US 12,265,315 B2
Oven camera assembly with heat management structures
Luca Distaso, Gemonio (IT); Elizabeth N. Kacpura, St. Joseph, MI (US); and Adrian Pochojka, Tuchola (PL)
Assigned to WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/588,512.
Prior Publication US 2023/0244127 A1, Aug. 3, 2023
Int. Cl. F24C 15/34 (2006.01); F24C 15/00 (2006.01); G03B 17/55 (2021.01); G03B 29/00 (2021.01)
CPC G03B 17/55 (2013.01) [F24C 15/004 (2013.01); F24C 15/34 (2013.01); G03B 29/00 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An oven, comprising:
a liner defining a cooking cavity having an open side, a back wall opposite the open side, and a top wall extending between the open side and the back wall, the top wall having a camera opening defined therethrough in a position more proximate to the back wall than the open side; and
a camera assembly mounted on the top wall of the liner outside the cooking cavity and including:
an insulating block contacting the top wall of the liner and defining an aperture therethrough, a lower side of the aperture being aligned with the camera opening in the top wall of the liner;
a sink washer having a hole therethrough aligned with a top side of the aperture through the insulating block, the sink washer mounted to the insulating block in partial contact therewith and extending outward from the top side of the aperture; and
a camera mounted to the sink washer and having a lens, the camera further having a field of view centered around an axis and extending away therefrom in a direction away from the lens of the camera along the axis to define a viewing angle directed through the aperture in the insulating block and through the camera opening in the top wall of the liner, the aperture in the insulating block tapers outwardly from the top side of the aperture to the lower side of the aperture at an opening angle approximately equal to the viewing angle of the camera, and the sink washer directing heat away from the camera and away from the top wall of the liner.