U.S. patent application number 17/142289 was filed with the patent office on 2022-07-07 for household cooking appliance including a non-welded oven cavity having a seal allowing pyrolytic cleaning.
The applicant listed for this patent is BSH Hausgerate GmbH, BSH Home Appliances Corporation. Invention is credited to Sean Johnson, Kenneth Jones, Robert Parchman, Norman Sewell.
Application Number | 20220214047 17/142289 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005344468 |
Filed Date | 2022-07-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220214047 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Johnson; Sean ; et
al. |
July 7, 2022 |
HOUSEHOLD COOKING APPLIANCE INCLUDING A NON-WELDED OVEN CAVITY
HAVING A SEAL ALLOWING PYROLYTIC CLEANING
Abstract
A household cooking appliance having a high temperature
pyrolytic cleaning cycle includes a non-welded oven cavity
accessible through an opening. The non-welded oven cavity includes
a plurality of panels mechanically coupled together without welding
and at least one seal disposed between the mechanically coupled
panels of the plurality of panels for allowing pyrolytic cleaning
of the non-welded oven cavity.
Inventors: |
Johnson; Sean; (New Bern,
NC) ; Jones; Kenneth; (Washington, NC) ;
Parchman; Robert; (Newport, NC) ; Sewell; Norman;
(New Bern, NC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BSH Home Appliances Corporation
BSH Hausgerate GmbH |
Irvine
Munich |
CA |
US
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005344468 |
Appl. No.: |
17/142289 |
Filed: |
January 6, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C 14/02 20130101;
F24C 15/021 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F24C 15/02 20060101
F24C015/02; F24C 14/02 20060101 F24C014/02 |
Claims
1. A household cooking appliance comprising: a non-welded oven
cavity accessible through an opening, wherein the non-welded oven
cavity includes: a plurality of panels mechanically coupled
together without welding; and a seal disposed between mechanically
coupled panels of the plurality of panels.
2. The household cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the seal
forms an airtight seal between the mechanically coupled panels of
the plurality of panels.
3. The household cooking appliance of claim 2, wherein the seal
forms a pyrolytic seal between the mechanically coupled panels of
the plurality of panels.
4. The household cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein a first
panel of the mechanically coupled panels includes a first flange
and a second panel of the mechanically coupled panels includes a
second flange adjacent to the first flange of the first panel,
wherein the seal is disposed between the first flange and the
second flange, and wherein the first flange is mechanically coupled
to the second flange with the seal therebetween.
5. The household cooking appliance of claim 4, wherein the first
flange is mechanically coupled to the second flange by at least one
fixation element, and wherein the at least one fixation element is
centrally located along a longitudinal centerline of at least one
of the first flange, the second flange, and the seal.
6. The household cooking appliance of claim 5, wherein the at least
one fixation element is centrally located along the longitudinal
centerline of each of the first flange and the second flange.
7. The household cooking appliance of claim 5, wherein the seal is
a flat seal.
8. The household cooking appliance of claim 4, wherein the first
flange and the second flange are disposed respectively on the first
panel and the second panel on an opposite side of the first panel
and the second panel from an interior of the non-welded oven cavity
formed by the plurality of panels.
9. The household cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein a first
panel of the mechanically coupled panels includes a first flange
and a second panel of the mechanically coupled panels includes a
second flange adjacent to the first flange of the first panel,
wherein at least one of the first flange and the second flange
includes an emboss extending along a longitudinal centerline of the
at least one of the first flange and the second flange, wherein the
seal is disposed in the emboss between the first flange and the
second flange, and wherein the first flange is mechanically coupled
to the second flange with the seal therebetween.
10. The household cooking appliance of claim 9, wherein the first
flange and the second flange include matching embosses extending
along a longitudinal centerline of each of the first flange and the
second flange, and wherein the seal is disposed between the first
flange and the second flange and at least partially within the
matching embosses.
11. The household cooking appliance of claim 10, wherein the seal
is disposed between the first flange and the second flange and
entirely within the matching embosses.
12. The household cooking appliance of claim 9, wherein the first
flange is mechanically coupled to the second flange by a plurality
of fixation elements, and wherein each of the plurality of fixation
elements is alternately located on opposite sides of the
emboss.
13. The household cooking appliance of claim 9, wherein the seal
has one of an oval cross-section and a circular cross-section
corresponding to at least a portion of a cross-section of the
emboss.
14. The household cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein a first
panel of the mechanically coupled panels includes a flange adjacent
to a surface of a second panel of the mechanically coupled panels,
wherein the seal is disposed between the flange of the first panel
and the surface of the second panel, and wherein the flange of the
first panel is mechanically coupled to the surface of the second
panel with the seal therebetween.
15. The household cooking appliance of claim 14, wherein the flange
of the first panel is mechanically coupled to the surface of the
second panel by at least one fixation element, and wherein the at
least one fixation element is centrally located along a
longitudinal centerline of the flange of the first panel.
16. The household cooking appliance of claim 15, wherein the at
least one fixation element is centrally located along the
longitudinal centerline of the flange and a longitudinal centerline
of the seal.
17. The household cooking appliance of claim 14, wherein the seal
is a flat seal.
18. The household cooking appliance of claim 14, wherein at least
one of the flange of the first panel and the surface of the second
panel includes an emboss extending along a longitudinal centerline
of the flange, wherein the seal is disposed in the emboss between
the flange of the first panel and the surface of the second panel,
and wherein the flange of the first panel is mechanically coupled
to the surface of the second panel with the seal therebetween.
19. The household cooking appliance of claim 18, wherein the flange
of the first panel and the surface of the second panel include
matching embosses extending along the longitudinal centerline of
the flange, and wherein the seal is disposed in the matching
embosses between the flange of the first panel and the surface of
the second panel.
20. The household cooking appliance of claim 18, wherein the flange
of the first panel is mechanically coupled to the surface of the
second panel by a plurality of fixation elements, and wherein each
of the plurality of fixation elements is alternately located on
opposite sides of the flange of the first panel.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to a household cooking
appliance including a non-welded oven cavity having a seal disposed
between mechanically coupled panels, and more particularly, a
non-welded oven cavity having at least one seal disposed between
mechanically coupled panels for allowing pyrolytic cleaning of the
non-welded oven cavity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Some conventional home cooking appliances, such as ovens and
ranges, may include a self-cleaning mode, such as a high
temperature pyrolytic cleaning cycle. In operation, a so-called
pyrolytic oven heats up the interior of the oven cavity to an
extremely high temperature (e.g., approximately 400.degree. C. or
greater, 450.degree. C. or greater, etc.) to reduce any foodstuff,
spills, etc. on the interior surfaces of the oven cavity to a fine
ash that can be easily wiped away once the oven cavity has cooled
down, with no need for harsh oven-cleaning chemicals or intense
scrubbing of the interior surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Some conventional home cooking appliances, such as ovens and
ranges, may include a welded oven cavity having a plurality of
panels welded together to form the oven cavity. Other conventional
home cooking appliances may include a non-welded oven cavity, such
as a cavity having a plurality of panels mechanically coupled
together without welding. The manufacturing costs associated with
producing a non-welded oven cavity may be less than a welded oven
cavity, for example, since the manufacturing processes and
facilities associated with producing a non-welded oven cavity may
require less specialized, less complex, and/or less costly
manufacturing equipment or manufacturing techniques, less capacity,
less space, etc., than may otherwise be associated with the
manufacturing of a welded oven cavity.
[0004] The present invention recognizes that, while a welded oven
cavity may be suitable for use in an oven having a self-cleaning
mode, a non-welded oven cavity typically is not suitable for, or
capable of, use in an oven having a self-cleaning mode, such as a
high temperature pyrolytic cleaning cycle, since the extreme
temperatures within the interior of the oven cavity may cause
movement or expansion of mechanical seams or joints of the
non-welded oven cavity, thereby allowing hot air or gases to
undesirably escape through the mechanical seams or joints of the
non-welded oven cavity. Thus, a self-cleaning mode, such as a high
temperature pyrolytic cleaning cycle, typically cannot be provided
in a conventional home cooking appliance having a non-welded oven
cavity.
[0005] The present invention solves these and other problems by
providing a household cooking appliance comprising a non-welded
oven cavity including a plurality of panels mechanically coupled
together without welding and a seal disposed between mechanically
coupled panels of the plurality of panels. In this way, the present
invention can provide a non-welded oven cavity capable of
preventing hot air or gases from escaping through mechanical seams
or joints of the non-welded oven cavity during exposure to the
extreme temperatures within the interior of the oven cavity
associated with a self-cleaning mode, such as a high temperature
pyrolytic cleaning cycle. As a result, the present invention can
provide a household cooking appliance with desirable self-cleaning
features, such as high temperature pyrolytic cleaning, while at the
same time reducing manufacturing costs associated with the oven
cavity as compared to a welded oven cavity.
[0006] The seal can be configured to provide an airtight seal
between the mechanically coupled panels of the plurality of panels,
and more particularly, to provide a thermal seal or pyrolytic seal
between the mechanically coupled panels of the plurality of
panels.
[0007] In an example embodiment, one or more of the mechanically
coupled panels of the non-welded oven cavity can include one or
more flanges adjacent to each other, with the seal being disposed
between the flanges. The flanges can be mechanically coupled to
each other with the seal disposed therebetween by at least one
fixation element. In some examples, the fixation elements can be
centrally located and aligned along a longitudinal centerline of
one or more of the flanges and/or the seal disposed between the
flanges.
[0008] In other examples, one or more flanges can include an emboss
extending along a longitudinal centerline of the flange. In still
other examples, a pair of adjacent flanges can include matching
embosses extending along a longitudinal centerline of each of the
flanges. In these examples, the seal can be disposed in the emboss
or matching embosses between the mechanically coupled panels of the
plurality of panels. A portion of the seal can be disposed in the
emboss or matching embosses, or the seal can be disposed entirely
within the emboss or matching embosses.
[0009] The present invention recognizes that providing embosses on
one or more of the flanges may result in a reduced amount of the
flange being usable for fixation points. Moreover, in some
instances, it may be desirable to provide fixation points on each
side of the emboss or matching embosses to adequately secure the
flanges to each other and to adequately secure the seal within the
emboss between the flanges. The present invention further
recognizes that aligning the fixation points on opposite sides of
the emboss or matching embosses (e.g., aligning the fixation points
in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the
flanges or embosses), combined with the reduced size of the flange
on either side of the emboss, may result in metal fatigue and
failure of the mechanical coupling at such a location. To solve
these and other problems, in the present invention, the flanges can
be mechanically coupled to each other by a plurality of fixation
elements, wherein each of the plurality of fixation elements is
alternately located on opposite sides of the emboss or matching
embosses extending along the longitudinal centerline of the flanges
or embosses. In this way, the fixation points on each side of the
emboss or matching embosses are capable of adequately securing the
flanges to each other and adequately securing the seal between the
flanges, while at the same time, reducing the risk of, or avoiding
altogether, metal fatigue and failure of the mechanical coupling at
fixation locations.
[0010] In other examples, only one panel of the mechanically
coupled panels may include a flange, while the other panel may
include an adjacent surface. In these examples, the seal can be
disposed between the flange of the first panel and the surface of
the second panel, with the flange of the first panel being
mechanically coupled to the surface of the second panel with the
seal therebetween. Similar to the example having a pair of flanges,
the flange of the first panel can be mechanically coupled to the
surface of the second panel by one or more fixation elements and
such fixation elements can be centrally located along a
longitudinal centerline of the flange of the first panel. The
fixation elements also can be centrally located along the
longitudinal centerline of the seal.
[0011] In these examples, either or both of the flange of the first
panel and the surface of the second panel can include an emboss or
matching embosses extending along the longitudinal centerline of
the flange, with the seal being disposed in the emboss or matching
embosses. The flange of the first panel can be mechanically coupled
to the surface of the second panel by a plurality of fixation
elements, wherein each of the plurality of fixation elements is
alternately located on opposite sides of the emboss or matching
embosses extending along the longitudinal centerline of the flange
or embosses, thereby adequately securing the flange to the surface
and adequately securing the seal between the flange and the
surface, while at the same time, reducing the risk of, or avoiding
altogether, metal fatigue and failure of the mechanical coupling at
the fixation locations.
[0012] In the exemplary embodiments, the seal can be a flat seal.
In other examples, the seal can have an oval cross-section, a
circular cross-section, or other cross-sectional shape. The
cross-section of the seal can correspond to at least a portion of a
cross-section of an emboss formed in one or more flanges and/or
surfaces of one of the panels.
[0013] For purposes of this invention, a welded oven cavity can
include an oven cavity having a plurality of panels coupled
together with welded seams or joints to form the oven cavity. A
non-welded oven cavity can include a cavity having a plurality of
panels mechanically coupled together at seams or joints with or
without fixation elements to form the oven cavity. For example, a
non-welded oven cavity can include a cavity having a plurality of
panels mechanically coupled to each other at seams or joints with
one or more fasteners, such as with bolts, rivets, etc., and/or
without fasteners, such as by clinching. One of ordinary skill in
the art will recognize that the plurality of panels can be
mechanically coupled together at seams or joints by various other
mechanical fixation, assembly, or coupling devices or structures
suitable for coupling or joining metal sheets.
[0014] By providing a seal, and more particularly an air-tight
seal, a thermal seal, or a pyrolytic seal, etc., between the mating
flanges or surfaces of a non-welded oven cavity, high temperature
gases can be retained within the non-welded oven cavity such that
the gases are unable to escape through gaps in the metal panels of
the non-welded oven cavity. Accordingly, the present invention can
provide both the cost savings of a non-welded oven cavity, as
compared to a welded cavity, along with the ability to employ a
pyrolytic self-cleaning feature, which would not feasibly be safe
with conventional non-welded oven cavity systems.
[0015] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the
following detailed description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] These and other aspects and features of embodiments of the
present invention will be better understood after a reading of the
following detailed description, together with the attached
drawings, wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial cutaway view of a household
cooking appliance, according to an exemplary embodiment of the
invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a household cooking
appliance, according to an exemplary embodiment of the
invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a non-welded oven
cavity of a household cooking appliance, according to an exemplary
embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 4A is a schematic partial, cross-sectional view of
panels of a non-welded oven cavity mechanically coupled together,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4B
is a schematic plan view of FIG. 4A;
[0021] FIG. 5A is another schematic partial, cross-sectional view
of panels of a non-welded oven cavity mechanically coupled
together, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention,
and FIG. 5B is a schematic plan view of FIG. 5A;
[0022] FIG. 6 is another schematic partial, cross-sectional view of
panels of a non-welded oven cavity mechanically coupled together,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0023] FIG. 7 is another schematic partial, cross-sectional view of
panels of a non-welded oven cavity mechanically coupled together,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0024] FIG. 8 is another schematic partial, cross-sectional view of
panels of a non-welded oven cavity mechanically coupled together,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and
[0025] FIG. 9 is schematic perspective view of panels of a
non-welded oven cavity mechanically coupled together, according to
an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE
INVENTION
[0026] The present invention now is described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may,
however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art.
[0027] Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-9 illustrate
exemplary embodiments of a household cooking appliance having a
non-welded oven cavity with a seal disposed between mechanically
coupled panels. Like reference numerals are used to identify
similar features of the example embodiments in FIGS. 1-9.
[0028] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example of a household
cooking appliance 100 configured to perform a self-cleaning
operation, such as a high temperature pyrolytic cleaning cycle,
will now be described. The household cooking appliance 100 can
include a standalone appliance, wall mounted appliance, such as a
stand-alone oven, wall mounted oven, double oven, combination oven,
countertop oven, or a freestanding range having one or more ovens.
For example, the household cooking appliance 100 can include a gas
or electric wall oven (as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-3), or a
gas cooking range having one or more cooking or warming devices,
such as a cooktop, gas oven, electric oven, steam oven, convection
oven, and/or warming drawer. In other embodiments, the household
cooking appliance can include a plurality of oven cooking cavities.
The exemplary household cooking appliance can include one or more
doors, such as a baking oven door, a steam oven door, and/or a
warming drawer door for providing access to one or more cavities
within the housing.
[0029] An example of a household cooking appliance 100 can include
a housing 102, a non-welded oven cavity 104 defining an interior
oven cavity space 105 accessible through an opening in the
non-welded oven cavity 104, and an oven door 106 covering the
opening and moveable about a hinge between an open position and a
closed position. The household cooking appliance 100 can include a
control panel 108 having a user input device 110 for controlling
operation of one or more heating elements and/or circulating fans
in the oven cavity 104 for performing various operations, such as a
preheat operation, cooking operation, self-cleaning operation, such
as a high temperature pyrolytic cleaning cycle, etc. The user input
device 110 can include one or more control knobs, touch sensitive
input devices, etc. for controlling the various operations of the
appliance, including, for example, a self-cleaning mode, such as a
high temperature pyrolytic cleaning cycle. The control panel 108
can include various electronic components for operating the
appliance, such as one or more controllers, processors, memory
devices, etc. The housing 102 can include a gasket 112 surrounding
the opening of the oven cavity 104 and sealing the oven door 106 to
the opening when the oven door 106 is in the closed position. The
oven door 106 can be configured to be lockable in a closed
position, for example, during a self-cleaning operation. One or
more removable oven racks or other support devices can be provided
within the oven cavity 104. One of ordinary skill will recognize
that other configurations are possible.
[0030] With reference to FIGS. 3-9, exemplary embodiments of a
non-welded oven cavity 104 according to the present invention will
now be described.
[0031] In exemplary embodiments of the household cooking appliance,
a non-welded oven cavity 104 can include a plurality of panels
mechanically coupled together without welding and a seal disposed
between the mechanically coupled panels of the plurality of panels.
The seal can be configured to form an airtight seal between the
mechanically coupled panels of the plurality of panels during
exposure to the extreme temperatures within the interior of the
oven cavity associated with a self-cleaning mode, such as a high
temperature pyrolytic cleaning cycle, thereby preventing hot air or
gases from escaping through mechanical seams or joints of the
non-welded oven cavity. The seal can include, for example, any
thermal seal, pyrolytic seal, fire retardant seal, etc. capable of
withstanding extreme temperatures associated with a self-cleaning
operation (e.g., 400.degree. C. or greater, 450.degree. C. or
greater, etc.). The arrangement of the seal is not limited to any
particular shape and can include, for example, a flat seal having a
rectangular cross-section, a round seal having a circular or oval
cross-section, etc. The arrangement of the seal is not limited to
any particular type, construction, or material and can include, for
example, a solid core, a liquid core, a hallow core, a rope-style
seal, a woven blend of materials (e.g., a fiberglass and cotton
blend treated with fire retardant chemicals), a rubberized ceramic,
etc. The seal can be formed from an extrudable material, a woven
material such as fabric, a blended material, a laminated material,
a pressed material, etc. The seal can be formed from food grade
(e.g., FDA approved materials) to comply with any applicable
government regulations or standardized testing requirements in the
industry. The seal can be continuous along all or a portion of a
length of the seam or joint between the respective panels of the
non-welded oven cavity 104. In other examples, a plurality of seals
can be provided at different locations along all or a portion of a
length of the seam or joint between the respective panels of the
non-welded oven cavity 104. One or more different types, shapes,
sizes, materials, configurations, etc. of seals can be provided
along the same seam or joint between the respective panels of the
non-welded oven cavity 104 or along different seams or joints
between other combinations of panels of the non-welded oven cavity
104.
[0032] With reference to the example illustrated in FIG. 3, a
non-welded oven cavity 104 can include a plurality of panels (e.g.,
200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 210) mechanically coupled together without
welding. In the illustrated example, the non-welded oven cavity 104
can include a front panel 200 having an opening 201 for accessing
the interior space defined by the oven cavity 104, a side panel
202, a side panel 204, a rear panel 206, a top panel 208, and a
bottom panel 210. The arrangement of the non-welded oven cavity 104
is not limited to the illustrated example, and other configurations
of a non-welded oven cavity 104 are possible. For example, the
non-welded oven cavity 104 can include various configurations and
arrangements, including a different number of panels, sub-panels,
corner components, etc. The non-welded oven cavity 104 can include
a variety of assemblies, including a plurality of substantially
flat panels, L-shaped panels, U-shaped panels, etc., or various
combinations thereof. The various panels can be mechanically
coupled together at one or more seams or joints with or without
fixation elements. For example, the panels can be mechanically
coupled to each other with one or more fasteners, such as with
bolts, rivets, etc., and/or without fasteners, such as by
clinching. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the
plurality of panels can be mechanically coupled together at seams
or joints by other mechanical fixation, assembly, or coupling
devices or structures suitable for coupling or joining metal
sheets.
[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment having a plurality
of panels (e.g., 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 210) mechanically coupled
together at one or more seams or joints with fixation elements,
such as fasteners 308. In this example, the edges of the panels
(e.g., 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 210) can include corresponding
flanges 302, 304 having matching embosses 320 and one or more seals
306 disposed within the matching embosses 320 and between the
corresponding flanges 302, 304. The exemplary features of FIG. 3,
as well as other exemplary embodiments of mechanically coupled
panels of a non-welded oven cavity 104, according to the present
invention, will be described in greater detail below with reference
to the examples illustrated in FIGS. 4A-9.
[0034] With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, an exemplary embodiment
of mechanically coupled panels of a non-welded oven cavity 104 can
include two or more panels coupled together to form a seam or joint
of the non-welded oven cavity 104. For illustrative purposes, FIGS.
4A and 4B reference the side panel 204 being coupled to the bottom
panel 210. However, the illustrated example is not limited to any
particular combination of panels being coupled together. In this
example, the panel 204 can include a first flange 302 and the panel
210 can include a corresponding second flange 304 that is adjacent
to the first flange 302 when the panels 204, 210 are assembled. A
seal 306 (e.g., a flat seal) is disposed between the flanges 302,
304. In this example, the seal 306 is disposed entirely between the
flanges 302, 304. However, in other examples, a portion of the seal
306 can extend or protrude outside of the flanges 302, 304. The
flanges 302, 304 can be mechanically coupled to each other with the
seal 306 therebetween by at least one fixation element 308, which
is illustrated in this example as a fastener such as a rivet or
bolt. As shown in the example of FIG. 4B, the fixation elements 308
can be centrally located and aligned along a longitudinal
centerline C1 of either or both of the flanges 302, 304. In some
examples, the longitudinal centerline C1 also can correspond to a
centerline of the seal 306.
[0035] In the example illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the flanges
302, 304 are disposed respectively on the panel 204 and the panel
210 on an opposite side of the panels 204, 210 from an interior
space 105 of the non-welded oven cavity 104. However, in other
examples, the flanges 302, 304 can be disposed on a side of the
panels 204, 210 facing or extending into the interior space 105 of
the non-welded oven cavity 104.
[0036] With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, in another example, the
panel 204 can include a flange 302 that is adjacent to a surface
310 of the panel 210 when the panels are assembled. In this
example, a seal 306 (e.g., a flat seal) is disposed between the
flange 302 and the surface 310 of the panel 210. The flange 302 of
the panel 204 and the surface 310 of the panel 210 can be
mechanically coupled to each other with the seal 306 therebetween
by at least one fixation element 308. As shown in the example of
FIG. 5B, the fixation elements 308 can be centrally located and
aligned along a longitudinal centerline C1 of the flange 302 and/or
a centerline of the seal 306. In this example, a portion of the
seal 306 can extend or protrude beyond the flange 302. However, in
other examples, the seal 306 can be disposed entirely between the
flange 302 and the surface 310. In the example illustrated in FIGS.
5A and 5B, the flange 302 is disposed on an opposite side of the
panel 204 from the interior space 105 of the non-welded oven cavity
104. However, in other examples, the flange 302 can be disposed on
a side of the panel 204 facing or extending into the interior space
105 of the non-welded oven cavity 104.
[0037] In other examples, one or more flanges can include an emboss
extending along a longitudinal centerline of the flange. For
example, as shown in FIG. 6, a flange 302 can include an emboss
extending along a longitudinal centerline of the flange 302. In
this example, all or a portion of a seal 306 (e.g., a round or oval
seal) can be disposed between the emboss 320 of the flange 302 and
the surface 310 of the panel 210. The flange 302 of the panel 204
and the surface 310 of the panel 210 can be mechanically coupled to
each other with the seal 306 therebetween by a plurality of
fixation elements 308.
[0038] In another example, as shown in FIG. 7, a pair of adjacent
flanges 302, 304 can include matching embosses 320 extending along
a longitudinal centerline of each of the flanges 302, 304. In this
example, a seal 306 (e.g., a round or oval seal) is disposed
between the matching embosses 320. The flanges 302, 304 can be
mechanically coupled to each other with the seal 306 therebetween
by a plurality of fixation elements 308. In these examples, all or
a portion of the seal 306 (e.g., a round or oval seal) can be
disposed within the matching embosses 320.
[0039] With reference again to FIG. 3 and also to FIG. 8, a
plurality of panels (e.g., 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 210) can be
coupled together along a plurality of seams or joints to define the
non-welded oven cavity 104. Each of the panels (e.g., 200, 202,
204, 206, 208, 210) can include a flange or plurality of flanges
302 configured to be adjacent to a respective flange 304 of another
adjacent panel when the panels are in an assembled state. In the
examples shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, each of the flanges 302, 304 can
include matching embosses 320 extending along a longitudinal
centerline of each of the flanges 302, 304. In this example, a
plurality of seals 306 (e.g., round or oval seals) can be disposed
respectively between the matching embosses 320 of the respective
flanges 302, 304. The respective flanges 302, 304 can be
mechanically coupled to each other with the seals 306 therebetween
by a plurality of fixation elements 308.
[0040] As shown in each of FIGS. 3 and 6-8, the fixation elements
308 can be alternately located on opposite sides of the matching
embosses 320 extending along the longitudinal centerline of the
flanges 302, 304 or embosses 320. In these examples, every other
fixation element 308 extending in a direction of the longitudinal
centerline of the flanges 302, 304 or embosses 320 can be disposed
on an opposite side of the longitudinal centerline of the flanges
302, 304 or embosses 320. In other examples, two or more successive
fixation elements 308 can be disposed on a same side of the flanges
302, 304 or embosses 320, for example, depending on the particular
arrangement of the joint or seam. The fixation elements 308 can be
spaced along the longitudinal centerline of the flanges or
embosses. The spacing between two successive fixation elements 308
extending in a direction of the longitudinal centerline of the
flanges 302, 304 or embosses 320 can be the same or uniform along
the length of the longitudinal centerline of the flanges 302, 304
or embosses 320, or in other examples, the spacing between two
successive fixation elements 308 at one or more locations can be
different from another location, for example, depending on the
particular arrangement of the joint or seam.
[0041] FIG. 9 illustrates another example having a plurality of
panels (e.g., 204, 206, 210) coupled together along a plurality of
seams or joints to define a lower portion of the non-welded oven
cavity 104. As shown in FIG. 9, a lower end of each of the panels
(e.g., 204, 206) can include one or more flanges 302 configured to
be adjacent to a surface of the bottom panel 210 when the panels
are in an assembled state, similar to the example illustrated in
FIGS. 5A and 5B. In this example, a seal 306 (e.g., a flat seal or
the like) can be disposed between the flanges 302 of each
respective panel 204, 206 and the surface of the panel 210, with
each flange 302 being mechanically coupled to the surface of the
panel 210 with the respective seal 306 therebetween. The fixation
elements 308 can be centrally located along a longitudinal
centerline of each flange 302. In this example, each of the flanges
302 can be disposed on a side of the respective panel 204, 206
facing or extending into the interior space 105 of the non-welded
oven cavity 104. However, in other examples, one or more, or all,
of the flanges 302 can be disposed on an opposite side of the
respective panel 204, 206 from the interior space 105 of the
non-welded oven cavity 104.
[0042] The present invention has been described herein in terms of
several preferred embodiments. However, modifications and additions
to these embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It is
intended that all such modifications and additions comprise a part
of the present invention to the extent that they fall within the
scope of the several claims appended hereto.
* * * * *