Patent Publication Number: US-11653761-B2

Title: Removable appliance door with repeatable alignment

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to a domestic cooking appliance. More particularly, embodiments of the invention are directed to an appliance having a door that is removable and has an alignment feature that provides repeatable alignment when the door is removed and reattached. 
     An example of an application for the invention is a domestic kitchen oven having a warming drawer with a removable door skin. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Some modern domestic kitchens include appliances such as, for example, ovens and ranges that have one or more doors and/or drawers for heating compartments, warming drawers, etc. The door skins of each of these doors/drawers preferably are aligned with each other to give a high-quality appearance to the appliance. 
     Applicants recognized an improvement to the above arrangement and implement that improvement in embodiments of the invention. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention achieves the benefit of providing an attachment mechanism for easily attaching a door skin to, for example, a drawer so that proper alignment of the door skin with other portions of the appliance can be achieved. A door skin of, for example, a warming drawer may need to be removed for shipping of the appliance to its installation site for various reasons. For example, an appliance with a door skin in place may be too large to fit through a standard residential doorway due to, for example, the handle that is part of the door skin. In this case, the door skin may be removed from a rear portion of the drawer prior to shipping to provide an appliance that can fit through a standard residential doorway. This can present a problem for the installer of the appliance because it may be difficult for them to adjust the door skin so as to align the door skin with other portions of the appliance (other door skins, for example). 
     Embodiments of the invention address this problem by providing an attachment mechanism for attaching the door skin to the rear portion of the drawer where the alignment can be performed and the door skin removed prior to shipping. The door skin can then be easily attached (without requiring any alignment) to the rear portion of the drawer after the appliance is installed, or at least after it has been located in the kitchen. 
     Particular embodiments of the invention are directed to a domestic appliance having a width in a horizontal direction and a height in a vertical direction. The appliance includes a main housing; and a first door attached to the main housing. The first door has a rear portion, the rear portion being positionally fixed in the horizontal direction relative to the housing, a door retainer attachable to the rear portion such that the door retainer is locatable at a plurality of different positions relative to the rear portion, and a door skin, the door skin being removably attached to the door retainer. 
     In some embodiments, the door skin is attachable to the door retainer such that the door skin is locatable in only one position in the horizontal direction relative to the door retainer. 
     Other embodiments of the invention are directed to a drawer for a domestic appliance, the domestic appliance having a main housing. The drawer includes a compartment portion, the compartment portion being configured to slidably attach to the main housing of the domestic appliance; a door retainer plate attachable to the compartment portion such that the door retainer plate is locatable at a plurality of different positions relative to the compartment portion; and a door skin, the door skin being removably attached to the door retainer plate. The door skin is attachable to the door retainer plate such that the door skin is locatable in only one position relative to the door retainer plate. 
     In some embodiments the door skin is removable from the door retainer plate while maintaining a position of the door retainer plate relative to the rear portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following figures form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the disclosed features and functions, and should not be used to limit or define the disclosed features and functions. Consequently, a more complete understanding of the exemplary embodiments and further features and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a front perspective view of an exemplary appliance in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a front view of the appliance shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a front perspective view of an exemplary drawer in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG.  4    is a rear perspective view of the drawer shown in  FIG.  3   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a rear perspective view of the drawer shown in  FIG.  3    with the door skin in a partially removed state; 
         FIG.  6    is a rear perspective view of the door portion of the drawer shown in  FIG.  3    with the door skin in a partially removed state; 
         FIG.  7    is a rear view of a portion of the door shown in  FIG.  6   ; 
         FIG.  8    is a front view of the drawer shown in  FIG.  3   ; and 
         FIG.  9    is a sectional view taken along section line IX-IX in  FIG.  8   . 
     
    
    
     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, embodiments of the invention provide an improvement to a domestic oven or other appliance. 
       FIGS.  1  and  2    show an example of an appliance  100  in accordance with embodiments of the invention. In this example, appliance  100  has a cook top  110  located on an upper portion of appliance  100 . In this example, appliance  100  has three heating compartments including a main oven  200 , a secondary oven  300 , and a warming drawer  400 . Other examples have a different number and/or configuration of heating compartments and/or other compartments. Each of main oven  200 , secondary oven  300 , and warming drawer  400  has a door skin that is, in this example, the outermost portion of the respective door/drawer. The door skins are often finely finished for an esthetically pleasing overall presentation of appliance  100 . 
     Main oven  200  has a door skin  210  that has a bottom edge  212 , and a left side edge  214 . Secondary oven  300  has a bottom edge  312 , a left side edge  314 , and a right side edge  318 . Warming drawer  400  has a bottom edge  412 , a left side edge  414 , a top edge  416 , and a right side edge  418 . A gap G 1  between right side edge  418  of warming drawer  400  and left side edge  214  of main oven  200  is shown in  FIG.  2   . A gap G 2  between top edge  416  of warming drawer  400  and bottom edge  312  of secondary oven  300  is shown in  FIG.  2   . 
     As stated above, a door skin of a door or drawer may need to be removed for shipping of the appliance to its installation site for various reasons. The alignment of the door skin is adjustable on many appliances so that, for example, gaps G 1  and G 2  can be set such that they are the same width and/or various edges of the door skins align with various edges of other door skins and/or sides of the appliance. In the example shown in  FIG.  2   , it would be desirable for left side edges  314 ,  414  of warming drawer  300  and secondary oven  400  to align with the left side of appliance  100 . In order to achieve this, one or both of door skins  310 ,  410  may need to be adjusted in the horizontal direction. While this adjustment can be relatively simple for a trained technician in an assembly plant, an installer or a homeowner may find this adjustment difficult and/or tedious. In cases where a door skin must be removed in order for the appliance to fit through a door way or other passage during installation, a simple and easily repeatable alignment of the door skin is desirable. 
     Embodiments of the invention address this problem by providing an attachment mechanism for attaching the door skin to the rear portion of the drawer where the alignment can be performed and the door skin removed prior to shipping. The door skin can then be easily attached (without requiring any alignment) to the rear portion of the drawer after the appliance is installed, or at least after it has been located in the kitchen or other ultimate location. 
       FIG.  3    is a perspective view of warming drawer  400  in accordance with embodiments of the invention. While embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to warming drawer  400  that slides in and out relative to a main housing of appliance  100 , it is noted that embodiments of the invention also include other sliding drawers, other types of drawers, doors of all types such as, for example, pivoting doors, and any other type of opening closure that requires alignment. For example, door skin  210  of main oven  200  is, in this example, part of a door that pivots around a horizontal axis from a closed position to an open position. Door skin  210  may need to be adjusted in, for example, a horizontal direction in order for a right edge of door skin  210  to align with a right side of appliance  100 , and/or to provide a desired width of gap G 1 . In some examples, all three of warming drawer  400 , secondary oven  300 , and main over  200  include embodiments of the invention to provide alignment of their respective door skins relative to the main housing of appliance  100 . 
     In the example shown in  FIG.  3   , warming drawer door skin  410  has attached to it a handle  420 . Extending rearward from door skin  410  is a rear portion  500 . In this example rear portion  500  is a compartment portion that supports food items to be warmed and/or supports an insert that supports food items to be warmed. 
       FIG.  4    is a rear perspective view of warming drawer  400  showing rear portion  500  in more detail. In this example, rear portion  500  has a support area  510  that supports food items to be warmed and/or supports an insert that supports food items to be warmed. Rear portion  500  has an attachment portion  520  that, in this example, has four openings  524  through which fasteners  600  pass to attach rear portion  500  to a door retainer  430 . Although four openings  524  and four fasteners  600  are shown in this example, other numbers of openings and fasteners can be used. 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , openings  524  are, in this example, elongated slots that allow lateral adjustment of rear portion  500  relative to door retainer  430  (discussed in more detail below). While slots  524  are used for lateral adjustment in this example, it is noted that other adjustable attachment methods can be used to provide lateral (or other) adjustment of rear portion  500  relative to door retainer  430 . 
       FIG.  5    shows door skin  410  partially separated from door retainer  430  while door retainer  430  is attached to rear portion  500 . A lower edge of door retainer  430  is attached to door skin  410  by way, in this example, of four tabs  450  that engage four lances  460 . Tabs  450  are extensions from a lower edge of door skin  410  (best shown in  FIG.  6   ). Lances  460  are pieces of door retainer  430  that are formed by cutting door retainer  430  and pressing the cut parts inward to form areas that receive tabs  450  (best shown in  FIG.  9   ). In other embodiments, door retainer  430  has tabs  450  and door skin  410  has lances  460 . In some embodiments, tabs  450  include holes 
     As shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , a number of screws  434  are used to attach an upper edge of door skin  410  to an upper edge of door retainer  430  by way of holes  433  and  432 . Door retainer  430  is shown in a use position in  FIG.  4   . Door retainer  430  is shown in an a partially installed position in  FIG.  5   . 
     An example of use of the embodiment shown in the figures is as follows. In the assembly plant, door skin  410  is attached to door retainer  430  by lowering lances  460  of door retainer  430  over tabs  450  of door skin  410 . In this example, tabs  450  can be bent without breaking so that door retainer  430  comes into contact with door skin  410  at an angle (as shown in  FIG.  6   ). Once tabs  450  are sufficiently inserted into lances  460 , door retainer  430  is pivoted so that the upper edge of door retainer  430  fits inside door skin  410  (as shown in  FIG.  4   ). Screws  434  are then used to secure door skin  410  to door retainer  430 . At this point in the assembly, door skin  410  and door retainer  430  are secured to each other such that neither can move relative to the other. Next, the assembly that includes door skin  410  and door retainer  430  is attached to rear portion  500 . To properly align door skin  410  with the relevant portions of appliance  100 , rear portion  500  is placed in the main housing of appliance  100  such that rear portion  500  is in an operating, or use, position. The technician then attaches door retainer  430  to attachment portion  520  of rear portion  500  using screws  600  through slots  524 . The technician can move door skin  410  (and thus door retainer  430 ) laterally relative to rear portion  500  as screws  600  move laterally within slots  524  until proper alignment is achieved. Once proper alignment is achieved, screws  600  are tightened to secure rear portion  500  to door retainer  430 . At this point warmer drawer  400  is properly aligned and installed in appliance  100 . 
     For shipping, door skin  410  is removed from door retainer  430  by removing screws  434 , tilting the upper edge of door skin  410  away from the upper edge of door retainer  430  (as shown in  FIG.  5   ), and pushing door skin  410  downward so that tabs  450  disengage with lances  460 . At this point, door skin  410  is separated from door retainer  430  while door retainer  430  is still attached to rear portion  500 . By leaving door retainer  430  attached to attachment portion  520  of rear portion  500 , the alignment of the assembly is not altered. As a result, when door skin  410  is reattached to door retainer  430 , door skin  410  will still be properly aligned relative to the main housing of appliance  100 . 
       FIG.  7    shows door retainer  430  in more detail and separate from door skin  410  and rear portion  500 . While screws are used as fasteners in this example, other fasteners can be used to attached door skin  410  to door retainer  430  and to attached door retainer  430  to rear portion  500 . For example, other fasteners can include bolts (with captured nuts or other threaded receiving portions), press fasteners, other friction fasteners, or other removable fasteners. In some embodiments, for attaching door retainer  430  to rear portion  500 , non-removable/non-reusable fasteners such as rivets or other non-removable/non-reusable fasteners can be used. If non-removable/non-reusable fasteners are used, the alignment established by the technician cannot be accidentally (or otherwise) changed without destroying the fastener. 
     While particular numbers of fasteners, holes, slots, tabs, and lances are used in the examples shown, it is notes that other numbers of fasteners, holes, slots, tabs, and lances can be used. Also, although tabs and lances are shown as a slidable attachment feature, other slidable attachment features can be used such as, for example, pins and holes or other attachment features. Although screws and holes can be used at the lower edges of door skin  410  and door retainer  430  in some embodiments, it is noted that in some installations there is insufficient room below door skin  410  to use a screw driver or other appropriate tool. 
       FIG.  8    is a front view of warming drawer  400  and  FIG.  9    is a sectional view along section line IX-IX in  FIG.  8   .  FIG.  9    shows door skin  410  attached to door retainer  430 . The assembly of door skin  410  and door retainer  430  is shown separated from rear portion  500 . This is the state in which appliance  100  would be shipped (with the assembly of door skin  410  and door retainer  430  wrapped in protective material and secured in support area  510  of rear portion  500  or in some other area of appliance  100 ). 
     While the invention is described above using an example providing lateral adjustment, it is noted that embodiments of the invention provide vertical adjustment, depth adjustment, or any combination of the three. Still other examples provide adjustment in other directions or combinations of directions. 
     It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Any of the features described above can be combined with any other feature described above as long as the combined features are not mutually exclusive. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the invention.