Folding door for a cooking appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10704789-B2
Application number	US-201816010791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2018
Priority date	Jun 18, 2018
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus and method of a folding door for a cooking appliance. The folding door includes two or more segments hingedly connected. The folding door may vertically fold towards the bottom of the appliance. The outer surface of the folding door may face interiorly towards the one or more cooking compartments of the cooking appliance when in the folded configuration. The cooking appliance may also include one or more tracks guiding the folding door to the folded configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooking appliance comprising:
one or more cooking compartments including a top, a bottom, at least two sides, and a front door, wherein the front door defines a front opening allowing access into the one or more cooking compartments;
at least one heat source in fluid communication with the one or more cooking compartments;
the front door is hingedly connected adjacent to an outer periphery of the front opening of the one or more cooking compartments adjacent the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments;
the front door includes a plurality of segments hingedly connected to each other to fold upon each other in a vertical direction between the top and the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments; and
one or more tracks guiding the front door between a closed position and an open position.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the plurality of segments of the front door include an upper segment hinged to a lower segment.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 2 further comprising a first hinge between the upper segment and the lower segment and a second hinge between the lower segment and the outer periphery of the front opening, wherein the first hinge and second hinge are substantially horizontal.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the front door includes an outer face and an inner face, wherein when folded to an open position the outer face of the front door is facing upwards in a direction in front of the one or more cooking compartments.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein the plurality of segments of the front door include an upper segment hinged to a lower segment, and wherein the one or more tracks maintain an upper edge of the upper segment to travel adjacent to the front opening between the top and the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments when the front door is folded between a closed position and an open position.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 1 wherein when the front door is in a folded position, the folded front door is angled downwardly and away from the one or more cooking compartments.

7. A cooking appliance comprising:
one or more cooking compartments including a top, a bottom, at least two sides, and a segmented front door, wherein the segmented front door defines a front opening allowing access into the one or more cooking compartments;
at least one heat source in fluid communication with the one or more cooking compartments; and
the segmented front door is interconnected by a one or more first hinges horizontally orientated;
a second hinge horizontally orientated connects the segmented front door adjacent to an outer periphery of the front opening of the one or more cooking compartments adjacent the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments;
wherein the segmented front door vertically folds upon a portion of the segmented front door from a closed position to an open position relative to the front opening, wherein when in the closed position the segmented front door is in an extended configuration and when in the open position the segmented front door is in a folded configuration adjacent the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments;
one or more tracks guiding the segmented front door between the closed position and the open position.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 7 wherein the segmented front door includes an outer face and an inner face, wherein when in the folded configuration in the open position the outer face of the segmented front door is facing upwards in a direction in front of the one or more cooking compartments.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 7 wherein the segmented front door includes at least an upper segment hinged to a lower segment, and wherein the one or more tracks maintain an upper edge of the upper segment to travel adjacent to the front opening between the top and the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments when the segmented front door is folded between the extended configuration and the folded configuration.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 7 wherein when the segmented front door is in the folded configuration, the segmented front door is angled downwardly and away from the one or more cooking compartments.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 7 further comprising one or more gaskets between adjacent segments of the segmented front door.

12. A cooking appliance comprising:
one or more cooking compartments including a top, a bottom, at least two sides, and a front door, wherein the front door defines a front opening allowing access into the one or more cooking compartments;
at least one heat source in fluid communication with the one or more cooking compartments; and
the front door includes at least an upper segment and a lower segment, each of the upper segment and the lower segment having an upper edge and a lower edge;
a first hinge hingedly connects the upper edge of the lower segment to the lower edge of the upper segment and a second hinge hingedly connects the lower edge of the lower segment adjacent to an outer periphery of the front opening of the one or more cooking compartments adjacent the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments; and
wherein the upper segment and the lower segment vertically fold together from a closed position to an open position relative to the front opening, wherein when in the closed position the upper segment and the lower segment is in an extended configuration and when in the open position the upper segment and the lower segment is in a folded configuration adjacent the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 12 further comprising one or more gaskets adjacent the first hinge between the upper edge of the lower segment and the lower edge of the upper segment.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 12 wherein the front door includes an outer face and an inner face, wherein when in the folded configuration in the open position the outer face of the upper segment is facing upwards in a direction towards the one or more cooking compartments.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 12 further comprising one or more tracks guiding the front door between the closed position and the open position.

16. The cooking appliance of claim 15 wherein the one or more tracks maintain the upper edge of the upper segment to travel adjacent to the front opening between the top and the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments when the front door is folded between the extended configuration and the folded configuration.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 15 the one or more tracks longitudinally extend adjacent at least one of the at least two sides of the one or more cooking compartments.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 12 wherein when the front door is in the folded configuration, the front door is angled downwardly and away from the one or more cooking compartments.

19. A cooking appliance comprising:
one or more cooking compartments including a top, a bottom, at least two sides, and a front door, wherein the front door defines a front opening allowing access into the one or more cooking compartments;
at least one heat source in fluid communication with the one or more cooking compartments;
the front door is hingedly connected adjacent to an outer periphery of the front opening of the one or more cooking compartments adjacent the bottom of the one or more cooking compartments;
the front door includes a plurality of segments hingedly connected to each other to fold upon each other in a vertical direction between

Assignees

• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Scalf Eric

Classifications

• E05D15/58 Primary

  with both swinging and sliding movements · CPC title

• E05D15/22

  allowing an additional movement {(E05D15/20 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E05D15/262

  folding vertically · CPC title

• E05Y2900/308

  for ovens · CPC title

• F24C15/023

  Mounting of doors, e.g. hinges, counterbalancing · CPC title