Portable electric cooking appliance

Claim 2

A portable electric cooking appliance, comprising a sheet metal case and a pair of insulating material end pedestals supporting the case, said case including main bottom and top panels, opposed end panels, and a rear panel all fixed relative to one another and defining an open front enclosure; an electric heating element disposed in the enclosure in spaced adjacent relationship to one main panel and extending through openings in the opposed end panels, insulating means surrounding the heating element adjacent the end panels and being received and snugly fitted within openings therein for supporting the heating element laterally within the case and the heating element having no bracket attachment from the one main panel; and mounting means between only one of the end panels of the case and the adjacent end pedestal for holding the heating element axially within the case, said mounting means including an electrically conductive rigid bar mechanically and electrically connected to the heating element and an insulator element snugly embracing rigid bars and securing but electronically insulating the bar relative to the one end panel.

Claim 3

A portable electrical cooking appliance according to claim 1, further providing a case front panel across the lower extent of the enclosure opening and a case retainer panel inclined between the bottom panel and the front panel and facing the heating element; and said front panel, retainer panel, bottom panel and rear panel being formed from a single piece of sheet metal having rounded corner junctions between the adjacent panels.

Claim 4

A portable electric cooking appliance according to claim 1, further providing front case flanges defining the opposite side extents of the enclosure opening and each having a lower opening therein, and wherein a door is removably supported relative to the appliance to close the open front of the enclosure, said door including a pair of spaced tongues projecting from the rear face of the door and adapted to fit within the case flange openings, each tongue having a latch surface spaced below and facing the lower edge of the door and inwardly terminating spaced short of the rear face of the door, and being adapted to engage the rear side of the case flange adjacent the opening therein while the lower door edge engages the case to hang the door in the open position relative to the appliance.

Claim 5

A portable electric cooking appliance according to claim 3, wherein the door is removable from the case upon upward manipulation of the door and tongue to clear the latch surface from beyond the case flange opening of the appliance.

Claim 6

A portable electric cooking appliance, comprising a sheet metal case and a pair of insulating material end pedestals supporting the case, said case including maIn bottom and top panels, opposed end panels, and a rear panel all fixed to one another and defining an open front enclosure; an electric heating element supported in the enclosure in spaced adjacent relationship to one of the main panels and being electrically insulated from the case; the case including a front panel across the lower extent of the enclosure opening and a retainer panel inclined between the bottom panel and the front panel and facing the heating element; the front panel, the retainer panel, the bottom panel and the rear panel being formed from a continuous single piece of sheet metal folded to shape and having rounded corners junctures between adjacent panels.

Claim 7

A portable electric cooking appliance, comprising a sheet metal case and a pair of insulating material end pedestals supporting the case, said case including maIn bottom and top panels, opposed end panels, and a rear panel all fixed to one another and defining an open front enclosure; an electric heating element supported in the enclosure in spaced adjacent relationship to one of the main panels and being electrically insulated from the case; the case including a front panel across the lower extent of the enclosure opening and a retainer panel inclined between the bottom panel and the front panel and facing the heating element; the front panel, the retainer panel, the bottom panel and the rear panel being formed from a continuous single piece of sheet metal folded to shape and having rounded corners junctures between adjacent panels.

Claim 8

A portable electric cooking appliance according to claim 5, wherein the electric heating element actually is formed by two separate elements that have corresponding ends that extend through openings in one of the end panels, wherein an electrically conductive rigid bus bar is mechanically and electrically connected to the two separate elements across the corresponding ends, and wherein insulator means mechanically secures the bus bar relative to the one end panel, operable to help hold the two separate elements in place within the appliance and also electrically connect them together.

Claim 9

A portable electric cooking appliance according to claim 6, wherein the opposite ends of the two separate elements extend through openings in the other end panel, and wherein said bus bar connection for the two separate elements and the relatively snug fit of the elements within the end panel openings provide the sole means of support of the two separate elements in the case.

Claim 10

A portable electric cooking appliance, comprising a sheet metal case having main bottom and top panels, opposed end panels, and a rear panel all fixed relative to one another and defining an open front enclosure; bottom and side front case flanges formed as part of the case and defining the bottom and opposite side extents, respectively, of the enclosure opening and each side front case flange having an opening therein slightly above the level of the bottom case flange, a door removably supported relative to the case to close the open front of the enclosure, said door including a pair of spaced tongues downwardly and rearwardly projecting from the rear face of the door and adapted to fit within the side flange openings, each tongue having a latch surface spaced below and facing the lower edge of the door and inwardly terminating spaced short of the rear face of the door, and being adapted to engage the rear side of the side flange adjacent the opening therein while the lower door edge engages the bottom case flange to hang the door in the open position relative to the appliance, said door being removable from the case upon upward manipulation of the door and tongues to clear the latch surfaces from the rear side of the case side flanges and removal through the openings therein; and an electric heating element supported in the enclosure in spaced adjacent relationship to one main panel and being electrically insulated from the case.

Claim 11

A portable electric cooking appliance, comprising a sheet metal case having main bottom and top panels, opposed end panels, and a rear panel all fixed relative to one another and defining an open front enclosure; bottom and side front case flanges formed as part of the case and defining the bottom and opposite side extents, respectively, of the enclosure opening and each side front case flange having an opening therein slightly above the level of the bottom case flange, a door removably supported relative to the case to close the open front of the enclosure, said door including a pair of spaced tongues downwardly and rearwardly projecting from the rear face of the door and adapted to fit within the side flange openings, each tongue having a latch surface spaced below and facing the lower edge of the door and inwardly terminating spaced short of the rear face of the door, and being adapted to engage the rear side of the side flange adjacent the opening therein while the lower door edge engages the bottom case flange to hang the door in the open position relative to the appliance, said door being removable from the case upon upward manipulation of the door and tongues to clear the latch surfaces from the rear side of the case side flanges and removal through the openings therein; and an electric heating element supported in the enclosure in spaced adjacent relationship to one main panel and being electrically insulated from the case.

Claim 12

A portable electric cooking appliance according to claim 8, further providing the door has a glass window therein closing an opening in the door, a lower rear flange on the door holding one edge of the glass, a bracket having a rear flange holding the opposite edge of the glass, the interconnecting edges of the glass extending beyond the periphery of the door opening and overlapping the rear face of the door, a handle on the front face of the door opposite the bracket, and common connecting means holding the bracket and handle to the door.