Oven door

Abstract

An oven door includes an interior panel and an exterior panel. The interior panel faces the heating chamber and has a glass sheet for viewing the heating chamber. The exterior panel is affixed to the interior panel and includes a frame portion formed of plastic defining an aperture aligned with the glass sheet for viewing the heating chamber. A non-opaque panel is fixed relative to the frame portion and extends across the aperture. The non-opaque panel has an inside surface facing the interior panel and the exterior panel has a masking portion formed of plastic and integrally formed with the frame portion. The masking portion extends from the frame portion into the aperture along the inside surface of the non-opaque panel and defines a window for viewing the heating chamber through the glass sheet.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The subject patent application claims priority to and all the benefits of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 371,074 which was filed on Aug. 5, 2010, the entire specification of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to an oven door including an exterior panel formed of plastic.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]An oven door includes an interior panel for sealing a heating chamber of the oven and an exterior panel spaced from the interior panel to provide a layer of insulation, e.g., solid and / or air, between the interior panel and the exterior panel. The exterior panel also aesthetically covers the interior panel.[0006]The exterior panel is typically formed of several metal components that are separately formed and subsequently assembled together. The exterior panel also typically includes a glass pane for viewing ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The present invention also includes an oven door for closing an opening to a heating chamber of an oven. The oven door comprises an interior panel for facing the heating chamber and an exterior panel formed of plastic and having an exterior side for facing away from the heating chamber. The exterior panel presents a pocket defined by a wall extending from the exterior side toward the interior panel and a bottom extending transversely from the wall spaced from the exterior side. A handle has a boss portion extending into the pocket for stabilizing the handle relative to the exterior panel and a gripping portion extending from the boss portion away from the exterior panel for moving the oven door between open and closed positions. The bottom is disposed between the boss portion of the handle and the interior panel. The handle has a post extending from the gripping portion through the boss portion and being connected to the interior panel for coupling the interior panel, the exterior panel, and the handle.

[0012]By forming the frame portion of the exterior panel from plastic, the costs associated with material and manufacturing of the frame portion is advantageously decreased. The manufacturing process of forming the frame portion is more efficient, and thus less costly, by decreasing or eliminating secondary assembly steps. Forming the exterior from plastic also allows the designer more styling freedom because plastic is relatively easy to form into intricate shapes. The plastic of the exterior panel also provides superior insulation to reduce the amount of heat that is transferred to the an exterior side of the exterior panel.

[0013]In addition, the plastic of the frame portion can be advantageously colored. Further, since the plastic is colored, as opposed to being painted, desired coloring of the frame portion is accomplished without secondary steps such as painting, thereby advantageously making the manufacturing process of the exterior panel more efficient and less costly. In addition, since the plastic itself is colored, the coloring is more durable than paint.

[0014]Finally, the interaction between the handle and the exterior panel advantageously increases the stability and durability of the oven door. By receiving the boss portion in the pocket, the exterior panel firmly retains the handle to increase the stability of the handle relative to the exterior panel. Also, since the bottom is disposed between the boss portion and the handle and since the post extends from the handle, the bottom of the exterior panel is retained between the handle and the interior panel when the post is connected to the interior panel. As such, the interior panel, the exterior panel, and the handle are coupled together when the post is connected to the interior panel.

Problems solved by technology

The material cost for manufacturing the metal components and the glass pane is relatively high.

In addition, relatively high manufacturing costs are associated with forming the components and the glass panel separately and subsequently assembling the components and the glass panel.

As such, the exterior panel can be formed of stainless steel to provide this appearance; however, stainless steel is a relatively expensive material thereby increasing the cost to manufacture exterior panels formed of stainless steel.

Such paint adds cost not only for the paint itself but also for manufacturing costs associated with applying the paint to the exterior panel.

The paint is also subject to scratching, chipping, cracking, etc.

As the handle is used over time, the interface between the abutting flat surfaces of the handle and the exterior panel begins to loosen such that the handle wobbles relative to the exterior panel.

Such an occurrence gives an unwanted feel and appearance of low quality.

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