Whirlpool Corporation

Robert Scott Donarski

Zachary Jan Bruin-Slot

Massimiliano Daniele

Emilio R Fagundes

Yasmim Silvano

Gregory Tadeu Gargioni

Vando Sestrem

James Charles Johncock

Jason M Schneemann

John F Hines

Nicholas E Crow

Steven M Swayne

Darrin H McGee

Karen M Embury

John P Levandowski

Stephen A Pickard

A cooking appliance includes a housing having a heating cavity defined therein, wherein a heat source is in thermal communication with the heating cavity. A cooling channel is disposed proximate a sidewall of the housing. A blower selectively operates to move at least cooling air through the cooling channel and to an air outlet. A vent aperture extends through the sidewall between the heating cavity and a ventilation channel. The ventilation channel includes a narrowed portion proximate the vent aperture, wherein during operation of the blower, the narrowed portion defines a low static pressure region of the ventilation channel that draws cavity air from the heating cavity and directs the cavity air into the ventilation channel to be combined with the cooling air.

Ventilation system for cooking appliance

A cooking appliance includes a heating cavity with a heat source. A cavity connector is disposed within the heating cavity and a rack is slidably coupled with a sliding structure disposed within the heating cavity. A powered accessory has a connecting plug and is engageable with the rack. The connecting plug is configured to be in selective communication with the cavity connector. A first locating assembly is configured to locate and engage the powered accessory with the rack and is coupled to the powered accessory. A second locating assembly is disposed between the sliding structure and a pair of opposing sidewalk of the heating cavity.

Cooking appliance with cavity connector

A method of operating an electric oven includes generating a door-closed signal if the oven door is in a closed position. The electric broiling element is activated to perform a closed-door broil operation in response to generation of the door-closed signal. The temperature within the cooking chamber of the electric oven is determined during the closed-door broil operation and the electric broiling element is deactivated if the temperature within the cooking chamber exceeds a shutoff temperature.

Electric oven with a closed-door broiling operation

An oven has a housing defining a cooking cavity. A door is configured to open and close to provide access to the cooking cavity. At least one gas heating element is provided at a lower portion of the cooking cavity, and an electric heating element is provided at an upper portion of the cooking cavity.

Gas oven with electric and gas heating elements

A cooking appliance includes a housing having a sidewall and a front panel, wherein a heating cavity is defined within the housing. An operable door panel is rotationally coupled proximate the front panel and operable to provide selective access to the heating cavity via an aperture defined within the front panel. A heat source is in thermal communication with the heating cavity and the front panel. A blower is disposed within an interstitial space at least partially defined by an outer surface of the housing. A ventilation tower is attached to the sidewall and positioned proximate the front panel. Selective operation of the blower draws ventilation air from an external region proximate the front panel and into the interstitial space via the ventilation tower.

Frontal cooling towers for a ventilation system of a cooking appliance

A steam generator system for a cooking appliance includes an in-line heating element coupled to a heating tube, wherein water from a water reservoir is gravitationally fed into the heating tube for heating by the in-line heating element to produce a hot water and steam mixture. A first supply line is coupled to the heating tube to carry the mixture to a separator without the need for moving or complex pump parts. The separator separates steam and hot water from the mixture of the two. A second supply line is coupled to the separator at a first end and opens into the cooking cavity of the cooking appliance at a second end. The second supply line is configured to supply steam separated at the separator to the cooking cavity via a steam outlet disposed in the cooking cavity.

Steam generation system for use in cooking appliance

A cooking appliance is provided herein. A heating element is configured to generate heat for cooking a food item. A user interface is configured to allow selection of a cooking program for cooking the food item and includes a sear feature that is selectable while a selected cooking program is underway. Selection of the sear feature increases a cooking temperature to a maximum cooking temperature without otherwise interrupting the selected cooking program that is underway.

Cooking appliance with user-selectable sear feature

An electric oven broils foodstuffs with either its oven door opened or closed. The operating parameters of the oven's broiling elements are altered based on the position of the door.

An oven has a cooking cavity and a gas heating element provided at a lower portion of the cooking cavity and a low power electric heating element provided at an upper portion of the cooking cavity. Thermal radiation provided to the upper portion by the electric heating element combined with reflected thermal radiation provided from the gas heating element is enough to broil a food item in a predetermined broiling cycle of the oven.

A cooking appliance is provided herein that includes a pair of opposing sidewalls and a rear wall defining a heating cavity. A heat source is in thermal communication with the heating cavity. A cavity connector is disposed within an interior surface of the heating cavity. The cavity connector is in communication with the heating cavity. A rack is coupled with a sliding structure. The sliding structure is disposed proximate the pair of sidewalls. A powered accessory has a connecting plug and is engageable with the rack. The connecting plug is configured to be in selective communication with the cavity connector. A first locating assembly is configured to locate and engage the powered accessory with the rack. A second locating assembly is disposed between the sliding structure and the opposing sidewalls. A third locating assembly is disposed on a rear portion of the rack.

Cavity connector

A method of operating an electric oven includes generating a door-open signal if an oven door is in an open position. An electric broiling element is activated to perform an open-door broil operation in response to generation of the door-open signal. The temperature within a cooking chamber is determined during the open-door broil operation and the electric broiling element is deactivated if the temperature within the cooking chamber exceeds a first shutoff temperature. The method also includes generating a door-closed signal if the oven door is in a closed position. The electric broiling element is activated to perform a closed-door broil operation in response to generation of the door-closed signal. The temperature within the cooking chamber of the electric oven is determined during the closed-door broil operation and the electric broiling element is deactivated if the temperature within the cooking chamber exceeds a second shutoff temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Stevensville, MI, United States of America

Robert Scott Donarski