US3655942A

US3655942A - Oven with closure mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3655942A
Application number: US123780A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond F Tomsic
Original assignee: Spectrum Infrared Inc
Current assignee: Spectrum Infrared Inc
Priority date: 1971-03-12
Filing date: 1971-03-12
Publication date: 1972-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-11

Abstract

An oven provided with inner and outer doors arranged so that when both doors are registered with the oven opening to cover the opening the inner door is disposed inwardly of the oven from the outer door to reflect oven heat from the outer door, and the two doors being so connected that movement of the outer door to and from a position covering the opening automatically and concurrently causes the inner door to correspondingly move to and from a position covering the opening.

Description

United States Patent [15] 3,655,942 Tomsic [45] Apr. 11, 1972 [s41 OVEN WITH CLOSURE MECHANISM 2,688,685 9/1954 Goodell ..219/405 x 72] Inventor: Raymond F. Tomsic, Willoughby, Ohio gggg'gfi :33: azg g [73] Assignee: Spectrum Infrared, Inc Cleveland, Ohio 3,564,202 2/ 1 97! Oppenheim ..219/400 221 Med: 1971 Primary Examiner-Velodymyr Y. Mayewsky [2 1] App]. No.: 123,780 Attorney-Woodling, Korst, Granger and Rust 52 us. or ..219/405, 49/145, 219/399, [571 ABSTRACT 2 19/41 11 312/138 An oven provided with inner and outer doors arranged so that [5 l 1 Int- ..F27d when doors are regisered the oven opening to cover [58] Field of Search ..219/399, 400, 405, 411; the opening the inner door is disposed inwardly f the oven 49/145, 312/138, 1 273 from the outer door to reflect oven heat from the outer door. 56 R f ed and the two doors being so connected that movement of the l 1 e memes outer door to and from a position covering the opening auto- UNITED STATES PATENTS maticaliy and concurrently causes the inner door to cor- R 24 296 3/1957 Stewart 219/405 X respondmgly move to and from a pos1t1on covering the opene 1n 1,098,695 6/1914 Stoiper ..49/145 g v 2,293,536 8/1942 Fenn ..49/145 15 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR n 1912 4 3,655,942

SHEET 1 OF 2 mmumml1unuummuuunnnnn F3 Ti H u INVENTOR. P4 YMOND F, TOMS/C BYMAZ 7w ATTOENEYS.

PAIENTEDAPR 11 I972 3. 555.942

INVENTOR. QAY/ IOND F". TOMS/C Ma ATTORNEYS.

OVEN WITH CLOSURE MECHANISM An object of my invention is to protect the outer door of an oven from heat generated in the oven by an inner door that automatically is positioned inwardly of the outer door by movement of the outer door to a position covering the oven opening to thereby reflect heat from the outer door at such position.

Another object is the provision for operating an inner door to and from position to cover an oven door automatically by the manual movement of the outer door so as to interpose the inner door between the outer door and the interior of the oven when the outer door is in position to close the opening and thereby reflect heat generated in the interior of the oven away from the inner surface of the outer door.

Another object is to provide unique mechanism for operating an inner door of an oven by the movement of the outer door of the oven, to provide for two parallel, spaced and aligned doors at the oven opening for covering the opening and to provide for simultaneous clearance of the oven opening by the doors. I

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an oven embodying a preferred form of my closure mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the oven shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the oven taken through the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view taken line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial view in section illustrating the preferred formof my closure mechanism in the closed positions of the inner and outer doors;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 but with the inner and outer doors shown in their opened positions;

FIG. 7 shows a modified form of my closure mechanism in the closed positions of the inner and outer doors;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 7 but with the inner and outer doors in opened positions;

FIG. 9 shows a modified form of my closure mechanism in the closed positions of the inner and outer doors; and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 9 but with the inner and outer doors in opened positions.

With reference to the figures in the drawings, my closure mechanism is particularly adapted for ovens such as, for example, an oven having a housing 11. This oven may, for example, be of the type in which food such as sandwiches are heated by infrared heating generated from electrically energized quartz tubes of well known structure and function.

The housing 11 is in the form of a rectangular metal box having top, bottom, rear and side walls of metal. The front of housing 11 has an upper front panel portion 11A and a lower front panel portion 11B. Intermediate the portions 11A and 11B is an open space providing the opening 11C which gives ingress into the interior of the oven for placing objects to be heated therein and for removal of the objects after being heated.

A timer mechanism, not shown, is mounted in the housing for pre-setting the heating periods of the oven. A timer dial 16 is shown on the lower panel 118.

Mounted to the housing 11 and disposed within it is an inner shell 12 having surfaces facing inwardly which are of a reflective nature so as to reflect heat energy inward of the oven. This inner shell 12 has a domed upper portion 12A, side wall portion 128 and a cup-shaped bottom portion 12C.

Electrically energizable quartz tubes adapted to generate infrared heat energy are mounted within the inner shell 12, with tubes 14 being in the upper portion 12A and tubes 15 being in the lower portion 128. Suitable electrical connections, not shown, are provided for electrically energizing the tubes 14 and 15. A rack 13, of open mesh construction, is mounted within the shell 12 to support in the interior of the oven intermediate of upper tubes 14 and lower tubes 15 objects to be heated, such as sandwiches for example.

through the Hingedly mounted by means of hinge 18 to the front of the housing, along the upper edge of lower panel 118, is an outer door 17. The mounting is such that the door 17 may be swung upwardly to a vertical plane so as to cover the opening 11C, or alternatively swung downwardly to uncover the opening 11C. In FIGS. 3 and 5, the outer door 17 is shown in its vertical position covering or closing the opening 11C. In FIG. 6, the door 17 is shown in its horizontal position and in which the opening 11C is uncovered. This horizontal position of door 17 is indicated in broken lines in FIG. 3. A handle 19 is mounted to outer door 17 for facilitating the manual movement of the door 17.

Suitable switching mechanism, not shown, is provided in the oven for deenergizing the tubes 14 and 15 when the outer door 17 is swung downwardly to uncover the opening 11C. This is highly desirable to prevent direct heat energy from being directed out of opening 11C by the tubes 14 and 15 with consequent waste and unwanted dissipation of heat. Also, it adds to the safety in use of the oven should the operator inadvertently insert his hand into the oven.

Because of the intense heat that may be generated in such an oven, it is' highly desirable to protect the outer door 17 from the heat generated within the oven by tubes 14 and 15 when the outer door is up to cover the opening 11C. I provide for automatically protecting the outer door 17 from such heat by an inner door 20which concurrently moves to cover the opening 11C when the outer door 17 is moved up to closed or covering position. This inner door 20 has a reflective surface on the side facing the interior of the shell 12 and thus reflects from the outer door 17 the heat directed thereto from the interior of shell 12. The inner door 20 is in the form of a flat sheet of reflective metal and of a size to register with opening 11C and to be interposed between the outer door 17 and the interior of the shell. Preferably there is a small air space between the inner and outer doors when in their closed positions to minimize transfer of heat from the inner door 20 to outer door 17. In this manner, the outer door 17 is maintained at a relatively cool temperature and much lower than it would be in the absence of such an inner door 20. Without such protection from the heat as afforded by the inner door 20, the outer door 17 would tend to become excessively hot and there would be considerable danger of the hand of the operator of the oven becoming burned from touching the door 17 and handle 19.

To provide for the automatic actuation of the inner door 20 concurrently with the movement of the outer door 17, I provide a novel actuating mechanism. An arm member 24 is rigidly secured by rivets 25 to a side flange of outer door 17 so as to extend at an acute angle to the plane of outer door 17 as shown. When outer door 17 is in its upper closed position, this arm 24 extends downwardly and inwardly as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. A link member 27 is pivotally connected at one of its ends by a pivot pin 26 to the free end of arm 24. The other end of link member 27 is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 28 to a mounting bracket 29 firmly secured to inner door 20 as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6.

A vertical guiding groove 22 is provided for guiding vertical up and down movement of inner door 20 by means of a vertically mounted flange member secured to the side wall of housing 11. This groove assures movement of inner door 20 in a vertical plane. The side edge of inner door 20 fits in the groove 22 provided by flange member 21 and the side flange portion of panel portions 1 1A and 1 1B.

The action of the actuating mechanism is such that upon the outer door 17 being swung down in open position uncovering the opening 11C the inner door is automatically carried vertically upward to open position also uncovering the opening 11C. In this manner free access is provided to the interior of shell 12 unhindered by doors l7 and 20. However, upon swinging the outer door upwardly to cover the opening 11C the same actuating mechanism vertically moves the inner door downwardly to closed position covering the opening 11C, and thus concurrently with outer door 17 to register with opening 11C, and thereby protect outer door 17 from direct emanation of heat rays directed from within the shell 12.

In the modified form of FIGS. 7 and 8, an arm 31 also rigidly secured to outer door 17 is somewhat similar to arm 24 of the preferred from shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive. However, on the free end of arm 31 there is rotatively mounted a roller 32. A camming plate 33 is rigidly secured to inner door 20 along a side edge thereof, and preferably integrally formed with inner door 20. This carnming'plate is pivotally carried by a pivot pin 35 secured to the side wall of housing 11. A camming slot 34 is provided in camming plate 33 and the roller 32 is accommodated in the slot 34. The arrangement is such that roller 32 may rollingly move in slot 34 and cause the plate 33, carrying inner door 20, to pivotally swing about the pivot pin 35.

In this modified form of FIGS. 7 and 8, the inner door 20 is swung in an are about pin 35 by the camming action of roller 32 in slot 34 upon the arm 31 swinging with the movement of outer door 17. When the outer door 17 is swung up to closed position to cover the opening 11C, as shown in FIG. 7, the inner door 20 is automatically and concurrently moved to its closed position covering the opening 11C, also as shown in FIG. 7. When the outer door 17 is swung down as shown in FIG. 8, the inner door 20 is automatically and concurrently swung up,also as shown in FIG. 8. In this modified arrangement of FIGS. 7 and 8 it is necessary to assure sufficient head room or over-head space in shell 12 for accommodating the upwardly swung inner door 20.

In the still further modified form of the mechanism shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, there is a rigid arm 37 secured by rivets 25 to a side flange of outer door 17. This rigid arm 37 differs from arm 24 of the preferred form of mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive, in that it extends vertically downwardin the closed position of outer door 17 as shown in FIG. 9. A pivot pin 38 is carried on the free end of arm 37. A link member 39 has one end pivotally connected by pivot pin 39 to the free end of arm 37 and its other end pivotally connected by pivot pin 40 to a rigid arm 41 rigidly secured to, and extending at a right angle to the inner door 20 at a side edge thereof. The end of rigid arm 4l at a distance from inner door 20 is pivotally carried by a pivot pin 42 secured to a side wall of housing 1 1.

' The action of the modified mechanism shown in FIGS. 9

and is such that when the outer door 17 is swung up to cover the opening 11C, the inner door is automatically and concurrently swung down to also cover the opening 11C, as illustrated in FIG. 9. However, upon the outer door 17 being swung downwardly to uncover the opening 11C, the inner door is automatically and concurrently swung up in an are about the pivot pin 42 to uncover the opening 11C, as illustrated in FIG. 10.

As in the case of the form of arrangement shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, it is also necessary to assure sufficient head room or over-head space for the upwardly swinging inner door in the form illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10.

Although I have shown and described, in connection with all arrangements shown in all of the figures, but one actuating mechanism disposed on one side of opening 11C, it should be understood that preferably there should be a similar actuating mechanism on the other side of opening 11C. In other words, it is preferable for best operations that there be for each oven a pair of similar actuating mechanisms spaced apart and disposed on opposite sides of opening 1 1C and along both the vertical side edges of the inner and outer doors. For example, in the preferred form of FIGS. 1 to 6, inclusive, there would be a pair of like assemblies of

parts

24, 26, 27, 28 and 29, with a pair of spaced grooves 22, along the opposed vertical edges of opening 1 1C, outer door 17 and inner door 20.

My improved mechanism has provided for improved safety, greater economy in operation, and more efiiciency in the operation of such ovens. Y

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an oven having a housing, electric heating means, and aspace within the housing heatable by the heating means, said housing having an opening therein for providing access to within the housing for the insertion of objects to be heated within said open space and for removal of the objects therefrom, closure mechanism comprising the combination of an outer door hingedly carried by said housing at said opening providing for covering said opening at one position of the outer door and for uncovering said opening at a second position of the outer door upon pivotal swinging said outer door,

. an inner door positionable at a first location at said opening and inward of the housing from said outer door, said inner door being movable from said first location at said opening to a second position clearing said opening for access to said open space, said inner door upon being positioned at said opening and inwardly of said outer door being adapted to reflect inwardly of the housing heat directed toward said outer door from said heating means in the housing, guide means carried by the housing for guiding movement of said inner door between said first and second positions, and linkage means operatively connecting said outer door and said inner door to cause movement of said inner door between said first and second positions upon the pivotal swinging of said outer door between said positions of covering and uncovering said openmg.

2. The heating oven as claimed in claim 1 and in which said guide means are disposed to guide the said inner door in a generally vertical plane as it moves between said first and second positions.

3. The heating oven as claimed in claim 2 and in which said outer door is hingedly connected to the housing adjacent the bottom edge portion of the'outer door, pivotally swings upwardly toward a vertical plane in moving to position covering said opening, and pivotally swings toward a horizontal plane in moving to position uncovering said opening.

4. The heating oven as claimed in claim 3 and in which said linkage means includes a first arm rigidly connected to said outer door to swing in an are upon pivotal swinging of the outer door, and a second arm having one end hingedly connected to said inner door and a second end hingedly connected to the free end of the first arm swingable in an arc to translate swinging movement of the outer door to linear movement of said inner door.

5. In an oven having a housing, electric heating means, and a space within the housing heatable by the heating means, said housing having an opening therein for providing access to within the housing for the insertion of objects to be heated within said open space and for the removal of objects therefrom, closure mechanism comprising the combination of an outer door carried by the housing at said opening to cover and uncover said opening upon movement of said outer door between closed and open positions, an inner door carried by the housing at said opening inwardly of the housing from said outer door to cover and uncover said opening upon movement of said inner door between closed and open positions, said inner door being disposed inwardly of the outer door to reflect heat from said outer door directed toward the same from said open space in the housing upon both said inner and outer doors being concurrently in positions to cover said opening, and actuating means operatively interconnecting said inner and outer doors to cause said inner door to move to position covering said opening upon the outer door being moved to position covering said opening, and to cause said inner door to move to position uncoveringsaid opening upon the outer door being moved to position uncovering said opening.

6. The heating oven as claimed in claim 5 and in which said inner door linearly moves in a general vertical plane, and in which said outer door pivotally swings in an are between a general vertical plane and a general horizontal plane.

7. The heating oven as claimed in claim 5 and in which said inner door pivotally swings in an are about a pivot disposed inward of the housing at a distance from said outer door.

8. The heating oven as claimed in claim 5 and in which said actuating means includes linkage means operatively connecting the inner and outer doors, and in which said inner door moves upwardly to a position uncovering said opening simultaneously with the downward movement of an edge portion of the outer door to a position in which the outer door uncovers said opening.

9. In an oven having a housing, electric heating means, and a space within the housing heatable by the heating means, said housing having an opening therein for providing access to within the housing for the insertion of objects to be heated within said open space and for the removal of objects therefrom, closure mechanism comprising the combination of an outer door, a hinged connection connecting the lower edge portion of the outer door to said housing adjacent said opening, said outer door being adapted to be pivotally swung upwardly to cover said opening and to be pivotally swung downwardly and outwardly to uncover said opening, an inner door positioned inwardly of the housing adjacent said opening and movable to a position covering said opening and to a position uncovering said opening, said inner door having a surface adapted to face said open space and to reflect from said outer space heat directed toward said outer door from said space in the housing upon both the inner and outer doors being in posi tions, respectively, to cover said opening, and actuating means operatively connecting said inner and outer doors to cause said inner door to move to position covering said opening concurrently upon the movement of said outer door to position covering said opening whereby to reflect heat away from the outer door at the position covering said opening, and to cause said inner door to move to position uncovering said opening concurrently upon the movement of said outer door to position uncovering said opening whereby to clear said opening for access to said space within the housing.

10. The heating oven as claimed in claim 9 and in which said actuating means includes linkage means connecting the inner and outer doors and guide means for guiding the movement of said inner door.

11. The heating oven as claimed in claim 9 and in which said actuating means moves the inner door in a generally vertical plane.

12. The heating oven as claimed in claim 9 and in which said actuating means moves said inner door to swing in an arc about a pivot spaced inwardly of the housing from the hinged connection of the outer door with said housing.

13. Closure mechanism for an oven having a housing and an opening in the housing to provide access to the interior of the housing where heat is to be generated, said mechanism comprising in combination a movable outer door and a movable inner door carried by the housing, both said doors in their closed positions being adapted to register with said opening and to be disposed in alignment with each other, said doors in their respective closed positions being substantially parallel to each other and spaced from each other, the inner door having a surface facing the interior of the housing to reflect from the outer door heat generated in the housing when both doors are in their closed positions, each of said doors being movable from said opening to clear said opening actuating means operatively connecting said inner and outer doors to cause said inner door to be moved by, and concurrently with, movement of said outer door, the movement of the outer door away from said opening to clear the same also moving the inner door away from said opening to clear the same, and the movement of the outer door to closed position at said opening also moving the inner door to closed position at said opening.

14. Closure mechanism as claimed in claim 13 and including guide means carried by the housing for guiding movement of said inner door in a substantially vertical path, and hinge means carried by the housing hingedly connecting the outer door to the housing for permitting pivotal swinging of the outer door between substantially vertical and substantially horizontal planes.

15. Closure mechanism as claimed in claim 13 and in which said actuating means includes means interconnecting the inner and outer doors to cause said inner door to swing in an arc upwardly to clear the opening upon the outer door being moved to position to clear said opening.

Claims

1. In an oven having a housing, electric heating means, and a space within the housing heatable by the heating means, said housing having an opening therein for providing access to within the housing for the insertion of objects to be heated within said open space and for removal of the objects therefrom, closure mechanism comprising the combination of an outer door hingedly carried by said housing at said opening providing for covering said opening at one position of the outer door and for uncovering said opening at a second position of the outer door upon pivotal swinging said outer door, an inner door positionable at a first location at said opening and inward of the housing from said outer door, said inner door being movable from said first location at said opening to a second position clearing said opening for access to said open space, said inner door upon being positioned at said opening and inwardly of said outer door being adapted to reflect inwardly of the housing heat directed toward said outer door from said heating means in the housing, guide means carried by the housing for guiding movement of said inner door between said first and second positions, and linkage means operatively connecting said outer door and said inner door to cause movement of said inner door between said first and second positions upon the pivotal swinging of said outer door between said positions of covering and uncovering said opening.

3. The heating oven as claimed in claim 2 and in which said outer door is hingedly connected to the housing adjacent the bottom edge portion of the outer door, pivotally swings upwardly towArd a vertical plane in moving to position covering said opening, and pivotally swings toward a horizontal plane in moving to position uncovering said opening.

4. The heating oven as claimed in claim 3 and in which said linkage means includes a first arm rigidly connected to said outer door to swing in an arc upon pivotal swinging of the outer door, and a second arm having one end hingedly connected to said inner door and a second end hingedly connected to the free end of the first arm swingable in an arc to translate swinging movement of the outer door to linear movement of said inner door.

5. In an oven having a housing, electric heating means, and a space within the housing heatable by the heating means, said housing having an opening therein for providing access to within the housing for the insertion of objects to be heated within said open space and for the removal of objects therefrom, closure mechanism comprising the combination of an outer door carried by the housing at said opening to cover and uncover said opening upon movement of said outer door between closed and open positions, an inner door carried by the housing at said opening inwardly of the housing from said outer door to cover and uncover said opening upon movement of said inner door between closed and open positions, said inner door being disposed inwardly of the outer door to reflect heat from said outer door directed toward the same from said open space in the housing upon both said inner and outer doors being concurrently in positions to cover said opening, and actuating means operatively interconnecting said inner and outer doors to cause said inner door to move to position covering said opening upon the outer door being moved to position covering said opening, and to cause said inner door to move to position uncovering said opening upon the outer door being moved to position uncovering said opening.

6. The heating oven as claimed in claim 5 and in which said inner door linearly moves in a general vertical plane, and in which said outer door pivotally swings in an arc between a general vertical plane and a general horizontal plane.

7. The heating oven as claimed in claim 5 and in which said inner door pivotally swings in an arc about a pivot disposed inward of the housing at a distance from said outer door.

9. In an oven having a housing, electric heating means, and a space within the housing heatable by the heating means, said housing having an opening therein for providing access to within the housing for the insertion of objects to be heated within said open space and for the removal of objects therefrom, closure mechanism comprising the combination of an outer door, a hinged connection connecting the lower edge portion of the outer door to said housing adjacent said opening, said outer door being adapted to be pivotally swung upwardly to cover said opening and to be pivotally swung downwardly and outwardly to uncover said opening, an inner door positioned inwardly of the housing adjacent said opening and movable to a position covering said opening and to a position uncovering said opening, said inner door having a surface adapted to face said open space and to reflect from said outer space heat directed toward said outer door from said space in the housing upon both the inner and outer doors being in positions, respectively, to cover said opening, and actuating means operatively connecting said inner and outer doors to cause said inner door to move to position covering said opening concurrently upon the movement of said outer door to position covering said opening whereby to reflect heat away from the outer door at the poSition covering said opening, and to cause said inner door to move to position uncovering said opening concurrently upon the movement of said outer door to position uncovering said opening whereby to clear said opening for access to said space within the housing.