Patent ID: 11867405
Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. A cooking appliance, comprising:
a support frame having front and rear portions spaced-apart from one another and interconnected by one or more interconnecting supports, wherein the front portion of the support frame includes first and second upright frame members spaced-apart from one another, wherein the rear portion of the support frame includes first and second upright frame members spaced-apart from one another and interconnected to one another by one or more cross members;
a cooking vessel received between the front and rear portions of the support frame and supported thereby, the cooking vessel having a front plate coupled to the first and second upright frame members of the front portion of the support frame, and a rear plate spaced-apart from the first and second upright frame members of the rear portion of the support frame to define a spacing therebetween, wherein the cooking vessel is operable between at-rest and expanded conditions, and further wherein the rear plate of the cooking vessel approaches the rear portion of the support frame when the cooking vessel moves from the at-rest condition to the expanded condition; and
at least one bracket interconnecting the rear portion of the support frame and the rear plate of the cooking vessel, wherein the at least one bracket includes a first mounting member directly coupled to the rear plate of the cooking vessel, a second mounting member directly coupled to one of the first and second upright frame members of the rear portion of the support frame and at least one flexibly resilient connecting member interconnecting the first and second mounting members, wherein the at least one flexibly resilient connecting member spans the spacing between the rear portion of the support frame and the rear plate of the cooking vessel, and further wherein the at least one flexibly resilient connecting member includes a first portion and a second portion with an intermediate portion disposed therebetween such that an angle formed between the first portion and the intermediate portion is an acute angle, and an angle formed between the second portion and the intermediate portion is an acute angle.