AU2011218657A1 - A Side Rack and Attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

An oven wall rack 1.002 includes a number of slide tracks 1.008, 1.010, 1.012, 1.014, supported on a pair of upright members 1.004, 1.006. The rack is adapted to be attached to an oven wall by attachment posts 1.020, 1.022, 1.024 adapted to engage with mating recesses in the oven wall. The attachment posts are mounted on opposite sides of the rack. At least one of the posts is resiliently mounted, so it can be manipulated into place in its mating oven wall aperture when the attachment posts on the opposite side of the rack are in engagement with their mating wall recesses. SI I i40 1.004 -1.010 1.0024 1.012

Description

A Side Rack and Attachment Field of the invention [001] This invention relates to a side rack for an oven. [002] The invention is particularly suited for attaching the side rack for an oven to the oven wall. Background of the invention [003] An oven side rack provides the runners for the slidable oven food racks. A current system of attaching oven side racks includes two posts on the side rack which are inserted into corresponding holes in the oven wall. [004] In this arrangement, the posts are very rigid. The system also requires tight tolerances for the mating parts. If the parts are too loose the side rack will not be held securely and may fall out. If the parts are too tight, the assembly and disassembly may be difficult, and the removal of the posts from the holes can cause damage to the wall, eg, by damaging the enamelling, or by deforming the wall adjacent the holes. [005] In Pyrolytic ovens, it is necessary to remove the rack to avoid heat damage, such as discolouration, to the rack. [006] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a side rack which will be securely retained and will not require excess force to remove the side rack. Summary of the invention [007] According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided an oven side rack having at least two attachment projections or posts, wherein at least one of the projections or posts is resiliently mounted or sprung. [008] The side rack can be of substantially rectangular configuration with a top side opposite a lower side, and a front side opposite a rear side. [009] The projections or posts can be arranged on opposite sides of the side rack. [010] The projections or posts on one side can be substantially fixed, and the post or posts on the opposite side can be resiliently mounted.

[011] The side rack can include a front attachment post (1.020) and at least one rear attachment post (1.022), wherein the or each rear post is resiliently mounted (1.026). [012] The rack can include a pair of parallel upright members (1.004, 1.006), and the or each resiliently mounted attachment post (1.022, 1.024) can be formed on extensions of one of the upright members. [013] Each resilient extension can be formed by bending the end of the corresponding upright back along its length. [014] The resiliently mounted post can be formed by bending the end of the extension to project substantially transversely of the extension. [015] The resiliently mounted post can include a bent end (1.034) to retain the post in a corresponding wall hole in use. [0161 The fixed post can have a bent end (2.034) to form a seat to engage an edge of a corresponding second wall hole in use. [017] The rack can include a plurality of cross-bars (1.008, 1.010, 1.012) transverse to the uprights, and the fixed post can be an extension of one of the cross-bars. Brief description of the drawings [018] An embodiment or embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [019] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustration of an oven rack; [020] Figure 2 is an end view of a sprung post arrangement of the rack of Figure 1. [021] Figure 3 is a partial view of the fixed post of Figure 1. [022] Figure 4 illustrates the insertion of the front post in a first circumstance. [023] Figure 5 illustrates the insertion of the front post in a second circumstance. [024] Figure 6 illustrates a side rack according to a further embodiment of the invention.

[025] Figure 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention with the connection posts on the upper and lower sides of the rack. [026] Figure 8 illustrates a modification of the rack of Figure 7. [027] Figure 9 illustrates a rack according to an embodiment of the invention. [028] Figure 10 illustrates a rack according to another embodiment of the invention. [029] Figure 11 illustrates a rack according to another embodiment of the invention. [030] Figure 12 illustrates a rack according to a further embodiment of the invention. [031] Figure 13 illustrates a rack according to a a further embodiment of the invention. [032] Figure 14 illustrates a rack according to a modification of the rack of Figure 7. [033] Figure 15 illustrates a further modification of the rack of Figure 7. [034] The numbering convention used in the drawings is that the digits in front of the full stop indicate the drawing number, and the digits after the full stop are the element reference numbers. Where possible, the same element reference number is used in different drawings to indicate corresponding elements. [035] It is understood that, unless indicated otherwise, the drawings are intended to be illustrative rather than exact representations, and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The orientation of the drawings is chosen to illustrate the features of the objects shown, and does not necessarily represent the orientation of the objects in use. Detailed description of the embodiment or embodiments [036] The invention will be described with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. [037] With reference to Figure 1, the side rack 1.002 includes a pair of upright members 1.004, 1.006, and three double bar sets of food rack tracks 1.008, 1.010, and 1.012 which are spaced vertically to enable selective use of the temperature strata in the oven. Additional rigidity is provided for the side rack by the triple bar sets of arrangements 1.014, 1.016 at the top and bottom of the rack.

[038] The upright member 1.006 is provided with an attachment post at one side of the side rack. In this embodiment, the attachment post 1.020 is an extension of one of the bars of the double-bar slide 1.012 with which it can be integrally formed. The attachment post 1.020 can be substantially inflexible. The attachment post can be bent to provide a hook effect to resist unintended removal of the post 1.006 from the cooperating wall hole in the oven wall. [039] At least one second attachment post 1.022, 1.024 is provided on the other side of the rack. However, the post 1.022 differs from the post 1.020 in that it has a flexible mounting arrangement in the form of an extension member such as a length of wire or rod 1.026 and curved transverse section 1.030 which provides sufficient flexibility to enable the side rack posts to be removed from their cooperating wall holes with limited force. In this embodiment, the extension member 1.026 is supported at one end only, and the attachment post 1.022is at the free end. The extension member 1.026 can effectively form a cantilever style arrangement. Depending on the flexibility of the material of the extension and transverse curve, the extension member 1.026 and the curved section 1.030 can act as a spring. The resilience of this arrangement permits relative movement between the front and back posts either towards or away from each other. [040] In this embodiment, the extension member 1. 026 is attached to the upright 1.004 via curved section 1.030 and is formed as a single piece of the same wire or rod as this upright. The curved section can embody a bend of the order of about 1800, but can be up to about 200*. The hooked end 1.034 of the post 1.022 can be designed, arranged or oriented, so to provide a prestress between the oven wall and the rack to prevent unwanted movement of the rack. [041] In the embodiment of Figure 1, a third attachment post 1.024 is provided. The attachment post 1.024, extension member 1.028 and curved section 1.032 are similar to attachment post 1.022, extension member 1.026 and curved section 1.030, but inverted. These like posts function in a like manner. The third attachment post arrangement is also formed as a unitary part of the upright member 1.004. [042] In the embodiment of Figure 1, the uprights can be made of 5 mm hard drawn wire, and the cross-members can be of 4 mm hard drawn wire. The length of the extension members 1.026 and 1.028 can be of the order of about 100 mm. The cross-members 1.008, 1.010, 1.012, 1.014 and 1.016 are welded to the uprights.

[043] Figure 2 is a partial top view showing the sprung post 2.022. the curved section 2.030 extends across from the upright 2.004 (dotted outline) to the extension 2.026 (dotted outline). The end 2.034 of the post 2.022 is bent at an angle of the order of 450. [044] Figure 3 illustrates detail of the fixed post 3.020 with bent end 3.042. The bend of the end 3.042 is arranged so that the post 3.020 is not tangential to the bend, but forms an intersection with the bend which results in an inner curved seat 3.040 on one side to engage with the rim of the wall hole, and an outer rim seat 3.044. [045] In Figure 1, the ends of the sprung attachment posts 1.034, 1.036 are shown as being bent in the opposite direction to the bent end of the fixed post 1.020. This arrangement has the bent ends all directed inwardly in relation to the edges of the side rack. [046] Preferably, the fixed post is the front post and the sprung post is the rear post. [047] To install the rack of Figure 1 with two sprung posts, the sprung posts are the rear posts. The rear posts are inserted into their corresponding wall holes in the oven wall. Then the side rack is manipulated to align the fixed front post with its corresponding oven wall hole. The flexibility of the sprung rear posts permits the fixed front post to be correctly inserted into the corresponding oven wall hole and ensures that the side rack is securely held. [048] However, the invention also encompasses an arrangement in which the ends of the sprung attachment posts are bent in the same direction as the end of the fixed post. Thus, in the case where the end of the fixed post is bent inwardly of the upright 1.006, the ends of the sprung posts can be bent outwardly of the upright 1.004. [049] Figure 4 illustrates a partial view showing the front post engaging with the edge of a hole 4.049 in the case where the distance between the remote edges of the front and back wall holes is slightly smaller than the distance between the inner edges of the front and back posts in the un-tensioned state. In Figure 4 the upper edge of hole 4.049 is the outer or remote edge of the wall hole relative to the front wall hole. [050] Three positions of the post are illustrated to show the action of inserting the post into the hole. The first position 4.050, shown in solid line, is the initial position when the leading part of the post engages the wall of the hole. The second position, 4.052 (dashed line), illustrates the post partially inserted in the hole, and the third position 4.056 (dotted line) illustrates the fully inserted position. [051] In this case, at position 4.050, the edge 4.043 of the bent end 4.042 engages the rim of the hole. The edge 4.043 acts as a cam or a follower which applies force via the side rack assembly to the springs of the resiliently mounted posts at the other side of the rack, and the force deflects the springs so that the rack and the post 4.020 are deflected downward in the figure, until the high point 4.046 of the bent end passes the rim of hole 4.049, as shown by the dashed line of position 4.052. After this point, the spring causes the deflection to reduce as the rim rides down the curve of the bend until the rim seats at 4.044 as shown in dotted line at position 4.054. In this position, the spring is under compressive stress to hold the front and back posts against the outer edges of their respective wall holes. [052] The rounded shape of the bend 4.046 facilitates removal of the side rack by exerting a pulling force on the front post outwardly from the wall when required. [053] Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4, but illustrates the case where the distance between the inner edges of the front and back wall holes is slightly greater than the distance between the inner edges of the front and back posts. Again, three positions of the post are shown 5.050 (solid line) being the initial position, 5.056 (dashed line) being the intermediate position, and 5.058 (dotted line) showing the fully inserted position. In this case, the user must apply tension to the spring arrangement to move the leading edge of the post past the inner edge of the hole as shown at position 5.056. Once the leading edge of the post is past the rim of the hole, the slope of the bent edge of the post will facilitate the settling of the post in the hole, whereby the rim of the hole 5.044 will rest in the seat 4.040. In the embodiment shown, the spring arrangement remains under tension because the third position is above the unstressed position 5.050. [054] However, depending of the relevant dimensions, in some cases there may be little or no tension or compression. [055] Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which the bends 6.034, 6.036 of the rear posts is in substantially the same direction as the bend 6.020 of the front post. This arrangement is particularly adapted for use with the arrangement shown in Figure 4, where the post spacing is slightly greater than the hoe spacing.

[056] Also shown in figure 6 in dotted line is a partial view of an oven wall 6.060. The rear holes 6.062, 6.064 are arranged to receive the rear posts 6.022, 6.024, and a front hole 6.066 is arranged to receive the front post 6.020. The hole 6.062 is shown as obround (a figure approximating an oblong, with rounded ends) to provide a degree of tolerance when inserting the rear posts. Optionally, the front hole 6.066 can also be obround in a direction transverse to the relative movement between the front and rear posts. [057] The distance between the rear recess 6.066 and the front recesses 6.062, 6.064 can be selected to maintain the attachment projections under compressive or tensile load due to the spring force of the rack when the rack is attached to the wall. [058] The arrangement shown in the embodiments has one fixed front post and two sprung rear posts. An advantage of having a single front post is that, once the rear posts are inserted in their corresponding oven wall holes, it is simpler to align a single front post and hole. However, other combinations of fixed and sprung posts are within the inventive concept, provided that the resilience of the sprung posts is available enable easy installation and release of the side rack. [059] Various alternative embodiments of racks embodying the inventive concept will be described with reference to figures 7 to 14. [060] Figure 7 illustrates a rack 7.002 according to an alternative embodiment in which the connections are at the upper and lower sides of the rack. At the top, a pair of downward curved hooks 7.072, 7.074 are provided at the ends of the uprights. At the lower edge, a pair of sprung posts 7.076 is provided. A handle 7.078 permits the user to adjust the hold the rack while manipulating the sprung posts 7.076 into their respective holes. The downwardly curved hooks 7.072, 7.074 are suitable for use where the upper 7.072, 7.074 and lower 7.076 rack posts will be in tension. [061] Figure 8 shows a variation of the rack of Figure 7, in which the arms of the cantilevered posts project from the plane of the uprights as shown at 8.087 and can be co-planar with the runner tracks. [062] Figure 9 shows a further modification of the arrangement of Figure 7, in which the sprung posts 9.096 are supported on arms 9.026, 9.028 which are part of an open loop including a lower frame element 9.095 and the sprung posts 9.096. The loop is in an upright plane and attached to the uprights 9.004, 9.006, for example, by welding. The handle 9.098 bridges the sprung posts are attached near the extremities of the spring arms. In addition, the downward curved hooks of the rack of Figure 7 are replaced by "L" shaped hooks 9.092, 9.094. This configuration of "L" shaped hooks can be used in either compression or in tension. [063] Figure 10 illustrates another rack 10.002, in which the rack 10.002 has a substantially "U" shaped frame with "L" shaped hooks 10.102, 10.104 at the top of the uprights 10.002, 10.004. The lower cross member 10.109 carries the sprung post 10.108. This implementation utilizes the flexibility of the uprights 10.004, 10.006 to allow the post 10.106 to be manipulated into its mating recess in the side wall of the oven. [064] Figure 10 illustrates that a rack with top and bottom mounted attachment posts can utilize the inherent flexibility of the uprights 10.004, 10.006, while Figure 7 illustrates a top/bottom post arrangement with dedicated spring elements. [065] Figure 11 illustrates a rack 11.002, in which attachment projections and posts are located on opposite sides of the rack. The fixed post 11.114 is located on upright 11.006, and the second attachment projection, in the form of a "C" shaped projection 11.112 is located on the upright 11.004. The "C" can be formed as an integral extension of a pair of slide tracks. The "C" shaped projection 11.112 can be inserted into a shaped slot such as 11.113 in the oven wall. The slot 11.113 can be in the form of a "C" with short top and bottom transverse sections of sufficient length to provide a reliable seat for the ends of the "C" shaped post 11.112. Thus the transverse segments of the slot should be longer than the radius of the wire forming the "C" shaped loop projection 11.112. This arrangement utilizes the flexibility of the slide tracks such as 11.014. The configuration of the wall slot 11.113 with the "C" shaped projection is suitable for use where the posts and projections 11.114 and 11.112 are in tension, as the tension will hold the "C" shaped projection 11.112 in the slot 11.113. [066] Thus, the side mounted post arrangements can use the flexibility of dedicated spring elements (eg, Figure 1), or they can utilize the inherent resilience of the slide tracks (Figure 11). [067] Figure 12 is a modification of the rack of Figure 11, in which the "C" shaped projection is replaced by a solid metal piece projection 12.123 with a hook formed of an extension 12.121 and bent over end 12.122 transverse to the extension 12.121. Preferably the bent over end is at an obtuse angle to the extension 12.121 to facilitate insertion into a corresponding mating recess in the oven wall. A post 12.124 is provided on the upright 12.006. This arrangement is adapted for compressive spring force between the post 12.124 and the attachment member 12.121, 12.122, 12.123 because the hook 12.122 faces outwardly from the rack. This arrangement could be readily modified for tensile spring force by manufacturing the hook 12.122 to face the rack body. [068] Figure 13 shows a rack 13.002, in which the front of the rack is formed by a loop 13.146. To avoid optical ambiguity, a tri-axial coordinate reference XYZ has been provided. The loop is oriented to lie in a plane parallel with the YZ coordinates, parallel with the runner tracks. The posts 13.142, 13.144 project rearwardly in the X direction. [069] Figure 14 corresponds with Figure 7, with the exception that the handle 7.7078 has been removed. Thus the lower horizontal bars 14.071, 14.073 of the frame are "cantilevered" from their corresponding uprights 14.004, 14.006, with the posts 14.076 at the free ends of the lower bars 14.071, 14.073. Thus the lower posts 14.076 can flex away from the hooks 15.072, 14.074. [070] Figure 15 shows an alternative rack arrangement similar to that of Figure 7, but wherein the handle 15.079 is shorter than that of Figure 7. [071a] In the embodiments of Figures 7 to 15, while ports are illustrated being straight, it will be understood that these straight ends can be replaced by ends having shapes such as those illustrated in Figures 1 to 6. [071] While this specification and the drawings describe and illustrate various combinations of attachment posts and spring arrangements, the invention also encompasses other combinations of such posts and spring arrangements. [072] In this specification, reference to a document, disclosure, or other publication or use is not an admission that the document, disclosure, publication or use forms part of the common general knowledge of the skilled worker in the field of this invention at the priority date of this specification, unless otherwise stated. [073] In this specification, terms indicating orientation or direction, such as "up", "down", "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" "upright", "transverse" etc. are not intended to be absolute terms unless the context requires or indicates otherwise. These terms will normally refer to orientations shown in the drawings. [074] Where ever it is used, the word "comprising" is to be understood in its "open" sense, that is, in the sense of "including", and thus not limited to its "closed" sense, that is the sense of "consisting only of". A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words "comprise", "comprised" and "comprises" where they appear. [075] It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention. [076] While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all modifications which would be obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (14)

1. An oven side rack having at least two attachment projections, wherein at least one of the attachment projections is resiliently mounted.

2. An oven side rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side rack is of substantially rectangular configuration with a top side opposite a lower side, and a front side opposite a rear side.

3. An oven side rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the attachment projections are arranged on opposite sides of the side rack.

4. An oven side rack as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the attachment projections on one side are substantially fixed, and the attachment projections on the opposite side are resiliently mounted.

5. A side rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the projections are on opposite front and rear sides of the rack, the rack including a front attachment post and at least one rear attachment post, wherein the or each rear post is resiliently mounted.

6. A side rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rack includes a pair of parallel upright members, and wherein the or each resiliently mounted attachment projection is a post formed on extensions of one of the upright members.

7. A side rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein each extension is formed by bending the end of the corresponding upright back along its length, and wherein the post is formed by bending the end of the extension to project substantially transversely of the extension.

8. A side rack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the resiliently mounted post includes a bent end to retain the post in a corresponding wall hole in use.

9. A side rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixed post has a bent end to form a seat to engage an edge of a corresponding second wall hole in use.

10. A side rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rack includes a plurality of cross-bars transverse to the uprights, and wherein the fixed post is an extension of one of the cross-bars.

11. A side rack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment projections are adapted to be resiliently loaded when inserted in corresponding apertures in an oven wall.

12. A side rack substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. An oven including a first and second of side rack assemblies as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 mounted on opposite side walls of an oven, the side walls of the oven including mating recesses.to receive the attachment projections of the racks.

14. An oven as claimed in claim 14, wherein the recesses are located to maintain the attachment projections under resilient load.