PORCELAIN OVEN RACK

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to steel wire products coated with glass material to protect the steel wire products from discoloration and the like due to heating the steel wire products at high temperatures. These steel wire products are preferably oven racks coated with porcelain to provide suitable oven rack surfaces for cooking, which do not discolor during cooking, or during self-cleaning cycles when the oven racks remain in the oven and the temperatures generally exceed the normal cooking temperatures.

Background of the Invention

Steel wire oven racks made from steel rod drawn to form steel wire are well- known in the industry. Such steel wire oven racks, however, are generally discolored when they are subjected to the high temperatures above 482 degrees Celsius (900 degrees F.) associated with self-cleaning oven cycles which are common in today's kitchen ovens. It will be appreciated that improvements to address this discoloration problem and to increase color flexibility will be positive additions to the useful arts. The present invention provides such an improvement. It will be appreciated, therefore, that further improvements in oven racks and methods for making oven racks are needed to address problems such as this.

The present invention provides solutions to this and other problems associated with oven racks for ovens sold into consumer markets and otherwise.

Further, American patent publication US 6 177 201 discloses a multilayered, functionally-gradient porcelain enamel coating which can be used to coat steel, including higher carbon, non-enamel-grade steel, that controls hydrogen defects and boiling defects in the finished coating.

Furthermore, Australian patent publication AU 24 336 71 discloses a low carbon, formable ferrous enameling stock, consisting of about 0.02 - 0.15% by weight aluminum, a minimum of 0.006% by weight nitrogen, and the balance essentially iron. The stock being characterized by the retention of high yield strength after straining up to 20% and enamel firing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a coated steel wire product according to claim 1 designed to be received within an oven cavity. Further, the invention provides a method of making a coated steel wire oven rack according to claim 12. The coated steel wire product includes a plurality of elongated steel wire members joined together to form an oven rack having an outer surface; wherein the cross-sectional area of the steel rod material is reduced by at least 30% when the steel rod material is drawn to form the steel wire; the outer surface of the oven rack being coated by a glass material, the glass material preferably being porcelain, wherein the amount of carbon in the steel rod material, the amount of carbon stabilizing transition metal in the steel rod material and the degree to which the cross-sectional area of the steel rod material is reduced, when the steel wire is drawn from the steel rod material is balanced so as to prevent chipping of the glass material away from the outer surface due to the release of hydrogen gas from the steel wire members when the steel wire is either heated or cooled.

In preferred embodiments, the glass material, preferably porcelain, is coated onto the steel wire in two distinct coating steps.

In a preferred embodiment, the coated steel wire product is designed to be received with an oven cavity. The coated steel wire oven rack includes a plurality of elongated steel wire members joined together to form an oven rack having an outer surface. The plurality of elongated steel wire members are made from a steel rod material containing from 80 to 99.9% by weight of iron, from 0.001 to 0.08% by weight of carbon, and from 0.001 to 0.2% by weight of a carbon stabilizing transition metal selected from the group consisting of Vanadium, Tantalum, Titanium and Niobium. The plurality of elongated steel wire members are made from the steel rod material by drawing the steel rod material to form steel wire; wherein the cross-sectional area of the steel rod material is reduced by at least 30% when the steel rod material is drawn to form the steel wire. The outer surface of the oven rack is coated by a glass material, preferably porcelain, wherein the amount of carbon in the steel rod material, the amount of carbon stabilizing transition metal in the steel rod material and the degree to which the cross-sectional area of the steel rod material is reduced when the steel wire is drawn from the steel rod material is balanced so as to prevent chipping of the porcelain away from the outer surface due to the release of hydrogen gas from the steel wire material when the steel wire material is either heated or cooled; wherein the porcelain is coated onto the steel in two distinct coating steps wherein the porcelain is coated onto the steel wire in two distinct electrostatic coating processes followed by a single heating process in which the temperature is preferably raised to 843 °C (1550 °F.) In alternate embodiments, the heating process may be repeated and in yet other alternate embodiments, a wet coating process can be used.

The plurality of elongated steel wire members are made from steel rod material containing from 80 to 99.9% by weight of iron, from 0.001 to 0.08% by weight of carbon and from 0.001 to 0.2% by weight of a transition metal which will have a stabilizing effect on the carbon in the elongated steel wire members such that the carbon absorbs less hydrogen gas when the steel wire member is heated to temperatures above 260 °C (500 °F.) than it would in the absence of the carbon stabilizing transition metal. In preferred embodiments, the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of Vanadium, Tantalum, Titanium and Niobium, and in the most preferred embodiment, the transition metal is Vanadium.

The plurality of elongated steel wire members are preferably made from steel rod material by a process of area reduction. In the preferred process, the steel rod is pulled through a cold die that gradually reduces in diameter so that the rod is drawn repeatedly through the die and the cross- sectional area of the rod is reduced to form a steel wire having a cross-sectional area of diminished diameter. In preferred embodiments, the diameter of the steel wire is diminished at least 30%, more preferably at least 40%, even more preferably at least 45%, and most preferably at least 50%. It will be appreciated that the area reduction creates voids in the steel wire which are desirable to provide cavities into which hydrogen gas can release and, perhaps, compress, without creating pressure to be released from the surface of the steel wire once the steel wire is coated with porcelain. It will be appreciated, that the area reduction, which creates cavities in the steel wire, and the inclusion of carbon stabilizing transition metal elements which reduce the degree to which the carbon in the steel absorbs hydrogen, will diminish the degree to which hydrogen gas out-gassing causes cracking and chipping of the porcelain surface of the elongated steel wire members of the oven rack which are coated by the glass material.

The above-described features and advantages along with various advantages and features of novelty are pointed out with particularity in the claims of the present invention which are annexed hereto and form a further part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and objects attained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof and to the accompanying descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the preferred invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings, where like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views:

• Fig. 1 is a plan view of a coated oven rack in accord with the present invention;
• Fig. 2 is a side view of the oven rack shown in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an outside framing wire 12 as seen from the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 4 is a plan view of an alternate oven rack in accord with the present invention;
• Fig. 5 is a side view of the alternate oven rack shown in Fig. 4;
• Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an outside framing wire 12' as seen from the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;
• Fig. 7 is a plan view of a further alternate oven rack in accord with the present invention; and
• Fig. 8 is a side view of the oven rack shown in Fig. 7; and
• Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an outside framing wire 12" as seen from the line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular Figures 1-3, a coated steel wire oven rack 10 is shown. The coated steel oven wire rack 10 has an outside framing wire 12 stabilized by two frame stabilizing support wires 14 and a series of upper surface steel wire members 16 which generally run front to back to provide a support surface for oven utensils (not shown) that are placed on the coated oven rack.

Referring now also to Figures 4-6, an alternate oven rack 10' in accord with the present invention is shown that has only minor differences from the oven rack shown in Figures 1-3.

Referring now also to Figures 7-9, a further alternate oven rack 10" in accord with the present invention is shown, having a few other minor differences, but in most other ways being virtually the same as the oven racks shown in Figures 1-6.

The present oven rack 10 is coated with a glass material 20, preferably porcelain, which is coated onto the outer surface 22 of welded steel wire parts 15 of the coated oven rack 10, in a process which generally follows these steps. Steel rod material (not shown) is preferably purchased, which is made primarily of iron but includes the elemental composition shown on the following page. The steel rod is then drawn in an area reduction process, preferably through a cold die, to reduce the diameter of the cross-sectional area, at least about 30%, more preferably at least about 35%, even more preferably about 40%, even more preferably about 45%, and most preferably about 50%, in order to incorporate cavities within the steel wire which allow hydrogen to be released into the cavities and also to reduce the diameter of the wire to that which is desired. The sheet on the following page gives the general specifications for non-iron elements and other aspects of the steel wire and the steel rod used to make the steel wire.

Once the steel rod is converted into wire in the wire drawing process, the steel wire is straight cut to predetermined lengths according to need. The various cut steel wire members are then formed as needed to provide the various parts of the coated oven rack. These parts are then welded together to form an oven rack substrate (not shown), for subsequent coating, in a standard welding operation. The oven racks are then cleaned in a washing process and then power acid washed with an electrically charged acid washed with an electrically charged acid wash material to remove any remaining weld scale. The rack is then dried in an oven at about 260 °C (500 °F.) and then air cooled. The clean oven rack is then sprayed with powdered glass in an electrostatic charged paint process in which the oven rack substrate is charged negatively and the glass powder is charged positively.

The spraying process is divided into a first coating process in which a first coat or a ground coat is placed upon the oven rack substrate. In preferred embodiments the first coat is a Pemco powder, GP2025 from Pemco. It will be appreciated that other similar or equivalent powders may also be used in alternate embodiments. After the first coat is applied a second coat or a top coat is applied. In preferred embodiments, this coat is a Pemco powder, GP1124, from Pemco. Again, it will be appreciated that other similar or equivalent powders may also be used in alternate embodiments. The coated oven rack substrate is then heated in an oven to about 843 °C (1550 °F.) for about 25 minutes and then cooled. This coating and baking process is generally referred to as a double coat, single fire coating process. The coated oven racks are then cooled, buffed, preferably with a Scotch-Bright Roloc surface conditioning disc grade A medium, sprayed with liquid oil, preferably Wesson liquid oil, and then packaged for shipping to the customer.

In an alternate process, the oven rack substrate is coated using a wet spray process, wherein the porcelain is coated onto the steel wire, in number of steps selected from each of five distinct wet coating processes including wet spray, electrostatic wet spray, wet flow coating, wet dip or electrophoretic deposition, or, more specific, as applied to porcelain, "EPE-Electro-porcelain enameling." This later process involves the use of a dip system where electric power is used to deposit porcelain enamel material on a metal surface. The wet coating processes can be single step, double step or multiple step processes followed by at least single or double heating process steps in which the temperature is preferably raised to about 843 °C (1550 degrees F.) or greater. In these processes, porcelain can be coated to steel by three basic methods of wet spraying by air atomization, hand spraying, automatic spraying and electrostatic spraying. When substrate is processed through a dipping operation, the part is immersed in the "slip", removed, and the slip is allowed to drain off. In flow coating, the slip is flowed over the part and the excess is allowed to drain off. Carefully controlled density of the porcelain enamel slip and proper positioning of the part is necessary to produce a uniform coating by dip or flow coat methods. Porcelain can be coated to steel by immersion or flow coating, as well, by five basic methods, hand dipping, tong dipping, automatic dip machines or systems, electrophoretic deposition systems and flow coating. It will be appreciated that any number of these various methods may be adapted for use within the broad general scope of the present invention.