Cooking appliance and convective heating module

Abstract

A cooking appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, an air inlet on a wall of the cooking chamber, and a convective heating module disposed within the cabinet. The convective heating module includes a heating element, a heat exchanger, and a convection fan fluidly coupled to the air inlet for circulating air through the cooking chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a cooking chamber;   an air inlet located on a wall of the cooking chamber;   a convective heating module disposed within the cabinet and comprising:
 a convection fan fluidly coupled to the air inlet for circulating air through the cooking chamber; 
 a heating element positioned adjacent the convection fan; and 
 a heat exchanger comprising a set of fins arranged to confront the heating element, the set of fins being movable between a first position and a second position, with the set of fins at least partially blocking radiative heat transfer from the heating element to the cooking chamber when in the second position; and 
 a controller operably coupled to the convective heating module and comprising a convective cycle wherein the convection fan circulates air through the cooking chamber, and a non-convective cycle wherein the convection fan does not circulate air through the cooking chamber; 
 wherein, during the convective cycle, the set of fins are arranged in the second position and configured to absorb thermal radiation from the heating element and to re-emit thermal energy into the cooking chamber. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the convective heating module further comprises a housing bounding an interior space, with each of the convection fan and the heating element disposed within the interior space. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the housing at least partially defines the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 3 , further comprising a set of apertures in the housing fluidly coupling the interior space to the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the set of apertures comprises the air inlet in registry with the convection fan. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the set of apertures further comprises a heating inlet in registry with the heating element. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the set of fins are coupled to the housing and configured to at least partially close the heating inlet when in the second position. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the convection fan is thermally coupled to the heating element within the interior space. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising an actuator communicatively coupled to the controller and operably coupled to the set of fins for movement between the second position and the first position. 
     
     
         10 . The cooking appliance of  claim 9 , further comprising a common shaft coupling the actuator to each fin in the set of fins, wherein the set of fins is collectively movable between the second position and the first position by way of the common shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the convective heating module is positioned on a top surface of the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises one or more quartz tubes. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the set of fins comprise louvered fins that are rotatable between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         14 . A convective heating module for a cooking appliance having a cooking chamber, the convective heating module comprising:
 a convection fan for circulating air through the cooking chamber;   a heating element positioned adjacent the convection fan; and   a heat exchanger comprising a set of fins arranged to confront the heating element, the set of fins being movable between a first position and a second position, with the second position inhibiting thermal radiation transfer from the heating element to the cooking chamber;   wherein, during operation of the convection fan for circulating air, the set of fins are arranged to absorb incident thermal radiation from the heating element and to re-emit thermal energy into the cooking chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The convective heating module of  claim 14 , further comprising a housing bounding an interior space, with each of the convection fan and the heating element disposed within the interior space. 
     
     
         16 . The convective heating module of  claim 15 , further comprising a set of apertures in the housing defining an air inlet in registry with the convection fan, and defining a heating inlet in registry with the heating element. 
     
     
         17 . The convective heating module of  claim 16 , wherein the set of fins are coupled to the housing and configured to at least partially close the heating inlet when in the second position. 
     
     
         18 . The convective heating module of  claim 15 , wherein the convection fan is thermally coupled to the heating element within the interior space. 
     
     
         19 . The convective heating module of  claim 14 , wherein the heating element comprises one or more quartz tubes. 
     
     
         20 . The convective heating module of  claim 14 , wherein the set of fins comprise louvered fins that are rotatable between the first position and the second position.