U.S. patent application number 14/337275 was filed with the patent office on 2016-01-28 for oven appliance and method for operating oven appliance.
The applicant listed for this patent is General Electric Company. Invention is credited to James Lee Armstrong.
Application Number | 20160025355 14/337275 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55166457 |
Filed Date | 2016-01-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160025355 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Armstrong; James Lee |
January 28, 2016 |
OVEN APPLIANCE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING OVEN APPLIANCE
Abstract
Oven appliances and methods for operating oven appliances are
provided. An oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking
chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking chamber including a top
wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along a vertical direction, the
heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber and including
the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along the vertical
direction. The oven appliance further includes an inlet aperture
defined in the bottom wall, and a plurality of outlet apertures
defined in the bottom wall, each of the plurality of outlet
apertures disposed proximate a periphery of the bottom wall
relative to the inlet aperture. The oven appliance further includes
a heating element disposed within the heating chamber and
configured to heat the cooking chamber, and a fan operable to flow
air along an air flow path between the cooking chamber and the
heating chamber.
Inventors: |
Armstrong; James Lee;
(Louisville, KY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
General Electric Company |
Schenectady |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55166457 |
Appl. No.: |
14/337275 |
Filed: |
July 22, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
219/400 ;
219/402 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C 7/06 20130101; F24C
15/325 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F24C 15/32 20060101
F24C015/32; F24C 7/06 20060101 F24C007/06 |
Claims
1. An oven appliance that defines a vertical direction, a lateral
direction, and a transverse direction that are each perpendicular
to each other, the oven appliance comprising: a cabinet defining a
cooking chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking chamber
configured for receipt of items to be cooked and comprising a top
wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along the vertical direction,
the heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber and
comprising the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along the
vertical direction; an inlet aperture defined in the bottom wall; a
plurality of outlet apertures defined in the bottom wall, each of
the plurality of outlet apertures disposed proximate a periphery of
the bottom wall relative to the inlet aperture; a heating element
disposed within the heating chamber and configured to heat the
cooking chamber; and a fan operable to flow air along an air flow
path between the cooking chamber and the heating chamber.
2. The oven appliance of claim 1, wherein the air flow path travels
from the heating chamber into the cooking chamber through the
outlet apertures and from the cooking chamber into the heating
chamber through the inlet aperture.
3. The oven appliance of claim 1, further comprising a cover panel
disposed within the cooking chamber and adjacent the inlet
aperture.
4. The oven appliance of claim 1, further comprising a partition
disposed within the heating chamber, the partition separating the
fan and the heating element.
5. The oven appliance of claim 4, wherein an air flow aperture is
defined in the partition.
6. The oven appliance of claim 1, further comprising a controller
in communication with the heating element and the fan, the
controller operable to activate the fan when the heating element is
active in a preheat mode.
7. The oven appliance of claim 6, wherein the controller is further
operable to activate the fan when the heating element is active in
a cooking mode.
8. The oven appliance of claim 6, wherein the controller is
operable to activate the fan such that the fan is constantly active
during the entire preheat mode.
9. The oven appliance of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of
outlet apertures is generally equally spaced from the inlet
aperture along the lateral direction.
10. The oven appliance of claim 1, wherein the inlet aperture is
generally centrally located in the bottom wall.
11. An oven appliance that defines a vertical direction, a lateral
direction, and a transverse direction that are each perpendicular
to each other, the oven appliance comprising: a cabinet defining a
cooking chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking chamber
configured for receipt of items to be cooked and comprising a top
wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along the vertical direction,
the heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber and
comprising the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along the
vertical direction; an inlet aperture defined and generally
centrally located in the bottom wall; a plurality of outlet
apertures defined in the bottom wall, each of the plurality of
outlet apertures generally equally spaced from the inlet aperture
along the lateral direction; a heating element disposed within the
heating chamber and configured to heat the cooking chamber; and a
fan operable to flow air along an air flow path between the cooking
chamber and the heating chamber.
12. The oven appliance of claim 11, further comprising a cover
panel disposed within the cooking chamber and adjacent the inlet
aperture.
13. The oven appliance of claim 11, further comprising a partition
disposed within the heating chamber, the partition separating the
fan and the heating element.
14. A method for operating an oven appliance, the oven appliance
comprising a cabinet defining a cooking chamber and a heating
chamber, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of items to be
cooked and comprising a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart
along the vertical direction, the heating chamber disposed below
the cooking chamber and comprising the bottom wall and a base wall
spaced apart along the vertical direction, the method comprising:
activating a heating element in a preheat mode, the heating element
disposed within the heating chamber; and activating a fan disposed
in the heating chamber when the heating element is activated in the
preheat mode, wherein activation of the fan causes an air flow
along an air flow path through an inlet aperture and a plurality of
outlet apertures defined in the bottom wall, each of the plurality
of outlet apertures disposed proximate a periphery of the bottom
wall relative to the inlet aperture.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the air flow path travels from
the heating chamber into the cooking chamber through the outlet
apertures and from the cooking chamber into the heating chamber
through the inlet aperture.
16. The method of claim 14, further comprising activating the
heating element in a cooking mode, and activating the fan disposed
in the heating chamber when the heating element is activated in the
cooking mode.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the fan is activated such that
the fan is constantly active during the entire preheat mode.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of outlet
apertures is generally equally spaced from the inlet aperture along
the lateral direction.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein the inlet aperture is generally
centrally located in the bottom wall.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to oven appliances,
particularly oven appliance having lower heating elements that are
outside of the cooking chamber, and to methods for operating such
oven appliances.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Conventional residential and commercial oven appliances
generally include a cabinet that defines a cooking chamber for
receipt of food items for cooking. Heating elements are positioned
within the cooking chamber to provide heat to food items located
therein. The heating elements can include, for example, radiant
heating elements, such as a bake heating element positioned at a
bottom of the cooking chamber and/or a broil heating element
positioned at a top of the cooking chamber.
[0003] Generally, oven appliances are preheated prior to inserting
food items into the appliance's cooking chamber. Such pre-heating
can be necessary to heat the oven appliance's walls, doors, and
other exposed surfaces and bring the temperature of the oven
appliance up to a steady-state operating temperature. Prior to such
pre-heating, radiant heat transfer from such components can be
insufficient or unsuitable to properly cook food items within the
cooking chamber. Generally, oven appliances activate the broil
heating element and the bake heating element during the operation
in the pre-heat mode. In particular, the broil heating element and
the bake heating element are generally operated at a single
constant power output during the pre-heat mode until the
steady-state operating temperature is obtained. During such
pre-heating mode, any food items placed in the cooking chamber may
not cook properly because the amount of heat provided to the food
items and the exposure to radiant heat from the broil heating
element does not match that of a pre-heated (steady-state) oven.
For example, the top portion of the food items may cook more
quickly than the bottom portion of the food items due to the
activated broil heating element.
[0004] To avoid such heat imbalance, a user must generally wait for
the cooking chamber to reach the steady-state cooking temperature
before inserting food items therein. However, waiting for the oven
to pre-heat can consume a significant amount of the user's time.
For example, operation in a pre-heat mode can take over ten minutes
to complete depending upon the operating temperature desired.
[0005] Recently, oven appliances have been developed which utilize
bake heating elements that are located outside of the cooking
chamber, such as below the bottom wall of the cooking chamber.
These designs have become popular due to the ease of cleaning the
bottom wall inside the cooking chamber. However, the location of
the bake heating element outside the cooking chamber further
increases the pre-heat mode time, by requiring heating of the
cooking chamber by the bake heating element through the bottom
wall. Additionally, activation of the bake heating element during a
pre-heat mode must be intermittent, such as through cycling on and
off, to prevent damage to the walls surrounding the bake heating
element.
[0006] Accordingly, improved oven appliances and methods for
operating oven appliances are desired. In particular, oven
appliances and methods which include bake heating elements located
outside of the oven appliance cooking chamber, and which further
facilitate decreased pre-heat mode times, would be
advantageous.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In accordance with one embodiment, an oven appliance is
provided. The oven appliance defines a vertical direction, a
lateral direction, and a transverse direction that are each
perpendicular to each other. The oven appliance includes a cabinet
defining a cooking chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking
chamber configured for receipt of items to be cooked and including
a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along the vertical
direction, the heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber
and including the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along
the vertical direction. The oven appliance further includes an
inlet aperture defined in the bottom wall, and a plurality of
outlet apertures defined in the bottom wall, each of the plurality
of outlet apertures disposed proximate a periphery of the bottom
wall relative to the inlet aperture. The oven appliance further
includes a heating element disposed within the heating chamber and
configured to heat the cooking chamber, and a fan operable to flow
air along an air flow path between the cooking chamber and the
heating chamber.
[0008] In accordance with another embodiment, an oven appliance is
provided. The oven appliance defines a vertical direction, a
lateral direction, and a transverse direction that are each
perpendicular to each other. The oven appliance includes a cabinet
defining a cooking chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking
chamber configured for receipt of items to be cooked and including
a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along the vertical
direction, the heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber
and including the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along
the vertical direction. The oven appliance further includes an
inlet aperture defined and generally centrally located in the
bottom wall, and a plurality of outlet apertures defined in the
bottom wall, each of the plurality of outlet apertures generally
equally spaced from the inlet aperture along the lateral direction.
The oven appliance further includes a heating element disposed
within the heating chamber and configured to heat the cooking
chamber, and a fan operable to flow air along an air flow path
between the cooking chamber and the heating chamber.
[0009] In accordance with another embodiment, a method for
operating an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance
includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber and a heating
chamber, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of items to be
cooked and including a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart
along the vertical direction, the heating chamber disposed below
the cooking chamber and including the bottom wall and a base wall
spaced apart along the vertical direction. The method includes
activating a heating element in a preheat mode, the heating element
disposed within the heating chamber. The method further includes
activating a fan disposed in the heating chamber when the heating
element is activated in the preheat mode. Activation of the fan
causes an air flow along an air flow path through an inlet aperture
and a plurality of outlet apertures defined in the bottom wall,
each of the plurality of outlet apertures disposed proximate a
periphery of the bottom wall relative to the inlet aperture.
[0010] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the following description and appended claims. The accompanying
drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this
specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,
together with the description, serve to explain the principles of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention,
including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill
in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes
reference to the appended figures.
[0012] FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of an oven appliance in
accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0013] FIG. 2 provides a sectional view of the oven appliance of
FIG. 1 taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of an oven appliance in
accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a cutaway front view of the oven appliance of FIG.
3; and
[0016] FIG. 5 is a cutaway perspective view of an oven appliance in
accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the
invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the
drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the
invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and
variations can be made in the present invention without departing
from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features
illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with
another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is
intended that the present invention covers such modifications and
variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and
their equivalents.
[0018] FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of an oven appliance 10
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter.
FIG. 2 provides a section view of oven appliance 10 taken along the
2-2 line of FIG. 1. Oven appliance 10 defines a vertical direction
V, a lateral direction L and a transverse direction T. The
vertical, lateral and transverse directions are mutually
perpendicular and form an orthogonal direction system. As will be
understood by those skilled in the art, oven appliance 10 is
provided by way of example only, and the present subject matter may
be used in any suitable oven appliance. Thus, the present subject
matter may be used with other oven or range appliance
configurations, e.g., that define multiple interior cavities for
the receipt of food and/or having different pan or rack
arrangements than what is shown in FIG. 2.
[0019] Oven appliance 10 includes an insulated cabinet 12 with an
interior cooking chamber 14 defined by an interior surface 15 of
cabinet 12. Cooking chamber 14 is configured for the receipt of one
or more food items to be cooked. Oven appliance 10 includes a door
16 rotatably mounted to cabinet 12, e.g., with a hinge (not shown).
A handle 18 is mounted to door 16 and assists a user with opening
and closing door 16 in order to access cooking chamber 14. For
example, a user can pull on handle 18 to open or close door 16 and
access cooking chamber 14.
[0020] Oven appliance 10 can includes a seal (not shown) between
door 16 and cabinet 12 that assist with maintaining heat and
cooking fumes within cooking chamber 14 when door 16 is closed as
shown in FIG. 2. Multiple parallel glass panes 22 provide for
viewing the contents of cooking chamber 14 when door 16 is closed
and assist with insulating cooking chamber 14. A baking rack 24 is
positioned in cooking chamber 14 for the receipt of food items or
utensils containing food items. Baking rack 24 is slidably received
onto embossed ribs 26 or sliding rails 28 (see FIGS. 3 through 6)
such that rack 24 may be conveniently moved into and out of cooking
chamber 14 when door 16 is open.
[0021] As shown, various sidewalls define the cooking chamber 14.
For example, cooking chamber 14 includes a top wall 30 and a bottom
wall 32 which are spaced apart along the vertical direction V. Left
sidewall 34 and right sidewall 36 (as defined according to a front
view as shown in FIG. 2) extend between the top wall 30 and bottom
wall 32, and are spaced apart along the lateral direction L. A rear
wall 38 may additionally extend between the top wall 30 and bottom
wall 32 as well as between the left sidewall 34 and right sidewall
36, and is spaced apart from the door 16 along the transverse
direction T. Cooking chamber 14 is thus defined between the top
wall 30, bottom wall 32, left sidewall 34, right sidewall 36, and
rear wall 38.
[0022] Insulated cabinet 12 further includes and defines an
interior heating chamber 40 defined by interior surface 15. In
general, the heating chamber 40 is disposed below the cooking
chamber 14, such as along the vertical direction V. For example,
heating chamber 40 includes the bottom wall 32 and a base wall 42
which are spaced apart along the vertical direction V. Left
sidewall 34 and right sidewall 36 (as defined according to a front
view as shown in FIG. 2) further extend between the bottom wall 32
and a base wall 42, and are spaced apart along the lateral
direction L. Rear wall 38 may additionally extend between the
bottom wall 32 and base wall 42 as well as between the left
sidewall 34 and right sidewall 36. Heating chamber 40 is thus
defined between the bottom wall 32, base wall 42, left sidewall 34,
right sidewall 36, and rear wall 38.
[0023] A bottom heating element 46, e.g. a bake heating element is
disposed within the heating chamber 40. In exemplary embodiments as
illustrated, the bottom heating element 46 is an electric heating
element, as is generally understood. Alternatively, the bottom
heating element 46 may be a gas burner or other suitable heating
element having another suitable heating source. Heating element 46
is used to heat cooking chamber 14 for both cooking and cleaning of
range appliance 10, as discussed herein.
[0024] Additionally, a top heating element 48, e.g. a broil heating
element may be disposed within the cooking chamber 14, such as
adjacent top wall 30. In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, the
top heating element 48 is an electric heating element, as is
generally understood. Alternatively, the top heating element 48 may
be a gas burner or other suitable heating element having another
suitable heating source. Heating element 48 may additionally be
used to heat cooking chamber 14 for both cooking and cleaning of
range appliance 10, as discussed herein.
[0025] The operation of oven appliance 10 including heating
elements 46 and 48 may be controlled by a processing device such as
a controller 50. Controller 50 may be in communication (via for
example a suitable wired or wireless connection) to the heating
elements 46, 48 and other suitable components of the oven appliance
10, such as a fan 70 as discussed herein. By way of example, the
controller may include a memory and one or more processing devices
such as microprocessors, CPUs or the like, such as general or
special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming
instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of
appliance 10. The memory may represent random access memory such as
DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. In one embodiment,
the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory.
The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be
included onboard within the processor.
[0026] Such controller 50 may also be communication with a
temperature sensor 52 that is used to measure temperature inside
cooking chamber 14 and provide such measurements to the controller
50. Temperature sensor 52 is shown (in FIG. 2) in the top and rear
of cooking chamber 14. However, other locations may be used and, if
desired, multiple temperature sensors may be applied as well.
[0027] Controller 50 is operable to activate various cooking modes
based on, for example, user selection thereof. For example,
controller 50 may be operable to activate a preheat mode and one or
more cooking modes, such as a bake mode and/or a broil mode.
Preheat mode may generally be a mode in which the cooking chamber
14 is initially heated in preparation for a cooking mode, such as
bake mode or broil mode. Cooking modes, such as bake and broil
modes may variously be utilized to cook food items, etc. within the
cooking chamber 14.
[0028] Heating element 46, as well as heating element 48, may be
operable to heat the cooking chamber 14 during operation of the
oven appliance 10 in, for example, a preheat mode and/or cooking
mode. Additionally, the present disclosure may further be directed
to oven appliance 10 designs which facilitate improved heating of
the cooking chamber 14. For example, oven appliances 10 in
accordance with the present disclosure may have reduced, more
efficient pre-heat mode times. Further, during a preheat mode of an
oven appliance 10 in accordance with the present disclosure, the
heating element 46 may advantageously be allowed to remain on
constantly without risk of damage to, for example, the bottom wall
32 or other walls surrounding and defining the heating chamber
40.
[0029] Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 5, for example, oven
appliance 10 in accordance with the present disclosure may include
at least one inlet aperture 60 and a plurality of outlet apertures
62 each defined in the bottom wall 32. In general, the outlet
apertures 62 may each be disposed proximate a periphery of the
bottom wall 32 (which may generally be defined by the door 16, left
sidewall 34, right sidewall 36, and rear wall 38). In other words,
each outlet aperture 62 may be closed to the periphery of the
bottom wall 32 than the inlet aperture 60. Advantageously, during
operation of the oven appliance 10, an air flow may be created
along an air flow path 64 through the inlet aperture 60 and outlet
apertures 62. This air flow may facilitate improved heating of the
cooking chamber 14. Specifically, this air flow may decrease the
time required for a preheat mode before a target temperature is
reached. Further, such air flow may advantageously heat the cooking
chamber 14 evenly, and may prevent or reduce the risk of damage to
the bottom wall 32 and other walls surrounding and defining the
heating chamber 40.
[0030] As discussed, air flow along the air flow path 64 may
advantageously facilitate even heating of the oven appliance 10.
The use of multiple outlet apertures 62 with a single inlet
aperture 60, as well as the arrangement of the inlet aperture 60
and outlet apertures 62, may advantageously contribute to such even
heating. For example, in some embodiments as illustrated, the inlet
aperture 60 may be generally centrally located in the bottom wall
32. For example, a center point of the inlet aperture 60 may be
located approximately at a center point of the bottom wall 32 along
the lateral direction L and the transverse direction T. Further, in
some embodiments as shown, each of the plurality of outlet
apertures 62, such as center points thereof, may advantageously be
generally evenly spaced from the inlet aperture 60, such as a
center point thereof, along the lateral direction L and/or the
transverse direction T.
[0031] The air flow path 64 in exemplary embodiments as shown
travels from the heating chamber 40 into the cooking chamber 14
through the outlet apertures 62 and from the cooking chamber 14 to
the heating chamber 40 through the inlet aperture 60. To facilitate
air flow along the air flow path 64, the oven appliance 10 may
further include a fan 70. The fan 70 may be at least partially
disposed within the heating chamber 40. For example, blades 72 of
the fan 70 may be disposed within the heating chamber 40, while a
motor 74 of the fan 70 may be disposed outside of the heating
chamber 40. Alternatively, the entire fan 70 may be disposed within
the heating chamber 40. Fan 70 may be operable to flow air along
the air flow path 64 between the cooking chamber 14 and the heating
chamber 40, such as through the inlet aperture 60 and the outlet
apertures 62. For example, rotation of the blades 72 may move air
within the heating chamber 40, and this air may move along the flow
path 64.
[0032] As further illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 5, a cover panel
80 may in some embodiments be disposed within the cooking chamber
14 adjacent to the inlet aperture 60. The cover panel 80 may
generally cover the aperture 60 (while still allowing flow
therethrough) to prevent spillage through the aperture 60 during
oven appliance 10 operation. For example, cover panel 80 may be
slightly spaced from the bottom wall 32 and inlet aperture 60 along
the vertical direction V, such that air flow through the inlet
aperture 60 must travel between the bottom wall 32 and cover panel
80 to reach the aperture 60.
[0033] As further illustrated in FIG. 5, a partition 82 may in some
embodiments be utilized to further define the air flow path 64.
Partition 82 may be disposed within the heating chamber 40, and may
serve to separate portions of the heating chamber 40. For example,
the partition 82 may separate the heating element 60 and the fan 70
such that the heating element 60 is for example disposed in an
upper portion 84 of the chamber 40 and the fan 70 (or at least a
portion thereof) is disposed in a lower portion 86 of the chamber
40. Further, in exemplary embodiments, an air flow aperture 88 may
be defined in the partition 82, and the air flow path 64 may travel
through this air flow aperture 88, such as from the upper portion
84 to the lower portion 86. Air flow aperture 88 may, for example,
be generally centrally located in the partition 82 and/or aligned
with, such as generally concentric with, the inlet aperture 60.
Alternatively, air flow aperture 88 may be defined at any suitable
location in partition 82.
[0034] As discussed, controller 50 may be in communication with
heating elements 46, 48 and fan 70. The controller 50 may be
operable to activate and deactivate the heating elements 46, 48 and
the fan 70 as desired or required for a particular operation of the
oven appliance 10 in, for example, a particular mode. For example,
controller 50 may be operable to activate the heating element 46
(as well as optional heating element 48) in a preheat mode. While
in some embodiments controller 50 may activate the heating elements
46, 48 in a preheat mode such that one or both are only
intermittently active during the preheat mode (i.e. cycling on and
off during the preheat mode), in other exemplary embodiments
controller 50 may activate the heating elements 46, 48 in the
preheat mode such that one or both are constantly active during the
entire preheat mode (i.e. constantly on during the preheat mode).
Further, controller 50 may be operable to activate the fan 70 when
the heating element 46 (as well as optional heating element 48) is
active in the preheat mode. While in some embodiments controller 50
may activate the fan 70 in the preheat mode such that it is only
intermittently active during the preheat mode (i.e. cycling on and
off during the preheat mode), in other exemplary embodiments
controller 50 may activate the fan 70 in the preheat mode such that
it is constantly active during the entire preheat mode (i.e.
constantly on during the preheat mode).
[0035] Controller 50 may further be operable to activate the
heating element 46 (as well as optional heating element 48) in a
cooking mode. Controller 50 may activate the heating elements 46,
48 in a cooking mode such that one or both are only intermittently
active during the preheat mode (i.e. cycling on and off during the
cooking mode) or such that one or both are constantly active during
the entire preheat mode (i.e. constantly on during the cooking
mode). Further, controller 50 may be operable to activate the fan
70 when the heating element 46 (as well as optional heating element
48) is active in the cooking mode. Controller 50 may activate the
fan 70 in the cooking mode such that it is only intermittently
active during the preheat mode (i.e. cycling on and off during the
cooking mode) or such that it is constantly active during the
entire preheat mode (i.e. constantly on during the cooking
mode).
[0036] The present disclosure is further directed to methods for
operating oven appliances 10. In exemplary embodiments, a
controller 50 of oven appliance 10 may be operable to perform the
methods steps as disclosed herein. A method may include, for
example, the step of activating a heating element 46 (as well as an
optional additional heating element 48) in a preheat mode, the
heating element 46 disposed within a heating chamber 40 of the oven
appliance 10 as discussed herein. A method may further include, for
example, the step of activating a fan 70 disposed in the heating
chamber 40 when the heating element 46 (and optionally 48) is
activated in the preheat mode. Activation of the fan 70 may cause
an air flow along an air flow path 64 through an inlet aperture 60
and a plurality of outlet apertures 62 defined in a bottom wall 32
of the oven appliance 10, as discussed herein.
[0037] Further, in some embodiments, a method may include the step
of activating the heating element 46 (as well as the optional
additional heating element 48) in a cooking mode, as discussed
herein. A method may further include, for example, the step of
activating the fan 70 when the heating element 46 (and optionally
48) is activated in the cooking mode, as discussed herein.
Activation of the fan 70 may cause an air flow along an air flow
path 64 through an inlet aperture 60 and a plurality of outlet
apertures 62 defined in a bottom wall 32 of the oven appliance 10,
as discussed herein.
[0038] This written description uses examples to disclose the
invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person
skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and
using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated
methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the
claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled
in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope
of the claims if they include structural elements that do not
differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include
equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from
the literal languages of the claims.
* * * * *