Oven Vent For Smooth Top Range

Abstract

A smooth top range having a vent for venting hot oven gases through the continuous panel cooktop portion. The vent is arranged to direct the gases away from manually operable control elements disposed on the cooktop so as to avoid high temperature conditions thereof and to avoid directing of the hot gases against a user thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to cooking ranges, and in particular to means for venting such ranges.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the conventional cooking range having an oven portion and a cooktop portion, means may be provided for venting the oven through the cooktop portion. Thus, as shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,384,262 of Earl F. Rutan, the oven may be vented through the center of the cooktop heating elements.

In United States Letters Patent No. 2,375,047 of Ernest E. Sutherland, a vent is provided for venting the oven through the top wall of the range overlying the oven. In United States Letters Patent No. 2,387,734, of Alfons Barnsteiner, a vent is provided adjacent the surface units of the cooktop adjacent the portion of the top surface of the range overlying the oven. In the Barnsteiner heating apparatus, the outlet from the vent directs the air over the entire cooktop surface.

In an improved form of range presently commercially available, the cooktop of the range comprises a continuous panel of a glass-ceramic material effectively defining a smooth top. The cooktop includes a cooking surface portion, and a control portion conventionally at one side of the cooking surface portion on which are provided suitably manually operable control knobs for selectively controlling the operation of the individual cooktop heating elements. As such cooktops are effectively sealed across the top of the range and have no openings therethrough for passing the hot gases from the oven, a problem has arisen in the venting of hot oven gases in a manner to prevent harmful heating of the range controls while effectively venting the oven.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprehends the provision, in a range having a continuous panel cooktop, of improved means for venting the oven portion thereof. More specifically, the invention comprehends providing, in such a range construction, a vent extending from the oven to adjacent the control portion of the cooktop, and means for directing the hot vented gases away from the manually operable control elements of the control portion.

In the illustrated embodiment, the vent passage is defined by a duct extending from the oven through a rear portion of the control portion of the cooktop. An outlet grill is provided for directing the vented gases rearwardly and laterally of the rear control portion and effectively preventing discharge of the gases forwardly to the manually operable control elements. Thus, the control elements are prevented from becoming excessively heated by the vented gases and the gases are prevented from acting directly on the user's hands in the operation of the control elements in the normal use of the range.

The range oven venting means of the present invention is extremely simple and economical of construction while yet providing the highly desirable features discussed above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a range having an oven venting means embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary broken vertical section taken substantially along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, a range generally designated 10 is shown to include an oven portion 11 and a cooktop portion 12. Oven portion 11 may include a conventional front door 13 and suitable manually operable controls 14. In the illustrated embodiment, range 10 comprises a set-in range which may be set into a suitable kitchen base cabinet 15, it being understood that the invention is applicable equally to both set-in and freestanding ranges.

Cooktop 12 comprises a continuous panel cooktop such as conventionally referred to as a glass-ceramic smooth cooktop. The cooktop includes a cooking surface portion 16 and a control portion 17 with an overlying frame 18 conventionally formed of stainless steel and including a divider strip portion 19 conventionally dividing the cooking surface portion from the control portion. Such smooth cooktop constructions effectively define a continuous panel top of the range in that there are no open portions normally capable of providing venting of the subjacent oven 11 as are available in conventional ranges utilizing heating elements which define portions opening to the subjacent interior space of the range. Thus, it is desirable to provide some auxiliary means for venting the hot gases from the oven during the operation of the oven and the present invention is directed to the concept of venting such gases to a rear portion of the cooktop.

More specifically, as seen in FIG. 1, the invention comprehends providing a duct 20 having an inlet 21 overlying the oven 11 and an outlet 22 extending through the control panel portion 17 rearwardly of knobs 23 of controls 14. A grilled deflector 24 is mounted on the control panel 17 to direct the hot gases from outlet 22 rearwardly and laterally away from the control knobs 23 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown, the hot gases directed to the left by grilled deflector 24 flow along the rear of cooktop portion 16 and the hot gases which are directed to the right from grilled deflector 24 are directed laterally away from the range. The gases directed rearwardly may flow upwardly along the rear wall surface 25 behind the range.

Control panel 17 is provided with a suitable opening 26 through which outlet 22 extends, as shown in FIG. 3. Outlet 22 may comprise a flanged sleeve receiving the upper end 27 of the vent duct 20 with the outturned flange portion 28 of outlet 22 resting on the panel about opening 26.

Grilled deflector 24 may be provided with a pair of suitable depending connecting posts 29 extending downwardly through suitable openings in panel 17 and subjacent control switch support 30.

The deflector includes an imperforate front wall 31 and an imperforate top wall 32. The side walls are provided with suitable openings 33 and the rear wall is provided with a suitable opening 34 for conducting the hot oven gases laterally and rearwardly from the deflector as discussed above.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the grilled deflector may extend substantially fully across the width of the control panel portion 17.

In the illustrated embodiment, grilled deflector 24 comprises a cast element formed of a suitable metal, such as zinc, which may have a decorative finish by suitably selectively providing satin-brushed and bright polished areas. The control knobs 23 may be formed of a suitable temperature-resistant synthetic resin, such as Marbon-Cycoloy KHP, manufactured by Borg-Warner Corporation, comprising an alloy of synthetic polymers with ABS resins.

The use of grilled deflector 24 effectively prevents injury to the user of the range by avoiding contact of the hot vented gases from the oven with either the control knobs 23 or with the user's hands when the user is manipulating the control knobs 23 in controlling operation of cooktop 12, while yet the hot gases may be vented closely adjacent the control knobs effectively minimizing space requirements in the range. Thus, the invention comprehends providing such an improved range construction which may be arranged in a conventional manner as regards the layout of the cooktop, controls and relationship of the oven to the cooktop.

The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is illustrative of the broad inventive concepts comprehended by the invention.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a range having a continuous panel cooktop defining a cooking surface portion and a control portion, an oven disposed below the cooktop, and manually operable control elements exposed above the cooktop for controlling the operation of the cooktop, means for venting the oven comprising:

means defining a vent passage extending from said oven to upwardly of said continuous panel cooktop adjacent said manually operable control elements; and

outlet means for directing hot vented gases from said vent passage away from said manually operable control elements.

2. The range oven venting means of claim 1 wherein said outlet means directs the hot vented gases to the rear of said cooktop.

3. The range oven venting means of claim 1 wherein said outlet means directs the hot vented gases toward said cooking surface portion.

4. The range oven venting means of claim 1 wherein said outlet means directs the hot vented gases to one side of the cooktop.

5. The range oven venting means of claim 1 wherein said outlet means is disposed at the rear of said control portion.

6. The range oven venting means of claim 1 wherein said outlet means extends upwardly from said cooktop.

7. The range oven venting means of claim 1 wherein said vent passage means extends through said control portion of the cooktop.

8. The range oven venting means of claim 1 wherein said outlet means defines a deflector upstanding from said cooktop.

9. In a range having a continuous panel cooktop defining a cooking surface portion and a control portion, an oven disposed below the cooktop, and manually operable control knobs exposed above the cooktop for controlling the operation of the cooktop, means for venting the oven comprising:

a duct extending from said oven upwardly through said control portion of the cooktop rearwardly of said manually operable control knobs; and

outlet grill means for directing hot vented gases from said duct away from said manually operable control knobs.

10. The range oven venting means of claim 9 wherein said cooktop comprises a glass-ceramic cooktop.

11. The range oven venting means of claim 9 wherein said outlet grill directs the hot vented gases toward the rear of said control portion of the cooktop.

12. The range oven venting means of claim 9 wherein said outlet grill has a width substantially similar to the width of said control portion of the cooktop.

13. The range oven venting means of claim 9 wherein said outlet grill directs the hot vented gases to over said cooking portion of the cooktop.