OVEN DOOR LOCK

A locking mechanism for a self-cleaning oven includes an elongated latching rod having a latch lock portion for firm engagement with a slot in the oven door, and a spring bias coupling between the latching rod and drive motor therefor maintains the door under pressure when locked to deform the door seal preventing heat leaks during self-cleaning. The latching rod is supported within the oven frame in a channel, and a rivet connected to the former is positioned for movement within a cam slot in the latter to provide for pivoting of the latching rod during movement to and from engagement with the door. When the oven selector switch is in self-clean position, the door is closed and the timer is set, the control circuit for the self-cleaning oven automatically energizes the drive motor to lock the door; and at the expiration of the cleaning time set on the timer and the dropping of the oven temperature to a predetermined safe level, the control circuit again automatically energizes the drive motor to unlock the door.