Cooktop appliance with unifying alignment bracket

A cooktop appliance, comprising:

• a panel defining a plurality of openings;
• a plurality of alignment slots defined in the panel, each alignment slot of the plurality of alignment slots positioned adjacent a respective one opening of the plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of alignment slots defined in the panel comprises a lateral alignment slot and a vertical alignment slot;
• a plurality of control valves mounted to the panel, each control valve of the plurality of control valves comprising a spark switch and a stem, the stem of each control valve extending through the panel at one corresponding opening of the plurality of openings of the panel;
• a plurality of knobs, each knob mounted to the stem of a respective one control valve of the plurality of control valves and positioned opposite the spark switch of the respective one control valve about the panel;
• and
• a unifying bracket positioned between the spark switch of each control valve of the plurality of control valves and the panel, the unifying bracket comprising a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions of the unifying bracket extending through a respective one of the plurality of alignment slots.

A cooktop appliance, comprising:

• a panel defining a plurality of openings;
• a plurality of alignment slots defined in the panel, each alignment slot of the plurality of alignment slots positioned adjacent a respective one opening of the plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of alignment slots defined in the panel comprises three alignment slots, the three alignment slots comprising a first alignment slot and a second alignment slot each oriented along a first direction, and a third alignment slot oriented along a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction;
• a plurality of control valves mounted to the panel, each control valve of the plurality of control valves comprising a spark switch and a stem, the stem of each control valve extending through the panel at one corresponding opening of the plurality of openings of the panel;
• a plurality of knobs, each knob mounted to the stem of a respective one control valve of the plurality of control valves and positioned opposite the spark switch of the respective one control valve about the panel;
• and
• a unifying bracket positioned between the spark switch of each control valve of the plurality of control valves and the panel, the unifying bracket comprising a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions of the unifying bracket extending through a respective one of the plurality of alignment slots.