US 5,038,748 AGranted

Self-cleaning gas range having heat baffle assembly

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsJohn W. Lockwood, Stephen B. Froelicher

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A self-cleaning gas range has its frame support an oven with a storage compartment beneath the oven in spaced relation thereto. A burner, which is beneath the oven and above the storage compartment, heats the oven to a temperature to produce self cleaning. A baffle assembly, which is beneath a heat shield beneath the burner and above the storage compartment, prevents the top of the storage compartment from exceeding a predetermined maximum temperature when self cleaning occurs. The baffle assembly includes a bottom baffle of galvanized steel attached to the frame and forming the top of the storage compartment, an intermediate baffle of galvanized steel above the bottom baffle in spaced relation thereto, and an inner baffle of reflecting aluminum above the intermediate baffle in spaced relation thereto with the three baffles assembled to each other. Air passages in the intermediate baffle are not aligned with air passages in the bottom and top baffles so that air flows from beneath the bottom baffle through the air passages in the three baffles in a circuitous path and through openings in the heat shield to the burner. A radiation shield is supported on a brace extending between downwardly extending portions of the oven side walls only by point contacts. Each side wall has louvered openings beneath the first baffle and communicating with an air passage in the side wall so that air flows over the bottom of the first baffle and into the air passages.

A self-cleaning gas range including:

frame means;
an oven supported by said frame means;
said oven including a bottom wall having openings therein;
a storage compartment disposed beneath said oven in spaced relation thereof;
burner means disposed beneath said bottom wall of said oven and above said storage compartment for heating said oven to a temperature to produce self cleaning of said oven;
a heat shield beneath said burner means;
said heat shield having air passages extending therethrough;
a baffle assembly disposed between said heat shield and said storage compartment for maintaining the temperature of said storage compartment no greater than a predetermined maximum temperature relative to the ambient temperature when said burner means is causing self cleaning of said oven;
and said baffle assembly including:
a bottom baffle disposed adjacent the top of said storage compartment;
an intermediate baffle disposed above said bottom baffle and in spaced relation to said bottom baffle;
an inner baffle disposed above said intermediate baffle and in spaced relation to said intermediate baffle;
assembling means for assembling said bottom baffle, said intermediate baffle, and said inner baffle together;
each of said bottom baffle, said intermediate baffle, and said inner baffle having air passages extending therethrough;
cooperating means for cooperating with at least said intermediate baffle to position said intermediate baffle horizontally relative to said bottom baffle and said inner baffle to prevent alignment of said air passages in said intermediate baffle with said air passages in said bottom baffle and said air passages in said inner baffle so that air flows from beneath said bottom baffle through said air passages in each of said bottom baffle, said intermediate baffle, and said inner baffle in a circuitous path and through said air passages in said heat shield to said burner means;
at least one of said bottom baffle, said intermediate baffle, and said inner baffle having enabling means for enabling attachment of said baffle assembly to said frame means for support of said baffle assembly by said frame means;
said inner baffle including a heat reflecting material for reflecting heat from said burner means;
and said bottom baffle having at least its upper surface formed of a heat reflecting material.

15 more elements

Abstract

Claims20