Cooking appliance with specific insulation of a heating element outside the cooking chamber

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a housing, a muffle arranged in the housing and including walls to define a cooking chamber of the cooking appliance, a heating element arranged outside the muffle in an intermediate space between the housing and the muffle, and a thermal shielding unit arranged in the intermediate space and designed to thermally shield the heating element relative to the housing. The thermal shielding element is made of a material which has as melting point a temperature value which is higher than a maximum operating temperature of the heating element.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a housing;   a muffle arranged in the housing and including walls to define a cooking chamber of the cooking appliance;   a heating element arranged outside the muffle in an intermediate space between the housing and the muffle; and   a thermal shielding unit arranged in the intermediate space and designed to thermally shield the heating element relative to the housing, said thermal shielding element made of a material which has as melting point a temperature value which is higher than a maximum operating temperature of the heating element.   
     
     
         17 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the thermal shielding unit comprises rock wool. 
     
     
         18 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the thermal shielding unit is a mat made of fibrous material. 
     
     
         19 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the thermal shielding unit has a thickness of between 10 mm and 20 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the thermal shielding unit has a thickness of between 13 mm and 17 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the thermal shielding unit is in direct contact with the heating element. 
     
     
         22 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the thermal shielding unit is arranged in the intermediate space between the heating element and the housing only on a side of the heating element which side is remote from the muffle. 
     
     
         23 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the thermal shielding unit comprises a metal plate or a metal mesh. 
     
     
         24 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , further comprising a thermal insulating unit which is separate from the thermal shielding unit and which is arranged in the intermediate space. 
     
     
         25 . The cooking appliance of  claim 24 , wherein the thermal insulating unit is made of a material which has as melting point a temperature value which is lower than the maximum operating temperature of the heating element. 
     
     
         26 . The cooking appliance of  claim 24 , wherein the thermal insulating unit is a mat made of fibrous material. 
     
     
         27 . The cooking appliance of  claim 26 , wherein the mat is made at least partially of glass wool. 
     
     
         28 . The cooking appliance of  claim 24 , wherein thermal insulating unit is arranged in the intermediate space between the thermal shielding unit and the housing. 
     
     
         29 . The cooking appliance of  claim 24 , wherein the thermal insulating unit is thicker than the thermal shielding unit. 
     
     
         30 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the maximum operating temperature of the heating element is greater than 650° C. 
     
     
         31 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the maximum operating temperature of the heating element is greater than 700° C. 
     
     
         32 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the maximum operating temperature of the heating element is between 700° C. and 800° C. 
     
     
         33 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the heating element is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a resistance heating body, a top-heat heating body, a grill heating body, a bottom-heat heating body, and a grill heating body. 
     
     
         34 . The cooking appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the heating element is formed in a strand-like manner and repeatedly bent.