Patent Publication Number: US-2023135267-A1

Title: Mesh screen to prevent access to hot surfaces within an oven appliance

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present subject matter relates generally to oven appliances, and more particularly, to safety features that reduce access to hot surfaces within oven appliances. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional residential and commercial oven appliances generally include a cabinet that includes a cooking chamber for receipt of food items for cooking. Multiple heating elements are positioned within the cooking chamber to provide heat to food items located therein. The heating elements can include, for example, radiant heating elements, such as a bake heating assembly positioned at a bottom of the cooking chamber and/or a separate broiler heating assembly positioned at a top of the cooking chamber. 
     Conventional oven appliances include a door that provides selective access to the cooking chamber and that typically includes a window to permit a user to view a cooking process. In order to maintain suitably cool outer surfaces of the oven appliances, an air passageway may surround the cooking chamber and an air circulating device may circulate cooling air through the air passageway. However, the intake and the discharge of such air passageways may be positioned below the oven door and may be accessible to appliance users or other humans (e.g., children). Notably, surfaces within this air passageway may still be dangerously hot and openings to the air passageway may be positioned low enough that young children may touch such surfaces. 
     Accordingly, an oven appliance that includes improved features for reducing contact with hot surfaces would be useful. More particularly, an oven appliance with features for preventing access into the cabinet through the air passageway would be particularly beneficial. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, an oven appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction is provided. The oven appliance includes a cabinet, a plurality of walls positioned within the cabinet to define a cooking chamber, a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet for providing selective access to the cooking chamber, an air passageway defined at least partially between the plurality of walls and the cabinet, the air passageway comprising an intake aperture and a discharge aperture, and a mesh screen positioned over the discharge aperture of the air passageway. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, a wall oven defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction is provided. The wall oven includes a cooking chamber positioned within a cabinet, a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet for providing selective access to the cooking chamber, an air passageway that wraps around the cooking chamber, extending from an intake aperture defined at a bottom of the door and a discharge aperture defined below the door, a horizontal brace that extends between a left side and a right side of the cabinet along the lateral direction, and a mesh screen mounted to the horizontal brace over the discharge aperture of the air passageway. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures. 
         FIG.  1    is a front view of an oven appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. 
         FIG.  2    is a side, cross-sectional view of the exemplary oven appliance of  FIG.  1   , taken along Line  2 - 2  in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of an intake aperture and a discharge aperture of an air passageway (with a mesh screen removed for clarity) of the exemplary oven appliance of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    provides a side, cross sectional view of the exemplary intake aperture and discharge aperture of  FIG.  3   . 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the exemplary discharge aperture of  FIG.  3    covered by a mesh screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. 
         FIG.  6    provides a perspective view of the exemplary mesh screen of  FIG.  5    according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. 
         FIG.  7    provides a side view of the exemplary mesh screen of  FIG.  5    according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. 
         FIG.  8    provides a perspective view of the exemplary mesh screen of  FIG.  5    covering the discharge aperture according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. 
         FIG.  9    provides another perspective view of the exemplary mesh screen of  FIG.  5    covering the discharge aperture with the door and flow diverter removed for clarity according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. 
     
    
    
     Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative flow direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the flow direction from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the flow direction to which the fluid flows. The terms “includes” and “including” are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Similarly, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”). 
     Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, is applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a 10 percent margin. 
       FIG.  1    provides a front view of an oven appliance  100  as may be employed with the present subject matter. In addition,  FIGS.  2  and  3    provide perspective and side cross-sectional views, respectively, of oven appliance  100 . As shown, oven appliance  100  generally defines a vertical direction V, a lateral direction L, and a transverse direction T, each of which is mutually perpendicular, such that an orthogonal coordinate system is generally defined. As illustrated, oven appliance  100  includes an insulated cabinet  102 . Cabinet  102  of oven appliance  100  extends between a top  104  and a bottom  106  along the vertical direction V, between a first side  108  (left side when viewed from front) and a second side  110  (right side when viewed from front) along the lateral direction L, and between a front  112  and a rear  114  along the transverse direction T. 
     Within cabinet  102  is a single cooking chamber  120  which is configured for the receipt of one or more food items to be cooked. However, it should be appreciated that oven appliance  100  is provided by way of example only, and aspects of the present subject matter may be used in any suitable cooking appliance, such as a gas or electric double oven range appliance. For example, although oven appliance  100  is illustrated as a wall oven that is installable within a bank of cabinets, it should be appreciated that aspects of the present subject matter may be used in free-standing oven appliances, double ovens, etc. Thus, the example embodiment shown in  FIGS.  1  through  3    is not intended to limit the present subject matter to any particular cooking chamber configuration or arrangement. 
     Oven appliance  100  includes a door  124  rotatably attached to cabinet  102  in order to permit selective access to cooking chamber  120 . Handle  126  is mounted to door  124  to assist a user with opening and closing door  124  in order to access cooking chamber  120 . As an example, a user can pull on handle  126  mounted to door  124  to open or close door  124  and access cooking chamber  120 . One or more transparent viewing windows  128  ( FIG.  1   ) may be defined within door  124  to provide for viewing the contents of cooking chamber  120  when door  124  is closed and also assist with insulating cooking chamber  120 . 
     In general, cooking chamber  120  is defined by a plurality of chamber walls  130  (see, e.g.,  FIG.  2   ). Specifically, cooking chamber  120  may be defined by a top wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, and two sidewalls  130 . These chamber walls  130  may be joined together to define an opening through which a user may selectively access cooking chamber  120  by opening door  124 . In order to insulate cooking chamber  120 , oven appliance  100  includes an insulating gap defined between the chamber walls  130  and cabinet  102 . According to an exemplary embodiment, the insulation gap is filled with an insulating material  132 , such as insulating foam or fiberglass, for insulating cooking chamber  120 . 
     Referring still to  FIG.  2   , oven appliance  100  may include a plurality of racks  140  positioned within cooking chamber  120  for receiving food or cooking utensils containing food items. Racks  140  provide support for such food during a cooking process. According to the illustrated embodiment, racks  140  may be slidably mounted within cooking chamber  120  by one or more slide assemblies  142  that are mounted to a sidewall  130  of cooking chamber  120 . Alternatively, racks  140  may be slidably received onto embossed ribs or sliding rails such that racks  140  may be conveniently moved into and out of cooking chamber  120 . 
     As best shown in  FIG.  2   , oven appliance may include six rack supports  144  that are spaced apart along the vertical direction V. In addition, oven appliance  100  may include racks  140  that may each be slidably positioned on each of the six rack supports  128 , such that six total rack positions are possible within cooking chamber  120 . However, it should be appreciated that according to alternative embodiments, any suitable number of racks mounted in cooking chamber  120  in any suitable manner and being movable between any suitable number of positions is possible and within the scope of the present subject matter. 
     Oven appliance may further include one or more heating elements positioned within cabinet  102  or may otherwise be in thermal communication with cooking chamber  120  for regulating the temperature within cooking chamber  120 . For example, the heating elements may be electric resistance heating elements, gas burners, microwave heating elements, halogen heating elements, or suitable combinations thereof. According to an exemplary embodiment, oven appliance  100  is a self-cleaning oven. In this regard, the heating elements may be configured for heating cooking chamber  120  to a very high temperature (e.g., 800° F. or higher) in order to burn off any food residue or otherwise clean cooking chamber  120 . 
     Specifically, an upper gas or electric heating element  154  (also referred to as a broil heating element or gas burner) may be positioned in cabinet  102 , e.g., at a top portion of cooking chamber  120 , and a lower gas or electric heating element  156  (also referred to as a bake heating element or gas burner) may be positioned at a bottom portion of cooking chamber  120 . Upper heating element  154  and lower heating element  156  may be used independently or simultaneously to heat cooking chamber  120 , perform a baking or broil operation, perform a cleaning cycle, etc. The size and heat output of heating elements  154 ,  156  can be selected based on the, e.g., the size of oven appliance  100  or the desired heat output. Oven appliance  100  may include any other suitable number, type, and configuration of the heating elements within cabinet  102 . For example, oven appliance  100  may further include electric heating elements, induction heating elements, or any other suitable heat generating device. 
     A user interface panel  160  is located within convenient reach of a user of the oven appliance  100 . For this example embodiment, user interface panel  160  includes user inputs  162  that may generally be configured for regulating the heating elements or operation of oven appliance  100 . In this manner, user inputs  162  allow the user to activate each heating element and determine the amount of heat input provided by each heating element to a cooking food items within cooking chamber  120 . Although shown with user inputs  162 , it should be understood that user inputs  162  and the configuration of oven appliance  100  shown in  FIG.  1    is provided by way of example only. More specifically, user interface panel  160  may include various input components, such as one or more of a variety of touch-type controls, electrical, mechanical or electro-mechanical input devices including rotary dials, push buttons, and touch pads. User interface panel  160  may also be provided with one or more graphical display devices or display components  164 , such as a digital or analog display device designed to provide operational feedback or other information to the user such as e.g., whether a particular heating element is activated and/or the rate at which the heating element is set. 
     Generally, oven appliance  100  may include a controller  166  in operative communication with user interface panel  160 . User interface panel  160  of oven appliance  100  may be in communication with controller  166  via, for example, one or more signal lines or shared communication busses, and signals generated in controller  166  operate oven appliance  100  in response to user input via user inputs  162 . Input/Output (“I/O”) signals may be routed between controller  166  and various operational components of oven appliance  100  such that operation of oven appliance  100  can be regulated by controller  166 . In addition, controller  166  may also be communication with one or more sensors, such as a temperature sensor  168  ( FIG.  2   ), which may be used to measure temperature inside cooking chamber  120  and provide such measurements to the controller  166 . Although temperature sensor  168  is illustrated at a top and rear of cooking chamber  120 , it should be appreciated that other sensor types, positions, and configurations may be used according to alternative embodiments. 
     Controller  166  is a “processing device” or “controller” and may be embodied as described herein. Controller  166  may include a memory and one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS), CPUs or the like, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of oven appliance  100 , and controller  166  is not restricted necessarily to a single element. The memory may represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM, electrically erasable, programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or FLASH. In one embodiment, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, controller  166  may be constructed without using a microprocessor, e.g., using a combination of discrete analog and/or digital logic circuitry (such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software. 
     Referring now generally to  FIGS.  2  through  9   , an airflow system and associated safety features that may be used with oven appliance  100  will be described according to exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter. In this regard, oven appliance  100  may generally define an air passageway  200  through which an air handler  202  circulates a flow of air (e.g., identified generally by reference numeral  204 ) around cooking chamber  120 . This flow of air  204  is generally configured for reducing the temperature of cabinet  102  such that oven appliance  100  may be a wall oven and may contact cabinetry and other structures without causing a fire hazard. 
     Specifically, according to the illustrated embodiment, air passageway  200  is defined at least partially through the door  124  and then passes around cooking chamber  120  (e.g., between the chamber walls  130  that define cooking chamber  120  and insulated cabinet  102 .) Air passageway  200  includes an intake aperture  206  that is defined on a bottom end  208  of door  124 . More specifically, intake aperture  206  may extend across a width and depth of door  124  and door  124  may define an internal passage for directing the flow of air  204  upward through door  124 . 
     Referring still specifically to  FIG.  2   , door  124  may define a door discharge port  210  at or approximate top end  212  of door  124 . Similarly, cabinet  102  or chamber walls  130  may define an upper intake  214  that is positioned adjacent door discharge port  210 . In this manner, the flow of air  204  may be drawn into intake aperture  206  and may be directed upward through door  124  before being discharged through door discharge port  210  directly into upper intake  214 . The flow of air  204  may then pass around cooking chamber  120 , thereby cooling chamber walls  130  or otherwise limiting the transfer of thermal energy from cooking chamber  120  to insulated cabinet  102 . It should be appreciated that various other components may be positioned within the space defined between chamber walls  130  and cabinet  102 , such as insulation and an insulation retainer, and that the flow of air may pass around these components. 
     After the flow of air  204  has wrapped around cooking chamber  120 , it may be directed forward along the transverse direction T toward a discharge aperture  216  of air passageway  200 . In this regard, discharge aperture  216  may generally be defined between insulated cabinet  102  and the bottom chamber wall  130  of cooking chamber  120 . Discharge aperture  216  may extend along the entire width of oven appliance  100  and may generally direct air  204  outward along the transverse direction T. 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  3  and  4   , oven appliance  100  may further include a flow diverter  220  that is positioned below the bottom end  208  of door and above discharge aperture  206  to separate or generally isolate intake aperture  206  from discharge aperture  216 . In this regard, flow diverter  220  may generally be mounted to a vertical support frame  222  of cabinet  102 . As shown, flow diverter  220  is generally angled down and away from a front end of cooking chamber  120  such that a substantially fresh flow of air may be drawn in through intake aperture  206  without mixing with the hot air discharged through discharge aperture  216 . Although flow diverter  220  is illustrated as having a particular geometry, size, and construction, it should be appreciated that flow diverter  220  may be varied while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, the angle and length of flow diverter  220  may be adjusted to properly balance intake air and discharge air. 
     Referring still to  FIG.  4   , oven appliance  100  may include a horizontal brace  224  that extends between a left side  108  and a right side  110  of cabinet  102  along the lateral direction L. for example, according to the illustrated embodiment, horizontal brace  224  is positioned behind flow diverter  220  along the transverse direction T and generally defines discharge aperture  216  extending along the lateral direction L. Horizontal brace  224  may also extend along the vertical direction V between bottom  106  of cabinet  102  and to a bottom chamber wall  130  of cooking chamber  120 . In general, according to an exemplary embodiment, horizontal brace  224  extends along a front of cabinet  102  and is connected to the sides of cabinet  102  (or to vertical braces mounted thereto) and generally acts as a structural member for supporting various components of oven appliance  100  and providing structural rigidity to oven appliance  100 . 
     Notably, the dimensions of discharge aperture  216  may generally be large enough so as not to restrict the amount of air flow passing through air passageway  200 . In this manner, sufficient cooling of chamber walls  130  may be maintained. However, due to the dimensions of discharge aperture  216  users may be able to contact hot surfaces of oven appliance  100  by reaching through discharge aperture  216 . More particularly, when oven appliance  100  is a wall oven, discharge aperture  216  is generally positioned at a height that is accessible to young children who may place their hands through discharge aperture  216  and contact hot surfaces within air passageway  200 . Accordingly, aspects of the present subject matter are directed to features for restricting such access and to comply with particular Underwriters Laboratories (“UL”) requirements regarding use accessibility to hot surfaces. 
     More particularly, as best illustrated in  FIGS.  4  through  9   , oven appliance  100  may further include a mesh screen  230  that is generally mounted over discharge aperture  216  for preventing access into air passageway  200 . In this manner, mesh screen  230  is generally designed to prevent users or young children from placing their fingers into air passageway  200  and contacting hot surfaces of oven appliance  100 . Although an exemplary installation of mesh screen  230  will be described below according to exemplary embodiments, it should be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the mesh screen  230  geometry and construction while remaining within scope the present subject matter. In addition, it should be appreciated that the way mesh screen  230  is installed into an oven appliance may vary while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter. 
     According to the illustrated embodiment, mesh screen  230  is generally mounted to horizontal brace  224 . More specifically, according to the illustrated embodiment, mesh screen  230  may define a top hooked end  232  that extends along a width of mesh screen  230 . Top hooked end  232  may be positioned over a top  234  of horizontal brace  224 . In this regard, top hooked end  232  wraps from a front face of horizontal brace  224 , around top  234 , and along the backside of horizontal brace  224 . In this manner, during the manufacturing process, a technician may position mesh screen  230  on horizontal brace  224  such that it hangs freely. This may permit the technician to have free hands to install a mechanical fastener  236  ( FIG.  9   ) that secures mesh screen  230  to horizontal brace  224 . In this manner, mesh screen  230  provides an easy to install and low-cost solution to prevent safety issues associated with users contacting hot surfaces within air passageway  200 . 
     Referring now specifically to  FIG.  4   , mesh screen  230  may also be positioned between horizontal brace  224  and flow diverter  220 . In addition, mesh screen  230  may further include a bottom end  240  that is curled over or blunted as a safety edge to prevent cuts to the installation technician or to a user of the appliance. In addition, referring for example to  FIGS.  5  and  6   , mesh screen  230  may define additional features that facilitate easy installation around existing flanges and fasteners of oven appliance  100 . In this regard, mesh screen  230  may define one or more clearance slots  250  that are configured for wrapping around or receiving one or more flanges or mechanical fasteners of oven appliance  100  when mesh screen  230  is in the installed position. 
     In general, mesh screen  230  may be formed from any material that is suitably rigid to prevent access to air passageway  200 . For example, mesh screen  230  may be formed from metal wire, a rigid plastic, or any other suitable material. According to the illustrated embodiment, mesh screen  230  comprises a plurality of interwoven wires  260 . For example, these wires may be formed from metal. In addition, in order to provide sufficient rigidity while minimizing air restrictions, each of the plurality of interwoven wires  260  may have a diameter  262  of between about 0.005 and 0.1 inches, between about 0.01 and 0.05 inches, or about 0.025 inches or less. In addition, the plurality of interwoven wires  260  may be spaced apart such that mesh screen  230  defines an average aperture size or width  264  that is sufficient to not restrict airflow while providing sufficient rigidity. For example, mesh screen  230  may define an aperture size  264  that is between about 0.01 and 0.5 inches, between about 0.1 and 0.4 inches, or about 0.25 inches or less. More specifically, according to an exemplary embodiment, aperture size  264  may be less than 0.339 inches, such that a probe of that size may not fit through mesh screen, thereby satisfying Underwriters Laboratories (“UL”) requirements regarding use accessibility to hot surfaces. 
     Aspects of the present subject matter are directed to a wire mesh for blocking accessibility to high temperature areas in a wall oven. In this regard, UL requirements for wall ovens may require restricted access to surfaces over a certain temperature when installed at a height of less than 31 inches and operated at 475° F. bake mode. The present disclosure contemplates the wire mesh comprising hook arrangements at its top to mount with a horizontal brace at the bottom of the wall oven and is secured by a screw at the center. The mesh size may be about 0.250 inches per square and mesh wire size may be about 0.025 inches, thereby preventing probe access per UL requirements. The wire mesh also blocks finger probe access to lower air duct area without obstructing air flow by not allowing the 0.339 inches probe tip to enter into higher temperature areas. The wire mesh is easy to install, cost effective, and an ideal safety measure. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.