TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to an oven with a cavity delimiting a cooking chamber and particularly, an oven that is disposed in a cabinet and having a gap between the cavity to reduce the heat transfer.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

In the oven, a cooking chamber is delimited by a heat-insulated metal cavity. The metal cavity generally performs the cooking process with the help of the electrical heating element provided under the floor and in the top section. During cooking, the cavity reaches high temperatures and expands with the effect of this, making an outward curve. Measures are taken to reduce the effect of high temperature in the cavity to affect the surrounding parts. A solution is to provide a side panel that extends at a distance from the lateral wall of the cavity and defining a corridor. The side panel is inserted in a cabinet that is fixed to the outer casing of the oven, forming a suitable slot.

US4848311A discloses the temperature of localized high temperature regions in the side panels of a kitchen range is reduced by the use of thermal conduction breaks to interrupt thermal conduction paths and inhibit the transfer of heat from the oven through a supporting frame to the side panels. The thermal conduction breaks comprise a plurality of thin, vertically orientated elongated slits in upper portions of the front faces of the side panels. Heat transfer into the side panels due to radiation from the oven door is reduced by forming the oven door with a plurality of elongated slits disposed about a central portion of the door which closes the oven access opening to interrupt thermal conduction paths from the central portion to peripheral regions of the door adjacent to front faces of the side panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to maintain a safe distance that reduces the heat transfer between the side panel of the oven and the cavity where the cooking takes place during operation. In order to achieve the aforementioned objective, an oven is comprising muffle having a lower wall, an upper wall spaced parallel to the lower wall and opposing lateral walls parallel to each other extending therebetween confining a cooking chamber; a side panel disposed parallel to the lateral wall at a distance from interior section mounted to the muffle such that delimiting a gap therebetween, and a frame extending from an outer periphery of an opening of the muffle. The oven further comprises a mounting tab formed by bending inward from a peripheral edge of the frame such that abutting the side panel and a fastening element is provided between the mounting tab and the corresponding side panel in a manner that directly attach the mounting tab to the side panel. Fixing the side panel directly to the mounting tab helps the side panel to securely maintain the gap between the side panel and the cavity. In a possible embodiment, the fastening element may include screws or similar fastening elements, or it may be provided in the form of interlocking corresponding slot and plug.

In a preferred embodiment, an inner flap that bends from a front edge of the side panel to jointly form U cross-section and support the corresponding mounting tab from end-to-end. The inner flap reduces heat transfer from the frame to the side panel by providing a butt surface that is removed from the other part of the side panel for mounting with the mounting tab. In a possible embodiment, the attachment extension may also be mounted directly to the side panel in a one-piece sheet construction from the inside or external side of the side panel.

A preferred embodiment comprises a hole is provided on both the inner flap and the mounting tab in a mutually aligned manner and through which a screw of the fastening element extends in a securing manner. The hole allows simply to fix the inner flap and the mounting tab by means of a screw.

In a preferred embodiment, a through opening with a larger diameter than the hole is provided in line with the hole on the side panel. The opening allows access to the hole from the external side of the side panel. In this way, fastening of the inner flap and the mounting tab can be done by accessing through the opening.

In a preferred embodiment, a cover that fits into the opening. The cover close the opening and prevents access into the cavity from the side panel.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover is convex extending outward on an external part of the side panel. In this case, when the cover is mounted in the opening, bulges out from the side panel and when the housing is disposed inside a cabinet, contacts the cover instead of the external face of the side panel, forming a gap between the outer part of the side panel and the outer part, reducing the heat transfer.

In a preferred embodiment, an emboss with the same height with the cover is extending outwardly from the external part close to a rear edge of the side panel opposite the front edge. The emboss forms a support with the front cover and prevents the side panel contact of the cabinet from side to side.

In a preferred embodiment, the cover and the emboss are aligned in line transversely. In this case, the cover and the emboss provide a support against thermal stresses, preventing deflection along the imaginary axis between them.

In a preferred embodiment, the side panel and frame are made of one-piece metal sheet. In this way, the mounting tab can be cold formed by bending. In addition, sufficient resistance is provided against the high temperature transmitted from the cavity during cooking process without deteriorating the structural integrity in the oven.

In a preferred embodiment, the fastening element is provided close to the upper edge of the side panel and having an auxiliary fastening element in the same form provided close to an opposite lower edge. In this case, it is possible for the side panel to resist agaist both the top and bottom thermal stresses by sharing.

In a preferred embodiment, wherein the mounting tab is having an elbow section orthogonally bent across the peripheral edge of the frame facing the side panel towards the cavity. Thus, it is possible to support the side panel for mounting simply by bending the peripheral edge of the frame partially vertically.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 is a partial top perspective view of a representative embodiment of an oven before mounting the side panel.

Figure 2 is a top view of the side panel aligned with the frame and cavity in the oven prior to the assembly.

Figure 3 is the top view of the oven shown in Figure 2 inside the cabinet with the side panel mounted. Figure 4 is an enlarged schematic illustration showing the frame connection of a representative embodiment of the oven of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed explanation, the subject development of the invention is explained without any limitation and only with reference to examples to better explain the subject matter.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a representative embodiment of a household oven with a side panel (20) adjacent to a muffle (10) in a disassembled position. The muffle (10) has a rectangular opening (12) through which a cooking chamber is accessed. The opening (12) is defined by front edges of two opposite side walls (18) of metal panel, a lower wall (14) extending at their lower end, and an opposite upper wall (16). A metal sheet frame (30) extending outward from the muffle (10) is secured to the opening (12) in the form of a flange. The frame (30) is obtained by cutting a flat sheet metal plate through its center to provide an hole that fits into the opening (12) and bending inwardly vertical L-shape along a peripheral edge (32). The upper part of the peripheral edge (32) forms an upper lug (36) on which a support structure holding the control panel (not shown) will be disposed. On the other hand, the part extending into the cavity (1 ) forms a mounting tab (34). The mounting tab (34) extends vertically along the side edge of the frame (30). A hole (37) is drilled in the upper and lower parts of the mounting tab (34) adjacent to the opposite corners.

A side panel (20) formed from metal sheet is fixed to the oven housing (not shown) adjacent to the corresponding side wall (18) with a gap (1) between them. The side panel (20) and the side wall (18) are in a parallel position to each other. The peripheral edges of the side panel (20) are bent inward perpendicularly. On a flat outer portion (22) of the side panel (20), an opening (21) at the top and an auxiliary opening (23) at the bottom are provided, respectively, adjacent to a front edge (24) corresponding to the holes (37). On the other hand, a emboss (26) is formed so that the opening (21) and the auxiliary opening (23) are on the same axis in the transverse direction. The emboss (26) is in the same diameter as the opening (21) and is in the form of a dome. The side panel (20) is mounted directly to the mounting tab (34) by inserting a corresponding fastener (50) and auxiliary connector (60) in each opening (21 , 23), respectively. The fastening element (50) includes a screw (52) adjusted to the diameter of the hole (37) and a cover (54) that protrudes outwardly by covering the opening (21 ). Similarly, the auxiliary fastening element (60) includes a screw (62) adjusted to the diameter of the corresponding lower hole (37) and a cover (64) that protrudes outwardly by covering the lower opening (21).

In Figure 2, the muffle (10) and the side panel (20) mounted from the frame (30) by means of the fastening element (50) is shown from the top. The front edge (24) of the side panel (20) is bent in a U shape and the inner flap (25) is extended towards the cavity (1 ). The inner flap

(25) is parallel to the mounting tab (34) formed by bending the peripheral edge (32) of the frame (30) into an L shape. A counter hole (27) is drilled on the inner flap (25), aligned with the hole (37) on the mounting tab (34) and having the same diameter. The side panel (20) is disposed in such a way that the hole (37) on the frame (30) is aligned with the hole (27) on the inner flap (25). As shown in Figure 3, the gap (1 ) limits a corridor between the inside of the side panel (20) and the side wall (18). As shown in Figure 4, the hole (27) in the side panel (20) is located close to the inner edge of the inner flap (25). Similarly, the hole (37) provided in the mounting tab (34) close to the inner edge. The inner flap (25) from its free end is secured to the mounting tab (34) by means of a screw (52) in alignment with the free end of the mounting tab (34). The screw (52) is inserted into the hole (27) by reaching through the opening (21 ) and rotates into the hole (37) of the mounting tab (34). In this case, the head of the screw (52) abuts against the mounting tab (34) and stops moving. With the mounting of the screw (52), the inner flap (25) is mounted by prestressing the mounting tab (34), on which it rests directly. After that, the plastic one-piece cover (54) passes into the opening (21) by being pressed from the external part (22) with the help of the flexible claw (51 ) on the skirt part thereof. The outer form of the cover (54) is convex and curved, and the top part of the cover (54) and the top part of the emboss (26) contact the wall where the side panel (20) is disposed in a cabinet (40). Thus, the cover (54) supports the side panel (20) close to the opposite ends together with the emboss (26) against the cabinet (40) by forming a support. In addition, due to the dome form, the contact of the cover (54) and the emboss

(26) with the cabinet (40) is tangential, and heat transfer to the cabinet (40) is minimized when cooking takes place in the muffle (10). In addition, the distance between the front edge (25) of the side panel (20) and the peripheral edge (32) of the frame (30) and the cavity (1) corridor formed by the side wall (18) reduce the heat transfer of the muffle (10) from the cabinet (40). keeps it away.

Similar to the one described above, the auxiliary fastening element (60) fixes the mounting tab (34) to the inner flap (25) from below by passing the screw (62) through the auxiliary opening (23). After that, the second cover (64) is attached to the open auxiliary opening (23) and ensures that it is closed. REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 Gap 30 Frame

10 Muffle 32 Peripheral edge

12 Opening 34 Mounting tab

14 Lower wall 36 Upper lug

16 Top wall 37 Hole

18 Sidewall 40 Cabinet

20 Side panel 50 Fastener

21 Aperture 51 Claw

22 External side 52 Screw

23 Auxiliary opening 54 Cover

24 Front edge 60 Auxiliary fastener

25 inner flap 62 Screw

26 Emboss 64 Second cover

27 Hole

28 Top edge