Patents by Inventor Charles Tat Kan Lai

Charles Tat Kan Lai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230403769
    Abstract: A two-step door opening mechanism for an oven is provided. A mechanical button and an electronic button are provided, the oven defining an oven cavity openable and closable by an oven door. A controller is provided. A digital valve, comprising a shaft configured to slide laterally between a first, unlocked position in which the shaft allows inward movement of the mechanical button and a second, locked position in which the shaft blocks the inward movement of the mechanical button. The electronic button, once actuated, is operable to cause the controller to direct the digital valve to move the shaft from the second, locked position into the first, unlocked position to unlock the mechanical button, and the mechanical button, once actuated, is operable to open the door when the shaft is in the first, unlocked position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Yecai CHEN, Hua GUO, Benjamin T. KUNST, Charles Tat Kan LAI, Cui Qing LIN, Bo WU, Tingting YU
  • Publication number: 20230375186
    Abstract: A two-step door opening mechanism for an oven is provided. The mechanism includes first and second buttons, arranged side-by-side on a front panel of the oven, the oven defining an oven cavity openable and closable by an oven door, the first and second buttons being separately actuatable one after the other for providing two distinct actions to be performed to open the oven door. The first button, once actuated, is operable to unlock the second button, and the second button, once actuated, is operable to open the door when the second button is unlocked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Yecai CHEN, Brian C. EVENS, Hua GUO, Benjamin T. KUNST, Charles Tat Kan LAI, Yu J. LIU, Gerald Lee SUGHROUE, Tingting YU
  • Patent number: D862980
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio Cardano, Lin Ge, Charles Tat Kan Lai, Kyle A. Walters, Tie He Yang
  • Patent number: D927253
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio Cardano, Lin Ge, Charles Tat Kan Lai, Kyle A. Walters, Tie He Yang