Priority controlled multi-fan convection oven
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsJENNIFER L. BONUSO, Steven M. Swayne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooking appliance includes an oven provided with bake, broil and multiple convection heating elements, as well as plural, multi-speed fans, for cooking a wide range of food. The various heating elements are sequentially operated on a predetermined priority basis in order to, along with the fans, establish numerous effective cooking sequences, such as a bake mode, a convection bake mode with no preheat, a convection bake mode with rapid preheat, a convection bake mode with standard preheat, and a convection roast mode.
Claims21
A method of cooking food within an oven provided with a heating system employing a plurality of heating elements including a broil element, a bake element, and first and second convection heaters, and first and second motor driven fans, as well as a user interface device and a controller in communication with the user interface for controlling operation of the heating system, the method comprising:
- performing a cooking operation in the oven by establishing a plurality of cooking stages during which both the first and second motor driven fans are distinctly driven and each of the plurality of heating elements is only sequentially activated based on a predetermined priority schedule which varies depending on a particular cooking selection made between a bake mode, a no preheat convection bake mode, a rapid preheat convection bake mode, a standard preheat convection bake mode or a convection roast mode available to a user through an interface.
A cooking appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining an oven cavity;
- a door attached to said cabinet for selectively exposing and sealing the oven cavity;
- a broil element mounted to the cabinet for heating the oven cavity;
- a bake element mounted to the cabinet for heating the oven cavity;
- a convection heating system including first and second convection fans having respective first and second associated convection heaters;
- interface means for enabling a user to select between at least a bake mode, a no preheat convection bake mode, a rapid preheat convection bake mode, a standard preheat convection bake mode or a convection roast mode, as well as to enter a desired cook temperature;
- and
- means for controlling operation of the broil element, the bake element, the first and second convection heating elements, and the first and second convection fans based on user selections and entries through the interface means, said controlling means establishing a plurality of cooking stages during which both the first and second motor driven fans are distinctly driven and each of the plurality of heating elements is only sequentially activated based on a predetermined priority schedule which varies depending on the particular cooking selection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.