Maytag Corporation

Perry A Bennett

Shelton T Barnes

Valerie L Hern-Fonseth

Kenneth E Sauter

David Charles Ometer

Jeffrey K McLeod

Norman T McGuffey

Theodore A Becker

Mark A Boyer, Iii

Kerry O Austin

Steven M Haring

Norman B Davis

Marilyn L Sterchi

Earl T Rhinehart

Brian Jones

Donnie L Keith

Jackie M Caruso

Gary E Keller

Robert R Ferris

James D Nichols

Jason Lewallen

Dean I Griffey

A cooking appliance includes an exhaust system that substantially eliminates potential smoke generating byproducts carried by oven gases. The cooking appliance includes an oven cavity having a top wall including a recessed portion within which is mounted a broil element. A plurality of openings are formed in the recessed portion that allow exhaust gases to pass into a smoke elimination chamber. Heat generated by the broil element and in the smoke elimination chamber removes substantially all combustion byproducts contained in the exhaust gases. To further remove combustion byproducts, the exhaust gases are passed through a ceramic catalyst prior to being directed into a vent duct. From the vent duct, the exhaust gasses are directed past a blower into an exhaust duct that, ultimately, guides the exhaust gases from the appliance.

Smokeless vent system for a cooking appliance

A cooking appliance incorporates a convection system including a blower or fan having an associated heating element used for thawing food items in an oven cavity. The convection fan and its associated heating element are specifically controlled to regulate the air flow and temperature within the oven cavity in a manner which significantly reduces thaw time over ambient conditions, while not negatively effecting food quality. In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the convection fan is constantly operated at a high RPM and the convection heating element is operated in the order of 80&#xb0; F.-100&#xb0; F. (approximately 26-38&#xb0; C.) in order to establish and maintain an oven cavity temperature of about 80&#xb0; F. (approximately 26&#xb0; C.) for food thawing purposes.

Thaw-server system for convection cooking appliance

Multiple, programmable appliance units are connected to a control unit which receives program data from a control panel including user input elements for selecting various operational parameters, such as operational modes and times, for the appliance units. The control panel also includes a display having both display zones which are dedicated to the individual appliance units and at least one common display zone. Preferably, the common display zone is centrally located and operates on priority and override bases to provide user information concerning the appliance units. In further accordance with the invention, the information provided in the common display zone is linked to a dedicated area for a corresponding one of the appliance units to clearly enable the user to relate the provided information with the respective unit. In a preferred form of the invention, the information link takes the form of a bracket provided on the display which extends across the common display zone and into a dedicated zone for the particular appliance unit.

Program control and display system for multiple appliance units

An electric heating element for use in an oven cavity of a cooking appliance includes laterally spaced fore-to-aft extending side leg portions which are interconnected by a frontal portion, with each of the side leg portions having an inwardly directed section, followed by an outwardly directed section which leads to the frontal leg portion through respective arcuate corner portions. The electric heating element preferably constitutes a sheathed, resistance coil type element used to provide enhanced uniform heating of the oven cavity for various cooking functions, particularly baking and toasting operations.

Electric heating element for a cooking appliance

A cooking appliance includes a control system which is programmable to enable multiple, successive cooking operations to be performed in sequence, with an alphanumeric display being provided to convey information concerning the successive cooking operations, such as the amount of time until the start of a subsequent cooking operation while an initial cooking operation is proceeding. Furthermore, the control system can be used to alter factory established set-up parameters such that the appliance can be conveniently customized by the consumer.

Program control and display system for a cooking appliance

A cooking appliance includes a cabinet, defined by at least front, side, bottom and rear panel portions, and at least one oven cavity positioned therein. When placed in an in-use position, the bottom panel portion is spaced from a supporting surface, preferably by multiple, vertically adjustable leg members, such that an air passageway is defined below the bottom panel. At least one opening is formed at a lower rear section of the appliance to allow air to flow into a passageway defined in the cabinet between the oven cavity and the rear panel portion of the cabinet. At least one outlet opening is formed in an upper portion of the cabinet to allow the cooling air to exit the cabinet. With this arrangement, operation of the cooking appliance causes air to be drawn along the bottom of the appliance, into the cabinet, upward within the passageway and then out of the cabinet.

Cooling system for a cooking appliance

A cooking appliance includes an oven cavity having an associated access door provided with a cavity viewing window, a control panel for setting both a desired cooking function and a heat source operating time period, and a light for illuminating the oven cavity of the appliance. The light is controlled so as to be automatically activated prior to the expiration of the set time period for the selected cooking operation in order to bring the attention of the user to viewing the progress of the cooking operation without unnecessarily opening the oven cavity door. If, after viewing the food being cooked, it is determined that further cooking time is warranted, then the process of adding additional cooking time will function to re-set the automatic light activating feature of the invention. In addition, if the user opens the door following activation of the cavity light but prior to the expiration of the established cooking time period, then the light will preferably remain on until after the cooking function is completed. Various provisions are also made for de-activating the light after the cooking operation is completed. Furthermore, if the light is manually activated, the light will automatically be de-activated upon opening and closing of the door.

Automatic lighting control system for a cooking cavity

A telescoping rack assembly for an oven cavity includes a rack extendable upon a primary rack frame which, in turn, is mounted for sliding movement relative to the oven cavity. Therefore, with this arrangement, multiple extensions for the rack is available. The rack is preferably supported upon guides carried by the rack frame, along with multiple sets of rollers. A secondary rack frame can be provided to slidably support the primary rack frame such that a further extension is available.

Telescoping oven rack assembly

An oven rack for supporting food items to be cooked in a cavity of an appliance includes a support platform defined by a plurality of support elements that establish primary and secondary zones upon which food items to be cooked can be placed. The support elements are located in closer proximity within the primary zones than in the secondary zones. Preferably, the support elements are further interconnected by at least one cross support element in each of the primary zones. With this configuration, a consumer is directed to support food items to be cooked in optimal locations upon the oven rack.

Oven rack

Electric bake element

An oven is provided with structure which maintains a door, adapted to extend across and seal against an open frontal portion of a heating cavity of the oven, slightly ajar from a fully closed position so as to just break a seal between the door and the oven cavity in order to enable moisture to escape the oven cavity when utilizing the oven for dehydrating food products. For this purpose, the oven incorporates a spacer element that is movable between a de-activated position, wherein the oven can be used in a conventional manner, and an activated position for use in a drying mode of operation. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a pivotally mounted spacer element is positioned between the door and a cabinet portion of the oven for movement between the de-activated and activated positions. In this preferred embodiment, the spacer element is automatically movable from the activated to the de-activated position due to gravity upon the opening of the door. The oven also includes a control system for establishing the drying mode of operation and inputting a desired dehydration temperature. In addition, the control system includes an arrangement for overriding the desired dehydration temperature if the set temperature is outside a predetermined temperature range by establishing a predetermined default temperature.

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Cleveland, TN, United States of America

Perry A Bennett