Oven rack assemblies and related methods

Abstract

An oven rack assembly (10, 200) includes an oven rack (12, 212), a subframe (16, 216), and a slide system (14, 214). The subframe (16, 216) includes slide engagement members (48, 50,250) on lateral sides thereof and the slide system (14, 214) includes slide devices (70,270) each having inner and outer members ( 72, 74,74', 74'', 272, 274) movable with respect to one another. The outer members ( 74,74', 74'', 274) each include a plurality of hooks (92, 92', 92'', 94, 94', 94'', 292, 294) configured to receive one of the slide engagement members (48, 50,250) to couple the slide device (70,270) to the subframe (16, 216).

Description

PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727OVEN RACK ASSEMBLIES AND RELATED METHODSCross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] Priority is claimed to United States Provisional Application No. 63 / 767,257, filed March 5, 2025, United States Provisional Application No. 63 / 762,212, filed February 24, 2025, and United States Provisional Application No. 63 / 695,543, filed September 17, 2024, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.Field of the Disclosure

[0002] The present disclosure relates to oven products and, more particularly, to telescopic / extendable oven rack assemblies having retention mechanisms.Background

[0003] Various types of oven racks are well known in the industry. For example, steel wire oven racks are often manufactured from a steel rod which is drawn, so as to form steel wire. These oven racks formed of steel wire products can be coated with various types of materials. Also, oven racks and other oven-related articles can be manufactured from products other than steel. Of course, any type of oven rack or similar product which is positioned within an oven cavity during use must be capable of withstanding normal cooking temperatures. In addition, for ovens which employ self-cleaning cycles, the oven racks and other oven-related articles located within the oven itself must be capable of being subjected to and withstanding temperatures which substantially exceed normal cooking temperatures. For example, steel wire oven racks may be subjected to temperatures above 900° F. associated with self-cleaning cycles, common in today's kitchen ovens.

[0004] In many conventional ovens, the oven racks can have complex assemblies that can be difficult and costly to manufacture and assemble. The oven racks can be movable between various vertically disposed positions and be adjustable among the same. With the oven racks positioned as desired at various vertically adjusted locations, the oven racks often "slide" on ribs or roller bearing mechanisms positioned on the lateral sides of the oven cavity. These ribs, roller bearings or "ledges" may be separately manufactured and assembled components from the surfaces of the oven cavity and oven racks or, alternatively, may be integrated into the lateral surfaces of the oven cavity. Oven rack assemblies can also include a retention mechanism associated with the subframe that engages an outer surface of oven liner to hold the subframe within the oven cavity. Conventional retention mechanisms of this type can include complexPATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 assemblies utilizing spring-biased flippers, cams, and rivets. Further adding to the complexity of these retention mechanisms, each of the components must be able to withstand the expected temperatures within the oven.Summary

[0005] In accordance with a first example, an oven rack assembly is disclosed that includes an oven rack configured to support items within an oven cavity, a subframe configured to engage the oven cavity to support the oven rack assembly therein, and a slide system coupled to the oven rack and the subframe. The subframe includes engagement portions on lateral sides thereof, each engagement portion including a slide engagement member. The slide system is configured to allow the oven rack to be moved relative to the subframe between a retracted position and an extended position and includes a pair of slide devices, each having inner and outer members movable with respect to one another. The outer members each include a plurality of hooks configured to receive one of the slide engagement members to couple the slide device to the subframe.

[0006] In some examples, one or more of the plurality of hooks restrict or prevent decoupling of the slide engagement members. In further examples, the one or more of the plurality of hooks include a resilient prong configured to flex during installation of the slide engagement members; include ends configured to be bent behind the slide engagement member after installation; and / or define one or more tabs within the overhang portion thereof configured to be bent behind the slide engagement member after installation.

[0007] In some examples, the slide engagement members include one or more vertical rods and a top support rod, and the plurality of hooks include one or more longitudinal hooks configured to receive the one or more vertical rods and one or more vertical hooks configured to receive the top support rod. In further examples, the one or more longitudinal hooks open rearwardly or the longitudinal hooks include a front longitudinal hook opening rearwardly and a rear longitudinal hook opening forwardly. In further examples, the one or more vertical hooks open downwardly.

[0008] In some examples, the inner members of the slide devices each include inwardly extending mounts and the oven rack includes a pair of slide brackets coupled on opposite sides of the oven rack, each slide bracket having a plurality of openings to receive the mounts of the inner member of the slide device therethrough to couple the slide device to the rack bracket. In further examples, the mounts of the inner members each include an outwardly extending retention tip and the plurality of openings of each slide bracket comprise a hole and a keyhole;PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 and / or the oven rack includes a wire array and the slide brackets each include a horizontal top plate and a vertical plate depending downwardly from the top plate and defining the hole and keyhole therein, and a flange extending inwardly from the vertical plate and having lateral edges of the wire array coupled thereto.

[0009] In some examples, each engagement portion further comprises an oven engagement member having a downwardly depending movement restrictor configured to engage the oven cavity in a stowed position to restrict movement of the subframe.

[0010] In some examples, the oven rack assembly includes a lock mechanism configured to selectively engage the oven cavity to restrict movement of the oven rack assembly relative to the oven cavity and the slide engagement members of the subframe are configured to accommodate the lock mechanism.

[0011] In accordance with a second example, a method of assembling an oven rack assembly is disclosed that includes coupling a pair of slide devices to opposite sides of an oven rack and coupling the pair of slide devices to slide engagement members on laterals sides of a subframe by inserting the slide engagement members into a plurality of hooks of the slide devices.

[0012] In some examples, inserting the slide engagement members into the plurality of hooks of the slide devices includes inserting top support rods of the slide engagement members into vertical hooks of the slide devices and inserting vertical rods of the slide engagement members into longitudinal hooks of the slide devices. In further examples, after the top support rods of the slide engagement members are inserted into the vertical hooks of the slide devices, inserting the vertical rods of the slide engagement members into the longitudinal hooks of the slide devices includes shifting the subframe forwardly relative to the slide devices to insert the vertical rods into rearwardly oriented openings of the longitudinal hooks of the slide devices; and / or inserting the top support rods of the slide engagement members into the vertical hooks of the slide devices includes shifting the subframe upwardly relative to the slide devices to insert the top support rods into downwardly oriented openings of the vertical hooks of the slide devices. In other examples, inserting the top support rods of the slide engagement members into the vertical hooks of the slide devices and inserting the vertical rods of the slide engagement members into the longitudinal hooks of the slide devices includes shifting the subframe upwardly relative to the slide devices to insert the top support rods into downwardly oriented openings of the vertical hooks of the slide devices and insert the vertical rods into openings of the longitudinal hooks facing one another. In further examples, the method includes restricting or preventing decoupling of the slide engagement members from one or more of the plurality ofPATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 hooks. In yet further examples, restricting or preventing decoupling of the slide engagement members from the one or more of the plurality of hooks comprises at least one of: bending a portion of the one or more of the plurality of hooks behind the slide engagement member after installation or resiliently flexing a prong of the one or more of the plurality of hooks during installation of the slide engagement member.

[0013] In some examples, the method includes coupling a pair of slide brackets to opposite sides of the oven rack and coupling the pair of slide devices to the opposite side of the oven rack includes inserting rear mounts of the slide devices into keyholes of the slide brackets, sliding the slide devices forward, and inserting front mounts of the slide devices into openings aligned with the front mounts when the slide devices are slid forward. In further examples, coupling the pair of slide brackets to the opposite sides of the oven rack includes welding lateral edges of a wire array of the oven rack to the slide brackets.

[0014] In some examples, the method includes coupling locking mechanisms to the pair of slide devices.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first example oven rack assembly including an oven rack, a slide system, and a subframe showing the oven rack assembly in an extended position in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the oven rack assembly of Fig. 1 showing the oven rack assembly in a stored position in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0017] Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the oven rack assembly of Fig. 1 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the subframe of the oven rack assembly of Fig. 1 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a slide device and slide bracket for the oven rack assembly of Fig. 1 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0020] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a first example slide device for the oven rack assembly of Fig. 1 showing hooks for engagement with a subframe in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig. 7 is a side plan view of the slide device of Fig. 6 showing a subframe coupled thereto and tabs bent for restriction of the subframe in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727

[0022] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the slide device and subframe of Fig. 7 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0023] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a second example slide device for the oven rack assembly of Fig. 1 showing hooks for engagement with a subframe in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0024] Fig. 10 is a side plan view of the slide device of Fig. 9 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 11 is a side plan view of the slide device of Fig. 9 showing a subframe coupled thereto and vertical hooks bent for restriction of the subframe in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the slide device and subframe of Fig. 11 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 13 is a side plan view of a third example slide device for the oven rack assembly of Fig. 1 showing hooks for engagement with a subframe in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the slide device of Fig. 13 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig. 15 is a side plan view of the slide device of Fig. 13 showing a subframe coupled thereto and vertical hooks bent for restriction of the subframe in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0030] Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the slide device and subframe of Fig. 15 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0031] Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a subframe and a liner for an oven showing sequential installation steps in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the oven rack assembly of Fig. 1 installed within a liner for an oven in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a second example oven rack assembly including an oven rack, a slide system, and a subframe showing the oven rack assembly in an extended position in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0034] Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the oven rack assembly of Fig. 19 showing the oven rack assembly in a retracted position in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig. 21 is a side plan view of the oven rack assembly of Fig. 20 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727Detailed Description

[0036] An improved oven rack assembly is described herein that has an easier, faster, and less expensive assembly process than conventional retention assemblies. The assembly includes an oven rack with brackets coupled to inner members of a slide system and a subframe having a slide engagement member coupled to outer members of the slide system.

[0037] The slide devices can be connected to the brackets mounted or otherwise coupled to lateral sides of the oven rack using inwardly extending mounts that extend through openings defined in the inner brackets. Thereafter, the slide devices, with the oven rack coupled thereto, can be coupled to the sub-frame via hook connections of the outer members of the slide devices. The outer member hook connections allow a portion of the subframe to be easily inserted therein, with the connections combining to restrict movement of the subframe relative to the outer members. This assembly process allows easy assembly despite the rigid structure of the components being assembled.

[0038] As shown in Figs. 1-16, an example oven rack assembly 10 includes an oven rack 12, a slide system 14, and a subframe 16. The oven rack 12 and the subframe 16 are coupled to the slide system 14 to be moveable relative to one another.

[0039] In some examples, the oven rack 12 includes a wire array 18 and slide brackets 20 coupled to lateral edges of the wire array 18. The wire array 18 forms a surface area 22 of the oven rack 12. To support items to be cooked or otherwise heated within an oven, the wire array 18 includes a lattice of overlapping wires extending across the surface area 22. For example, the wire array 18 can include a series of parallel and spaced apart longitudinal wires 24 that are configured to extend along a direction between the rear and front of an oven and at least two, three, or more cross or lateral wires 26. By one approach, the wire array 18 can have a continuous outer border that includes lateral and longitudinal portions with the sides thereof welded or otherwise secured to the slide brackets 20. By another approach, ends of the lateral wires 26 may be welded or otherwise secured to the slide brackets 20. Additionally, ends of the longitudinal wires 24 may be welded or otherwise secured to the lateral wires 26. Arrays of members having other shapes and / or cross-sections, as well as one or more sheets of planar material can alternative be utilized.

[0040] Each slide bracket 20 has a main body (see, e.g., Fig. 5) with an inverted L-shaped vertical cross-section with a horizontally disposed top portion or plate 28 and a vertically disposed side portion or plate 30. As shown, the slide bracket 20 may also include a front face portion 32 disposed at a forward end of the slide bracket 20 to restrict rearward movement of the slide bracket 20 relative to the components of the slide assembly 14. The slide bracket 20 isPATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 welded or otherwise secured to the wire array 18. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the slide bracket 20 can include an inwardly extending flange 34 to which portions of the wire array 18 are welded or otherwise secured. For example, ends of some or all of the lateral wires 26 of the oven rack 12 can be welded to the flange 34. In this manner, when the oven rack 12 is moved between retracted and extended positions, the slide bracket 20 will move in unison with the wire array 18. Additionally, the slide bracket 20 provides support for the wire array 18.

[0041] If desired, a handle 36 can be formed at a front 38 of the wire array 18. The handle 36 can be defined by shortened longitudinal wires 22 that do not fully extend to the front 38 of the wire array 18 and a reduced width lateral wire 40 that does not extend fully between sides of the wire array 18. With this configuration, the reduced width lateral wire 40, adjacent full length longitudinal wires 22, and the lateral wire 24 forming the front 38 of the wire array 18 define an opening for the handle 36 extending through the surface area 20. Additionally, if desired, the oven rack 12 can also include a backstop 42 that is coupled to the lateral wire 24 forming a rear of the wire array 18 and extends upwardly therefrom. The backstop 42 can provide a stop for items being placed on the oven rack 12 to ensure the items are fully supported by the oven rack 12.

[0042] Details of the subframe 16 are shown in Fig. 4. The subframe 16 has a generally rectangular shape with a central portion 44 and lateral engagement portions 46. As shown, the engagement portions 46 each include a lower, oven engagement member 48 and an upper, slide engagement member 50. The oven engagement member 48 includes a downwardly depending movement restrictor 52 for retaining the subframe 16, and the oven rack assembly 10, in an installed, stowed position within an oven cavity. For example, the movement restrictors 52 can be configured to engage a liner or other structure of an oven cavity after the subframe 16 has been installed within the oven cavity to thereby retain the subframe 16 in the stowed position and can also function to restrict an installation depth for the subframe 16 that corresponds to the subframe 16 being in the stowed position within the oven cavity. It will be understood that the subframe 16 can be provided with the upper slide engagement member 50 with other suitable central portions and / or mechanisms or structure for engagement with an oven.

[0043] In the illustrated form, the subframe 16 includes front and rear cross or lateral wires 54, 56 to form the front and rear of the central portion 44 of the subframe 16, with the engagement portions 46 forming the sides of the subframe 16. Further, the engagement portions 46 each include a wire forming the oven engagement member 48 and another wire forming the slide engagement member 50. Ends of the lateral wires 54, 56 and ends of thePATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 wires forming the slide engagement members 50 are welded or otherwise secured to the wires forming the oven engagement members 48.

[0044] For example, the oven engagement members 48 can each include a downwardly depending stop 58 configured to engage structure (Figs. 13 and 14) of the oven when the subframe 16 is fully inserted into the oven to restrict further movement into the oven, front and rear horizontal base portions 60, 62 that extend longitudinally and are configured to engage and rest on structure of an oven cavity (e.g., an oven liner rib) to support the oven rack assembly 10 within the oven cavity, the movement restrictor 52, and an anti-tip feature 64.

[0045] Each wire of the oven engagement members 48 and slide engagement members 50 has one or more bends formed therein to create the structures shown. As shown in Fig. 4, the oven engagement members 48 each include, from front to back, the stop 58, the front horizontal base portion 60, the movement restrictor 52, the rear horizontal base portion 62, and the anti-tip feature 64. The slide engagement members 50 have a U-shaped configuration with a top support rod 66 spaced upwardly from the oven engagement member 48 by vertical rods or portions 68. The support rod 66 extends longitudinally to engage and be coupled to the slide system 14, as discussed below.

[0046] With reference to Figs. 5-16, the slide system 14 includes slide devices 70, such as ball bearing slide devices, positioned at opposing sides of the assembly 10. The slide devices 70, as shown in Figs. 8, 12, and 16, for example, include inner, outer, and middle members 72, 74, 74’, 74”, 75 that are movable with respect to one another. In one example, the members 72, 74, 74’, 74”, 75 at least partially nest together, where the inner and outer members 72, 74, 74’, 74” include an upper portion 76, a side portion 78, and a lower portion 80. The middle member 75 includes outwardly extending upper portions 77, a vertical middle portion 79, and outwardly extending lower portions 81. Ball bearings 82 are disposed between the upper portions 76, 77 of the members 72, 74, 74’, 74”, 75 and between the lower portions 80, 81 of the members 72, 74, 74’, 74”, 75 to thereby allow the members 72, 74, 74’, 74” to be easily moved relative to one another. An interior support 84 can also be disposed between the members 72, 74, 74’, 74”, 75 and coupled to the ball bearings 82 to aid in maintaining the sliding coupling between the members 72, 74, 74’, 74”, 75 during full extension, an example of which is shown in Fig. 1 .

[0047] As shown, the inner member 72 is secured to the slide bracket 20 and the outer member 74 is configured to couple to the slide engagement member 50 of the subframe 16 to thereby couple all of the components of the oven rack assembly 10 together.

[0048] In one example, as shown in Fig. 5, the inner member 72 includes two inwardly extending mounts 86, which can be any suitable structure, such as screws, rivets, pins, posts,PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 etc., and the slide bracket 20 includes corresponding openings, such as a corresponding rear keyhole 88 and an opening 90 as shown. The keyhole 88 is horizontally oriented with the large portion thereof rearwardly and the relatively smaller portion forwardly. In the example of the slide bracket 20 having the inverted L-shaped vertical cross-section described above, the keyhole 88 and opening 90 can be defined through the vertical portion or plate 30. In the illustrated form, the keyhole 88 is disposed forwardly of the opening 90. The opposite configuration could alternative be utilized.

[0049] With this configuration, the front mount 86 can be inserted into the large portion of the keyhole 88 and slid into the small portion of the keyhole 88, which aligns the rear mount 86 with the rear opening 90. By inserting the rear mount 86 into the rear opening 90, the slide bracket 20 is connected to the inner member 72. Additionally, the mounts 86 of the inner member 72 can include an outwardly extending retention tip, such as that with a fastener head or other flange, such that the mount 86 cannot be extracted through the smaller forward portion of the keyhole 88 and retraction is restricted through the front opening 90 by virtue of the mount 86 resting on an edge of the opening 90 and the retention tip overlapping the bracket 20 after being fully inserted therethrough. As shown, the mounts 86 are spaced along a longitudinal length of the inner member 72. Additional mounts and holes can be utilized as desired or required for a particular application.

[0050] Figs. 7-16 illustrate two example configurations for the outer member 74, 74’, 74” to couple to the slide engagement member 50 of the subframe 16. In the first example of Figs. 7-9, the outer member 74 includes one or more longitudinal hooks 92 configured to engage one of the vertical rods 68 of the slide engagement member 50 to restrict longitudinal movement of the subframe 16 relative to the outer member 74 and one or more vertical hooks 94 having a downwardly oriented opening to engage the top support rod 66 of the slide engagement member 50 to restrict vertical movement of the subframe 16 relative to the outer member 74. In the illustrated form, the outer member 74 includes front and rear longitudinal hooks 92 having a rearwardly oriented opening, such that the subframe 16 can be slid forwardly to couple thereto. Further, the outer member 74 includes two vertical hooks 94 to provide horizontal support for the slide assembly 14 at a plurality of locations along the depth thereof.

[0051] One or more of the hooks 92, 94 can also be configured to prevent or restrict the slide engagement member 50 from dislodging or uncoupling therefrom. For example, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, at least one longitudinal hook 92 can prevent or restrict longitudinal movement of the slide engagement member 50 for disassembly (e.g., rearwardly) and at least one verticalPATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 hook 94 can prevent or restrict vertical movement of the slide engagement member 50 for disassembly (e.g., downwardly).

[0052] In the illustrated form, the rear longitudinal hook 92 can have a bent configuration or prong 96 that reduces the width of the opening into the hook 92, such that the hook 92 is flexed during installation of the vertical rod 68 (e.g., a resilient clip) and thereafter resiliency returned to shape so that the prong 96 is within the removal path of the vertical rod 68. Of course, the front longitudinal hook 92 can alternatively or additionally have a similar configuration.

[0053] Moreover, one or more of the vertical hooks 94 can include an inwardly protruding tab 98 that is disposed within the removal path of the support rod 66 after it has been inserted into the hook 94. The tab 98 is defined in the portion of the hook 94 overhanging the rest of the outer member 74. For example, the tab 98 can be cut into material forming the hook 94. The tab 98 can be flexed as with the above prong 96 or can be bent after the support rod 66 is received within the hook 94. Further, the tab 98 can be a single tab or two or more spaced portions as desired.

[0054] It will be understood that the above description is one example. In other examples, the hooks 92, 94 can have either of the above configurations. Additionally, the hooks 92, 94 can take any suitable form, including having curved walls, planar walls, and / or combinations thereof. The hooks 92, 94 that do not restrict removal can have dimensions sufficient to freely move the slide engagement member 50 relative thereto.

[0055] In the second example of Figs. 10-12, the outer member 74’ includes one or more longitudinal hooks 92’ configured similarly to the above example to engage the vertical rods 68 of the slide engagement member 50 to restrict longitudinal movement of the oven rack 12 relative to the outer member 74’. The outer member 74’ further includes one or more vertical hooks 94’ that have a downwardly oriented opening to engage the support rod 66 of the slide engagement member 50 to restrict vertical movement of the oven rack 12 relative to the outer member 74’. In the illustrated form, the longitudinal hooks 92’ have a rearwardly oriented opening, such that the oven rack 12 can be slid forwardly to couple thereto. Further, the outer member 74’ includes two or more vertical hooks 94’ to provide horizontal support for the slide assembly 14 at a plurality of locations along the depth thereof.

[0056] One or more of the hooks 92’, 94’ can also be configured to prevent or restrict the slide engagement member 50 from dislodging therefrom. For example, as shown in Figs. 10-12, at least one longitudinal hook 92’ can prevent or restrict longitudinal movement of the slide engagement member 50 for disassembly (e.g., rearwardly) and at least one vertical hook 94’PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 can prevent or restrict vertical movement of the slide engagement member 50 for disassembly (e.g., downwardly).

[0057] In the illustrated form, the rear longitudinal hook 92’ can have a bent configuration or prong 96’ (e.g., a clip) that reduces the width of the opening into the hook 92’, such that the hook 92’ is flexed during installation of the vertical rod 68 and thereafter resiliently returned to shape so that the prong 96’ is within the removal path of the vertical rod 68. The front longitudinal hook 92’ can alternatively or additionally have a similar configuration.

[0058] Moreover, one or more of the vertical hooks 94’ can have a bent or reduced width end 98’ that is disposed within the removal path of the support rod 66 after it has been inserted into the hook 94’. The bent end 98’ can be flexed as with the above prong 96’ or can be bent after the support rod 66 is received within the hook 94’. In the illustrated form, both vertical hooks 94’ include a bent end 98’.

[0059] It will be understood that the above description is one example. In other examples, the hooks 92’, 94’ can have either of the above configurations. Additionally, the hooks 92’, 94’ can take any suitable form, including having curved walls, planar walls, and / or combinations thereof. The hooks 92’, 94’ that do not restrict removal can have dimensions sufficient to freely move the slide engagement member 50 relative thereto.

[0060] In the third example of Figs. 13-16, the outer member 74” includes one or more longitudinal hooks 92” configured to engage the vertical rods 68 of the slide engagement member 50 to restrict longitudinal movement of the oven rack 12 relative to the outer member 74”. The outer member 74” further includes one or more vertical hooks 94” that have a downwardly oriented opening to engage the support rod 66 of the slide engagement member 50 to restrict vertical movement of the oven rack 12 relative to the outer member 74”. In the illustrated form, the longitudinal hooks 92” open towards one another. Stated another way, the front longitudinal hook 92” opens rearwardly and the rear longitudinal hook 92” opens forwardly. With this configuration, the oven rack 12 can be slid upwardly to simultaneously insert the vertical rods 68 of the slide engagement member 50 into the longitudinal hooks 92” and then into the one or more vertical hooks 94” to couple thereto. As shown, the outer member 74’ includes two or more vertical hooks 94’ to provide horizontal support for the slide assembly 14 at a plurality of locations along the depth thereof.

[0061] One or more of the hooks 92”, 94” can also be configured to prevent or restrict the slide engagement member 50 from dislodging therefrom. For example, as shown in Fig. 15, at least one longitudinal hook 92” can prevent or restrict longitudinal movement of the slide engagement member 50 for disassembly (e.g., rearwardly) and at least one vertical hook 94”PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 can prevent or restrict vertical movement of the slide engagement member 50 for disassembly (e.g., downwardly).

[0062] In the illustrated form, ends of hooks 92”, 94” can be bent around portions of the slide engagement member 50 after installation of the slide engagement member 50 to reduce the width of the opening into the hook 92”, 94” to be less than a width of the rod 66, 50. Bending can be performed by any suitable process, including a plunger, a manual process, and so forth. In some examples, all of the hooks 92”, 94” can have a similar bent configuration. Alternatively, one or more of the hooks 92”, 94” can have a reduced width configuration as described with regard to other examples herein.

[0063] It will be understood that the above description is one example. In other examples, the hooks 92”, 94” can have either of the above configurations (e.g., an end or tab bent before or after installation). Additionally, the hooks 92”, 94” can take any suitable form, including having curved walls, planar walls, and / or combinations thereof. The hooks 92”, 94” that do not restrict removal can have dimensions sufficient to freely move the slide engagement member 50 relative thereto.

[0064] A method of assembling the example oven rack assemblies 10 described herein can include coupling the slide brackets 20 to opposite lateral sides of the wire array 18. The brackets 20 can be coupled by any suitable mechanism, including welding, fasteners, e.g., rivets, screws, bolts, etc.

[0065] The slide devices 70 are first coupled to the slide brackets 20. With the above configuration, this process can include inserting rear mounts 86 of the slide devices 70 into the keyholes 88 of the slide brackets 20, sliding the slide devices 70 forward so that the rear mounts 86 seat within the relatively smaller portion of the keyholes 88, and inserting front mounts 86 of the slide devices 70 into the front openings 90, which becomes aligned when the slide devices 70 are slid forward.

[0066] The slide devices 70 are then coupled to the subframe 16 by coupling the slide engagement members 50 of the subframe 16 with a plurality of hooks (e.g., the hooks 92, 92’, 92”, 94, 94’, 94”) of the slide devices 70. First, the support rod 66 is inserted into the vertical hooks 94, 94’, 94” with the vertical rods 68 offset from the longitudinal hooks 92, 92’, 92”. For example, this can include positioning the support rod 66 underneath the vertical hooks 94, 94’, 94” and moving the subframe 16 upwardly relative to the slide device 70. Thereafter, the subframe 16 is slid longitudinal (e.g., forwardly) to insert the vertical rods 68 into the longitudinal hooks 92, 92’, 92”. As discussed above, one, two, or more of the hooks 92, 92’, 92”, 94, 94’, 94” can be configured to resiliently flex during coupling, such that the hooks 92, 92’, 92”, 94, 94’, 94”PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 automatically prevent or restrict uncoupling of the subframe 16 from the slide device 70. Alternatively, or additionally, the method can include bending or otherwise deforming one, two, or more of the hooks 92, 92’, 92”, 94, 94’, 94” to prevent or restrict uncoupling of the subframe 16 from the slide device 70 after installation thereto.

[0067] After the oven rack assembly 10 has been fully assembled, the assembly 10 can be installed and removed from an oven. In some examples, the oven includes protruding structure for the oven rack assembly 10 to rest on. In the illustrated form, the oven includes a liner 100 having protruding ribs 102 to engage the subframe 16 during installation and use. The ribs 102 include a concave or V-shaped recess 104 sized to receive the movement restrictor 52 therein after the subframe 16 is fully installed. The installation process for the subframe 16, and the rest of the oven rack assembly 10 coupled thereto, is shown in Fig. 17. As shown, the oven rack assembly 10 is first angled downwardly into the oven liner 100 to maneuver the anti-tip feature 64 around the recess 104 of the rib 102 and subsequently slightly angled to maneuver the movement restrictor 52 into the recess 104 of the rib 102. Full installation of the subframe 16 into the oven liner 100 corresponds to the stop 58 abutting the front of the rib 102.

[0068] As shown in Figs. 19-21 , a second example oven rack assembly 200 includes an oven rack 212, a slide system 214, a subframe 216, and a locking mechanism 217 configured to selectively engage structure of an oven to restrict movement (e.g., pulling the oven rack assembly 200 out of the oven) of the assembly 200 relative to oven. The oven rack 212 and the subframe 216 are coupled to the slide system 214 to be moveable relative to one another.

[0069] In some examples, the oven rack 212 has the same configuration as the oven rack 212 described above, including a wire array 218 and slide brackets 220 coupled to lateral edges of the wire array 218. To support items to be cooked or otherwise heated within an oven, the wire array 218 includes a lattice of overlapping wires. Further, the slide brackets 220 include a similarly configured horizontally disposed top portion or plate 228, vertically disposed side portion or plate 230, and a front face portion 232 disposed at a forward end of the slide bracket 220 to restrict rearward movement of the slide bracket 220 relative to the components of the slide assembly 214. The slide bracket 220 is welded or otherwise secured to the wire array 218, such as with an inwardly extending flange 234.

[0070] Details of the subframe 216 are shown in Figs. 19-21 . The subframe 216 has a generally rectangular shape with a central portion 244 and lateral engagement portions 246. As shown, the engagement portions 246 each include a lower, oven engagement member 248 and an upper, slide engagement member 250. In the illustrated form, the subframe 216 includesPATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 front and rear cross or lateral wires 254, 256 to form the front and rear of the central portion 244 of the subframe 216, with the engagement portions 246 forming the sides of the subframe 216.

[0071] The oven engagement members 248 include a horizontal base portion 260 that extends longitudinally and is configured to engage and rest on structure of an oven cavity (e.g., an oven liner rib) to support the oven rack assembly 210 within the oven cavity, a front stop 252, and a rear anti-tip feature 264.

[0072] The slide engagement members 250 have front and rear engagement portions 263, 265, each with an inverted U-shape having a top support rod 266 spaced upwardly from the oven engagement member 248 by vertical rods or portions 268. The support rod 266 extends longitudinally to engage and be coupled to the slide system 214, as discussed below. The slide engagement members 250 further include a middle portion 267 disposed between the front and rear engagement portions 263, 265. The middle portion 267 has a ll-shaped configuration with a lower rod 269 spaced downwardly from the support rod 266 of the engagement portions 263, 265 and extending between the middle ones of the vertical rods 268. The lower rod 269 can be aligned with or be disposed vertically below the base portion 260 of the oven engagement member 248, as shown in Fig. 21 . This area defined by the middle portion 267 allows the slide engagement members 250 to couple to slide system 214, while also providing clearance for the locking mechanism 217 between the front and rear engagement portions 263, 265.

[0073] The slide system 214 includes slide devices 270, such as ball bearing slide devices, positioned at opposing sides of the assembly 210. The slide devices 270 include inner and outer member 272, 274 and a middle member (not shown) that are movable with respect to one another. The inner, outer, and middle members 272, 274 can have any of the above configurations described above with respect to the inner, outer, and middle members 72, 74, 74’, 74”, 75. For example, the inner member 272 is secured to the slide bracket 220 and the outer member 274 is configured to couple to the slide engagement member 250 of the subframe 216 to thereby couple all of the components of the oven rack assembly 210 together.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 21 , the outer member 274 includes one or more longitudinal hooks 292 configured to engage front and rear vertical rods 268 of the slide engagement member 250 to restrict longitudinal movement of the oven rack 212 relative to the outer member 274. The outer member 274 further includes one or more vertical hooks 294 that have a downwardly oriented opening to engage the top support rods 266 of the front and rear engagement portions 263, 265 of the slide engagement member 250 to restrict vertical movement of the oven rack 212 relative to the outer member 274. In the illustrated form, the longitudinal hooks 292 open towards one another. Stated another way, the front longitudinal hook 292 opens rearwardly andPATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 the rear longitudinal hook 292 opens forwardly. With this configuration, the oven rack 212 can be slid upwardly to simultaneously insert the vertical rods 268 of the slide engagement member 250 into the longitudinal hooks 292 and then into the one or more vertical hooks 294 to couple thereto. As shown, the outer member 274 includes two or more vertical hooks 294 to provide horizontal support for the slide assembly 214 at a plurality of locations along the depth thereof.

[0075] One or more of the hooks 292, 294 can also be configured to prevent or restrict the slide engagement member 250 from dislodging therefrom. For example, at least one longitudinal hook 292 can prevent or restrict longitudinal movement of the slide engagement member 250 for disassembly (e.g., rearwardly) and at least one vertical hook 294 can prevent or restrict vertical movement of the slide engagement member 250 for disassembly (e.g., downwardly).

[0076] In the illustrated form, ends of hooks 292, 294 can be bent around portions of the slide engagement member 250 after installation of the slide engagement member 250 to reduce the width of the opening into the hook 292, 294 to be less than a width of the rod 266, 250. Bending can be performed by any suitable process, including a plunger, a manual process, and so forth. In some examples, all of the hooks 292, 294 can have a similar bent configuration. Alternatively, one or more of the hooks 292, 294 can have a reduced width configuration as described with regard to other examples herein.

[0077] It will be understood that the above description is one example. In other examples, the hooks 292, 294 can have either of the above configurations (e.g., an end or tab bent before or after installation). Additionally, the hooks 292, 294 can take any suitable form, including having curved walls, planar walls, and / or combinations thereof. The hooks 292, 294 that do not restrict removal can have dimensions sufficient to freely move the slide engagement member 250 relative thereto.

[0078] Details of the locking mechanism 217 are shown in Figs. 19 and 20. The locking mechanism 217 can have any suitable configuration for engaging an oven structure, such as an oven liner, to restrict movement of the assembly 210 within the oven. In some examples, the locking mechanism 217 can be spring-loaded to bias an engagement member 219 outwardly. The locking mechanism 217 can also include a cam member 221 that slides along the engagement member 219 when the parts of the slide devices 270 are moved relative to one another. For example, the engagement member 219 can be pivotably coupled to the outer member 274 of the slide device 270 and the cam member 221 can be coupled to the inner member 272, such that the cam member 221 causes the engagement member 219 to pivot inwardly to extend along the outer member 274 when the assembly 210 is in the retractedPATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 position and a spring 273 causes the engagement member 219 to pivot outwardly to engage the oven when the assembly 210 is in the extended position. It will be understood that the locking mechanism shown in Figs. 19-21 is one example and that other suitable examples can be utilized with the slide system 214 and subframe 216 described herein.

[0079] The terms “substantially," "approximately," and “about” used throughout this Specification are used to describe and account for small fluctuations, such as due to variations in processing. For example, they can refer to less than or equal to ±5%, such as less than or equal to ±2%, such as less than or equal to ±1 %, such as less than or equal to ±0.5%, such as less than or equal to ±0.2%, such as less than or equal to ±0.1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.05%.

[0080] The foregoing description is provided to enable a person skilled in the art to practice the various configurations described herein. While the subject technology has been particularly described with reference to the various figures and configurations, it should be understood that these are for illustration purposes only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the subject technology. It will be appreciated that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and / or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments.

[0081] The same reference numbers may be used to describe like or similar parts. Further, while several examples have been disclosed herein, any features from any examples may be combined with or replaced by other features from other examples. Moreover, while several examples have been disclosed herein, changes may be made to the disclosed examples without departing from the scope of the claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.

Claims

PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727What is Claimed is:1 . An oven rack assembly comprising: an oven rack configured to support items within an oven cavity; a subframe configured to engage the oven cavity to support the oven rack assembly therein, the subframe comprising engagement portions on lateral sides thereof, each engagement portion comprising a slide engagement member; and a slide system coupled to the oven rack and the subframe, the slide system configured to allow the oven rack to be moved relative to the subframe between a retracted position and an extended position, the slide system comprising a pair of slide devices, each having inner and outer members movable with respect to one another, wherein the outer members each comprise a plurality of hooks configured to receive one of the slide engagement members to couple the slide device to the subframe.

2. The oven rack assembly of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of hooks restrict or prevent decoupling of the slide engagement members.

3. The oven rack assembly of claim 2, wherein the one or more of the plurality of hooks comprise a resilient prong configured to flex during installation of the slide engagement members.

4. The oven rack assembly of claim 2 or 3, wherein the one or more of the plurality of hooks comprise ends configured to be bent behind the slide engagement member after installation.

5. The oven rack assembly of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the one or more of the plurality of hooks define one or more tabs within the overhang portion thereof configured to be bent behind the slide engagement member after installation.

6. The oven rack assembly of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the slide engagement members comprise one or more vertical rods and a top support rod, and the plurality of hooks comprise one or more longitudinal hooks configured to receive the one or more vertical rods and one or more vertical hooks configured to receive the top support rod.PATENT APPLICATION 30018 / 707277. The oven rack assembly of claim 6, wherein the one or more longitudinal hooks open rearward ly.

8. The oven rack assembly of claim 6, wherein the one or more longitudinal hooks comprise a front longitudinal hook and a rear longitudinal hook, the front longitudinal hook opening rearwardly and the rear longitudinal hook opening forwardly.

9. The oven rack assembly of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the one or more vertical hooks open downwardly.

10. The oven rack assembly of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein each engagement portion further comprises an oven engagement member having a downwardly depending movement restrictor configured to engage the oven cavity in a stowed position to restrict movement of the subframe.1 1 . The oven rack assembly of any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a lock mechanism configured to selectively engage the oven cavity to restrict movement of the oven rack assembly relative to the oven cavity; and wherein the slide engagement members of the subframe are configured to accommodate the lock mechanism.

12. The oven rack assembly of any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the inner members of the slide devices each include inwardly extending mounts; and wherein the oven rack further comprises a pair of slide brackets coupled on opposite sides of the oven rack, each slide bracket having a plurality of openings to receive the mounts of the inner member of the slide device therethrough to couple the slide device to the rack bracket.

13. The oven rack assembly of claim 12, wherein the mounts of the inner members each comprise an outwardly extending retention tip; and the plurality of openings of each slide bracket comprise a hole and a keyhole.

14. The oven rack assembly of claim 12 or 13, wherein the oven rack comprises a wire array; and the slide brackets each comprise a horizontal top plate and a vertical plate depending downwardly from the top plate and defining the hole and keyhole therein, and a flangePATENT APPLICATION30018 / 70727 extending inwardly from the vertical plate and having lateral edges of the wire array coupled thereto.

15. The oven rack assembly of claim 14, wherein the slide brackets each further comprise a front wall extending forwardly of the respective slide device.

16. A method of assembling an oven rack assembly, the method comprising: coupling a pair of slide devices to opposite sides of an oven rack; and coupling the pair of slide devices to slide engagement members on laterals sides of a subframe by inserting the slide engagement members into a plurality of hooks of the slide devices.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein inserting the slide engagement members into the plurality of hooks of the slide devices comprises inserting top support rods of the slide engagement members into vertical hooks of the slide devices and inserting vertical rods of the slide engagement members into longitudinal hooks of the slide devices.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, after the top support rods of the slide engagement members are inserted into the vertical hooks of the slide devices, inserting the vertical rods of the slide engagement members into the longitudinal hooks of the slide devices comprises shifting the subframe forwardly relative to the slide devices to insert the vertical rods into rearwardly oriented openings of the longitudinal hooks of the slide devices.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein inserting the top support rods of the slide engagement members into the vertical hooks of the slide devices comprises shifting the subframe upwardly relative to the slide devices to insert the top support rods into downwardly oriented openings of the vertical hooks of the slide devices.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein inserting the top support rods of the slide engagement members into the vertical hooks of the slide devices and inserting the vertical rods of the slide engagement members into the longitudinal hooks of the slide devices comprises shifting the subframe upwardly relative to the slide devices to insert the top support rods into downwardly oriented openings of the vertical hooks of the slide devices and insert the vertical rods into openings of the longitudinal hooks facing one another.PATENT APPLICATION30018 / 7072721. The method of any one of claims 16 to 20, further comprising restricting or preventing decoupling of the slide engagement members from one or more of the plurality of hooks.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein restricting or preventing decoupling of the slide engagement members from the one or more of the plurality of hooks comprises bending a portion of the one or more of the plurality of hooks behind the slide engagement member after installation.

23. The method of claim 21 or 22, wherein restricting or preventing decoupling of the slide engagement members from the one or more of the plurality of hooks comprises resiliently flexing a prong of the one or more of the plurality of hooks during installation of the slide engagement member.

24. The method of any one of claims 16 to 23, further comprising coupling a pair of slide brackets to opposite sides of the oven rack; and wherein coupling the pair of slide devices to the opposite side of the oven rack comprises inserting rear mounts of the slide devices into keyholes of the slide brackets, sliding the slide devices forward, and inserting front mounts of the slide devices into openings aligned with the front mounts when the slide devices are slid forward.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein coupling the pair of slide brackets to the opposite sides of the oven rack comprises welding lateral edges of a wire array of the oven rack to the slide brackets.

26. The method of any one of claims 16 to 25, further comprising coupling locking mechanisms to the pair of slide devices.

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