Spring bracket for a cooktop appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsEugenio Gomez, Gregory Michael Thomas, Howard Richard Bowles, Kalakuntla Sagar Rao, Eduardo Miguel Paz Calvopina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A low profile spring bracket for a heating element of a cooktop appliance includes features that allow the bracket to move along the axial direction in a smooth fashion with minimal force. In this way, a temperature sensor attached thereto can maintain contact with a cooking utensil placed on the heating element.
Claims18
A spring bracket for a cooktop appliance, the cooktop appliance comprising a heating element and a support bracket for supporting the heating element, the spring bracket defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the spring bracket comprising:
- a mounting plate moveable along the axial direction;
- a first arm extending from the mounting plate between a proximal end and a distal end and connecting the mounting plate with the support bracket, wherein the first arm comprises a curved portion that extends about the circumferential direction along at least a portion of the first arm between the proximal end and the distal end of the first arm;
- and
- a second arm extending from the mounting plate between a proximal end and a distal end and connecting the mounting plate with the support bracket, wherein the second arm comprises a curved portion that extends about the circumferential direction along at least a portion of the second arm between the proximal end and the distal end of the second arm;
- wherein the mounting plate is moveable between a first position and a second position along the axial direction, wherein the mounting plate is in a relaxed state in the first position and the mounting plate is in a compressed state in the second position, and wherein the curved portion of the first arm inclines along the axial direction as the curved portion extends toward the distal end of the first arm and the second arm inclines along the axial direction as the curved portion extends toward the distal end of the second arm when the mounting plate is in the first position.
A cooktop appliance, comprising:
- a heating element;
- a support bracket for supporting the heating element;
- a spring bracket defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the spring bracket comprising:
- a mounting plate moveable along the axial direction in response to a load placed on the heating element and having a temperature sensor mounted thereto;
- and
- one or more arms extending from the mounting plate between a proximal end and a distal end and connecting the mounting plate with the support bracket, wherein the one or more arms extend about the mounting plate along the circumferential direction and are spaced apart from the mounting plate along the radial direction as the one more arms extend about the mounting plate;
- wherein the one or more arms include a single arm extending greater than about one hundred thirty-five degrees (135°) about the mounting plate along the circumferential direction.
A spring bracket for a cooktop appliance, the cooktop appliance comprising a heating element and a support bracket for supporting the heating element, the spring bracket defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the spring bracket comprising:
- a mounting plate moveable along the axial direction;
- a first arm extending from the mounting plate between a proximal end and a distal end and connecting the mounting plate with the support bracket, wherein the first arm comprises a curved portion that extends about the circumferential direction along at least a portion of the first arm between the proximal end and the distal end of the first arm;
- and
- a second arm extending from the mounting plate between a proximal end and a distal end and connecting the mounting plate with the support bracket, wherein the second arm comprises a curved portion that extends about the circumferential direction along at least a portion of the second arm between the proximal end and the distal end of the second arm;
- wherein the curved portion of the first arm extends along the circumferential direction in a first circumferential direction as the curved portion of the first arm extends toward the distal end of the first arm and the curved portion of the second arm extends along the circumferential direction in the first circumferential direction as the curved portion of the second arm extends toward the distal end of the second arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.