Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with container – enclosure – or support for material...
Reexamination Certificate
1996-12-18
2001-02-20
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with container, enclosure, or support for material...
C126S27300R, C126S27500R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191391
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to domestic cooking ranges and, more particularly, to domestic cooking ranges having a warming drawer adapted to receive and maintain cooked hot food at an above-ambient temperature.
2. Description of Related Art
Domestic cooking ranges traditionally include an open space relatively beneath the oven which slidably receives a storage drawer in which the user may store various articles, such as cooking pots and/or pans. As such, the conventional or prior art drawer is only useful for storage purposes, and could not be used to heat or warm food.
The space occupied by the storage drawer has also, in the past, been used as a broiling cavity which receives a broiling tray. A broiling element is located relatively above the broiling tray. The broiling element is operated at high temperatures as required to accomplish the broiling function.
The prior art references which include a broiling element do not control energization of the broiling element to only warm food contained on the broiling tray. Rather, the broiling element is typically operated exclusively at full power, as required for broiling. Due to the high-energy or high-heat output of the broiling element, maintaining food at an above-ambient temperature for warming purposes, but still low enough so that further cooking does not occur, is not possible.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a cooking appliance which provides a warmer drawer in which heating or warming of food is permitted. There also exists a need in the art for a warming device wherein the temperature of the food within the device is controlled such that further cooking of the food, which may degrade the food quality, does not occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a cooking appliance includes a cabinet, an oven wrapper disposed within the cabinet, a warmer liner, a heating element, and a warmer drawer which is slidably secured to the cooking appliance. The oven wrapper has a generally inverted U-shape including a pair of lateral side walls. The oven liner includes a liner top wall and a liner bottom wall disposed generally between the wrapper lateral side walls. The heating element is secured to the liner bottom wall relatively beneath said warmer drawer.
In further accordance with present invention, a method for controlling a warmer drawer heating element to maintain a temperature within a heating chamber between a predetermined maximum and a predetermined minimum, wherein said warmer drawer heating element is disposed within said heating chamber, include the steps of moving a heater control switch from an off position to a user-selected position, said user selected position corresponding to a duty cycle of heater element operation; energizing said heater element at full power; sensing the temperature within said heating chamber; terminating full power energization of said heater element at said predetermined maximum temperature; and energizing said heater element at said predetermined duty cycle.
In further accordance with the present invention, a cooking appliance includes a cabinet, a lower heating chamber adapted to receive a food-receiving member, a heating element disposed within said heating chamber and relatively beneath the food-receiving member, and means for controlling energization of the heating element such that a temperature within said heating chamber is maintained between a predetermined minimum and a predetermined maximum. The range of temperatures between the predetermined maximum and predetermined minimum correspond to a range of desired food serving temperatures within the warmer drawer.
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Brake George R.
Deo Subhash R.
Lankford Cecilia M.
Peppers James E.
Pryor James E.
Campbell Thor
Pearne & Gordon LLP
Walberg Teresa
White Consolidated Industries, Inc.
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