Appliance ignitor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11333362-B2
Application number	US-202017030341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2020
Priority date	Sep 23, 2020
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

An ignitor assembly for an appliance includes first and second taps coupled with a conduit. Each tap has a shaft extending upward from a body. A first support is coupled with the first tap, and a second support is coupled with the second tap. Each of the first and second supports includes a body portion positioned about the shaft of the respective tap and a protrusion extending from the body portion and defining a channel. The second support further includes a switch portion. A cross-member is rotatably coupled with each of the first and second supports and includes a switch lever positioned proximate the second support. Actuation of either of the first and second taps rotates the cross-member. A switch is coupled with the switch portion of the second support and configured to be actuated by the switch lever of the cross-member during rotation of the cross-member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ignitor assembly for an appliance, comprising:
a first tap and a second tap coupled with a conduit, each of the first and second taps having a shaft extending upward from a body;
a first support coupled with the first tap and including a body portion positioned about the shaft of the first tap and a protrusion extending from the body portion and defining a channel;
a second support coupled with the second tap and including a body portion positioned about the shaft of the second tap, a protrusion extending from the body portion and defining a channel, and a switch portion;
a cross-member rotatably coupled with each of the first and second supports and including a switch lever positioned proximate the second support, wherein actuation of either of the first and second taps rotates the cross-member; and
a switch coupled with the switch portion of the second support and configured to be actuated by the switch lever of the cross-member during rotation of the cross-member.

2. The ignitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second supports includes a clip configured to engage with a rim of the shaft of the respective tap.

3. The ignitor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first knob positioned on the shaft of the first tap and configured to rotate the shaft when depressed to selectively open the first tap; and
a second knob positioned on the shaft of the second tap and configured to rotate the shaft when depressed to selectively open the second tap.

4. The ignitor assembly of claim 3 , wherein the cross-member includes first and second tap levers interspaced along the cross-member, the first tap lever positioned proximate the shaft of the first tap and the second tap lever positioned proximate the shaft of the second tap.

5. The ignitor assembly of claim 4 , wherein an inner surface of the first knob contacts the first tap lever when the first knob is depressed and rotated to an ignition position, and an inner surface of the second knob contacts the second tap lever when the second knob is depressed and rotated to an ignition position.

6. The ignitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cross-member includes a plurality of coupling portions configured to be received by the channels of the first and second supports.

7. The ignitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the switch lever extends perpendicularly from the cross-member.

8. The ignitor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third tap coupled with the conduit and having a shaft extending upward from a body; and
a third support coupled with the third tap and including a body portion positioned about the shaft of the first tap and a protrusion extending from the body portion and defining a channel, wherein the cross-member is rotatably received by the channel of the third support and actuation of the third tap rotates the cross-member.

9. The ignitor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second support includes a retention feature configured to at least partially couple the switch with the switch portion.

10. The ignitor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the retention feature comprises a raised edge extending upward from a base of the switch portion.

11. The ignitor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the retention feature comprises a protrusion configured to be received by an aperture defined by the switch.

12. An ignitor assembly for a cooking appliance, comprising:
a first tap coupled with a conduit and having a shaft extending upward from a body;
a second tap coupled with the conduit and having a shaft extending upward from a body;
a first support coupled with the first tap and including a body portion positioned about the shaft;
a second support coupled with the second tap and including a body portion positioned about the shaft and a switch portion extending from the body portion;
a cross-member rotatably coupled with the first and second supports, the cross-member including a first tap lever positioned proximate the shaft of the first tap, a second tap lever positioned proximate the shaft of the second tap, and a switch lever positioned proximate the switch portion, wherein the cross-member is rotatable between a disengaged position and an engaged position; and
a switch coupled with the switch portion and configured to be actuated by the switch lever when the cross-member is in the engaged position.

13. The ignitor assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
a knob coupled with the shaft of one of the first and second taps, the knob having an inner surface configured to contact and depress one of the first and second tap levers in an ignition position.

14. The ignitor assembly of claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second tap levers includes a first portion extending from the cross-member toward the respective tap and a second portion extending parallel to the shaft of the respective tap.

15. The ignitor assembly of claim 12 , wherein the cross-member includes first and second parallel side surfaces and the switch lever extends from one of the first and second side surfaces of the cross-member.

16. The ignitor assembly of claim 12 , wherein the switch lever extends tangentially from the cross-member.

17. An ignitor assembly for a cooking appliance, comprising:
first and second taps coupled with a conduit extending along a portion of a cooktop, wherein the cooktop includes first and second burners, the first burner selectively actuated by the first tap and the second burner selectively actuated by the second tap;
a first support coupled with the first tap;
a second support coupled with the second tap and including a switch portion;
a cross-member rotatably coupled with the first and second supports, the cross-member including a first tap lever positioned proximate the first tap, a second tap lever positioned proximate the second tap, and a switch lever positioned proximate the switch portion, wherein opening of the first tap rotates the cross-member from a disengaged position to an engaged position and opening of the second tap rotates the cross-member from the disengaged position to the engaged position; and
a switch coupled with the switch portion and configured to be actuated by the switch lever when the cross-member is in the engaged position.

18. The ignitor assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first support includes a first protrusion defining a first channel and the second support includes a second protrusion defining a second channel, the first and second channels aligned and configured to receive the cross-member.

19. The ignitor assembly of claim 18 , wherein the cross-member includes a plurality of coupling portions configured to be received by the channels of the first and second supports.

20. The ignitor assembly of claim 17 , wherein the switch portion includes a retention feature configured to at least partially couple the switch with the second support.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Alberti Carlo

Classifications

• F24C3/103 Primary

  of electric ignition devices · CPC title

• F24C3/126

  on ranges · CPC title

• F24C3/128

  in baking ovens · CPC title

• F24C3/10 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of ignition devices · CPC title