Cooktop Appliance

Abstract

A cooktop appliance includes a knob mounted to a stem of a control valve. A bezel of the cooktop appliance includes a mounting plate positioned at a panel of the cooktop appliance. An inner sidewall of the bezel is attached to the mounting plate at an inner portion of the mounting plate. The inner sidewall extends from the mounting plate through the panel at the opening of the panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooktop appliance, comprising:
 a panel defining an opening;   a control valve mounted the panel, the control valve comprising a spark switch and a stem, the spark switch of the control valve having an outer wall, the stem of the control valve extending through the panel at the opening of the panel;   a knob mounted to the stem of the control valve and positioned opposite the spark switch of the control valve about the panel; and   a bezel comprising
 a mounting plate positioned at the panel such that the mounting plate is disposed between the knob and the panel; 
 an outer sidewall attached to the mounting plate and extending about an outer edge of the mounting plate, the outer sidewall also extending from the mounting plate towards the knob; and 
 an inner sidewall attached to the mounting plate at an inner portion of the mounting plate, the inner sidewall extending from the mounting plate through the panel at the opening of the panel such that the outer wall of the spark switch is disposed within and contacts the inner sidewall. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the opening is a circular opening having a radius and the inner sidewall is a round inner sidewall having an outer radius, the radius of the circular opening being about equal to the outer radius of the round inner sidewall, the round inner sidewall also having an inner radius, the inner radius of the round inner sidewall being about equal to an outer radius of the outer wall of the spark switch. 
     
     
         3 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the bezel further comprises a lip attached to the mounting plate and extending about the outer edge of the mounting plate, the lip also contacting the panel. 
     
     
         4 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the lip supports the mounting plate on the panel such that the mounting plate is spaced apart from the panel by the lip. 
     
     
         5 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the control valve defines an axial direction along a length of the stem, a shape of the opening in a plane that is perpendicular to the axial direction being complementary to a shape of the inner sidewall in the plane that is perpendicular to the axial direction, a shape of the outer wall of the spark switch also being complementary to the shape of the inner sidewall in the plane that is perpendicular to the axial direction. 
     
     
         6 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the inner sidewall is received within the opening of the panel and the outer wall of the spark switch is received within the inner sidewall such that the bezel is positioned concentrically with the knob. 
     
     
         7 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the inner sidewall and the mounting plate are separate pieces of material. 
     
     
         8 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the inner sidewall and the mounting plate are integrally formed of a single, continuous piece of material. 
     
     
         9 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners that extend though the mounting plate and the panel. 
     
     
         10 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of fasteners comprises fasteners that engage the panel and fasteners that do not engage the panel. 
     
     
         11 . A cooktop appliance, comprising:
 a panel defining an opening;   a control valve comprising a valve body and a stem, the stem of the control valve extending through the panel at the opening of the panel;   a knob mounted to the stem of the control valve and positioned opposite the valve body of the control valve about the panel; and   a bezel comprising
 a mounting plate positioned at the panel such that the mounting plate is disposed between the knob and the panel; 
 an outer sidewall attached to the mounting plate and extending about an outer edge of the mounting plate, the outer sidewall also extending from the mounting plate towards the knob; and 
 an inner sidewall attached to the mounting plate at an inner portion of the mounting plate, the inner sidewall extending from the mounting plate through the panel at the opening of the panel, the inner sidewall contacting the panel at the opening of the panel. 
   
     
     
         12 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the opening is a circular opening having a radius and the inner sidewall is a round inner sidewall having a radius, the radius of the circular opening being about equal to the radius of the round inner sidewall. 
     
     
         13 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the bezel further comprises a lip attached to the mounting plate and extending about the outer edge of the mounting plate, the lip contacting the panel. 
     
     
         14 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the lip supports the muffling plate on the panel such that the mounting plate is spaced apart from the panel by the lip. 
     
     
         15 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the control valve defines an axial direction along a length of the stem, a shape of the opening in a plane that is perpendicular to the axial direction being complementary to a shape of the inner sidewall in the plane that is perpendicular to the axial direction. 
     
     
         16 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the inner sidewall is received within the opening of the panel such that the bezel is positioned concentrically with the knob. 
     
     
         17 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the inner sidewall and the mounting plate are separate pieces of material. 
     
     
         18 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the inner sidewall and the mounting plate are integrally formed of a single, continuous piece of material. 
     
     
         19 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners that extend though the mounting plate and the panel. 
     
     
         20 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of fasteners comprises fasteners that engage the panel and fasteners that do not engage the panel.