Proximity sensing assembly for an oven appliance

Abstract

An oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, a cooktop positioned at a top of the cabinet and comprising one or more heating elements, a proximity sensing assembly defining an upper detection zone and a lower detection zone, and a controller in operative communication with the proximity sensing assembly. The controller is configured to obtain an upper proximity reading in the upper detection zone using the proximity sensing assembly, obtain a lower proximity reading in the lower detection zone using the proximity sensing assembly, and implement a responsive action based on a combination of the upper proximity reading and the lower proximity reading.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oven appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the oven appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining a cooking chamber;   a cooktop positioned at a top of the cabinet and comprising one or more heating elements;   a proximity sensing assembly defining an upper detection zone and a lower detection zone; and   a controller in operative communication with the proximity sensing assembly, the controller being configured to:
 obtain an upper proximity reading in the upper detection zone using the proximity sensing assembly; 
 obtain a lower proximity reading in the lower detection zone using the proximity sensing assembly; and 
 implement a responsive action based on a combination of the upper proximity reading and the lower proximity reading. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensing assembly comprises an upper proximity sensor positioned proximate a top of the cabinet for monitoring the upper detection zone and a lower proximity sensor positioned proximate a bottom of the cabinet for monitoring the lower detection zone. 
     
     
         3 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensing assembly is a multi-zone proximity sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 adjust the upper detection zone and the lower detection zone.   
     
     
         5 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensing assembly comprises at least one of an optical proximity sensor, an acoustic proximity sensor, or a capacitive proximity sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the oven appliance is a range or a combination of an oven and cooktop. 
     
     
         7 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the upper proximity reading is positive, the lower proximity reading is positive, and implementing the responsive action comprises:
 enabling full functionality or normal operation of the oven appliance.   
     
     
         8 . The oven appliance of  claim 7 , wherein enabling full functionality or normal operation of the oven appliance comprises at least one of allowing oven control, allowing cooktop control, or enabling advanced oven features. 
     
     
         9 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the upper proximity reading is positive and the lower proximity reading is negative, or the upper proximity reading is negative and the lower proximity reading is positive, and implementing the responsive action comprises:
 implementing an oven appliance lockout.   
     
     
         10 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein implementing the oven appliance lockout comprises at least one of disabling oven control, locking an oven door, disabling a heating element of the one of more heating elements of the cooktop, or providing a user notification. 
     
     
         11 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the upper proximity reading is positive, the lower proximity reading is positive, and the controller is further configured to:
 determine that the upper proximity reading transitions from positive to negative while the lower proximity reading remains positive, and wherein implementing the responsive action comprises enabling an adult kneeling mode.   
     
     
         12 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , wherein determining that the upper proximity reading transitions from positive to negative while the lower proximity reading remains positive comprises:
 determining that the upper proximity reading is negative; and   determining that the upper proximity reading was positive within a prior predetermined time period.   
     
     
         13 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , wherein enabling the adult kneeling mode comprises at least one of turning on an oven light, turning on a door light, turning off a steam generator, turning off a convection fan, turning on an oven camera, turning one a door display screen, or slowing or disabling a cooling fan. 
     
     
         14 . A method of operating an oven appliance, the oven appliance comprising a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, a cooktop positioned at a top of the cabinet and comprising one or more heating elements, and a proximity sensing assembly defining an upper detection zone and a lower detection zone, the method comprising:
 obtaining an upper proximity reading in the upper detection zone using the proximity sensing assembly;   obtaining a lower proximity reading in the lower detection zone using the proximity sensing assembly; and   implementing a responsive action based on a combination of the upper proximity reading and the lower proximity reading.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the upper proximity reading is positive, the lower proximity reading is positive, and implementing the responsive action comprises:
 enabling full functionality or normal operation of the oven appliance.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein enabling full functionality or normal operation of the oven appliance comprises at least one of allowing oven control, allowing cooktop control, or enabling advanced oven features. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the upper proximity reading is positive and the lower proximity reading is negative, or the upper proximity reading is negative and the lower proximity reading is positive, and implementing the responsive action comprises:
 implementing an oven appliance lockout.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein implementing the oven appliance lockout comprises at least one of disabling oven control, locking an oven door, disabling a heating element of the one of more heating elements of the cooktop, or providing a user notification. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the upper proximity reading is positive, the lower proximity reading is positive, the method further comprising:
 determining that the upper proximity reading transitions from positive to negative while the lower proximity reading remains positive, and wherein implementing the responsive action comprises enabling an adult kneeling mode.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining that the upper proximity reading transitions from positive to negative while the lower proximity reading remains positive comprises:
 determining that the upper proximity reading is negative; and   determining that the upper proximity reading was positive within a prior predetermined time period.