Cooktop with hinged grates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11873996-B2
Application number	US-202117512831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2021
Priority date	Nov 6, 2019
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a cooktop and a burner mounted on the cooktop. At least one coupling member is coupled to the cooktop. A grate, a griddle, or a reversible griddle is selectively coupled to the at least one coupling member and is operable between a raised position and a lowered position when the grate, the griddle, or the reversible griddle, is engaged with the coupling member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking appliance, comprising:
a cooktop;
a burner mounted on the cooktop;
a coupling member coupled to a top surface of the cooktop, the coupling member having;
a body defining a cutout with an abutting surface on an inner side of the coupling member; and
first and second pins extending in opposing directions from opposing sides of the body, wherein the cutout is defined between the first and second pins; and

a griddle selectively coupled to the coupling member and operable between a raised position and a lowered position when the griddle is engaged with the coupling member, the griddle including:
first and second receiving members extending from a coupling edge of the griddle to engage the first and second pins; and
an elongated retaining protrusion that extends along the coupling edge between the first and second receiving members, wherein the elongated retaining protrusion is configured to rotate in a space defined by the cutout to abut the abutting surface within the cutout of the coupling member to retain the griddle in the raised position, the abutting surface being oriented toward the cooktop.

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second coupling member having first and second pins; and
a grate selectively engaging the first and second pins of the second coupling member.

3. The cooking appliance of claim 2 , wherein the grate includes a centrally-disposed griddle portion.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 3 , wherein the grate includes support members disposed on at least one side of the centrally-disposed griddle portion.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 2 , wherein the first and second pins of the second coupling member extend in a same direction to slidably receive pivot members of the grate.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the elongated retaining protrusion, the first receiving member, and the second receiving member are disposed along the coupling edge of a first end of the griddle with the elongated retaining protrusion centrally located between the first and second receiving members.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the griddle further comprises:
a raised border portion extending at least partially around a cooking surface.

8. A cooktop assembly, comprising:
a cooktop;
a coupling member coupled to an edge of the cooktop, the coupling member having a cutout with an abutting surface defined between a first pin and a second pin, the abutting surface being oriented toward the cooktop; and
a griddle including:
a rear wall extending between first and second cooking surfaces;
a first pivot protrusion extending from the rear wall and defining first and second pivot members aligned with one another;
a second pivot protrusion extending from the rear wall and defining third and fourth pivot members, the third and fourth pivot members aligned with one another and with the first and second pivot members, wherein the first and third pivot members are engaged with the first and second pins when the griddle is in a first side use state and the second and fourth pivot members are engaged with the first and second pins when the griddle is in a second side use state;
a first edge retaining protrusion extending from the rear wall proximate to the first cooking surface and between the first and third pivot members, the first retaining protrusion configured to engage the abutting surface to retain the griddle in a raised position when the griddle is in the first side use state; and
at least one second edge retaining protrusion extending from the rear wall proximate to the second cooking surface and between the second and fourth pivot members, the at least one second edge retaining protrusion configured to engage the abutting surface to retain the griddle in the raised position when the griddle is in the second side use state.

9. The cooktop assembly of claim 8 , wherein the griddle includes laterally extending tabs that extend from side edges of the griddle and are configured to abut at least one of an adjacent griddle and an adjacent grate.

10. The cooktop assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first and second pivot members are disposed on a first side of the rear wall of the griddle and the third and fourth pivot members are disposed on a -second side of the rear wall of the griddle.

11. The cooktop assembly of claim 8 , wherein the
at least one second edge retaining protrusion includes two second edge retaining protrusions disposed on the rear wall of the griddle.

12. The cooktop assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first edge retaining protrusion is centrally located between the two second edge retaining protrusions.

13. The cooktop of claim 8 , wherein the first cooking surface of the griddle is a planar griddle surface exposed when the griddle is in the first side use position and the second cooking surface of the griddle is a grill surface exposed when the griddle is in the second side use position.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Bardal Alexandre Machado
• Crawford Randall Vernen
• Duffy Patrick J
• Johnson Ken E
• Johnson Michele Harpring
• Mcnally John Ryan
• Neuman Paul J
• Leoni Gaston A
• Soares Leonardo Portilho
• Small Sarah Katherine

Classifications

• F24C15/107 Primary

  Pan supports or grates therefor · CPC title

• A47J37/067

  Horizontally disposed broiling griddles · CPC title