Oven door assembly for an RF oven

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10873996-B2
Application number	US-201715809324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2016
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

An oven may include a door movable between an open position and a closed position, a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, an RF energy source and an RF choke. The cooking chamber may be defined at least in part by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and may define an opening that interfaces with the door. The RF energy source may be configured to apply RF energy to the food product. The RF choke may be disposed at a portion of the door facing the cooking chamber when the door is in the closed position. The door may include a handle disposed on a side of the door opposite the RF choke. The handle may be attached to a front face of the door at an angle relative to the front face of the door such that the handle extends beyond a top of the door along a direction extending from a pivot axis of the door toward the top of the door.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. An oven comprising:
a door movable between an open position and a closed position;
a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, the cooking chamber being defined at least in part by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the cooking chamber further defining an opening that interfaces with the door;
a radio frequency (RF) energy source configured to apply RF energy to the food product; and
an RF choke disposed at a portion of the door facing the cooking chamber when the door is in the closed position,
wherein the door comprises a handle disposed on a side of the door opposite the RF choke, wherein the handle is attached to a front face of the door at an angle relative to the front face of the door such that the handle extends beyond a top of the door along a direction extending from a pivot axis of the door toward the top of the door,
wherein the oven further comprises a hinge assembly operably coupling the door to a body of the oven, wherein the door is configured to pivot from the open position to the closed position about a horizontally oriented axis, wherein an extension portion of the oven extends below a bottom portion of the door defining a receiving space through which the bottom portion of the door pivots during transition of the door between the open position and the closed position, and
wherein a cleaning slot comprising a depression angled downward and rearward and extending substantially parallel to the front face of the door is formed in the extension portion, the cleaning slot being configured to collect or catch runoff liquid or materials from the door in response to the door pivoting between the open position and the closed position.

2. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the angle is about 45 degrees.

3. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a substantially hollow tube.

4. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the handle is operably coupled to the door via handle supports, the handle supports extending between the front face of the door and the handle at the angle.

5. The oven of claim 4 , wherein a distal end of each of the handle supports is operably coupled to the handle via a fastener that extends into the distal end substantially parallel to a direction of extension of a respective one of the handle supports.

6. The oven of claim 4 , wherein a proximal end of each of the handle supports is angled relative to a direction of longitudinal extension of a respective one of the handle supports, and wherein the proximal end is operably coupled to the front face of the door via a fastener that extends between the front face and the proximal end substantially perpendicular to the front face of the door.

7. The oven of claim 4 , wherein a proximal end of each of the handle supports is substantially perpendicular to a direction of longitudinal extension of a respective one of the handle supports, and wherein the proximal end is operably coupled to the door via a fastener that extends between the door and the proximal end substantially parallel to the direction of longitudinal extension of the respective one of the handle supports.

8. The oven of claim 7 , wherein the proximal end of each of the handle supports engages an angled face extending between the top of the door and the front face angled relative to both the top of the door and the front face.

9. The oven of claim 7 , wherein the proximal end of each of the handle supports is inserted into a reception orifice formed in the front face.

10. A door assembly for an oven, the door assembly comprising:
a door movable between an open position and a closed position to interface with an opening defined in a cooking chamber of the oven, the cooking chamber being defined at least in part by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall;
a radio frequency (RF) choke being disposed at a portion of the door facing the cooking chamber when the door is in the closed position; and
a handle disposed on a side of the door opposite the RF choke,
wherein the handle is attached to a front face of the door at an angle relative to the front face of the door such that the handle extends beyond a top of the door along a direction extending from a pivot axis of the door toward the top of the door,
wherein the door is configured to connect to a body of the oven via a hinge assembly, wherein the door is configured to pivot from the open position to the closed position relative to the body about a horizontally oriented axis, wherein a bottom portion of the door is configured to pivot through a receiving space defined by an extension portion of the oven extending below a bottom portion of the door during transition of the door between the open position and the closed position, wherein in response to the door pivoting between the open position and closed position, runoff liquid or materials from the door is configured to be collected or caught by a cleaning slot formed in the extension portion,
wherein the cleaning slot comprises a depression angled downward and rearward and extending substantially parallel to the front face of the door.

11. The door assembly of claim 10 , wherein the angle is about 45 degrees.

12. The door assembly of claim 10 , wherein the handle comprises a substantially hollow tube.

13. The door assembly of claim 10 , wherein the handle is operably coupled to the door via handle supports, the handle supports extending between the front face of the door and the handle at the angle.

14. The door assembly of claim 13 , wherein a distal end of each of the handle supports is operably coupled to the handle via a fastener that extends into the distal end substantially parallel to a direction of extension of a respective one of the handle supports.

15. The door assembly of claim 13 , wherein a proximal end of each of the handle supports is angled relative to a direction of longitudinal extension of a respective one of the handle supports, and wherein the proximal end is operably coupled to the front face of the door via a fastener that extends between the front face and the proximal end substantially perpendicular to the front face of the door.

16. The door assembly of claim 13 , wherein a proximal end of each of the handle supports is substantially perpendicular to a direction of longitudinal extension of a respective one of the handle supports, and wherein the proximal end is operably coupled to the door via a fastener that extends between the door and the proximal end substantially parallel to the direction of longitudinal extension of the respective one of the handle supports.

17. The door assembly of claim 16 , wherein the proximal end of each of the handle supports engages an angled face extending between the top of the door and the front face angled relative to both the top of the door and the front face.

18. The door assembly of claim 16 , wherein the proximal end of each of the handle supports is inserted into a reception orifice formed in the front face.

19. An oven comprising:
a door movable between an open position and a closed position;
a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, the cooking chamber being defined at least in part by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the cooking chamber further defining an opening that interfaces with the door;
a radio frequency (RF) energy source configured to apply RF energy to the food product; and
an RF choke disposed at a portion of the door facing the cooking chamber when the door is in the closed positi

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Carcano Marco
• Gentile Michele
• Sclocchi Michele

Classifications

• F24C15/024

  Handles · CPC title

• H05B6/6414

  Aspects relating to the door of the microwave heating apparatus · CPC title

• H05B6/763 Primary

  Microwave radiation seals for doors · CPC title