US3131684A - Supporting and gasketing means for domestic cooking ovens - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1964 P. J. MORE ETAL SUPPORTING AND GASKET INC MEANS FOR DOMESTIC COOKING OVENS Filed Oct. 22, 1962 H' IH llllllllllllllll ll H 2 P77 Z JIPIIYVZENTORS are flar oZ ci (/Q Wa By M /44,

United States Patent 3 131,684 SUPPORTING AND GASKETING MEAN FGR DOMETIC CGOKING ()VENS Philip I. More, Evanston, and Harold A. Walz, Melrose Park, 1111., assignors to General Electric Company, a

corporation of New York Filed 0st. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 231,899 4- Claims. ((31. 126-49) This invention relates to cooking ovens, and in particular to an oven mounting means which affords a simplified structure for removably securing a gasket intended to seal against an inner face of the oven door.

It is well known practice in the domestic cooking art to control the flow of air into and through a cooking oven during the operation thereof. In a cooking range of the usual gas or electric type in which the oven is located below the cooking top on which the trying, boiling and other surface cookery is performed, air flow from the interior of the oven is accomplished by a stack or flue which communicates between an opening at the top of the oven and the space below one of the cooking elements on the cooking top. Such an arrangement in an electric range is disclosed in Berg U .8. Patent 2,5 25,062, granted October 10, 1950, for Vent Structure and assigned to our present assignee. With a venting system of this type it is usual to provide along the lower portion of the oven door, areas through which fresh air enters the oven. An alternative oven air inflow system in which is introduced at the lower rear wall of the oven and is discharged through passages at the top front of the oven, is disclosed in Swisher U.S. Patent 3,059,089, granted October 16, 1962, for Oven Venting System, and also assigned to our present assignee. )In either case, the greater portion of the rim of the open front of the oven cavity is sealed against the door by means of a flexible gasket.

Because of the high temperatures associated with oven cooking--and particularly when the oven is used for broilingthe gaskets deteriorate rather quickly; that is to say, in two or three years the gasket may have lost its elasticity, and inadequately seal against the adjacent door surfaces. Replacement of the gasket has previously been beyond the capabilities of the average owner of the cooking range.

It is therefore a principal object of our invention to provide improved means for mounting an oven within the range structure, said means affording facilities whereby the installation or replacement of an oven door gasket is greatly simplified.

It is another object of our invention to provide an oven gasket mounting means which is adaptable to each of the above noted arrangements for oven ventilation.

It is a further object of our invention to provide an oven mounting system in which the oven chamber is supported within the range structure by resilient means, including supporting springs and a gasket of elastomeric material, whereby the structure defining the oven chamber is securely supported while providing movement relative to the principal range structure as one or the other expands or contracts during the operation thereof.

In a presently preferred embodiment of our invention, a cooking range has structure defining a hollow framework within which the oven chamber is housed. Said framework includes rear structural members and front structural members, the latter being concealed by a panel or frame which extends about the open front of the oven chamber. Since this frame structure is visible when the door is opened, it is usually given a decorative finish such as vitreous enamel. The open front of the oven chamber is defined by a continuous, outwardly extending flange which overlies the marginal edges of the frame. At several points about this flange it is inwardly embossed; said embosses are at the juncture of the flange with the adja- "ice cent oven walls, and may not extend to the outermost edge of the flange. These embosses are short, and when the oven is in home position within the range structure, seat against the facing panel or frame. There is, therefore, a flange portion extending continuously about the open front of the oven, and spaced forwardly of the frame. The resulting space or channel removably accommodates the base portion of a gasket having an outwardly and upwardly extending face portion which resiliently engages the inner surface of the door when the door is in closed position. At the rear of each side wall of the oven there are provided rearwardly extending plates or brackets to which are aflixed coil springs anchored in the range frame structure immediately to the rear. These springs draw the oven rearwardly to cause the several embosses at the front flange thereof to engage with the facing frame and compress the base portion of the gasket so as frictionally to secure it within the channel behind the flange. Because of the limited area of engagement of the embosses with the frame there is considerable freedom of movement of the oven relative to the frame as one or the other expands or contracts during a cooking operation.

An important feature of our invention resides in the ease with which the gasket may be removed and replaced. Removal is merely a matter of pulling it out of the channel; the installation of a new one is accomplished by soaping the base portion for lubrication, and then pressing it home with the fingers. Because of the single thickness of the lip portion, it an easy matter to cut away such portions as may be necessary for oven ventilation, using the old gasket :as a pattern. Also, any conflicts within the base portion of the gasket and the embossed areas of the flange may be resolved by cutting away portions of the base to insure that the gasket is properly bottomed within the channel.

Other features and advantages of the invention will best be understood by the following description of the presently preferred embodiment read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional elevation of a cooking range with a side panel and the oven insulation removed to show the oven door binging and oven mounting means;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the cooking range with the oven door open, to show the gasket and the retaining flange therefor;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side sectional elevation taken through 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a portion of the gasket lip removed for oven ventilation.

In FIG. 1, a cooking range 1 includes a frame structure including structural members 2, 3, 4, 5 which define a hollow framework. A cooking top 6 rests upon member 4; said cooking top has a plurality of cooking units 7 at the front and rear, as well known. The control panel 8 supports the several conventional control switches it). The front structure 5 may comprise a four-sided frame-like member having a facing panel 11 defining an opening within which is accommodated the open-front oven chamber 12. This oven chamber has a peripherally extending flange 14 defining its open front. The flange is in overlying relation to the panel 1'1, as best shown in FIG. 3. Preferably symmetrically about the flange 14 several inwardly extending embosses 15 are provided; said embosses are of short length, and preferably do not extend the full width of the flange. When the oven is in home positionthe embosses seat against the panel 11.

At the rear of each side wall of the oven there is a plate or bracket 16, preferably welded thereto. Each said bracket is arranged to receive an end of a coil spring 17, the other end of which is anchored within the rear structural member 2. The springs therefore draw the J oven to a home position established by the engagement of the respective embosses 15, or some of them, with the panel 11. The springs afford freedom for lateral displacement or adjustment of the oven relative to the panel 11 as one or the other expands or contracts during a cooking operation.

A door 18 is hinged at the lower corners of the panel 11. Conventionally, such hinging is accomplished by hinge brackets 20 extending from the bottom structural members 3. For counterbalancing the oven door and drawing it to a closed position it is usual to provide a link 21 which rides over a. roller 22 in a bracket 23 fixed to the member 3. A counterbalance spring 24 extends between the member 3 and the link 21. The link is formed with two detent positions such as that shown at 25. Detent 25 makes it possible to hold the oven door ajar for broiling operations or the like; the other detent (not shown) establishes the door in a substantially vertical closed position in which the peripheral portion 26 of the inner panel 26a of the door is in substantially parallel spaced relation to the flange 14.

For ventilating the oven we show a ventilation stack of the above noted Berg type in which a tubular stack 27 communicates between the upper rear portion of the oven cavity and the space below a rear cooking unit 7.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is seen that the cross sectional structure of the flange 14, taken through any one of the embosses 15, provides a channel 30 defined by the flange and the adjacent panel 11. Preferably, there is a shallow bead 32 which enlarges the channel at its base. Said channel removably receives the base portion of the gasket 31. Although the precise shape and composition of the gasket are not material so long as basic structural features later described are met, the illustrated design is particularly advantageous, for it may be extruded from silicone rubber compositions which are extensively used in elevated temperature applications. Specifically, the gasket includes a cylindrical base 33' which is larger in outside diameter than the channel space immediately behind the bead 32; preferably, the base 33 is tubular to facilitate its compression for passage through the narrower upper portion of the channel 30. Even when it is in home position within the channel, the base 33 is under compression. The gasket is further defined by a single thickness Wall portion which rises from the base 33, follows around the upper edge of the flange 14, as indicated by the inverted U-shaped portion 34, and has an outwardly and upwardly face portion 35 for substantial surface contact with the door panel portion 26. It will be understood that when the door is in an open position, the then relaxed portion 35 of the gasket is at a smaller angle with the horizontal than is shown in FIG. 3, although obviously it nevertheless extends in an upward and outward direction so as always to assume the FIG. 3 relation with the door panel as the door is closed.

In FIG. 2 the oven gasketing is arranged for oven ventilation of the illustrated Berg type. Accordingly, the gasket 31 extends about the sides and top of the oven, and gasket 31.1 (which is of identical construction), extends across a portion of the bottom of the oven. This leaves areas at the right and left corners of the oven at which air may enter, for it will be remembered that with the door closed, the inner panel of the door is spaced from the flange 14. It is understood, of course, that the ventilation requirements of an oven are influenced by the volume of the oven itself, and that the open corner portions illustrated in FIG. 2 represent minimum ventilation provisions.

FIG. 4, which is a fragmentary elevation of the top of the oven, illustrates how easily the gasket may be adapted to the Swisher type of oven ventilation. According to the ventilation requirements, portions of the gasket 31 may be cut away. It is preferable to retain continuity of the cylindrical base portions 33, and therefore only the face portions 35 of the gasket are removed.

It is believed evident from the above description that it is a simple matter for the owner of the range or oven to remove and replace the gasket. No tools other than scissors are required. The new gasket is cut at portions conforming with the original ones. Replacement is a matter of lubricating the base 33 and pressing it home with the fingers.

While there has been described what is at present thought to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended in the following claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A cooking oven, comprising, in combination, an open-front chamber defining an oven cavity, a facing panel surrounding said opening substantially in the plane thereof, structure rigidly supporting said facing panel relative to said chamber, said chamber being formed about its open front with an outwardly extending flange having a plurality of substantially uniform, inwardly embossed, areas disposed substantially symetrically about said opening, means for drawing said chamber rearwardly of said facing panel whereby said embossed flange areas engage with said panel and the remainder of said flange is substantially uniformly spaced forwardly thereof, a door for closing said cavity, means for urging said door to a closed position in which the peripheral portion of the inner surface of said door is in substantially parallel spaced relation to said flange, and a gasket extending between said panel and said door inner surface, said gasket having a resilient base portion frictionally retained between said flange and said panel and a flexible face portion extending outwardly and upwardly beyond said flange into engagement with said peripheral portion of said door surface.

2. A cooking oven, comprising, in combination, framework defining a hollow supporting structure having fixed front and rear members, an open-front chamber defining an oven cavity, structure providing a facing panel surrounding said opening substantially in the plane thereof, said facing panel being immobilized relative to said front framework members, said chamber being formed about its open front with a flange extending forwardly of said facing panel and into overlying relation thereto, said flange having a plurality of inwardly embossed areas dis posed about said opening, resilient means extending between certain walls of said chamber and said framework for drawing said chamber rearwardly of said facing panel whereby said embossed flange areas engage with said panel to establish a home position of said chamber in which the remainder of said flange is uniformly spaced forwardly of said panel, a door for closing said cavity, means for urging said door to a closed position in which the peripheral portion of the inner surface of said door is in substantially parallel spaced relation to said flange, and a gasket extending between said panel and said door inner surface portion, said gasket having a resilient base portion frictionally retained between said flange and said panel and a flexible face portion extending outwardly and upwardly beyond said flange into engagement with said door surface portion.

3. A cooking oven, comprising, in combination, framework defining a hollow supporting structure having fixed front and rear members, wall means providing an openfront chamber defining an oven cavity, structure providing a facing panel surrounding said opening substantially in the plane thereof, said facing panel comprising a portion of said front structural members, said chamber being formed about its open front with an outwardly and laterally extending flange having a plurality of inwardly embossed areas disposed about said opening, spring means extending between side walls of said chamber and said rear structural members for drawing said chamber rearwardly of said facing panel whereby said embossed flange areas engage with said panel and the remainder of said flange is spaced forwardly thereof, said flange areas and said spring means comprising the sole supporting means for said chamber within said supporting structure, a door, means for hinging said door to said supporting structure, means for urging said door to a closed position in which the peripheral portion of the inner surface of said door is in substantially parallel spaced relation to said flange, and a gasket extending between said panel and said door inner surface portion, said gasket having a resilient base portion frictionally retained between said flange and said panel and a flexible face portion concealing the outermost portion of said flange and thereupon extending outwardly and upwardly of said flange into engagement with said door surface portion.

4. A cooking oven, comprising, in combination, an open-front chamber defining an oven cavity, a facing panel surrounding said opening substantially in the plane thereof, structure rigidly supporting said facing panel relative to said chamber, said chamber being formed about its open front With an outwardly extending flange having a plurality of inwardly embossed areas disposed substantially symmetrically about said opening, spring means anchored rearwardly of said chamber flange and connecting with said chamber for drawing said chamber rearwardly of said facing panel whereby said embossed flange areas engage with said panel and the remainder of said flange is substantially uniformly spaced forwardly thereof in substantially parallel relation thereto, said chamber drawing means providing for lateral movement of said chamber relative to said panel, a door, means for urging said door to a closed position in which the peripheral portion of the inner surface of said door is in substantially parallel spaced relation to said flange, and oven ventilation means communicating between the interior of said oven and the outer atmosphere, said ventilation means including a gasket extending between said panel and said door inner surface portion, said gasket having a resilient base portion frictionally retained between said flange and said panel, and a flexible face portion extending outwardly of said flange into engagement with said door inner surface portion at laterally spaced intervals about the open front of said oven.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,555,841 Clark June 5, 1951 3,038,462 Hurko June 12, 1962 3,066,212 Hurko Nov. 27, 1962

Claims (1)

1. A COOKING OVEN, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN OPEN-FRONT CHAMBER DEFINING AN OVEN CAVITY, A FACING PANEL, SURROUNDING SAID OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE THEREOF, STRUCTURE RIGIDILY SUPPORTING SAID FACING PANEL RELATIVE TO SAID CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER BEING FORMED ABOUT ITS OPEN FRONT WITH AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM, INWARDLY EMBOSSED, REAS DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY SYMETRICALLY ABOUT SAID OPENING, MEANS FOR DRAWING SAID CHAMBER REARWARDLY OF SAID FACINGPANEL WHEREBY SAID EMBOSSED FLANGE AREAS ENGAGE WITH SAID PANEL AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID FLANGE IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY SPACED FORWARDLY THERE-

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