Nestable and liftable oven rack
Rack includes a left upright frame, a right upright frame, and a connector extending between and joining the left and right frames. The connector defines at least one passage extending along the left upright frame, for example, so that another rack may be nested within a volume defined by the rack for reducing storage space requirements. The rack may have its connector oriented so that the rack has a substantially Z-shaped frame, a substantially X-shaped frame, a substantially U-shaped frame, a substantially V-shaped frame, or a substantially H-shaped frame, for example, when viewed from above. A lifting element may be provided on an upper portion of the rack for use with institutional and industrial lifting mechanisms. The lifting element may be mounted on the rack so as to avoid interference with another rack when the racks are nesting.
1. A liftable, nestable oven rack, comprising:
a) a left upright frame;
b) said left upright frame including a front post and a spaced apart rear post, and said front and rear posts being connected by an upper member and a lower member to form a generally rectangular frame;
c) a right upright frame spaced from said left upright frame, said right upright frame including a front post and a spaced apart rear post, and said front and rear posts being connected by an upper member and a lower member to form a generally rectangular frame;
d) an upper connector disposed between and connecting said left upright frame and said right upright frame;
e) said upper member of said left upright frame, said upper connector, and said upper member of said right
upright frame defining an H-shaped frame which lies substantially in a first plane;
f) a lower connector disposed between said left upright frame and said right upright frame;
g) said lower member of said left upright frame, said lower connector, and said lower member of said right upright frame defining a Z-shaped frame which lies substantially in a second plane;
h) a plurality of rails provided on each of the left and right upright frames, each of the plurality of rails being configured for receiving and supporting an oven tray between the left and right upright frames, in use;
i) a lifting element disposed between said left and right upright frames;
j) said lifting element including two channels attached to said upper connector and extending generally parallel to said left and right
upright frames, and the two channels including at least one L-channel;
k) a spacer provided between at least one of the left and right upright frames and the lifting element, the spacer being configured for locating the lifting element above an uppermost part of each of the at least one of the left and right upright frames to provide substantially free access between the lifting element and at least one of the left and right upright frames, in use; and
l) said lifting element being configured for engaging with a lifting mechanism of a lifting device of an oven, in use.
2. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) the spacer is provided between the upper connector and at least one of the left and right upright frames.
3. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 2 , wherein:
a) the spacer includes a spacer element provided between the lifting element and the upper connector.
4. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 3 , wherein:
a) the spacer includes a further spacer element between the connector and the frame.
5. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) the two channels including at least one L-channel include a C-channel.
6. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) the two channels including at least one L-channel include a pair of spaced apart C-channels, each of which opens toward the other one of said pair of C-channels.
7. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) said upper connector is disposed adjacent an uppermost portion of said left and right upright frames.
8. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) the spacer includes a spacer element provided between the upper connector and each of the left and right upright frames.
9. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) the spacer includes a spacer element provided between the upper connector and the lifting element.
10. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) the two channels including at least one L-channel lifting element include a pair of spaced apart C-channels.
11. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) the two channels including at least one L-channel lifting element include a pair of spaced apart S-channels.
12. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a) the two channels including at least one L-channel lifting element include a pair of spaced apart C-channels.
13. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in wherein:
a) the two channels including at least one L-channel lifting element include at least one C-channel.
14. A liftable, nestable oven rack, comprising:
a) a left upright frame;
b) said left upright frame including a front post and a spaced apart rear post, and said front and rear posts being connected by an upper member and a lower member to form a generally rectangular frame;
c) a right upright frame spaced from said left upright frame, said right upright frame including a front post and a spaced apart rear post, and said front and rear posts being connected by an upper member and a lower member to form a generally rectangular frame;
d) an upper connector disposed between and connecting said left upright frame and said right upright frame;
e) said upper member of said left upright frame, said upper connector, and said upper member of said right upright frame defining an H-shaped frame which lies substantially in a first plane;
f) a lower connector disposed between said left upright frame and said right upright frame;
g) said lower member of said left upright frame, said lower connector, and said lower member of said right upright frame defining a Z-shaped frame which lies substantially in a second plane;
h) a plurality of rails provided on each of the left and right upright frames, each of the plurality of rails being configured for receiving and supporting an oven tray between the left and right upright frames, in use;
i) a lifting element disposed on said liftable, nestable oven rack between said left and right upright frames;
j) said lifting element including two channels attached to said upper connector and extending generally parallel to said left and right upright frames, and the two channels including at least one L-channel;
k) a spacer provided between each of the left and right upright frames and the lifting element, the spacer being configured for locating the lifting element above an uppermost part of each of the left and right upright frames to provide substantially free access between the lifting element and each of the left and right upright frames, in use;
l) a further spacer provided between the upper connector and the lifting element; and
m) said lifting element being configured for engaging with a lifting mechanism of a lifting device of an oven, in use.
15. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 14 , wherein:
a) the two channels including at least one L-channel lifting element include a pair of spaced apart C-channels.
16. A liftable, nestable oven rack as defined in claim 14 , wherein:
a) the two channels including at least one L-channel lifting element include at least one C-channel.