Range with suspended cooktop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297694-B2
Application number	US-201916529280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2019
Priority date	Apr 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A slide-in or drop-in cooking range includes an upper cooktop in the form of a module suspended above an oven cavity. For installation purposes, the upper cooktop can be vertically repositioned relative to the oven cavity to assure proper alignment with the countertop and avoid damage to the cooktop as a result of combined thermal and mechanical stresses over time. The disclosure is particularly applicable to ranges employing glass cooktops having a periphery designed to rest upon edge portions of a countertop and contemplates various mechanisms to perform the cooktop repositioning function, including select mechanisms for locking, ratcheting and biasing the cooktop to establish a desired vertical position for the cooktop.

First claim

I claim:

1. A cooking appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
an oven cavity mounted in the cabinet;
a cooktop positioned above the oven cavity, said cooktop including a side wall; and
a mechanism interconnecting the cooktop to the cabinet while permitting the cooktop to be vertically downwardly shifted relative to the oven cavity, wherein the mechanism interconnects the side wall to the cabinet.

2. The cooking appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the cooktop is constituted by a module, including a control panel and a glass panel provided with a plurality of heating elements, mounted upon the cabinet.

3. The cooking appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanism includes at least one spring acting between the cooktop and the cabinet.

4. The cooking appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one spring applies a downward biasing force upon the cooktop.

5. The cooking appliance according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one spring is a tension spring.

6. The cooking appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the cooking appliance constitutes a range mounted within a cut-out portion of a countertop and the cooktop includes a panel which extends over edge portions of the countertop.

7. The cooking appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the cabinet directly supports the cooktop via the mechanism.

8. The cooking appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism for fixing the cooktop in a select vertical position relative to the oven cavity, wherein the locking mechanism establishes a series of locking positions in which the cooktop can be selectively locked.

9. A cooking appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
an oven cavity mounted in the cabinet;
a cooktop positioned above the oven cavity;
a mechanism interconnecting the cooktop to the cabinet while permitting the cooktop to be vertically downwardly shifted relative to the oven cavity; and
a locking mechanism for fixing the cooktop in a select vertical position relative to the oven cavity, wherein the locking mechanism establishes a series of locking positions in which the cooktop can be selectively locked.

10. A method of mounting a range, including a cabinet, a lower oven cavity mounted in the cabinet and an upper cooktop having a side wall, in an opening provided along a countertop comprising:
positioning the range, including both the lower oven cavity and the upper cooktop simultaneously, within the opening; and
vertically adjusting the upper cooktop relative to the lower oven cavity using a mechanism configured to permit vertical downward shifting of the upper cooktop relative to the lower oven cavity, wherein the mechanism interconnects the side wall to the cabinet.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the range is positioned within the opening, with the lower oven cavity being exposed below the countertop and at least a panel of the upper cooktop resting upon edge portions of the countertop.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: locking the upper cooktop in a select vertical position relative to the lower oven cavity.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the upper cooktop is locked in the select vertical position prior to positioning the range within the opening.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: lowering the upper cooktop onto the countertop after positioning the range within the opening.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: biasing the upper cooktop downward relative to the oven cavity.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the upper cooktop is biased into engagement with the countertop.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the upper cooktop is biased by a tension spring.

18. A method of mounting a range, including a cabinet, a lower oven cavity mounted in the cabinet and an upper cooktop, in an opening provided along a countertop comprising:
positioning the range, including both the lower oven cavity and the upper cooktop simultaneously, within the opening;
vertically adjusting the upper cooktop relative to the lower oven cavity using a mechanism configured to permit vertical downward shifting of the upper cooktop relative to the lower oven cavity; and
fixing the upper cooktop in a select vertical position relative to the lower oven cavity with a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism establishes a series of locking positions in which the cooktop can be selectively locked.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Ruperee Prashant

Classifications

• F24C15/108 Primary

  Mounting of hot plate on worktop · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• H05B3/68 Primary

  Heating arrangements specially adapted for cooking plates or analogous hot-plates · CPC title