Pyrolytic self-cleaning domestic oven with improved means for protecting electronic panel and controls from heat damages

Claim 1

In a cooking/baking pyrolytic self cleaning type oven having: an inner enclosing structure defining an oven cavity; means for applying heat to the oven cavity for cooking/baking; means for providing a pyrolytic-type self-cleaning operation for said oven cavity constructed and arranged to heat said oven cavity to a temperature in the neighborhood of 550° C.; an outer frame/cabinet enclosing said oven cavity structure as a housing therefor, said frame/cabinet including openable/closable door means for permitting access to the oven cavity, the oven cavity structure being sized, positioned and mounted relative to the frame/cabinet so as to provide an airspace within said frame/cabinet, at least partially blanketing said oven cavity structure; a control panel for said oven, said control panel being of a sensitive contacts one and generally frontally exposed exteriorly of the oven and including at least one control which extends internally of said frame/cabinet; electronic control means which are subject to degradation if subjected to a temperature in excess of 60° C.; inlet slot means in said frame/cabinet defining an inlet from exteriorly of said oven into said airspace; outlet slot means in said frame/cabinet defining an exhaust outlet from said airspace to exteriorly of said oven, said outlet slot means being at least generally juxtaposed with said control panel; an exhaust fan having a suction side and a pressure side; and duct means within said airspace communicating said suction side of said exhaust fan with said outlet slot means and communicating said pressure side of said exhaust fan with said outlet slot means, opening means through the oven cavity provided with a catalytic cartridge to evacuate hot air in the said duct means during pyrolytic phase; the improvement wherein: said frame/cabinet further includes an inlet means defining a cooling air inlet slot into said airspace, said cooling air inlet being juxtaposed with said control panel located all along its lower edge and intervened between said outlet slot means and said control panel, in such a manner as to substract heat from said control panel and said at least one control, said cooling air inlet being in combination with wall means as a housing defining with said control panel and frame/cabinet a substantially airtight enclosure within said airspace for said at least one electronic control mean, said wall means being made of a good conductor of heat and being arranged to form a box and to be bathed by cooling air entering through said cooling air inlet, cooling air path forming an insulating mattress between the lower plate of the housing and the said duct means, said cooling air inlet is constructed and arranged to draw cooling air frontally across said control panel and into said airspace along at least an underside and a rear face of said box.