Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with container – enclosure – or support for material...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-31
2001-02-20
Pelham, Joseph (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with container, enclosure, or support for material...
C126S29900R, C126S02100R, C219S391000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191389
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to ovens, and more particularly to exhaust ventilation grilles for range applications.
Conventional ovens are either, for example, microwave or radiant cooking type ovens. A microwave oven includes a magnetron for generating RF energy used to cook food in the oven cooking cavity, and radiant cooking ovens include an energy source such as lamps which generate light energy used to cook the food. Although microwave ovens cook food more quickly than radiant ovens, microwave ovens do not brown the food. Radiant ovens brown the food and generally can be used to cook a wider variety of foods than microwave ovens. Therefore, combination ovens have been developed that include both radiant and microwave heating elements to cook a wider variety of foods more quickly.
An oven ventilation system is required for intake of room air into the cooking cavity for cooking operations, and/or for cooling of radiant cooking units, and re-circulation of air back into the room. In some types of ovens, air intake and exhaust is accomplished through ventilation grilles attached to an outer shell of the oven. Due to its low cost and manufacturing versatility, plastic has become a material of choice for oven grilles, and in some cases is used to form decorative grilles on a front face of the oven that add to the aesthetic appeal of the oven.
However, it has been observed that high exhaust temperatures, which may reach 275° F. (135° C.) or greater in a combination oven, and/or grease deposits from cooking cavity exhaust air, adversely affect known plastic grilles of ovens. Resultant grease stains and discoloration of the plastic grilles is highly undesirable. While known plastics exist that maintain grease resistance at elevated temperatures these materials are unacceptable in other aspects, such as UV color stability.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a grease resistant, color stable, plastic oven grille that may withstand severe conditions when used on an oven.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an oven grille includes an injection molded plastic structure having a plurality of air passages therethrough and a grease resistant powder coating layer overlying the plastic structure for withstanding oven exhaust of about 275° F. (135° C.) without color change. The powder coating is a highly cross-linked thermosetting polyester/urethane that is electrostatically applied to the plastic structure over a conductive primer layer having a dry film thickness of about 0.7 mils to about 1.5 mils (17.8 &mgr;m to 38.1 &mgr;m).
The powder coating insulates the plastic structure, resists oxidation and grease penetration, and is color stable to ultraviolet light, thereby enduring high temperature and grease conditions without blemish. The grille may be fabricated in a variety of colors and may be used on a variety of ovens with superior performance relative to known oven grilles.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3096207 (1963-07-01), Cohen
patent: 4097297 (1978-06-01), Keene
patent: 5271959 (1993-12-01), Bober et al.
patent: 5809993 (1998-09-01), Neitzel et al.
patent: 5886330 (1999-03-01), Kang et al.
General Electric Company
Houser H. Neil
Pelham Joseph
Rideout, Jr. George L.
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