Domestic cooking appliance having a gas switch mounting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9476594-B2
Application number	US-201213705231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2012
Priority date	Dec 5, 2012
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A domestic cooking appliance having a gas burner and a control panel assembly is provided. The assembly includes a control panel cover having an alignment pin and an opening; a gas switch having a protruding portion that extends through the opening in the control panel cover when the control panel assembly is in an assembled position; a gas manifold for delivering gas to the gas switch, the gas switch being positionally fixed relative to the gas manifold; a mounting bracket positionally fixed relative to the gas manifold, the mounting bracket having a mounting portion attached to the appliance, a positioning surface that supports the control panel cover, and a hole in the positioning surface that receives the alignment pin. The hole is positionally fixed relative to the protruding portion of the gas switch when the control panel assembly is in the assembled position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A domestic cooking appliance, comprising:
a gas burner; and
a control panel assembly having
a control panel cover having an outermost surface that is visible to a user when in use, a backside that is opposite the outermost surface, a first alignment pin and an opening in the outermost surface;
a first gas switch that regulates an amount of gas delivered to the gas burner of the domestic cooking appliance, the first gas switch having a protruding portion that extends through the opening in the control panel cover when the control panel assembly is in an assembled position;
a gas delivery manifold for delivering gas to the first gas switch, the first gas switch being fixed to the gas delivery manifold and positionally fixed relative to the gas delivery manifold;
a first mounting bracket fixed to the gas delivery manifold and positionally fixed relative to the gas delivery manifold, the first mounting bracket having
a mounting portion attached to the domestic cooking appliance,
a positioning surface that contacts the backside of the control panel cover and supports the control panel cover, and
a hole in the positioning surface that receives the first alignment pin;

wherein the hole is positionally fixed relative to the protruding portion of the first gas switch when the control panel assembly is in the assembled position when in use.

2. The domestic cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion is a rotary shaft of the first gas switch.

3. The domestic cooking appliance of claim 2 , wherein the first gas switch is a gas valve.

4. The domestic cooking appliance of claim 1 , wherein the control panel cover further comprises a first lifting finger that, during assembly, engages the first mounting bracket and guides the control panel cover relative to the positioning surface of the first mounting bracket so that the first alignment pin aligns with the hole.

5. The domestic cooking appliance of claim 1 , further comprising
a second alignment pin on the control panel cover; and
a second mounting bracket, the second mounting bracket being fixed to the gas delivery manifold and positionally fixed relative to the gas delivery manifold, the second mounting bracket having
a mounting portion attached to the domestic cooking appliance,

a positioning surface that supports the control panel cover, and
a hole in the positioning surface that receives the second alignment pin.

6. The domestic cooking appliance of claim 5 , further comprising a second gas switch for regulating an amount of gas delivered to a second gas burner of the domestic cooking appliance, the second gas switch having a protruding portion that extends through a second opening in the control panel cover when the control panel assembly is in the assembled position,
wherein the protruding portion of the first gas switch is a rotary shaft of the first gas switch, and the first gas switch is a gas valve, and
the protruding portion of the second gas switch is a rotary shaft of the second gas switch, and the second gas switch is a gas valve.

7. The domestic cooking appliance of claim 6 , wherein the first and second alignment pins are conical in shape.

8. The domestic cooking appliance of claim 7 , wherein the control panel cover further comprises a first lifting finger that, during assembly, engages the first mounting bracket and guides the control panel cover relative to the positioning surface of the first mounting bracket so that the first alignment pin aligns with the hole in the first mounting bracket, and
the control panel cover further comprises a second lifting finger that, during assembly, engages the second mounting bracket and guides the control panel cover relative to the positioning surface of the second mounting bracket so that the second alignment pin aligns with the hole in the second mounting bracket.

9. The domestic cooking appliance of claim 5 , wherein the first and second alignment pins are conical in shape.

10. A control panel assembly for a gas domestic cooking appliance having a gas burner, the assembly comprising:
a control panel cover having an outermost surface that is visible to a user when in use, a backside that is opposite the outermost surface, a first alignment pin and an opening in the outermost surface;
a first gas switch for regulating an amount of gas delivered to the gas burner of the domestic cooking appliance, the first gas switch having a protruding portion that extends through the opening in the control panel cover when the control panel assembly is in an assembled position;
a gas delivery manifold for delivering gas to the first gas switch, the first gas switch being fixed to the gas delivery manifold and positionally fixed relative to the gas delivery manifold;
a first mounting bracket fixed to the gas delivery manifold and positionally fixed relative to the gas delivery manifold, the first mounting bracket having
a mounting portion configured to attach to the domestic cooking appliance,
a positioning surface that contacts the backside of the control panel cover and supports the control panel cover, and
a hole in the positioning surface that receives the first alignment pin;

wherein the hole is positionally fixed relative to the protruding portion of the first gas switch when the control panel assembly is in the assembled position when in use.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the protruding portion is a rotary shaft of the first gas switch.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first gas switch is a gas valve.

13. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the control panel cover further comprises a first lifting finger that, during assembly, engages the first mounting bracket and guides the control panel cover relative to the positioning surface of the first mounting bracket so that the first alignment pin aligns with the hole.

14. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising
a second alignment pin on the control panel cover; and
a second mounting bracket, the second mounting bracket being fixed to the gas delivery manifold and positionally fixed relative to the gas delivery manifold, the second mounting bracket having
a mounting portion configured to attach to the domestic cooking appliance,
a positioning surface that supports the control panel cover, and
a hole in the positioning surface that receives the second alignment pin.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a second gas switch for regulating an amount of gas delivered to a second gas burner of the domestic cooking appliance, the second gas switch having a protruding portion that extends through a second opening in the control panel cover when the control panel assembly is in the assembled position,
wherein the protruding portion of the first gas switch is a rotary shaft of the first gas switch, and the first gas switch is a gas valve, and
the protruding portion of the second gas switch is a rotary shaft of the second gas switch, and the second gas switch is a gas valve.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first and second alignment pins are conical in shape.

17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the control panel cover further comprises a first lifting finger that, during assembly, engages the first mounting bracket and guides the control panel cover relative to the positioning surface of the first mounting bracket so that the first alignment pin aligns with the hole in the first mounting bracket, and
the control panel cover further comprises a second lifting finger that, during assembly, engages the second mounting bra

Assignees

• Bsh Home Appliances Corp
• BSH Home Appliances Corporatíon

Inventors

• Fockler Gregory

Classifications

• F24C3/124

  Control panels · CPC title

• F24C3/126 Primary

  on ranges · CPC title