Abstract:
A cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity and a heat source located within the cooking cavity. A shield is mounted relative to the heat source wherein the shield includes at least one side edge with an undulating pattern. The undulating pattern is configured to deflect heat from the heat source to different sections of the cooking cavity to provide a substantially uniform distribution of heat within the cooking cavity.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a cooking appliance and facilitates cooking of a food item. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cooking apparatuses generally provide heat to a cooking cavity. Some locations within the cooking cavity, such as different portions of a rack, can often be much warmer than other locations, resulting in an unbalanced distribution of heat. The unbalanced distribution of heat results in users either undercooking or overcooking certain food items, such as hamburgers, that are being cooked in the cooking apparatus. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some example aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. Moreover, this summary is not intended to identify critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. The sole purpose of the summary is to present some concepts of the invention in simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a cooking apparatus is provided. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity and a heat source located within the cooking cavity. A shield is mounted relative to the heat source wherein the shield includes at least one side edge with an undulating pattern. The undulating pattern is configured to deflect heat from the heat source to different sections of the cooking cavity. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a cooking apparatus is provided. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity and a heat source located within the cooking cavity, the heat source having a longitudinal axis. A shield is mounted relative to the heat source and includes a first side edge and a second side edge opposite the first side edge. The first and second side edges are located at varying distances from the longitudinal axis of the heat source such that the first and second sides edges are configured to deflect heat to different sections of the cooking cavity. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a cooking apparatus is provided. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity; a heat source located within the cooking cavity; a shield mounted relative to the heat source, wherein the shield includes at least a first side edge and a second side edge opposite the first side edge, wherein the first side edge and the second side edge each include a convex portion and a concave portion, wherein the convex portion deflects heat emitted from the heat source to an outer section of a cooking cavity and the concave portion deflects heat emitted from the heat source to a central section of the cooking cavity. 
     To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the invention. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed and the present invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an example of a cooking apparatus with a heat source and a shield in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of a heat source and shield in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of a heat source and shield in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Example embodiments that incorporate one or more aspects of the present invention are described and illustrated in the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. It is to be appreciated that the various drawings are not drawn to scale from one figure to another nor inside a given figure, and in particular that the size of the components are arbitrarily drawn to facilitate the reading of the drawings. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present invention. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of devices. Moreover, certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. Still further, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are employed for designating the same elements. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an example cooking apparatus is shown. The cooking apparatus can have a variety of embodiments and  FIG. 1  is only one example of a cooking apparatus  10  that can be used. For instance, the present invention can be employed in a free-standing range, a wall oven, a toaster oven, and the like. The cooking apparatus  10  includes a cooking cavity  12  configured to support and cook food items therein. In this example, a heat source  14  is provided which can be located near the top of the cooking cavity  12  of the cooking apparatus  10 . The cooking apparatus  10  can include a plurality of input devices  18  for operating the apparatus  10 . The present example depicts button and knob input devices; however any suitable input device(s) can be provided. The input devices  18  are configured to allow a user to select different desired cooking temperatures and desired modes of cooking. The cooking cavity  12  is configured to support a plurality of cooking racks via built in oven glides or ladder rack structures, for example.  FIG. 1  shows first and second racks  22 ,  24 , which can be configured in any suitable manner. The heat source  14  can be a broil burner though other suitable types of heating elements can also be used. 
     The cooking cavity  12  can be divided up into a plurality of sections for purposes of the present application. For instance a central section  30  can be defined as the section positioned directly under the heat source  14 . A first outer section  32  can be positioned on one side of the central section  30 ; and a second outer section  34  can be positioned on another side of the central section  30 . A variety of food items  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  can be placed on the first rack  22 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and can be arranged such that at least one food item is located in the central section  30 , at least one food item is located in the first outer section  32 , and at least one food item is located in the second outer section  34 . 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a heat shield  50  is positioned below a broiler heat source  14 . The shield  50  can be constructed from one or more materials suitable for withstanding high temperatures associated with oven cooking temperatures, and more particularly broiler element temperatures. The shield  50  is configured to direct or deflect heat from the heat source  14  to various sections of the cooking cavity  12 . Without the shield  50  of the present invention, radiant heat from the heat source  14  is directed downwards to the central section  30  of the cooking cavity  12 , thereby overcooking food items placed on a central portion of the rack, and undercooking food items placed on outer portions of the rack. The shield  50  allows for the deflection of heat not only to the central section  30 , but also to first and second outer sections  32 ,  34  of the cooking cavity. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a configuration of the shield  50  in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The shield  50  includes at least one, preferably two, undulating pattern(s)  52  along side edges  60 ,  62  of the shield  50 . The undulating pattern(s)  52  is configured to deflect heat from the heat source  14  throughout the cooking cavity  12  in a substantially uniform manner. In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , the undulating pattern(s)  52  can include two convex portions  56 , which operate to deflect heat to corresponding outer sections  32 ,  34  of the cooking cavity  12 . A concave portion  58  is positioned between the two convex portions  56 , such that the concave portion  58  is operable to direct heat to the central section  30  of the cooking cavity  12 . Because the concave section  58  is positioned closer to the heat source  14 , heat can travel relatively unrestricted down to the central section  30 . The shield  50  further includes two end edges  64  and  66  positioned between the first and second side edges  60  and  62 . As shown, the end edges  64 ,  66  have lengths of less than half the lengths of the first and second side edges  60 ,  62 . 
     The first and second end edges  64 ,  66  are depicted as being linear-shaped; however it is to be appreciated that the first and second end edges  64 ,  66  can be of any desirable shape. 
     Although a specific configuration of the heat shield is shown and described in the present application, it is to be appreciated that a variety of other shapes for the outer surface configuration of the shield can be provided for directing uniform heat throughout the cooking cavity for substantially even cooking of food items. For instance, the peripheral configuration of the shield can various curve configurations, such as two concave portions and one convex portion, etc. The shield can also include straight portions along its side edges and/or various other geometries, such as triangular. 
     The shield  50  and the heat source  14  are positioned proximate a top wall of the cooking cavity, as shown in  FIG. 1  and can extend a substantial length between the rear to the front of the cooking cavity  12 , as is conventional. The heat source  14  can be configured as a substantially longitudinal heating element and is positioned centrally and along the longitudinal axis of the shield  50 . However, the heat source is not limited to a straight, longitudinal element, as depicted, and can be provided in a variety of shapes as desired.  FIG. 3  illustrates an example of the shield  50  as positioned with respect to the heat source  14 , in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. The shield  50  includes a bottom surface  152 , which when positioned within the cavity  12  faces downward toward the interior of the cooking appliance  10  and a top surface  154 , which when positioned within the cavity  12  faces a top wall of the cavity  12 . A mid-section of the shield  50  can be recessed and shaped to receive a portion of the heating element therein. For instance, the recess can be a longitudinal channel of substantially the same curvature as the corresponding heating element. However, any suitable shape of the recess can be provided and is still contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, the shield can be configured without a recess at all and be merely positioned below the heating element. 
     As discussed above, the side edges  60 ,  62  of the shield  150  can be located at varying distances  190 ,  192  from the longitudinal axis  70  of the heat source  14 . The side edges  60 ,  62  are configured to deflect heat to different sections  30 ,  32 ,  34  of the cooking cavity  12 . The wide portions of the shield  50 , for instance that are located at greater distances (e.g.,  190 ) from the longitudinal axis  70  of the heat source  14  are configured to deflect heat to an outer section  32 ,  34  of the cooking cavity  12 ; while the more narrow portions of the shield  50 , for instance that are located at shorter distances (e.g.,  192 ) from the longitudinal axis  70  of the heat source  14  are configured to deflect heat to a central section  30  of the cooking cavity  12 . Thus, the shield  50  facilitates providing approximately evenly balanced heat throughout the cooking cavity  12 . 
     What has been described above includes exemplary implementations of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations. For instance, the heat shield has been described herein as being used in conjunction with a broiler element; however it is to be appreciated that it can be used in other instances in which it is desired to deflect heat from a heating element substantially evenly in a cooking cavity.