Oven appliance spill plug insert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725830-B2
Application number	US-202017117541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

An oven appliance includes a cabinet having a front portion spaced apart from a back portion and a left side spaced apart from a right side. The oven appliance also includes a cooktop defined on a top panel of the cabinet. A levelling leg extends through the cabinet from a levelling foot below the cabinet to an adjustment screw below the top panel. The oven appliance further includes a trough positioned below the top panel of the cabinet and above the adjustment screw. The trough includes an aperture located directly above the adjustment screw. The oven appliance further includes a resilient plug configured to be received in the aperture such that the resilient plug sealingly engages the aperture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oven appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the cabinet comprising a front portion spaced apart from a back portion along the transverse direction and a left side spaced apart from a right side along the lateral direction;
a cooktop defined on a top panel of the cabinet;
a levelling leg extending through the cabinet along the vertical direction from a levelling foot below the cabinet to an adjustment screw below the top panel;
a trough positioned below the top panel of the cabinet and above the adjustment screw, the trough comprising an aperture located directly above the adjustment screw; and
a resilient plug configured to be received in the aperture, whereby the resilient plug sealingly engages the aperture.

2. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the resilient plug comprises a flange configured to surround the aperture and sealingly engage a bottom wall of the trough around the periphery of the aperture.

3. The oven appliance of claim 2 , wherein the flange defines a first diameter, the aperture defines a second diameter, and the first diameter is greater than the second diameter.

4. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the resilient plug comprises a frustoconical body configured to pass through the aperture when the resilient plug is inserted into the aperture, and wherein the frustoconical body is hollow.

5. The oven appliance of claim 4 , wherein the aperture defines a second diameter, the frustoconical body defines a third diameter at a distal end of the frustoconical body and a fourth diameter at a proximal end of the frustoconical body, wherein the fourth diameter is greater than the third diameter, the third diameter is less than the second diameter, and the fourth diameter is greater than the second diameter.

6. The oven appliance of claim 4 , wherein the resilient plug comprises a flange configured to surround the aperture and sealingly engage a bottom wall of the trough around the periphery of the aperture, wherein the frustoconical body extends from a proximal end joined to the flange to a distal end spaced apart from the flange.

7. The oven appliance of claim 6 , wherein the distal end of the frustoconical body is a free end.

8. The oven appliance of claim 6 , wherein the resilient plug further comprises a cylindrical body between the proximal end of the frustoconical body and the flange, wherein the frustoconical body is joined to the flange by the cylindrical body at the proximal end of the frustoconical body.

9. The oven appliance of claim 8 , wherein the flange defines a first diameter, the aperture defines a second diameter, the frustoconical body defines a third diameter at the distal end of the frustoconical body and a fourth diameter at a proximal end of the frustoconical body, and the cylindrical body comprises a fifth diameter, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter, the fourth diameter is greater than the third diameter, the third diameter is less than the second diameter, the fourth diameter is greater than the second diameter, and the fifth diameter is less than the second diameter and greater than the third diameter.

10. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the resilient plug comprises a strap integrated with the resilient plug and a loop at a distal end of the strap, the loop configured to receive a fastener whereby the resilient plug is configured to be secured within the trough by the fastener.

11. An oven appliance, comprising:
a cabinet, the cabinet comprising a front portion spaced apart from a back portion and a left side spaced apart from a right side;
a cooktop defined on a top panel of the cabinet;
a levelling leg extending through the cabinet from a levelling foot below the cabinet to an adjustment screw below the top panel;
a trough positioned below the top panel of the cabinet and above the adjustment screw, the trough comprising an aperture located directly above the adjustment screw; and
a resilient plug configured to be received in the aperture, whereby the resilient plug sealingly engages aperture.

12. The oven appliance of claim 11 , wherein the resilient plug comprises a flange configured to surround the aperture and sealingly engage a bottom wall of the trough around the periphery of the aperture.

13. The oven appliance of claim 12 , wherein the flange defines a first diameter, the aperture defines a second diameter, and the first diameter is greater than the second diameter.

14. The oven appliance of claim 11 , wherein the resilient plug comprises a frustoconical body configured to pass through the aperture when the resilient plug is inserted into the aperture, and wherein the frustoconical body is hollow.

15. The oven appliance of claim 14 , wherein the aperture defines a second diameter, the frustoconical body defines a third diameter at a distal end of the frustoconical body and a fourth diameter at a proximal end of the frustoconical body, wherein the fourth diameter is greater than the third diameter, the third diameter is less than the second diameter, and the fourth diameter is greater than the second diameter.

16. The oven appliance of claim 14 , wherein the resilient plug comprises a flange configured to surround the aperture and sealingly engage a bottom wall of the trough around the periphery of the aperture, wherein the frustoconical body extends from a proximal end joined to the flange to a distal end spaced apart from the flange.

17. The oven appliance of claim 16 , wherein the distal end of the frustoconical body is a free end.

18. The oven appliance of claim 16 , wherein the resilient plug further comprises a cylindrical body between the proximal end of the frustoconical body and the flange, wherein the frustoconical body is joined to the flange by the cylindrical body at the proximal end of the frustoconical body.

19. The oven appliance of claim 18 , wherein the flange defines a first diameter, the aperture defines a second diameter, the frustoconical body defines a third diameter at the distal end of the frustoconical body and a fourth diameter at a proximal end of the frustoconical body, and the cylindrical body comprises a fifth diameter, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter, the fourth diameter is greater than the third diameter, the third diameter is less than the second diameter, the fourth diameter is greater than the second diameter, and the fifth diameter is less than the second diameter and greater than the third diameter.

20. The oven appliance of claim 11 , wherein the resilient plug comprises a strap integrated with the resilient plug and a loop at a distal end of the strap, the loop configured to receive a fastener whereby the resilient plug is configured to be secured within the trough by the fastener.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Todd Justin Patrick
• Brady Cassandra

Classifications

• F24C15/14 Primary

  Spillage trays or grooves · CPC title

• A21B1/00

  Bakers' ovens · CPC title

• F24C3/08

  Arrangement or mounting of burners · CPC title

• F24C15/086

  Adjustable legs or pillars · CPC title

• A47J37/01

  Vessels uniquely adapted for baking (for use in baker's ovens A21B) · CPC title