Multi-stage catalyst for a cooking appliance
AssigneeMaytag Corporation
InventorsJohn H. Wakefield, John Scott Brown, Robert Z. Whipple JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A convection cooking appliance includes an oven cavity in communication with an air channel assembly incorporating a catalyst. The catalyst includes multiple stages defined by first and second, spaced honeycomb structures. The first honeycomb structure is arranged to initially vaporize the carbon cooking byproducts which then directed to the second honeycomb structure wherein the vaporized byproducts are broken down into carbon dioxide and water prior to being expelled from the catalyst. Between the first and second honeycomb structures is a gap which functions to create a turbulence for the delivery of the vapor to the second honeycomb structure.
Claims27
A convection cooking appliance comprising:
- an oven cavity;
- an air channel assembly extending about at least a portion of and being in fluid communication with the oven cavity;
- a blower element for developing a flow of air within the air channel assembly and through the oven cavity;
- at least one heating unit for heating the flow of air;
- and
- a catalyst positioned within the air channel assembly and adapted to receive a flow of cooking byproducts developed during cooking of food products in the oven cavity, said catalyst including a first stage defined by a first honeycomb structure having a first plurality of openings, a second stage defined by a second honeycomb structure having a second plurality of openings which are multiple times smaller than the first plurality of openings, and a gap separating said first and second honeycomb structures, wherein the first honeycomb structure is arranged to initially vaporize the cooking byproducts which are then distributed to the second honeycomb structure where the vaporized cooking byproducts are broken down into carbon dioxide and water prior to being expelled from the catalyst.
A catalyst for breaking down cooking byproducts developed during operation of a cooking appliance comprising:
- a first stage defined by a first honeycomb structure having a first plurality of openings;
- a second stage defined by a second honeycomb structure having a second plurality of openings which are multiple times smaller than the first plurality of openings;
- and
- a gap separating said first and second honeycomb structures, wherein the first honeycomb structure is arranged to initially vaporize cooking byproducts which are then distributed to the second honeycomb structure where the vaporized cooking byproducts are broken down into carbon dioxide and water prior to being expelled from the catalyst.
A method of performing a self-cleaning operation in a convection cooking appliance including an oven cavity, at least one heating element, and a blower for generating an airflow inside an air channel assembly leading to and from the oven cavity comprising:
- directing cooking byproducts from the oven cavity to a catalyst positioned in the air channel assembly;
- collecting the cooking byproducts in openings defined in a surface of a first stage of the catalyst;
- vaporizing the cooking byproducts by heating the cooking byproducts in the first stage;
- directing the vaporized cooking byproducts to a gap defining a second stage provided between the first stage and a third stage of the catalyst;
- converting the cooking byproducts to carbon dioxide and water at the third stage;
- and
- exhausting the carbon dioxide and water from the catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.