Oven rack assemblies and methods of use

Abstract

An oven rack assembly and method of use includes an oven rack configured to support items to be cooked or otherwise heated within an oven cavity, a slide system coupled to the oven rack, and a subframe coupled to the slide system. The slide system is configured to move the oven rack between a retracted position and an extended position where the oven rack has moved forwardly relative to the retracted position. The subframe includes lateral support portions, where each of the support portions include an integral, downwardly depending movement restrictor for retaining the subframe in a stowed position within an oven cavity.

1 . An oven rack assembly comprising:
 an oven rack configured to support items to be cooked or otherwise heated within an oven cavity;   a slide system coupled to the oven rack and configured to move the oven rack between a retracted position and an extended position where the oven rack has moved forwardly relative to the retracted position;   a subframe coupled to the slide system, the subframe comprising lateral support portions, each of the support portions including an integral, downwardly depending movement restrictor for retaining the subframe in a stowed position within an oven cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the movement restrictors are further for restricting an installation depth for the subframe corresponding to the subframe being in the stowed position within an oven cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support portions each comprise a wire body, the movement restrictor being at least a portion of the wire body. 
     
     
         4 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the wire bodies include one or more base portions for supporting the subframe on a structure of an oven cavity, the movement restrictors disposed below the one or more base portions. 
     
     
         5 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the wire bodies further include one or more slide supports extending laterally inwardly relative to the base portions, the slide system coupled to the slide supports. 
     
     
         6 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the subframe comprises an outer wire frame including front, rear, and side wires, the outer wire frame forming the support portions. 
     
     
         7 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the subframe further comprises longitudinal wires extending between the front and rear wires of the outer wire frame. 
     
     
         8 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the subframe, other than the movement restrictors thereof, is planar. 
     
     
         9 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the movement restrictors have a trapezoidal configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support portions comprise a front foot and a rear foot, the movement restrictor being at least a portion of the front foot. 
     
     
         11 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the front foot and the rear foot each include aligned base portions for supporting the subframe on a structure of an oven cavity, the movement restrictor disposed below the base portions. 
     
     
         12 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the movement restrictors are formed from a wire member comprising an angled portion extending downwardly the base portion and a horizontal portion extending rearwardly from the angled portion. 
     
     
         13 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the rear foot includes an anti-tip portion extending upwardly from the base portion thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the subframe comprises:
 spaced longitudinal wires;   a front lateral wire coupled to front ends of the longitudinal wires;   a rear lateral wire coupled to rear ends of the longitudinal wires;   wherein the front feet are coupled to ends of the front lateral wire and the rear feet are coupled to ends of the rear lateral wire.   
     
     
         15 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the slide system is coupled to the ends of the front and rear lateral wires. 
     
     
         16 . The oven rack assembly  claim 14 , wherein the front and rear feet further include one or more slide supports extending laterally inwardly relative to the base portions thereof, the slide system coupled to the slide supports. 
     
     
         17 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the subframe is configured for use within an oven cavity having a liner with opposing liner ribs with a concave or gap portion. 
     
     
         18 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the movement resistors of the support portions include forwardly facing surfaces configured to engage interior surfaces of the concave or gap portions of the liner ribs of the oven cavity to thereby retain the subframe in the stowed position. 
     
     
         19 . The oven rack assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the movement resistors have a depth configured to span an interior of the concave or gap portions of the liner ribs of the oven cavity and include rearwardly facing surfaces configured to engage the interior surfaces of the concave or gap portions of the liner ribs of the oven cavity to thereby restrict the installation depth for the subframe corresponding to the subframe being in the stowed position within the oven cavity. 
     
     
         20 . A method for using an oven rack assembly comprising an oven rack, a slide system coupled to the oven rack, and a subframe coupled to the slide system, the method comprising:
 installing the oven rack assembly within an oven cavity;   pulling the oven rack outwardly from the oven cavity, the oven rack moving relative to the subframe via slide system;   retaining the subframe in a stowed position within the oven cavity by downwardly-depending movement resistors of the subframe engaging structure of the oven cavity.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein retaining the subframe in the stowed position within the oven cavity comprises the movement resistors engaging interior surfaces of concave or gap portions of liner ribs on which the oven rack is resting. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein installing the oven rack assembly within the oven cavity comprises sliding the oven rack assembly into the oven cavity until the movement resistors are received within the concave or gap portions of the liner ribs and adjacent portions of the subframe rest on the liner ribs. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising restricting an installation depth for the subframe by the movement resistors engaging an interior surface of the concave or gap portions of the liner ribs. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising holding the movement resistors within the concave or gap portions of the liner ribs with a weight of the oven rack assembly.