Patent Abstract:
An appliance base for an appliance for supporting the appliance during manufacture and use, with the appliance base including a skeletal outer frame structure including a generally elongate “U”-base rail member and first and second “U”-side rails extending outwardly from the first and second ends of the “U”-base rail at generally right angles therewith. The outer frame structure defines four corners and a support area intermediate the “U”-base rail member and the “U”-side rails. The appliance base includes an inner frame structure including an index ring disposed in substantially the center of the support area, a plurality of diagonally extending support members with a diagonal support member extending inwardly from each corner of the outer frame structure and fixed to the index ring, and a front rail member extending between diagonal cross members on a side opposite from the “U”-base rail member.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to appliances such as appliances for cooking, washing, and drying and, more particularly, relates to appliance support bases. 
         [0002]    Appliances, particularly domestic appliances, are constructed to stand on, or be supported on, an appliance base that typically includes support feet. The support feet are adjustable to level the appliance and support the appliance on a support surface, such as a floor. In general, the appliance base serves as a stable foundation for the appliance and provides structural integrity for the appliance. 
         [0003]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a known (prior art) appliance base is shown generally at P and includes a sheet metal pan having various openings formed therein for strategic location of fasteners for securing an appliance body (not shown) to the sheet metal pan. The sheet metal pan of the appliance base P is a shallow structure having rolled edges E formed on upstanding wall members that rise from a planer base. A plurality of feet F are attached to the appliance base P and are adjustable to support the appliance base P and the associated appliance disposed on the appliance base in a level arrangement on a support surface such as a floor. 
         [0004]    Such pan-type bases are generally adequate for use with appliances, particularly domestic appliances, but there remains room for improvement. The typical pan base is manufactured as a separate component for later assembly with other components of an appliance such as, for example, for later assembly with the sidewalls of an appliance. The typical pan base is difficult to store during the period in which it has not yet been assembled with the other components of an appliance, largely for the reason that pan base does “nest” well with other pan bases—i.e., the pan base typically cannot be compactly and stably arranged in a stacked one on top of another arrangement with other pan bases. Also, the typical pan base can be unnecessarily heavy. Furthermore, it can sometimes be necessary to deploy other parts, not shown in  FIG. 1 , to assist a pan base in fulfilling its role to stably support an associated appliance on a support surface. 
         [0005]    It would therefore be advantageous to provide an appliance base in a configuration that enhances manufacturing ease. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide an appliance base having a reduced weight relative to known appliance bases. Additionally, the state of the art of appliance bases would be improved by the availability of an appliance base whose manufacture is facilitated by reason of its configuration. Moreover, the state of the art of appliance bases would be improved by the availability of an appliance base that is relatively easy to store including storing during a period in which the appliance base has not yet been assembled with the other components of an appliance and, in particular, in the event that it is desired to intermediately store the appliance base such that it “nest” well with other appliance bases—i.e., stored compactly and stably arranged in a stacked one on top of another arrangement with other appliance bases. Furthermore, the state of the art of appliance bases would be improved by the availability of an appliance base that has dedicated mounting locations formed therein for support of other appliance components. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior appliance base; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of an appliance base according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a cutaway view of the appliance base illustrated in  FIG. 1  taken through lines  3 - 3  thereof; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a cutaway view of the appliance base illustrated in  FIG. 2  taken through lines  4 - 4  thereof; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the appliance base illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a second preferred embodiment of the appliance base illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is an elevational view of a range supported by an appliance base according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2-5  and  7 , one embodiment of an appliance base  10  for an appliance according to the present invention includes a skeletal frame structure formed from cast metal, structural plastic or composites to provide a structurally sound and rigid foundation on which an appliance can be stably supported on a support surface such as, for example, a floor. For example, the appliance base  10  provides a structurally sound and rigid foundation on which an appliance, in the form of a cooking range R, is stably supported, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0014]    With reference now particularly to  FIG. 2 , the appliance base  10  includes a longitudinally extending “U”-base rail  12  with two longitudinally extending “U”-side rails  14 ,  16  projecting away from each lateral end of the “U”-base rail perpendicularly thereto, whereupon the longitudinally extending “U”-base rail  12  and the two longitudinally extending “U”-side rails  14 ,  16  together define a generally open U-shaped frame that delimits an imaginary parallelipiped geometric configuration having two corner portions  18 ,  24  each formed on a respective lateral end of the “U”-base rail  12  and two corner portions  20 ,  22  each formed on the respective distal end of one of the two longitudinally extending “U”-side rails  14 ,  16 . A traverse cross member  26  extends outwardly from the “U”-base rail  12  parallel with and between the “U”-side rails  14 ,  16  and is connected at one end  56  thereof with the “U”-base rail  12  at a location approximately one-third of the longitudinal extent of the “U”-base rail as measured from the one “U”-side rail  14 . The length of the traverse cross member  26  is equal to the length of the “U”-side rails  14 ,  16  as measured from the one end  56  thereof to another end portion  58  thereof. The traverse cross member  26  sub-divides the generally open U-shaped frame formed by the longitudinally extending “U”-base rail  12  and the two longitudinally extending “U”-side rails  14 ,  16  into two separate open support regions  21 ,  41 —each hereinafter referred to as a ““U”-shaped subframe”—and each of these open regions  21 ,  41  is also “U” shaped and is open at one end. The two open support regions  21 ,  41  thus formed by these two “U”-shaped subframes are operable to accommodate further bracing as will be defined presently. The first open support region  21  formed by the one “U”-shaped subframe is approximately half the area of the second open support region  41  formed by the other “U”-shaped subframe. 
         [0015]    Each end portion  56 ,  58  of the traverse cross member  26  and each of the corner portions  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24  include receiving elements  62  formed as generally cylindrical openings in the appliance base  10  for use in securing an appliance on the appliance base  10  to be stably supported on a support surface such as, for example, a floor and, in particular, the receiving elements  62  are operable to secure an appliance in the form of a cooking range R as seen in  FIG. 7 . As will be seen in greater detail hereinafter, a total of four (4) floor-standing feet  60  are fixed to portions of the appliance base  10 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , a cooking range R is disposed on the appliance base  10  which is supported by feet  60  on a support surface S. 
         [0016]    Each open support region  21 ,  41  accommodates a similar diagonal cross member arrangement. Two pairs of diagonal cross members  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  extend inwardly from each corner of the open support region  21  toward a relative common center and two pairs of diagonal cross members  46 ,  48 ,  50 ,  52  extend inwardly from each corner of the open support region  41  toward a relative common center. An index element that is particularly configured to assist in facilitating the stacking of a plurality of appliance bases  10  one on top of the other during, for example, a manufacturing step, is preferably configured as a circular index ring  28  that is located at the interior ends of the diagonal cross members  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  of the open support region  21  at its relative common center with each diagonal cross member attached to the index ring in a symmetrical manner. Another circular index ring  42  is located at the interior ends of the diagonal cross members  46 ,  48 ,  50 ,  52  of the open support region  41  at its relative common center with each diagonal cross member attached to the index ring in a symmetrical manner. 
         [0017]    As seen in  FIG. 3 , which is a sectional view of the appliance base  10  shown in  FIG. 2  taken along lines III-III thereof, the index rings  28 ,  42  are conical for enhanced strength. Further, with reference to  FIG. 4 , which is a sectional view of the appliance base  10  shown in  FIG. 2  taken along lines IV-IV thereof, a top portion  43 ,  45  of each index ring  28 ,  42 , respectively, has an extent higher than the other portions of the appliance base  10  such that these top portions  43 ,  45  projects above a plane defined by the appliance base  10  for facilitating “nesting” storage of a number of appliance bases  10 —i.e., each stored compactly and stably arranged in a stacked one on top of another arrangement with other appliance bases  10  having the same dimensions—such as, for example, during cooking range manufacturing. 
         [0018]    With reference again to  FIG. 2 , a longitudinal cross member  54  extends laterally from one diagonal member  36  to another diagonal member  34  within each of the support area  21  and a longitudinal cross member  54  extends laterally from one diagonal member  50  to another diagonal member  48  within the support area  41 . Each of the cross members  40 ,  54  is disposed on the opposite side of the respective index ring  28 ,  42  as the “U”-base rail  12  with the cross members  40 ,  54  thus forming a pair of longitudinal rails that are recessed inwardly from the corner portions  20 ,  22  of the appliance base  10 . 
         [0019]    As can be seen from the foregoing, the appliance base  10  is divided into the two open support regions  21 ,  41  with both open support regions  21 ,  41  being molded or formed as an integral piece. The appliance base  10  is operable to support an appliance such as the cooking range R with both open support regions  21 ,  41  remaining connected to one another as manufactured and both supporting the single appliance. However, the present invention also contemplates that the appliance base  10  can be deployed to support an appliance having a base area to be supported—i.e., a “footprint”—that is smaller than the combined areas of both open support regions  21 ,  41  that are available to accommodate an appliance. If, for example, the appliance base  10  is be deployed to provide support for a cooking range that has, say, a base area to be supported—i.e., a “footprint”—having a width dimension of only thirty-inches, and the combined areas of both open support regions  21 ,  41  that are available to accommodate an appliance have a width dimension of more than thirty inches, the appliance base  10  can be so configured such that one of the open support regions  21 ,  41  may be disengaged from the other of the open support regions  21 ,  41  and only a single one of the open support regions  21 ,  41  is then deployed to support the thirty-inch wide cooking range. On the other hand, this same appliance base  10  can be deployed as well to provide support for a cooking range that has, say, a base area to be supported—i.e., a “footprint”—having a width dimension of forty eight-inches, in which event the cooking range is supported by both open support regions  21 ,  41  remaining connected to one another as manufactured and both supporting the single appliance in a configuration as seen in the embodiment of the appliance base  10  shown in  FIGS. 2-5  and  7 . Moreover, the present invention contemplates that the appliance base  10  can be configured and manufactured with only a single one of the open support regions  21 ,  41  with the thus-manufactured appliance base  10  having a configuration as shown in  FIG. 6 . As seen in  FIG. 6 , a single appliance base is illustrated generally at  110  and includes a “U”-base rail  112  and two “U”-side rails  114 ,  116  interconnected to one another in a manner similar to the embodiment of the appliance base  10  shown in  FIGS. 2-5  and  7  having two open support regions  21 ,  41 . Four corners  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124  are thusly defined. Diagonal support members  146 ,  148 ,  150 ,  152  project toward a common center from the four corners  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124  to intersect with an index ring  142  at approximately the center of the appliance base  110 . A longitudinal support member  154  extends from one diagonal member  148  to another diagonal member  150  on a side opposite the “U”-base rail  112 . Two support feet  160  are disposed on diagonal members  150 ,  152 , respectively. It should be understood that similar feet can be placed at any convenient location in order to provide four feet for supporting an appliance body. The single frame structure  110  may be stacked for manufacture in the manner of the dual frame structure with the index rings  182  nesting within one another to facilitate stacking and handling. 
         [0020]    By the above, the present invention provides an enhanced appliance base for a cooking appliance that provides significant advantages over the earlier, pan-type frames. The present invention provides an appliance base that is formed in a square, repeatable configuration to enhance manufacturing ease and to allow the appliance base to be molded from composites or plastic as well as fabricated from aluminum or other metal. The appliance base provides enhanced structural integrity and enhanced strength against twisting forces and represents a weight loss as compared to earlier appliance bases which can translate into lower shipping costs of completed appliances using the present base frame. 
         [0021]    It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of a broad utility and application. While the present invention is described in all currently foreseeable embodiments, there may be other, unforeseeable embodiments and adaptations of the present invention, as well as variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, that do not depart from the substance or scope of the present invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3