Abstract:
A slide-in or drop-in cooking range includes an upper cooktop in the form of a module suspended above an oven cavity. For installation purposes, the upper cooktop can be vertically repositioned relative to the oven cavity to assure proper alignment with the countertop and avoid damage to the cooktop as a result of combined thermal and mechanical stresses over time. The disclosure is particularly applicable to ranges employing glass cooktops having a periphery designed to rest upon edge portions of a countertop and contemplates various mechanisms to perform the cooktop repositioning function, including select mechanisms for locking, ratcheting and biasing the cooktop to establish a desired vertical position for the cooktop.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure pertains to the art of cooking and, more particularly, to a range including a cabinet housing an oven and supporting, for relative vertical movement, a suspended cooktop. 
     2. Background 
     In the art of cooking, both slide-in and drop-in ranges are known. Basically, both types of ranges are designed to be situated in a space or cut-out provided along a length of a kitchen countertop, with the cut-out including an open front provided between lower cabinetry in the case of a slide-in range. In either case, the range includes at least one oven cavity supported within a cabinet, as well as a cooktop fixedly mounted to the cabinet. In many situations, the cooktop of the range is configured to extend over edge portions of the countertop about the cut-out, such as with slide-in or drop-in ranges including glass cooktops. Under these circumstances, the range must be positioned relative to two horizontal surfaces, i.e., the floor and the upper countertop surfaces, with a rather low level of tolerance. With the oven cavity and the cooktop both being fixed relative to the cabinet and each other, any vertical repositioning is accomplished through adjustable feet which enable the oven cavity and cooktop to be selectively raised or lowered in unison. 
     Even though countertops are generally manufactured in standard heights, this mounting configuration must take into account variable factors, including thermal and mechanical loadings, which can result in varying assembly dimensions. For instance, even if the floor and the countertop are initially level such that the range can be properly adjusted when initially installed, various factors can alter this configuration such that the distance from the floor to the top surface of the countertop can change over time. These variations can place damaging loads on the cooktop, particularly in the case of a range with a glass cooktop. 
     With the above in mind, it is desired in accordance with the present disclosure to provide a range including a cooktop module which can be vertically adjusted relative to a remainder of the range, thereby enabling the cooktop to readily accommodate for manufacturing and operating variations. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure is directed to a slide-in or drop-in cooking range including a cooktop which is suspended above an oven such that the cooktop can be vertically shifted relative to the oven in order to accommodate varying height requirements. More specifically, the cooktop takes the form of a module which can be initially supported at a height above a final installation position and, following installation and leveling of the overall range relative to a kitchen floor, lowered to a position either aligned with or upon an adjacent kitchen countertop. For shipping purposes, the cooktop module can be retained in a fixed height position through a locking mechanism which is released to permit the desired relative vertical adjustment. 
     In accordance with the disclosure, the range can be properly positioned relative to adjacent cabinetry and the cooktop separately aligned with the countertop in a manner which eliminates or reduces loading on the cooktop as a result of combined thermal and mechanical stresses. The disclosure contemplates various locking and adjusting mechanisms to perform the cooktop positioning function, including a removable locking pin which, when released, allows the cooktop to move down under its own weight, a screw or ratcheting mechanism providing select vertical adjustment, and the use of a cooktop biasing arrangement which provides for vertically shifting of the cooktop against an established spring force. 
     Additional objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the disclosure when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a range incorporating the adjustable cooktop of the present disclosure shown positioned along kitchen cabinetry; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a range with a suspended cooktop constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a range with a suspended cooktop constructed in accordance with another embodiment; and 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a range with a suspended cooktop constructed in accordance with a further embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With initial reference to  FIG. 1 , a cooking appliance taking the form of a free-standing, slide-in range  2  is shown positioned in a cut-out or opening  5  provided in a countertop  8  and between adjacent lower cabinetry  12  and  13 . Countertop  8  has an upper surface  17  which extends between upstanding rear and side walls  21  and  22  respectively. Range  2  includes a cabinet  30  which supports an oven cavity  33  located behind a door  35  having a handle  18  and a window  40 . In a manner known in the art, door  35  can be pivoted to access oven cavity  33  of range  2 . Also, as shown, range  2  includes a lower drawer  44  for use in storing pans and the like. 
     Within the scope of the disclosure, range  2  can take on various forms. In the embodiment illustrated, range  2  includes an upper control panel  51  having an angled front face  53 . Provided along angled front face  53  is a central oven control section  58  that includes a display  60  and a set of control buttons or pads  62 . Although not considered part of the present disclosure, for the sake of completeness, display  60  and the set of control buttons or pads  62  enable programming functions for range  2 , including setting desired cooking operations and times for oven cavity  33 , clock settings and the like. In addition, control panel  51  is shown provided with a plurality of control knobs  70 - 73  for regulating operation of upper heating elements  80 - 83  arranged about an upper panel  88  of a cooktop  92  of range  2 . 
     At this point, it should be noted that cooktop  92  can take various forms. For instance, in certain embodiments, upper panel  88  is represented by a glass or ceramic/glass cooktop surface, but could also be formed of other materials. In addition, heating elements  80 - 83  are depicted as electric induction heating elements, but could be constituted by various known heating elements, including electric resistance-type heating elements and even gas burners, either mounted above or below upper panel  88 . For example, range  2  could be defined by a gas cooking range with a gas-under-glass cooktop. In addition, range  2  need not be a slide-in range, but could also be a drop-in range without departing from the disclosure. In either case, range  2  is supported upon a floor  95  and can be provided with leg levelers, such as represented by front leg levelers  97  and  98 , each of which includes a threaded shaft  99  and a base or foot  100 , which can be used to vertically adjust cabinet  30  and cooktop  92  simultaneously relative to countertop  8 . Such leg leveler arrangements are widely known in the art of appliances, including ranges, dishwashers and refrigerators. 
     In general, the construction and operation of cooking appliance  2  as described until this point is known in the art such that this description has merely been provided for the sake of completeness. To this end, additional details of the construction or operation will not be provided here. However, as will be detailed more fully below, unlike a conventional range, cooktop  92  takes the form of a module which can be vertically repositioned relative to cabinet  30  and oven cavity  33 . More specifically, with reference to one embodiment of the disclosure as shown in  FIG. 2 , cabinet  30  is shown to include side panels, one of which is indicated at  102 , as well as an upper support  106  having upstanding side portions, one of which is indicated at  110 . In addition, the cooktop module includes control panel  51 , panel  88  with the plurality of heating elements  80 - 83  and side walls, one of which is indicated at  115 . Each side wall  115  is provided with a pair of fore-to-aft spaced and vertically extending slots  118  and  119 . Extending through each slot  118 ,  119  and threadably attached to an upstanding side portion  110  of support  106  is a respective mechanical fastener  122 ,  123 , such as a sheet metal screw. 
     With this arrangement, cooktop  92  can be selectively adjusted vertically relative to cabinet  30  and oven cavity  33 . That is, in the position shown in this figure, cooktop  92  is in a raised position relative to cabinet  30  and oven cavity  33 . However, by loosening fasteners  122  and  123 , the cooktop module can be vertically adjusted relative to these components. Therefore, the front and rear leg levelers, including leg levelers  97  and  98 , can be used to initially level the overall range  2  relative to floor  95 , however these levelers need not be relied upon to assure that plate  88  is at an appropriate height to extend over edge portions, such as indicated at  125  in  FIG. 1 , of countertop  8 . Instead, the attachment of the cooktop module to cabinet  30  establishes a locking and adjusting mechanism interconnecting cooktop  92  to cabinet  30  while permitting cooktop  92  to be vertically shifted relative to oven cavity  33 . To this end, a separate, dedicated vertical adjustment can be made to assure that cooktop  92  is properly positioned relative to countertop  8  in order to prevent any damaging loading of cooktop  92 , particularly in the case where range  2  includes a glass cooktop  92 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment of a slide-in range  2 , fasteners  122  and  123  on each side of range  2  will be initially tightened to maintain cooktop  92  in a lowered position for packing and shipping purposes. However, when it is desired to install range  2  within cut-out  5  between cabinetry  12  and  13 , the height of cooktop  92  can be readily adjusted to a desired level and then retained in that position through fasteners  122  and  123  prior to sliding range  2  into position. In the alternative, fasteners  122  and  123  can be simply released so as to remain in a loosened condition, whereupon panel  88  of cooktop  92  will rest upon edge portions  125  of countertop  8  due to gravity. 
     At this point it should be realized that a wide range of mechanisms could be employed to interconnect cooktop  92  to cabinet  30  while permitting cooktop  92  to be vertically shifted relative to oven cavity  33 . To this end, reference will now be made to another embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  which employs another potential locking and adjusting mechanism. As shown, each side wall  115  of the cooktop module is provided with a side extension plate  130 . Provided at varying height positions on side extension plate  130  are a plurality of spaced notch elements, such as indicated at  134 . Each notch element  134  is shown to include a sloped or angled surface portion  136  and a catch portion  138 . Notch elements  134  can be integrally formed with side extension plate  130 , such as being stamped therein, or formed on a separate bracket attached to side extension plate  130 . In either case, notch elements  134  cooperate with a bar  141  to establish a locking and adjusting mechanism for cooktop  92 . 
     More specifically, bar  141  includes a first end portion  143  which is received in and pivotally supported by a sleeve member  145  attached to cabinet  30 , and a second end portion  148  which is shown to include a closed end loop  150  and can also be attached to cabinet  30  through a mechanical fastener  151 . Between first and second end portions  143  and  148 , bar  141  is formed with fore-to-aft spaced offset sections  152  and  153  which are aligned with spaced rows of notch elements  134 . With this arrangement, cooktop  92  can be fixed in various vertically spaced positions, with offset sections  152  and  153  of bar  141  engaging with catch portions  138  of respective notch elements  134 . Given the inclusion of sloped or angled surface portions  136 , this arrangement also advantageously establishes a ratcheting function. That is, with first end portion  143  of bar  141  within sleeve member  145  and second end portion  148  of bar  141  secured to cabinet  30  with mechanical fastener  151 , bar  141  will be biased against side extension plate  130  and will frictionally hold cooktop  92  in an established vertical position between respective sets of spaced notch elements  134 . However, from a raised position, cooktop  92  can be pushed downward, causing offset sections  152  and  153  to ride upon sloped or angled surface portions  136  of the notch elements  134  and then snap back against side extension plate  130  after passing respective catch portions  138 . Therefore, this arrangement advantageously enables range  2  to be initially slid into position within cut-out  5  of countertop  8  and then cooktop  92  can be lowered onto top surface  17  of countertop  8  by simply pushing down upon panel  88 . Certainly, without departing from the spirit of the disclosure, various types of ratcheting mechanisms could be employed for this purpose. In addition, it should be realized that, instead of ratcheting to a lowered position, the cooktop module could be ratcheted to a raised position. 
       FIG. 4  depicts a still further exemplary embodiment wherein cooktop  92  can be locked in a desired position for packaging and shipping purposes, yet biased into engagement with countertop  8  upon installation. To this end, this embodiment provides a pin  155  which can be inserted through an aperture  157  formed in side extension plate  130  and an aligned opening  160  formed in side panel  102  of cabinet  30  to lock cooktop  92  in a desired vertical position. If a series of locking positions are desired, side extension plate  130  and/or side panel  102  can be provided with various vertically spaced apertures  157  or openings  160  respectively for alignment and receipt of pin  155 . 
     Also, in accordance with this embodiment, cabinet  30  is provided with corner extended portions, such as indicated at  165 , each of which terminates in an in-turned flange  167 . Fixedly secured and extending down from plate  88  of cooktop  92  at the corner portions is a shaft  170  which terminates in an enlarged head  173 . Shaft  170  extends through an opening  177  formed in in-turned flange  167 . In addition, a spring  182  is positioned between in-turned flange  167  and enlarged head  173 . With this arrangement, spring  182  biases cooktop  92  relative to cabinet  30 . In the embodiment shown, each spring  182  constitutes a tension spring which provides a biasing force for retaining panel  88  against top surface  17  of countertop  8 . However, it should be understood that a compression spring could also act between cooktop  92  and cabinet  30  and used in combination with a locking arrangement, such as pin  155 , to establish an overall locking and adjusting mechanism. 
     Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the disclosure provides a cooktop module which is suspended upon a lower cabinet of a range and can be selectively, vertically adjusted or locked relative to the cabinet. The disclosed cooktop module is particularly applicable for use on both slide-in and drop-in ranges. In any case, although described with respect to the various embodiments of the disclosure, it should be readily apparent that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, the cabinet of the range can include side panels or take the form of an open framework cabinet, particularly when the sides of the range will be completely recessed behind adjacent cabinetry so that the sides are not visible once the range is fully installed. In addition, the control panel for the range can be provided as part of the cooktop module as set forth above, particularly given the ability to utilize flexible electrical wiring or gas lines, or mounted on the cabinet, such as along a front surface above an oven door and below the cooktop. In any event, the disclosure is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.