Cooktop with hinged burner grates
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsDeeptiranjan Barik, Patrick J. Duffy, Tushar Jadhav, Sachin Karade, Atul Nalawade, Pradeep Thorat
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooktop for an appliance includes a cooktop base surface that defines an edge. A cooktop burner is mounted on the cooktop base surface. A support base is rigidly fixed with the cooktop base surface adjacent the edge. A grate is rotatably supported to the support base and is rotatable between a raised position and a lowered position to alternately cover and uncover the cooking burner. A biasing member is coupled to the support base and exerts an upward biasing force on the grate.
Claims20
A cooktop, comprising:
- a cooktop base defining an edge;
- first, second, and third support bases coupled to the cooktop base proximate to the edge;
- pivot members coupled to the first and third support bases, respectively;
- a first grate assembly operably coupled to the first and second support bases, wherein the first grate assembly includes:
- a first grate defining a first receiving member;
- and
- a first coupling member disposed within the first receiving member, wherein the first coupling member is configured to engage the pivot member coupled to the first support base;
- and
- a second grate assembly operably coupled to the second and third support bases, wherein the second grate assembly includes:
- a second grate defining a second receiving member;
- and
- a second coupling member disposed within the second receiving member, wherein the second coupling member is configured to engage the pivot member coupled to the third support base.
A cooktop, comprising:
- a cooktop base defining an edge;
- first and second support bases coupled to the cooktop base proximate to the edge;
- a grate including a receiving member extending between first and second side edges of the grate, wherein the receiving member defines a receiving channel and at least one slot;
- a coupling member disposed within the receiving channel, wherein the coupling member includes an interlocking feature that extends into the at least one slot to form an interlocking engagement, and wherein the coupling member defines an inner channel and a cutout forming an extension of the inner channel;
- and
- a pivot member coupled between the first support base and the receiving member to guide rotation of the grate between raised and lowered positions, wherein the pivot member includes a coupling extension disposed within the cutout of the coupling member to form an interlocking fit with the coupling member.
A cooktop, comprising:
- a cooktop base defining an edge;
- first and second support bases coupled to the cooktop base proximate to the edge;
- a grate including a receiving member that defines a receiving channel, wherein the receiving member is configured to extend from proximate the first support base to proximate the second support base;
- a coupling member disposed within the receiving channel, wherein the coupling member defines an inner channel and a cutout forming an extension of the inner channel;
- a pivot assembly coupled between the first support base and the receiving member;
- and
- a biasing assembly coupled between the second support base and the receiving member, wherein at least one of the pivot assembly and the biasing assembly includes a coupling extension disposed within the cutout of the coupling member to form an interlocking fit with the coupling member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.