Perforated panel in cooking compartment of gas appliance

Abstract

A domestic cooking appliance for heating a food item includes a main housing; a cooking compartment in the main housing, the cooking compartment being configured to receive the food item to be heated; a shelf located in the cooking compartment and configured to support the food item to be heated; a gas burner configured to provide heat to the cooking compartment; and a perforated panel located between the gas burner and the shelf, the perforated panel having a plurality of openings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A domestic cooking appliance for heating a food item, comprising:
 a main housing;   a cooking compartment in the main housing, the cooking compartment being configured to receive the food item to be heated;   a shelf located in the cooking compartment and configured to support the food item to be heated;   a gas burner configured to provide heat to the cooking compartment; and   a perforated panel located between the gas burner and the shelf, the perforated panel having a plurality of openings.   
     
     
         2 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the perforated panel is located above the gas burner, and the shelf is located above the perforated panel. 
     
     
         3 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the perforated panel has a plurality of upper members and a plurality of lower members, the upper members being offset horizontally relative to the lower members. 
     
     
         4 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 3 , wherein every fluid path through the perforated panel includes a non-vertical component. 
     
     
         5 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the perforated panel is removable from, and replaceable into, the cooking compartment without damaging the perforated panel. 
     
     
         6 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the gas burner is located in a depression in a lower surface of the cooking compartment. 
     
     
         7 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the upper members are planar and are arranged along one plane. 
     
     
         8 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 3 , wherein each of the lower members has an upward facing surface that has a low point and walls extending upward from the low point such that the lower member is concave upward. 
     
     
         9 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 8 , wherein every fluid path through the perforated panel includes a non-vertical component. 
     
     
         10 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the lower members are configured to catch debris falling from above the upper members. 
     
     
         11 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the cooking compartment has a trough around the perimeter of the perforated panel, a low region in the trough being lower than an upper surface of the perforated panel. 
     
     
         12 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the openings in the perforated panel are arranged directly below the shelf. 
     
     
         13 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a lower panel located above the gas burner and below the perforated panel. 
     
     
         14 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the lower panel is a solid panel. 
     
     
         15 . A domestic cooking appliance for heating a food item, comprising:
 a main housing;   a cooking compartment in the main housing, the cooking compartment being configured to receive the food item to be heated;   a gas burner configured to provide heat to the cooking compartment; and   a drip panel located above the gas burner, the drip panel having a plurality of upper members and a plurality of lower members, the upper members being offset horizontally relative to the lower members,   wherein each of the lower members has an upward facing surface that has a low point and walls extending upward from the low point such that the lower member is concave upward.   
     
     
         16 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 15 , wherein every fluid path through the drip panel includes a non-vertical component. 
     
     
         17 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the drip panel is removable from, and replaceable into, the cooking compartment without damaging the drip panel. 
     
     
         18 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 17 , wherein each of the upper members has an upward facing surface that has a high point and walls extending downward from the high point such that the upper member is convex upward. 
     
     
         19 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the drip panel is removable from, and replaceable into, the cooking compartment without damaging the drip panel. 
     
     
         20 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 19 , wherein each of the upper members has an upward facing surface that has a high point and walls extending downward from the high point such that the upper member is convex upward.