The present subject matter relates generally to oven appliances, e.g., French door oven appliances.
Oven appliances generally include a cabinet that defines a chamber for receipt of food items for cooking The oven appliance's cabinet also defines an opening that provides for access to the chamber of the cabinet. A door or doors mounted at the opening of the cabinet can selectively limit access to the chamber of the cabinet. As an example, an oven appliance can include a pair of doors rotatably mounted at the opening of the cabinet. Such oven appliances are generally referred to as French door oven appliances.
Certain French door oven appliances include a linkage assembly that connects the oven appliance's pair of doors such that the doors open and close simultaneously. Such a configuration can be useful. For example, the pair of doors can each include a handle. By providing a linkage assembly that connects the pair of doors, a user can pull on either handle in order to open or close both of the doors simultaneously. Thus, a user holding food items in one hand can open or close both doors with the other free hand.
However, French door oven appliances can have certain drawbacks. For example, the doors can collide or rub when both doors of the pair of doors open and close simultaneously. More specifically, sidewalls of the pair of doors can impact during simultaneous opening and closing of the pair of doors. Such impacting and/or rubbing can damage the doors or a gasket positioned on the doors' sidewalls and thereby negatively impact oven appliance performance or user satisfaction with the appliance.
Accordingly, an oven appliance with features for limiting impacting or rubbing between a pair of doors during simultaneous opening and closing of the pair of doors would be useful.
The present subject matter provides an oven appliance with a cabinet that defines a chamber for cooking food items. A pair of doors is rotatably mounted to provide selective access to the chamber of the cabinet. The pair of doors is connected with a linkage assembly that simultaneously opens and closes the pair of doors. The linkage includes features for rotating one door of the pair at a first angular velocity and for rotating another of the pair of doors at a second angular velocity. An angular velocity differential between the first angular velocity and the second angular velocity can limit impacting or rubbing between the pair of doors during simultaneous opening and closing of the pair of doors. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In a first exemplary embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance includes a cabinet that defines a chamber for receipt of food items for cooking The chamber is accessible through an opening defined by the cabinet. The oven appliance also includes a heating element for providing heat to the food items for cooking in the chamber of the cabinet. A pair of doors is rotatably mounted proximate the opening of the cabinet. The pair of doors is rotatable between an open position and a closed position in order to permit selective access to the chamber of the cabinet through the opening of the cabinet. A linkage assembly couples the pair of doors together. The linkage assembly includes a pair of gears. Each gear of the pair of gears has an axis of rotation about which the gear is rotatable. Each axis of rotation defines a circumferential direction and a radial direction. Each gear of the pair of gears has a first engagement edge and a second engagement edge spaced apart along the radial direction from the axis of rotation. The first engagement edge is spaced apart along the radial direction from the second engagement edge. The first engagement edge is located in the same plane as the second engagement edge. Each gear of the pair of gears has a plurality of teeth. The plurality of teeth has a first set of teeth and a second set of teeth. The first set of teeth is positioned on the first engagement edge. The second set of teeth is positioned on the second engagement edge. The plurality of teeth of one of the pair of gears engages the plurality of teeth of the other of the pair of gears. The linkage assembly also includes a pair of linkage arms. Each linkage arm of the pair of linkage arms extends between and connects one of the pair of doors and one of the pair of gears.
In a second exemplary embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance includes a cabinet that defines a chamber for receipt of food items for cooking The chamber is accessible through an opening defined by the cabinet. The oven appliance also includes a heating element for providing heat to the food items for cooking in the chamber of the cabinet. A pair of doors is rotatably mounted proximate the opening of the cabinet. The pair of doors is rotatable between an open position and a closed position in order to permit selective access to the chamber of the cabinet through the opening of the cabinet. A linkage assembly couples the pair of doors together. The linkage assembly includes a pair of gears. Each gear of the pair of gears has an axis of rotation about which the gear is rotatable. Each axis of rotation defines a radial direction. Each gear of the pair of gears has a plurality of teeth. The plurality of teeth of one of the pair of gears engages the plurality of teeth of the other of the pair of gears. Each gear of the pair of gears has an engagement surface that is spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the gear along the radial direction. The plurality of teeth is disposed on the engagement surface. The engagement surface has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the engagement surface is spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the gear along the radial direction by a first distance. The second portion of the engagement surface is spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the gear along the radial direction by a second distance. The first distance is different than the second distance. The linkage assembly also includes a pair of linkage arms. Each linkage arm of the pair of linkage arms extends between and connects one of the doors and one of the pair of gears.
In a third exemplary embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance includes a cabinet that defines a chamber for receipt of food items for cooking The chamber is accessible through an opening defined by the cabinet. The oven appliance also includes a heating element for providing heat to the food items for cooking in the chamber of the cabinet. A pair of doors is mounted proximate the opening of the cabinet. Each one of the doors has an axis of rotation about which the doors are rotatable so as to open or close access to the chamber of the cabinet through the opening of the cabinet. The oven appliance also includes a pair of bevel gears. Each one of the bevel gears is connected with one of the doors and positioned along the axis of rotation of the doors so as to rotate with the doors. At least one of the pair of bevel gears is non-circular. A connecting member extends between and is in contact with the pair of bevel gears such that rotation of either one of the doors about the axis of rotation is transferred through the connecting member to the other of the doors.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Cabinet 12 defines a vertical direction V, a lateral direction L, and a transverse direction T. The vertical direction V, the lateral direction L, and the transverse direction T are mutually perpendicular and form an orthogonal direction system. Cabinet 12 extends between a top 40 and a bottom 42 along the vertical direction V.
Oven appliance 10 includes a pair of doors 16, sometimes referred to as “French doors,” rotatably mounted to cabinet 12 proximate an opening 15 to cooking chamber 14. Thus, oven appliance 10 is sometimes referred to as a French door style oven appliance. Pair of doors 16 is configured for selectively shifting between an open configuration shown in
One or more seals 20 between pair of doors 16 and cabinet 12 provide for maintaining heat and cooking fumes within cooking chamber 14 when pair of doors 16 is closed as shown in
Heating elements or sources 28 and 30 are positioned within cooking chamber 14 of cabinet 12. Heating elements 28 and 30 are used to heat cooking chamber 14 for both cooking and cleaning of oven appliance 10. While electrically-resistive heating elements 28 and 30 are shown, the present subject matter may be used with other heating elements as well such as gas burners or microwave elements.
The operation of oven appliance 10 including heating elements 28 and 30 is controlled by one or more processing devices (not shown), e.g., a microprocessor. User manipulated controls 29 on control panel 31 allow the user to make selections regarding temperature, time, and other options. The selections can be communicated to the processing device for operation of oven appliance 10. Such processing device is also in communication with a temperature sensor 32 that is used to measure temperature inside cooking chamber 14.
Oven appliance 10 is provided by way of example only. Thus, the present subject matter may be used with other oven configurations, e.g., an oven range. As another example, the present subject matter may be used with an oven defining multiple interior cavities for the receipt of food and/or having different pan or rack arrangements than what is shown in
As may be seen in
Linkage assembly 100 also includes a pair of linkage arms 102. Each linkage arm of pair of linkage arms 102 extends between and connects one of the pair of doors 16 and one of the pair of gears 104, e.g., to transfer rotational motion between pair of doors 16 and pair of gears 104 during opening and closing of pair of doors 16 as described in greater detail below.
As may be seen in
A gasket 80 is mounted to second door 61. Gasket 80 extends between the sidewalls 66 of first door 60 and second door 61 when first and second doors 60 and 61 are in the closed position as shown in
As may be seen in
As discussed above, each gear of pair of gears 104 also has a plurality of teeth 110 (
Each gear of pair of gears 104 also has a third engagement edge 140. Like first and second engagement edges 120 and 130, third engagement edge 140 is radially spaced apart from the axis of rotation A. Third engagement edge 140 is also circumferentially spaced apart from both first and second engagement edges 120 and 130 about the axis of rotation A. In addition, first, second, and third engagement edges 120, 130, and 140 are spaced apart from one another along the radial direction R. Plurality of teeth 110 (
While shown in
Linkage assembly 100 includes features for rotating first and second doors 60 and 61 at different angular velocities, e.g., to prevent or hinder first and second doors 60 and 61 from impacting and/or rubbing during opening and closing of first and second doors 60 and 61. In particular, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
As may be seen in
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
As an example, when first and second doors 60 and 61 are in the closed position as shown in
First and second angular velocities ω1 and ω2 are different, e.g., because first and second radial distances R1 and R2 are different. Rotating second door 61 at a different, e.g., greater, angular velocity relative to first door 60 can hinder or prevent first door 60 from interfering with or rubbing against second door 61 and/or gasket 80 during open and closing of first and second doors 60 and 61. As an example, second angular velocity ω2 may be about twenty five percent greater than first angular velocity ω1. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, first and second angular velocities ω1 and ω2 may vary by any suitable amount, e.g., depending upon first and second radial distances R1 and R2 selected for first and second gears 150 and 160, respectively.
As first and second doors 60 and 61 rotate open from the closed position shown in
Third and fourth angular velocities ω3 and ω4 are different, e.g., because third and fourth radial distances R3 and R4 are different. As an example, third angular velocity ω3 may be about twenty five percent greater than fourth angular velocity ω4, e.g., in order for first door 60 to “catch up” with second door 61 or vice versa so that first and second doors 60 and 61 are equally rotated as first and second doors 60 and 61 approach the open position shown in
As first and second doors 60 and 61 rotate open from partially open position shown in
Fifth and sixth angular velocities ω5 and ω6 may be equal or about equal, e.g., because fifth and sixth radial distances R5 and R6 are about equal or about equal. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, fifth and sixth angular velocities ω5 and ω6 may vary by any suitable amount, e.g., depending upon fifth and sixth radial distances R5 and R6 selected for first and second gears 150 and 160, respectively.
Linkage assembly 200 includes a pair of gears 204. Each gear of pair of gears 204 has an axis of rotation A about which the gear is rotatable. Each axis of rotation A defines a radial direction R and a circumferential direction C. The gears of pair of gears 204 engage one another to transfer rotational motion of pair of doors 16. In particular, each gear of pair of gears 204 includes a plurality of teeth 210. The plurality of teeth 210 of one gear of pair of gears 204 engages the plurality of teeth 210 of the other gear of pair of gears 204 to transfer rotational motion between gears of pair of gears 204.
Linkage assembly 200 also includes a pair of linkage arms 202. Each linkage arm of pair of linkage arms 202 extends between and connects one of the pair of doors 16 and one of the pair of gears 204, e.g., to transfer rotational motion between pair of doors 16 and pair of gears 204 during opening and closing of pair of doors 16.
As may be seen in
First portion 214 of engagement edge 212 is disposed a first distance D1 from axis of rotation A, e.g., along the radial direction R. Conversely, second portion 216 of engagement edge 212 is disposed a second distance D2 from axis of rotation A, e.g., along the radial direction R. In other words, first portion 214 of engagement edge 212 is radially spaced apart from second portion 216 of engagement edge 212.
Thus, each gear of pair of gears 204 is non-circular, e.g., in order to rotate first and second doors 60 and 61 at different angular velocities during opening and closing of first and second doors 60 and 61 in a similar manner to linkage assembly 100 described above. However, each gear of pair of gears 204 has a continuous engagement edge rather than discrete engagement edges like each gear of pair of gears 104 (
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
As may be seen in
A connecting member 320 extends between and is in contact with pair of bevel gears 310 such that rotation of either door of pair of doors 16 about the axis of rotation O is transferred through connecting member 320 to the other door of pair of doors 16 in order to rotate the pair of doors 16 simultaneously. In particular, connecting member 320 includes additional bevel gears 322 for engaging bevel gears 310. Additional bevel gears may be oval bevel gears as shown in
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.