Abstract:
A method for guiding air into a cooktop to supply air to at least one gas cooking element to produce a flame is provided. The cooktop includes a front edge, a rear edge and two side edges extending therebetween. The cooktop has a gap along at least one of the front edge, the rear edge, and the two side edges. The method includes providing a louver and attaching the louver to at least one of the front edge, the rear edge, and the two side edge for guiding air into the gap of at least one of the front edge, the rear edge, and the two side edges.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to gas cooking appliances, and, more particularly, to an air-inlet assembly for a cooking appliance. 
     Gas fired stoves, ovens, and ranges typically include one or more gas heating elements coupled to a main gas line to the appliance and providing fuel to the heating elements, sometimes referred to as burners. In a domestic range, a gas line is connected to a distribution manifold within the appliance to direct gas to a plurality of surface burner elements on a cooktop or to baking elements within an oven cavity. Operation of the burners and cooking elements is usually accomplished with burner control knobs mounted on the front wall of the appliance in front of the cooktop. Below each knob is a circular orifice, which allows air to pass down into the burner box of the cooktop. When a control knob is actuated, fuel is supplied to associated heating elements and an ignition module creates a spark to ignite the gas and produce a flame. 
     Electronic, touch sensitive, glass control interfaces are becoming increasingly popular in modern range ovens to control a variety of cooking elements, including but not limited to a bake element and a broil element in a cabinet cooking cavity. Known electronic controls have facilitated oven features and modes of baking operation not found in conventional mechanically controlled ranges. By implementing a glass touch control on a gas cooktop, the primary source of air for the burner box no longer exists. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     In one aspect, a method for guiding air into a cooktop to supply air to at least one gas cooking element to produce a flame is provided. The cooktop includes a front edge, a rear edge and two side edges extending therebetween. The cooktop has a gap along at least one of the front edge, the rear edge, and the two side edges. The method includes providing a louver and attaching the louver to at least one of the front edge, the rear edge, and the two side edge for guiding air into the gap of at least one of the front edge, the rear edge, and the two side edges. 
     In another aspect, an air input system for a gas cooktop of a cooking apparatus is provided. The gas cooktop includes at least one gas cooking element, a front edge, a rear edge, and two side edges extending therebetween. At least one of the front edge, rear edge, and the two side edges form a gap so as to provide air to the at least one gas cooking element. The air input system includes an airfoil portion having a top surface and a bottom surface extending between a first end and a second end. The airfoil portion guides air into the gap. The air input system further includes an attachment portion having a lip extending from the bottom surface so as to form a groove between the airfoil and the lip. The groove is sized to receive at least one of the front edge, the rear edge and the two side edges. 
     In a further aspect, a gas cooking apparatus is provided. The gas cooking apparatus includes a gas cooktop having a front edge, a rear edge, and two side edges extending therebetween, at least one gas cooking element, a gas line supplying gas to the at least one gas cooking element and a louver coupled to at least one of the front edge, rear edge, and the two side edges. The louver includes includes an airfoil portion having a top surface and a bottom surface extending between a first end and a second end. The airfoil portion configured to guide air into the gap. The air input system further includes an attachment portion having a lip extending from the bottom surface so as to form a groove between the airfoil and the lip. The groove is sized to receive at least one of the front edge, the rear edge and the two side edges. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary free standing gas range. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of a louver attached to the gas range shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the louver. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The term cooktop as used herein refers to a cooking system that includes at least one gas heating element or burner. A cooktop system can be a stand-alone unit that is mounted, for example, on a kitchen countertop. A cooktop system also can be integrated with an oven to form a range. Ranges including cooktop systems and stand alone cooktop systems are commercially available from the GE Appliances business, Louisville, Kentucky, of General Electric Company. 
     Cooktop systems typically have a generally planar glass-ceramic or porcelain cooking surface with heating units located just below the cooking surface. Each heating unit, or heater, is operable at various power levels. Prior to operation, a user typically positions a pot or pan containing food on the glass cooking surface over a heater to be operated and selects, via a user interface, a desired power level for the heating element. The cooktop system responds by supplying power (i.e. Gas) to the selected heating element in accordance with the user selected power level. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a gas cooking appliance in the form of a free standing gas range  10  including an outer body or cabinet  12  that incorporates a generally rectangular cooktop  14 . FIG. 2 is a side view of cooktop  14 . An oven  15  is positioned below cooktop  14  and has a front-opening access door  16 . Cooktop  14  has a front edge  20 , a rear edge  22  and side edges  24  and  26  extending between front edge  20  and rear edge  22 . A range backsplash  28  extends upward of rear edge  22  of cooktop  14  and contains various control selectors (not shown) for selecting operative features of heating elements for cooktop  14  and the oven. It is contemplated that the benefits of the present invention are applicable, not only to cooktops which form the upper portion of a range, such as range  10 , but to other forms of cooktops as well, such as, but not limited to, countertops that are mounted to kitchen counters. Therefore, gas range  10  is provided by way of illustration rather than limitation, and accordingly there is no intention to limit application of the present invention to any particular appliance or cooktop, such as range  10  or cooktop  14 . In addition, it is contemplated that the benefits of the present invention are applicable to dual fuel cooking appliances, e.g., a gas cooktop with an electric oven. 
     Cooktop  14  includes four gas fueled cooking elements or burners  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36  which are positioned in spaced apart pairs  30 ,  32  and  34 ,  36  positioned adjacent each side of cooktop  14 . Each pair of burners  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36  is surrounded by a recessed area (not shown in FIG. 1) respectively, of cooktop  14 . The recessed areas are positioned below an upper surface  38  of cooktop  14  and serve to catch any spills from cooking utensils being used with cooktop  14 . Each burner  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36  extends upwardly through an opening in cooktop  14 , and a grate assembly  40  is positioned over each respective pair of burners  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36 . Typically, each of the burners  30 ,  32 ,  34  and  36  of cooktop  14  are connected by a gas line (not shown) to a manifold (not shown). The construction and operation of the range heating elements, including cooktop gas burners are believed to be within the purview of those in the art without further discussion. 
     In one embodiment, an input interface panel  44  includes a display  46  and a plurality of input selectors  47  in the form of touch sensitive buttons or keypads for accessing and selecting oven features. In alternative embodiments, other known input selectors are used in lieu of touch sensitive switches. 
     Unlike burner control knob type ovens, input interface panel  44  does not have orifices to allow air to enter a burner box  48  underneath cooktop  14 . Therefore, front edge  20  of cooktop  14  is shortened with respect to cabinet  12  defining a gap  49  between front edge  20  and cabinet  12 . Gap  49  permits air to enter burner box  48  so as to mix with the gas to ignite and produce a flame. 
     In the exemplary of FIG. 2, a louver  50  is fitted on front edge  20  of cooktop  14 . Louver  50  guides air through gap  49  to provide air to the burner box  48  of cooktop 
     In one embodiment, at least one of side edges  24  and  26  is shortened with respect to cabinet  12  and louver  50  is mounted on at least one of side edges  24  and  26 . In another embodiment, rear edge  22  is shortened with respect to cabinet  12  and louver  50  is mounted on rear edge  22 . In another embodiment, louver  50  is made of stainless steel. In another embodiment, louver  50  is made of plastic. In one embodiment, louver  50  is secured to at least one of front edge  20 , rear edge  22 , and side edges  24  and  26  by an adhesive or a fastener. 
     Louver  50  has an airfoil portion  52  and an attachment portion  54 . Airfoil portion  52  has a first end  56 , a second end  58 , a top surface  60 , and a bottom surface  62 . Top and bottom surfaces  60  and  62  extend between first and second end  56  and  58 . In one embodiment, at least one of top and bottom surface  60  and  62  is curved. 
     Attachment portion  54  has a support member  70  extending from bottom surface  62  of airfoil portion  52 . In one embodiment, support member  70  extends substantially perpendicular from bottom surface  62 . Attachment portion  54  has a lip  72  extending substantially perpendicular to support member  70  so as to form a groove  74  between lip  72  and first end  56  of airfoil portion  52 . As shown in FIG. 2, bottom surface  62  guides air, indicated by arrow  76 , into and through gap  49  providing air to burner box  48 . In one embodiment, louver  50  is a vent allowing excess heat to exhaust from burner box  48 . 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of louver  50 . In the exemplary embodiment, louver  50  is elongate with side walls  80  and  82  at opposing ends  84  and  86 . Sidewalls  80  and  82  prevent food and liquid from entering the burner box of cooktop  14 . Lip  72  extends substantially along the length of louver  50 . In one embodiment, louver  50  has at least one section along the length of louver  50  without airfoil portion  52  to accommodate various cooktop designs or structures, such as grate assembly  40 . In another embodiment, louver  50  has at least one section along the length of louver  50  without attachment portion  54  to accommodate various cooktop designs or structures. In a further embodiment, first end  56  of airfoil portion  52  has at least one cutout section to accommodate various cooktop designs or structures. 
     The above described louver directs air to the burner box thereby supplying sufficient air to ignite and produce a flame. In addition, the louver prevents food or liquid from entering the burner box. As a result, the louver improves the performance of a gas unit and improves the cleanability of the cooktop in a cost effective and time-saving manner. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.