Cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a metal body that defines a cooking cavity and includes a bottom wall that has an interior surface that partially defines the cooking cavity and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface. The interior surface defines a first centrally located depression, and the exterior surface defines a second centrally located depression that is opposite of and horizontally aligned with the first centrally located depression defined by the interior surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a metal body that defines a cooking cavity and includes a bottom wall that has an interior surface that partially defines the cooking cavity and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, wherein the interior surface defines a first centrally located depression, and the exterior surface defines a second centrally located depression that is opposite of and horizontally aligned with the first centrally located depression defined by the interior surface.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the metal body is a steel body. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the interior surface that defines the first centrally located depression includes a convex portion that parallels the second centrally located depression defined by the exterior surface of the bottom wall. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the metal body further comprises:
 a top wall opposite the bottom wall;   a first side wall that extends between the top and bottom walls;   a second side wall that extends between the top and bottom walls opposite the first side wall; and   a back wall that extends between the first and second side walls and between the top and bottom walls, wherein the back wall is disposed opposite an opening to the cooking cavity.   
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the portion of the second centrally located depression defined by the exterior surface that is nearest to the top wall is positioned substantially equidistantly from the first and second side walls. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first centrally located depression defined by the interior surface has a first maximum vertical depth, and the second centrally located depression defined by the exterior surface has a second maximum vertical depth, and wherein the first maximum vertical depth is greater than the second maximum vertical depth. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical depth of the second centrally located depression defined by the exterior surface varies laterally and is uniform longitudinally. 
     
     
         8 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a metal body that defines a cooking cavity and includes a plurality of walls, wherein at least one of the plurality of walls includes an interior surface that partially defines the cooking cavity and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, wherein the interior surface defines a first depression, and the exterior surface defines a second depression that is opposite of and aligned with the first depression defined by the interior surface.   
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the second depression defined by the exterior surface is horizontally aligned with the first depression defined by the interior surface. 
     
     
         10 . The cooking appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of walls comprises:
 a bottom wall;   a top wall opposite the bottom wall;   a first side wall that extends between the top and bottom walls; and   a second side wall that extends between the top and bottom walls opposite the first side wall, wherein the bottom wall includes the interior surface that defines the first depression and the exterior surface that defines the second depression.   
     
     
         11 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the portion of the interior surface that defines the first depression includes a convex portion that parallels the second depression defined by the exterior surface of the bottom wall. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the upward-most portion of the second depression defined by the exterior surface is positioned substantially equidistantly from the first and second side walls. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the first depression defined by the interior surface has a first maximum vertical depth, and the second depression defined by the exterior surface has a second maximum vertical depth, and wherein the first maximum vertical depth is greater than the second maximum vertical depth. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the vertical depth of the second depression defined by the exterior surface varies laterally and is uniform longitudinally. 
     
     
         15 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of walls further comprises:
 a back wall that extends between the first and second side walls and between the top and bottom walls, wherein the back wall is disposed opposite an opening to the cooking cavity.   
     
     
         16 . The cooking appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the metal body is a steel body. 
     
     
         17 . A metal body for a cooking appliance, comprising:
 a bottom wall;   a top wall opposite the bottom wall;   a first side wall that extends between the top and bottom walls; and   a second side wall that extends between the top and bottom walls opposite the first side wall, wherein the bottom wall includes an interior surface that partially defines a cooking cavity and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, and wherein the interior surface defines a first centrally located depression, and the exterior surface defines a second centrally located depression that is opposite of and horizontally aligned with the first centrally located depression.   
     
     
         18 . The metal body of  claim 17 , wherein the portion of the interior surface that defines the first centrally located depression includes a convex portion that parallels the second centrally located depression defined by the exterior surface of the bottom wall. 
     
     
         19 . The metal body of  claim 17 , wherein the first centrally located depression is larger than the second centrally located depression. 
     
     
         20 . The metal body of  claim 19 , wherein the first centrally located depression defined by the interior surface has a first maximum vertical depth, and the second centrally located depression defined by the exterior surface has a second maximum vertical depth, and wherein the first maximum vertical depth is greater than the second maximum vertical depth.