Oven and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12442536-B2
Application number	US-202217573097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2022
Priority date	Jan 11, 2021
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

An oven and a method of controlling the same are described. The oven is configured to perform a heat stage for implementing an air-fry. In this case, the oven may uniformly cook a cooking ingredient to be crispy by driving a convection fan earlier than a convection heater in at least some heating sections, adjusting a driving time of each of a broil heater and a convection heater and revolutions per minute (RPM) of the convection fan, and correcting a target temperature of a cooking chamber to be higher than a set temperature input by a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oven comprising:
a case that defines a cooking chamber;
a broil heater configured to generate radiant heat toward the cooking chamber; and
a convection module comprising a convection heater configured to heat air and a convection fan configured to supply the air heated by the convection heater into the cooking chamber,
wherein the oven is configured to operate in an air-fry mode based on performing a plurality of heat stages, the plurality of heat stages comprising a first heat stage, a second heat stage, and a third heat stage that are configured to be sequentially performed,
wherein the oven is configured to:
receive a cooking ingredient in the cooking chamber before performing the first heat stage,
in the first heat stage, drive the convection fan before driving the convection heater,
drive the broil heater and the convection heater alternately in each of the first heat stage, the second heat stage, and the third heat stage,
drive the broil heater for a first driving time in the first heat stage,
drive the broil heater for a second driving time in the second heat stage, and
drive the broil heater for a third driving time in the third heat stage, and

wherein the first driving time of the broil heater is longer than each of the second driving time of the broil heater and the third driving time of the broil heater.

2. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the broil heater is configured to output power that is greater than output power of the convection heater.

3. The oven of claim 1 , wherein the oven is configured to, in each of the first heat stage, the second heat stage, and the third heat stage:
drive the broil heater and the convection module in a plurality of cycles, each of the plurality of cycles having a preset time section; and
in each of the plurality of cycles, drive the convection heater after driving the broil heater.

4. The oven of claim 3 , wherein the oven is configured to, in the plurality of cycles of the first heat stage, drive the convection fan at a first revolutions per minute (RPM) that is greater than a preset reference RPM.

5. The oven of claim 4 , wherein the oven is configured to:
in each of the plurality of cycles of the first heat stage, drive the broil heater for a first driving duration that is equal to a first driving duration of the convection heater;
in each of the plurality of cycles of the second heat stage, drive the broil heater for a second driving duration that is shorter than a second driving duration of the convection heater; and
in each of the plurality of cycles of the third heat stage, drive the broil heater for a third driving duration that is shorter than a third driving duration of the convection heater.

6. The oven of claim 3 , wherein the oven is configured to:
drive the broil heater and the convection module according to a first driving setting based on a set temperature for cooking the cooking ingredient being higher than a reference temperature; and
drive the broil heater and the convection module according to a second driving setting different from the first driving setting based on the set temperature being lower than or equal to the reference temperature.

7. The oven of claim 6 , wherein the reference temperature is preset based on a temperature for cooking meat.

8. The oven of claim 6 , wherein the oven is configured to, in each of the plurality of cycles of the first heat stage:
drive the convection fan for a first duration based on the set temperature being higher than the reference temperature; and
drive the convection fan for a second duration based on the set temperature being less than or equal to the reference temperature, the first duration being greater than the second duration.

9. The oven of claim 6 , wherein the oven is configured to, based on the set temperature being higher than the reference temperature:
in each of the plurality of cycles of the second heat stage, drive the convection fan at a first revolutions per minute (RPM) that is greater than a preset reference RPM; and
in each of the plurality of cycles of the third heat stage, drive the convection fan at a second RPM that is less than the preset reference RPM.

10. The oven of claim 9 , wherein the oven is configured to, based on the set temperature being higher than the reference temperature, drive the convection fan before driving the convection heater in each of the plurality of cycles of the second heat stage.

11. The oven of claim 6 , wherein the oven is configured to, based on the set temperature being lower than or equal to the reference temperature:
in each of the second heat stage and the third heat stage, set an idle period between driving of the broil heater and driving of the convection heater such that the cooking ingredient is cooked by heat remaining in the cooking chamber during the idle period.

12. The oven of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to detect an internal temperature of the cooking chamber; and
a controller configured to control driving of each of the broil heater and the convection module.

13. The oven of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a corrected internal temperature by adjusting the detected internal temperature; and
control the broil heater and the convection module until the corrected internal temperature reaches a set temperature for cooking the cooking ingredient, the detected internal temperature being higher than the corrected internal temperature that has reached the set temperature.

14. The oven of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the corrected internal temperature by applying the detected internal temperature to predefined equations, and
wherein the predefined equations include (i) a first equation configured to be applied based on the set temperature being higher than a preset reference temperature and (ii) a second equation configured to be applied based on the set temperature being lower than or equal to the preset reference temperature, the second equation being different from the first equation.

15. The oven of claim 14 , wherein the first equation includes:
Tc=1.1To−20, which is applied in the first and second heat stages; and
Tc=1.0To−15, which is applied in the third heat stage,
where To denotes the detected internal temperature, and Tc denotes the corrected internal temperature.

16. The oven of claim 14 , wherein the second equation includes:
Tc=1.1To−55, which is applied in the first and second heat stages; and
Tc=1.0To−50, which is applied in the third heat stage,
where To denotes the detected internal temperature, and Tc denotes the corrected internal temperature.

17. A method for controlling an oven, the oven including a case that defines a cooking chamber, a broil heater configured to generate radiant heat toward the cooking chamber, a convection module including a convection heater configured to heat air and a convection fan configured to supply the air heated by the convection heater into the cooking chamber, and a controller, the controller being configured to operate the oven in an air-fry mode based on performing a plurality of heat stages including a first heat stage, a second heat stage, and a third heat stage that are configured to be sequentially performed, the method comprising:
receiving a cooking ingredient in the cooking chamber before performing the first heat stage;
performing the first heat stage for a first driving time by alternately driving the broil heater and the convection heater;
performing the second heat stage for a second

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jo Hyunsu
• Choi Sangheon
• Lee Go Eun

Classifications

• F24C15/322

  with forced circulation · CPC title

• F24C7/067

  on ranges · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A23L5/15

  using wave energy, irradiation, electrical means or magnetic fields, e.g. oven cooking or roasting using radiant dry heat · CPC title

• A23L5/17

  in a gaseous atmosphere with forced air or gas circulation, in vacuum or under pressure · CPC title