Air frying system for gas oven cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes an air frying system. The air frying system may include a heating element. The air frying system may include a fan. The heating element and fan may be positioned over the top of an oven cavity. The air frying system may be in fluid communication with the oven cavity.

1 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a housing including an oven cavity;   an exhaust vent disposed proximate a top of the oven cavity;   a gas burner disposed under the oven cavity;   a heating element and a fan disposed over the top of the oven cavity; and   wherein the gas burner, the heating element, and the fan are configured to operate at the same time for air frying the contents within the oven cavity while maintaining a stabilized combustion product generated by the gas burner.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the heating element and the fan is disposed in a hood over the oven cavity, and a cover having a plurality of apertures positioned between the hood and the oven cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of apertures of the cover are at substantially the same elevation as the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of apertures of the cover are distal from the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 4  wherein the plurality of apertures of the cover include one or more exhaust apertures surrounding one or more intake apertures, wherein the one or more intake apertures are centrally located within the cover and the one or more exhaust apertures are proximate opposing sides in a direction towards sides of the oven cavity and proximate a front side in a direction towards a front of the oven cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the exhaust vent is disposed proximate a back of the oven cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1  further comprising a hood disposed over the top of the oven cavity and containing the heating element and the fan, the hood includes a top wall with depending side walls connecting to the top of the oven cavity, and the hood side wall is configured to direct air flow away from the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 7  further comprising a cover disposed over an opening defined by the depending side walls of the hood, wherein the cover includes an intake aperture and an exhaust aperture spaced outwardly from the intake aperture, and wherein the exhaust aperture is configured to direct air flow away from the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 8  wherein the exhaust aperture is spaced away from the exhaust vent in a direction towards a front of the oven cavity. 
     
     
         10 . A cooking appliance comprising:
 a housing including an oven cavity;   an exhaust vent disposed proximate a top of the oven cavity;   a gas burner disposed under the oven cavity;   a hood disposed over the top of the oven cavity, wherein the hood includes a top wall and depending side walls extending from the top wall to the top of the oven cavity and defining an opening, a cover with at least one intake aperture and at least one exhaust aperture is disposed over the opening, and wherein the cover is proximate the top of the oven cavity to position the at least one exhaust aperture at or above the top wall containing the exhaust vent; and   a heating element and a fan disposed over the top of the oven cavity within the hood.   
     
     
         11 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10  wherein the cover is without at least one exhaust aperture between the at least one intake aperture and the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10  wherein the exhaust vent is adjacent a rear of the oven cavity, and wherein the at least one exhaust aperture is adjacent a side of the oven cavity and/or a front of the oven cavity, and not adjacent the rear. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10  wherein an air flow from the at least one exhaust aperture is directed radially outward and downwardly from the cover but not towards the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10  wherein in a direction from a rear of the oven cavity towards a front of the oven cavity, the exhaust vent is positioned in the top of the oven cavity, followed by the at least one intake aperture in the cover, and then followed by the at least one exhaust aperture in the cover. 
     
     
         15 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10  wherein the at least one exhaust aperture is at the same elevation as the top wall containing the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         16 . The cooking appliance of  claim 10  wherein a plurality of the at least one exhaust apertures are adjacent the side wall of the hood distal from the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         17 . A method of air frying in a gas range appliance comprising the steps of:
 providing a gas oven appliance having a housing including an oven cavity, an exhaust vent disposed proximate a top of the oven cavity, a gas burner disposed under the oven cavity, a hood disposed over the top of the oven cavity, a heating element and a fan positioned within the hood disposed over the top of the oven cavity, and a cover disposed proximate the top of the oven cavity and having a plurality of apertures in fluid communication between the hood and the oven cavity;   drawing air into the exhaust vent adjacent a first side of the oven cavity; and   forcing heated air through the plurality of apertures from the hood adjacent a second side of the oven cavity different from the first side.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein drawing air into the exhaust vent is upwardly along the first side of the oven cavity. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein forcing air through the plurality of apertures from the hood is downwardly along the second side of the oven cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising operating the heating element, the fan, and the gas burner concurrently. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising maintaining a stabilized combustion product generated by the gas burner. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising reducing countercurrent flow from the forced heating air through the plurality of apertures relative to the air drawn into the exhaust vent. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the exhaust vent is adjacent the top and the first side of the oven cavity without the plurality of apertures adjacent the top and the first side. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of apertures is at substantially the same elevation as the exhaust vent.