Cooking oven with heating element accessible separable from remainder without having to remove a door or side walls of outer wrapper

Abstract

A cooking oven including: (1) an inner liner providing a cooking chamber and an opening thereto, the inner liner comprising a bottom wall extending rearward from the opening; (2) a first outer wrapper outward of the inner liner, the first outer wrapper comprising a bottom wall below the bottom wall of the inner liner; (3) a heating element coupled to the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper, the heating element extending between the bottom walls; (4) a forward panel coupled to the inner liner and the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper; and (5) a bracket attached to the forward panel and fastened to the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper via a fastener that is manipulable from the external environment to an unfastened state where the bottom wall of the first outer bracket is not fastened to the bracket.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking oven comprising:
 an inner liner at least partially defining a cooking chamber and forming an opening into the cooking chamber, the inner liner comprising a bottom wall extending rearward from the opening and forming a floor of the cooking chamber;   a first outer wrapper at least partially enveloping the inner liner, the first outer wrapper comprising a bottom wall that is disposed below the bottom wall of the inner liner;   a heating element coupled to the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper, the heating element at least partially disposed between the bottom wall of the inner liner and the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper;   a forward panel coupled to the inner liner and the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper; and   a bracket that is attached to the forward panel and fastened to the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper in a releasable manner via a first fastener comprising (a) a head accessible from an external environment and (b) a threaded shaft extending from the head and, in a fastened state, extending through (i) an aperture through the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper and (ii) a first aperture of the bracket that is aligned with the aperture of the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking oven of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first fastener further includes a first unfastened state where the threaded shaft of the first fastener is removed from the aperture of the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper and the aperture of the bracket; and   in the first unfastened state of the first fastener, the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper and the heating element are manipulable together to a separated state separated from a remainder of the cooking oven.   
     
     
         3 . The cooking oven of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a door manipulable to, from, and between (i) a closed position denying access from the external environment through the opening and into the cooking chamber and (ii) an open position permitting access from the external environment through the opening and into the cooking chamber, 
 wherein, the door is coupled to the remainder of the cooking oven, when the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper and the heating element are manipulated to the separated state. 
 
     
     
         4 . The cooking oven of  claim 1 , wherein
 the inner liner further comprises (i) opposing side walls substantially orthogonal to the bottom wall and disposed rearward from the opening and (ii) a flange extending away from the opening, the flange comprising a downward portion that extends downward from the opening and substantially orthogonal to the bottom wall of the inner liner.   
     
     
         5 . The cooking oven of  claim 4 , wherein
 the forward panel comprises a vertical portion that is substantially vertically oriented and faces the flange of the inner liner.   
     
     
         6 . The cooking oven of  claim 1 , wherein
 the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper comprises a recess within which a first portion of the bracket is disposed, the first portion being substantially flush against the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper.   
     
     
         7 . The cooking oven of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first outer wrapper further comprises projections extending upward from the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper, the projections not contacting the heating element but positioned to limit downward movement of the heating element.   
     
     
         8 . The cooking oven of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a heating element bracket comprising (i) a first portion fastened to the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper and (ii) a second portion fastened to the heating element. 
 
     
     
         9 . The cooking oven of  claim 1 , wherein
 the inner liner further comprises (i) a rear wall disposed reward of the bottom wall and disposed generally orthogonal thereto and (ii) a top wall opposing the bottom wall and disposed generally orthogonal to the rear wall; and   the first outer wrapper further comprises (i) a rear wall disposed rearward of a rear wall of the inner liner and abutting the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper and (ii) a top wall disposed above the top wall of the inner liner and fastened to the rear wall of inner liner.   
     
     
         10 . The cooking oven of  claim 9 , wherein
 the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper comprises tabs that abut, but are not fastened to, an inward surface of the rear wall of the first outer wrapper.   
     
     
         11 . The cooking oven of  claim 1 , wherein
 the forward panel comprises (i) a first portion that is substantially vertically oriented and a central aperture that laterally surrounds the opening into the cooking chamber, and (ii) a second portion that extends rearward from the first portion and is attached to the bracket.   
     
     
         12 . The cooking oven of  claim 11 , wherein
 the second portion of the forward panel comprises (i) a tab that is substantially vertically oriented and (ii) an aperture through the tab that is aligned with a second aperture through the bracket, and   a second fastener extends through the aperture through the tab of the forward panel and the second aperture of the bracket to fasten the forward panel and the bracket together.   
     
     
         13 . The cooking oven of  claim 12 , wherein
 the bracket further comprises (i) a first portion that is substantially horizontally oriented and through which the first aperture is disposed and (ii) a second portion that is substantially vertically oriented and through which the second aperture is disposed.   
     
     
         14 . The cooking oven of  claim 13 , wherein
 the tab of the forward panel is disposed laterally outward of the second portion of the bracket.   
     
     
         15 . The cooking oven of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second outer wrapper at least partially enveloping the first outer wrapper and the inner liner, the second outer wrapper comprising a bottom wall that is disposed below the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper, 
 wherein, the bottom wall of the second outer wrapper comprises an aperture therethrough allowing access to the head of the first fastener from the external environment. 
 
     
     
         16 . The cooking oven of  claim 15 , wherein
 the bottom wall of the second outer wrapper and the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper are fastened together with third fasteners comprising heads that are inaccessible from the external environment.   
     
     
         17 . The cooking oven of  claim 15 , wherein
 the second outer wrapper further comprises (i) a rear wall that is disposed rearward of the rear wall of the first outer wrapper and (ii) opposing side walls outward of the inner liner, and   the bottom wall of the second outer wrapper is fastened, in a fastened state, to the rear wall and the opposing side walls of the second outer wrapper with third fasteners that are exposed to, and manipulable from, the external environment.   
     
     
         18 . The cooking oven of  claim 17 , wherein
 in a second unfastened state, the third fasteners do not fasten the bottom wall of the second outer wrapper to the rear wall and the opposing side walls of the second outer wrapper, and   in the first unfastened state of the first fastener and the second unfastened state of the third fasteners, the bottom wall of the second outer wrapper, the bottom wall of the first outer wrapper, and the heating element are manipulable together as a package to take a separated state separated from a remainder of the cooking oven.   
     
     
         19 . The cooking oven of  claim 17  further comprising:
 a door coupled to the second outer wrapper through a hinge attached to both the door and the opposing side walls of the second outer wrapper, the door manipulable to, from, and between (i) a closed position denying access from the external environment through the opening and into the cooking chamber and (ii) an open position permitting access from the external environment through the opening and into the cooking chamber. 
 
     
     
         20 . The cooking oven of  claim 19 , wherein
 in the first unfastened state of the first fastener, the second unfastened state of the third fasteners, and the separated state of the package, the door remains coupled to the opposing side walls of the second outer wrapper.