Claims
- 1. In a latching construction for a cooking apparatus having a cooking chamber means and a movable door means for opening and closing said cooking chamber means, said latch construction comprising a frame means, a movable latch member carried by said frame means and being movable between a non-latching position thereof that would permit said door means to be opened and closed and a latching position thereof that would lock said door means in its closed position if said door means is in its closed position at the time said latch member is moved to said latching position thereof, and drive means carried by said frame means and having moving means operatively interconnected to said latch member to move said latch member between said positions thereof only when said moving means of said drive means moves from a first position thereof to a second potion thereof, the improvement wherein said latch member is movable from said non-latching position to a third position thereof by said drive means when said drive means tends to move said latch member from said non-latching position thereof to said latching position thereof if said door means should not be in a closed condition thereof and said moving means of said drive means moves from said first position thereof to said second position, and switch means carried by said frame means and being operable only when an actuator means of said switch means is actuated, said latch member being adapted to actuate said actuator means of said switch means only when said latch member is in said latching position thereof, said frame means comprising a frame plate that is adapted to be secured to said cooking apparatus whereby said latching construction comprises a self-contained unit as said frame plate carries said latch member, said drive means and said switch means.
- 2. A latching construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said latch member has a pivot pin means that is operatively interconnected to said frame plate so that said latch member is adapted to be rotated relative to said frame plate by said drive means.
- 3. A latching construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein said frame plate has means that is operatively interconnected to said pin means of said latch member to permit said latch member to be rotated relative thereto.
- 4. A latching construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means of said frame plate causes said latch member to be rotated from said non-latching position thereof to said third position thereof by said drive means if said door means should not be in said closed condition thereof.
- 5. A latching construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means of said frame plate causes said latch member to be rotated by said drive means from said non-latching position thereof to a position intermediate said third position thereof and said non-latching position thereof should said door means be in said closed condition thereof and then move said latch member from said intermediate position thereof to said latching position thereof.
- 6. A latching construction as set forth in claim 5 wherein the movement of said latch member from said intermediate position thereof to said latching position thereof is substantially a straight line movement thereof.
- 7. A latching construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means of said frame plate comprises an elongated slot means in said frame plate that receives said pivot pin means therein, said slot means having opposed ends, and spring means operatively interconnected to said latch member and to said frame plate to tend to maintain said pivot pin means against one of said ends of said slot means.
- 8. A latching construction as set forth in claim 7 wherein said latching position of said latch member causes said pivot pin means thereof to be disposed intermediate said opposed ends of said slot means.
- 9. A latching construction as set forth in claim 7 wherein said latching position of said latch member causes said pivot pin means thereof to be disposed adjacent the other of said ends of said slot means.
- 10. A latching construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a motor means carried by said frame plate and having a rotatable output shaft means, a plate means carried by said shaft means to rotate in unison therewith, and means carried by said plate means in offset relation to said shaft means and being operatively interconnected to said latch member to move said latch member in relation to rotation of said plate means by said motor means.
- 11. A latching construction as set forth in claim 10 wherein said frame means comprises a second plate secured to said frame plate in spaced relation thereto to be carried thereby, said motor means being secured to said second plate so as to be carried by said frame plate, said plate means being disposed intermediate said frame plate and said second plate.
- 12. A latching construction as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means carried by said plate means comprises a projection means extending therefrom in spaced parallel relation tot said output shaft means, said latch member having an elongated slot means therein, said projection means extending into said slot means of said latch member and being movable therein.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a divisional patent application of its copending parent patent application, Ser. No. 197,288, filed May 23, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,996, issued May 22, 1990.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new cooking apparatus and to a new door latching construction for a cooking apparatus as well as to new methods of making the same.
2. Prior Art Statement
It is known to provide a cooking apparatus comprising a frame means, a cooking chamber means carried by the frame means, heating means carried by the frame means and being adapted to be actuated to heat clean the chamber means, switch means for permitting the heating means to heat clean the chamber means only when the switch means is actuated, a movable door means carried by the frame means for opening and closing the cooking chamber means, a movable latch member carried by the frame means and being movable between a non-latching position thereof that permits the door means to be opened and closed and a latching position thereof that locks the door means in its closed position if the door means is in its closed position at the time the latch member is moved to the latching position thereof, and drive means carried by the frame means and being operatively interconnected to the latch member to move the latch member between the position thereof. For example, see the U.S. patent to Kauranen et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,654; the U.S. patent to Gilliom, U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,372 and the U.S. patent to Guy, U.S. Pat. No. RE 27,545.
One feature of this invention is to provide a new oven door latching construction for a cooking apparatus or the like wherein the movable latch member of the latching construction is uniquely utilized to sense whether or not the oven door means is in a closed position thereof and is so constructed and arranged that the latch member itself will only be adapted to operate an electrical switch means when that latch member is in a latching position thereof, the switch means permitting the heating means of the cooking apparatus to heat clean the cooking chamber means thereof only when that switch means is actuated by the latch member being in its latching position.
In particular, it was found according to the teachings of this invention that the latch member of a door latching construction can be so constructed and arranged that the same will be moved to a position other than its latching position when the drive means interconnected thereto tends to move the latch member from its non-latching position to its latching position if the door means is not in the closed position thereof whereby the latch member can only be moved to its latching position when the door means is in its closed position and the drive means is operated to move the latch member from its non-latching position to its latching position. With such an arrangement, it was also found according to the teachings of this invention that an electrical switch means can be provided for permitting the heating means of the cooking apparatus to heat clean the chamber means only when that switch means is actuated and that switch means can be arranged so as to be actuated by the latch member only when the latch member is moved to its latching position.
For example, one embodiment of this invention provides a cooking apparatus comprising a frame means, a cooking chamber means carried by the frame means, heating means carried by the frame means and being adapted to be actuated to heat clean the chamber means, switch means for permitting the heating means to heat clean the chamber means only when the switch means is actuated, a movable door means carried by the frame means for opening and closing the cooking chamber means, a movable latch member carried by the frame means and being movable between a non-latching position thereof that permits the door means to be opened and closed and a latching position thereof that locks the door means in its closed position if the door means is in its closed position at the time the latch member is moved to the latching position thereof, and drive means carried by the frame means and having moving means operatively interconnected to the latch member to move the latch member between the positions thereof only when the moving means of the drive means of the drive means moves from a first position thereof to a second position thereof, the latch member being movable from the non-latching position thereof to a third position thereof by the drive means when the drive means tends to move the latch member from the non-latching position thereof to the latching position thereof when the door means is not in a closed condition thereof and the moving means of the drive means moves from the first position thereof to the second position thereof. The latch member being adapted to actuate the switch means only when the latch member is in the latching position thereof.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new cooking apparatus having one or more of the novel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new method of making a cooking apparatus, the method of this invention having one or more of the novel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new latching construction for a cooking apparatus, the latching construction of this invention having one or more of the novel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new method of making a latching construction for a cooking apparatus, the method of this invention having one or more of the novel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.
Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:
US Referenced Citations (6)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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197288 |
May 1988 |
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Patent Grant
5029910
