Housing assembly for a cooking appliance

Abstract

A housing assembly for a cooking appliance may include a rear frame and a front frame spaced apart from the rear frame along the transverse direction. The front frame may define a chamber opening and drawer opening. The drawer opening may be positioned below the chamber opening. The front frame may include a frame sill positioned at bottom of the front frame. The frame sill may be extended along the lateral direction. The frame sill may include a first portion, a second portion, and a jog. The jog may be positioned between the first portion and the second portion to raise the second portion along the vertical direction by a predetermined amount. The housing assembly may also include a base rail disposed at a bottom lateral edge of the housing assembly. The base rail may be extended along the transverse direction between the rear frame and the front frame.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the cooking appliance comprising:
 a cooktop defining a cooktop height;   a housing assembly positioned below the cooktop, the housing assembly comprising:
 a rear frame; 
 a front frame spaced apart from the rear frame along the transverse direction, the front frame defining a chamber opening and drawer opening, the drawer opening being positioned below the chamber opening, the front frame comprising a frame sill positioned at bottom of the front frame, the frame sill extending along the lateral direction, the frame sill comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a jog, the jog being positioned between the first portion and the second portion to raise the second portion along the vertical direction by a predetermined amount; 
 a base rail disposed at a bottom lateral edge of the housing assembly, the base rail extending along the transverse direction between the rear frame and the front frame; and 
 a height adjustment assembly comprising a front leveling leg and a rear leveling leg, the front leveling leg being movably mounted to the front frame to adjust the cooktop height, and the rear leveling leg being movably mounted to the base rail to adjust the cooktop height. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the base rail comprises a top surface and a bottom surface spaced apart along the vertical direction, wherein the second portion of the frame sill comprises a bottom edge, and wherein the bottom surface of the base rail is positioned at, or above, the bottom edge of the second portion of the frame sill. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the front frame further comprises a side member extended along the vertical direction from the second portion of the frame sill, and wherein the second portion of the frame sill and the side member together define a bottom corner of the front frame. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the height adjustment assembly further comprises a front adjustment bracket, wherein the front adjustment bracket comprises a main body and a leg mount, wherein the leg mount is extended from the main body along the transverse direction, wherein the leg mount defines a leg aperture, wherein the main body is mounted to a front face of the bottom corner, and wherein the front leveling leg is movably mounted within the leg mount to adjust the cooktop height. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the main body of the front adjustment bracket is mounted to the front face of the front frame at the bottom corner via one or more mechanical fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the rear leveling leg is movably mounted within a rear portion of the base rail to adjust the cooktop height. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the housing assembly further comprises a tip mitigation bracket, wherein the tip mitigation bracket comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, wherein the horizontal portion defines a leg opening, wherein the rear leveling leg is received within the leg opening, wherein the tip mitigation bracket defines one or more fastener holes therethrough, and wherein the tip mitigation bracket is fastened to a predetermined support structure via the one or more fastener holes. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the base rail comprises a top surface and a bottom surface spaced apart along the vertical direction, and wherein the horizontal portion of the tip mitigation bracket is positioned below the bottom surface of the base rail. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cooktop includes an electric heating element, and wherein the electric heating element defines a first minimum cooktop height for the cooktop. 
     
     
         10 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cooktop includes a gas burner, and wherein the gas burner defines a second minimum cooktop height for the cooktop. 
     
     
         11 . A housing assembly for a cooking appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the housing assembly comprising:
 a rear frame;   a front frame spaced apart from the rear frame along the transverse direction, the front frame defining a chamber opening and drawer opening, the drawer opening being positioned below the chamber opening, the front frame comprising a frame sill positioned at bottom of the front frame, the frame sill extending along the lateral direction, the frame sill comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a jog, the jog being positioned between the first portion and the second portion to raise the second portion along the vertical direction by a predetermined amount; and   a base rail disposed at a bottom lateral edge of the housing assembly, the base rail extending along the transverse direction between the rear frame and the front frame.   
     
     
         12 . The housing assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the base rail comprises a top surface and a bottom surface spaced apart along the vertical direction, wherein the second portion of the frame sill comprises a bottom edge, and wherein the bottom surface of the base rail is positioned at, or above, the bottom edge of the second portion of the frame sill. 
     
     
         13 . The housing assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the front frame further comprises a side member extended along the vertical direction from the second portion of the frame sill, and wherein the second portion of the frame sill and the side member together define a bottom corner of the front frame. 
     
     
         14 . The housing assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a height adjustment assembly comprising a front leveling leg and a rear leveling leg, the front leveling leg being movably mounted to the front frame to adjust a cooktop height defined by a cooktop of the cooking appliance, and the rear leveling leg being movably mounted to the base rail to adjust the cooktop height.   
     
     
         15 . The housing assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the height adjustment assembly further comprises a front adjustment bracket, wherein the front adjustment bracket comprises a main body and a leg mount, wherein the leg mount is extended from the main body along the transverse direction, wherein the leg mount defines a leg aperture, wherein the main body is mounted to a front face of the bottom corner, and wherein the front leveling leg is movably mounted within the leg mount to adjust the cooktop height. 
     
     
         16 . The housing assembly of  claim 14 , the rear leveling leg is movably mounted within a rear portion of the base rail to adjust the cooktop height. 
     
     
         17 . The housing assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a tip mitigation bracket comprising a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the horizontal portion defining a leg opening for receiving the rear leveling leg, wherein the tip mitigation bracket defines one or more fastener holes therethrough, and wherein the tip mitigation bracket is fastened to a predetermined support structure via the one or more fastener holes.   
     
     
         18 . The housing assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the base rail comprises a top surface and a bottom surface spaced apart along the vertical direction, and wherein the horizontal portion of the tip mitigation bracket is positioned below the bottom surface of the base rail. 
     
     
         19 . The housing assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the cooking appliance includes an electric heating element, and wherein the electric heating element defines a first minimum cooktop height for a cooktop of the cooking appliance. 
     
     
         20 . The housing assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the cooking appliance includes a gas burner, and wherein the gas burner defines a second minimum cooktop height for a cooktop of the cooking appliance.