Patent ID: 6734403
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: F24C

Abstract:
A method for accurately controlling the ambient temperature in an enclosed baking cavity of an oven that is preheated with respect to a user-selected temperature set point, the baking cavity of the oven having a broil heating element mounted to an upper portion of the baking cavity and a bake heating element mounted to a lower portion of the baking cavity defining a baking region therebetween, a broil temperature sensor is mounted within the baking cavity adjacent to the broil heating element, a bake temperature sensor is mounted within the baking cavity adjacent to the bake heating element, the method comprising:providing a controller operably interconnected to a power source and to the broil heating element, bake heating element, the broil temperature sensor and the bake temperature sensor for selectively actuating the broil heating element and the bake heating element in response to the sensed temperature of one or both the broil temperature sensor and the bake temperature sensor; determining a target temperature set point for the oven cavity based on the user-selected temperature set point by calculating a heating element set point comprising both a broil set point and a bake set point derived from the target temperature set point; sensing the temperature of the baking region adjacent at least one of the bake and broil heating elements; comparing the sensed temperature with the target temperature set point; and selectively actuating the broil heating element and the bake heating element in response to the sensed temperature of the baking region to maintain a vertical temperature distribution in the oven cavity that is substantially equal to the target temperature set point.