Maytag Corporation

Turbochef Technologies, Inc.

John Scott Brown

Robert Z Whipple, Jr

Michael E Bales

Anthony E Kendall

Philip R McKee

Timothy J Arntz

James K Pool, Iii

Russ Brian Peter

Jill L Means

Susan K Fisher

Virginia L Harwell

John H Wakefield

Richard O Cavener

Pamela S Kleese

Judith D Barber

Marcus Moore

William Edward Jay

Robert Z Whipple

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.

Multi-stage catalyst for a cooking appliance

A convection cooking appliance includes an oven cavity surrounded by an air channel assembly. The appliance includes heating units and a microwave generator arranged in the air channel assembly. A blower assembly is provided to generate a recirculating flow of air through the air channel assembly and the oven cavity. A controller, responsive to operator inputs, as well as signals from both temperature and pressure sensors located in the air channel assembly, regulates the activation/deactivation state of each of the components. One of the heating units in the air channel assembly is preferably constituted by an open coil heating element which is de-activated when the pressure is sensed to be below a specified threshold.

Pressure monitoring arrangement for heating system of a convection cooking appliance

A quick-cook type convection cooking appliance includes an oven cavity in communication with an air channel assembly incorporating a radial byproduct trap and filter assembly defining a concentric ring-type baffle filter having two cylindrical sets of opposing air baffles. As recirculating air passes outwardly between deflectors of the baffle, the air is accelerated by a nozzle-type effect prior to impacting a center zone of an outer baffle deflector. This arrangement causes part of liquid and/or solid phases, such as grease, fats, and moisture, of the air flow to be deposited or trapped between the baffles. The air flow is then redirected back towards the inner baffle where, once again, the air impacts an inner baffle deflector that removes additional byproducts from the air. Finally, the air exits with a high uniform air flow pattern between respective deflectors of an outer baffle.

Radial byproduct trap and filter assembly for a cooking appliance

A convection cooking appliance includes an oven cavity surrounded, at least in part, by an air channel assembly. The appliance includes at least first and second heating units arranged in the air channel assembly, as well as an additional heating unit in the oven cavity. A blower assembly is provided to generate a recirculating flow of air through the air channel assembly and the oven cavity. A microwave generator and a catalyst are also arranged in the air channel assembly. A controller, responsive to operator inputs and signals from a temperature sensor extending into the air channel assembly, regulates the activation/deactivation state of each of the components based on a preprogrammed algorithm. One of the heating units in the air channel assembly is constituted by an open coil heating element, defined by a plurality of rows spaced in the direction of air flow downstream of the blower assembly. The arrangement of the coils functions to straighten the air flow for delivery to the oven cavity.

Heating system for a cooking appliance

A cooking appliance includes a controller which calculates a desired percentage of hot air convection and microwave energy needed to perform a cooking operation based on selections made by a user through a menu driven display. The display prompts a user for a programming inputs, while also displaying operational information to the user as needed. The programming options enable the user to select between various different cooking operations and also provides for appealing cooking sequences to be stored as cooking recipes. As needed, certain pre-cooking functions are automatically performed, such as heating or cooling of the oven cavity, as needed.

Menu driven control system for a cooking appliance

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.

Preheat system for convection cooking appliance

A self-cleaning system for a convection cooking appliance controls the activation and deactivation of multiple heating units, as well as a blower, throughout an initial preheat and subsequent phases of a cleaning operation. In accordance with the preferred self-cleaning method, an initial, catalyst pre-heat stage is followed by a moderately high-temperature presoak stage. For the main cleaning operation, a high temperature stage is initiated in combination with a high convection air flow to establish high oven surface temperatures in a minimal time frame. This timed stage is followed by a cool down period wherein both the temperature and convection speed is reduced. Thereafter, an intermediate temperature heating stage with medium convective air flow followed by a cooling stage are provided for preset time periods. This combination of intermediate temperature heating and subsequent cooling stages is repeated until the total self-cleaning time is completed.

Self-cleaning method for a cooking appliance

A convection cooking appliance includes an oven cavity and an air channel assembly that extends about at least a portion of the oven cavity. The air channel assembly includes an air delivery section and a return section, both of which are preferably attached to the oven cavity through a quick latching connection. More specifically, the air delivery section is preferably mounted about an opening in a top wall of the oven cavity through a twist lock arrangement, while the return section is mounted about another opening formed in a bottom wall of the oven cavity also through a twist lock. The overall appliance also incorporates a microwave unit and a metal gasket is interposed at the connections of each of the air delivery section and the return section to the oven cavity in order to provide a continuous ground path between the components in order to contain the microwave energy.

Oven cavity construction for convection cooking appliance

A self-cleaning system for a convection cooking appliance controls the activation and deactivation of multiple heating units, as well as a blower, throughout an initial preheat and subsequent phases of a cleaning operation. More particularly, at least first, second and third heating units are provided, with two of the units being positioned in an air channel assembly which extends about at least a portion of the oven cavity and the remaining heating unit being positioned within the oven cavity. The heating units in the air channel assembly are activated, along with a blower, during a preheat phase to heat the oven cavity at a controlled rate, while developed byproducts are directed through a catalyst. Following the preheat phase, the blower and one of the heating units in the air channel assembly are deactivated, while the heating unit in the oven cavity is activated to rapidly increase the temperature of the oven cavity.

Self-cleaning system for a cooking appliance

Heating system for a microwave and convection cooking appliance

An appliance includes a plurality of electric power consuming devices having associated activated power consumption levels which collectively can exceed an available power supply limit to the appliance. The appliance includes a control system for power distributing to the various devices in a manner which optimizes performance while preventing the current draw from exceeding the established limit. In the most preferred embodiment, the appliance constitutes a range having various heating components, preferably first and second ovens, as well as a plurality of surface heating elements. A current monitoring arrangement signals demanded current levels from certain ones of the heating components, with the signals being used by the control system to distribute the available current on a predetermined priority basis.

Power distribution system for an appliance

An oven cavity, having an associated width defined by a lateral distance spanning side walls thereof, is provided with an oven rack that has a maximum lateral dimension which is substantially less than the width of the oven cavity and is directly supported by the oven cavity. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the oven rack includes a platform portion, as well as first and second support portions. The first support portion is attached to a rear wall of the cavity and the second support portion is adapted to engage a runner provided on one of the side walls of the cavity, at least when the platform portion is weighted down by an item to be cooked. In the preferred embodiment, the first support portion projects rearwardly and upwardly from the platform portion and has an uppermost section provided with a pair of spaced retaining clips that are received within lanced tabs formed in the rear wall of the oven cavity. A lower section of the first support portion actually extends rearward of the retaining clips and abuts the rear wall to maintain the second support portion in an elevated state above the side wall runner until an item to be cooked is placed upon the platform portion, at which time, the lower section is placed under compression. In further accordance with the preferred embodiment, the second support portion projects laterally outwardly of the platform portion such that the platform portion is spaced from a respective side wall of the oven cavity.

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Charleston, TN, United States of America

John Scott Brown