Adjustable fan for a microwave appliance

Abstract

A microwave appliance includes a casing with a fan assembly positioned within the casing. The fan assembly includes a discharge housing that includes a plurality of discharge ports, and a fan housing mounted within the discharge housing. The fan housing is selectively rotatable within the discharge housing, and includes an outlet configured to align with a selected one of the plurality of discharge ports. The fan assembly includes a fan wheel rotatably mounted within the fan housing. The fan wheel is configured to circulate air through the outlet of the fan housing and the selected one of the plurality of discharge ports. An access rod extends to a front of the casing. The access rod includes a spiral thread. The access rod is configured to rotate, thereby rotating the toothed gear and thereby the fan housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A microwave appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the microwave appliance comprising:
 a casing that defines a cooking chamber and a circulation conduit, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of food items for cooking and the circulation conduit having an inlet and an outlet;   a door mounted to the casing and configured for permitting selective access to the chamber of the casing; and   a fan assembly positioned within the circulation conduit of the casing, the fan assembly comprising:
 a discharge housing comprising a plurality of discharge ports; 
 a fan housing comprising an outlet and a toothed gear, the fan housing mounted within the discharge housing, the fan housing selectively rotatable within the discharge housing to align the outlet with a selected one of the plurality of discharge ports; 
 a fan wheel rotatably mounted within the fan housing, the fan wheel configured to circulate air through the outlet of the fan housing and the selected one of the plurality of discharge ports; and 
 an access rod extending from a distal end at the toothed gear to a proximal end at a front of the casing in the transverse direction, the access rod comprising a spiral thread at the distal end, the access rod configured to rotate, thereby rotating the toothed gear and the fan housing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The microwave appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discharge ports comprises three discharge ports facing in three different directions. 
     
     
         3 . The microwave appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the discharge housing is defined between a top side, a bottom side, a first side wall, a second side wall, a front side, and a back side. 
     
     
         4 . The microwave appliance of  claim 3 , wherein one of the three discharge ports is positioned on the top side, one of the three discharge ports is positioned on the front side, and one of the three discharge ports is positioned on the back side. 
     
     
         5 . The microwave appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the discharge housing comprises an opening, wherein the fan housing is cylindrical and is concentric with the opening of the discharge housing, the fan housing positioned within the opening of the discharge housing. 
     
     
         6 . The microwave appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the fan wheel is mounted within the fan housing on a fan axis parallel to, and spaced apart from, a housing axis of the fan housing. 
     
     
         7 . The microwave appliance of  claim 6 , wherein an inside gap of the fan housing from the fan wheel is non-uniform and progressively increases towards the outlet of the fan housing. 
     
     
         8 . The microwave appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the fan housing is selectively rotatable within the discharge housing between the plurality of discharge ports by rotating the access rod, thereby keeping the inside gap of the fan housing from the fan wheel non-uniform and progressively increasing towards the outlet of the fan housing, with respect to the selected one of the plurality of discharge ports. 
     
     
         9 . The microwave appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a guide positioned along the access rod between the proximal end and the distal end. 
     
     
         10 . The microwave appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tabs extending in the lateral direction from the discharge housing and a protrusion extending from an outer surface of the fan housing, wherein the protrusion from the fan housing contacts a respective tab of the plurality of tabs when the fan housing is rotated within the discharge housing. 
     
     
         11 . A fan assembly configured to be positioned within a casing of an appliance, the fan assembly comprising:
 a discharge housing comprising a plurality of discharge ports;   a fan housing comprising an outlet and a toothed gear, the fan housing mounted within the discharge housing, the fan housing selectively rotatable within the discharge housing to align the outlet with a selected one of the plurality of discharge ports;   a fan wheel rotatably mounted within the fan housing, the fan wheel configured to circulate air through the outlet of the fan housing and the selected one of the plurality of discharge ports; and   an access rod extending from a distal end at the fan housing to a proximal end at a front of the casing, the access rod configured to rotate the fan housing.   
     
     
         12 . The fan assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of discharge ports comprises three discharge ports facing in three different directions. 
     
     
         13 . The fan assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the discharge housing is defined between a top side, a bottom side, a first side wall, a second side wall, a front side, and a back side, wherein one of the three discharge ports is positioned on the top side, one of the three discharge ports is positioned on the front side, and one of the three discharge ports is positioned on the back side. 
     
     
         14 . The fan assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the discharge housing comprises an opening, wherein the fan housing is cylindrical and is concentric with the opening of the discharge housing, the fan housing positioned within the opening of the discharge housing. 
     
     
         15 . The fan assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the fan wheel is mounted within the fan housing on a fan axis parallel to, and spaced apart from, a housing axis of the fan housing. 
     
     
         16 . The fan assembly of  claim 15 , wherein an inside gap of the fan housing from the fan wheel is non-uniform and progressively increases towards the outlet of the fan housing. 
     
     
         17 . The fan assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the fan housing is selectively rotatable within the discharge housing between the plurality of discharge ports, thereby keeping the inside gap of the fan housing from the fan wheel non-uniform and progressively increasing towards the outlet of the fan housing, with respect to the selected one of the plurality of discharge ports. 
     
     
         18 . The fan assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the fan housing comprises a toothed gear, wherein the fan housing selectively rotatable within the discharge housing while installed within the appliance via rotating the access rod, thereby rotating the toothed gear and the fan housing. 
     
     
         19 . The fan assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a guide positioned along the access rod between the proximal end and the distal end. 
     
     
         20 . The fan assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of tabs extending from the discharge housing and a protrusion extending from an outer surface of the fan housing, wherein the protrusion from the fan housing contacts a respective tab of the plurality of tabs when the fan housing is rotated within the discharge housing.