,107 · App. 17/206,959 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Thermal management system and method for a connected oven

Inventors: Nikhil Bhogal (San Francisco, CA); Matthew Van Horn (San Francisco, CA); Mathias Watson Schmidt (San Francisco, CA); Drew Atkinson (San Francisco, CA); Gabriel Risk (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: June Life, LLC
F24C15/006F24C7/086F24C15/04F24C15/322
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,222,107
App. No.
17/206,959
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The connected oven includes a cooking cavity defined by a back, a door opposing the bottom, a top adjacent the back and door, a bottom opposing the top, and opposing sidewalls adjacent the remainder of the walls, a user interface unit configured to receive instructions from the user, a sensor, and a thermal management system for minimizing or preventing thermal damage to heat-sensitive components arranged on the oven.

Claims (30)

1. A cooking apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body defining a foodstuff cavity and comprising an apparatus top and an apparatus base, wherein the apparatus top comprises:

a first section defining an air gap inlet; and

a second section, wherein the first section and second section cooperatively define an air gap that defines an area smaller than the first section, wherein the apparatus body defines an air gap outlet;

a heating element; and

an optical assembly, wherein the optical assembly extends into the air gap, wherein a field of view of the optical assembly is directed toward the foodstuff cavity.

2. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an internal surface of the apparatus body is black.

3. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a door mounted to the apparatus body, wherein the door comprises a first and second panel that cooperatively define a door air gap, wherein the air gap is isolated from the door air gap.

4. The cooking apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a touchscreen mounted to the door, wherein the door air gap cools the touchscreen.

5. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air gap inlet comprises a set of perforations in the first section.

6. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a processing system configured to determine a classification for foodstuff within the foodstuff cavity, based on an image recorded by the optical assembly.

7. The cooking apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the air gap inlet is arranged perpendicular to an air flow axis within the air gap and wherein the air gap outlet is arranged parallel to the air flow axis.

8. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an exterior broad face of the first section does not include a burner.

9. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air gap is fluidically connected to a cooling fluid source defined by the apparatus body.

10. An apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body defining a foodstuff cavity and comprising an apparatus top and an apparatus base, wherein the apparatus top comprises:

a first section; and

a second section, wherein the first section and second section cooperatively define an air channel defining an area smaller than the first section;

a heating element; and

an optical assembly, wherein the optical assembly is thermally connected to the air channel, wherein a field of view of the optical assembly is directed toward the foodstuff cavity.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein an interior surface of the second section comprises a nonreflective coating.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical assembly comprises a heat sink that extends into the air channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first section comprises a set of holes that define an air gap inlet.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein an air channel inlet is arranged perpendicular to a flow axis within the air channel and wherein an air channel outlet is arranged parallel to the flow axis.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a processing system mounted to the apparatus base.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processing system is configured to determine a classification for foodstuff within the foodstuff cavity, based on an image recorded by the optical assembly.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a dual-panel door mounted to the apparatus body, wherein the dual-panel door comprises a first panel and a second panel that cooperatively define a door air gap.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a touchscreen mounted to the dual-panel door, wherein the door air gap thermally insulates the touchscreen from the foodstuff cavity.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the door air gap is isolated from the air channel.

20. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the air channel is fluidically connected to a cooling fluid source defined by the apparatus body.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: WEBER-STEPHEN PRODUCTS LLC; JUNE LIFE, LLC; NORTH ATLANTIC IMPORTS, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 072994/0778 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: WEBER-STEPHEN PRODUCTS LLC; JUNE LIFE, LLC; NORTH ATLANTIC IMPORTS, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 072995/0099 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 17, 2024
From: WEBER-STEPHEN PRODUCTS LLC; JUNE LIFE, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069179/0623 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2024
From: JUNE LIFE, INC.
To: JUNE LIFE, LLC
Reel/Frame 066880/0991 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2021
From: BHOGAL, NIKHIL; VAN HORN, MATTHEW; SCHMIDT, MATHIAS WATSON; ATKINSON, DREW; RISK, GABRIEL
To: JUNE LIFE, INC.
Reel/Frame 056464/0393 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 15888395 · Feb 5, 2018
Continuation 15170678 · Jun 1, 2016
Provisional Application 62169323 · Jun 1, 2015
Related Publication 20210207812A1 · Jul 8, 2021
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