Gas electric range apparatus

A range structure is arranged to include a housing having a housing top wall, having a plurality of burner assemblies, with each burner assembly including a gas burner head mounting an annular electric cooking ring thereon. Each gas burner head includes an annular array of gas ports, as well as a plurality of support boss plugs projecting beyond the gas ports for support of an associated cooking ring. The baking cavity of the housing includes respective roof and floor plates having respective electric and gas members to permit the selective baking and broiling of food components in the baking cavity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The field of invention relates to cooking apparatus, and more particularly 
pertains to a new and improved gas electric range apparatus wherein the 
same permits the selective employment of gas or electricity as a cooking 
fuel. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
A gas electric range cooking structure is indicated in the prior art in 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,723, wherein a plurality of cooking heads are arranged 
with electric resistance elements contained therewithin. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,835 sets forth an electric switch structure for use in 
a gas range burner. 
Employment of a dual fuel cooking structure is desirable in the prior art, 
particularly for use in recreational vehicle environments wherein 
typically propane gas is availed for cooking, but wherein electric energy 
is availed at various locations for use with a typical R.V., wherein upon 
availability of such electricity, the use of electricity as a cooking 
energy is desirable for convenience and versatility of the cooking 
structure and in this respect, the present invention substantially 
fulfills this need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
cooking apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides a gas electric range apparatus wherein the same permits the 
selective use of flammable gas or electricity as a cooking energy. As 
such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be 
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved 
gas electric range apparatus which has all the advantages of the prior art 
cooking apparatus and none of the disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention provides a range structure arranged 
to include a housing having a housing top wall, having a plurality of 
burner assemblies, with each burner assembly including a gas burner head 
mounting an annular electric cooking ring thereon. Each gas burner head 
includes an annular array of gas ports, as well as a plurality of support 
boss plugs projecting beyond the gas ports for support of an associated 
cooking ring. The baking cavity of the housing includes respective roof 
and floor plates having respective electric and gas members to permit the 
selective baking and broiling of food components in the baking cavity. 
My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in 
the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed and 
it is distinguished from the prior art in this particular combination of 
all of its structures for the functions specified. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which 
this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved gas electric range apparatus which has all the advantages of the 
prior art cooking apparatus and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
gas electric range apparatus which may be easily and efficiently 
manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved gas electric range apparatus which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved gas electric range apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost 
of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which 
accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming 
public, thereby making such gas electric range apparatus economically 
available to the buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved gas electric range apparatus which provides in the apparatuses 
and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 8 
thereof, a new and improved gas electric range apparatus embodying the 
principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated 
by the reference numeral 10 will be described. 
More specifically, the gas electric range apparatus 10 of the invention 
essentially comprises a cooking range housing 11, having respective first 
and second side walls 12 and 13, a rear wall 14 projecting orthogonally 
above a cooking top wall 15, with a front wall 24 having a front wall door 
25 accessed to a baking cavity 26 within the housing. A plurality of 
burner heads are provided recessed below the top wall, having respective 
first, second, third, and fourth gas burner heads 16, 17, 18, and 19 
respectively. Each of the burner heads (see FIG. 4) includes a burner head 
top wall 33 having an annular array of gas ports 34 projecting 
orthogonally above the top wall, wherein spaced support boss plugs 36 
project above the gas ports 34 in an annular array within the annular 
array of gas ports 34. In this manner, each of the burner heads 16-19 
mounts a respective first through fourth annular cooking ring 20, 21, 22, 
and 23 respectively. In this manner, the burner rings are arranged in a 
spaced orientation above the gas ports in use. Electrical communication of 
the cooking rings 20-23 and pneumatic communication of the burner heads 
16-19 are provided in a conventional manner operative through conventional 
controls arranged for positioning upon the rear wall 14 projecting above 
the top wall 15. 
The baking cavity 26 includes a roof plate 27 spaced from and parallel a 
floor plate 30, wherein the roof plate 27 includes an electrical 
resistance broiling coil 28 (see FIG. 5) wound about a first apertured gas 
conduit 29, with the gas conduit 29 and the electrical resistance broiling 
coil 28 arranged in a substantially coplanar relationship parallel to the 
roof plate 27. Positioned in parallel adjacency to the floor plate 30 are 
a plurality of parallel apertured gas conduits 31 arranged at an equal 
distance relative to one another, having an electrical resistance broiling 
coil 32 directed thereabout. 
Further as indicated in FIG. 8, it should be noted that ceramic coatings 36 
are employed by the electrical interconnection of the electrical 
connections to the cooking rings for safety and longevity in use. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further 
discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant 
invention shall be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.