GRATE FINGERS IN FLUE PATH

Abstract

A cooking device includes a cooktop, an oven provided under the cooktop, a burner grate on a top surface of the cooktop, and a flue path connecting an oven cavity of the oven and a discharge opening. The flue path is located adjacent the cooktop. The burner grate comprises at least one grate finger extending over the discharge opening of the flue path. The grate finger comprises a drip edge that is located above the discharge opening of the flue path, and the drip edge is configured to allow a condensed flue gas to drip from the drip edge into the flue path through the discharge opening.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cooking device with a burner grate having grate fingers extended over a flue path of an oven provided in the vicinity of a cooktop.

Description of Related Art

A domestic cooking appliance, such as a free-standing gas range, has a cooktop and an oven cavity beneath the cooktop. The range can have a flue path that discharges a flue gas from the oven cavity near the cooktop. For example, the range can have a backsplash located at the rear of the cooktop with a vent located in the backsplash for discharging the flue gas.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the devices discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the devices discussed herein. It is not intended to identify critical elements or to delineate the scope of such devices. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a cooking device having a cooktop, an oven provided under the cooktop, a burner grate on a top surface of the cooktop, and a flue path connecting an oven cavity of the oven and a discharge opening that is located adjacent the cooktop. The burner grate comprises at least one grate finger extending over the discharge opening of the flue path. The grate finger comprises a drip edge that is located above the discharge opening of the flue path, and the drip edge is configured to allow a condensed flue gas to drip from the drip edge into the flue path through the discharge opening.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a cooktop burner grate comprising, a grate frame and at least one grate finger extending from the grate frame. A part of the grate finger comprises a substantially convergent shape extending downward from a top surface of the grate finger.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a cooktop burner grate comprising a grate frame and at least one grate finger extending outside of the grate frame. The grate finger comprises a drip edge extending downward from the top surface of the grate finger. A cross-section of the grate finger, taken in a plane perpendicular to a planar expanse of the grate frame and perpendicular to the direction in which the grate finger extends from the grate frame, comprises convergent sides defining at least a portion of a substantially inverted isosceles triangular cross-sectional shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooking device of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cooking device of the present application.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a center grate of the present application.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a grate finger of the center grate extending over a discharge opening of a flue path provided in the cooking device of the present application.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of grate fingers of the center grate extending over the discharge opening of the flue path provided in the cooking device of the present application.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the grate fingers of the center grate of the present application.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged bottom view of the grate fingers of the center grate of the present application.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective bottom view of the grate finger of the center grate of the present application.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the grate finger, taken in a plane perpendicular to a top surface of the grate fingers and at line X-X of FIG. 6 of the present application.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the grate fingers, taken in a plane perpendicular to a top surface of the grate fingers and at line Y-Y of FIG. 6 of the present application.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the grate fingers of the center grate and the discharge opening of the flue path provided in the cooking device of the present application.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the grate fingers of the center grate and the discharge opening of the flue path provided in the cooking device of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cooking device, such as a gas oven, an electric oven, etc. with a cooktop provided above the oven. Water vapor in a flue gas can condense on a cooktop, or burner grates on the cooktop, and drip onto the cooktop. Such condensation can be messy and cause staining on the cooktop. The problem becomes even worse during the self-cleaning process of the oven. Therefore, it would be desirable to reduce or substantially eliminate the collection of water vapor from oven flue exhaust onto the cooktop.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. It is to be appreciated that the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale from one figure to another nor inside a given figure, and in particular that the size of the components are arbitrarily drawn for facilitating the understanding of the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however, that the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. Additionally, other embodiments of the invention are possible and the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in ways other than as described. The terminology and phraseology used in describing the invention is employed for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the invention and should not be taken as limiting.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cooking device 100 (e.g., a freestanding range) that includes a cooktop 102, an oven 104 provided under the cooktop 102, and a burner grate 110. The cooktop 102 can include a burner 112 and a recessed area 114 on the upper surface. Examples of the oven 104 include a gas oven (e.g., a gas convection oven), an electric oven, an infrared oven, and a steam oven. The burner grate 110 is detachably provided on the top of the cooktop 102. The burner grate 110 can be a single integral grate or divided to two or more separate and removable portions.

The cooking device 100 further includes a flue path 200 (FIG. 2) connecting the oven 104, e.g., an oven cavity 202 of the oven 104, and a discharge opening 108 provided in the vicinity of the cooktop 102 near the burner grate 110. The discharge opening 108 can be provided at the upper surface of the oven 104. In one embodiment, the discharge opening 108 is provided in a backsplash 116 adjacent the cooktop 102 as shown, or other areas on or adjacent the cooktop 102. More than one discharge openings 108 can be provided for the flue path 200, if desired. A flue gas 204 (e.g., vapor) is typically generated in the oven 104 during cooking The flue gas 204 is discharged from the oven cavity 202 of the oven 104 through the discharge opening 108 and comes in contact with the burner grate 110.

In an exemplary embodiment, the burner grate 110 is separated into three portions including a left portion 110a, a center portion 110b, and a right portion 110c. In another exemplary embodiment, the cooktop 102 includes a plurality of gas fueled burners 112 (e.g., four, five etc.), which can be positioned adjacent each side of the cooktop 102 and/or in the center of the cooktop. Each burner 112 is provided with a recessed area 114 surrounding the burner 112 to catch spills from cooking utensils while being used. It is appreciated that any suitable number of separated burner grates 110 (e.g., greater or fewer than three separated portions of burner grate 110) and/or any suitable number of burners (e.g., greater or fewer than four burners 112) could be employed in alternative embodiments of the present application.

FIG. 2 illustrates the flue path 200 that is provided to connect an oven cavity 202, a discharge opening 108 provided in the vicinity of the cooktop 102, and the burner grate 110. The discharge opening 108 exhausts a flue gas 204, that can include water vapor, from the oven cavity 202 as shown by arrows. The discharge opening 108 can be angled to an upper surface of the cooktop 102 or can be flush with the upper surface of the cooktop 102. For example, the discharge opening 108 of the flue path can be oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to the cooktop 102. The obtuse angle that the discharge opening 108 would form with the cooktop can be seen in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 11, the discharge opening 108 can be substantially a rectangle shape or an ellipse having a longitudinal side L and a short hand side S that are wide enough to discharge the flue gas 204 from the oven cavity 202.

FIG. 3 illustrates the center grate 110b of the present application provided on the center of the cooktop 102. The burner grate 110 has one or more grate fingers 306. In particular, the burner grate 110 includes a grate frame 300, a number of support grate bars 302, a number of grate legs 304 extending downward from the grate frame 300, and grate fingers 306 extending toward outside from the burner grate 110 beyond the grate frame 300 of the burner grate 110. Four or more grate legs 304 can be provided to evenly support the center grate 110b on the cooktop 102.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the grate fingers 306 extending over the discharge opening 108 in one embodiment of the present application. FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view showing the grate fingers 306 and the discharge opening 108 in this embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the grate fingers 306 extend over the majority of the discharge opening 108 in a front-to-rear direction of the oven. In one embodiment of the present application, the length of each of the grate fingers 306 is long enough to reach substantially from the front side to the rear side of the discharge opening 108. In another embodiment of the present application, the length of each of the grate fingers 306 is longer than the front-to-rear width of the discharge opening 108, to cover substantially the entire width of the discharge opening 108. In still another embodiment of the present application, the length of each of the grate fingers 306 is at least the half of the front-to-rear width of the discharge opening 108.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate an exemplary structure of the grate fingers 306. Each of the grate fingers 306 can have a top surface 308 that is in parallel with a top surface 310 of the burner grate 110, e.g., the grate frame 300 and/or the support grate bars 302. In another example, each of the grate fingers 306 can have a top surface 308 substantially coplanar with a top surface 310 of the burner grate 110, e.g., the grate frame 300 and/or the support grate bars 302. The width of the top surface 308 of the grate finger 306 is substantially same as the width of the support grate bar 302. Under the top surface 308, each of the grate fingers 306 has a drip edge 400 and a drip point 402 extended downward from the top surface 308 of each of the grate fingers 306 toward the discharge opening 108 of the flue path 200.

The drip edge 400 has the drip point 402 at a lowest point of the drip edge 400. When the burner grate 110 is provided on the cooktop 102, the drip edge 400 has the drip point 402 at a point that is closest to the discharge opening 108 of the flue path 200. As shown in FIG. 10, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the top surface 308 of the grate fingers and perpendicular to a direction in which each of the grate fingers 306 extends rearward from the grate frame 300 toward the discharge opening, a width of each of the grate fingers becomes narrower from the top surface 308 toward the drip edge 400.

In one embodiment of the present application, at least a part of each of the grate fingers 306 has a substantially convergent shape e.g., a substantially multi-sided pyramid shape and that is preferably inverted so that angled surfaces are oriented generally downward, toward the discharge opening 108 of the flue path 200. The convergent shape of the downwardly-extended portion of grate fingers can have various shapes, so long as it effectively forms a drip edge and drip point located above the discharge opening of the flue. Example convergent shapes include so-called regular and irregular pyramids, right pyramids, oblique pyramids, and the like.

In certain embodiments, an entire shape of a lower portion of each of the grate fingers 306 (beneath the grate finger top surface) is a substantially convergent shape, e.g., a substantially inverted three-sided pyramid shape or a substantially inverted four-sided pyramid shape. The convergent shape extends downward from the top surface 308. One side of the substantially convergent shape is in parallel to the upper surface 308. One vertex (e.g., a lowest vertex) of the convergent shape is the drip point 402. One edge of the convergent shape extending downward from the top surface 308 of the grate fingers 306 is the drip edge 400. A width of the extended portion 404 becomes narrower in the downward direction, toward the flue discharge opening. It can be seen in FIG. 10 that the width of the extended portion 404 of the grate finger 306 can vary between no width and a width same as the width of the top surface 308 of the grate finger 306.

In an embodiment of the present application, a cross-section of the grate finger 306 taken in a plane perpendicular to a planar expanse of the grate frame, or for example perpendicular to a top surface 308 of the grate finger 306, and passing through the drip point 402 includes a substantially triangular shape, e.g., a substantially inverted triangular shape. The drip point 402 is a vertex of the triangular shape. When the plane is in parallel to a direction in which the grate finger 306 extends from the grate frame 300 rearward toward the discharge opening, the cross-section of the grate finger 306 is the substantially triangular shape in which a portion of one vertex of the substantially triangular shape is removed by the grate frame 300. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a cross-section of the grate finger 306, taken in a plane perpendicular to the top surface 308 of the grate finger 306 and at line X-X of FIG. 6, includes a substantially triangular shape, e.g., a substantially inverted triangular shape in which a portion of one vertex of the substantially triangular shape is removed by the grate frame 300. The drip edge 400 is one side of the triangular shape.

When the plane is perpendicular to the direction in which the grate finger 306 extends from the grate frame 300, the cross-section of the grate finger 306 includes a substantially triangular shape (e.g., a substantially inverted triangular shape) or a substantially isosceles triangular shape (e.g., a substantially inverted isosceles triangular shape). One vertex of the triangular shape can be the drip point 402. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a cross-section of the grate finger 306, taken in a plane perpendicular to the top surface 308 of the grate finger 306 and at line Y-Y of FIG. 6, includes a substantially triangular shape (e.g., a substantially inverted triangular shape) or a substantially isosceles triangular shape (e.g., a substantially inverted isosceles triangular shape).

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the burner grate 110 is provided on the cooktop 102, the drip point 402 is provided above the discharge opening 108 and located above or within the front-to-rear width of the discharge opening 108. The drip point 402 can be provided centrally above the discharge opening 108 or provided closer to the grate frame 300 so that the drip edge 400 is long enough to cover the width of the discharge opening 108 to effectively collect the flue gas 204.

The drip edge 400 and the drip point 402 face the discharge opening 108. As shown in FIG. 2, some flue gas 204 exhausted from the oven cavity 202 through the flue path 200 contacts the grate fingers 306. The grate fingers 306, at least initially until sufficiently warmed by the flue gas 204, tend to cool and liquefy the flue gas 204. The liquefied flue gas 204, i.e., condensation, migrates toward the drip edge 400, falls down toward the drip point 402, and gathers near the drip point 402. The gathered condensation drips down and goes back to the flue path 200. Even if the condensation is re-vaporized during the cooking, the debris is combusted during the cleaning cycle at the high temperature.

In conventional ovens, water vapor in the flue gas can condense on the burner grates and/or cooktop. If the water vapor condenses on the burner grates, it tends to drip onto the cooktop. Such condensation can be messy as it tends to mix with food particles collected on the cooktop and can leave stains even on a clean cooktop. The problem of staining can be worse during self-cleaning due to the amount of smoke present in the flue gas. The grate fingers 306 discussed here are designed to allow moisture in the flue gas 204 to condense onto the grate fingers 306 and drip into the flue path 200, rather than onto the cooktop 102. To achieve this, the grate fingers 306 include downwardly sloping surfaces terminating at one or more drip edges 400 that are angled toward a local low point (i.e., the drip point 402). The drip point 402 and at least some portions of the drip edges 400 are located vertically above the discharge opening 108, so that liquid condensed on the grate fingers 306 will drip into the flue path 200.

In embodiments, edges and/or vertices in the substantially convergent shape, the substantially multi-sided pyramid shape, the substantially triangular shape, and the substantially isosceles triangular shape as herein described can be angular. In other embodiments, those vertices and/or edges can be rounded so long as they are effective to facilitate collecting condensation from the flue gas 204 with the drip edge 400 and falling the condensation from the drip point 402.

In one embodiment, the discharge opening 108 is angled to the cooktop 102. In another embodiment, the discharge opening 108 is flush with the surface of the cooktop 102. In one embodiment, the angle of the discharge opening 108 to the cooktop 102 is an obtuse angle between 90° and 200°, e.g., between 110° and 195°, between 130° and 190, or between 150° and 180°, so that the drip edge 400 and the drip point 402 can be positioned above or within the discharge opening 108.

In one embodiment, the grate fingers 306 are integral to the grate frame 300 and/or the support grate bars 302. The grate fingers 306, the grate frame 300, and the support grate bars 302 can be made of the same material. A material that effectively cools the flue gas 204 coming from the oven cavity 202 is preferably selected. Example materials of the burner grate 110 include cast iron, brass, steel, stainless steel, or ceramic. In one embodiment, the grate fingers 306, the support grate bars 302, and the grate frames 300 are unitedly cast in one mold. This helps to reduce manufacturing cost without in need of creating and/or assembling separate pieces of grate fingers 306 and the grate frame 300.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the grate fingers 306 extend toward outside from the burner grate 110 beyond the grate frame 300. The top surface 308 of the grate fingers 306 is contiguous to the top surface 310 of the grate frame 300 and/or the support grate bars 302. When viewed in a direction perpendicular to the top surface 308 of the grate fingers 306 and perpendicular to a direction in which the grate finger 306 extends from the grate frame 300, the top surface 308 of the grate fingers 306 is substantially coplanar with the top surface 310 of the grate frame 300 and/or the support grate bars 302, or the top surface 308 of the grate fingers 306 is parallel to the top surface 310 of the grate frame 300 and/or the support grate bars 302.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate an exemplary arrangement of the grate fingers 306 and the discharge opening 108. In one embodiment, the grate fingers 306 are provided at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction L of the discharge opening 108. The interval between the grate fingers 306 can be the same as the interval between the support grate bars 302. The interval between the grate fingers 306 can be narrower than the interval between the support grate bars 302 so that more grate fingers 306 are provided to effectively liquefy the flue gas 204. When more than one discharge opening 108 is provided for the flue path 200, the grate fingers 306 can be provided to each of the discharge openings 108 in the same distance.

It should be evident that this disclosure is by way of example and that various changes may be made by adding, modifying or eliminating details without departing from the fair scope of the teaching contained in this disclosure. The invention is therefore not limited to particular details of this disclosure except to the extent that the following claims are necessarily so limited.

Claims

1. A cooking device comprising:

a cooktop;

an oven provided under the cooktop;

a burner grate on a top surface of the cooktop; and

a flue path connecting an oven cavity of the oven and a discharge opening located adjacent the cooktop,

said burner grate comprising at least one grate finger extending over the discharge opening of the flue path, said grate finger comprising a drip edge that is located above the discharge opening of the flue path, the drip edge being configured to allow a condensed flue gas to drip from the drip edge into the flue path through the discharge opening.

2. The cooking device of claim 1, wherein the grate finger comprises a grate finger top surface that is parallel to a top surface of the burner grate, and the drip edge extends downward from the grate finger top surface toward the discharge opening of the flue path.

3. The cooking device of claim 1, wherein the drip edge further comprises a drip point at a location along the drip edge closest to the discharge opening of the flue path, the drip point is configured to allow condensed flue gas gather to the drip point and to drip from the drip point into the flue path through the discharge opening.

4. The cooking device of claim 2, wherein at least a part of the grate finger comprises a substantially convergent shape extending downward, and a vertex of the convergent shape is a drip point.

5. The cooking device of claim 4, wherein a cross section of the grate finger taken in a plane perpendicular to a planar expanse of the burner grate becomes narrower toward the drip edge.

6. The cooking device of claim 4, wherein a cross-section of the grate finger taken in a plane perpendicular to the top surface of the burner grate and passing through the drip point includes a substantially triangular shape.

7. The cooking device of claim 1, wherein the discharge opening of the flue path is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to the cooktop.

8. The cooking device of claim 1, wherein the oven is a gas convection oven.

9. The cooking device of claim 1, wherein the grate finger is integral with the burner grate, and the grate finger and the burner grate are made of the same material.

10. The cooking device of claim 1, wherein the grate finger and the burner grate are unitedly cast in one mold.

11. The cooking device of claim 1, said burner grate comprising a plurality of said grate fingers, each comprising a respective drip edge located above the discharge opening of the flue path and configured to allow condensed flue gas to drip therefrom into said flue path through the discharge opening.

12. A cooktop burner grate comprising:

a grate frame; and

at least one grate finger extending from the grate frame,

wherein a part of the grate finger comprises a substantially convergent shape extending downward.

13. The cooking burner grate of claim 12, said convergent shape comprising a drip edge extending downward, and a drip point disposed at a lowest location along said drip edge.

14. The cooking device of claim 12, wherein a cross section of the grate finger taken in a plane perpendicular to a planar expanse of the burner grate becomes narrower toward the drip edge.

15. The cooking device of claim 12, wherein a cross-section of the grate finger, taken in a plane perpendicular to a top surface of the burner grate and passing through the drip point, includes a substantially triangular shape.

16. The cooktop burner grate of claim 12, wherein the grate finger is integral with the grate frame of the burner grate, and the grate finger and the grate frame are made of the same material.

17. The cooktop burner grate of claim 12, wherein the grate finger and the grate frame are unitedly cast in one mold.

18. A cooktop burner grate comprising:

a grate frame; and

at least one grate finger extending outside of the grate frame,

wherein the grate finger comprises a drip edge extending downward, and

wherein a cross-section of the grate finger, taken in a plane perpendicular to a planar expanse of the grate frame and perpendicular to the direction in which the grate finger extends from the grate frame, comprises convergent sides defining at least a portion of a substantially inverted triangle.

19. The cooktop burner grate of claim 18, wherein the grate finger is integral with the grate frame of the burner grate, and the grate finger and the grate frame are made of the same material.

20. The cooktop burner grate of claim 18, wherein the grate finger and the grate frame are unitedly cast in one mold.

21. The cooktop burner grate of claim 18, comprising a plurality of said grate fingers each having said cross-section.