Abstract:
A support and sliding system for extractable shelves that are installable in a cooking oven that allows improved sizing of the usable surface of the shelves and the better utilization of oven volume.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a support and sliding system for an extractable shelf for an oven, preferably of the household type. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Household ovens equipped with a cavity for cooking foods that is sealable during use by means of a door, are known in the art. The cavities are normally enamel-coated and comprise: a top wall, a bottom wall, two opposing sidewalls and a rear wall on which a bulkhead can be positioned, which at times is provided with a central opening and contains a fan. 
         [0005]    Support and sliding systems for extractable shelves for the ovens, such as cookie sheets, dripping pans or grills are known in the art. The shelves are normally used to support the foods during the cooking process. 
         [0006]    Support and sliding systems that utilize the use of guides made of metal rod to facilitate the insertion of the shelves, are similarly known. 
         [0007]    Shapes of the guides such as to stop the sliding of the shelf, both during insertion into the cavity to prevent contact with the enamel of the cavity rear wall, when the shelf is inserted in the cavity itself, and during the extraction of the shelf in order to position the foods to be cooked or removing the foods once cooked without having to extract the entire shelf from the guides and without it falling out, are likewise known. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    An aspect of the present invention is a support and sliding system for the shelves that can guarantee increased sizing of the usable area of the shelf, also maximizing the usable volume of the oven cavity, in which such system is arranged. 
         [0009]    A second aspect of the present invention is that of offering a support and sliding system for the shelves that can guarantee the stability of the shelf positioned in its position of maximum extraction from the oven cavity, without it coming out of the guides. 
         [0010]    A third aspect of the present invention is that of offering a support and sliding system for the shelves that can prevent contact with the rear wall of the cavity when the shelf is positioned in the position of maximum insertion in the oven cavity and that can be well guided during insertion. 
         [0011]    Another aspect of the present invention is that of offering a support and sliding system combined with a sliding shelf that impedes incorrect insertion of the shelf in the system. 
         [0012]    The aspects of the invention can be achieved by means of a shape of the elements according to what is described in the main claim and in the claims that depend on it. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Further advantages and characteristics of the present invention will be evident from the detailed description provided below as a non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a portion of an oven cavity that exhibits a support and sliding system of the grills and shelves according to the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows the frontal view of a detail of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows in detail one of the two supports utilized in the cavity of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a longitudinal section of an oven cavity in which a sliding shelf, which slides on supports according to the invention, is in the position of maximum insertion into the cavity. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    With reference to the drawings, a cavity C of a household oven is described, in which two support and sliding frames S 1 , S 2  are attached for an extractable shelf or grill R. Such frames S 1  and S 2  are preferably made of metal rod, preferably stainless steel, even if other metal materials and any enamel coatings may be used. Each of such frames preferably exhibits at the ends two vertical rods E 1 , E 2  and at least two substantially horizontal elements L 1  L 2 , which define a support and sliding guide G for a sliding shelf R. 
         [0019]    The two vertical rods can be utilized, in accordance with what is described in DE 3505807 A1, for anchoring the frames to the walls of the oven. Alternatively or additionally, screwable fasteners can be provided. 
         [0020]    The horizontal elements L 1 , L 2  are preferably rod-shaped with ends that are bent and positioned terminating against the corresponding sidewall of the cavity (the perspective view of which is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ), in which the central part C extends linearly over almost the entire length of the sidewall of the oven cavity, in which the same frame is attached. In a different embodiment, the central part of the horizontal elements L 1 , L 2  exhibits some profiles B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 4 , both in the end EX 1  that can be attached in proximity to the rear wall of the oven cavity and in proximity to the opposite end EX 2 , which are suitable for preventing the sliding of the extractable shelf R beyond a predetermined position. Furthermore, the central parts C may exhibit some inclined portions I 1  I 2 , which are suitable for defining a constrained insertion path of the extractable shelf within the guide in such a way as to prevent it from coming out during the operations of preparing the foods to be cooked and during the removal of cooked foods. 
         [0021]    The depth P of each support frame S 1 , S 2  is fixed and substantially corresponds to the length of the bent ends of the horizontal elements and is substantially the same for all of the elements of the frame. This characteristic allows the frame to be substantially parallel to the oven sidewall to which it is attached. 
         [0022]    The depth P of the support and sliding frame determines the maximum width LR of the sliding shelf. In fact, an excessive dimension of the latter impedes the positioning and the sliding of the shelf R in the guides G. It follows that to increase the usable surface SU of the supported sliding shelf and, in relation thereto, the usable volume of the oven cavity in which it is introduced, such depth P must be minimized. The applicant has performed a study according to which the maximum depth of 10 millimeters, well below what is currently known in the art (which is typically 15 millimeters), allows to achieve an oven cavity for household use with a capacity of over 60 liters. Currently on the market, the available usable volumes of the cavities are of about 50 liters. 
         [0023]    Furthermore, according to the invention, at least one metallic transversal element T attached to each horizontal element L 1  L 2 , following a direction running transverse to the guides, preferably perpendicular, is present in each support and sliding frame. 
         [0024]    Such transversal element T is necessary to prevent the deformation of the guides made of metal wire, preferably with a diameter equal to 3.8 millimeters, and the attendant fall of the shelf R when it is loaded with the food to be cooked, and especially when this shelf is found in the position of maximum extraction. In this way, the user may have an extensive sliding work shelf that proves to be particularly stable. 
         [0025]    Such a transversal element T can likewise be utilized to anchor the support and sliding frame to the sidewall of the cavity. 
         [0026]    According to what is shown in  FIG. 5 , the shelf R, whether a grill, a dripping pan, a cookie sheet or a support assimilable thereto, preferably exhibits protrutions or profiles PT 1 , PT 2  that cooperate with the profiles B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 4  of the frames during the sliding and impede its movement beyond a predetermined extension. Similarly, the same protrutions and/or profiles PT 1 , PT 2  cooperate with the inclined portions I 1 , I 2  of the guides G in order to prevent the incorrect insertion of the sliding shelf R according to an incorrect direction, but allowing only the insertion of the shelf in the guide according to a correct direction (polarized insertion). In a preferred embodiment, the profiles PT 1  PT 2  and the profiles B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 4  of the support and sliding frames are placed in a precise relative arrangement in such a way as to guarantee improved stability to the shelf R in the maximum extraction position. In detail, the arrangement provides for that their interaxial distance H 1  is on the order of three times the distance H 2  between the mouth of the cavity and the profile B 1  closest to the opposite end EX 2 . 
         [0027]    In a further variant, the shelf exhibits some anti-slip edges AS suitable for preventing the objects placed on the sliding shelf R from falling off, when it is moving. 
         [0028]    According to the foregoing, an oven is described that achieves all of the objects described in the introductory part of the present invention. 
         [0029]    Further variants of the invention, which can be achieved through the combination of elements described above, are considered part of the same teaching.