Hinged grates for cooking appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10598389-B2
Application number	US-201816008733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A cooking grate that is hinged directly to the structural framework of an appliance is disclosed. The cooking grate may include one or more grate hinge brackets that are connected behind or through a cooktop without connection to the cooktop. One or more cooking grates may be used in a variety of applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking appliance comprising:
a structural framework;
a cooktop supported by said structural framework having a cooktop bottom and a cooktop perimeter further comprising a cooktop front, a cooktop rear, a cooktop left side, and a cooktop right side;
a grate hinge bracket positioned at a first location external to said cooktop perimeter and adjacent to one of said cooktop front, cooktop rear, cooktop left side, or cooktop right side, wherein said grate hinge bracket is directly coupled to said structural framework at said first location, wherein said first location does not go through said cooktop bottom.

2. In a cooking appliance having a structural framework and a cooktop supported by the structural framework, wherein the cooktop has a first burner opening therethrough and a cooktop perimeter defining an outermost periphery of said cooktop, the improvement comprising:
at least one hinge bracket opening in said cooktop disposed internal to said cooktop perimeter;
a cooking grate forming a cooking surface for supporting a cooking vessel disposed above said first burner opening; and
a grate hinge bracket mounted directly to said structural framework for hinged connection to said cooking grate through said at least one hinge bracket opening in said cooktop to allow said cooking grate to pivot through a range of positions from a first position to a second positions, wherein in said first position said cooking grate is disposed horizontally over said first gas burner and in said second position said cooking grate is disposed at an angle with respect to the cooktop.

3. A cooking appliance comprising:
a structural framework;
a cooktop supported by said structural framework having a first burner opening therethrough and having a cooktop perimeter having a cooktop rear edge, a cooktop left edge, a cooktop right edge, and a cooktop front edge;
a first gas burner extending through said first burner opening in said cooktop, said first gas burner being connected to a gas source;
a cooking grate forming a cooking surface for supporting a cooking vessel disposed above said first gas burner for cooking food; and
a grate hinge bracket mounted directly to said structural framework for hinged connection to said cooking grate to allow said cooking grate to pivot through a range of positions from a first position to a second position, wherein in said first position said cooking grate is disposed horizontally over said first gas burner and in said second position said cooking grate is disposed at an angle with respect to the cooktop.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said grate hinge bracket is located adjacent a housing rear of said appliance and behind said cooktop rear edge.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said grate hinge bracket is located adjacent a housing left side of said appliance and closer to said housing left side of said appliance than is said cooktop left edge.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said grate hinge bracket is located adjacent a housing right side of said appliance and closer to said housing right side of said appliance than is said cooktop right edge.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said grate hinge bracket is located adjacent a housing front side of said appliance and closer to said housing front side of said appliance that is said cooktop front edge.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said grate hinge bracket is mounted to said structural framework through a grate hinge bracket opening in said cooktop that is internal to said cooktop perimeter.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 8 wherein said grate hinge bracket opening in said cooktop is located adjacent a housing rear of said appliance.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 8 wherein said grate hinge bracket opening in said cooktop is located adjacent a housing left side of said appliance.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 8 wherein said grate hinge bracket opening in said cooktop is located adjacent a housing right side of said appliance.

12. The cooking appliance of claim 8 wherein said grate hinge bracket opening in said cooktop is located adjacent a housing front side of said appliance.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 1 further comprising at least two cooking grates.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 13 wherein said at least two cooking grates are moveable together as a combined unit of cooking grates.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 13 wherein said at least two cooking grates are moveable independently.

16. The cooking appliance of claim 13 wherein said at least two cooking grates are hingedly connected to each other.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said cooking grate further comprises a soft-close structure.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said cooking grate further comprises a holding mechanism.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said cooking grate further comprises a vent.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein said cooking grate further comprises a griddle.

Assignees

• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cowan Richard W
• Trice Daniel J

Classifications

• F24C15/107 Primary

  Pan supports or grates therefor · CPC title

• F24C3/027

  Ranges · CPC title