Under the Hood 2: Catalyst Bypass

The catalyst bypass lever has to be lifted before the front loading door can be opened, otherwise the door cannot be opened more than a few inches.

The catalyst  is mounted on the bypass damper (the “sled”).

When the catalyst is engaged (bypass lever down), the sled is right under the cooktop, in the front of the stove.

When the catalyst is bypassed, the sled slides back, out of the way. As soon as the bypass lever is lifted, the rear of the sled rides up on two ramps, and the front is elevated by the control linkage. Elevating the sled when the catalyst is not fully engaged prevents abrasion on the sealing gasket (not shown).

Prototype users liked the “feel” of the bypass lever.  Its location makes operation intuitive.  More next week...