Granted Patent B2

US 12,736,228 · App. 17/353,647 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Daniel J. Trice (Louisville, KY); Brian Langness (Shelbyville, KY); Eric Scalf (Louisville, KY)

Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.

F24C15/2007F16B1/00F24C15/2078H05B6/6402F16B2200/83

Abstract

Claims (37)

1 . A microwave cooking appliance having a connector system comprising:

the microwave cooking appliance having an exhaust and one or more first attachment mechanisms;

a mounting bracket includes one or more second attachment mechanisms adapted to engage the one or more first attachment mechanisms to mount the microwave cooking appliance on the mounting bracket, wherein the mounting bracket includes a magnetic body, wherein the magnetic body of the mounting bracket includes an appliance-facing surface and an opposing wall-facing surface, and wherein the magnetic body includes at least one vent opening to engage the exhaust of the microwave cooking appliance;

an adaptor having a first end and an opposing second end, a through opening extends through the first end and the opposing second end, and one or more magnets;

wherein the one or more magnets adjacent the first end of the adaptor releasably engages the first end of the adaptor to the opposing wall-facing surface of the magnetic body of the mounting bracket and the opposing second end of the adaptor is configured to engage an external vent, when the adaptor is engaged with the mounting bracket, the through opening of the adaptor is in fluid communication with the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket;

wherein the adaptor includes a plate in a plane, wherein the plate includes a sleeve extending away from the plate in a first direction perpendicular to the plane away from the first end of the adaptor, wherein the sleeve is adapted to engage the external vent, and wherein the plate includes a flange extending away from the plate in a second direction perpendicular to the plane opposite to the first direction away from the second end of the adaptor, wherein the flange includes an inner periphery defining the through opening and an outer periphery, wherein the outer periphery of the flange engages an inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket, and wherein the plate includes the one or more magnets; and

wherein the outer periphery of the flange projecting from the adaptor includes a first chamfered periphery and wherein the inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket includes a second chamfered periphery, and when the adaptor is engaged with the mounting bracket, the first chamfered periphery and the second chamfered periphery align to orient the adaptor relative to the mounting bracket in a single orientation and prevents the adaptor from assembling with the mounting bracket in orientations different from the single orientation.

2 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising at least one gasket, wherein the at least one gasket surrounds the at least one vent opening and is positioned between the appliance-facing surface of the magnetic body of the mounting bracket and the microwave cooking appliance.

3 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the adaptor includes a plastic body with the one or more magnets positioned therein.

4 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising at least one damper positioned within the through opening of the adaptor.

5 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the sleeve telescopes with the external vent and the flange telescopes with the inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket.

6 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the first end of the adaptor directly engages the opposing wall-facing surface of the magnetic body of the mounting bracket when installed and the opposing second end of the adaptor directly engages the external vent when installed.

7 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket includes a top plate and a rear plate, wherein the top plate includes the magnetic body defining a top vent opening of the at least one vent opening, the appliance-facing surface, and the opposing wall-facing surface, and wherein the rear plate includes the magnetic body defining a bottom vent opening of the at least one vent opening, the appliance-facing surface, and the opposing wall-facing surface.

8 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 7 wherein the rear plate and the top plate are substantially perpendicular to each other.

9 . A microwave cooking appliance having a connector system comprising:

the microwave cooking appliance having an exhaust and one or more first attachment mechanisms;

a mounting bracket includes one or more second attachment mechanisms adapted to engage the one or more first attachment mechanisms to mount the microwave cooking appliance on the mounting bracket, a top plate, and a rear plate, wherein each one of the top plate and the rear plate of the mounting bracket includes a magnetic body defining at least one vent opening to engage the exhaust of the microwave cooking appliance;

an adaptor having a plate, a sleeve, and a flange defining a through opening, wherein the sleeve projects from the plate towards an external vent in a first direction and the flange projects away from the plate towards the mounting bracket in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the flange includes an inner periphery defining the through opening and an outer periphery, wherein the outer periphery of the flange engages an inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket, and the plate includes one or more magnets;

wherein the one or more magnets of the adaptor releasably engages the flange to the magnetic body of the top plate or the rear plate of the mounting bracket and the sleeve of the adaptor is configured to engage the external vent, when the adaptor is engaged with the mounting bracket, the exhaust of the microwave cooking appliance is in fluid communication with the external vent via the through opening of the adaptor and the at least one vent opening; and

wherein the outer periphery of the flange of the adaptor and the inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket include at least one orientation feature to orient the adaptor in a single orientation relative to the mounting bracket when assembled preventing the adaptor from assembling with the mounting bracket in orientations different from the single orientation.

10 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 further comprising at least one gasket, wherein the at least one gasket surrounds the at least one vent opening and is positioned between the mounting bracket and the microwave cooking appliance.

11 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the adaptor includes a plastic body with the one or more magnets positioned therein.

12 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 further comprising at least one damper positioned within the through opening of the adaptor.

13 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the outer periphery of the flange engages an entire inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket.

14 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the at least one orientation feature of the outer periphery of the flange includes a first chamfered periphery and wherein the at least one orientation feature of the inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket includes a second chamfered periphery, and when the adaptor is engaged with the mounting bracket in the single orientation, the first chamfered periphery and the second chamfered periphery align to orient the adaptor relative to the mounting bracket.

15 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the plate includes the one or more magnets positioned radially outside the outer periphery of the flange.

16 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the adaptor does not directly engage the microwave cooking appliance when installed.

17 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the magnetic body of the top plate defines a top vent opening of the at least one vent opening and the magnetic body of the rear plate defines a bottom vent opening of the at least one vent opening.

18 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the magnetic body of the top plate is substantially perpendicular to the magnetic body of the rear plate.

19 . The microwave cooking appliance of claim 9 wherein the outer periphery of the flange telescopes in the second direction against the inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket and the sleeve telescopes in the first direction with the external vent.

20 . A microwave cooking appliance having a connector system comprising:

the microwave cooking appliance having an exhaust and one or more first attachment mechanisms;

a mounting bracket includes one or more second attachment mechanisms adapted to engage the one or more first attachment mechanisms to mount the microwave cooking appliance on the mounting bracket, wherein the mounting bracket includes a magnetic body, wherein the magnetic body of the mounting bracket includes an appliance-facing surface and an opposing wall-facing surface, and wherein the magnetic body includes at least one vent opening to engage the exhaust of the microwave cooking appliance;

an adaptor having a first end and an opposing second end, a through opening extends through the first end and the opposing second end, and one or more magnets;

wherein the one or more magnets adjacent the first end of the adaptor releasably engages the first end of the adaptor to the opposing wall-facing surface of the magnetic body of the mounting bracket and the opposing second end of the adaptor is configured to engage an external vent, when the adaptor is engaged with the mounting bracket, the through opening of the adaptor is in fluid communication with the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket;

wherein the adaptor includes a plate in a plane, wherein the plate includes a sleeve extending away from the plate in a first direction perpendicular to the plane away from the first end of the adaptor, wherein the sleeve is adapted to engage the external vent, and wherein the plate includes a flange extending away from the plate in a second direction perpendicular to the plane opposite to the first direction away from the second end of the adaptor, wherein the flange includes an inner periphery defining the through opening and an outer periphery, wherein the outer periphery of the flange engages an inner periphery of the at least one vent opening of the mounting bracket, and wherein the plate includes the one or more magnets; and

wherein the mounting bracket includes a top plate and a rear plate, wherein the top plate includes the magnetic body defining a top vent opening of the at least one vent opening, the appliance-facing surface, and the opposing wall-facing surface, and wherein the rear plate includes the magnetic body defining a bottom vent opening of the at least one vent opening, the appliance-facing surface, and the opposing wall-facing surface.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (131)