Stoves and furnaces – Stove doors and windows – Latches
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-17
2004-03-02
Basichas, Alfred (Department: 3743)
Stoves and furnaces
Stove doors and windows
Latches
C126S01900R, C219S398000, C292SDIG006
Reexamination Certificate
active
06698418
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This application relates to a motorized oven door latch assembly for locking an oven door in a closed position when the oven is in a self-cleaning mode.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Self-cleaning ovens which are incorporated into self-standing ranges are well known. Such ovens conventionally have an oven door which is hingedly secured to a range body. The oven door may be opened to gain access to an oven cavity. The oven door may also be closed to close the opening for cooking objects placed in the cavity or cleaning the cavity. One or more heating elements reside in the oven cavity for cooking purposes.
Motorized latches which are used to lock oven doors in a closed position so that the oven cavity may be self cleaned are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,979 and U.S. Pat. No. RE. 27,545 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,320 all disclose such motorized self-cleaning oven door latches. Such oven door latches are activated by a rotary motor located at the rearward portion of the range above the oven. Activation of the motor causes a rod to translate which causes a latch at the front of the rod to engage the oven door so that the oven door may not be opened. After the cleaning has occurred, the motor is reactivated, causing the latch at the front of the rod to disengage the oven door so that the oven door may be opened.
One disadvantage with oven door latch assemblies having motors located rearwardly of the oven cavity is that the high temperatures required for oven cleaning may damage the motor and/or associated electrical components such as switches. Therefore, a need exists for an oven door latch assembly having a motor which is located such that its exposure to temperature is minimized. It has further been an objective of the present invention to provide an oven door latch which is driven by a motor located to the side of the oven cavity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention of this application which accomplishes these objectives comprises a motorized door latch assembly for locking an oven door in a closed and sealed position so as to close an oven cavity for purposes of cleaning the oven cavity. The oven door is hingedly mounted on a range body and moveable between an open position, a closed position and a closed and sealed position.
The door latch assembly comprises a mounting plate supported by the range body beside the oven cavity and extending generally horizontally. Fixedly secured to the mounting plate is a driver such as a motor. The driver need not be fixedly secured to the mounting plate; it may be at any desired location. However, the driver or motor is preferably located beside the range or oven cavity to reduce the amount of heat to which the motor is exposed. The motor rotatively drives a cam, operatively associated with the motor.
A drive member or latch rod, having a pair of opposed ends, extends between the cam and an L-shaped link pivotally secured to the mounting plate. The latch rod has a first end secured to the rotatable cam and a second end secured to the L-shaped link. Rotation of the cam causes the latch rod to translate generally from side to side. Other devices, such as for example a solenoid, may be used to cause the latch rod to translate.
A latch plate, having a hook at one end for engaging the oven door, is secured to the L-shaped link at the other end. The latch plate has an opening therethrough capturing a pin that extends upwardly from the mounting plate. The size and configuration of the opening and location of the pin restrict the movement of the latch plate so as to move the latch plate between three desired positions.
In operation, rotation of the cam by activation of the motor causes the latch rod to translate generally from side to side and causes the latch plate to move between three positions: a first position, a second position and a third position. In the first position, the latch plate is located such that the oven door may be opened. Upon translation of the latch rod, the latch plate moves to a second position in which the hook of the latch plate engages the oven door to prevent the oven door from being opened. In the third position, the latch plate is pulled inwardly by the latch rod, pulling the oven door into a locked and sealed position. Notably, the direction of translation when the oven door is pulled into the locked and sealed position, is substantially nonparallel to the direction in which the latch rod is translated by the motor, through action of the L-shaped link.
A biaser extends between a fixed point on the mounting plate and the latch plate so as to bias the latch plate towards the second position described hereinabove. In the event of a failure while the oven is in a self-cleaning mode and the latch plate is in its third position, i.e. while the door is locked and sealed, a user, using a pry bar tool, may exert pressure on the hook of the latch plate causing the latch plate to rotate about the pin of the mounting plate toward the first position. With the latch plate pulled over to its first position the oven door may be opened without having to call a service technician and/or take the oven apart.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3313918 (1967-04-01), Barber
patent: 3462584 (1969-08-01), Guy
patent: 3476424 (1969-11-01), Erickson
patent: RE27545 (1973-01-01), Guy
patent: 3859979 (1975-01-01), Gilliom
patent: 3875372 (1975-04-01), Gilliom
patent: 3889654 (1975-06-01), Kauranen et al.
patent: 4082078 (1978-04-01), Thuleen et al.
patent: 4109637 (1978-08-01), Drouin
patent: 4374320 (1983-02-01), Barnett
patent: 4927996 (1990-05-01), Genbauffe et al.
patent: 5029910 (1991-07-01), Genbauffe et al.
patent: 5220153 (1993-06-01), Malone et al.
patent: 5440103 (1995-08-01), Martin
patent: 5477030 (1995-12-01), Buckshaw et al.
patent: 5493099 (1996-02-01), McWilliams, III
patent: 6079756 (2000-06-01), Phillips
patent: 6315336 (2001-11-01), Swartzell
patent: 6474702 (2002-11-01), Malone et al.
Four photograph copies of range lock manufactured and sold by Summit Mfg. Co. Inc., 739 N. Mountain Rd., Newington, CT, 06111.
Ramsey James
Smith Donald E.
Sokalski Robert G.
Basichas Alfred
France/A Scott Fetzer Company
Wood Herron & Evans L.L.P.
LandOfFree
Oven door latch assembly having side mounted motor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Oven door latch assembly having side mounted motor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Oven door latch assembly having side mounted motor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3288179