OVEN RACK WITH SLIDE ASSEMBLY
An oven rack assembly including full extension slides. Full extension slides are mounted to an oven rack and oven rack frames or wire racks providing full extension of an oven rack from an oven enclosure. The rack frame is mounted to oven walls or the slides are coupled to wire racks along oven slide walls.
This application is the continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/803,305, filed May 14, 2007, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/651,488, filed Aug. 29, 2003, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,646 on May 15, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/407,102, filed Aug. 29, 2002 and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/617,493, filed Jul. 10, 2003, entitled Oven Assembly With Slides, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,617 on Sep. 6, 2005, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/395,204, filed Jul. 10, 2002 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/407,102, filed Aug. 29, 2002, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in full herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to ovens, and more particularly to extendable rack assemblies for ovens.
Ovens often have one or more racks generally within the oven. The racks are useful for the placing of cookware, food, and other items, within the oven. The racks place the cookware generally towards the middle of the oven, and keep the cookware away from heating elements and the like. In addition, ovens with multiple racks allow for placement of cookware on a variety of levels within the oven, thereby increasing the total volume of available cooking space.
The racks are often supported by ledges formed along the walls of the oven. The racks are then movable in and out of the oven on the ledges. This allows the racks to be removed from the oven for cleaning or for other purposes. Often, the racks may be partially removed from the oven so as to allow easier access to items placed on the racks.
Movement of the racks on the ledges, or through other friction mechanisms, may not always provide smooth and relatively effortless motion. Unconformities in the ledges or friction mechanisms may interfere with motion of a rack. Similarly, food or other items may become lodged in a rack pathway, increasing the difficulty in movement of the rack.
In addition, the racks often may not be extended very far from the oven, particularly when heavy items are placed on the rack. Since the racks must still be supported by the ledges of the oven, over extension of the rack may lead to disastrous results, with the rack and its contents dropping to perhaps the floor. Moreover, the items on the rack may be difficult to view or handle if the rack is partially in the oven. This increases the chances of burns occurring to users of the oven through contact with other racks or the side walls of the oven. Further, at times lateral stability of a rack, particularly when a rack is extended from the oven, may be important.
Moreover, in some environments it is useful to temporarily lock a rack in some predefined position, whether within or outside the oven. For example, in some instances it may be useful to temporarily lock a rack in an extended position while items are placed on the rack. Similarly, securely positioning the rack within the oven during cooking or otherwise may also be useful.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention provides an oven with an extendable rack. In one embodiment the rack is fully extendable from the oven. In one embodiment this is accomplished through the use of a full extension slide provided on a rack frame resting on ledges of the oven, with a rack coupled to the full extension slide. In one aspect, the invention provides an extendable oven rack assembly comprising an oven rack adapted for positioning in an oven cavity; two full extension slides, one each coupled to opposing margins of the oven rack, with the slides adapted for positioning approximate opposing side walls of the oven cavity and the slides providing extension of the oven rack from a position entirely within the oven cavity to a position outside the oven cavity.
One aspect of the invention provides an oven assembly with an extendable rack, comprising an oven rack including a pair of laterally spaced subtending bars, the subtending bars including two mounting points; and a pair of extendable slide assemblies, each slide assembly coupled to a corresponding subtending bar at the two mounting points.
Another aspect of the invention provides an oven assembly with an extendable rack, comprising an oven rack including an oven rack support surface adapted to have placed thereon items for cooking in an oven, with a pair of longitudinal mounting bars approximate edges of the oven rack support surface, the longitudinal mounting bars including at least two mounting points; and two slides, one each coupled to a corresponding mounting bar at the mounting points.
Another aspect of the invention provides an oven rack adapted for use in an oven rack assembly including slides, the oven rack comprising a forward bar; a rear bar; side bars interconnecting the forward bar and the rear bar; a plurality of bars forming an oven rack support surface; and a pair of mounting bars, each including two mounting points, substantially parallel to the side bars and below the oven rack support surface.
These and other aspects of the invention are more fully comprehended on review of the following in view of the accompanying figures.
In the oven of
The side bars rest upon ledges formed on the side walls of the oven. In the oven of
As illustrated in
In addition, the relative position of the ledges on the oven side wall and the rear bar of the rack frame serve to prevent undue angular motion of the rack assembly, particularly when the rack is extended from the oven and forms a lever arm with respect to the rack frame. Further, in the event of changes to oven cavity designs, modification of the rack frame design may be accomplished without necessarily significant changes to other components of the rack assembly.
Returning to
Returning to
A rack is coupled, in some embodiments by way of a mounting accessory discussed later, to the second outer member. Thus, the rack may be extended substantially out of the oven. Moreover, the rack is stably supported by the slides.
Turning now to the rack,
For the second, or intermediate, slide member, the first C-shaped section 175 is of reduced dimension compared to the second C-shaped section 177. The first C-shaped section is dimensioned adapted to fit within the C-shaped section of the first slide member. Bearings riding in the bearing raceways of the section and the slide member couple the slide members together in a slidable, or rollable, fashion.
A third slide member 179 is coupled to the second C-shaped section of the intermediate slide member by bearings. The third slide member is dimensioned to fit within the second C-shaped section of the intermediate slide member. Accordingly, the alternative slide has features of a parallel, or side-by-side, slide, yet also has features of a telescopic slide.
As can be seen in the cross-sectional view of
Conveniently, in some embodiments the assembly of the present invention includes features providing for maintenance of the rack at a position within the oven, at a position of intermediate extension from the oven, and at a position fully extended from the oven. Such a feature is convenient in that inadvertent movement of the rack from positions at which items on the rack are commonly handled may be inconvenient. In addition, the features allow for improved sequencing of the drawer slide to avoid bearing drift and uneven load distribution. These features are sometimes termed detent features, with a detent providing a frictional interface, either in one direction, an opposing direction, or both directions, with the frictional interface requiring an increased force to allow for movement of the slide.
In the embodiment of
Also indicated in
The rear support bar is symmetrical, with aspects of the bar away from the illustrated slide shown in
The slide is supported on the ledge by a forward bar. The forward bar is welded to a portion of the outer slide member web. The bar is welded in horizontal position along the length of the web. The bar includes a downward facing leading edge, which is adapted to contact a front of the ledge of the oven cavity when the bar is resting on the ledge. The bar extends approximately halfway along the length of the slide member.
The interaction between the rear bar and the forward bar and the ledge of the oven cavity may be seen more clearly in
A rear bar contains a horizontal portion 2206. The horizontal portion rests underneath the oven ledge and is adapted to contact the rear of the oven ledge 2210. An upwardly bent portion 2208 wraps around the rear of the oven ledge. The upwardly bent portion prevents the slide member from being pulled out of the oven when the slide is extended. However, if the front of the slide is tilted upward, the upwardly bent portion is able to pass underneath the ledge and allow for removal of the slide.
The connecting bar which connects the opposing sides of the portions adapted to contact the oven ledges provides for increased lateral support for the structure as a whole. As the rear bar is substantially the width of the oven cavity, the rear of the slide and the portions of the bar which interacts with the ledge are maintained in position along the ledge, and do not flex inwards away from the ledge.
Some ovens use wire frames within the oven cavity to support racks and other similar fixtures. The wire frames may be used for a variety of reasons, including maintenance of a smooth or somewhat smooth cavity wall for airflow purposes and the like. As illustrated in
Slides 2402 couple the oven rack to the wire frames. As illustrated, the slides are a side-by-side slide. The oven rack may, for example, have opposing sides each welded to one of the slide members of the slides. The slides are supported by a cross-bar of the wire frame. As illustrated in
A ledge 2706 extends from the rear of the planar portion. The ledge extends in the same direction as the top portion, and with the top portion being viewed as extending from an upper front edge of the planar portion, the ledge extends from the lower rear of the planar portion. A forward edge of the ledge includes a cut-out 2708. The cut-out is adapted to receive a vertical post of the wire frame.
The offset portion is sized to fit in a receiver 2810 coupled to the slide member. The receiver, as illustrated in
A pair of slide assemblies 3021 are coupled to the oven rack approximate the side bars. As illustrated, the slides are full extension side-by-side slides. In other embodiments, other types of slides are used. Discussing one of the slide assemblies as an example, the slide is shown in an extended position. Two posts 3023 extend from a web 3025 of the extending slide. The posts may be screws extending through the web of the slide member. In some embodiments the posts are rivets extending through the web of the slide member or other protruding structures, and may include threaded ends for use of a nut to securely hold the mounting bar to the slide. The posts are adapted to provide two point mounting for an oven rack.
The slide assembly is supportably mounted to a support frame 3027. The support frame is formed of a wire frame with vertically spaced cross-bars 3029, and configured to be placed adjacent a side wall of an oven. A corresponding further support frame (not shown) is positioned approximate an opposing side wall of the oven.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a rack assembly for an oven and an oven with a rack assembly. Although the invention has been described in certain embodiments, the scope of the invention should be measured by the claims and their equivalents supported by this description.
Claims
1. An oven rack assembly for mounting to a pair of wire frames each having a plurality of cross bars, each cross bar having at least a first section extending generally longitudinally, the assembly comprising:
- a pair of extendable slide assemblies, each slide assembly including a first longitudinal member and at least a second longitudinal member coupled to and configured to be extendable and retractable relative to the first longitudinal member along a generally longitudinal path;
- a pair of first coupling members, each first coupling member extending from proximate a rear of a corresponding first longitudinal member and comprising, a first portion defining a generally vertical slot for vertically receiving a single cross bar corresponding to its corresponding first longitudinal member for releasably mounting said corresponding first longitudinal member to said corresponding single cross bar, and a second portion, said second portion being longitudinally spaced apart along said longitudinal path from said generally vertical slot, said second portion projecting under said corresponding single cross bar; and
- an oven rack mounted to the second longitudinal members.
2. The oven rack assembly of claim 1 wherein each first coupling member comprises a third portion extending longitudinally along said path between the first and second portions of said first coupling member.
3. The oven rack assembly of claim 2 further comprising a pair of second coupling members, wherein each second coupling member extends from proximate a front portion of a corresponding first longitudinal member, and wherein each said second coupling member defines a vertical slot for receiving the cross bar corresponding to its corresponding first longitudinal member for obstructing longitudinal movement of its corresponding first longitudinal member along a direction along said path relative to its first longitudinal member's corresponding cross bar.
4. The oven rack assembly of claim 3 wherein each second coupling member allows for engagement with a second section of its corresponding cross bar which is transverse to the first section of its corresponding cross bar for preventing longitudinal movement of its corresponding first longitudinal member along said direction along said path relative to its first longitudinal member's corresponding cross bar.
5. The oven rack assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pair of second coupling members, wherein each second coupling member extends from proximate a front portion of a corresponding first longitudinal member, and wherein each second coupling member defines a vertical slot for receiving the cross bar corresponding to its corresponding first longitudinal member for obstructing longitudinal movement of its corresponding first longitudinal member along a direction along said path relative to its first longitudinal member's corresponding cross bar.
6. The oven rack assembly of claim 5 wherein each second coupling member allows for engagement with a second section of its corresponding cross bar which is transverse to the first section of its corresponding cross bar for preventing longitudinal movement of its corresponding first longitudinal member along said direction along said path relative to its first longitudinal member's corresponding cross bar.
7. The oven rack assembly of claim 1 wherein each extendable slide assembly of said pair of extendable slide assemblies comprises a third longitudinal member extendably coupling the first longitudinal member and the second longitudinal member.
8. An oven assembly with an extendable and retractable rack, the assembly comprising:
- a pair of wire frames each having a plurality of cross bars, each cross bar having at least a first section extending generally longitudinally;
- a pair of extendable slide assemblies, each slide assembly including a first longitudinal member and at least a second longitudinal member coupled to and configured to be extendable and retractable relative to the first longitudinal member along a generally longitudinal path;
- an oven rack mounted to the second longitudinal members; and
- a pair of first coupling members, each said first coupling member extending from proximate a rear of a corresponding first longitudinal member and comprising:
- a first portion defining a generally vertical slot for vertically receiving a single cross bar corresponding to its corresponding first longitudinal member for releasably mounting said corresponding first longitudinal member to said corresponding single cross bar; and
- a second portion, said second portion being longitudinally spaced apart along said longitudinal path from said generally vertical slot, said second portion projecting under said corresponding single cross bar.
9. The oven assembly of claim 8 wherein each first coupling member comprises a third portion extending longitudinally along said path between the first and second portions of said first coupling member.
10. The oven assembly of claim 9 further comprising a pair of second coupling members, wherein each second coupling member extends from proximate a front portion of a corresponding first longitudinal member, and wherein each said second coupling member defines a vertical slot for receiving the cross bar corresponding to its corresponding first longitudinal member for obstructing longitudinal movement of its corresponding first longitudinal member along a direction along said path relative to its first longitudinal member's corresponding cross bar.
11. The oven assembly of claim 10 wherein each second coupling member allows for engagement with a second section of its corresponding cross bar which is transverse to the first section of its corresponding cross bar for preventing longitudinal movement of its corresponding first longitudinal member along said direction along said path relative to its first longitudinal member's corresponding cross bar.
12. The oven assembly of claim 8 further comprising a pair of second coupling members, wherein each second coupling member extends from proximate a front portion of a corresponding first longitudinal member, and wherein each second coupling member defines a vertical slot for receiving the cross bar corresponding to its corresponding first longitudinal member for obstructing longitudinal movement of its corresponding first longitudinal member along a direction along said path relative to its first longitudinal member's corresponding cross bar.
13. The oven assembly of claim 12 wherein each second coupling member allows for engagement with a second section of its corresponding cross bar which is transverse to the first section of its corresponding cross bar for preventing longitudinal movement of its corresponding first longitudinal member along said direction along said path relative to its first longitudinal member's corresponding cross bar.
14. The oven assembly of claim 8 wherein each extendable slide assembly of said pair of extendable slide assemblies comprises a third longitudinal member extendably coupling the first longitudinal member and the second longitudinal member.
15. The oven assembly of claim 8 wherein each second portion is positioned so as to limit upward motion of a rear portion of its corresponding first longitudinal member.
16. An oven rack assembly for mounting to a pair of wire frames each having a plurality of cross bars, each cross bar having at least a first section extending generally longitudinally, the assembly comprising:
- a pair of extendable slide assemblies, each slide assembly including a first longitudinal member and at least a second longitudinal member coupled to and configured to be extendable and retractable relative to the first longitudinal member along a generally longitudinal path;
- an oven rack mounted to the second longitudinal members;
- a pair of first coupling members, each said first coupling member extending from proximate a rear of a corresponding first longitudinal member and comprising:
- a first portion defining a generally vertical slot for vertically receiving a single cross bar corresponding to its corresponding first longitudinal member for releasably mounting said corresponding first longitudinal member to said corresponding single cross bar;
- a second portion, said second portion being longitudinally spaced apart along said longitudinal path from said generally vertical slot, said second portion projecting under said corresponding single cross bar; and a third portion extending longitudinally along said path between the first and second portions of said first coupling member; and
- a pair of second coupling members, each second coupling member extending from proximate a front portion of a corresponding first longitudinal member, said second coupling member defining a vertical slot for receiving the cross bar corresponding to its corresponding first longitudinal member and allowing for engagement with a second section of its corresponding cross bar which is transverse to the first section of its corresponding cross bar.
17. The oven rack assembly of claim 16 wherein each extendable slide assembly of said pair of extendable slide assemblies comprises a third longitudinal member extendably coupling the first longitudinal member and the second longitudinal member.
18. The oven rack assembly of claim 16 wherein each second portion is positioned so as to limit upward motion of a rear portion of its corresponding first longitudinal member.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 4, 2011
Publication Date: Mar 8, 2012
Inventors: BAOLOC LE (La Puente, CA), Quinn Chi (El Monte, CA), Klaus Dobberstein (Beselich), Markus Geberzahn (Hadamar)
Application Number: 13/252,950
International Classification: F24C 15/16 (20060101);