Edge to edge cooktop gasket
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsAlexander Auer, Satish Janardhan Kathar, Akhil Haribhau Wankhede, Ajit Janardan Manohar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gasket for a cooking appliance is positioned between a rear upswept section of the appliance and the cooktop surface. The gasket has a rigid section that is received in a gasket groove in the upswept section of the appliance and a flexible section that contacts the top surface of the cooktop surface. The gasket has a compressible gap that allows the gasket to seal to different length gaps between the cooktop surface and the gasket groove.
Claims20
A gasket for a cooktop unit having an upswept section extending adjacent to the rear of the cooktop unit, comprising:
- a cooktop housing having a front surface, rear surface, and two side surfaces;
- a gasket groove located in said upswept section;
- and
- a single piece gasket having a rigid section and a flexible section, said rigid section including a projection that is received in said gasket groove, said projection including an upper rounded section and a lower section with a shoulder, wherein said upper rounded section permits said rigid section to be inserted into said gasket groove and rotated into place, and wherein said gasket groove has a surface that contacts said shoulder to retain said gasket in said gasket groove, and said flexible section including a curved section and a sealing section that contacts a cooktop surface coupled to said cooktop housing, wherein said flexible section includes a side section and a bottom section, and wherein said flexible section is configured to compress against said upswept section and said cooktop surface to provide a seal between said upswept section and said cooktop surface.
A cooktop unit having an upswept section extending adjacent to the rear of the cooktop unit, comprising:
- a cooktop surface coupled to said cooktop unit;
- a gasket groove located in said upswept section, said gasket groove extending adjacent to the entire length of said cooktop surface;
- and
- a single piece gasket having a rigid section and a flexible section, said rigid section including a projection that is received in said gasket groove, said projection including an upper rounded section and a lower section with a shoulder, wherein said upper rounded section permits said rigid section to be inserted into said gasket groove and rotated into place, and wherein said gasket groove has a surface that contacts said shoulder to retain said gasket in said gasket groove, and said flexible section including a curved section and a sealing section that contacts a cooktop surface coupled to said cooktop housing, wherein said flexible section includes a side section and a bottom section, and wherein said flexible section is configured to compress against said upswept section and said cooktop surface to provide a seal between said upswept section and said cooktop surface.
An appliance having a cooktop surface that extends over each lateral side of the appliance, and an upswept section extending adjacent to the rear of the cooktop unit:
- a gasket groove located in a rear portion of said appliance adjacent to said cooktop surface;
- and
- a gasket having a rigid section and a flexible section, said rigid section including a projection that is received in said gasket groove, said projection including an upper rounded section and a lower section with a shoulder, wherein said upper rounded section permits said rigid section to be inserted into said gasket groove and rotated into place, and wherein said gasket groove has a surface that contact said shoulder to retain said gasket in said gasket groove, and said flexible section including a curved section and a sealing section that contacts a cooktop surface coupled to said cooktop housing, wherein said flexible section includes a side section and a bottom section, and wherein said flexible section is configured to compress against said upswept section and said cooktop surface to provide a seal between said upswept section and said cooktop surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.