Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
9D-RG-13240-
1133071
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an assembly for combin-
ing an auxiliary cooking appliance, such as a microwave oven, with a
vent hood used in association with a cooking range of the traditional
type.
One such assembly known in the prior art is the so-called
Hi-Low range manufactured by the General Electric Company which is a
unitary structure having a traditional electric range mounted in a
; lower portion and a microwave oven mounted in an upper portion. A vent
hood assembly for the traditional electric range is formed above the
microwave oven with an inlet port located above the front of the micro-
wave oven. As a result, gases and vapors generated while cooking on
the traditional range rise and are drawn upward across the front face
of the microwave oven and into the range vent inlet port. Should the
microwave oven be operated while such cooking gases and vapors are
rising from the electric range across the front face of the former, a
portion of these mois-ture and grease laden gases and vapors may be
drawn into the microwave oven ventilating system, the inlet port to
which is typically located in the bottom of the microwave housing. In
such an event, the electronic components of the microwave oven can
become contaminated with grease, vapors and other gaseous cooking pro-
ducts generated by the electric range below.
In addition, while combination products of the above
general type have been known in the art, they have generally been
larger than desirable. Specifically, prior art combination oven and
exhaust vent structures have projected outwardly from the mounting
wall to an extent which substantially obstructs an average user's view
of the range or cooking appliance located therebelow. This is more
particularly true where the range has its controls located in the rear
thereof.
Our invention substantially overcomes these and other prior
art difficulties.
9D-RG- 1 324~)
~33~
: SUMMARY OF T~E INVENTION
It is an object of our invention to provide a combination
cooking appliance and range vent hood which utilizes a portion of the
surfaces of the cooking appliance housing to partially define a
channelized air space through which gases and vapors generated by a
traditional cooking range therebelow can be vented.
It is another object of our invention to provide a combination
microwave oven and traditional cooking range vent hood which permits
mounting of the assembly above a traditional cooking range so as to
provide maximum visibility of the range controls located on the
lo traditional range below the combination.
Briefly, in accordance with the objects of our invention, we
provide an assembly for combining an appliance with a range vent hood
which includes means for forming a housing for the appliance, means
tor supporting the housing and means for spacing at least a portion
of the housing from the supporting means to provide an air space
therebetween. A means for channelizing the air space between an inlet
and an outlet end, and a means for venting gases and vapors which
enter the inlet end from the outlet end is also provided.
The assembly also provides another air conduit system
independent of the one noted above which moves air from outside the
assembly through the electronic component compartment and the oven
cavity and back outside of the assembly. Each of the circulation
systems includes its own power driven fan to move air.
Additional objects, features and advantages of our invention
will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following
detailed description and attached drawings upon which, by way of
example, only a preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated.
1~330~ 9D RG 13240
FIG. 1 shows an illustrative exploded perspective
view of the oven/vent assembly of the invention, with some
air ducts omitted for clarity from the module 9;
FIG. 2 shows an illustrative exploded perspective
view of the oven operating module of the assembly showning
the air duct appendages displaced from the main frame and
the air flow opening utilized in the air circulating system;
FIG. 3 is an illustrative perspective view of the
module of FIG. 2 mounted in a support assembly highlighting
the air circulation paths through the mounted appliance;
FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of the assembly of
FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional elevational view
` of the assembly of FIG. 3 as generally viewed along lines
5-5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 shows a fragmented side elevational view
of the assembly as generally viewed along lines 6-6 of FIG.
4, with selected parts included to illustrate certain
features of the air ventilating system.
Referring to the drawings, the microwave oven
appliance of the invention is seen to generally comprise a
support assembly 11 including a main support 23, a top cover
36, and a bottom closure 32 which are coupled together to
form an enclosure which supports a microwave oven operating
module assembly 9. The overall assembly and the installation
method therefor is described in detail in Canadian application
S.N. 3 3 ~ f ~ , filed /~ ~ ~5~ ~ J~77 , in the
names of James A. White and Frank L. Rice, entitled COMBINA-
TION MICROWAVE OVEN AND EXHAUST VENT AND INSTALLATION MOUNT-
ING METHOD THEREFORE. The description of the various compon-
ents of the appliance will be given herein only to the
extent necessary to understand the air circulation
-- 3
~1~307~L 9D-RG 13240
arrangements incorporated therein.
The microwave oven assembly or module 9 includes a
cooking chamber 10 and an adjacently disposed oven control compart-
ment 12 which houses an electronics package for operating the oven, both .'
being located within a housing or main frame 14 and separated one
from the other by a partition wall 16 of FIG. 2. Access to the cooking
chamber 10 is had through a door 18 mounted on a door frame 20, the latter
being joined along its top and bottom edges to forward end portions
of the upper and lower surfaces of the main frame 14. m e door 18 is
hingedly supported at the left side thereof and is operable by means of
a handle 19. A cover piece 3 closes the front facing opening to the
compartment 12.
The main frame 14 of the module 9 is generally composed of
sheet metal in accordance with the Canadian application S.N. 333,191,
filed August 3, 1979, in the name of James A. White, entitled
UNITIZED OVEN STRUCTURE FOR A MICROWAVE OVEN. m at application may
be referred to for details of construction for the sheet metal body
of the module 9, which forms no part of this invention and the
details of which are being omitted for the sake of brevity. Briefly,
however, the sheet metal body or frame 14 includes a top wall 5,
sidewalls 4, a rear wall 6 and a bottom wall 7. The top wall 5 has a
pair of elongated rails 28a, b which have a generally inverted L-shaped
cross-section formed along the sides of the top wall and extending
substantially the entire depth of the module.
The frame 14 has appendages to the top wall 5 including a
waveguide 82 and a mode stirrer housing 84. The waveguide conducts
microwave energy generated by a magnetron (not shown) located in the
compartment 12 into the mode stirrer housing 84 from whence it is
directed downwardly into the microwave oven cavity 10 in a manner well
known in the art.
The cooking chamber 10 is closed except for the door opening
and two permeable or perforated areas, the first area 88 being in
11;3307.1 9D-RG-13240
the right sidewall, through the partition 16, and the second area 90
being located in the top wall at the left of the assembly. A combina-
tion lamp housing and air guide member 92 covers the perforated area
90 and operates to guide air from the oven chamber to the exterior of
the assembly as will be explained hereinafter. An air directing duct
80, FIG. 2, is attached to the top wall of the module 9 over the wave-
guide 82 and mode stirrer housing 84 which also aids in directing air
through the assembly which exits the electronics compartment through
an opening 76, FIG. 2, in the top wall thereof. An air duct 68 is also
supported in the chamber 12 for funnelling air along its various paths
as will be explained hereinafter in greater detail.
The main support member 23 provides essentially the entire
support for the arrangement, and for this purpose is constructed of a re-
latively heavy gauge sheet metal. The main support member 23 includes a
back wall 24, adapted to fit substantially flush against a conventional
w~ll board 16, and a pair of appliance supporting integral sidewalls 26a
and 26b. The back wall 24 has an opening to provide a vent path out of
the assembly along the back thereof, the opening being either blocked by
a suitable covering piece or brought into air communication with a range
exhaust flue or conduit for venting to the exterior as explained herein-
after.
The back wall 24 contains on its interior surface a pair of
raised walls or ribs 44a and 44b for enhancing the strength and rigidity
thereof. The ribs also perform the function of directing exhaust air
through the structure.
Multiple rows of holes 41 extend across the back wall 24
through selected ones of which at least one lag screw 25 or other suit-
able threaded fasteners can be inserted to securely mount the assembly
to the wall board 16 and to at least one wall support member or stud 29.
A pair of holes 27 located in the upper right and left hand corners
of the back wall 24 permits the main support member 23 to be further
9D-RG - 13240
307'1
secured to the wall board 16 with suitable fasteners such as a pair of
toggle bolts 27a.
In order to provide support for the oven module 9 when inserted
into the support assembly, the sidewalls 26a and 26b have formed thereon a
pair of rails lSa and lSb. The rails are formed by punching out and bending
inwardly an elongated piece of sheet metal, the openings S9 resulting from
this process. The rails lSa and lSb extend front to rear across
substantially the entire depth of the sidewalls 26a and 26b.
The sidewalls 26a and 26b on the support member 23 are provided
with inwardly directed flanges 37 on the top edges thereof, the latter flanges
having a plurality of slots 39 formed therein adjacent the four corners of
the member 23. These openings are used in combination with similar holes 33
in the cover 36 to couple the support assembly to an overhanging cabinet, if
needed.
The cover 36 is a generally inverted U-shaped member formed from a
relatively light gauge of sheet metal comprising sidewalls or arms 34 which
extend downwardly at right angles away from a top wall or central portion 35.
The wall 35, as alluded to in the previous paragraph, is provided with a set
of openings 33 which are aligned with the set of slots 39 in the member 23 so
that suitable fasteners, such as screws, may be inserted therethrough to attach
the assembly including the cover 36 and support member 23, to an overhead
cabinet. The cover is positioned over the member 23 so that the arms 34 thereof
straddle the sidewalls 26a and 26b on the outside thereof. Algined holes (not
shown) are provided in the cover and member 23 through which screws may
be inserted to hold these pieces together. The exterior or outside faces
of the cover 36 are finished in a conventional manner to provide an acceptable
pleasing outward appearance for the arrangement.
The main support member 23 also has suitable formations for
supporting a power driven, exhaust air moving assembly 43 (FIG. 1) in-
cluding a fan or blower wheel 42 located centrally of the member 23 and
in air communication with the closure plate 32. The assembly 43 is
attachable to the support member 23 prior to insertion of the module 9.
-
9D-RG-13240
1~3307~
A panel or closure plate 32 serves to close off the bottom
- wall of the support assembly. The plate 32 includes tabs 55 along the
rear edge thereof which interfit with slots 57 along the lower edge of
the back wall 24, FIG. 5. The front edge of the cover plate 52 has an
inwardly turned lip 47 which resiliently cooperates with a mating formation
on the lower front edge of the module 9 to hold the front of the
plate 32 in place. The plate 32 is provided with appropriate rectangular
vent openings 30 having air intake filters 31 positioned therein. The
base plate 32 may also be provided with a translucent panel 49 overlying
additional openings 50 and above which light-emitting means may be
positioned to illuminate the range heating surface located below the
oven.
The oven is assembled by joining the cover 36 and plate 32
to the support member 23 which results in a support assembly or enclosure
closed on the top, rear, sides and bottom, but open at the front.
The module 9 is then slid rearwardly into the enclosure along rails
15a and 15b until the rear wall 6 of the module 9 abuts the ribs 44a
and 44b.
It should be noted that when the module 9 is positioned
within the support assembly thus formed, a space is created between
the top wall 35 of the cover 36 and the top wall 5 of the oven module
9. It is in this space that the lamp mounting and air directing duct
92 and duct 80 are positioned. This space is closed at the front of
the assembly by an air permeable grille 75.
Daving explained in general the basic elements of the
microwave oven and exhaust vent assembly of this invention, a detailed
description will now be given of the novel air circulating arrangements
incorporated thereinto which are the specific subject of this application.
The back wall 24 of the main support member 23 extends below
the bottom wall 7 of the microwave oven module 9 such that a substan-
tial air plenum or space 38 is formed between the plate 32 and the
-- 7 --
1~33071 9D-RG-13240-
bottom surface of the oven main frame 14. This gap or plenum chamber
38 extends horizontally along the longitudinal dimension of the assem-
bly between the sidewalls 26a, b. The sidewalls 34 of the cover 36
overlying the sidewalls 26a, b may also be employed or cooperate to
enclose the ends of the gap 38. It will be noted that the plate 32
~- extends horizontally forward from its connection with the back wall
24 to a crease or bend line 40 to provide an enlarged space along a
rear portion thereof in which is located a cylindrically-shaped tan-
gential fan or blower wheel 42. The blower wheel 42 has its longitudinal
axis extending parallel to the plane occupied by the back wall 24 and
bottom wall 7 of the module 12. The blower wheel 42 is, in turn,
carried within an air channeling piece 45, FIG. 5, of generally J-shaped
cross-section connected to and supported by the back wall 24. Such a
tangential fan operates to draw air into the bladed rotating cylinder
thereof in one direction and to direct the same air away from the
; cy inder in a direction approximately 90 degrees displaced from the
direction of flow of the entering air. In addition, by positioning
the bulky impeller of the blower in the enlarged rear portion of the
plenum 38, the plate 32 is permitted to slope upwardly toward the
20 ~ front and intersect the module ~ near the lower edge of the access
door 20. This latter feature permits greater visibility of the space
underneath the assembly when it is mounted in an elevated position.
Thus, by locating the wheel 42 in the preferred lower rear corner
position as shown in FIGS. 3-5, an intake air stream 48 is created
; which takes a right angle turn in direction in passage through the
blower wheel 42. A greater efficiency thus results from locating
the blower wheel 42 at the 90 degree bend in the path of the air stream
48 than would result if the blower wheel 42 were located elsewhere.
9D-RG-13240-
11~3071
The pair of raised ribs or spacers 44a and 44b carried by
the back wall 24 separate the back ~all 24 from the rear surface 6 of
, the oven module ~. A vertically extending air duct or conduit 46 is
thus formed, the sides of which are defined by the opposing diagonally
extending ribs 44a, b, and the front and back of which are defined by
the rear wall 6 of the oven module ~ and the back wa11 24, respectively.
The vertically extending air conduit 46 communicates along a lower por-
tion thereof with the plenum 38 in the region at the lower rear of the
assembly in which the blower wheel 4~ is disposed. Accordingly, the
adjoining plenum 38 and conduit 46 jointly form a continuous air conducting
conduit along which exhaust fumes, gases and vapors, as generally designated
; in FIGS. 3 and 5 by means of arrows 48, can pass through the assembly.
Such gases 48 enter through filters 31, being drawn into and through the
plenum 38 with the aid of the rotating blower wheel 42 which redirects
such gases upwardly through the conduit 46 and opening 71 in the cover
36 and out the top of the assembly through a vent port 52. By reason
of the air flow path 48 formed in the assembly of our invention, the
assembly is adapted for use not only as a microwave oven but also as a
vent hood for a conventional cooking range. Accordingly, the assembly
may be mounted to a wall or to the floor of an elevated wall cabinet
such that the plate 32 is spaced a suitable distance above the cooking
elements on the surface of a conventional kitchen range. In this
manner, the space traditionally occupied by a conventional range vent
hood can be more efficiently utilized. The oven assembly of our inven-
tion thus may be substituted in place of the usual vent hood such that
the vent hood function is retained. At the same time, the oven assembly
is conveniently located above and near the conventional cooking range
without the loss of valuable cabinet or counter space. The vent port
52 can, of course, be connected in any suitable manner to a conventional
wall mounted vent or flue structure as found in a large number of resi-
dential kitchens.
9D-RG-13240-
~13307~
The vent port 52 is preferably formed on L-shaped plate 53
which removably overlies an upper rear corner portion of the cover 36.
The opening 71 underlies and registers with the opening in the vent
port 52. The vent port 52 may then be connected to an overhead flue
in the usual manner to permit the exhaust of gas fumes from the surface
; of a traditional cooking range upwardly into and along the spaces 38and 46, thence through the port 52 and out the top of the assembly as
shown in FIG. 5. In the alternative, the plate 53 may be installed
over the top rear corner portion of the cover 36 so that the port 52
projects rearwardly behind an upper portion of the back wall 24 and
the opening therein aligns with the opening 73 in the rear wall 24,
FIG. 5. The latter arrangement will permit the exhaust gases 48 flow-
ing in the space 46 to exit the assembly through the opening 73 in the
upper portion of the back wall 24, as indicated by an arrow 48a in
FIG. 5.
Thus having explained the nature and use of the assembly of
our invention as a vent hood for a conventional cooking range located
beneath the plate 32, reference is now made to the air ventilating
features of the assembly relating to the microwave oven chamber 10 and
oven electrical control compartment 12 with particular reference to
FIGS. 3-6. A stream 54 of ventilating air for the microwave oven
operating system of the assembly enters the latter through a grilled
air inlet port 56, FIG. 3, located at the top righthand side of the
front of the assembly over the control compartment front panel 3.
Thereafter, the stream 54 is drawn horizontally and rearwardly across
the upper right surface of the oven main frame 14 directly above the
compartment 12. The top surface 35 of the cover 36 and the upper surface
of the main frame 14 jointly define an enclosed channel for the stream
54 in this region of the assembly. The air stream 54 is drawn over the
upper rear corner of the oven main frame 14 and thence downwardly along
-10-
9D-RG-13240-
1133071
an air conduit 58 provided between the back of the frame 14 and the
back wall 24 of the support assembly 22 to the right of the diagonally
extending portion of the rib 44a as viewed in FIG. 3. As the stream
54 flows downwardly through the conduit 58, it is drawn through a series
of louvers 60 formed in the back of the oven main frame 14 and into the
interior of the control compartment 12. Upon entering the control
compartment 12, the stream 54, which has previously been relatively
laminar in character, flows through and around various electronic
and power supply components, such as a transformer 62, to become
disrupted into a turbulent air flow pattern as indicated in FIG. 3 by
; a looping air flow pattern. This turbulent flow serves to cool the
electronic components in the compartment 12 generally.
After cooling various electronic and power supply components,
the stream 54 is drawn into the low pressure input side at the base
of an air moving means or blower 64 wherein it is compressed into a
relatively high pressure volume of air and emitted from a high pressure
output side 65 directly into an opening 66 of a plastic air directing
duct 68 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The duct 68 contains a housing 70 in which
; a conventional microwave signal generating magnetron, not shown, is
disposed. Attached to the magnetron is a series of vertically stacked
cooling fins or heat exchanger plates 72, FIG. 3, between and across
which the high pressure air stream 54 emitted from the blower 64 is
directed.
Since the blower 64 may generate a considerably greater
volume of high pressure air than can be passed through the relatively
closely spaced plates 72, an air stream 54a is vented which bypasses
the plates 72 on one side thereof. This by-pass air stream 54a flows
upwardly along a ramp 76 formed in the duct 68 and through a rectangular
opening 78 in the upper surface of the oven main frame 14. Thereafter,
the by-pass air stream 54a flows through an exhaust duct 80, FIG. 2,
attached to the top of the microwave waveguide 82 and a mode stirrer
housing 84 located on the upper surface 5 of the module 9 and is ex-
~L13307~L 9D-RG-13240-
hausted out of the assembly through an air outlet port 86 and grille
75 above the oven door 18.
Now as to the main air stream 54 which does pass between
and through the heat exchanger plates 72, the same îs directed against
a perforated portion 88 of the partition 16. Here again, the volume
of air in the stream 54 which passes through the plates 72 may be
greater than that required to ventilate the oven chamber 10. In such
A pe ~or c~/ or-s
a case, the gauge and density of the pcrformations in the wall portion
88 should be selected to allow only the desired volume of ventilating
lo air to flow through the partition 16 into the cooking chamber 10. Any
excess volume of output air from the plates 72 not required to ventilate
the chamber 10 will strike the portion 88 of partition 16 within the
confines of the plastic chamber 68 and will ~e diverted sidewardly up
the ramp 76 to join the by-pass air stream 54a to ultimately exit the
assembly through the port 86. The volume of the air stream 54b which
passes through the perforated wall portion 88 thereafter circulates
through the chamber 10 to combine with cooking gases, after.which the
air stream 54b and various cooking gases exit through a perforated
section 90 formed in the upper surface of the main frame 14 and flows
forwardly along a guide member 92. Ultimately, the air stream 54b exits
the front of the assembly through a grilled exhaust port 94 located above
the door 18 on the opposite side of the assembly from which the air
stream 54 originally entered.
It will be noted that the microwave ventilating air stream
54 is completely separate and distinct from the range vent air stream
48 from entry to exit of the assembly. Thus, the assembly is readily
adapted for use of the microwave oven air flow system or the range Yent
system separately and independently of one another, as well as con-
currently. This is a particularly advantageous feature of our invention
where the microwave air stream 54 is not sufficiently strong to operate
a flue damper mechanism of the type found in the kitchens of some homes.
- -12-
113~ 9D-RG-13240
A1though the subjert invention has been described with
respect to specific details of certain preferred embodiments thereof,
it is not intended that such details limit the scope of our invention
otherwise than as set forth in the following claims.
.
;
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