Patents by Inventor Michael A. Funk

Michael A. Funk 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).

  • Patent number: 11821631
    Abstract: A door assembly for a microwave appliance includes a door frame that defines a door plenum and an air inlet. A monitor cradle is positioned toward a front of the door frame for receiving an image monitor. A duct is mounted to the door frame to divide the plenum into a low pressure region and a high pressure region, and an air handler is mounted to the duct to urge a flow of air from the air inlet, through the low pressure region, and into high pressure region. The flow of air cools electronics in the high pressure region before passing through an upper outlet that directs the flow of air along a surface of the image monitor and through a lower outlet that directs the flow of air along a transverse direction below the image monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Blackwood, Michael A. Funk
  • Patent number: 11821633
    Abstract: A door assembly for a microwave appliance includes a door frame that defines a door plenum and an air inlet. A monitor cradle is positioned toward a front of the door frame for receiving an image monitor seated on top of or flush with a front of the door frame. A duct is mounted to the door frame to divide the plenum into a low pressure region and a high pressure region, and an air handler urges a flow of air through the door plenum. A trim piece is removably mounted to a top of the door frame and includes a front guide that is spaced apart from the image monitor to define an upper outlet through which the flow of air passes downward along the vertical direction in front of the image monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael A. Funk, Michael Blackwood
  • Patent number: 11778702
    Abstract: A method of operating a microwave appliance includes determining that a vent fan is on, and instructing an air handler within a door of the microwave appliance to operate in response to determining that the vent fan is on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Robin Blackwood, Michael A. Funk
  • Publication number: 20220295607
    Abstract: A method of operating a microwave appliance includes determining that a vent fan is on, and instructing an air handler within a door of the microwave appliance to operate in response to determining that the vent fan is on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Robin Blackwood, Michael A. Funk
  • Publication number: 20220124883
    Abstract: A method for operating a door assembly of an appliance, the door assembly including a display and being configured for providing selective access to a cavity of the appliance, the method including determining that the door has been shut, determining that an item is present within the cavity, determining that a primary application is displayed on the display, and displaying a control interface over a sub-portion of the application on the display when the application is displayed on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Jeff Donald Drake, Michael A. Funk, Chen Lu, Yinyin Liang Wright
  • Publication number: 20220026073
    Abstract: A door assembly for a microwave appliance includes a door frame that defines a door plenum and an air inlet. A monitor cradle is positioned toward a front of the door frame for receiving an image monitor. A duct is mounted to the door frame to divide the plenum into a low pressure region and a high pressure region, and an air handler is mounted to the duct to urge a flow of air from the air inlet, through the low pressure region, and into high pressure region. The flow of air cools electronics in the high pressure region before passing through an upper outlet that directs the flow of air along a surface of the image monitor and through a lower outlet that directs the flow of air along a transverse direction below the image monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Blackwood, Michael A. Funk
  • Publication number: 20220026074
    Abstract: A door assembly for a microwave appliance includes a door frame that defines a door plenum and an air inlet. A monitor cradle is positioned toward a front of the door frame for receiving an image monitor seated on top of or flush with a front of the door frame. A duct is mounted to the door frame to divide the plenum into a low pressure region and a high pressure region, and an air handler urges a flow of air through the door plenum. A trim piece is removably mounted to a top of the door frame and includes a front guide that is spaced apart from the image monitor to define an upper outlet through which the flow of air passes downward along the vertical direction in front of the image monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Michael A. Funk, Michael Blackwood
  • Patent number: 11197353
    Abstract: A microwave appliance, as provided herein, may include an outer casing, an inner liner, a door, and an air handler. The outer casing may define an air inlet above a cooktop appliance. The outer casing may extend in a lateral direction between a first side end and a second side end. The inner casing may define a cooking chamber. The door may include a peripheral frame and a front window bounded by the peripheral frame. The peripheral frame may define an air outlet downstream from the air inlet and below the front window along the vertical direction. The air handler may be mounted within the outer casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough. The air outlet may define an airflow curtain path extending outward from the outer casing in front of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Michael A. Funk
  • Patent number: 10945356
    Abstract: Cooking exhaust systems for use with a cooktop appliance are provided herein. An exhaust system may include a casing, an image monitor, and an air handler. The casing may define an air inlet and an air outlet above the cooktop appliance. The image monitor may be supported on the casing. The air handler may be mounted within the casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough. The air outlet may define an airflow curtain path extending outward from the casing in front of the image monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Michael A. Funk, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Publication number: 20210037619
    Abstract: A microwave appliance, as provided herein, may include an outer casing, an inner liner, a door, and an air handler. The outer casing may define an air inlet above a cooktop appliance. The outer casing may extend in a lateral direction between a first side end and a second side end. The inner casing may define a cooking chamber. The door may include a peripheral frame and a front window bounded by the peripheral frame. The peripheral frame may define an air outlet downstream from the air inlet and below the front window along the vertical direction. The air handler may be mounted within the outer casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough. The air outlet may define an airflow curtain path extending outward from the outer casing in front of the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Michael A. Funk
  • Patent number: 10830454
    Abstract: A ventilation system for a cooktop appliance comprising a cooktop surface. The ventilation system defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The ventilation system includes a casing positioned above and spaced apart from the cooktop appliance along the vertical direction with an image monitor supported on the casing at a front end of the casing. The ventilation system is selectively configurable to provide fluid communication from an air inlet to one of a recirculation outlet, a first exhaust outlet, and a second exhaust outlet without removing or rearranging an air handler of the ventilation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Michael A. Funk
  • Patent number: 10808943
    Abstract: A cooking engagement system includes a cooktop appliance and an interactive assembly positioned above the cooktop appliance. The interactive assembly includes an image monitor that presents various images and information to a user, e.g., recipes, and a capacitive touch sensor that senses touches on an imaging surface of the image monitor. When the capacitive touch sensor senses a capacitance level below a threshold indicative of contamination on the imaging surface, a controller communicatively coupled thereto activates an air handler to move or motivate an airflow across or about the image monitor. In this way, the image monitor may be cooled and condensation is prevented from forming on the imaging surface of the image monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Michael A. Funk
  • Publication number: 20200056790
    Abstract: A cooking engagement system includes a cooktop appliance and an interactive assembly positioned above the cooktop appliance. The interactive assembly includes an image monitor that presents various images and information to a user, e.g., recipes, and a capacitive touch sensor that senses touches on an imaging surface of the image monitor. When the capacitive touch sensor senses a capacitance level below a threshold indicative of contamination on the imaging surface, a controller communicatively coupled thereto activates an air handler to move or motivate an airflow across or about the image monitor. In this way, the image monitor may be cooled and condensation is prevented from forming on the imaging surface of the image monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Michael A. Funk
  • Publication number: 20190380230
    Abstract: Cooking exhaust systems for use with a cooktop appliance are provided herein. An exhaust system may include a casing, an image monitor, and an air handler. The casing may define an air inlet and an air outlet above the cooktop appliance. The image monitor may be supported on the casing. The air handler may be mounted within the casing in fluid communication between the air inlet and the air outlet to motivate an airflow therethrough. The air outlet may define an airflow curtain path extending outward from the casing in front of the image monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Michael A. Funk, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Publication number: 20190368746
    Abstract: A ventilation system for a cooktop appliance comprising a cooktop surface. The ventilation system defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The ventilation system includes a casing positioned above and spaced apart from the cooktop appliance along the vertical direction with an image monitor supported on the casing at a front end of the casing. The ventilation system is selectively configurable to provide fluid communication from an air inlet to one of a recirculation outlet, a first exhaust outlet, and a second exhaust outlet without removing or rearranging an air handler of the ventilation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Michael A. Funk
  • Patent number: 9615007
    Abstract: A camera assembly for an oven appliance including an attachment mechanism, an arm, and a camera is provided. The attachment mechanism is configured for attachment to a handle of an oven appliance door. The arm extends from the attachment mechanism to the camera, and attaches to at least one of the camera or a housing, if provided. The camera records or transmits images of the oven cavity to, e.g., a user device allowing a user to monitor a doneness of any food items positioned within the oven appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Charles Pfaffinger, Jr., Michael A. Funk, Rebekah Leigh Tyler
  • Publication number: 20160366314
    Abstract: A camera assembly for an oven appliance including an attachment mechanism, an arm, and a camera is provided. The attachment mechanism is configured for attachment to a handle of an oven appliance door. The arm extends from the attachment mechanism to the camera, and attaches to at least one of the camera or a housing, if provided. The camera records or transmits images of the oven cavity to, e.g., a user device allowing a user to monitor a doneness of any food items positioned within the oven appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Robert Charles Pfaffinger, JR., Michael A. Funk, Rebekah Leigh Tyler