An oven rack system has a two piece oven rack ( 100 ) with a cooking rack ( 102 ) and a base rack ( 104 ). The base rack ( 104 ) is adapted to remain stationary and may be positioned on ledges or other protrusions associated with inner liners of oven cavities. In one embodiment, a pair of angled pieces ( 118 ) extend between outer lateral braces ( 114 ) and a rear brace ( 106 ). The cooking rack ( 102 ) is adapted to slide on and be extendable relative to the base rack ( 104 ). A user can exert manual forces on the cooking rack ( 102 ) so as to move the cooking rack ( 102 ) relative to the base rack ( 104 ). The movement occurs in the absence of the requirement of any type of rotatable or rolling elements.
1. An oven rack system adapted for use in a cooking environment, such as an oven cavity, said oven rack comprising:
a base rack adapted to be horizontally positioned within said oven cavity, and further adapted to be maintained in a stationary position;
a cooking rack adapted to be engaged with said base rack and further adapted to support items to be cooked;
said cooking rack is sized and structured so as to be manually extendable and retractable relative to said base rack, in the absence of ball bearings, rollers, or other rotatable or rolling elements directly or indirectly engaged between said base rack and said cooking rack;
said cooking rack comprises:
a rear brace positioned adjacent a rear portion of said base rack, when said cooking rack is in a retracted position;
a plurality of lateral braces positioned on sides of said cooking rack, and extending between forward and rear sections of said cooking rack, said lateral braces acting as support braces for other elements of said cooking rack;
a plurality of opposing lugs comprising upstanding members; and
a plurality of elongated support members acting as principal support elements of said cooking rack for supporting items to be cooked on said cooking rack.
2. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said cooking rack is extendable and retractable in the absence of any gliding movement of any portion of said oven rack system on walls or liners of said cavity, or other dynamic frictional interaction between said oven rack portions and said walls or liners.
3. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that during extension and retraction of said cooking rack relative to said base rack, certain elements of said cooking rack are in a sliding engagement with certain other elements of said base rack.
4. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that components of said base rack and said cooking rack are formed of steel wire products.
5. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that components of said base rack and said cooking rack are composed of formed steel wire products and formed sheet metal components.
6. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said oven rack system comprises a stop mechanism for limiting the extension of said cooking rack relative to said base rack.
7. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said cooking rack further comprises a handle for facilitating manual manipulation of said cooking rack when extending or retracting said cooking rack relative to said base rack.
8. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said oven rack system further comprises means for limiting rearward movement of food items placed on said cooking rack.
9. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said base rack is adapted to be positioned on ledges or other protrusions associated with an inner liner of said oven cavity.
10. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said base rack comprises:
a plurality of transverse supports; and
a plurality of lateral supports extending horizontally from a front to a back of said base rack, said lateral supports being secured to said transverse supports.
11. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 10 , characterized in that:
each of said lateral supports is coupled to a corresponding outer lateral brace through a forward connection; and
said base rack further comprises a plurality of angled pieces extending between outer lateral braces and a rear brace, said angled configuration assisting in preventing items placed on said cooking rack from falling off of said rack over said rear brace.
12. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said cooking rack further comprises a plurality of angled pieces extending between said lateral braces and said rear brace, said angled configuration assisting in preventing items placed on said support members from falling off of said cooking rack over said rear brace.
13. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 12 , characterized in that said cooking rack further comprises:
a front brace having opposing left and right side portions, providing a forward bracing means for said cooking rack; and
a handle integrated with said front brace.
14. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said oven rack comprises means for preventing said cooking rack from inadvertent cantilever relative to said base rack, when said cooking rack is in an extended position and based on forces or weight placed on support members of said cooking rack.
15. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that:
said cooking rack comprises a plurality of lateral braces;
said base rack comprises a plurality of lower lateral supports; and when said cooking rack is extended or retracted relative to said base rack, said lateral braces of said cooking rack ride on said lower lateral supports of said base rack.
16. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that said oven rack system further comprises a plurality of formed sheet metal channels, with said cooking rack riding in said formed sheet metal channels.
17. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 16 , characterized in that each of said formed sheet metal channels includes at least one detent positioned between ends of said channels.
18. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 17 , characterized in that when said cooking rack is extended relative to said base rack, angled pieces of said cooking rack are captured by said detents in said channels of said base rack, thus preventing further extension of said cooking rack relative to said base rack.
19. An oven rack system adapted for use in a cooking environment, such as an oven cavity, said oven rack comprising:
a base rack adapted to be horizontally positioned within said oven cavity, and further adapted to be maintained in a stationary position;
a cooking rack adapted to be engaged with said base rack and further adapted to support items to be cooked;
said cooking rack is sized and structured so as to be manually extendable and retractable relative to said base rack, in the absence of ball bearings, rollers, or other rotatable or rolling elements directly or indirectly engaged between said base rack and said cooking rack;
when said oven rack is in a retracted position on said base rack, ends of a rear brace of said cooking rack extend outwardly and under lateral angled braces of said base rack, and lugs extend upwardly adjacent lateral angled braces of said base rack, and are intermediate to angled pieces and outer lateral braces of said base rack; and
when manual forces are exerted on a front of said cooking rack so as to move said cooking rack in an extended movement, said rear brace of said cooking rack is positioned so that it remains below said lateral angled braces of said base rack, with said lugs being adjacent to said angled braces of said base rack.
20. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that said cooking rack is extendable and retractable in the absence of any gliding movement of any portion of said oven rack system on walls or liners of said cavity, or other dynamic frictional interaction between said oven rack portions and said walls or liners.
21. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that during extension and retraction of said cooking rack relative to said base rack, certain elements of said cooking rack are in a sliding engagement with certain other elements of said base rack.
22. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that components of said base rack and said cooking rack are formed of steel wire products.
23. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that components of said base rack and said cooking rack are composed of formed steel wire products and formed sheet metal components.
24. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that said oven rack system comprises a stop mechanism for limiting the extension of said cooking rack relative to said base rack.
25. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that said cooking rack further comprises a handle for facilitating manual manipulation of said cooking rack when extending or retracting said cooking rack relative to said base rack.
26. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that said oven rack system further comprises means for limiting rearward movement of food items placed on said cooking rack.
27. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that said base rack is adapted to be positioned on ledges or other protrusions associated with an inner liner of said oven cavity.
28. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that said base rack comprises:
a plurality of transverse supports; and
a plurality of lateral supports extending horizontally from a front to a back of said base rack, said lateral supports being secured to said transverse supports.
29. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 28 , characterized in that:
each of said lateral supports is coupled to a corresponding outer lateral brace through a forward connection; and
said base rack further comprises a plurality of angled pieces extending between outer lateral braces and a rear brace, said angled configuration assisting in preventing items placed on said cooking rack from falling off of said rack over said rear brace.
30. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that said oven rack comprises means for preventing said cooking rack from inadvertent cantilever relative to said base rack, when said cooking rack is in an extended position and based on forces or weight placed on support members of said cooking rack.
31. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that:
said cooking rack comprises a plurality of lateral braces;
said base rack comprises a plurality of lower lateral supports; and when said cooking rack is extended or retracted relative to said base rack, said lateral braces of said cooking rack ride on said lower lateral supports of said base rack.
32. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that said oven rack system further comprises a plurality of formed sheet metal channels, with said cooking rack riding in said formed sheet metal channels.
33. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 32 , characterized in that each of said formed sheet metal channels includes at least one detent positioned between ends of said channels.
34. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 33 , characterized in that when said cooking rack is extended relative to said base rack, angled pieces of said cooking rack are captured by said detents in said channels of said base rack, thus preventing further extension of said cooking rack relative to said base rack.
35. An oven rack system in accordance with claim 19 , characterized in that as said cooking rack is further extended to a fully extended position, abutment of said lugs against angled sections of said angled braces of said base rack prevent any further extended movement of said cooking rack.