US 6,472,640 B2Granted

Preheat system for convection cooking appliance

AssigneeMaytag Corporation

InventorsJohn Scott Brown, Marcus Moore, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

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Abstract

A preheat system for a convection cooking appliance functions to control the operation of multiple heating units, the heating of a catalyst, and the speed of a blower assembly of the appliance to effectively eliminate grease, oils, and other hydrocarbon compounds from prior cooking operations, while also minimizing the generation of any appreciable amount of smoke. Additionally, the blower assembly is controlled to establish a negative pressure differential in the oven cavity upon opening of an oven door in order to assure that any smoke, as well as additional amount of oxygen for enhancing combustion, will be drawn into the oven cavity. The preheat system is particularly adapted to clean the oven cavity prior to a cooking operation and between self-cleaning cycles.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a cooking appliance including an oven cavity adapted to be used in convection cooking of food products, a system for preheating the oven cavity comprising:

an air channel assembly extending about at least a portion of and being in fluid communication with the oven cavity;
a variable speed blower assembly for developing a flow of air within the air channel assembly for delivery to the oven cavity;
a catalyst arranged in the air channel assembly in fluid communication with the flow of air, said catalyst having a critical activation temperature;
a first heating unit for heating the flow of air at varying power levels including at least low and high power levels;
and
means for controlling at least the blower assembly and the first heating unit during a preheat operation for the cooking appliance, with said controlling means initially operating the first heating unit at a high power level, while running the blower assembly at a low speed, for the preheat operation.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/058,323Filed 30 Jan 2002 · continuation in part
Priority: 13 Sep 1999
Published: US 2002/0066724 A16 Jun 2002
Granted: 29 Oct 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H05B 6/6476
Combined with convection heating: the refrigerating air being used for convection
B65B 61/205
For adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents: for adding drinking straws to a container
F24C 15/325
With forced circulation: electrically-heated
H05B
Electric heating

Family

Application60/153,224Us provisional application · filed 13 Sep 1999
Application09/650,417Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Aug 2000
Application09/902,655Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Jul 2001
US 6,291,808 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Sep 2001
US 2002/0066724 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Jun 2002
Application09/902,655Parent of this continuation
US 2001/0038007 A1Published application
US 6,566,638 B2Related patent
US 6,472,640 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.