Oven Appliance with Airflow Deflection

The subject matter of the present disclosure relates generally to an oven appliance, such as a full-size oven appliance or range appliance, and more specifically to airflow within an oven appliance.

Oven appliances generally include a cabinet that defines a cooking chamber for cooking food items therein, such as by baking or broiling the food items. To heat the cooking chamber for cooking, oven appliances include one or more heating elements positioned at a top portion, a bottom portion, or both the top portion and the bottom portion of the cooking chamber. Some oven appliances also include a convection heating element and fan for convection cooking cycles in addition to a main heating element. The main heating element or elements may be used for various cycles of the oven appliance, such as a preheat cycle, a cooking cycle, or a self-cleaning cycle.

When operating oven appliance to cook food items, multiple racks containing food items and cookware thereon may be present in the cooking chamber. When multiple racks are being used, airflow within oven appliance may become restricted, hindering the operation of the oven appliance, and potentially resulting in poor, or undercooked food items. Accordingly, an oven appliance with systems for improved airflow would be desirable.

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

In one example embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The vertical direction, lateral direction, and transverse direction are mutually perpendicular. The oven appliance includes a cabinet and a cooking chamber within the cabinet for receipt of food items for cooking. The cooking chamber is delineated by a plurality of walls including a bottom wall, a left side wall, a right side wall, and a back wall. A plurality of sliding rails extend in pairs from each of the left side wall and the right side wall. Each pair of sliding rails of the plurality of sliding rails is configured to hold a baking rack. A heating chamber is defined below the bottom wall of the cooking chamber. A bottom surface of the bottom wall of the cooking chamber defines an uppermost boundary of the heating chamber. A heating element is positioned within the heating chamber. A fan is positioned at a back side of the heating chamber. The fan is configured to pull air through the heating chamber and into the cooking chamber. A plurality of air deflectors are positioned within the cooking chamber. The plurality of air deflectors are one of permanently or removably mountable on the back wall of the cooking chamber. A controller is positioned within the cabinet. The controller is in operative communication with the heating element and the fan.

In another example embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The vertical direction, lateral direction, and transverse direction are mutually perpendicular. The oven appliance includes a cabinet and a cooking chamber within the cabinet for receipt of food items for cooking. The cooking chamber is delineated by a plurality of walls including a bottom wall, a left side wall, a right side wall, and a back wall. A plurality of sliding rails extend in pairs from each of the left side wall and the right side wall. Each pair of sliding rails of the plurality of sliding rails is configured to hold a baking rack. A heating chamber is defined below the cooking chamber. A heating element is positioned within the heating chamber. An air deflector is positioned within the cooking chamber. The air deflector is one of permanently or removably mountable on the back wall of the cooking chamber.

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.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.

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 may 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 may 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.

As used herein, terms of approximation, such as “generally,” or “about” include values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value. In the context of an angle or direction, such terms include values within ten degrees of the stated direction. For example, “generally vertical” includes directions within ten degrees of vertical in any direction, e.g., clockwise or counter-clockwise.

illustrate an oven applianceaccording to an example embodiment of the present subject matter. Oven applianceincludes an insulated cabinetwhich defines a vertical direction V, a lateral direction L, and a transverse direction T. The vertical, lateral, and transverse directions V, L, and T are mutually perpendicular and form an orthogonal direction system. Cabinetextends between a top portionand a bottom portionalong the vertical direction V. Cabinetextends between a left sideand a right sidealong the lateral direction L and between a front portionand a back portionalong the transverse direction T.

The present example embodiment of oven applianceincludes cabinetwith an interior cooking chamberdefined by a top wall, a floor, a back wall, and a pair of opposing side walls, e.g., a left side walland a right side wall(). Cooking chamberis configured for the receipt of one or more food items to be cooked. Oven applianceincludes a doorpivotally mounted to cabinetat the openingof cabinetto permit selective access to cooking chamberthrough opening. A handleis mounted to doorand assists a user with opening and closing door. For example, a user may pull on handleto open or close doorand access cooking chamber.

Oven appliancemay include a seal (not shown) between doorand cabinetthat may assist with maintaining heat and cooking vapors within cooking chamberwhen dooris closed as shown in. Multiple parallel glass panesmay provide for viewing contents of cooking chamberwhen dooris closed and may assist with insulating cooking chamber. Baking racksmay generally be positioned in cooking chamberfor the receipt of food items or utensils containing food items. Baking racksmay be slidably received onto embossed ribs or sliding rails, such as sliding rails of a plurality of sliding rails, such that the racks may be conveniently moved into and out of cooking chamberwhen dooris open. In general, the plurality of sliding railsmay extend in pairs from each wall of the pair of opposing sidewallsand, e.g., from left sideand right side. Particularly, each pair of sliding railsmay be configured to hold baking rack.

One heating element may be included within cabinetto provide heat to cooking chamberfor cooking. Such heating element may be gas or electric. For example, in the embodiment shown in, oven applianceincludes an electric resistance heating elementin a heating chamberbelow floorof cooking chamber. While provided in the present example embodiment as an electric resistance element, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that heating elementmay, in other example embodiments, be a gas burner type of element. In general, heating chambermay be an open space beneath floorwhere heating elementmay be disposed and in thermal communication with cooking chamber. For example, heating chambermay define an inletthrough floorfor permitting airflow through heating chamberand across heating element. In particular, inletbe positioned proximate a front sideof heating chamber, or in other example embodiments inletbe positioned proximate one or more of left side, right side, and front side. For example, inletmay be positioned proximate front side, or positioned proximate left sideand right side(such as two individual inletsproximate the left and right side), or proximate left side, right side, and front side(such as three individual inletsrespectively proximate to the left, right, and front side). In general, outlet may be positioned proximate a back sideof heating chamber. Furthermore, outletat back sideof heating chambermay be positioned proximate, back wallof cooking chamber, e.g., adjacent to back wallor otherwise closer to back wallthan to door, such that air ejected from outletimpinges on back walland rises vertically, in the vertical direction V, along back wallof cooking chamber. For example, some example embodiments may include air heated by heating elementemanating from outletalong back wallof cooking chamber. In general, heating chambermay include a venturi-like portion extending downwards in the vertical direction V between inletand outlet, e.g., heating chambermay be wider near inlet, narrowing in the middle, and widening again leading up to outlet. The venturi-like portion may increase airflow velocity by compressing air flowing between inletand outlet.

In the illustrated example embodiment, oven appliancealso has a convection fanpositioned at back sideof heating chamberand adjacent back wallof cooking chamber. In general, convection fanmay be configured to pull air directly through heating chamberand into cooking chamber. For example, convection fanmay be configured to pull air through inletof heating chamber, pull air across heating element, and force air out of outlet. Convection fanmay generally be powered by a convection fan motor. Further, convection fanmay be a variable speed fan-meaning the speed of fanmay be controlled or set anywhere between and including, e.g., zero and one hundred percent (0%-100%). In certain embodiments, oven appliancemay also include a bidirectional triode thyristor (not shown), i.e., a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), to regulate the operation of convection fansuch that the speed of fanmay be adjusted during operation of oven appliance. The speed of convection fanmay be determined by controller. In addition, a sensorsuch as, e.g., a rotary encoder, a Hall effect sensor, or the like, may be included at the base of fan, for example, between fanand motoras shown in the example embodiment of, to sense the speed of fan. The speed of fanmay be measured in, e.g., revolutions per minute (“RPM”). In some example embodiments, convection fanmay operate in an air fry mode. In particular, air fry mode may force heated air over a baking rackin cooking chamber. In some example embodiments, sensor, convection fanand motormay be omitted altogether.

Oven appliancemay generally include a user interfacehaving a displaypositioned on an interface paneland having a variety of controls. Interfaceallows the user to select various options for the operation of oven applianceincluding, e.g., various cooking and cleaning cycles. Operation of oven appliancemay be regulated by a controllerthat is operatively coupled to, i.e., in operative communication with, user interface, heating element, and convection fan, as well as other components of oven appliance.

For example, in response to user manipulation of the user interface, controllermay operate heating element. Controllermay receive measurements from one or more temperature sensors, such as a temperature sensor. Controllermay also provide information such as a status indicator, e.g., a temperature indication, to the user with display. Controllermay also be provided with other features as will be further described herein.

Controllermay 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 oven appliance. 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. The memory may store information accessible by the processor(s), including instructions that may be executed by processor(s). For example, the instructions may be software or any set of instructions that when executed by the processor(s), cause the processor(s) to perform operations. For the embodiment depicted, the instructions may include a software package configured to operate the system, e.g., to execute example methods of operating the oven appliance. Controllermay also be or include the capabilities of either a proportional (P), proportional-integral (PI), or proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control for feedback-based control implemented with, e.g., temperature feedback from one or more sensors such as temperature sensors and/or probes, etc.

Controllermay be positioned in a variety of locations throughout oven appliance. In the illustrated embodiment, controlleris located next to user interfacewithin interface panel. In other embodiments, controllermay be located under or next to the user interface, otherwise within interface panel, or at any other appropriate location with respect to oven appliance. Generally, controllermay be positioned within cabinet. In the embodiment illustrated in, input/output (“I/O”) signals are routed between controllerand various operational components of oven appliancesuch as heating element, convection fan, controls, display, alarms, and/or other components as may be provided. In one embodiment, user interfacemay represent a general purpose I/O (“GPIO”) device or functional block.

Although shown with touch type controlsin, it should be understood that controlsand the configuration of oven applianceshown inis provided by way of example only. More specifically, user interfacemay include various input components, such as one or more of a variety of electrical, mechanical, or electro-mechanical input devices including rotary dials, push buttons, and touch pads, e.g., such as a knob as illustrated in, among other possible examples and combinations. User interfacemay include other display components, such as a digital or analog display device designed to provide operational feedback to a user. User interfacemay be in communication with controllervia one or more signal lines or shared communication busses.

While oven applianceis shown as a wall oven, the present invention could also be used with other cooking appliances such as, e.g., a stand-alone oven, an oven with a stove-top, or other configurations of such ovens. Numerous variations in the oven configuration are possible within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, variations in the type and/or layout of the controls, as mentioned above, are possible. As another example, the oven appliancemay include multiple doorsinstead of or in addition to the single doorillustrated. Such examples include a dual cavity oven, a French door oven, and others. The examples described herein are provided by way of illustration only and without limitation.

Referring now to, oven appliancemay operate selectable heating modes, such as a bake mode and a convection mode. In general, a user may interact with controls, or display, of user interfaceto select the desired heating mode. In the present example embodiment, heating elementis provided as a sole heating element in oven appliance. As such, heating elementmay be used in both heating modes described hereinbelow.

In one example, oven appliancemay operate in the bake mode. In general, the bake mode may include operating heating elementin order to heat the air inside cooking chamber. The bake mode may generally provide indirect, dry heat to cooking chamber. Accordingly, fanmay be inactive, or not spinning, and heated air inside oven appliancemay naturally, e.g., gradually, rise and increase cooking chambertemperature. In other words, the bake mode may be a heating mode with natural convection currents.

In another example, oven appliancemay operate in the convection mode. In general, the convection mode may include operating heating elementand convection fanin order to force heated air from heating chamberinto and through cooking chamber, as indicated by airflow indicators. Accordingly, in the convection mode, convection fanis active, e.g., spinning, in order to pull air through heating chamberand into cooking chamber. In other words, the convection mode may be a heating mode with forced convection currents. The convection mode as described herein may otherwise be referred to as a true convection mode, as air indicated by airflow indicatorsmay be pre-heated by heating elementbefore being forced into cooking chamber.

Turning to, illustrated is an example embodiment of oven appliancewith a plurality of air deflectorspositioned in cooking chamber. In general, each air deflector of the plurality of air deflectorsmay be rectangular in shape extending in the lateral direction L between the pair of opposing side wallsof cooking chamber. In general, the plurality of air deflectorsmay be one of permanently or removably mountable to back wallof cooking chamber. For example, the plurality of air deflectorsmay mount to back wall via one of dowels (not shown), hooks/slots (not shown), or other fastening methods such as screws, bolts (not shown), or may be welded. In general, each air deflector of the plurality of air deflectorsmay removably mount on back wallof cooking chambersuch that air may be deflected, in the transverse direction T, away from back walland may continue rising in the vertical direction V along back wallof cooking chamber.

For example, a first air deflectorof the plurality of air deflectorsmay be positioned in the vertical direction V between a respective pair of sliding rails of the plurality of sliding rails. First air deflectormay be positioned on back wallof cooking chamberto intercept airflowfrom heating chamber. Airflowmay be divided by first air deflectorinto a split airflowand a deflected airflow. In particular, split airflowmay continue rising in the vertical direction V past first air deflectorand deflected airflowmay be deflected in the transverse direction between two respective baking racks, e.g., shown inas a bottom baking rackand a middle baking rack. A person having ordinary skill in the art would understand and recognize that any suitable amount of baking racksand air deflectorsmay be present in oven applianceand that the baking racksand air deflectorsofare provided by way of example purposes only and are not intended to be limiting to any certain number or configuration.

Moreover, a second air deflectorof the plurality of air deflectorsmay be positioned in the vertical direction between another respective pair of sliding rails of the plurality of sliding rails, shown inas holding a middle baking rackand a top baking rack. Second air deflectormay be positioned on back wallof cooking chamberto intercept split airflowfrom first air deflector. Split airflowmay be divided by second air deflectorinto a split airflowand a deflected airflow. In particular, split airflowmay continue rising in the vertical direction V past second air deflectorand deflected airflowmay be deflected in the transverse direction between the two respective baking racks, middle baking rackand top baking rack.

In general, each air deflector of the plurality of air deflectorsmay be positioned at an angle, such as an angle α, in order to control how much air divides between the split airflow and the deflected airflow. For example, angle α may be between zero degrees) (0° and seventy degrees) (70°, such as between zero degrees) (0° and fifty-five degrees) (55°, such as between zero degrees) (0° and forty degrees) (40° from the transverse direction T towards the upward vertical direction V. In an example scenario, assuming one hundred percent (100%) of airflowflows to first air deflectorand depending on angle α of first air deflector, split airflowmay, for example, be fifty-five percent (55%) of airflow, and deflected airflowmay be forty-five percent (45%) of airflow. Likewise, continuing the example scenario, assuming one hundred percent (100%) of split airflowflows to second air deflectorand depending on angle α of second air deflector, split airflowmay, for example, be twenty percent (20%) of airflow, and deflected airflowmay be eighty percent (80%) of airflow. While described in the present example embodiment with the provided ratios of airflow, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand the airflow percentages are provided by way of example purposes only and are not intended to be limiting to any certain orientation or configuration.

As described above, the plurality of air deflectorsmay be generally configured to feed heated air emanating from outletof heating chamberbetween baking racksin cooking chamber. As such, oven appliancewith the plurality of air deflectorsmay advantageously improve baking performance when multiple baking racksare being used, and additionally may advantageously improve the air fry mode of the oven appliance by controlling the airflow to deflected toward a desired position within cooking chamber, such as middle baking rack.

As may be seen from the above, provided is an oven appliance with an air deflection system for conveying heated air between multiple baking racks. The oven appliance may include a bottom mounted convection fan mounted in order to feed a stream of air toward air deflector(s) for deflecting the air between the various rack positions. The air deflector(s) may be mounted on the back wall of the oven appliance in order to direct the convection air between the various baking racks.

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 language of the claims.