Convection Heating Patents (Class 219/681)
  • Patent number: 6987252
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oven that includes radiant cooking elements, a microwave cooking element, as well as convection cooking heating elements. The cooking elements are controlled to provide reduced cooking time as compared to known radiant ovens, yet a wide variety of foods can be cooked in the oven. The oven is operable in a speedcooking mode wherein both radiant and microwave cooking elements are utilized, a microwave only cooking mode wherein only the magnetron is utilized, and a convection/bake mode wherein radiant and convection cooking elements are utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Todd Vincent Graves, Kevin Farrelly Nolan, Brian Robert Goodrich
  • Patent number: 6972398
    Abstract: A wall mounted type microwave oven to efficiently cool a driving motor to couple an exhaust fan and a cooling fan includes an oven cabinet having air inlets and an exhaust outlet. the cooling fan and the driving motor are isolated from the exhaust fan communicating with the exhaust outlet, and communicate with the air inlet by a first partition plate of a guide unit. The driving motor is disposed between first and second brackets, which hold the exhaust fan casing and the cooling fan casing and, respectively, have center openings. Air is directed to the driving motor and introduced into the exhaust fan and the cooling fan through gaps while cooling the driving motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeon Hong Kang
  • Patent number: 6946631
    Abstract: A browning device for use in a microwave oven. The browning device can include an infrared generator for generating infrared radiation. The browning device being formed such that it has a hollow space. The interior surface of the hollow space facing the microwave oven cavity having an infrared absorbing material for absorbing infrared radiation from an infrared generator. The infrared absorbing material is constructed such that it is able to reach a temperature of 500° C. at which soot is vaporized or ignited. Quartz tubes may be utilized as the infrared generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Eckart Braunisch, Gunnar Nyren
  • Patent number: 6927372
    Abstract: A combined microwave and hot-air circulating cooking appliance is disclosed. The appliance has a plurality of air injection openings that are provided in a wall of the cooking cavity for injecting heated air into the same. Each of the injection openings is connected to a heating compartment an air conduit having such dimensions so as to prevent propagation of microwave energy through the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Roland Ekinge, Gunnar Nyren, Ricardo Garcia-Padron
  • Patent number: 6891140
    Abstract: A sintering furnace for sintering an object to be sintered formed of ceramics, fine ceramic materials, etc. to produce a sintered object and a method therefor. An insulating wall (28) and an inner shell (25) define a sintering chamber (16) for sintering an object to be sintered (10). Thermal equilibrium is maintained between the inner shell (25) and the object to be sintered (10), and the object to be sintered (10) is completely pseudo-adiabatically isolated to achieve more uniform and small energy consuming sintering. The thickness of the insulating wall (28) increases gradually from an inlet (20) toward an outlet (21). The object to be sintered (10) is fed by a carriage provided in a sintering furnace from the inlet (20) to the outlet (21) in the sintering chamber (16). Thereby, a temperature distribution corresponding to a plurality of processes can be easily formed in one furnace to sinter continuously the object to be sintered (10) in the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignees: Gifu Prefecture, Japan As Represented by Director-General of National Institute For Fusion Science
    Inventors: Motoyasu Sato, Sadatsugu Takayama, Masatoshi Mizuno, Seizo Obata, Tadashi Shimada, Toshio Hirai
  • Patent number: 6872926
    Abstract: A rapid cook convection oven is constructed to efficiently cook a food item by breaking down a thermal insulation layer maintained about the food, while effectively removing contaminates from within a convection air flow. The rapid cook oven preferably includes both a microwave cooking system and a convection cooking system. The convection cooking system is provided with a dual flow fan adapted to simultaneously draw in an oven air flow from a cooking chamber and a fresh air flow from the surroundings. In order to reduce the presence of contaminates and, by extension, smoke, the two air flows are combined in a mixing chamber and passed over a heating element arranged within a combustion chamber prior to re-entry into the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Arntz, Dennis Michael Brandon Burns, Sondra Denice Proffitt, Herbert Dustin Sims, William Darryl Sneed, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6870146
    Abstract: A high-frequency heating apparatus includes an outer enclosure, a high voltage generator such as a high-voltage capacitor, and an air guide, wherein the air guide is provided with a plastic hinge formed by partially reducing a wall thickness thereof. The invented structure can bend the plastic hinge to locate an end flap of air guide in a space between a terminal of the high-voltage capacitor and the outer enclosure defining a dead metal part, to easily ensure electrical insulation between the terminal and the outer enclosure without dependent on variations in quality of workmanship in the manufacturing process. In addition, it can reduce a number of working processes as well as amount of waste since all it requires is to bend the plastic hinge to provide the electrical insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahide Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6867399
    Abstract: A method for operating an oven including a microcomputer includes receiving in a microprocessor of an oven, a plurality of inputs from a user indicative of a conventional cooking time, a conventional cooking temperature, and a food category, wherein the oven includes an RF generation module, an upper heater module, a lower heater module, and a convection fan, and converting at least one of the conventional cooking time to a speedcooking time different than the conventional cooking time, and the conventional cooking temperature to a speedcooking temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Coleen Judith Muegge, Jennifer Elizabeth Rael, Karen Edberg, Alicia A. Doligale, Larry R. Harmon, Cecilia Maria Blanchard
  • Patent number: 6864468
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electric oven which increases temperature fast and reduces heat loss in accordance with that a cavity surface generates its own heat by using an induction heating. The electric oven comprises: a case having a door at a front side and having a cavity for receiving food therein; a magnetron installed at one side of an upper portion of the cavity for generating microwave of high frequency and supplying heat to the cavity; an inverter for generating high frequency at a space between the case and the cavity; first, second, third, and fourth heating units installed each side of the cavity for supplying heat. Since temperature of a cooking chamber can be set as wanted uniformly and faster, preheating time and actual cooking time can be reduced. Also, since inner temperature of the cavity rises faster and simultaneously, an automatic cleaning in the cavity using pyrolysis can be performed faster and uniformly, thereby reducing power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Wan-Soo Kim, Yang-Kyeong Kim, Young-Min Lee
  • Patent number: 6864472
    Abstract: A mountable type microwave oven including a blower fan assembly installed at a rear-upper portion of a cabinet to cool a machine room and ventilate a cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeon-Hong Kang
  • Patent number: 6815644
    Abstract: A multirack speedcook oven includes a cooking cavity, a plurality of racks within the cooking cavity, an RF generation module operationally coupled to the cooking cavity and configured to deliver microwave energy into the cooking cavity, at least one heat source positioned within the cavity and configured to supply heat energy to the cooking cavity, and a control configured to accept data regarding said plurality of racks, the control operationally coupled to the RF generation module, and the at least one heat source for selective control thereof based on the accepted data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Coleen Judith Muegge, Jennifer Elizabeth Rael, Karen Edberg
  • Publication number: 20040178192
    Abstract: A method for operating an oven including a microcomputer includes receiving in a microprocessor of an oven, a plurality of inputs from a user indicative of a conventional cooking time, a conventional cooking temperature, and a food category, wherein the oven includes an RF generation module, an upper heater module, a lower heater module, and a convection fan, and converting at least one of the conventional cooking time to a speedcooking time different than the conventional cooking time, and the conventional cooking temperature to a speedcooking temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Coleen Judith Muegge, Jennifer Elizabeth Rael, Karen Edberg, Alicia A. Doligale, Larry R. Harmon, Cecilia Maria Blanchard
  • Patent number: 6772752
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes an oven cavity, one or more heat sources for generating hot oven gases within the oven cavity to perform a cooking operation, a controller and a cooling system. The cooling system includes a fan having a drive shaft upon which is mounted a multi-pole magnet. A Hall effect sensor is positioned adjacent to the magnet and provides pulses to the controller. Using the pulses, the controller calculates a speed of the cooling fan. If, during a cooking operation, the controller determines the fan is not operating, the cooking operation is halted. Likewise, if the controller determines the fan is operating at too low a speed, the cooking operation is halted. In either case, a corresponding fault code is generated and stored within the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: Mark A. Boyer
  • Publication number: 20040134908
    Abstract: A wall-mounted type microwave oven includes an oven body having a cooking chamber and an electrical component compartment which are isolated from each other, an exhaust flow path which is extended between a bottom and a top of the oven body to exhaust gas positioned below the oven body to the outside, an exhaust fan assembly which is provided at an outlet of the exhaust flow path, a convection fan which is provided at a side wall of the cooking chamber to forcibly circulate air in the cooking chamber, a convection motor which drives the convection fan, and a cooling flow path which cools the convection motor using the exhaust fan assembly. The exhaust fan assembly communicates with the outside of the microwave oven at an end thereof and is extended at the other end thereof to an inlet of the cooling flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang-Jin Jeong
  • Patent number: 6730881
    Abstract: An accelerated cooking feature for use in an appliance having an oven cavity includes a forced air convection system having an electronic control unit, a variable speed, bi-directional fan motor, and a directionally vented cover plate. The appliance operates in at least three modes, constituted by a convection mode, a radiant bake mode and a self-clean mode. In the convection mode, the controller operates the fan motor in a first direction at a speed dependent upon a selected cooking process, with various air streams being directed into distinct regions of the oven cavity. During the radiant bake mode, the controller operates the fan motor in a reverse direction to establish a uniform cooking environment. In the self-clean mode, high speed air currents are directed into the oven cavity and, in combination with a top broil element, perform a pyrolytic cleaning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Arntz, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6723961
    Abstract: A self-cleaning sequence for a convection cooking appliance employs high velocity air to heat an oven cavity and components/ducting of an air circulation passage to self-cleaning (pyrolitic) temperatures. In accordance with the invention, the self-cleaning sequence includes four stages: a vent catalyst pre-heating stage; a low molecular weight hydrocarbon burn-off stage; a high temperature cleaning stage; and a cool down stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Choat, Timothy M. Pace, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6723970
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes an oven cavity and a forced air convection system having a convection fan, a heating element and a ventilation system including a duct. The duct includes a first compartment adapted to receive an oven air flow, a second compartment adapted to receive an exhaust air flow, and an air inlet opening into each of the first and second compartments, wherein an incoming air flow is introduced into each of the first and second compartments through operation of a fan assembly. According to one aspect of the invention, the incoming air flow combines with the oven air flow prior to passing over a convective heat element. As such, the combined air flow is heated combusting food byproducts contained therein. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the incoming air flow is combined with the exhaust air flow, lowering the temperature of the exhaust prior to release to the surroundings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6712063
    Abstract: An oven 2 comprises a number of chamber walls (6, 8, 10, 12, 14) defining a cooking chamber 4, heating means 20 for heating food within the cooking chamber 4, at least one opening 22, 24 in at least one of the chamber walls, fan means 26, 28 for driving air out of the cooking chamber 4 through said opening 22, 24, a grease filter 34, 36 located downstream of said opening 22, 24, and a catalytic converter 38, 40 located downstream of said grease filter 34, 36 and within 20 centimeters of said grease filter 34, 36.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Merrychef Limited
    Inventor: Nigel Thorneywork
  • Publication number: 20040040954
    Abstract: A microwave oven is provide, which is capable of steaming food and cooking food by direct-irradiation of microwaves at a same time, and is capable of keeping a cooking cavity clean. A water container is arranged at an upper portion of the cooking cavity to generate steam from water contained in the water container when the water is heated by the microwaves. A water supplying guide and a steaming container are arranged at an upper portion of the housing. The steaming container comprises a body and a lid. A food supporting tray with a plurality of steam holes formed therethrough is placed in the body of the steaming container such that the food to be cooked is placed on the food supporting tray. Steam holes formed on a bottom surface of the body are bored in lugs upwardly projected from the bottom surface, and are arranged so as to be eccentric from the plurality of steam holes of the food supporting tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Haug-Ki Kim
  • Patent number: 6649890
    Abstract: A microwave cooking appliance includes a sheathed resistive electric heating element including an outer portion, an inner portion and a cross-over portion electrically interconnecting the outer and inner portions. The heating element is arranged in a cooking chamber of the microwave cooking appliance in a manner which effects an impedance characteristic of the cooking chamber. The cross-over portion is arranged such that the heating element acts like an RF antenna moving a microwave energy field to portions of the cooking chamber in which low electric fields occur. In this manner, the broil element helps increase the operational efficiency of the cooking applaince by minimizing any hot and cold spots within the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Brinker, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6603102
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: John Scott Brown, Richard O. Cavener
  • Patent number: 6566638
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventor: John Scott Brown
  • Patent number: 6541745
    Abstract: In a heater system for a microwave oven including an air tunnel having an suction portion and a discharge portion, formed at an upper surface of a cooking chamber, a fan assembly installed inside the air tunnel and having a circulation fan forming air flow by sucking air inside the cooking chamber through the suction portion and discharge the sucked air through the air tunnel and the discharge portion, a first heater chamber having a first heater installed inside the air tunnel and heating air discharged into the discharge portion from the air tunnel, and a second heater chamber having a second heater installed inside the air tunnel and emitting radiation heat into the cooking chamber, wherein the suction portion and the discharge portion are formed near opposite side walls of the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seog Tae Kim, Seong Yun Ryu, Geun Hyung Lee
  • Patent number: 6541746
    Abstract: A heating apparatus of a microwave oven includes: a heater installed at an upper portion of a cooking chamber into which foodstuff is received; a ventilating fan installed at one side of the heater, for circulating air inside the cooking chamber to pass across the heater; a panel having a suction hole installed at an upper portion of the cooking chamber, through which the air inside the cooking chamber is drawn into the ventilating fan, and a discharge hole, through which the air which has passed across the heater is again supplied to the cooking chamber; and an air guide unit mounted at an upper side of the panel, for guiding air flow from the ventilating fan to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Dae Sik Kim, Sang Ki Lee, Kwang Yok Kang
  • Patent number: 6528773
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a microwave oven including a cavity having a certain area for cooking comprising a flow path formed between a main body and the cavity so as to be connected from a side of the cavity to the upper surface of the cavity, a heater installed on the side of the flow path corresponding to the outer upper surface of the cavity for emitting heat, a discharge hole installed on the upper surface of the cavity corresponding to the lower portion of the heater for discharging the heat of the heater into the cavity, an inlet installed on the lower portion of the side wall of the cavity for making the air inside of the cavity flow in the flow channel, and a circulating fan installed on a certain portion of the flow channel for circulating the air inside of the cavity flown through the inlet to the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Kyeong Kim, Jong Gwan Ryu, Sung Jin Han, Wan Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 6521870
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oven that includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a cooking cavity assembly, a controller, a halogen lamp and fan assembly, and a vent assembly. The halogen lamp and fan assembly, sometimes referred to herein as a convection module, includes one or more halogen lamps and a fan for circulating heat from the lamps into the cooking cavity. The oven can be operated in two modes, namely, thermal emulation and customized cooking. In the thermal emulation mode, the oven is pre-heated to a target temperature by lamps cycling on and off under the control of the controller. Once the target temperature is reached, the user places the food into the cooking cavity and the food is cooked for the same amount of time as in a conventional thermal oven. In the customized cooking mode, food is placed in cooking cavity for the entire cooking cycle, including pre-heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Farrelly Nolan, Todd Vincent Graves, Don R. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20030024925
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oven that includes radiant cooking elements, a microwave cooking element, as well as convection cooking heating elements. The cooking elements are controlled to provide reduced cooking time as compared to known radiant ovens, yet a wide variety of foods can be cooked in the oven. The oven is operable in a speedcooking mode wherein both radiant and microwave cooking elements are utilized, a microwave only cooking mode wherein only the magnetron is utilized, and a convection/bake mode wherein radiant and convection cooking elements are utilized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventors: Todd Vincent Graves, Kevin Farrelly Nolan, Brian Robert Goodrich
  • Patent number: 6509556
    Abstract: Structure of a ventilation motor assembly in a microwave oven including a ventilation motor having first and second shafts fitted in opposite directions, a sirocco fan interlocked with the first shaft for drawing air in a direction of the first shaft and discharging in a direction perpendicular to the first shaft, and a radial fan interlocked with the second shaft for drawing air in a direction perpendicular to the second shaft and discharging in a direction of the second shaft, thereby permitting to vary an air suction/discharge structure by forming air flows in left and right sides of the ventilation motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Su Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 6486453
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Bales, John Scott Brown, Virginia L. Harwell, Anthony E. Kendall, Susan K. Fisher, Pamela S. Kleese, Jill L. Means, Judith D. Barber, Philip R. McKee, James K. Pool, III
  • Patent number: 6472647
    Abstract: A heating apparatus of a microwave oven includes: an upper plate installed at an upper portion of a cooking chamber into which a cooking object is to be received, having a suction hole for sucking air inside the cooking chamber and a discharge hole for discharging air; a first heater installed at the discharge hole side of the upper plate, for generating convection heat; a second heater disposed in the same enclosure as that of the first heater, for generating radiant heat; and a ventilating fan installed at an upper portion of a region where the suction hole of the upper plate is formed, for circulating air inside the cooking chamber across the first and the second heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Ki Lee, Jeong Seob Seo, Kwang Yok Kang
  • Patent number: 6472640
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: John Scott Brown, Marcus Moore, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6462319
    Abstract: A method and a cooking appliance has a pyrolytic cleaning control in which multiple stages permit volatile residue to be incinerated before inducing air current flow that can complete the cleaning process throughout the oven housing. The oven combines cooking energy sources, including convection current heating and preferably, jet impingement heating, whose blowers are disabled during a first stage of pyrolytic cleaning to avoid uncontrolled ignitions within the appliance. The second stage of the pyrolytic cleaning process induces current flow to distribute pyrolytically heated air throughout the housing and complete the cleaning process in the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation
    Inventors: Dindo S. Uy, Cyral Martin Walsh
  • Publication number: 20020134778
    Abstract: A combination convection/microwave oven in which a food product is cooked by microwave energy from a source thereof and by a heated airflow provided by a thermal energy source and a blower. The food product is located in the near field of the microwave energy. The oven includes a controller that operates the thermal energy source and/or the blower according to temperature and or time to improve cooking results. The cooking procedure includes a soak interval during which the thermal energy source, the blower and/or the microwave energy source is turned off, whereby the temperature of the food product is permitted to equilibrate and thereby provide more uniform cooking. The food product may be located directly on the rack or in a microwave transparent or reflective container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Applicant: THE GARLAND GROUP
    Inventors: William Day, David Harter
  • Patent number: 6448540
    Abstract: A microwave oven for heating foodstuffs, comprising an oven cavity (4), a loading zone for the foodstuffs arranged in the oven cavity, a microwave unit for feeding microwaves to the oven cavity, and a browning device (13) having a radiation means (17) for generating infrared (IR) radiation. The browning device also comprises a reflector (16) adapted to reflect IR radiation essentially towards the loading zone. At least a surface layer of the reflector is made of a non-metallic, reflective and heat-resisting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Eckart Wilhelm Braunisch, Gunnar Nyren
  • Publication number: 20020088790
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oven that includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a cooking cavity assembly, a controller, a halogen lamp and fan assembly, and a vent assembly. The halogen lamp and fan assembly, sometimes referred to herein as a convection module, includes one or more halogen lamps and a fan for circulating heat from the lamps into the cooking cavity. The oven can be operated in two modes, namely, thermal emulation and customized cooking. In the thermal emulation mode, the oven is pre-heated to a target temperature by lamps cycling on and off under the control of the controller. Once the target temperature is reached, the user places the food into the cooking cavity and the food is cooked for the same amount of time as in a conventional thermal oven. In the customized cooking mode, food is placed in cooking cavity for the entire cooking cycle, including pre-heat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Kevin Farrelly Nolan, Todd Vincent Graves, Don R. Wagner
  • Patent number: 6403937
    Abstract: A combination convection/microwave oven in which a food product is cooked by microwave energy from a source thereof and by a heated airflow provided by a thermal energy source and a blower. The food product is located in the near field of the microwave energy. The oven includes a controller that operates the thermal energy source and/or the blower according to temperature and or time to improve cooking results. The cooking procedure includes a soak interval during which the thermal energy source, the blower and/or the microwave energy source is turned off, whereby the temperature of the food product is permitted to equilibrate and thereby provide more uniform cooking. The food product may be located directly on the rack or in a microwave transparent or reflective container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: The Garland Group
    Inventors: William Day, David Harter
  • Publication number: 20020066724
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Applicant: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: John Scott Brown, Marcus Moore, Robert Z. Whipple
  • Patent number: 6399930
    Abstract: A combination convection/microwave oven in which a food product is cooked by microwave energy and by a heated airflow provided by a thermal energy source and a blower. The oven is capable of cooking food in a microwave reflective pan. Microwave energy enters the oven below the pan and is guided to a spacing between the pan and oven sides and then reflected by the sides and top of the oven to the food product in the pan. The heated airflow is laminar with an upper layer and a lower layer. The pan is positioned at about the interface of the two layers so that the upper layer is incident on the food product and the lower layer is incident on the bottom of the pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: The Garland Group
    Inventors: William Day, David Harter, Paul Molloy
  • Publication number: 20020063125
    Abstract: A heating apparatus of a microwave oven includes: an upper plate installed at an upper portion of a cooking chamber into which a cooking object is to be received, having a suction hole for sucking air inside the cooking chamber and a discharge hole for discharging air; a first heater installed at the discharge hole side of the upper plate, for generating a convection heat; a second heater disposed in the same space as that of the first heater, for generating a radiant heat; and a ventilating fan installed at an upper portion of a region where the suction hole of the upper plate is formed, for circulating air inside the cooking chamber through the first and the second heaters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventors: Sang Ki Lee, Jeong Seob Seo, Kwang Yok Kang
  • Patent number: 6393725
    Abstract: Compact microwave clothes dryer and method in which the dryer is small enough to be placed on a countertop, and air is circulated past microwave generator and power supply components to the drying chamber to transfer heat from the components to clothes in the chamber to supplement the microwave drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard D. Smith, John F. Gerling, Stephen D. Schultz
  • Patent number: 6392211
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a convection device of a microwave oven comprises a heater chamber formed on the out-side surface of a cooking chamber, a fan housing installed inside of the heater chamber so as to be rotational within a predetermined rotation range including an inlet hole where the air inside of the heater chamber flows into and a discharging port for providing the air into the cooking chamber, and a fan installed inner side of the fan housing for generating air flow provided into the cooking chamber through the discharging port. Accordingly, the present invention can provide the heated-air uniformity to the each portion inside of the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seog Tae Kim, Geun Hyoung Lee, Kwang Ok Kang
  • Publication number: 20020056712
    Abstract: In a heater system for a microwave oven including an air tunnel having an suction portion and a discharge portion, formed at an upper surface of a cooking chamber, a fan assembly installed inside the air tunnel and having a circulation fan forming air flow by sucking air inside the cooking chamber through the suction portion and discharge the sucked air through the air tunnel and the discharge portion, a first heater chamber having a first heater installed inside the air tunnel and heating air discharged into the discharge portion from the air tunnel, and a second heater chamber having a second heater installed inside the air tunnel and emitting radiation heat into the cooking chamber, wherein the suction portion and the discharge portion are respectively formed at each end portions of the upper surface of the cooking chamber, said end portions facing each other and positioned toward the side walls of the cooking chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Seog Tae Kim, Seong Yun Ryu, Geun Hyung Lee
  • Patent number: 6376817
    Abstract: For residential use primarily, a compact quick-cooking convection oven for cooking a food product at least partially by hot gas flow, includes a housing defining (i) a cooking chamber having a top, a bottom and a support means therebetween and spaced above the chamber bottom for receiving and supporting a food product for cooking, and (ii) conduit means for providing gaseous communication outside of the cooking chamber upwardly from the chamber bottom to the chamber top. Associated with the cooking chamber are (i) adjacent the chamber top, directing means for directing gas flow from the conduit means downwardly onto a top of the food product on the support means, and (ii) adjacent the chamber bottom, return means for directing the gas flow from the cooking chamber into the conduit means. Flow means cause gas flow from the directing means via the conduit means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: TurboChef Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. McFadden, James K. Pool, III, Earl R. Winkelman, John David Gidner
  • Patent number: 6373037
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: John Scott Brown, William Edward Jay
  • Publication number: 20020040902
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Applicant: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: John Scott Brown, Richard O. Cavener
  • Patent number: 6359271
    Abstract: An apparatus for supporting foodstuffs in a hybrid oven for cooking by hot air impingement and by microwave energy having a predetermined free-space wavelength, comprising a metal ring having a pre-determined diameter and six primary spoke members formed of a metal and rigidly secured to the ring in substantially equally spaced circumferential intervals. The apparatus also includes a metal annular ring mounted to the primary spoke members. An opening is formed at the center of the apparatus by the inner diameter of the metal annular ring. In addition, the apparatus also includes six secondary spoke members formed of a metal and rigidly secured to the ring in substantially equally spaced circumferential intervals midway between the points at which the primary spoke members are secured thereto to cooperate with the primary spoke members to support the foodstuffs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: TurboChef Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John D. Gidner, Earl R. Winkelmann, Richard N. Caron
  • Patent number: 6346691
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a convection fan control method of a microwave oven which is capable of changing discharge direction of the air heated by a heater to a heating object by controlling rotation direction of a convection fan in accordance with types of a dish comprising a cooking time setting process for selecting a dish type of a heating object and setting cooking time, a rotation direction setting process for setting rotating direction of a fan motor which is capable of rotating and reverse-rotating, a fan motor operating process for operating the fan motor in accordance with the set rotating direction, a fan operating process for rotating a fan by the operating of the fan motor, and a cooking process for cooking the heating object for the select cooking time by operating of a heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Joo Yong Kim, Sang Ki Lee, Dae Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 6346693
    Abstract: A grain containment vessel equipped with one or more antennas and a vapor extraction system is disclosed. An electromagnetic heating pattern is established throughout the grain volume elevating the bulk temperature, while an air flow is applied throughout the grain volume. The electromagnetic energy desorbs the water and increases the vapor pressure and the air flow carries the heat and water from the containment vessel. A controlled amount of electromagnetic energy is introduced into the grain volume to reduce or eliminate fungus infestation and increase insect mortality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: KAI Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond S. Kasevich
  • Patent number: 6344637
    Abstract: A built-in microwave oven is provided, installed in the kitchen furniture as an integral part of the furniture. In the microwave oven, a suction grille and an exhaust grille are provided on the front wall of the external casing, and so cooling air is sucked and discharged through the front wall of the casing. Upper and lower heaters are installed within the casing, with an upper inside air passage formed around the upper heater that guide an air current formed by an upper heater cooling fan, and another air passage is formed around the lower heater that guides an air current formed by a lower heater cooling fan. The inflow air from the suction grille is partially and directly guided to the exhaust grille so as to be mixed with hot air from the upper and lower heaters prior to being discharged from the external casing to the atmosphere through the exhaust grille. Therefore, the exhaust air from the exhaust grille is preferably reduced in its temperature to a proper low point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Geon Lee, Joo-Yong Kim, Hyo-Yun Jung, Dae-Sik Kim, Yun-Seok Lee, Gil-Sup Jeong, Gyu-Ho Oh
  • Patent number: 6344636
    Abstract: A method for detecting abnormal operation state of parts of a microwave oven including a memory, a plurality of heaters and cooling fans is provided, which includes the steps of extracting cooking data selected by a user from the memory, driving the cooling fan according to the extracted cooking data, determining whether or not to drive the heaters according to whether a driving current of the cooling fan is higher than a first preset current or not and detecting an abnormal state of the cooling fan, and determining whether or not to advance the cooling according to whether a driving current of the heaters is higher than a second preset current as the heaters are driven, and detecting an abnormal state of the heaters, so that the damage of parts or danger of fire of the microwave oven due to the malfunction of the parts may be prevented in advance, and the state of the microwave oven may be recognized in a remote place by using internet instead of visiting of a service member, since the malfunction may be che
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Seog Tae Kim