Mounting bracket with thermal maze to reduce heat transfer rate
The present invention provides an oven appliance with a bracket for attaching a component such as a fan motor to the oven appliance. One or more features are provided for minimizing the transfer of heat from the oven appliance, through the bracket, to the component. In certain embodiments, a bracket having a plurality of bracket attachment elements, a plurality of motor attachment elements, and a plurality of slots is configured to define a nonlinear path for the transfer of heat from the oven appliance to the fan motor.
1. An oven appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining a cooking chamber configured for receipt of food items for cooking, the cooking chamber having an exterior wall;
a heating element configured to heat the cooking chamber;
a fan positioned at the cooking chamber and configured for creating an air flow in the cooking chamber;
a fan motor connected to the fan by a shaft; and
a bracket supported upon the exterior wall, the bracket having a body portion defining a plane, the fan motor supported by the body portion of the bracket, the bracket comprising
a plurality of bracket attachment elements projecting from the body portion toward the exterior wall and configured for attaching the bracket to the exterior wall of the cooking chamber, each bracket attachment element having a plurality of discrete contact members providing the only contact between the bracket and the exterior wall of the cooking chamber, the discrete contact members spacing the body portion of the bracket from the exterior wall;
a plurality of motor attachment elements integral with the body portion, each motor attachment element projecting from the body portion toward the fan motor, each motor attachment element providing the only contact between the fan motor and the body portion; and
a plurality of slots defined within the plane of the body portion of the bracket,
wherein a straight line constructed within the plane between any one of the motor attachment elements and any one of the bracket attachment elements is intersected by at least one slot of the plurality of slots.
2. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slots form two circuits of slots, wherein each circuit surrounds the plurality of motor attachment elements.
3. The oven appliance of claim 2 , wherein each pair of adjacent slots within a circuit is separated by a gap that is shorter in length than either of the adjacent slots.
4. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slots form an outer circuit of slots and an inner circuit of slots that is surrounded by the outer circuit of slots, wherein each pair of adjacent slots within the outer circuit forms an outer circuit gap and each pair of adjacent slots of the inner circuit forms an inner circuit gap, wherein at least a portion of the gaps of the outer circuit and gaps of the inner circuit are not adjacent within the plane of the body portion of the bracket.
5. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slots form two circuits of slots, wherein each circuit surrounds the plurality of motor attachment elements, wherein each pair of adjacent slots within a circuit is separated by a gap that is shorter in length than either of the adjacent slots, wherein any straight line constructed within the plane between any one of the motor attachments elements and any one of the bracket attachment elements will not intersect more than one gap.
6. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the exterior wall and body portion define an air gap.
7. The oven appliance of claim 6 , wherein a block of insulation is positioned in the air gap.
8. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the contact members are triangle-shaped and have a single point of contact with the exterior wall.
9. The oven appliance of claim 8 , wherein each bracket attachment element has three contact members.
10. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein any line constructed within the plane between any one of the motor attachment elements and any one of the bracket attachment elements that does not intersect any slot of the plurality of slots comprises at least one change in direction.
11. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein any straight line constructed within the plane between any one of the motor attachment elements and any one of the bracket attachment elements is intersected by at least one slot of the plurality of slots.
12. An oven appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining a cooking chamber configured for receipt of food items for cooking, the cooking chamber having an exterior wall;
a heating element configured to heat the cooking chamber;
a fan positioned at the cooking chamber and configured for creating an air flow in the cooking chamber;
a fan motor connected to the fan by a shaft; and
a bracket supported upon the exterior wall, the bracket having a body portion defining a plane, the fan motor supported by the body portion of the bracket, the bracket comprising
a plurality of bracket attachment elements projecting from the body portion toward the exterior wall and configured for attaching the bracket to the exterior wall of the cooking chamber, each bracket attachment element having a plurality of discrete contact members providing the only contact between the bracket and the exterior wall of the cooking chamber;
a plurality of motor attachment elements, each motor attachment element projecting from the body portion toward the fan motor, each motor attachment element providing the only contact between the motor and the body portion; and
a plurality of slots defined within the plane of the body portion of the bracket, the plurality of slots forming two circuits of slots within the plane of the body portion of the bracket, each circuit surrounding the plurality of motor attachment elements,
wherein each pair of adjacent slots within a circuit is separated by a gap, and
wherein any straight line constructed within the plane between any one of the motor attachments elements and any one of the bracket attachment elements will not intersect more than one gap.
13. The oven appliance of claim 12 , wherein each pair of adjacent slots within a circuit is separated by a gap that is shorter in length than either of the adjacent slots.
14. The oven appliance of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the gaps are not adjacent to another gap within the plane of the body portion of the bracket.
15. The oven appliance of claim 12 , wherein any straight line constructed within the plane between any one of the motor attachment elements and any one of the bracket attachment elements will intersect at least one slot.
16. The oven appliance of claim 12 , wherein the exterior wall and body portion define an air gap.
17. The oven appliance of claim 16 , wherein a block of insulation is positioned in the air gap.
18. The oven appliance of claim 12 , wherein the contact members are triangle-shaped and have a single point of contact with the exterior wall.
19. The oven appliance of claim 12 , wherein a straight line constructed within the plane between any one of the motor attachment elements and any one of the bracket attachment elements will intersect at least two slots.
20. A bracket for supporting a component on an exterior wall of an oven appliance, the bracket comprising:
a body portion defining a plane, the body portion supporting the component;
a plurality of bracket attachment elements projecting from the body portion toward the exterior wall and configured for attaching the bracket to the exterior wall, each bracket attachment element having a plurality of discrete contact members, each contact member having a single point of contact with the exterior wall, the discrete contact members providing the only contact between the bracket and the exterior wall;
a plurality of component attachment elements integral with the body portion, each component attachment element projecting from the body portion toward the component, each component attachment element providing the only contact between the component and the body portion; and
a plurality of slots defined within the plane of the body portion of the bracket,
wherein a straight line constructed within the plane between any one of the component attachment elements and any one of the bracket attachment elements is intersected by at least one slot of the plurality of slots.