Household appliance having a deployable warming drawer module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9179800-B2
Application number	US-201213483098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2012
Priority date	May 30, 2012
Publication date	Nov 10, 2015
Grant date	Nov 10, 2015

Abstract

A household appliance includes a warming drawer housing having an interior chamber and a warming drawer module having a warming area for placing items to be warmed and a heating device that heats the area. The warming drawer module is movable between a first position in which the warming drawer module is in the interior chamber of the warming drawer housing and the warming area is concealed from an outside of the warming drawer housing by the warming drawer housing, and a second position in which a part of the warming drawer module is outside the warming drawer housing and a portion of the warming area is exposed to the outside of the warming drawer housing. The heating device is coupled to and movable with the warming drawer module between the first position and the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A household appliance comprising:
a warming drawer housing having an interior chamber; and
a warming drawer module having a warming area for placing items to be warmed and a heating device that heats the warming area, the warming drawer module being movable between a first position in which the warming drawer module is in the interior chamber of the warming drawer housing and the warming area is concealed from an outside of the warming drawer housing by the warming drawer housing, and a second position in which a part of the warming drawer module is outside the warming drawer housing and a portion of the warming area is exposed to the outside of the warming drawer housing,
wherein the heating device is coupled to and movable with the warming drawer module between the first position and the second position,
wherein the warming drawer module includes a locking feature that engages the warming drawer housing to releasably couple the warming drawer module to the warming drawer housing such that the warming drawer module is configured to be removable as a single functional assembly, which includes the warming area and the heating device, from the warming drawer housing.

2. The household appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control panel controlling an operation of the heating device, the control panel being movable with the warming drawer module between the first position and the second position.

3. The household appliance of claim 2 , further comprising:
a power source coupled to the control panel and the heating device, the power source supplying power to the control panel when the warming drawer module is in the first position and the second position.

4. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the heating device includes a resistance heating element.

5. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the heating device includes a glass ceramic surface having a conductive coating, the glass ceramic surface forming a warming surface that supports the items in the warming area.

6. The household appliance of claim 5 , wherein the warming drawer module further includes:
a frame surrounding the warming surface; and
a front panel coupled to the frame and covering an opening of the interior chamber of the warming drawer housing when the warming drawer module is in the first position.

7. The household appliance of claim 6 , wherein the warming drawer module further includes:
a rear panel coupled to the frame at an opposite end of the warming surface from the front panel, the opposite end corresponding to a rear location of the frame.

8. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the warming area of the warming drawer module is defined by a surface that supports the items in the warming area, a front panel covering an opening of the interior chamber of the warming drawer housing when the warming drawer module is in the first position, and a rear panel at an opposite end of the surface from the front panel, wherein the surface extends from the front panel to the rear panel without sidewalls to permit access to the warming area in a lateral direction.

9. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the warming drawer module includes:
a cable management device that secures power cables connecting the power source to the heating device to a part of the warming drawer module.

10. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the warming drawer module includes:
a telescopic drawer slide directly coupling the warming drawer module to the warming drawer housing such that the warming drawer module is movable between the first position and the second position.

11. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the warming drawer module includes:
a rigid channel coupled to the warming drawer housing; and
a telescopic drawer slide including a pair of telescoping elements, the telescopic drawer slide coupling the warming drawer module to the rigid channel such that the warming drawer module is movable between the first position and the second position.

12. The household appliance of claim 11 , wherein the rigid channel includes:
a first locking feature that engages a corresponding first locking feature of the warming drawer housing to couple the warming drawer module to the warming drawer housing.

13. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the warming drawer module is configured to be movable as a single assembly from the second position to a third position outside of the warming drawer housing in which the single assembly including the heating device is disposed entirely outside of the warming drawer housing.

14. The household appliance of claim 11 , wherein the warming drawer module is configured to be movable as a single assembly from the second position to a third position outside of the warming drawer housing in which the single assembly including the heating device, the rigid channel, and the telescopic drawer slide is disposed entirely outside of the warming drawer housing.

15. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the warming drawer module includes a thermostat that detects a temperature of the heating device, the thermostat in thermal contact with the heating device and movable with the warming drawer module between the first position and the second position.

16. The household appliance of claim 1 , wherein the warming drawer module further includes:
coupling means for movably coupling the warming drawer module to the warming drawer housing such that the warming drawer module is movable between the first position and the second position.

17. The household appliance of claim 16 , wherein the warming drawer module further includes:
stiffening means for increasing a stiffness and a rigidity of the coupling of the warming drawer module to the warming drawer housing.

18. The household appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a frame extending from a front of the warming surface to a rear of the warming surface;
a front panel coupled to the frame at the front of the warming surface and covering an opening of the interior chamber of the warming drawer housing when the warming drawer module is in the first position;
a rear panel coupled to the frame at the rear of the warming surface, wherein the rear panel conceals the interior chamber of the warming drawer housing when the warming drawer module is in the second position,
wherein the frame extends from the front panel to the rear panel without sidewalls to permit access to the warming area in a lateral direction;
a thermostat in thermal contact with the heating device, the thermostat detecting a temperature of the heating device; and
a control panel on the front panel, the control panel controlling an operation of the heating device,
wherein the warming drawer module is configured to be removable as a single assembly, which includes the warming area, the heating device, the frame, the front panel, the rear panel, the thermostat, and the control panel, from the warming drawer housing.

19. The household appliance of claim 18 , wherein the warming drawer module further comprises:
a rigid channel configured to be removably coupled the warming drawer housing; and
a telescopic drawer slide having a pair of telescoping elements, wherein a first element of the pair is coupled to the frame and a second element of the pair is coupled to the rigid channel,
wherein the warming drawer module is configured to be removable as a single assembly, which includes the warming area, the heating device, the frame, the front panel, the rear panel, the

Assignees

• Harward Samuel
• Parker Rose Marie
• Rutherford Michael
• Bsh Home Appliances Corp

Inventors

• Harward Samuel
• Parker Rose Marie
• Rutherford Michael

Classifications

• F24C15/36

  Protective guards, e.g. for preventing access to heated parts · CPC title

• H05B3/68

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

• F24C15/18

  Arrangement of compartments additional to cooking compartments, e.g. for warming or for storing utensils or fuel containers; Arrangement of additional heating or cooking apparatus, e.g. grills · CPC title

• A47J39/02 Primary

  Dish-warmers; Devices to keep food hot · CPC title