# US 12,007,121 B2 · Safety control logic for a multi-pane door assembly of an oven appliance

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- Number: US 12,007,121 B2
- Document ID: US12007121B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/313,159
- Filed: 2021-05-06
- Published: 2022-11-10
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-05-06
- Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
- Applicants: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
- Inventors: John Adam Yantis; Daniel Ian Moore
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007121B2

## CPC

- F24C 15/045: {being dismountable, e.g. giving access for cleaning}
- F24C 7/085: {on baking ovens}
- F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION

## Abstract

A method for allowing opening of a first door pane with respect to a second door pane of a multi-pane door assembly of an oven appliance includes receiving, via a controller, one or more safety conditions relating to the oven appliance. The method also includes determining, via the controller, whether the one or more safety conditions correspond to one or more predetermined safety conditions. Further, the method includes allowing, via the controller, opening of the first door pane with respect to the second door pane of the multi-pane door assembly to provide access to a space between the first and second door panes only upon satisfaction of the one or more safety conditions corresponding to the one or more predetermined safety conditions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating a multi-pane door assembly of an oven appliance, the method comprising:
receiving, via a controller, one or more safety conditions relating to the oven appliance, wherein the one or more safety conditions comprise a temperature condition of the oven appliance and a position condition of the multi-pane door assembly;
determining, via the controller, whether the temperature condition and the position condition correspond to a predetermined temperature condition and a predetermined position condition, respectively, the position condition comprising one of an open position or a closed position; and
allowing, via the controller, opening of a first door pane of the multi-pane assembly with respect to a second door pane of the multi-pane door assembly to provide access to a space between the first and second door panes only when the temperature condition and the position condition correspond to the predetermined temperature condition and the predetermined position condition, respectively.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein allowing opening of the first door pane with respect to the second door pane of the multi-pane door assembly to provide access to the space between the first and second door panes only upon satisfaction of the one or more safety conditions corresponding to the one or more predetermined safety conditions further comprises:
allowing opening of the first door pane with respect to the second door pane of the multi-pane door assembly only upon satisfaction of at least one of the temperature condition and the position condition corresponding to the predetermined temperature condition and the predetermined position condition, respectively.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one temperature condition comprises at least one of a temperature measurement of the oven appliance or a heating cycle status.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the heating cycle status comprises one of activated or deactivated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined temperature condition comprises at least one of the heating cycle being deactivated or the temperature measurement being below a predetermined temperature threshold.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined position condition comprises the closed position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the controller, an indication of the oven appliance being powered on and requiring the oven appliance to be powered on before allowing opening of the first door pane with respect to the second door pane of the multi-pane door assembly.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the opening of the first door pane with respect to the second door pane of the multi-pane door assembly if the temperature condition and the position condition do not correspond to the predetermined temperature condition and the predetermined position condition, respectively.

### Claim 9

A multi-pane door assembly for an oven appliance, the multi-pane door assembly comprising:
a door comprising a first door pane and a second door pane, the first door pane secured to the second door pane at a hinge point such that the first door pane is rotatable with respect to the second door pane between an open position and a closed position, wherein the first and second door panes define a space therebetween when the first door pane is in the closed position;
a locking mechanism for locking the first door pane with respect to the second door pane in the closed position;
a controller communicatively coupled to the door for controlling the locking mechanism, the controller comprising at least one processor, the at least one process configured to perform a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations comprising:
receiving one or more safety conditions relating to the oven appliance, wherein the one or more safety conditions comprise a temperature condition of the oven appliance and a position condition of the multi-pane door assembly;
determining whether the temperature condition and the position condition correspond to a predetermined temperature condition and a predetermined position condition, respectively, the position condition comprising one of an open position or a closed position; and
unlocking the locking mechanism only when the temperature condition and the position condition correspond to the predetermined temperature condition and the predetermined position condition, respectively.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The multi-pane door assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one temperature condition comprises at least one of a temperature measurement of the oven appliance or a heating cycle status.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The multi-pane door assembly of claim 10, wherein the heating cycle status comprises one of activated or deactivated.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The multi-pane door assembly of claim 11, wherein the predetermined temperature condition comprises at least one of the heating cycle being deactivated or the temperature measurement being below a predetermined temperature threshold.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The multi-pane door assembly of claim 9, wherein the predetermined position condition comprises the closed position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The multi-pane door assembly of claim 9, wherein the plurality of operations further comprise:
receiving, via the controller, an indication of the oven appliance being powered on; and
requiring the oven appliance to be powered on before unlocking the locking mechanism.
