US3208446A

US3208446A - Oven observation door

Info

Publication number: US3208446A
Application number: US196641A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leland G Hopkins; Wesley E Shreffler
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1962-05-22
Filing date: 1962-05-22
Publication date: 1965-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-28

Description

P 1965 L. G. HOPKINS ETAL 3,208,446

OVEN OBSERVATION DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1962 INVENTORS Leland G. Hopkins and Wesley E. Shreffler.

ATTORNEY p ,1965 L. HOPKINS Em. 3,208,446

OVEN OBSERVATION DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1962 d Mr Ss R mfl O e T P N oh E H w mm uw Y B EXIT ATTORNEY Sept 1965 L. e. HOPKINS ETAL 3,208,446

OVEN OBSERVATION DOOR Filed May 22, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @4 2 29 q I 1/ & 77 I 55-5- 2| 33 2 55 35 42 F lg 3. INVENTORS Leland G. Hopkins and Wesley E. Shreffler.

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,208,446 OVEN OBSERVATION DOOR Leland G. Hopkins and Wesley E. Shrelfler, Mansfield, Ohio, assiguiors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 22, 1962, Ser. N 0. 196,641 4 Claims. (Cl. 126-200) This invention relates to an observation door assembly for an oven or the like, especially such a door assembly having a pair of spaced overlying panes of glass or other transparent material.

It is highly desirable that the door of an oven of a cooking range, for example, should permit visual observation of the contents of the oven, and for this purpose many such doors are provided with one or more panes of glass. Such panes must be mounted securely but in such a way as to accommodate the dimensional changes incident to heating and cooling of the oven. Complex assemblies that involve close manufacturing tolerances or time-consuming manual assembling operations are inherently impractical and of little use despite possible technical operability.

A primary object of the present invention is provision of an oven observation door having improved paneretaining means.

An object is simplification 'of the structural members of an oven observation door.

Another object is provision of an oven observation door presenting a shadow box aspect.

A further object is provision of an oven observation door that may be readily assembled.

Other objects of this invention, together with means and methods for attaining the various objects, will be apparent from the following description, and the accompanying diagrams, of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly cut away, of an observation door of this invention shown in closed position;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the same door, on a somewhat smaller scale;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the lower left corner of the door 'of the preceding views, on a scale larger than that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation taken at IVIV on FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side sectional elevation, similar to FIG. 4 but rotated ninety degrees clockwise and showing only part of the components, as during assembly thereof, and on a smaller scale;

FIG. 6 is a detail side elevation, partly in section and greatly enlarged, taken at VIVI on FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a detail side elevation, partly in section and greatly enlarged, taken at VII-VII on FIG. 1.

In general, the objects of the present invention are accomplished, in an oven observation door, by means of peripheral frame means, an outer pane at the front and an inner pane at the rear of the frame means, marginal edge portions of the panes being overlapped by the frame means, spacer members inside and extending along the peripheral edges of the frame means, the spacer members being juxtaposed to the panes and overlapping opposing marginal edge portions thereof, and corner supports 10- 65 sight, each corner of the frame including the junction of two of the strip-like spacer members, the end of the flaring face of one thereof being angled at approximately half a right angle and overlying the end of the other, simulating a mitered joint.

FIG. 1 shows, in front elevation, partly cut away, observation door 11 for an oven or the like, in closed position in surrounding cabinet 12 'of appliance 13, which is shown only fragmentarily. Part of the door assembly is cut away at the lower right, in the vicinity of handle 14, to expose certain of the interior components. Outer or front frame member 21 overlaps a marginal edge portion of outer pane 22, which overlies short or vertical spacer members 23 and long or horizontal spacer members 24. Inner pane 26 underlies the spacer members, as is apparent where they are cut away. Corner supports 27 (one visible in this view) also underlie the spacer members, fitting alongside the corners of the inner pane and inner or rear frame member 29. Latch 30, which is mounted on the rear frame member, appears in greater detail in a subsequent view.

FIG. 2 shows, in perspective and exploded, door 11 of the preceding view, completely disassembled. Handle 14, which has a pair of retaining screws 15, appears foremost, at the lower right. Next appears outer or front frame member 21, then outer pane 22, pair of short or vertical spacer members 23, pair of long or horizontal spacer members 24, inner pane 26, corner supports 27 (four in number), inner or rear frame member 29, and pair of corner reinforcements 31, in that order. Screws 32, together with pair of pivot screws 33, surround outer frame member 21.

FIG. 3 shows, in front elevation, partly cut away and on an enlarged scale, the lower left corner of the door previously shown. Outer frame member 21 has peripheral flange extending to the rear from and adjoining front outline strip 36, which terminates in rearwardly sloping interior edge 37 in contact with the front face of outer pane 22. Vertical and

horizontal spacer members

23 and 24, immediately underlie the outer pane, with beveled edge 38 of the former overlapping beveled edge 39 of the latter. Underlying the spacer members is corner support 27, which has flat V-shaped body 41 lying against the interior face of rear outline strip 46 of inner or rear frame member 29. That frame member has peripheral flage extending to the front and terminates at the opposite side in frontwardly sloping interior edge 47.

FIG. 3 shows that corner support 27 has flanges 42 at the outside edges of the V and perpendicular to the plane of the body thereof, lying against the interior face of peripheral flange 45 of the inner or rear frame member. The corner support also has flanges 43 at the inside edges of the V, parallel to flanges 42 at the opposite edges. Whereas the outside flanges extend to join one another at the apex of the corner angle, the inside flanges do not join one another but remain spaced apart on opposite sides of a bisector (not indicated) of the corner angle. Screws 32, one on each side of the corner extend through 0 suitable unthreaded apertures in outer peripheral flange 35 and inner peripheral flange 45 and into threaded apertures in outside flanges 42 of the corner support. Pivot screw 33 does likewise except that the threaded aperture for it is in reinforcing disc 49 affixed to the interior face of horizontal outside flange 42 of the corner support. Corner reinforcement 31, fits between the peripheral flanges of the respective frame members, along both sides of the corner and at the apex, flange 45 of the inner or rear member being recessed there to accommodate the reinforcement, which also receives the pivot screw through a suitable unthreaded aperture.

FIG. 4 shows, in side sectional elevation, the corner of the door of FIG. 3 as indicated thereon. In addition to the features mentioned in the description of that preceding view, FIG. 4 shows particularly the cross-sectional configuration of horizontal spacer member 24 (all

spacer members

23 and 24 are similar in cross-section) and the location of its various portions with respect to the panes and the corner support. The spacer member has an asymmetrical channeled (inverted here) form, comprising oblique central or bed portion 51 joining short inner side 52 at an acute angle (apex rounded here) and joining long outer side 53 at an obtuse angle. The respective sides are in contact with marginal edge portions of the corresponding panes and terminate in inner flange 54 and outer flange 55, which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the faces of the panes. Inner flange 54 of the spacer member fits snugly between and against the peripheral edge of inner pane 26 and oneface of inside flange 43 of the corner support, while outer flange 55 of the spacer member fits in like manner between the peripheral edge of the outer pane and a face of corner reinforcement 31.

FIGS. 1 to 4 clearly suggest the resulting flaring outward of the oblique portion of the spacer members toward the observer (not shown) at the front or outside of the door. The overlap of beveled edge 38 of vertical spacer member 23 upon edge 39 of spacer member 24 is visible in FIGS. 3 and 4, and it is apparent especially from the preceding views that the termination of that overlapping edge on the overlying spacer member simulates a mitered joint, providing a shadow-box effect. The resulting impression of depth and solidity to the door itself may be aided by the use of gray or other dark tinted glass or similar material in the outer pane.

FIG. shows, largely in section similar to the last preceding view but rotated ninety degrees clockwise and on a smaller scale, the corner of the same door during assembly. The outer or front frame member is missing, as are the screws. Corner support 27 appears in solid, while outer pane 22 appears only in phantom. The corner support is in place in the corner of the inner or rear frame member, which lies with rear outline strip 46 horizontal and with peripheral flange 45 extending upwardly. Inner pane 26 is in place with its marginal edge portion against the rear outline strip and with its peripheral edge adjacent relatively short inside flange 43 of the corner support but spaced therefrom by inner flange 54 of the spacer member.

FIG. 5 reveals that, in the absence of the outer pane, the acute angle between inner side 52 and central or bed portion 51 (solid line showing thereof) of the spacer member is appreciably (e.g., five to fifteen degrees) greater than the corresponding angle when the inner pane is in place with its peripheral edge against outer flange 55 and with its marginal edge portion against outer side 53 of the spacer member, as shown in phantom (broken lines). With the outer pane in place, the spacer member bends sufficiently at the rounded apex of the mentioned acute angle to bring one face of outer side 53 of the spacer member against the edge (at the top in this view) of outside flange 42 of the corner support. Outer flange 55 of this spacer member becomes nearly coplanar with outside flange 42 of the corner support when outer pane 22 is so in place. The biasing of the respective panes apart from one another by the resilience of the spacer members is apparent, as is the juxtaposing of the spacer members to the panes by the corner supports.

The assembling of the door to and beyond the intermediate stage of FIG. 5 is apparent from it and the preceding views, including especially FIG. 2, which shows the door entirely disassembled. It will be noted that both pairs of spacer members must be in place, with vertical spacer members 23 overlapping horizontal spacer members 24 at their ends, over the corner supports before outer pane 22 is put in place. Then outer or front frame member 21 may be telescoped over inner or rear frame member 29 and its contents, corner reinforcements 31 for pivot screws 33 being inserted between the peripheral flanges of the respective frame members and into the matching recesses of the inner frame member at the time of the telescoping step. Insertion of screws 32 through the apertures provided in the peripheral flanges of the frame members (and in the corner reinforcements at the pivot locations) and into the aligned threaded apertures in corner supports 27 secures all the components together, retaining the panes firmly in place without undue stress. of course, pivot screws 33 are inserted independently, as are screws 15 for the handle.

FIG. 6 shows, in side elevation, on an enlarged scale and partly in section, latch 30 of the door in the closed position shown in FIG. 1. A portion of cabinet 12 underlying rear outline strip 46 of inner or rear frame member 29 carries perpendicular prong 61 in a suitable aperture. Latch 30 comprises frame 63, which is carried in a suitable aperture covered by attached facing ring 64, and which itself carries gripping means 65 attached to the frame by pins 66. The perpendicular prong extends through the facing ring and the underlying aperture into the frame of the latch where it is gripped from opposite sides by the gripping means sufficiently tightly to keep the door closed except when it is opened manually by means of handle 14.

FIG. 7, another enlarged detail view in side sectional elevation, shows nut support '71, which is affixed to the interior face of peripheral flange 45 of inner or rear frame member 29 to receive one of screws 15 for handle 14 of the door. Housing 72 thereof surrounds nut 70 from opposite sides and terminates in pair of ears 73, which extend through an aperture formed in embossed portion 74 of the flange and bend outward from one another to grip that portion of the flange. The other one of screws 15 of the handle threads into corner support 29, as previously shown. Not shown is the pivot means that, as part of the surrounding cabinet, receives and supports pair of pivot screws 32 and 33 at the left on upper and lower outside edges of peripheral flange 35 of outer or front frame member 21. These and the fastening means of FIGS. 6 and 7 are not claimed as part of the present invention, for other suitable conventional fastening means could be substituted, but their description is included to some extent as an aid to an understanding of the door assembly as such.

Modifications also may be made in the illustrated and described preferred embodiment of the door without involving a departure from the claimed structure and while retaining some or all of the advantages and benefits of the present invention. Certain of those advantages and benefits have been mentioned above, and others will hecome apparent and accrue to those who undertake to practice the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an oven observation door having a peripheral polygonal frame and having an outer pane and a parallel inner pane so framed thereby that the sight of the outer pane overlies the sight of the inner pane, improved means for locating the panes in fixed relation to one another within the frame and comprising strip-like spacer members located between the panes and adjacent thereto and to the peripheral polygonal frame, thereby defining the sights of the respective panes, with the exposed faces of the spacer members flaring outwardly from the inner pane to the outer pane, thus rendering the outer sight larger than the inner sight, each corner of the frame including the junction of two of the strip-like spacer members, the end of the flaring face of one thereof being angled at approximately half the angle defined by said two strip-like spacer members and overlying the end of the other, simulating a mitered joint, and corner supports located between the frame and the spacer members and secured to the frame, each corner of the frame having one of the corner supports secured thereto, the corner support extending adjacent the peripheral edge of at least one of the panes along both sides of the corner and being separated therefrom by the spacer members, and wherein at each corner each of the two spacer members at that corner has a marginal edge portion thereof contiguous with the peripheral edge of the inner pane and has a marginal edge portion thereof contiguous with the peripheral edge of the outer pane, and the corner support has flanges adjacent and parallel to the respective marginal edge portions of the respective spacer members.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at each corner the flanges of the corner support adjacent and paralleling the spacer marginal edge portions contiguous with the peripheral edge of the outer pane are substantially coplanar therewith and are contiguous with perpendicularly adjoining portions of the respective spacer members.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at each corner the flanges of the corner support adjacent and paralleling the spacer marginal edge portions contiguous with the peripheral edge of the inner pane are contiguous with one face of those marginal edge portions, the opposite face thereof being contiguous with the peripheral edge of the inner pane.

4. Oven obsrevation door assembly comprising a hollow rectangular box frame open along its inner edge and having telescoping outer and inner frame pieces;

an inner pane covering the sight of the inner frame piece with the peripheral edges of the pane overlapping the interior edge but spaced inside the peripheral edge of the frame piece;

corner supports, each having a V-shaped body, as viewed perpendicularly to the pane, with flanges extending perpendicular to the body along both outer and inner edges of the V, the outer flanges being located adjacent the interior face of the peripheral portion of the inner frame piece, the inner flanges being located adjacent the peripheral edge of the pane alongside both sides and clear of the apex of a corner of the frame and being smaller in lateral and perpendicular extent than the outer flanges;

spacer members having parallel outer and inner flanges and an intermediate channel interconnecting to the respective flanges at right angles thereto and having an acute angle and an obtuse angle at the junction of the channel bed with opposite side portions of the channel, the inner flange of each spacer member being located between the peripheral edge of the inner pane and the inner flanges of the corner supports, the outer flange of each spacer member being located adjacent the interior face of the peripheral edge of the inner frame piece, one pair of opposing spacer members overlying at their ends the ends of the other pair of opposing spacer members, the overlying ends being mitered; and

an outer pane covering the sight formed by the two pairs of spacer members, the outer frame piece telescopically enclosing the inner frame piece, with the other mentioned elements intervening, and overlapping the peripheral edge of the second pane; and

fastening means for retaining the outer and inner box frame pieces so assembled and for securing the corner supports thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,968,890 8/34 Hulf 18936 1,994,022 3/35 Huff 189-36 2,173,664 9/39 Shutts 126-200 X 2,513,202 1/50 Reeves 20S6.5 2,536,956 l/Sl Reeves 126-200 2,810,460 10/57 Winnan 189-76 3,034,612 5/62 Jourdan 18936 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. FREDERICK L. MATTESON, IR., Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A OVEN OBSERVATION DOOR HAVING A PERIPHERAL POLYGONAL FRAME AND HAVING AN OUTER PANE AND A PARALLEL INNER PANE SO FRAMED THEREBY THAT THE SIGHT OF THE OUTER PANE OVERLIES THE SIGHT OF THE INNER PANE, IMPROVED MEANS FOR LOCATING THE PANES IN FIXED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER WITHIN THE FRAME AND COMPRISING STRIP-LIKE SPACER MEMBERS LOCATED BETWEEN THE PANES AND ADJACENT THERETO AND TO THE PERIPHERAL POLYGONAL FRAME, THEREBY DEFINING THE SIGHTS OF THE RESPECTIVE PANES, WITH THE EXPOSED FACES OF THE SPACER MEMBERS FLARING OUTWARDLY FROM THE INNER PANE TO THE OUTER PANE, THUS RENDERING THE OUTER SIGHT LARGER THAN THE INNER SIGHT, EACH CORNER OF THE FRAME INCLUDING THE JUNCTION OF TWO OF THE STRIP-LIKE SPACER MEMBERS, THE END OF THE FLARING FACE OF ONE THEREOF BEING ANGLED AT APPROXIMATELY HALF THE ANGLE DEFINED BY SAID TWO STRIP-LIKE SPACER MEMBERS AND OVERLYING THE END OF THE OTEHR, SIMULATING A MITERED JOINT, AND CORNER SUPPORTS LOCATED BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE SPACER MEMBERS AND SECURED TO THE FRAME, EACH CORNER OF THE FRAME HAVING ONE OF THE CORNER SUPPORTS SECURED THERETO, THE CORNER SUPPORT EXTENDING ADJACENT THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF AT LEAST