OVEN BAKE HEATING CHANNEL EXCHANGE SYSTEM
20220282871 · 2022-09-08
Inventors
- Andre Garcia (Hendersonville, TN, US)
- Michael D. Padgett (Springfield, TN, US)
- Zhi TAN (Hangzhou, CN)
- Huss Pan (Bengbu, CN)
Cpc classification
F24C15/322
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
Abstract
A cooking appliance includes: a cooking cavity with a bottom wall and a rear wall. A convection fan is disposed adjacent to the rear wall of the cooking cavity. A gas burner is located in a subjacent space beneath the bottom wall and adjacent to the rear wall of the cooking cavity. A heat duct provides communication through the bottom wall and includes an inlet positioned directly above and adjacent to the gas burner through which combustion gases from the gas burner can enter the heat duct. An annular portion of the heat duct defines a pass-through opening in which the convection fan is disposed. Flames from the gas burner extend upwardly toward or through the inlet of the heat duct and are substantially isolated from turbulent air flow generated by the convection fan.
Claims
1. A cooking appliance comprising: a cooking cavity; a convection fan disposed adjacent to a rear wall of the cooking cavity; a gas burner located in a subjacent space beneath a bottom wall of the cooking cavity; and a heat duct having an inlet positioned directly above the gas burner through which combustion gases from the gas burner can enter the duct, and an annular portion defining a pass-through opening in which the convection fan is disposed, said annular portion having one or more outlets through which combustion gases can exit the heat duct, wherein flames from the gas burner extend upwardly toward or through said inlet of said heat duct and are substantially isolated from turbulent air flow generated by the convection fan.
2. The cooking appliance of claim 1, the gas burner extending along a longitudinal axis thereof and having an array of flame ports distributed in its upper surface over its length, wherein a width of the inlet of the heat duct corresponds with a length of the array of flame ports.
3. The cooking appliance of claim 1, the subjacent space being isolated from the cooking cavity such that there is substantially no path for combustion gases from the gas burner to materially enter said cooking cavity other than via the heat duct.
4. The cooking appliance of claim 1, further comprising a cover plate positioned in front of the annular portion of the heat duct and spaced a distance therefrom.
5. The cooking appliance of claim 4, wherein the cover plate includes one or more openings aligned with the pass-through opening of the heat duct such that air can flow through the one or more cover plate openings to the convection fan.
6. The cooking appliance of claim 4, said cover plate being spaced forward from the annular portion of the heat duct such that a gap is defined therebetween, wherein the one or more outlets of the heat duct are on a side of the annular portion thereof facing the cover plate adjacent the gap.
7. The cooking appliance of claim 5, wherein operating the convection fan creates a negative pressure that draws air from the cooking cavity through the one or more openings in the cover plate and thereafter through the pass-through opening, and expels the air such that it is recirculated through the cooking cavity, wherein the drawing of air induces a venturi flow causing the combustion gases to flow into the heat duct through the inlet and out of the heat duct through the one or more outlets where the combustion gases mix with the air being drawn through the pass-through opening.
8. A cooking appliance comprising: a cooking cavity having a convection fan disposed adjacent a rear wall of the cooking cavity; a bottom panel positioned at a bottom portion of the cooking cavity, the bottom panel therein; a gas burner positioned directly below the opening in the bottom panel; and a heat duct having an inlet positioned directly above the opening in the bottom panel, an outlet positioned through a front face of the heat duct, and a channel extending between the inlet and the outlet, wherein combustion gases from the gas burner travel through the heat duct channel and exit the heat duct via said outlet such that flames emanating from said gas burner are substantially isolated from turbulent air flow generated by the convection fan.
9. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the heat duct includes an annular top portion having a pass-through opening through which the convection fan extends.
10. The cooking appliance of claim 9, further comprising a cover plate secured to the front face of the heat duct and spaced from the front face of the heat duct such that a gap is formed therebetween.
11. The cooking appliance of claim 9, wherein a ring-shaped channel extends through the annular top portion of the heat duct.
12. The cooking appliance of claim 8, further comprising a burner box positioned below the bottom panel, the gas burner positioned within a rear space of the burner box.
13. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein a width of the rear opening in the bottom panel is equal to or greater than a distance between a burner port closest to a first end of the gas burner and a burner port closest to a second end of the gas burner.
14. The cooking appliance of claim 13, wherein a width of the inlet of the heat duct is equal to or greater than the width of the rear opening in the bottom panel.
15. A cooking appliance comprising: a cooking cavity having a rear wall and a bottom wall; a gas burner positioned below the bottom wall; a heat duct positioned at a rear portion of the cooking cavity, the heat duct having an inlet positioned directly above the gas burner, an outlet, a channel formed between the inlet and the outlet, and a pass-through opening; and a convection fan positioned adjacent the rear wall and extending into the pass-through opening of the heat duct.
16. The cooking appliance of claim 15, the heat duct comprising a first shell forming a front half of a housing of the heat duct and a second shell forming a rear half of the housing, wherein the inlet is formed at a bottom portion of the housing and the outlet is formed through a face of the first shell.
17. The cooking appliance of claim 15, wherein the outlet is an arcuate opening formed through a front face of the heat duct.
18. The cooking appliance of claim 15, wherein the channel comprises a first, substantially planar portion and a second, ring-shaped portion.
19. The cooking appliance of claim 18, wherein the outlet extends through the second, ring-shaped portion of the channel.
20. The cooking appliance of claim 18, further comprising a cover plate secured to a face of the heat duct, the cover plate covering the pass-through opening and the outlet.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals can be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.
[0009]
[0010]
[0011]
[0012]
[0013]
[0014]
[0015]
[0016]
[0017]
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Example embodiments are described and illustrated herein. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present embodiments. For example, one or more aspects of the system can be utilized in other embodiments and other types of appliances. More specifically, example embodiments of a heating channel exchange system for a gas cooking appliance will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Such systems may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like, but not necessarily the same, elements (also sometimes called modules) in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency. Terms such as “first,” “second,” “front,” and “rear” are used merely to distinguish one component (or part of a component or state of a component) from another. Such terms are not intended to denote a preference or a particular orientation.
[0020]
[0021] As shown in
[0022] Turning now to
[0023] As shown in
[0024] Located within the rear section 175 of the burner box 170 is a gas burner 230. Thus, the gas burner 230 is located within a subjacent space beneath the bottom wall 150 of the cooking cavity 110. The gas burner 230 includes a body 240 having a generally tubular configuration, which forms a fuel receiving chamber therein. The burner 230 extends along a longitudinal axis substantially parallel with the rear wall of the oven cavity 140 and includes a first end 250 and a second end 260. The first end 250 can be coupled to a bracket 270 for securing the burner 230 in place within the burner box 170. The second end 260 can be coupled to a valve for controlling a flow of gas through the burner 230. The second end 260 may also be secured to the burner box 170 via a second bracket 275. A plurality of ports 280 are formed through a top portion of the burner body 240 and distributed in its upper surface over substantially its entire length. The ports 280 can be of any suitable number, shape, and size as desired. When fuel is provided through the burner body 240, the fuel flows out through the ports 280 and can be ignited by an ignition system in a conventional manner. One or more small holes (not shown) are provided through a sidewall and/or bottom wall of the rear section 175 of the burner box 170 in order to feed air to the gas burner 230 for combustion.
[0025] When assembled, the rear opening 190 of the bottom panel 180 is positioned directly above the rear section 175 of the burner box 170. More specifically, the rear opening 190 is positioned directly over the gas burner 230 such that flames and/or heat exiting from the gas burner ports 280 extend upwardly towards and pass directly through the rear opening 190. Accordingly, the rear opening 190 can be of a size and shape that corresponds with the ports 280 (or with the array of ports 280) in the burner body 240. In other words, as shown in
[0026] A heat duct 305 is provided at a rear portion of the oven inside the cooking cavity 110, directly in front of the rear wall 140. The heat duct 305 is configured to direct heated air flow from the gas burner 230 towards the convection fan assembly 160. The heat duct 305 is open at a bottom thereof to define an inlet port 310. The inlet port 310 is positioned directly above the rear opening 190 of the bottom panel 180. Thus, the heated air generated by the gas burner 230 flows upward through the opening 190 and into the inlet port 310. The inlet port 310 of the heat duct 305 is of a width and depth that corresponds with, or is slightly larger than, a width and depth of the rear opening 190 such that the inlet port 310 substantially covers the rear opening 190 of the bottom plate 180 when the heat duct 305 is coupled to the bottom plate 180. Likewise, the width of the inlet port 310 corresponds with a linear extent of the gas burner 230, or in other words, is sized such that flames exiting from the burner ports 280 can extend upward into or toward the inlet port 310 of the heat duct 305. After entering the inlet port 310 of the heat duct 305, the heated air flows upward through the heat duct 305 towards the convection fan assembly 160. The convection fan then circulates the burner exhaust air mixed with the air from the cooking cavity around the cavity, as will be described in more detail below.
[0027] The brackets 270, 275 of the burner assembly can be coupled directly to a bottom of the burner box 170. More specifically, the brackets 270, 275 can be L-shaped or Z-shaped flanges and support the burner body 230 in position within the rear section 175 of the burner box 170. Additionally, or alternatively, the burner 230 can be coupled to a sidewall of the burner box 170 or to the bottom panel 180. It is to be appreciated that the burner 230 could also be secured directly to a wall of the cooking cavity, to a bracket, or to any other component within the oven, so long as the burner 230 is positioned with its flame ports 280 below the rear opening 190 of the bottom panel 180 such that the flames or heat from the flames can extend or pass through the rear opening 190. The burner box 170 includes a plurality of flanges 320 extending outwardly from an upper edge of the sidewalls 172. Likewise, the bottom panel 180 includes a plurality of flanges 330 extending outwardly from a lower edge of corresponding sidewalls. The burner box flanges 320 can be mated with and secured to the bottom panel flanges 330. The heat duct 305 can be secured directly to an upper surface of the bottom panel 180 or fixed in place via brackets 340 and fasteners or the like.
[0028]
[0029] One or more arcuate openings 450 are provided through the face of the first shell 350 and positioned around the fan opening 410 therein. The arcuate openings 450 are outlet ports or openings for the heat duct 305. More specifically, the arcuate openings 450 are provided through the ring-shaped channel 500. Thus, the heat duct 305 is substantially enclosed with an inlet port 310 through a bottom portion and one or more outlet ports provided through a front face of the housing. Secured to an outer face of the first shell 350 is a cover plate 460 which is spaced from the first shell 350 by a predetermined distance, as defined by one or more standoffs 470. The cover plate 460 is sized to cover the pass-through opening 495 in the annular portion of the heat duct 305 and the outlets 450 provided through a front face of the housing. Because the cover plate 460 is spaced a distance from the front face of the housing, air flow is possible through a gap 475 formed between the front face of the housing and the cover plate 460. A plurality of openings 480 are provided through a central portion of the cover plate 460 and configured to allow airflow from the cooking cavity to be pulled into the convention fan 490.
[0030]
[0031] As shown in
[0032] The channels 500 and 510 are in fluid communication with the flame ports 280 of the gas burner 230. More specifically, each of the flame ports 280 provided through the top portion of the gas burner 230 is positioned under the rear opening 190 of the bottom panel 180. Thus, any flames exiting the ports 280 can extend from the gas burner 230 and through the rear opening 190. Thus, air flow through the heat duct 305 is heated directly by the burner 230, and preferably comprises the combustion products of the air/fuel mixture that is burned to generate flames on exiting the flame ports 280. This heated air (e.g. combustion-product mixture) flows vertically, upwardly, through the first, substantially planar channel 510 from the inlet port 310 and to the second, ring-shaped channel 500. From the ring-shaped channel 500, the heated air can exit via the arcuate openings 450 provided through the front face of the housing. Because the inlet port 310 of the housing surrounds the rear opening 190 in the bottom panel 180, the combustion products and associated heated air are contained within the housing until exiting through the one or more arcuate openings or outlet ports 450.
[0033] As illustrated by the airflow diagrams of
[0034] The instant system provides the dual benefits of isolating the gas burner from the convection system so that higher fan speeds can be used, and direct application of combustion gases as the convection-cooking medium, resulting in minimal thermal losses compared to heat-exchange.
[0035] Although embodiments described herein are made with reference to example embodiments, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications are well within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the example embodiments is not limited herein. The disclosure is intended to include all such modifications and alterations disclosed herein or ascertainable herefrom by persons of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation. It will be appreciated that the burner described herein can be used in convection ranges or ovens for residential and restaurant or other commercial or industrial applications.