OVEN RACK ASSEMBLIES WITH RELEASE MECHANISMS AND CATCHES

• US 20100218755A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SSW Advanced Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: SSW Holding Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Yochum, Jason Robert, Stewart, Brian J., Ambrose, Jeffrey Alan I
• Granted Patent: US 9,587,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 55/02 made of wire
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/507 Arrangements for extracting racks, e.g. roller supports
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/16 Shelves, racks or trays inside ovens; Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/168 with telescopic rail systems

Abstract

An oven rack assembly (1000) includes an oven rack (1008) and a slide system (1018). The slide system (1018) includes slide devices (1020) positioned at opposing sides of the oven rack (1008). A subframe (1040) is positioned below the slide devices (1020). Retention/release devices (1062) are mounted on the slide devices (1020) and are manually operable by a user so as to selectively retain the subframe (1040) in a stationary position or, alternatively, release the subframe (1040) so that the subframe (1040) can be removed from the oven (128′).

Claims

1. An oven rack assembly adapted for use within an oven cavity having oven cavity side liners, said oven rack assembly comprising:

an oven rack comprising means for supporting items to be cooked or otherwise heated within said oven cavity, said oven rack being manually extendable between a retracted position within said oven cavity, and an extended position where said oven rack has moved forwardly relative to said oven cavity;

a slide system coupled to said oven rack for providing the capability of said oven rack to move between said retracted position and said extended position;

a subframe coupled to said slide system and normally positioned in a first location within said oven cavity;

retention/release means manually operable by a user for retaining said subframe in said first location; and

said retention/release means are mounted to said slide system and comprise interaction means for maintaining retention of said subframe in said first location through interaction with said oven liner sides.

2. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said assembly further comprises lever means connected to said retention/release means and manually operable by a user for releasing said interaction means from interaction with said oven liner sides, thereby permitting said subframe to be moved from said first location.

3. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that said subframe is maintained substantially stationary when said oven rack moved from a retracted position to an extended position.

4. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that:

said slide system comprises a pair of opposing slide devices, each of said slide devices being mounted to an opposing side of said oven rack; and

said retention/release means comprise at least one pair of retention/release devices, with one of said pair being mounted on one of said slide devices, while the other of said pair is mounted to the other of said slide devices.

5. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that each of said retention/release devices comprises tab means which are pivotable between a retaining position and a release position, so that when said tab means are in said retaining position, said subframe is maintained in a stationary state within said oven cavity.

6. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that said lever means comprises a pair of lever brackets, each of said lever brackets being coupled to a corresponding one of said retention/release devices, and said lever brackets are manually operable by a user so as to move said tab means between said retention position and said release position.

7. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that each of said retention/release devices further comprises a retention spring coupled to said tab means, and configured and positioned so that when a user releases external forces exerted on said lever brackets, said tab means move to said retaining position.

8. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that said assembly is structured so that when said tab means are in said retaining position, said tab means will remain in said retaining position, absent any forces externally applied to said lever means.

9. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that said assembly is structured so that when said tab means are in said release position, said tab means will remain in said release position absent any forces externally applied to said lever means.

10. An oven rack assembly adapted for use within an oven cavity having oven cavity side liners, said oven rack assembly comprising:

an oven rack extendable between a retracted position within said oven cavity, and an extended position where said oven rack has moved forwardly relative to said oven cavity;

a slide system comprising a pair of opposing slide devices coupled to said oven rack for providing the capability of said oven rack to move between said retracted position and said extended position; and

retention/release means mounted to said slide devices and comprising means manually operable by a user for selectively maintaining said slide devices in a stationary position within said oven cavity, and for selectively releasing said slide devices so that the entirety of said slide devices and said oven rack can be completely removed from said oven cavity.

11. An oven rack assembly adapted for use within an oven cavity having oven liner sides and an oven liner rear surface, said oven rack assembly comprising:

an oven rack comprising means for supporting items to be cooked or otherwise heated within said oven cavity, said oven rack being manually extendable between a retracted position and an extended position;

a slide system coupled to said oven rack for moving said oven rack between said retracted position and said extended position;

a subframe forming a part of said oven rack assembly and supporting said oven rack and said slide system, so as to facilitate sliding movement of said oven rack and said slide system;

said subframe comprises a pair of catch portions formed at the rear and adjacent sides of the subframe; and

said oven rack assembly further comprises catch support means mounted within said oven cavity and comprising a series of catches for releasably capturing said catch portions of said subframe, so that said subframe is substantially prevented from tipping forwardly as a result of the weight of said subframe and/or cantilever forces exerted on said subframe by said oven rack and said slide system, and so that said subframe is substantially held in place so as to facilitate sliding movement of said oven rack and said slide system.

12. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that said catch portions comprise a pair of laterally extending wire sections.

13. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that said catch support means comprise a pair of vertically oriented ladder catches.

14. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that said pair of ladder catches are fixedly attached to a rear surface and/or side surfaces of said oven cavity.

15. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 14, characterized in that each of said ladder catches is vertically disposed and includes a series of spaced apart ladder catch openings, each of said ladder catch openings opening toward the front of said oven rack assembly.

16. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that said oven rack assembly further comprises a series of ladder catch slots located at the rear of each of said ladder catch openings, with each of said ladder catch slots opening downwardly toward a corresponding one of said ladder catch openings.

17. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that said subframe can be mounted to said rear ladder catches by inserting said catch portions of said subframe into desired ladder catch openings on each of said ladder catches.

18. An oven rack assembly in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that said oven rack comprises a permanent rack and a removable half-rack.