Patents by Inventor Kenneth Willard Johnson

Kenneth Willard Johnson 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: 20240138031
    Abstract: A cooktop appliance may include a top panel and a heating assembly mounted to the top panel. The heating assembly may include a first electric heating element and a second electric heating element. The first electric heating element may define a first heating zone in a horizontal plane to receive a cooking utensil thereon. The first electric heating element may have a set wattage density in the first heating zone. The second electric heating element may define a second heating zone in the horizontal plane to receive the cooking utensil thereon. The second heating zone may be horizontally spaced apart from the first heating zone. Moreover, the second electric heating element may have a set wattage density in the second heating zone. The set wattage density of the first electric heating element may be matched to the set wattage density of the second electric heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventor: Kenneth Willard Johnson
  • Publication number: 20230235890
    Abstract: A cooking appliance that includes a heating element, a controller, and a dock, each mounted to a panel. The cooking appliance also includes a user interface which is removably mountable to the panel, so that the user interface can be used separated from the cooking appliance. The controller is configured for detecting a proximity of the user interface relative to the panel. Further, the controller is configured for deactivating the heating element in response to the detected proximity of the user interface relative to the panel passing a deactivation threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Kenneth Willard Johnson, Frank Jacob Hellwig, David L. Brown
  • Patent number: 10276316
    Abstract: A control knob assembly for a cooktop appliance provides a readily visible indicator of the power level of a heating element. The control knob assembly includes a control knob that is rotatably mounted to a center housing and defines an arcuate light display and contact features that extend toward the center housing. A stationary shutter that defines an arcuate aperture is fixedly positioned between a light source and the control knob for at least partially allowing light from the light source. A mobile shutter is positioned between the stationary shutter and the control knob and includes an axial paddle extending along the axial direction for engaging the contact features as the control knob is rotated, thereby rotating a radial shutter for blocking a portion of the arcuate aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Darren Allen Turner, Vedamoorthy Nellaiappan, Kenneth Willard Johnson
  • Publication number: 20190051468
    Abstract: A control knob assembly for a cooktop appliance provides a readily visible indicator of the power level of a heating element. The control knob assembly includes a control knob that is rotatably mounted to a center housing and defines an arcuate light display and contact features that extend toward the center housing. A stationary shutter that defines an arcuate aperture is fixedly positioned between a light source and the control knob for at least partially allowing light from the light source. A mobile shutter is positioned between the stationary shutter and the control knob and includes an axial paddle extending along the axial direction for engaging the contact features as the control knob is rotated, thereby rotating a radial shutter for blocking a portion of the arcuate aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Darren Allen Turner, Vedamoorthy Nellaiappan, Kenneth Willard Johnson
  • Patent number: 10024541
    Abstract: A double oven appliance having an upper and lower oven positioned below the upper oven along a vertical direction such that a gap is defined between a top wall of the lower oven and a bottom wall of the upper oven. A bracket having a mounting platform positioned within the gap and spaced from the top wall of the lower oven along the vertical direction. The double oven appliance further including a circuit board coupled to the mounting platform such that the circuit board may be spaced from the top wall of the lower oven along the vertical direction. Further, the circuit board may be cooled by a cooling medium flowing across the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Wojick, William Byron Wiggins, Edwin Glenn Zehr, Kenneth Willard Johnson
  • Publication number: 20170328573
    Abstract: A double oven appliance having an upper and lower oven positioned below the upper oven along a vertical direction such that a gap is defined between a top wall of the lower oven and a bottom wall of the upper oven. A bracket having a mounting platform positioned within the gap and spaced from the top wall of the lower oven along the vertical direction. The double oven appliance further including a circuit board coupled to the mounting platform such that the circuit board may be spaced from the top wall of the lower oven along the vertical direction. Further, the circuit board may be cooled by a cooling medium flowing across the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Walter Wojick, William Byron Wiggins, Edwin Glenn Zehr, Kenneth Willard Johnson
  • Publication number: 20150321108
    Abstract: A tossing game system includes hand puppets and a ball whose outer surface is covered in loop type material. A tennis or similar type ball is covered with loop type material. Once tossed, the ball is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet, which is worn on the player's arm and makes a sound effect when the ball is caught. The hand puppet preferably takes the form of an animal, cartoon character, or similarly popular figure and produces a corresponding sound effect. The mouth of the hand puppet contains a contact patch of hook type material. The ball is then thrown with the player's uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth of a similar hand puppet worn by another player. The hook and loop type closures on the surface of the ball and hand puppet will enable small children to easily catch the ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Kenneth Willard Johnson, III, George Timothy Thornton, JR.