Maytag Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation

The Maytag Company

David E Levi

Mark A Pickering

Christopher A Larsen

Lloyd A Smith, Jr

Jeffrey D Ware

James Coty McFarland

Eddie Max Brock

Jimmy C Roden

Donald E McCloud

A cooking appliance includes an oven cavity accessed through first and second French-style doors that are connected to the appliance through a door linkage system. The door linkage system establishes a particular timing of door openings and closings to minimize potential wear of a door gasket. That is, each of the doors has an associated gasket for use in sealing the oven cavity when the doors are closed. One of the doors is provided with an annular gasket, while the other door essentially incorporates a less that fully annular, preferably 3-sided or a three-quarter gasket. With this arrangement, each of the gaskets has three sides adapted to seal against a cabinet shell portion of the appliance, while the fourth side of the first gasket is adapted to seal against an extension provided on the other door.

French door cooking appliance closure system

A cooking appliance having first and second oven doors that combine to extend across and close off a frontal opening of a cooking chamber includes a latching mechanism for locking the first and second oven doors in a closed position. The latching mechanism includes a fixed support plate and a motor having an output shaft to which is rotatably mounted an eccentric drive member. Preferably, the motor is fixedly mounted to the support plate. The latching mechanism further includes first and second latch members each having a first end portion pivotally attached to the eccentric drive member extending to a second end portion defining a hook element. When the motor is activated, a guide mechanism directs the second end portions of the first and second latch members to a locking position leading the hook members into engagement with the first and second doors.

Door locking mechanism for an oven having french-style doors

Door locking mechanism for an oven having French-style doors

A gas cooking appliance includes a combination radiant/convection cooking system mounted below a bottom wall portion of an oven cavity. The combination cooking system includes a gas burner in the form of a ring element having a central portion within which is positioned a convection fan. In addition to the convection fan, a forced air combustion fan supplies a combustion airflow to the gas burner. The oven preferably includes a glass panel arranged in a bottom wall portion of the oven cavity, above the gas burner. Arranged about the central opening are a plurality of vented openings for introducing the convective airflow into the oven cavity. The glass panel provides both a conductive heat surface transmitting at least a portion of the radiate heat energy into the oven cavity and a viewing surface allowing a consumer to view the operation of the gas burner.

Combination radiant/convection gas cooking appliance

An electric oven includes a cabinet within which is arranged an oven cavity. Arranged below a bottom portion of the oven cavity is a combination convection/radiant bake cooking system adapted to derive heat energy from a single heat source. The oven preferably includes a central opening in the bottom portion within which is arranged a glass panel. Arranged about a periphery of the central opening are a plurality of vented openings adapted to introduce a convective airflow into the oven cavity. The glass panel provides both a conductive heat surface transmitting radiant heat energy into the oven cavity and a viewing surface allowing a consumer to view the operation of the heat source.

Combination radiant/convection cooking system for an electric oven

A gas cooking appliance, having burner units mounted on an upper cooktop and an oven cavity arranged below the burner units, incorporates a fan for generating a flow of cooling air within the appliance, with the cooling air extending along an at least back and top wall portions of the oven cavity. The cooling air exits the appliance through a frontal gap formed between a door of the oven cavity and an upper frontal portion of the appliance. The burner units have associated combustion air inlets which are isolated from the flow of cooling air by being disposed in a chamber formed by sealing an isolation pan beneath the cooktop. The cooktop is formed with a plurality of openings for permitting a flow of combustion air to be drawn into the chamber for mixing with a regulated flow of combustion gas. With this arrangement, the gas burner units are isolated from the flow of cooling air within the appliance to enhance the operation of the burner units, particularly during low or simmer settings.

Gas cooking appliance with isolated combustion and cooling air flows

An improved oven seal arrangement is provided comprising an elongated flexible seal having retainer and seal portions. A channel or gap is formed in one of the oven front or oven door for receiving the retainer portion and the seal portion is captured between the oven door and the oven front.

Growing community of inventors

Ringgold, GA, United States of America

David E Levi