Oven appliance and a method for operating an oven appliance

Abstract

An oven appliance with one or more features for minimizing the time to preheat the cooking chamber is provided. Features for adequately heating the air and the surfaces of the cooking chamber are also provided. Further, a method for operating an oven appliance to minimize the preheat time and adequately heat the air and surfaces of the cooking chamber is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating an oven appliance, the oven appliance having a cooking chamber configured for receipt of food items for cooking, the oven appliance also having a bake heating element, a broil heating element, a convection heating element, and a fan, the method comprising the steps of:
 establishing a cooking chamber temperature set point T pre ;   activating the convection heating element and the fan;   determining whether the convection heating element and the fan have been activated for a predetermined period of time t conv  and, if so, then
 deactivating the convection heating element; 
 activating the bake heating element; 
 determining whether the bake heating element has been activated for a predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then
 deactivating the bake heating element; 
 activating the broil heating element; 
 sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached T pre , and, if so, then
 providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre . 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached the temperature set point T pre  during the step of determining whether the convection heating element and the fan have been activated for a predetermined period of time t conv  and, if so, then
 providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre .   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached the temperature set point T pre  during the step determining whether the bake heating element has been activated for a predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre . 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 activating the bake element during the step of activating the convection element;   determining whether the bake element has been activated for the predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then
 deactivating the bake element. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 activating the broil element during the step of activating the convection element;   determining whether the broil element has been activated for the predetermined period of time t broil  and, if so, then
 deactivating the broil element. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of determining whether the broil heating element has been activated for a predetermined period of time t broil  during the step of sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached T pre  and, if so, then
 deactivating the broil heating element; and   repeating the step of activating the bake heating element.   
     
     
         7 . A method for operating an oven appliance, the oven appliance having a cooking chamber configured for receipt of food items for cooking, the oven appliance also having a bake heating element, a broil heating element, a convection heating element, and a fan, the method comprising the steps of:
 establishing a cooking chamber temperature set point T pre ;   activating the convection heating element and the fan;   sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached at least a temperature T conv  and, if so, then
 deactivating the convection heating element; 
 activating the bake heating element; 
 determining whether the bake heating element has been used for a predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then
 deactivating the bake heating element; 
 activating the broil heating element; 
 sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached T pre  and, if so, then
 providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre . 
 
 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached the temperature set point T pre  during the step of sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached at least a temperature T conv  and, if so, then
 providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre .   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached the temperature set point T pre  during the step determining whether the bake heating element has been activated for a predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then
 providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre .   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:
 activating the bake element during the step of activating the convection element;   determining whether the bake element has been activated for the predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then
 deactivating the bake element. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:
 activating the broil element during the step of activating the convection element;   determining whether the broil element has been activated for the predetermined period of time t broil  and, if so, then
 deactivating the broil element. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of determining whether the broil heating element has been activated for a predetermined period of time t broil  during the step of sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached T pre  and, if so, then
 deactivating the broil heating element; and   repeating the step of activating the bake heating element.   
     
     
         13 . An oven appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet, the cabinet defining a cooking chamber configured for receipt of food items for cooking, the cooking chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall, a back wall, and opposing side walls;   a bake heating element, a broil heating element, and a convection heating element, the heating elements configured to heat the cooking chamber;   a fan; and   a controller in operative communication with the heating elements and the fan, the controller configured for
 establishing a cooking chamber temperature set point T pre ; 
 activating the convection heating element and the fan; 
 determining whether the convection heating element and the fan have been activated for a predetermined period of time t conv  and, if so, then
 deactivating the convection heating element; 
 activating the bake heating element; 
 determining whether the bake heating element has been activated for a predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then
 deactivating the bake heating element; 
 activating the broil heating element; 
 sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached T pre  and, if so, then 
 providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre . 
 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The oven appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the bake heating element is disposed below the bottom wall of the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The oven appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the convection heating element is at least a 4000W element. 
     
     
         16 . The oven appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured for sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached the temperature set point T pre  while determining whether the convection heating element and the fan have been activated for a predetermined period of time t conv  and, if so, then
 providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre .   
     
     
         17 . The oven appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured for sensing whether the temperature in the cooking chamber has reached the temperature set point T pre  while determining whether the bake heating element has been activated for a predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then
 providing a signal to a user of the oven appliance that the cooking chamber temperature has reached T pre .   
     
     
         18 . The oven appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured for
 further comprising the steps of:   activating the bake element during the step of activating the convection element;   determining whether the bake element has been activated for the predetermined period of time t bake  and, if so, then
 deactivating the bake element. 
   
     
     
         19 . The oven appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured for
 activating the broil element during the step of activating the convection element;   determining whether the broil element has been activated for the predetermined period of time t broil  and, if so, then
 deactivating the broil element.