Oven with an articulating and retractable door
AssigneeCulinary Logic, LLC
InventorsGary V. Harned, Kim A. Williams, Kenneth W. House, Douglas P. Collins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment of the present invention, an oven having a flexible and retractable door is described. The oven door is adapted to move from a closed position wherein it effectively closes an open side of the oven box and an open position wherein the door is retracted into the body of the oven, typically below the oven box. In variations, an electric motor is provided to selectively move the oven door between the open and closed positions. In other variations, the oven includes an oven rack that is moveable between extended and retracted positions by way of a second electric motor.
Claims17
An oven comprising:
- an oven box having a plurality of closed sides and at least one substantially open side;
- a heating implement contained within the oven box;
- and
- a flexible oven door, the oven door being adapted to move between open and closed positions, a substantial portion of the oven door being contained within a space adjacent and generally parallel a closed side of the plurality of closed sides when in the open position, and the oven door substantially covering the open side when in the closed position;
- wherein (i) the oven door comprises a plurality of articulated segments;
- (ii) the oven further comprises (a) two opposing tracks coupled with an oven door framework that at least partially surrounds the oven door, and (b) a plurality of rollers, each including an axle, adapted to roll in the two opposing tracks, the plurality of rollers being coupled to the plurality of articulated segments of the oven door;
- and (iii) adjacent articulating segments are pivotally coupled to each other by way of the axles.
A door for an oven comprising three or more pivotally-interconnected segments, wherein each segment comprises (i) a top side, (ii) a bottom side, (iii) a left side, (iv) a right side, (v) a front side, (vi) a back side and (vii) a hollow interior portion that extends from the bottom side to the top side, the top side and the bottom side of each segment each include a plurality of openings spaced thereon, the plurality of openings of one segment being adapted to align with a corresponding plurality of openings on adjacent segments.
An oven comprising:
- an oven box having a plurality of closed sides and at least one substantially open side;
- a heating implement contained within the oven box;
- an oven door framework generally extending around the open side;
- an oven door, the oven door comprising a plurality of segments pivotally connected to each other, the door being adapted to move between open and closed positions, a substantial portion of the oven door being located in a space adjacent a closed side of the plurality of closed sides when in the open position, and the oven door substantially covering the open side when in the closed position;
- a pair of opposing side door seals, the side door seals spanning between two opposing sides of the oven door and corresponding portions of the oven door framework;
- and
- at least one electric motor, the electric motor being coupled with the oven door and adapted to move the oven door between the open and closed positions when activated;
- wherein the oven door seals are adapted to retract away from the opposing sides of the oven door when the oven door is opening or closing.
An oven comprising:
- an oven box having a plurality of closed sides and at least one substantially open side;
- a heating implement contained within the oven box;
- an oven door framework generally extending around the open side;
- an oven door, the oven door comprising a plurality of segments pivotally connected to each other, the door being adapted to move between open and closed positions, a substantial portion of the oven door being located in a space adjacent a closed side of the plurality of closed sides when in the open position, and the oven door substantially covering the open side when in the closed position;
- and
- at least one electric motor, the electric motor being coupled with the oven door and adapted to move the oven door between the open and closed positions when activated;
- wherein (i) the motor is coupled to the oven door by way of a threaded lead screw and a threaded nut, and (ii) the lead screw further comprises a socket head accessible through an opening on the front face of the oven.
An oven comprising:
- an oven box having a plurality of closed sides and at least one vertically-disposed substantially open side;
- a heating implement contained within the oven box located proximate a bottom side;
- a flexible oven door, the oven door being adapted to move between open and closed positions, a substantial portion of the oven door being generally horizontally-disposed and contained within a space adjacent and below the bottom side when in the open position, and the oven door substantially covering the open side and being generally vertically disposed when in the closed position;
- and
- an electric motor assembly, the electric motor assembly being coupled with the flexible oven door and adapted to move the flexible oven door between the open and closed positions when activated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.