Wall oven and corresponding method

• US 7,964,823 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wiggins, William Byron, Gross, William Henry, Armstrong, James, Gallant, Michael David, Holbrook, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): FUQUA, SHAWNTINA T
• Application Number:
  US11/928,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20090107479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 219/400, 219/391, 126/21.A, 126/198, 126/287, 994/74
• US Class Current: 219/400
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/006 Arrangements for circulation of cooling air

Abstract

In an embodiment, a wall oven has a cooking cavity surrounded by a baffled cavity. The wall oven has a door for restricting access to the cooking cavity. A control cavity has a front surface maintaining controls for operation of the wall oven. An exhaust fan is in flow communication with the control cavity and the baffled cavity for directing air from the control cavity and the baffled cavity into an exhaust cavity. An air divider separates the control cavity from the exhaust cavity. A method for cooling a control panel of a wall oven is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A wall oven comprising:

a cooking cavity;

a door for restricting access to the cooking cavity;

a baffled cavity partially surrounding the cooking cavity;

a control cavity defined in part by a control panel, the control panel comprising controls for operation of the wall oven;

an exhaust cavity disposed between the cooking cavity and the control cavity;

an exhaust fan in flow communication with at least the control cavity and the baffled cavity for drawing air from the control cavity and the baffled cavity into the exhaust cavity; and

an air divider defining a cavity between the control cavity and the exhaust cavity so that the control cavity is spaced apart from the exhaust cavity.

2. The wall oven of claim 1, wherein the air divider comprises two spaced walls.

3. The wall oven of claim 1, wherein the door comprises a top surface, an inner space having an outlet terminating at the top surface and an inlet, the exhaust cavity having an exit disposed between the control panel and the top surface of the door so that air expelled from the exhaust cavity passes the outlet and creates a venturi effect to draw air from the inner space of the door.

4. The wall oven of claim 1, wherein the baffled cavity comprises cavities that surround bottom, sides, back and top of the cooking cavity, respectively.

5. The wall oven of claim 1, wherein the control cavity is defined in part by a back wall with at least one vent, and the exhaust fan is in flow communication with ambient air through the at least one vent.

6. The wall oven of claim 2, wherein the two spaced walls comprise a bottom wall of the control cavity and an insert disposed between the bottom wall of the control cavity and the cooking cavity.

7. The wall oven of claim 2, wherein the two spaced walls are not parallel to each other.

8. A cooking appliance comprising:

a cooking cavity;

a door for restricting access to the cooking cavity;

a baffled cavity partially surrounding the cooking cavity;

a control cavity defined in part by a control panel, the control panel comprising at least one control for operation of the cooking appliance;

an exhaust cavity disposed between the cooking cavity and the control cavity;

an exhaust fan in flow communication with at least the control cavity and the baffled cavity for drawing air from the control cavity and the baffled cavity into the exhaust cavity; and

an air divider defining a cavity between the control cavity and the exhaust cavity so that the control cavity is spaced apart from the exhaust cavity.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the air divider comprise two spaced walls.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 9, wherein the two spaced walls comprise a bottom wall of the control cavity and an insert disposed between the bottom wall of the control cavity and the cooking cavity.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 9, wherein the two spaced walls are not parallel to each other.

12. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the door comprises a top surface, an inner space having an outlet terminating at the top surface and an inlet, the exhaust cavity having an exit disposed between the control panel and the top surface of the door so that air expelled from the exhaust cavity passes the outlet and creates a venturi effect to draw air from the inner space of the door.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the baffled cavity comprises cavities that surround bottom, sides, back and top of the cooking cavity, respectively.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the control cavity is defined in part by a back wall with at least one vent, and the exhaust fan is in flow communication with ambient air through the at least one vent.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the cooking appliance is an oven.

16. The cooking appliance of claim 8, wherein the cooking apparatus is a wall oven.