Whirlpool Corporation

Rodrigo Tamanini

Rodrigo Schultz

Thomas Ponick

Luciano Piccini Nothen

Rhony Cristian Daufenbach

Eduardo Sant'anna Martins

Javier M Ballesteros

An eccentric knob assembly is coupled to a gas valve of a gas appliance. The cooking surface of the gas appliance has an arcuate opening space away from the gas valve. The gas valve can be actuated by rotation of an actuator pin positioned in the arcuate opening that is connected to the knob and the gas valve.

Eccentric knob assembly for gas appliances

A top panel of an appliance defines an appliance profile. A hinge assembly coupled to the appliance and an appliance lid allows the lid to pivot relative to the appliance between a lowered position in which the appliance lid rests horizontally above the appliance and a raised position in which the appliance lid defines a non-horizontal plane away from the appliance allowing access to at least a portion of the appliance. The hinge assembly includes one or more snap fit portions to engage the appliance profile of the appliance, such that the appliance operates as a cam and the one or more snap fit portions operates as a follower when in contact with the cam, thereby slowing the descent of the lid from the raised position to the lowered position by travel of the follower along the cam.

Hinge with soft-close follower

A cooktop grate assembly includes a heat shield having an outer rim and a central plateau region offset from the outer rim by a connecting wall. The central plateau region defines an opening for receiving a burner assembly. A grate is positioned over the heat shield. The grate includes supports that extend over the central plateau region. A gasket is disposed adjacent to the heat shield. The gasket engages at least one of a base of the grate and feet of the supports to retain the grate in position relative to the heat shield.

Cooktop grate assembly

A knob assembly for a gas cooktop may include a knob configured to control a flow of gas from a burner of a cooktop starting at a resting position, the knob defining a hollow interior and having a support cylinder extending vertically through the hollow interior, wherein the support cylinder includes a projection flap protruding therefrom, an inner lock ring arranged at least partially within the hollow interior of the knob and having a chamfered region defining a ring opening adjacent an inclined portion, where the opening is configured to selectively receive the projection flap in response to depression of the knob and where the projection flap slides along the inclined portion in response to subsequent rotation of the knob, the inclined portion imparting frictional resistance on the projection flap to prevent against unintentional rotation of the knob.

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Joinville, Brazil

Rodrigo Tamanini