Electric heating – Heating devices – With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2001-04-24
Paschall, Mark (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
With power supply and voltage or current regulation or...
C219S395000, C219S494000, C126S0390BA, C126S0390BA, C392S307000, C392S310000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222163
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking and, more particularly, to the incorporation, mounting and control of an auxiliary electric heating element within a gas oven.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Hybrid ovens have been proposed in the art of cooking appliances. More specifically, it has been previously proposed to provide a combination gas/electric oven wherein gas and electric heating elements can be used independently or simultaneously as heat sources for the oven. Typically, the electric heating element is utilized only for certain periods, i.e., during particular modes of operation of the appliance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,463,712 discloses a hybrid cooking appliance incorporating an electric heating element which is particularly used for broiling purposes, but the electric heating unit can also be used when the oven cavity is to be heated above a predetermined temperature during a baking mode of operation. However, during the baking operation, once the oven has reached a desired temperature condition, a thermostat functions to automatically cut off the electric heating element such that the oven temperature is maintained through operation of the gas alone.
In another exemplary arrangement as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,568, upper and lower electric heating elements can be used by themselves or simultaneously with upper and lower gas burners to heat an oven cavity. However, the oven is primarily intended to be used with gas for normal cooking purposes, while the electric heating elements are particularly adapted for use during oven cleaning periods.
Regardless of these prior arrangements, there still exists a need in the art for a combination gas and electric cooking appliance wherein an electric heating element is effectively used during various modes of operation of the appliance. More specifically, there exists a need for a cooking appliance incorporating an electric heating element which is constructed and mounted within an oven cavity in a manner that enables the electric heating element to be efficiently utilized during baking, broiling and/or cleaning modes of operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is concerned with incorporating an electric eating element at a top portion of a gas oven cavity. That is, the oven cavity includes a lower gas burner unit, an upper gas burner unit and an upper, auxiliary electric heating element. The electric heating element is preferably arranged in a substantially horizontal plane at a position no closer to a top wall portion of the oven cavity than the ports associated with the upper gas burner unit in order to minimize any flame impingement upon the electric heating element. The electric heating element can be utilized during various modes of operation of the cooking appliance, such as during baking, broiling and cleaning operations.
More specifically, the most preferred form of the invention has the electric heating element operating in unison with the lower gas burner unit to pre-heat the oven cavity for a baking operation and then the electric heating element is cycled on and off while the lower gas burner unit is operated in a full state during the baking mode. During a broiling operation, the electric heating element preferably operates on full with the upper gas burner unit in order to establish a substantial uniform temperature throughout the oven cavity. During a cleaning operation, the electric heating element is preferably, initially operated to pre-heat the oven cavity at a controlled rate prior to operation of the upper and lower gas burner units. A controller is used to regulate the operation of each of the gas burner units and the electric heating element in the manner set forth above based on signals received from at least one temperature sensor and operator input controls.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent below from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.
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Arntz Richard J.
Sargunam Isaac P.
Diederiks, Jr. Everett G.
Maytag Corporation
Paschall Mark
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