Cooktop appliance having a removable griddle assembly and temperature probe therefor

Abstract

A cooktop appliance may include a top panel, a heating element, a temperature probe, a griddle plate, and a support post. The temperature probe may be attached to the top panel and be horizontally spaced apart from the heating element. The griddle plate may be selectively disposable in a griddle-cook position above the top panel along a vertical direction. The griddle plate may have a top cooking surface and a bottom heating surface. The top cooking surface may extend perpendicular to the vertical direction in the griddle-cook position to receive a cooking item thereon. The bottom heating surface may be disposed beneath the top cooking surface and face the top panel in the griddle-cook position to receive a thermal output from the heating element. The support post may extend downward from the griddle plate in conductive thermal communication with the temperature probe in the griddle-cook position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooktop appliance defining a mutually orthogonal vertical direction, lateral direction, and transverse direction, the cooktop appliance comprising:
 a top panel;   a heating element attached to the top panel;   a temperature probe attached to the top panel and horizontally spaced apart from the heating element;   a griddle plate selectively disposable in a griddle-cook position above the top panel along the vertical direction, the griddle plate having a top cooking surface and a bottom heating surface, the top cooking surface extending perpendicular to the vertical direction in the griddle-cook position to receive a cooking item thereon, the bottom heating surface disposed beneath the top cooking surface and facing the top panel in the griddle-cook position to receive a thermal output from the heating element; and   a support post extending downward from the griddle plate in conductive thermal communication with the temperature probe in the griddle-cook position.   
     
     
         2 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the support post defines a probe notch, and wherein the temperature probe is received within the probe notch in the griddle-cook position. 
     
     
         3 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the support post forms a C-shaped profile defining the probe notch. 
     
     
         4 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the support post is disposed at a horizontal perimeter of the griddle plate. 
     
     
         5 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the griddle plate extends transversely between a front griddle end and a rear griddle end, and wherein the support post is disposed at the rear griddle end. 
     
     
         6 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the griddle plate defines a lateral width having a lateral midpoint, and wherein the support post is aligned with the lateral midpoint relative to the lateral direction. 
     
     
         7 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature probe is spring-loaded away from the top cooking surface of the top panel. 
     
     
         8 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 7 , further comprising a circuit switch coupled to the temperature probe, the circuit switch being selectively closed according to conductive thermal communication between the temperature probe and the support post. 
     
     
         9 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element is a first heating element, and wherein the cooktop appliance further comprises a second heating element horizontally spaced apart from the first heating element and disposed directly the griddle plate in the griddle-cook position. 
     
     
         10 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 1 , a cooktop grate selectively disposable in a grate-cook position above the top panel along the vertical direction, the cooktop grate having a lower surface defining a vertical gap with the temperature probe in the grate-cook position to prohibit conductive thermal communication between the cooktop grate and the temperature probe. 
     
     
         11 . A cooktop appliance defining a mutually orthogonal vertical direction, lateral direction, and transverse direction, the cooktop appliance comprising:
 a top panel;   a heating element attached to the top panel;   a temperature probe attached to the top panel and horizontally spaced apart from the heating element, the temperature probe being spring-loaded away from a top surface of the top panel;   a griddle plate selectively disposable in a griddle-cook position above the top panel along the vertical direction, the griddle plate having a top cooking surface and a bottom heating surface, the top cooking surface extending perpendicular to the vertical direction in the griddle-cook position to receive a cooking item thereon, the bottom heating surface disposed beneath the top cooking surface and facing the top panel in the griddle-cook position to receive a thermal output from the heating element; and   a support post extending downward from the griddle plate in conductive thermal communication with the temperature probe in the griddle-cook position, the support post defining a probe notch within which the temperature probe is received in the griddle-cook position.   
     
     
         12 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the support post forms a C-shaped profile defining the probe notch. 
     
     
         13 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the support post is disposed at a horizontal perimeter of the griddle plate. 
     
     
         14 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the griddle plate extends transversely between a front griddle end and a rear griddle end, and wherein the support post is disposed at the rear griddle end. 
     
     
         15 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the griddle plate defines a lateral width having a lateral midpoint, and wherein the support post is aligned with the lateral midpoint relative to the lateral direction. 
     
     
         16 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising a circuit switch coupled to the temperature probe, the circuit switch being selectively closed according to conductive thermal communication between the temperature probe and the support post. 
     
     
         17 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the heating element is a first heating element, and wherein the cooktop appliance further comprises a second heating element horizontally spaced apart from the first heating element and disposed directly the griddle plate in the griddle-cook position. 
     
     
         18 . The cooktop appliance of  claim 11 , a cooktop grate selectively disposable in a grate-cook position above the top panel along the vertical direction, the cooktop grate having a lower surface defining a vertical gap with the temperature probe in the grate-cook position to prohibit conductive thermal communication between the cooktop grate and the temperature probe.