Oven

Abstract

An oven for cooking food includes a muffle ( 2 ), a groove ( 20 ) fashioned in a wall of the muffle ( 2 ), and a tab ( 4 ) which contributes to supporting an electric heating element ( 3 ) for cooking. In an operational configuration, the tab ( 4 ) is inserted into said groove ( 20 ), along which it is free to slide so as to compensate for any thermal expansions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oven for food, comprising:
 a muffle;   a groove fashioned in a wall of the muffle; and   a tab which contributes to supporting an electric heating element for cooking, wherein the tab is inserted into the groove, along which the tab is free to slide so as to compensate for thermal expansions.   
     
     
         2 . The oven according to  claim 1 , wherein the groove is fashioned in an upper wall of the muffle, the electric heating element being a grill mounted in proximity to the upper wall of the muffle. 
     
     
         3 . The oven according to  claim 1 , wherein the groove is defined by a protuberance that projects inside the muffle and has an opening facing a front part of the oven. 
     
     
         4 . The oven according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cross member for supporting the electric heating element, the cross member being constrained to the tab and being underneath the electric heating element. 
     
     
         5 . The oven according to  claim 4 , wherein the tab comprises:
 a first upper part inserted in the groove;   a second part joining the tab with the cross member; and   a third part, which extends from top to bottom between the first upper part and the second part.   
     
     
         6 . The oven according to  claim 1 , wherein the tab can be extracted from the groove by sliding the tab along the groove. 
     
     
         7 . The oven according to  claim 5 , wherein the first upper part of the tab and the groove extend horizontally. 
     
     
         8 . The oven according to  claim 1 , wherein an imaginary vertical plane is defined, which is situated at half the depth of the muffle and divides the muffle into a first and a second area, the first area being closer to an oven door intended for introducing and removing food, and wherein the groove is fashioned in the first area. 
     
     
         9 . The oven according to  claim 8 , wherein the groove extends for more than 15 millimetres along a direction perpendicular to the oven door in the closed position. 
     
     
         10 . A method for connecting a grill heating element to an oven, comprising the steps of:
 inserting at least a first portion of the grill heating element into a slot fashioned in a rear wall of a muffle;   inserting a tab into a groove; and   after the tab has been inserted into the groove, fixing the first portion to remaining parts of the oven by means of a removable threaded connection.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the groove is fashioned in an upper wall of the muffle, the grill heating element mounted in proximity to the upper wall of the muffle. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the groove is defined by a protuberance that projects inside the muffle and has an opening facing a front part of the oven. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising a cross member for supporting the grill heating element, the cross member being constrained to the tab and being underneath the grill heating element. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the tab comprises:
 a first upper part inserted in the groove;   a second part joining the tab with the cross member; and   a third part, which extends from top to bottom between the first upper part and the second part.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the first upper part of the tab and the groove extend horizontally. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the tab can be extracted from the groove by sliding the tab along the groove. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein an imaginary vertical plane is defined and situated at half the depth of the muffle and divides the muffle into a first area and a second area, the first area being closer to an oven door intended for introducing and removing food, and wherein the groove is fashioned in the first area. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the groove extends for more than 15 millimetres along a direction perpendicular to the oven door in the closed position. 
     
     
         19 . An oven for food, comprising:
 a muffle;   a groove fashioned in a wall of the muffle; and   a tab comprising:   a first upper part inserted in the groove;   a second part joining the tab with a cross member for supporting an electric heating element, the cross member being constrained to the tab and being underneath the electric heating element; and   a third part, which extends from top to bottom between the first upper part and the second part, wherein the tab contributes to supporting the electric heating element and is inserted into the groove, along which the tab is free to slide so as to compensate for thermal expansions.   
     
     
         20 . The oven according to  claim 19 , wherein the first part of the tab and the groove extend horizontally, and wherein the tab can be extracted from the groove by sliding the tab along the groove.