Anti-spill oven door vents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9897327-B2
Application number	US-201414328819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2014
Priority date	Jul 11, 2014
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A cooking apparatus comprises a housing forming an oven cavity within the housing. A door is attached to the housing for selectively opening and closing the oven cavity. The door comprises an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface includes a vent in fluid communication with an air channel within the door. A movable blocking element for selectively opens and closes the vent. The movable blocking element is biased against the vent when the door is open, thereby closing the vent when the door is open. The movable blocking element is configured to translate linearly within the door, toward the vent and away from the outer surface of the door to close the vent, and toward the outer surface of the door and away from the vent to open the vent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooking apparatus, comprising:
a housing forming an oven cavity within the housing;
a door attached to the housing for selectively opening and closing the oven cavity, the door comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface includes a vent in fluid communication with an air channel within the door;
a movable blocking element for selectively opening and closing the vent, wherein the movable blocking element is biased against the vent when the door is open, thereby closing the vent when the door is open; and
a blocking element bracket located within the door, said blocking element bracket comprising a first leg attached to the door and a second leg having an opening or slot for receiving one end of the movable blocking element, wherein the first leg and the second leg are substantially perpendicular to each other,
wherein the movable blocking element is configured to translate predominantly linearly within the door, toward the vent and away from the outer surface of the door to close the vent, and toward the outer surface of the door and away from the vent to open the vent.

2. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blocking element bracket comprises a bearing surface, and wherein the movable blocking element comprises a support arm that slides along the bearing surface as the movable blocking element translates linearly within the door along the bearing surface.

3. The cooking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the bearing surface is a lower bearing surface,
the blocking element bracket further comprises an upper bearing surface, and
the movable blocking element further comprises a second support arm that slides along the upper bearing surface.

4. The cooking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the movable blocking element further comprises an alignment arm extending downward from the movable blocking element past the bearing surface, wherein the alignment arm limits movement of the moveable blocking element in a side-to-side direction within the door, the side-to-side direction being perpendicular to a linear translation direction of the movable blocking element toward the vent and away from the outer surface of the door.

5. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bias spring for biasing the movable blocking element, wherein the movable blocking element is attached to the first leg of the blocking element bracket through the bias spring such that the movable blocking element translates linearly within the door and with respect to the blocking element bracket.

6. The cooking apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the bias spring is a first bias spring, and the blocking element bracket is a first blocking element bracket and is located adjacent a first lateral side of the door, the cooking apparatus further comprising a second bias spring and a second blocking element bracket located adjacent a second lateral side of the door, and the movable blocking element is attached to the second blocking element bracket through the second bias spring such that the movable blocking element translates linearly within the door with respect to the second blocking element bracket.

7. The cooking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the door comprises a movable pin extending from the inner surface of the door, wherein the movable pin contacts the housing of the oven when the door is in a closed position and the movable pin drives the movable blocking element away from the vent when the door is in the closed position.

8. The cooking apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising
a bias spring for biasing the movable blocking element, wherein the movable blocking element is attached to the blocking element bracket through the bias spring such that the movable blocking element translates linearly within the door and with respect to the blocking element bracket, and wherein the bias spring and the movable pin are coaxially aligned.

9. A cooking apparatus, comprising:
a housing forming an oven cavity within the housing;
a door attached to the housing for selectively opening and closing the oven cavity, the door comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface includes a vent in fluid communication with an air channel within the door;
a movable blocking element for selectively opening and closing the vent, wherein the movable blocking element is biased against the vent when the door is open, thereby closing the vent when the door is open;
a blocking element bracket located within the door, said blocking element bracket comprising a first leg attached to the door and a second leg having an opening or slot for receiving one end of the movable blocking element, wherein the first leg and the second leg are substantially perpendicular to each other; and
a bearing surface located within the door and extending toward the outer surface of the door and toward the inner surface of the door, wherein the movable blocking element is configured to translate within the door on the bearing surface.

10. The cooking apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the blocking element bracket comprises the bearing surface and a support arm that slides along the bearing surface as the movable blocking element translates linearly within the door on the bearing surface.

11. The cooking apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the bearing surface is a lower bearing surface,
the blocking element bracket further comprises an upper bearing surface, and
the movable blocking element further comprises a second support arm that slides along the upper bearing surface.

12. The cooking apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the movable blocking element further comprises an alignment arm extending downward from the movable blocking element past the bearing surface, wherein the alignment arm limits movement of the moveable blocking element in a side-to-side direction within the door, the side-to-side direction being perpendicular to a linear translation direction of the movable blocking element toward the vent and away from the outer surface of the door.

13. The cooking apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a bias spring for biasing the movable blocking element, wherein the movable blocking element is attached to the blocking element bracket through the bias spring such that the movable blocking element translates linearly within the door, and with respect to the blocking element bracket, on the bearing surface,
wherein the blocking element bracket comprises the bearing surface.

14. The cooking apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the bias spring is a first bias spring, and the blocking element bracket is a first blocking element bracket and is located adjacent a first lateral side of the door, the cooking apparatus further comprising a second bias spring and a second blocking element bracket located adjacent a second lateral side of the door, and the movable blocking element is attached to the second blocking element bracket through the second bias spring such that the movable blocking element translates linearly within the door with respect to the second blocking element bracket.

15. The cooking apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the door comprises a movable pin extending from the inner surface of the door, wherein the movable pin contacts the housing of the oven when the door is in a closed position and the movable pin drives the movable blocking element away from the vent when the door is in the closed position.

16. The cooking apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising
a blocking element bracket located within the door and comprising the bearing surface; and
a bias spring for biasing the mov

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Prod Inc

Inventors

• Phillips Bryan Thomas
• Martin Brian
• Raggi Tommaso
• Gardini Gabriele

Classifications

• F24C15/021

  sealings for doors or transparent panel · CPC title

• F24C15/028

  Stoves doors · CPC title

• F24C15/006 Primary

  Arrangements for circulation of cooling air · CPC title

• F24C15/04

  with transparent panels · CPC title