Domestic cooking appliance with embossed locking system for a gas flue

A domestic cooking appliance is provided. The appliance has an inner space for cooking a food item; a gas burner; an exhaust opening; and a gas flue for directing exhaust gases from the inner space to the exhaust opening. The gas flue has a first part having a plurality of embossed projections, and a first fastener hole; and a second part that attaches to the first part, the second part having a plurality of embossed recesses that engage the plurality of embossed projections, and a second fastener hole that aligns with the first fastener hole when the first part and the second part are in an assembled position. The first part and the second part form a first tubular flue section when they are attached to each other, and the first part has more embossed projections than it does fastener holes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a domestic cooking appliance having a gas flue that is assembled using an embossed locking system.

An example of an application for the invention is a domestic oven that uses gas for heating an inner space and has a flue that routs exhaust gasses out of the inner space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Some domestic cooking appliances have an inner space that receives a food item for heating. The heating can be done by, for example, electrical heating element or the burning of a gas fuel. In the case of heating with a gas fuel, the burnt exhaust gases, or other hot gases, sometimes need to be exhausted from the inner space.

In some such domestic cooking appliances, a flue or other exhaust conduit is provided to guide the exhaust or other hot gases from the inner space to one or more exhaust openings in the domestic cooking appliance. Often such a flue is constructed from multiple sheet metal pieces that are screwed or riveted together using many screws or rivets. Such a construction is time-consuming and expensive because it requires an assembler to locate and install the many screws or rivets while holding the multiple pieces in the correct position. The many screws or rivets also increases the chance of dropping one of the screws or rivets into the domestic cooking appliance during assembly.

In light of the above, there is a need for a system that quickly, easily, and precisely locates the parts of the flue relative to each other and locks the parts of the flue together using as few separate fasteners as possible.

SUMMARY

The invention achieves the benefit of providing a simple and cost effective system for assembling and fastening flue pieces to each other.

This benefit is achieved by providing embossed projections and corresponding embossed recesses on the various pieces of the flue so that the pieces can be snapped together and held in the proper relative position while one, or just a few, screws, rivets, or other fasteners are installed.

Particular embodiments of the invention are directed to a domestic cooking appliance having an inner space for cooking a food item. The domestic cooking appliance includes a gas burner that burns a fuel gas to produce heat inside the inner space of the domestic cooking appliance; an exhaust opening for exhausting exhaust gases from the inner space of the domestic cooking appliance; and a first gas flue for directing the exhaust gases from the inner space to the exhaust opening. The first gas flue has a first part having a plurality of embossed projections, and a first fastener hole; a second part that attaches to the first part, the second part having a plurality of embossed recesses that engage the plurality of embossed projections, and a second fastener hole that aligns with the first fastener hole when the first part and the second part are in an assembled position; and a fastener that extends through the first fastener hole and the second fastener hole and fastens the first part to the second part. The first part and the second part form a first tubular flue section when they are attached to each other, and the first part has more embossed projections than it does fastener holes.

Other embodiments of the invention are directed to a gas flue for a domestic cooking appliance, the domestic cooking appliance having an inner space for cooking a food item, a gas burner that burns a fuel gas to produce heat inside the inner space of the domestic cooking appliance, and an exhaust opening for exhausting exhaust gases from the inner space of the domestic cooking appliance. The gas flue includes a first part having a plurality of embossed projections, and a first fastener hole; a second part that attaches to the first part, the second part having a plurality of embossed recesses that engage the plurality of embossed projections, and a second fastener hole that aligns with the first fastener hole when the first part and the second part are in an assembled position; and a fastener that extends through the first fastener hole and the second fastener hole and fastens the first part to the second part. The first part and the second part form a first tubular flue section when they are attached to each other, the first part has more embossed projections than it does fastener holes, and the gas flue directs the exhaust gases from the inner space to the exhaust opening of the domestic cooking appliance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

As explained above, some domestic kitchens include a cooking appliance that has an inner space that receives a food item for cooking and this inner space is heated by burning a gas fuel. This burnt gas fuel, and other hot gases, often need to be exhausted from the inner space by way of a flue.

The drawings show an example of the invention that includes a gas flue having four major pieces that, when assembled, form a tubular duct for guiding the exhaust gases to an exhaust opening in the domestic cooking appliance.

FIGS. 1, 3 and 4show a first piece200that has a horizontal section210, a vertical section230, and a transition section220that connects horizontal section210and vertical section230. In this exemplary description, “vertical” and “horizontal” are used for clarity to describe particular pieces, but it is noted that the invention is not limited to these orientations. In this example, horizontal section210has side pieces212,214that extend at right angles from horizontal section210. Similarly, transition section220has side pieces222,224that extend at right angles from transition section220; and vertical section230has side pieces232,234that extend at right angles from vertical section230. Although the various side pieces extend at right angles in this example, other angles can also be used.

FIGS. 2, 5 and 6show a second piece300that has a horizontal section310, a vertical section330, and a transition section320that connects horizontal section310and vertical section330. Again, in this exemplary description, “vertical” and “horizontal” are used for clarity to describe particular pieces, but it is noted that the invention is not limited to these orientations. In this example, horizontal section310has side pieces312,314that extend at right angles from horizontal section310. Similarly, transition section320has side tabs322,324that extend at right angles from transition section320; and vertical section330has side pieces332,334that extend at right angles from vertical section330. Although the various side pieces and tabs extend at right angles in this example, other angles can also be used.

First piece200and second piece300attach to each other and resultant in a first tubular section of a flue that is shown inFIG. 9.

FIGS. 7 and 8show two more pieces of the exemplary flue shown inFIG. 9.FIG. 7shows a third piece400that has a vertical section410(that is vertical in the installed orientation shown inFIG. 9) that has side pieces442,444that extend at right angles from vertical section410. Third piece400also has two tabs420,430that extend at right angles from vertical section410.FIG. 8shows a fourth piece500that has a vertical section510(that is vertical in the installed orientation shown inFIG. 9) that has side pieces542,544that extend at right angles from vertical section510. Although the various side pieces and tabs extend at right angles in this example, other angles can also be used. As can be seen inFIG. 9, third piece400and fourth piece500attached to each other and result in a second tubular section of the flue.

As also shown inFIG. 9, an upper end of the second tubular section (formed by third piece400and fourth piece500) is received in an end of the first tubular section (formed by first piece200and second piece300).

FIG. 10shows a sectional view the flue that clearly shows the interaction between the first and second tubular sections. Also shown inFIG. 10is a plurality of exhaust openings in the domestic cooking appliance that are located at an upper and of the flue and to which exhaust gases are channeled by the flue. The lower end of the flue opens into the inner space of the domestic cooking appliance where a food item is heated. This configuration results in the flue forming a tubular conduit between the inner space and the exhaust openings. While this example shows one flue, it is recognize that two or more similar or identical flues can be used in a single domestic cooking appliance. For example,FIGS. 9 and 10show a flue offset to the right of center in a domestic cooking appliance that has an identical flue offset an identical amount to the left of center.FIGS. 9 and 10also show gas burners that are part of a cook top of the domestic cooking appliance. The gas burners and cook top are located above the majority of the flue, and in front of the exhaust outlets.

As shown in the Figures, the various pieces of the flue have embossed projections, embossed recesses, and fastening holes that interact with embossed recesses, embossed projections, and fastening holes of others of the various pieces.

For example,FIG. 2shows multiple embossed projections350that project toward an inside of second piece300.FIG. 1shows multiple embossed recesses250that receive embossed projections350. When second piece300is attached to first piece200, embossed projections350engage embossed recesses250to hold first piece200and second piece300in the correct position relative to each other while screws, rivets, or other fasteners are inserted through fastening holes260,360to secure second piece300to first piece200. While this example shows first piece200having embossed recesses and second piece300having embossed projections, it is noted that other examples of the invention provide embossed projections on first piece200and embossed recesses on second piece300or a combination of the two.

FIG. 7shows third piece400having on side piece442two embossed projections450that extend inward.FIG. 8shows two embossed recesses550that correspond to and receive embossed projections450.FIG. 8also shows a third embossed recess552that receives an embossed projection352of second piece300(shown inFIG. 5). When fourth piece500is attached to the third piece400, embossed projections450engage embossed recesses550to hold third piece400and fourth piece500in the correct position relative to each other while screws, rivets, or other fasteners are inserted through fastening holes460,566to secure fourth piece500to third piece400. Fastening hole564aligns with fastening hole362on second piece300so that a fastener can be inserted into fastening hole362and fastening hole564to attach fourth piece500to second piece300.

The above exemplary structure provides, through the use of a plurality of embossed projections and embossed recesses, a simple and effective way to securely assemble a gas flue by holding the various pieces of the gas flue in their correct relative positions while a small number of fasteners are installed.