Oven appliance or door assembly having a restrictor plate to prevent contact

Abstract

An oven appliance or door assembly may include an inner liner and a rigid exterior panel. The inner liner may be received within a front opening of a cooking chamber of the oven appliance. The rigid exterior panel may extend along a vertical direction between a top lip and a bottom lip. The bottom lip may include a base rim and a blocking panel. The base rim may extend along a lateral direction and a transverse direction beneath the rigid exterior panel. The blocking panel may extend downward from the base rim to restrict access to a portion of the cooking appliance below the cooking chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the cooking appliance comprising:
 a cabinet comprising a top panel and a bottom panel, the cabinet defining a cooking chamber between the top panel and the bottom panel; and   a door mounted on the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the cooking chamber in a closed position, the door comprising an inner liner and a rigid exterior panel, the door extending along the vertical direction in the closed position between a top lip and a bottom lip, the bottom lip comprising
 a base rim extending along the lateral direction and the transverse direction beneath the rigid exterior panel, and 
 a blocking panel extending downward from the base rim to restrict access to a front panel of the cabinet below the cooking chamber, the blocking panel being spaced apart from the cabinet along the transverse direction. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom lip further comprises a front rim extending upward from the base rim along a front-facing surface of the rigid exterior panel. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom lip further comprises an internal tab extending upward from the base rim along a rearward surface of the rigid exterior panel. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the bottom lip defines a tab aperture extending along the vertical direction, the tab aperture has a maximum aperture dimension and a minimum aperture dimension, wherein the minimum aperture dimension is less than or equal to 9 millimeters, and wherein the internal tab extends vertically from a perimeter of the tab aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid exterior panel comprises glass. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom lip further comprises a mounting tab joined to the inner liner. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the mounting tab is disposed rearward from the blocking panel. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking panel defines a plurality of air apertures extending therethrough and spaced apart along the lateral direction. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the door defines an internal channel downstream from the plurality of air apertures between the rigid blocking panel and the inner liner to permit air through the door. 
     
     
         10 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cooking appliance further comprises a drawer slidably mounted to the cabinet below the door and the bottom lip. 
     
     
         11 . A door assembly for a cooking appliance, the door assembly defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the door assembly comprising:
 an inner liner to be received within a front opening of a cooking chamber of the cooking appliance, and   a rigid exterior panel extending along the vertical direction between a top lip and a bottom lip, the bottom lip comprising
 a base rim extending along the lateral direction and the transverse direction beneath the rigid exterior panel, and 
 a blocking panel extending downward from the base rim to restrict access to a portion of the cooking appliance below the cooking chamber. 
   
     
     
         12 . The door assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom lip further comprises a front rim extending upward from the base rim along a front-facing surface of the rigid exterior panel. 
     
     
         13 . The door assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom lip further comprises an internal tab extending upward from the base rim along a rearward surface of the rigid exterior panel. 
     
     
         14 . The door assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the bottom lip defines a tab aperture extending along the vertical direction, the tab aperture has a maximum aperture dimension and a minimum aperture dimension, wherein the minimum aperture dimension is less than or equal to 9 millimeters, and wherein the internal tab extends vertically from a perimeter of the tab aperture. 
     
     
         15 . The door assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the rigid exterior panel comprises glass. 
     
     
         16 . The door assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom lip further comprises a mounting tab joined to the inner liner. 
     
     
         17 . The door assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the mounting tab is disposed rearward from the blocking panel. 
     
     
         18 . The door assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the blocking panel defines a plurality of air apertures extending therethrough and spaced apart along the lateral direction. 
     
     
         19 . The door assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the door assembly defines an internal channel downstream from the plurality of air apertures between the rigid blocking panel and the inner liner to permit air through the door assembly.