Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the 'I'nven'tion
This invention relates to electric ovens, and more parti-
cularly to a support leg for the bake heating element thereof.
Support legs for the bake heating element of an electric
oven are generally permanently mounted to the element in a manner
which requires replacement of the element in the event of such a
part failure. For example, in U. S. Patents 2,915,560 and
3,154,569 to Kruse and Binder, respectively, the support legs -
are permanently mounted about the heating element. During normal
operation, the sheath expansion contraction cycle at oven tem-
peratures exerts a spreading force during a cooking cycle which
overcomes the restraining force on current leg designs whereby
such leg designs may be subjected thereafter to rotational move-
ment.
Objects of the`Invention ~'
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel
leg support for the bake heating of an electric oven.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a
novel leg support for the bake heating of an electric oven which
may readily be replaced in a facile manner.
Still another object of the present invention is to pro- ~ '
vide a novel leg support for the bake heating of an electric oven
which is able to maintain its grip about the heating element
ater being repeatedly subjected to self-cleaning temperatures.
Summary of the'I'nvention
.
' There is provided a support leg for a heating element of an
electric unit including vertically extending arm members including
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inT.~ardly extending teeth members which firmly engage the outer surface of the
heating element in a manner to prevent subsequent rotation of such support leg.
The support leg of the present invention may be readily mounted on a bake -~
heating elcment using readily available household tools as more fully hereinafter
described.
Thus, in accordance with the present teaching there is provided
in combination an electric heating element and a support leg for supporting the
electric heating element within an electric heating unit. The combination com-
prises a support member having a base and first and second arm members which ex-
tend generally perpendicularly outwardly from the base and generally parallel toeach other. The arm members are formed with U-shaped openings receiving the
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electric heating element and includes teeth members which extend inwardly into
th~ U-shaped openings and flaring from the arm members and fixedly positioning ~
the electric heating element within the U-shaped openings of the arm members ~`-
whereby the arm members are substantially parallel to each other and engage the `
electric heating element. The teeth members are distorted to a plane substantially
parallel to the plane of the arm members with the teeth members fixedly engaging ~
and holding the heating element withln the ~-shaped opening of the arm members. ;
Brief Description of the Drawings
A better understanding of the present invention as well as other
ob~ects and advantages thereof will become apparent upon consideration of the
detailed disclosure thereof, especially when taken with the accompanying
drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout; and wherein:
Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the
sopport leg of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the support leg of
Figure l;
Figure 3 is a partial~top view of the support leg taken along
the lines 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 i5 an isometric view of the support element initially
mounted about a bake element;
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Figure 5 is a partial view of the support element fully
mounted on the bake element;
Figure 6 is a front elevatlonal view of a preferred embodiment ~:
of a support leg of the present invention; and
Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the support le~ of
Figure 6. ~
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Detailed Description'of the'Drawings
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, there is illustrated the sup-
port leg of the present invention, generally indicated as 10 com~
prised of a base portion 12 and upwardly extending right and
left arm portions 14 and 16, each formed with a cruciform slot 18
forming inwardly extending teeth members 20. In the embodiment
illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the teeth members 20 are at a
60 angle although it is understood that the teeth may be formed
at any degree of angles, including a serrated circular slot.
For ease of assembly of the support leg 10 on a heating
element the upper teeth members 20 are formed in an outwardly
extending V-shaped manner (See Figure 3), with the lower teeth
members 20 being slightly extended in an outwardly direction. ' ;
The bottom portion 12 is formed with a downwardly extending tab '
22 for mounting in a detent or like area. It is generally
undesirable to permit the leg support to contact the porcelain
of the oven for penetrating of the porcelain would be effected
within a short period of time as a result of the operation or
temperatures involved. '' ' ''
The leg support, referring to Figure 4, is readily mounted
on a heating element 24, shown in phantom, by snapping the leg
support lO thereon and rotating the leg support 10 into proper
alignment. Thereafterj the arm members 14 and 16 are caused to
be moved parallel to each other with the upper portion of each
arm member being subject to a sufficient clamping force to cause
the teeth members 20 to conform generally to the parallelism of '
the arm members thereby securely fastening the support leg 10 to '
the heating element 24 with sufficient force to instantly pre-
vent the rotation of the support leg 10 about the heating element
24, as shown in Figure 5.
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Referrlng to Figures 6 and 7 illustrating another embodi-
ment of a leg support of the present invention, there is pro-
vided a leg support element, generally indicated as 40, comprised
of a top segment 42, vertically extending L-shaped arm portions
44 and 46 including inwardly extending segments 48 and 50,
respectively. The arm portions are formed with teeth members
52 extending inwardly and perpendicular to the arm portions 44
and 46 for engagement with the heating element 24. The segment
48 is formed with an upwardly extending tab 5~ which cooperated -
with a slot 56 formed in the segment 50 of the arm portion 46.
Each arm portion 44 and 46 is formed with a stiffening rib as
section 58 and 60, respectively, to minimize loosening of grip
of the teeth members on the heating element after many hours of
operation.
While the invention has been described in connection with
several exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that
many modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill ~ `
in the art, and that this application is intended to cover any
adaptations or variations thereof. Therefore, it is manifestly
intended that this invention be only limited by the claims and
the equivalents thereof.
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