Patent Publication Number: US-9841194-B2

Title: Oven appliances having improved oven burner air supplies

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to oven appliances, and more particularly to oven appliances which include features for improving the primary and secondary air supplies to oven burners thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional residential and commercial oven appliances generally include a cabinet that defines a cooking chamber for receipt of food items for cooking. Heating elements are positioned within the cooking chamber to provide heat to food items located therein. The heating elements can include, for example, radiant heating elements, such as a bake heating element positioned at a bottom of the cooking chamber and/or a broil heating element positioned at a top of the cooking chamber. 
     In many cases one or more heating elements, such as the broil heating element, may be gas-based heating elements. Combustion of a supplied fuel, such as a gaseous fuel, is thus required for heat to be generated by such heating elements, and air is required for mixing with the fuel for combustion to occur. The air that is utilized for combustion in an oven appliance is typically categorized as either primary air or secondary air. Primary air is the air that mixes with fuel prior to initial combustion, while secondary air is air that mixes with the combusted working fluid/flame after combustion has been initiated. 
     One issue with known oven appliances is the need to supply sufficient primary and secondary air while maintaining the efficiency of the oven appliance. The primary air supply is typically limited by the pressure and velocity at which it can be injected into the gas-based heating element. Secondary air is typically limited by the oven size and the size of the vents into the cooking chamber of the oven for allowing secondary air into the cooking chamber. However, as oven size and vent size are increased, the efficiency of the oven decreases. 
     On approach to improving the air supply has been to supply the primary air from outside of the cooking chamber. However, many currently utilized approaches suffer from backpressure issues due to pressure increases in the cooking chamber when the temperature in the cooking chamber rises. Other approaches have utilized complicated fan-assisted designs, but these designs are costly and typically require increased maintenance and are thus undesirable. 
     Accordingly, improved oven appliances are desired. In particular, oven appliances which provide improved primary and secondary air supplies for gas-based heating element combustion, and which are efficient and cost-effective, would be advantageous. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of items to be cooked and including a top wall and a bottom wall spaced from the top wall along a vertical direction. The oven appliance further includes a gas burner assembly, the gas burner assembly including a burner tube disposed within the cooking chamber adjacent the top wall. The burner tube defines a passage extending from an inlet and further defines a plurality of outlet ports, each of the plurality of outlet ports providing fluid communication between the passage and the cooking chamber. The oven appliance further includes a conduit defined within the cabinet, the conduit defining a passage disposed exterior to the cooking chamber, the passage extending from an inlet. The conduit further defines a plurality of outlet apertures, each of the plurality of outlet apertures providing fluid communication between the passage and the cooking chamber. The oven appliance further includes a duct defining a passage extending between an inlet and an outlet, the passage disposed exterior to the cooking chamber. The outlet is in fluid communication with the inlet of the burner tube for flowing primary air through the inlet of the burner tube and in fluid communication with the inlet of the conduit for flowing secondary air through the inlet of the conduit. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of items to be cooked and including a top wall and a bottom wall spaced from the top wall along a vertical direction. The oven appliance further includes an upper gas burner assembly, the gas burner assembly including a burner tube disposed within the cooking chamber adjacent the top wall. The burner tube defines a passage extending from an inlet and further defines a plurality of outlet ports, each of the plurality of outlet ports providing fluid communication between the passage and the cooking chamber. The oven appliance further includes a lower burner assembly, the lower burner assembly including a heating element disposed within the cooking chamber adjacent the bottom wall. The oven appliance further includes a conduit defined within the cabinet, the conduit defining a passage disposed exterior to the cooking chamber, the passage extending from an inlet. The conduit further defines a plurality of outlet apertures, each of the plurality of outlet apertures providing fluid communication between the passage and the cooking chamber. The oven appliance further includes a duct defining a passage extending vertically between an inlet and an outlet, the passage disposed exterior to the cooking chamber. The outlet is in fluid communication with the inlet of the burner tube for flowing primary air through the inlet of the burner tube and in fluid communication with the inlet of the conduit for flowing secondary air through the inlet of the conduit. The oven appliance further includes a fan disposed within the duct, the fan operable to direct the flow of primary air and secondary air towards the outlet. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures. 
         FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of an oven appliance in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  provides a sectional view of the oven appliance of  FIG. 1  taken along the line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of components of an oven appliance in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the oven appliance of  FIG. 3  taken along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the oven appliance of  FIG. 3  taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the oven appliance of  FIG. 3  taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a close-up perspective view of components of an oven appliance in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
       FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of an oven appliance  10  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter.  FIG. 2  provides a section view of oven appliance  10  taken along the  2 - 2  line of  FIG. 1 . Oven appliance  10  defines a vertical direction V, a lateral direction L and a transverse direction T. The vertical, lateral and transverse directions are mutually perpendicular and form an orthogonal direction system. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, oven appliance  10  is provided by way of example only, and the present subject matter may be used in any suitable oven appliance. Thus, the present subject matter may be used with other oven or range appliance configurations, e.g., that define multiple interior cavities for the receipt of food and/or having different pan or rack arrangements than what is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Oven appliance  10  includes an insulated cabinet  12  with an interior cooking chamber  14  defined by an interior surface  15  of cabinet  12 . Cooking chamber  14  is configured for the receipt of one or more food items to be cooked. Oven appliance  10  includes a door  16  rotatably mounted to cabinet  12 , e.g., with a hinge (not shown). A handle  18  is mounted to door  16  and assists a user with opening and closing door  16  in order to access cooking chamber  14 . For example, a user can pull on handle  18  to open or close door  16  and access cooking chamber  14 . 
     Oven appliance  10  can includes a seal (not shown) between door  16  and cabinet  12  that assist with maintaining heat and cooking fumes within cooking chamber  14  when door  16  is closed as shown in  FIG. 2 . Multiple parallel glass panes  22  provide for viewing the contents of cooking chamber  14  when door  16  is closed and assist with insulating cooking chamber  14 . A baking rack  24  is positioned in cooking chamber  14  for the receipt of food items or utensils containing food items. Baking rack  24  is slidably received onto embossed ribs  26  or sliding rails such that rack  24  may be conveniently moved into and out of cooking chamber  14  when door  16  is open. 
     As shown, various sidewalls define the cooking chamber  14 . For example, cooking chamber  14  includes a top wall  30  and a bottom wall  32  which are spaced apart along the vertical direction V. Left sidewall  34  and right sidewall  36  (as defined according to a front view as shown in  FIG. 2 ) extend between the top wall  30  and bottom wall  32 , and are spaced apart along the lateral direction L. A rear wall  38  may additionally extend between the top wall  30  and bottom wall  32  as well as between the left sidewall  34  and right sidewall  36 , and is spaced apart from the door  16  along the transverse direction T. Cooking chamber  14  is thus defined between the top wall  30 , bottom wall  32 , left sidewall  34 , right sidewall  36 , and rear wall  38 . 
     A lower burner assembly  40 , e.g., a bake burner assembly may be included in oven appliance  10 . Lower burner assembly  40  may include a heating element  42  which is disposed within the cooking chamber  14 , such as adjacent the bottom wall  32 . In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, the lower burner assembly  40  is a gas burner assembly, and the heating element  42  is thus a gas burner tube. Lower burner assembly  40  may additionally include an igniter  44 . A fuel supply line  46  may supply a suitable fuel to the heating element  42  for combustion. Alternatively, the lower burner assembly  40  may be an electric burner assembly and thus include an electric heating element, or may be any other suitable burner assembly having any other suitable heating element. 
     As discussed in detail herein, an upper burner assembly  50 , e.g., a broil burner assembly may be included in oven appliance  10 . Upper burner assembly  50  may include a heating element  52  which is disposed within the cooking chamber  14 , such as adjacent the top wall  30 . The upper burner assembly  50  is a gas burner assembly, and the heating element  52  is thus a gas burner tube. Upper burner assembly  50  may additionally include an igniter  54 . A fuel supply line  56  may supply a suitable fuel to the heating element  52  for combustion. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 through 7 , oven appliance  10  includes various features which facilitate improved air supply and thus improved combustion for gas burner assemblies of the oven appliance  10 . While the embodiments provided illustrate use of such features in conjunction with upper gas burner assembly  50 , it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments, and that the features discussed herein may be utilized with any suitable gas burner assembly of any suitable oven appliance. In general, such features improve the supply of both primary and secondary air. Additionally, such features may be cost effective and relatively easy to maintain, and may allow for maintained or improved efficiency of the oven appliance relative to known oven appliances. 
     As mentioned, a gas burner assembly  50  may be provided in oven appliance  10 . The gas burner assembly  50  may include a burner tube  52  which is disposed within the cooking chamber  14 , such as adjacent the top wall  30 . As shown, burner tube  52  may define a passage  60  which extends from an inlet  62 . When positioned within the cooking chamber  14 , the passage  60  may for example extend generally along the transverse direction T from the inlet  62  or in another suitable direction from the inlet  62 . Passage  60  may, for example, extend generally linearly from inlet  62 . Additionally, a plurality of outlet ports  64  may be defined in the burner tube  52 . Each outlet port  64  may provide fluid communication between the passage  60  and the cooking chamber  14 . 
     The outlet ports  64  may, for example, be positioned in a plurality of rows of outlet ports  64 , each row extending from inlet  62  such as along the line of the passage  60 . In exemplary embodiments, the outlet ports  64  are extruded slots defined the burner tube  52 . The outlet ports  64  may be suitable sized and shaped to facilitate supply and combustion of air and fuel to cooking chamber  14  and oven appliance  10  generally. 
     As additionally mentioned, gas burner assembly  50  may additionally include an igniter  54 . Igniter  54  may be disposed with the cooking chamber  14 , such as adjacent to the burner tube  52 . Igniter  54  may provide a combustion source, such as a hot surface igniter or spark, which causes combustion of an air-fuel mixture from the burner tube  52 . 
     Further, a fuel supply line  56  may provide a suitable fuel to gas burner assembly  50 , such as to burner tube  52  thereof, for combustion. The fuel supply line  56  may, for example, include a line  70  extending from a fuel supply  72 , and may further include a nozzle  74  for exhausting fuel  76  into the passage  60 , such as through the inlet  62 . 
     Oven appliance  10  may further include a conduit  80  defined within the cabinet  12 . Conduit  80  may define a passage  82  which is disposed exterior to the cooking chamber  14 , such as in exemplary embodiments above the top wall  30  along the vertical direction V. Passage  82  may, for example, extend from an inlet  84 , such as generally along the transverse direction T from the inlet  62  or in another suitable direction from the inlet  62 . Passage  82  may, for example, extend generally linearly from inlet  84 . Additionally, a plurality of outlet apertures  86  may be defined in the conduit  80 . Each outlet aperture  86  may provide fluid communication between the passage  82  and the cooking chamber  14 . The outlet apertures  86  may, for example, be positioned in a plurality of rows of outlet apertures  86 , each row extending from inlet  84  such as along the line of the passage  82 . 
     In some embodiments, as illustrated, top wall  30  may partially define the passage  82  of conduit  80 . For example, top wall  30  may include an inner surface  90  which faces the cooking chamber  14 . A portion  92  of the inner surface  90  may partially define the passage  82 . This portion  92  may, for example, be a raised portion (along the vertical direction V relative to the neighboring portions of the top wall  30 ) of top wall  30  as shown, or may simply be a portion that partially defines the passage  82  due to interaction with other components to define the passage  82 . 
     Further, a panel  100  may be included in oven appliance  10  to further define the passage  82 . Panel  100  may include a top surface  102  and an opposing bottom surface  104 . The bottom surface  104  may partially define the cooking chamber  14 . For example, bottom surface  104  may be a portion of interior surface  15  defining cooking chamber  14 . The bottom surface  104  may, along with remaining portions of the top wall  30  other than portion  92 , define an upper boundary of the cooking chamber  14 . Top surface  102  may partially define the passage  82 . For example, top surface  102  and portion  92  of top wall  30  may together define or at least partially define the passage  82 . 
     In exemplary embodiments, outlet apertures  86  are defined in the panel  100 . As shown, for example, each outlet aperture  86  may extend between the top surface  102  and the bottom surface  104  to provide the fluid communication between the passage  82  and chamber  14 . 
     During operation of the oven appliance, primary air  110  may flow into and through passage  60  of burner tube  52  for combustion with fuel  76 . Secondary air  112  may additionally be provided for mixing with the working fluid which results from combustion of the primary air  110  and fuel  76 . Secondary air  112  may be provided through vents  114  defined in the oven appliance  10 , such as in the bottom wall  32 , further advantageously, secondary air may be flowed into and through passage  82  of conduit  80 , and then through outlet apertures  86  into cooking chamber  14 . 
     For example, as illustrated, oven appliance  10  may further advantageously include a duct  120  through which primary air  110  may be supplied to passage  60  and secondary air  112  may be supplied to passage  82 . Duct  120  may define a passage  122  which extends between an inlet  124  and an outlet  126 . The passage  122  may be disposed exterior to the cooking chamber  14 , and may further be disposed interior to or exterior to the cabinet  12 . Inlet  124  may be in fluid communication with ambient air exterior to the oven appliance  10  generally. Outlet  126  may be in fluid communication with the inlet  62  of the burner tube  52  for flowing primary air  110  through the inlet  62  of the burner tube  52 . Outlet  126  may additionally be in fluid communication with the inlet  84  of conduit  80  for flowing secondary air  112  through the inlet  84  of the conduit  80 . Accordingly, air generally (including primary air  110  and secondary air  112  components) may be flowed into passage  122  through inlet  124 . A portion of the air, i.e. primary air  110  may then exit outlet  126  into inlet  62 , while another portion of the air, i.e. secondary air  112  may then exit outlet  126  into  84 . 
     It should be understood that outlet  126  may be a single opening (as shown) or alternatively, may be multiple openings, such as for example a first opening in fluid communication with inlet  62  and a second opening in fluid communication with inlet  84 . Passage  122  similarly may include a single channel or multiple channels, as desired or required. 
     In exemplary embodiments, as illustrated, duct  120  may extend vertically (along the vertical direction V) between the inlet  124  and the outlet  126 . Alternatively, duct  120  may extend at an angle to the vertical direction V or in another suitable direction. In exemplary embodiments, inlet  124  may be below outlet  126 , and outlet  126  above the inlet  124 , with respect to the vertical direction V. Inlet  124  may, for example, be adjacent bottom wall  32 . Outlet  126  may, for example, be adjacent top wall  30 . 
     As further illustrated, in exemplary embodiments, one or more fans  130  may advantageously be provided and disposed within the duct  120 , such as with the passage  122  thereof. Fan  130  may be operable to direct the flow of primary air  110  and secondary air  112  through the passage  122 , such as towards the outlet  126 . Use of fans  130  in accordance with the present disclosure may assist in overcoming any backpressure issues during operation of the oven appliance  10 . 
     Fan  130  may in exemplary embodiments be a dedicated fan for flowing primary air  110  and secondary air  112  in accordance with the present disclosure, and may not be utilized for other purposes such as convection cooking, cooling between a cooktop and cooking chamber  14 , etc. 
     Notably, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the fuel supply line  56  may be disposed within passage  122 . For example, nozzle  74  and/or a portion of line  70  may be disposed within passage  122 . In embodiments wherein nozzle  74  is disposed within passage  122 , fuel  76  may be emitted from nozzle  74  in passage  122  towards and into passage  60  through inlet  62 . The fuel  76  may mix with primary air  110  as the fuel  76  and primary air  110  enter the passage  60  through inlet  62  and/or within passage  60 . 
     Use of ducts  120  and conduits  80  in accordance with the present disclosure advantageously facilitate improved, efficient air supplies to oven appliances  10 . As discussed, duct  120  advantageously flows both primary air  110  and secondary air  112  therethrough, and facilitates mixing of primary air  110  with fuel  76  for combustion via burner tube  52 . Further, duct  120  facilitates the flow of secondary air  112  into conduit  80 , and flow of this secondary air  112  from conduit  80  into cooking chamber  14 . Advantageously, the location of the conduit  80  adjacent burner assembly  50  facilitates improved mixing between combusted working fluid and secondary air  112 . Further, secondary air  112  flowing through outlet apertures  86  into cooking chamber  14  may, due to such adjacent location, advantageously provide cooling of the igniter  54 . Such supply of primary air  110  and secondary air  112  advantageously improves the performance of the burner assembly  50  and thus the oven appliance  10  generally. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.