Steam oven heater plate arrangement
A steam oven includes a cooking cavity for receiving food product and a water reservoir for receiving water to be heated to generate steam, the water reservoir defined in part by a bottom wall structure of the cooking cavity. A heater plate located adjacent the bottom wall structure delivers heat through the bottom wall structure to water in the water reservoir. A spring-loaded heater plate mount arrangement supports the heater plate adjacent the bottom wall structure while permitting some movement of the heater plate.
1. A steam oven, comprising:
a cooking cavity for receiving food product;
a water reservoir for receiving water to be heated to generate steam, the water reservoir defined in part by a bottom wall structure of the cooking cavity;
a heater plate adjacent the bottom wall structure for delivering heat through the bottom wall structure to water in the water reservoir;
a spring-loaded heater plate mount arrangement supporting the heater plate adjacent the bottom wall structure while permitting some movement of the heater plate;
wherein the spring-loaded heater plate mount arrangement includes a tray member having multiple spring units positioned therein and engaged with the heater plate.
2. The steam oven of claim 1 , wherein:
the tray member is pivotably mounted at a first side for movement relative to the bottom wall structure.
3. The steam oven of claim 1 , wherein:
each spring unit is formed by an elongated channel member with at least one spring member located therein.
4. The steam oven of claim 3 , wherein:
each spring member is a leaf spring-type member with spaced apart arms.
5. The steam oven of claim 4 , wherein:
multiple spring members are located along a length of each channel member.
6. The steam oven of claim 5 , wherein:
a lower surface of the heater plate includes multiple recesses formed therein, each channel aligned with a corresponding spring unit.
7. The steam oven of claim 6 , wherein:
at least one of the multiple of the recesses includes opposite edges that are spaced apart by a distance that is larger than a distance between ends of spaced apart arms.
8. The steam oven of claim 2 , wherein:
a second opposite side of the tray member is secured to the cooking cavity by at least one removable fastener.
9. The steam oven of claim 8 , wherein:
the tray member includes structure that defines a spacing that sets a pressure exerted by the spring units on the heater plate.
10. The steam oven of claim 1 wherein the heater plate is external of the cavity and has an upper surface adjacent a lower surface of the bottom wall structure.