Patent ID: 7339137

Claim:
A food heating appliance comprising: a chamber portion defining a heating chamber with an upper opening into the heating chamber, the chamber portion including a perimeter wall extending about the heating chamber; a lid portion for selectively closing the upper opening of the chamber portion; and a heating apparatus positioned in the heating chamber for heating the heating chamber, the heating apparatus comprising: a heating element positioned in the heating chamber adjacent to the perimeter wall, and a shield positioned above and over the heating element so that the shield blocks falling debris from falling on the heating element; wherein the perimeter wall includes a pair of side walls located on opposite sides of the heating chamber, and wherein the heating apparatus includes a pair of heating elements and a pair of shields, a first one of the heating elements and a first one of the shields being located on an opposite side wall of the chamber portion from a second one of the heating elements and a second one of the shields.