Patent Publication Number: US-6712066-B1

Title: Rear alignment and support system for a cooking appliance cooktop

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention pertains to the art of cooking appliances and, more particularly, to a cooking appliance having a rear alignment and support system for laterally positioning and mounting a range top on the appliance. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Cooking appliances in the form of free-standing and slide-in oven ranges are well known. Typically, a cooking operation is performed on a cooking surface defined by one or more of a plurality of heating zones or burners arranged about a range top or, alternatively, in an oven formed within the appliance. Generally, oven ranges have burners mounted directly to the range top or to structure provided below the range top. This structure can take various forms, for example, the burners are mounted directly to the range top, to the appliance chassis, to rails extending below the range top or, in some cases, to flexible mounting structure carried either by the chassis or other support structure provided below the range top. In any event, it is important for the manufacturer to provide a means to access the area below the cooktop, such as for servicing of mechanical and electrical components, or to clean-up after spills occurring on the range top. 
     Manufacturers have developed a variety of methods for mounting range tops to appliance cabinets so as to allow either a consumer or service technician to access the area immediately below the cooking surface. These methods range from providing hinges on the range top to allow it to swing upwardly to expose the mechanical and electrical components, to attachments in the form of tab and slot arrangements between a range top and an associated appliance chassis. In the later case, aligning the range top with respect to the appliance is critical when mounting gas burners directly to the range top. 
     Range top mounted gas burners include structure which interconnects the burner to gas delivery elements, typically gas supply piping. Without proper alignment, the attachment components cannot interengage, resulting in the gas burner being improperly aligned with the gas supply structure. When the gas burner and gas supply are misaligned, the overall efficiency of the burner is greatly reduced. 
     Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for a system to properly secure and align a range top to a cooking appliance. More specifically, there exists a need in the art for a system that readily aligns the range top and associated burner elements with respect to the appliance, while additionally serving as attachment structure for securing the range top to the appliance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a cooking appliance including a cabinet and a range top. The cabinet is generally defined by a front portion, opposing side panels, a bottom panel and a back panel, while the range top is mounted to the cabinet. More specifically, a plurality of heating elements, which in the preferred form of the invention, are defined by gas burner elements, are arranged about the range top. The cabinet also includes a control panel having an associated pair of laterally spaced end caps provided at side portions thereof. 
     In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, the cooking appliance includes two sets of alignment components, with each set of alignment components being defined by cooperating first and second sets of alignment elements. Preferably, the first set of alignment elements is provided on the range top and the second set of alignment elements is provided on each of the laterally spaced end caps. With this construction, when the range top is mounted upon the cabinet, the first and second sets of alignment elements become interengaged to laterally position the range top with respect to the cabinet. 
     In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the second set of alignment elements are constituted by tab members projecting from side portions of each of the pair of laterally spaced end caps. More specifically, the second set of alignment elements includes a first or upper tab member and a second or lower tab member. Preferably, the upper tab member is defined by a flat, blade-like tab, while the lower tab member is defined by an in-turned tab element adapted to engage with an inner side portion of the range top. With this construction, the lower tab member outwardly biases the range top resulting in the range top being properly aligned with respect to the cabinet. 
     Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment 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 an upper right front perspective view of a cooking appliance incorporating a rear range top alignment and support system constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of an end cap of the cooking appliance having projecting therefrom alignment components of the rear alignment and support system in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a right side elevational view of a portion of the end cap and range top of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the end cap and range top of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With initial reference to FIG. 1, the present invention is preferably incorporated into a cooking appliance generally indicated at  2 . As shown, cooking appliance  2  takes the form of a free-standing gas range. Range  2  includes a cabinet  4  having a front panel portion  5 , opposing side panel portions  6 , a bottom portion  7 , a range top  8 , and a main back panel  9 . Within the scope of the invention, range top  8  can take on various forms. In the preferred embodiment shown, range top  8  is provided with five gas burner elements  11 - 15 , i.e., four outer quadrant gas burner elements  11 - 14  and a central gas burner element  15 , which are covered by left and right, mirror image burner grates  17  and  18 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated, cabinet  4  further includes a front control surface  20 . Preferably, control surface  20  supports a plurality of control knobs  21 - 25  for controlling the activation/de-activation of gas burners  11 - 15  respectively. Furthermore, cabinet  4  includes an upstanding control panel  30  arranged at an upper rear portion  31  of cabinet  4 . In the embodiment shown, control panel  30  includes a central control and display unit, generally indicated at  35 . Control panel  30  is provided above an exhaust outlet opening  37  extending across upper rear portion  31  and having an associated exhaust deflector  38  for directing an exhaust airflow away from control panel  30  and central control and display  35 . 
     In the preferred form of the invention, central control and display  35  is provided for use in controlling an oven  40  of range  2 . Although not fully detailed in this figure, control and display unit  35  includes a first control section  41  for selecting a desired cooking operation for oven  40 . For instance, a user can select between keep warm, convection bake, bake, clean convection broil, broil, drying, and bread proofing operations. In connection with setting desired cooking parameters, control and display unit  35  also includes a second control section  42  which defines a numeric key pad. At this point, it should be realized that the arrangement and features associated with control panel  30  can vary without departing from the invention. For instance, in addition to other standard controls, such as timer and clock setting elements, control panel  30  can provide for other operations, such as a “cook and hold” feature wherein oven  40  operates to maintain food cooked therein warm following a cooking operation or a “favorite” selector which can be employed to readily establish a predetermined, preferred cooking sequence for oven  40 . In any event, control and display unit  35  further includes a central display  44  for conveying information to and verifying input/operational parameters to a user. 
     In the preferred embodiment, oven  40  includes an oven cavity  45  which is larger than an oven cavity of a standard range. More specifically, wherein the volume of a standard oven cavity for a range would be in the order of 4.0 cubic feet, oven cavity  45  is approximately 5.2 cubic feet. In accordance with the present invention, oven cavity  45  is preferably formed of metal and coated with a heat resistant material, such as porcelain. In any case, oven  40  has associated therewith a door  50  which can be pivoted by means of a handle  53 . Door  50  preferably includes a plurality of vents  54  arranged behind handle  53  and a window  55  for viewing the contents of oven cavity  45  when door  50  is closed. Arranged below door  50  and extending across cabinet  4  is a lower face panel  58 . 
     In a manner known in the art, range  2  is adapted to be mounted upon a supporting surface, such as a kitchen floor or the like. More specifically, a plurality of leg members, two of which are indicated in FIGS. 1 at  60  and  61 , extend from bottom portion  7  at front and rear portions of cabinet  4 , along side panel  6 . Of course, corresponding leg members  60  and  61  are also provided on the opposing side of range  2 . In any event, the various leg members  60  and  61  are preferably vertically adjustable to also act as levelers for range  2 . Such type of leg leveler arrangements are widely known in the art of appliances, including both ranges and refrigerators such that the leveling function of leg members  60  and  61  does not form part of the present invention. Instead, the invention is actually directed to a rear alignment and support system for cooktop  8  as will be more fully discussed below. 
     In the embodiment shown, cooking appliance  2  includes a pair of end caps  70  and  71  provided at upper rear portion  31  of cabinet  4 . Actually, end caps  70  and  71  are partially formed from a frame sub-assembly  80  that serves as the underlying support structure for cabinet  4  and, by extension, cooking appliance  2 . In any event, end caps  70  and  71  are laterally spaced and support, at least in part, control panel  30 . Reference will be made below to FIGS. 2-4 in describing the specific structure of end caps  70  and  71  in accordance with the invention. However, since the structure of each end cap  70 ,  71  is identical, a detailed description of end cap  70  will be made and it is to be understood that end cap  71  has commensurate structure. 
     As best seen in FIG. 2, end cap  70  includes a first or inside portion  73 , a second or outside portion  74 , a bottom portion  75  and a front edge portion  76 . In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, end cap  70  is provided with an upper tab member  95  projecting from an intermediate portion of end cap  70  and a lower tab member  96  projecting from a lower portion of end cap  70 . More specifically, upper tab member  95  is preferably constituted by a flat blade-like projection and, as will be discussed more fully below, lower tab member  96  is constituted by in-turned element projecting toward a central portion of cooking appliance  2 . As best seen in FIG. 2, upper and lower tab members  95  and  96  extend from a forwardly projecting stepped edge section  100  provided on front edge portion  76  of end cap  70 . As shown, edge section  100  forms a stepped region which is adapted to receive range top  8  as shown in FIG.  3  and discussed more fully below. 
     With reference to FIG. 4, lower tab member  96  includes a first in-turned section  104  extending outwardly from edge section  100 . As shown, first in-turn section  104  leads to an intermediate section  106  through a curved section  107 . Intermediate section  106  extends substantially parallel to side panel portion  6  of cooking appliance  2  and thereafter leads to a second in-turned section  108  terminating in an angled section  109 . Lower tab member  96  is adapted to engage with a side portion  113  extending above a bottom portion  114  of range top  8 . Actually, lower tab member  96  is outwardly biased when top  8  is fully mounted upon cabinet  4 . That is, during mounting, range top  8  is shifted rearward toward control panel  30 , whereupon side portion  113  engages with lower tab member  96  forcing lower tab member  96  to slightly deflect laterally inwardly while forcing range top  8  to be laterally centered with respect to cabinet  4  as further discussed below. 
     In further accordance with the most preferred embodiment, range top  8  includes an up-swept section  120  (see FIG. 3) including laterally opposing up-swept end portions  122  having an inner side surface  123  adapted to engage with upper tab member  95 . That is, inner side surface  123  of up-swept section  120  and side portion  113  include structure which interengage with upper and lower tab members  95  and  96 . Actually, lower tab member  96  and side portion  113  constitute first and second alignment elements of a first alignment component, with a second alignment component being similarly arranged on the opposing end cap  70 . Similarly, upper tab member  95  and side portion  123  constitute third and fourth alignment elements of a third alignment component, with a fourth alignment component being similarly arranged on opposing end cap  70 . 
     With this construction, when range top  8  is mounted upon cabinet  4  and moved rearward, the first and second alignment components interengage to laterally position and mount range top  8  with respect to cabinet  4 . Towards that end, as range top  8  is positioned upon cabinet  4  and maneuvered toward upper rear portion  31 , upper tab member  95  interengages with inner side surface  123  of up-swept section  120  and second tab member  96  interengages with side portion  113 . Of course, it should be apparent that, as second tab member  96  forces side portion  113  outward, range top  8  is laterally centered and aligned with respect to cabinet  4 . With this arrangement, it is assured that range top  8  and burner elements  11 - 15  are properly positioned upon cabinet  4  in a quick and efficient manner. Moreover, as upper and lower tab members  95  and  96  project from stepped edge section  100 , once range top  8  engages with end caps  70  and  71  side portion  113  cooperates with stepped edge section  100  such that the two surfaces are flush with one another. 
     Although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, while tab members are shown projecting from the end caps, it should be apparent that the tab elements could alternatively be formed projecting from portions of the range top and where the end caps include the mating or cooperating structure. Additionally, while the cooking appliance is shown as a gas range, it should be understood that electric heating elements could be employed, as well as gas elements provided under a smooth top cooking surface. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited to the scope of the following claims.