Oven and range door lock mechanism

• US 6,035,848 A
• Filed: 07/01/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Kenneth L., Ray, Keith, Stachowski, Jeffrey H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLARKE, SARA SACHIE
• Application Number:
  US09/108,944
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 126/191, 126/194, 126/197, 16/362, 49/386, 49/394, 49/463, 49/465, 292/202, 292/204, 292/54, 292/195, 248/221.11
• US Class Current: 126/194
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/416 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/30 for domestic appliances
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/022 Latches

Abstract

A hinge assembly for an oven or range that allows a door to be attached to the cooking chamber, locked in place and removed as desired. The hinge assembly includes a hanger mounted to the door and a locking arm mounted to the hanger. The oven or range chamber has at least one pin for receiving a channel on the hanger. When the locking arm is pivoted to an unlocked position with the hanger channel open, the hanger can receive or disengage the pin. When the locking arm is pivoted to an unlocked position with the hanger channel closed, the pin is trapped and the door is secured to the cooking chamber.

Claims

1. An oven having a door, cooking chamber, and a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly comprising:

a hanger mounted to the door;

at least one pin on the oven chamber;

at least one channel on the hanger for receiving the pin;

a locking arm pivotally mounted to the hanger for movement between an unlocked position with the channel open for receiving the pin and a locked position with the channel and the locking arm enclosing the pin.

2. An oven having a door, cooking chamber, and a hinge assembly, the door pivoting about a horizontal axis to open and close the cooking chamber, the hinge assembly comprising:

a hanger pivotally mounted to the door for attaching the door to a pin located on the cooking chamber;

the door being securely attached to the cooking chamber when the hanger is in a locked position and the door being removable from the cooking chamber when the hanger is in an unlocked position; and

a locking arm mounted to the hanger for locking the hanger and the door on the cooking chamber;

the locking arm comprises opposing first and second edges and opposing first and second faces, the first face having a detent for providing friction between the locking arm and the hanger to facilitate keeping the locking arm in the locked and unlocked positions.

3. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein;

the locking arm has opposing first and second ends, the first end being pivotally mounted to the hanger for movement of the locking arm between the locked position with the door securely attached to the cooking chamber and the unlocked position with the door capable of being removed from and attached to the cooking chamber.

4. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

a handle extending from the second end of the locking arm to facilitate movement between the locked and unlocked positions of the locking arm.

5. An oven having a door, cooking chamber, and a hinge assembly, the door pivoting about a horizontal axis to open and close the cooking chamber, the hinge assembly comprising:

a hanger pivotally mounted to the door for attaching the door to the cooking chamber;

a locking arm mounted to the hanger for locking the hanger and the door on the cooking chamber;

said locking arm comprises opposing first and second edges and opposing first and second faces, the first face having a detent for providing friction between the locking arm and the hanger to facilitate keeping the locking arm in a locked and an unlocked position;

said locking arm having opposing first and second ends, the first end being pivotally mounted to the hanger for movement of the locking arm between the locked position with the door securely attached to the cooking chamber and the unlocked position with the door capable of being removed from and attached to the cooking chamber; and

a blocking portion formed on the first edge of the locking arm for keeping the hanger in the unlocked position.

6. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 5, further comprising:

a member having first and second ends, the member being secured to the door toward the first end and pivotally mounted to the hanger toward the second end; and

an ear extending outwardly from the second end of the member, the ear engaging a blocking portion when the locking arm is pivoted into the open position, holding the locking arm in the open position for easy removal of the door.

7. An oven having a door, cooking chamber, and a hinge assembly, the door pivoting about a horizontal axis to open and close the cooking chamber, the hinge assembly comprising:

a hanger pivotally mounted to the door for attaching the door to the cooking chamber;

a locking arm mounted to the hanger for locking the hanger and the door on the cooking chamber;

said locking arm comprises opposing first and second edges and opposing first and second faces, the first face having a detent for providing friction between the locking arm and the hanger to facilitate keeping the locking arm in a locked and an unlocked position;

said locking arm having opposing first and second ends, the first end being pivotally mounted to the hanger for movement of the locking arm between the locked position with the door securely attached to the cooking chamber and the unlocked position with the door capable of being removed from and attached to the cooking chamber; and

an arm channel provided on the second edge of the locking arm and cooperating with the hanger to secure the door on the oven chamber when the hanger is in the locked position.

8. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein;

the hanger comprises a generally planar plate having opposing first and second faces and opposing first and second ends, the first end being pivotally mounted to the door.

9. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein;

the hanger has an opening formed by a generally unshaped hanger channel at the second end for engagement of the door with the cooking chamber.

10. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 9, wherein:

the channel opening is closed by the hanger channel and the arm channel when the locking arm is pivoted about the first end into the locked position and the channel opening is opened when the locking arm is pivoted about the first end into the unlocked position.