Oven appliance and methods for high-heat cooking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11510411-B2
Application number	US-202017071606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2020
Priority date	Oct 15, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An oven appliance may include a cabinet, a plurality of chamber walls, a cooking surface, a top heating element, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The cooking surface may be defined in a cooking chamber. The top heating element may be mounted above the cooking surface to heat the cooking chamber. The temperature sensor may be disposed within the cabinet. The controller may be configured to initiate a cooking operation that includes initiating preheat activation of the top heating element, receiving temperature signals from the temperature sensor during the preheat activation, determining a preheat threshold is met based on the received temperature signals, and initiating cooking activation of the top heating element based on a cooking cycle having a predetermined time interval subsequent to determining the preheat threshold is met. Initiating cooking activation may include directing the top heating element based on the cooking cycle for the predetermined time interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oven appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a plurality of chamber walls mounted within the cabinet, the plurality of chamber walls defining a cooking chamber, the plurality of chamber walls comprising a back wall, a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a bottom wall;
a cooking surface defined in the cooking chamber between the bottom wall and the top wall of the plurality of chamber walls;
a top heating element mounted above the cooking surface to heat the cooking chamber;
a temperature sensor disposed within the cabinet; and
a controller in operative communication with the top heating element and the temperature sensor, the controller being configured to initiate a cooking operation comprising
initiating preheat activation of the top heating element,
receiving one or more temperature signals from the temperature sensor, receiving occurring during the preheat activation of the top heating element,
determining a preheat threshold is met based on the received one or more temperature signals, and
initiating cooking activation of the top heating element based on a cooking cycle having a predetermined time interval subsequent to determining the preheat threshold is met, initiating cooking activation comprising directing the top heating element based on the cooking cycle for the predetermined time interval.

2. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein initiating preheat activation of the top heating element comprises directing the top heating element to a first heat output setting, and wherein initiating cooking activation of the top heating element comprises directing the top heating element to a second heat output setting, the second heat output setting being lower than the first heat output setting.

3. The oven appliance of claim 2 , wherein the first output setting is a maximum permitted output setting.

4. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the oven appliance further comprises a bottom heating element mounted below the top heating element to heat the cooking surface, and wherein the method further comprises halting activation of the bottom heating element during the preheat activation of the top heating element.

5. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises
determining a maximum threshold is reached at the temperature sensor, and
halting activation of the top heating element in response to determining the maximum threshold.

6. The oven appliance of claim 5 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises
determining a resumption threshold is reached following determining the maximum threshold, and
permitting cooking activation of the top heating element in response to determining the resumption threshold is reached.

7. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is mounted on the plurality of chamber walls.

8. The oven appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cooking plate removably received within the cooking chamber, the cooking plate defining the cooking surface, wherein the temperature sensor is mounted on the cooking plate.

9. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cooking operation further comprises
determining a restriction condition is met subsequent to the predetermined time interval,
initiating recharge activation of the top heating element based on a recharge cycle to reduce heat output at the top heating element in response to determining the restriction condition,
receiving one or more temperature signals from the temperature sensor during the restriction condition, and
directing the top heating element according to a recharge threshold based on the one or more temperature signals from the temperature sensor during the restriction condition.

10. The oven appliance of claim 9 , wherein the recharge threshold is distinct from the preheat threshold.

11. A method of operating an oven appliance comprising a plurality of chamber walls mounted within a cabinet and defining a cooking chamber, a cooking surface defined in the cooking chamber between a bottom wall and a top wall of the plurality of chamber walls, and a top heating element mounted above the cooking surface to heat the cooking chamber, the method comprising:
initiating preheat activation of the top heating element;
receiving one or more temperature signals from a temperature sensor disposed within the oven appliance, receiving occurring during the preheat activation of the top heating element;
determining a preheat threshold is met based on the received one or more temperature signals; and
initiating cooking activation of the top heating element based on a cooking cycle having a predetermined time interval subsequent to determining the preheat threshold is met, initiating cooking activation comprising directing the top heating element based on the cooking cycle for the predetermined time interval.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein initiating preheat activation of the top heating element comprises directing the top heating element to a first heat output setting, and wherein initiating cooking activation of the top heating element comprises directing the top heating element to a second heat output setting, the second heat output setting being lower than the first heat output setting.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first output setting is a maximum permitted output setting.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the oven appliance further comprises a bottom heating element mounted below the top heating element to heat the cooking surface, and wherein the method further comprises halting activation of the bottom heating element during the preheat activation of the top heating element.

15. The method of claim 11 , determining a maximum threshold is reached at the temperature sensor; and halting activation of the top heating element in response to determining the maximum threshold.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining a resumption threshold is reached following determining the maximum threshold; and
permitting cooking activation of the top heating element in response to determining the resumption threshold is reached.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor is mounted on the plurality of chamber walls.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor is mounted on a cooking plate defining the cooking surface, the cooking plate being removably received within the cooking chamber.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a restriction condition is met subsequent to the predetermined time interval;
initiating recharge activation of the top heating element based on a recharge cycle to reduce heat output at the top heating element in response to determining the restriction condition;
receiving one or more temperature signals from the temperature sensor during the restriction condition; and
directing the top heating element according to a recharge threshold based on the one or more temperature signals from the temperature sensor during the restriction condition.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the recharge threshold is distinct from the preheat threshold.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Paller Hans Juergen
• Tyler Rebekah
• Johnson Eric Scott

Classifications

• F24C7/085

  on baking ovens · CPC title

• F24C3/128

  in baking ovens · CPC title

• A21B1/40 Primary

  characterised by the means for regulating the temperature · CPC title

• F24C1/04 Primary

  simultaneously · CPC title