Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2 1 8~498
CERAN 8MOOTH BOTTOM RANGE
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1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
3The present invention generally relates to an oven,
4 and more specifically, to an oven having a cooking cavity
with a smooth bottom.
6 DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
7 Standard porcelain enamel cooktop surfaces of
8 domestic ranges with separate electrical heating elements
9 or gas burners have, in some appliances, been replaced
with smooth top cooking surfaces in order to improve the
11 cleanability of the cooktops. The smooth top cooking
12 surfaces typically include an opaque glass-ceramic plate
13 which directly supports cooking utensils and is heated by
14 electricity or gas to conduct heat to the cooking
utensils. The smooth top cooking surfaces are of an
16 almost ground glass finish or texture which presents a
17 pleasing appearance and is also readily cleanable. The
18 smooth top cooking surfaces also provide a continuous
19 surface which prevents drainage of spill overs underneath
the cooktop.
21 Ovens of domestic ranges, however, are relatively
22 difficult to clean. The ovens typically have a cooking
23 cavity supplied with two electric heating elements or
24 burners, a baking element is positioned adjacent a bottom
wall of the cavity and a broiling element is positioned
26 adjacent a top wall of the cavity. The baking element is
27 typically positioned about two inches above the bottom of
28 the cooking cavity. Spill overs within the oven,
29 ~therefore, are difficult to clean because the baking
element impedes the cleaning of the bottom wall.
31 Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an oven
32 having improved cleanability.
33 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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1 The present invention provides an oven which
2 overcomes at least some of the problems of the related
3 art. The oven includes an oven liner partially defining
4 a cooking cavity and a glass-ceramic panel at least
partially forming a bottom wall of the cooking cavity.
6 The bottom wall of the cooking cavity has a recessed seat
7 for the glass-ceramic panel such that a top surface of
8 the bottom wall of the cooking cavity is generally
g smooth. The oven also includes a chamber within said
oven liner and contiguous with the cooking cavity. The
11 glass-ceramic panel at least partially defines a top wall
12 of the chamber. A heating element is provided within the
13 chamber for heating the cooking cavity. Preferably, a
14 periphery of the glass-ceramic panel is sealed with a
high temperature sealant to prevent leakage of spills
16 from the cooking cavity to the chamber. The oven,
17 therefore, has a cooking cavity with a generally smooth
18 and conti~uous bottom surface which improves
19 cleanability, has an uncluttered appearance of a clean
efficient oven cavity, and increases the effective
21 capacity of the oven without increasing the size of the
22 oven cavity.
23 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
24 These and further features of the present invention
will be apparent with reference to the following
26 description and drawings, wherein:
i7 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oven having a
2~ cooking cavity with a smooth bottom according to the
29 present invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view, in cross-section, of
31 the oven liner of the oven of FIG. 1;
32 FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmented perspective view of
33 the bottom of the oven liner of FIG. 1;
34 FIG. 4 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 3 in the area
of an interface between a glass-ceramic bottom panel and
36 the oven liner;
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2 1 834~
1 FIG. 5 is an elevational view, in cross-section, of
2 the oven liner according to a second embodiment of the
3 invention; and
4 FIG. 6 is a fragmented perspective view of the
bottom of the oven liner of FIG. 5.
6 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
7 Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a free standing
8 electric range 10 according to the invention. While a
,9 free standing electric range 10 is described herein in
detail, it is understood that the present invention can
11 be applied to other oven appliances such as, for example,
12 portable counter top ovens, wall ovens, or built-in
13 ovens. The range 10 includes an outer housing or cabinet
14 12 which has a top cooking surface or cooktop 14 and an
oven 16. The cooktop 14 is located on a top panel of the
16 cabinet 12 and includes a plurality of smooth top cooking
17 elements or surface heating elements 18.
18 The oven 16 is positioned within the cabinet 12 and
19 includes a cooking cavity 20 formed by an Gven liner 22
and a glass-ceramic bottom panel 24. The cooking cavity
21 20 is closed and opened by a door 26 pivoting about a
22 lower edge as is conventional. The oven 16 includes two
23 heating elements, a baking element 28 (FIGS. 2, 3)
24 positioned adjacent the bottom of the oven liner 22 and a
broiling element (not shown) positioned adjacent the top
26 of the oven liner 22. It is noted that while the
i7 illustrated embodiment has electric resistance heating
i8 elements, other types of heating elements such as, for
29 example, gas heating elements or quartz halogen heaters
could be utilized within the scope of the present
31 invention. Sides of the oven liner 22 are contoured to
32 form a plurality of pairs of guides or channels 30 into
33 which food support racks (not shown) are slidably engaged
-34 and supported. A control panel 32, located at the rear
~35 of the top panel of the cabinet 12, includes user
36 actuated controls such as control knobs 34 for selecting~
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1 various operating modes for the baking element 28, the
2 broiling element, and the surface elements 18.
3 As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the oven liner 22
4 has a pair of vertical side walls 36, 38, a vertical back
wall 40, a horizontal top wall 42, and a bottom wall 44.
6 The oven liner 22 is typically formed from a relatively
7 thin sheet metal such as, for example, about .036 inch
8 thick sheet steel. As best shown in FIG. 3, the bottom
9 wall 44 has a rectangular bowl-shaped depression 46
formed therein that defines a generally horizontal bottom
11 48 and lateral walls 50 of a chamber 52. The glass-
12 ceramic bottom panel 24 is secured over the depression 46
13 to close or seal the chamber 52 in which the baking
14 element 28 is located. The baking element 28, therefore,
is located within the oven liner 22 but outside the
16 cooking cavity 20 below the glass-ceramic bottom panel 24
17 which forms a portion of the bottom surface of the
18 cooking-cavity 20.
19 Naturally, the scope of the present invention is not
limited to the specific shape, number, or size of the
21 depression and glass-ceramic panel described herein.
22 Rather it is evident that any shape, size, or number of
23 depressions containing heating elements and closed by
24 glass-ceramic panels may be employed.
As best shown in FIG. 4, the bottom wall 44 also has
26 a generally horizontal flange or seat 54 formed around
27 the periphery of the lateral wall 50 of the depression
28 46. The seat 54 is recessed, or located below a
29 generally horizontal portion 56 of the bottom wall 44
surrounding the depression 46. A generally vertical
31 lateral wall 58 connects the seat 54 with the horizontal
32 portion 56 of the bottom wall 44 such that the seat 54 is
33 recessed a distance generally equal to the thickness of
34 the glass-ceramic panel 24. Constructed in this manner,
the top surface of the glass-ceramic panel 24 is at the
36 same level or height as the top surface of the horizontal
37 portion 56 of the bottom wall 44 to provide a generally
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1 smooth continuous bottom surface for the cooking cavity
2 20. The glass-ceramic panel 24 is sealed to the bottom
3 wall 44 with a high temperature sealant 60 such as, for
4 example, a silicone sealant. The glass-ceramic bottom
panel 24 is sealed to the bottom panel 44 to prevent
6 spill overs from leaking into the chamber 52 containing
7 the baking element 28.
8 The glass-ceramic bottom panel 24 is formed from a
9 heat resistant, high dielectric, glass-ceramic or
crystalline glass material. Such material is widely
11 known and sold under such trademarks as CERAM, PYROCERAM,
12 CER-VIT, and HERCUVIT. This glass-ceramic material has
13 high mechanical strength, a low thermal expansion
14 coefficient, good abrasion resistance and thermal shock
resistance, and a flat smooth upper surface of almost
16 polished glass finish or texture that presents a pleasing
17 appearance and is also readably cleanable.
18 FIGS: 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment of the
19 invention.wherein like reference numerals are used for
like structure. The second embodiment is similar to the
21 first embodiment, as described above, except that a tray
22 62 is received in a bottom portion of the oven liner 22.
23 The tray 62 illustrates that means other than the bottom
24 wall 44 of the oven liner 22 can form the smooth bottom
surfaçe of the cooking cavity 20 with the glass-ceramic
26 panel 24.
27 The tray 62 forms the bowl-shaped depression 46 that
28 defines the bottom and lateral walls 48, 50 of the
29 chamber 52. The tray 62 is supported by the bottom wall
64 of the oven liner 22 which is generally horizontal and
31 is engaged by the bottom wall 48 of the depression 46.
32 As discussed above for the first embodiment, the glass-
33 ceramic bottom panel 24 is secured over the depression 46
34 to close and seal the chamber 52 in which the baking
element 28 is located. The baking element 28, therefore,
36 is located within the tray 62 in the oven liner 22 but
37 outside the cooking cavity 20 and below the glass-ceramic
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1 bottom panel 24 which forms a portion of the bottom
2 surface of the cooking cavity 20.
3 The tray 62 also forms the seat 54 for the glass-
4 ceramic panel 24 around the periphery of the lateral wall
50 of the depression 46. The seat 54 is recessed, as
6 described above for the first embodiment, such that the
7 top surface of the glass-ceramic panel 24 is at the same
8 level or height as the top surface of the horizontal
g portion 66 of the tray 62 to provide a generally smooth
continuous bottom surface for the cooking cavity 20.
11 The tray 62 also includes a generally vertical
12 flange 68 along the outer edge of the sides and the back
13 of the horizontal portion 66 of the tray 62 to engage the
14 side and back walls 36, 38, 40 of the oven liner 22. The
flange 68 of the illu'strated embodiment is upwardly
16 directed from the horizontal portion 66 of the tray 62.
17 The flange 68 engages the walls 36, 38, 40 of the oven
18 liner 22. to ensure that the tray 62 closes off or seals a
19 bottom portion 70 of the oven liner 22 to prevent spill
overs from leaking below the tray 62 to the bottom wall
21 64 of the oven liner 22. Preferably, the bottom portion
22 70 of the oven liner 22 adjacent the tray 62 is enlarged
23 as shown in FIGS 5 and 6 to further seal or close off the
24 bottom of the oven liner 22 and.to limit upward movement
of the tray 62 within the oven liner 22.
26 Although particular embodiments of the invention
27 havé been described in detail, it will be understood that
28 the invention is not limited correspondingly in scope,
29 but includes all changes and modifications coming within
30~ the spirit and terms of the claims appended hereto.
