Abstract:
A cooking appliance includes an upper housing having a first heating plate and a lower housing having a second heating plate. A handle is connected to the upper housing and is operable to move the upper housing between an open position and a closed position. The cooking appliance further includes a drip tray that is slidably received in said lower housing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to cooking appliances and, more particularly, to a siding drip tray assembly for a cooking appliance. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cooking appliances, and in particular electric grilling devices such as griddles, are known. These grilling/griddle devices typically have a lower housing having a lower cooking surface and an upper housing having an upper cooking surface, wherein the cooking surfaces are typically heated by an electrical resistance heater. A handle attached to the upper housing allows a user to raise and lower the upper housing relative to the lower housing to accommodate a food item therebetween to be heated. 
     While existing grilling devices are generally suitable for what is regarded as ordinary performance, there is room for improvement in terms of cleanliness and convenience. As will be readily appreciated, while existing grills may include a drip tray that is manually positionable to collect drippings or run off of cooking juices from the front of the lower cooking surface, drippings from the upper grill surface can create an undesirable mess. In particular, especially when in the partially open position or fully open position, the run off of cooking juices from the rear edge of the upper cooking surface typically is not collected and instead finds its way to a countertop or other surface on which the grill is placed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooking appliance having a sliding drip tray assembly. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a cooking appliance having a sliding drip tray assembly that collects the run off of cooking juices. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a cooking appliance having a sliding drip tray assembly that automatically extends from a lower housing of the cooking appliance when the cooking appliance is in an open position. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a cooking appliance having a sliding drip tray assembly that automatically retracts into the lower housing when the cooking appliance is closed. 
     These and other objects are achieved by the present invention. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a cooking appliance includes an upper housing having a first heating plate and a lower housing having a second heating plate. A handle is connected to the upper housing and the lower housing and is operable to selectively move the upper housing in relation to the lower housing. The grill further includes a drip tray that is slidably received in said lower housing. 
     In another embodiment, a method for catching run off of cooking juices from a cooking appliance having an upper housing having an upper cooking plate and a lower housing having a lower cooking plate is provided. The method includes the steps of raising the upper housing to an open position and extending a drip tray from the lower housing to a position beneath a rear edge of the upper cooking plate. 
     According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a cooking appliance is provided. The cooking appliance includes an upper housing, a lower housing and a handle connected to the upper housing and movable between a lowered position and a raised position. The cooking appliance further includes a drip tray slidably received in the lower housing. The drip tray is configured to automatically extend from the lower housing when the handle is moved from the lowered position to the raised position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective front view of a cooking appliance in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective rear view of the cooking appliance of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective side view of the cooking appliance of  FIG. 1 , shown in a closed position. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective side view of the cooking appliance of  FIG. 1 , shown in a partially open position and illustrating the extension of an auto-slide drip tray in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective side view of the cooking appliance of  FIG. 1 , shown in a fully open position and illustrating the extension of an auto-slide drip tray in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a pulley mechanism of the auto-slide drip tray. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of the pulley mechanism of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the auto-slide drip tray in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective bottom view of the cooking appliance of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the position of the auto-slide drip tray. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a cooking appliance  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown therein, the cooking appliance  10  generally takes the form of a countertop grill and includes a lower housing  12  having a lower cooking plate  14  and an upper housing  16  having an upper cooking plate  18 . The upper housing  16  is operatively connected to the lower housing  12  via opposed frame members  20  extending from the lower housing  16 . In particular, as shown therein, the upper housing  16  rides in a guide track  22  in the frame members  20 . A handle  24  attached to the upper housing  16  allows a user to raise and lower the upper housing in the guide track in order to selectively position the grill  10  in a closed position, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a partially open position, as shown in  FIG. 4 , and a fully open position, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 5 , the cooking plates  14 ,  18  have sidewalls that function to retain the run off of cooking juices when in a generally horizontal position (i.e., when in the closed/cooking position shown in  FIG. 3  or the fully open position shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
     With particular reference to  FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 , the grill  10  also includes a drip tray  26  slidably received in a rear of the lower housing  12 . As shown therein, the drip tray  26  is configured to automatically extend from the lower housing  12 , in the direction of arrow A, when the handle  24  is raised so as to catch any run off of cooking juices from the upper cooking plate  18 . Similarly, the drip tray  26  is configured to retract into the lower housing  12  when the handle  24  is lowered. Importantly, the drip tray  26  is configured to automatically extend from the lower housing  12  to catch the run off of cooking juices when the grill is in the partially open position, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The drip tray  26  is automatically extendable and retractable from the lower housing  12  upon raising and lowering of the handle  24 , respectively, via a pulley mechanism  28 . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the pulley mechanism  28  includes pulleys  30 ,  32  at opposed distal ends of the handle  24 . A wire  34  extends from one of the pulleys  30 ,  32 , past a series of smaller pulleys  36 , and to the other of the pulleys  30 ,  32 . The distal ends of the wire  34  are releasably secured to each of the pulleys  30 ,  32  to effect extension and retraction of the drop tray  26 , as discussed hereinafter. At an approximate midpoint along the length of the wire  34 , a generally rectangular slide  38  is fixedly secured to the wire  34 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , the drip tray  26  is generally rectangular in shape and includes a pair of tabs  40  having an aperture therethrough formed on the bottom of the drip tray  26 . As best shown in the enlarged illustration of  FIG. 9 , the slide  38  is retained between the tabs  40  and the wire  34  is provided through the apertures in the tabs  40 , which integrates the drip tray  26  with the pulley mechanism  28 . 
     In operation, as the handle  24  is lifted from the closed position of  FIG. 3  towards the intermediate/partially open position of  FIG. 4 , the pulley  32  releases the wire  34  such that it may be unrolled therefrom, while pulley  30  rolls the wire up. As shown in  FIG. 7 , this causes movement of the wire in the direction of the arrows, and causes the slide  38  to move therewith. As the slide  38  is fixed between the tabs  40  on the bottom of the drip tray  26 , the drip tray  26  moves with the slide  38 . As such, as the handle  24  is lifted, the movement of wire  34 , and the slide  38  pushes the drip tray  26  out of the lower housing  12  to its extended position, where it serves to catch run off of cooking juices from the upper cooking plate  18 . 
     Conversely, when the handle  24  is lowered towards the closed position of  FIG. 3 , pulley  30  releases the wire  34  such that it may be unrolled therefrom, while pulley  32  rolls the wire up. As will be readily appreciated, this causes the wire  34 , and thus the slide  38 , to travel in the opposite direction, thereby pulling the drip tray  26  into the lower housing  12 . 
     As disclosed above, the drip tray  26  is automatically extendable from the lower housing  12  when the grill  10  is opened, thereby obviating the need for a user to clean the countertop after use or to manually position a drip tray to catch cooking juice run off. Likewise, the drip tray  26  automatically retracts into the lower housing  12  when the grill is closed, for compact storage. Accordingly, the grill of the present invention provides a degree of convenience and cleanliness heretofore not seen in the art. 
     Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.