Oven appliance and method for operating oven appliance

Abstract

Oven appliances and methods for operating oven appliances are provided. An oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking chamber including a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along a vertical direction, the heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber and including the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along the vertical direction. The oven appliance further includes an inlet aperture defined in the bottom wall, and a plurality of outlet apertures defined in the bottom wall, each of the plurality of outlet apertures disposed proximate a periphery of the bottom wall relative to the inlet aperture. The oven appliance further includes a heating element disposed within the heating chamber and configured to heat the cooking chamber, and a fan operable to flow air along an air flow path between the cooking chamber and the heating chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oven appliance that defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction that are each perpendicular to each other, the oven appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining a cooking chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of items to be cooked and comprising a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along the vertical direction, the heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber and comprising the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along the vertical direction;   an inlet aperture defined in the bottom wall;   a plurality of outlet apertures defined in the bottom wall, each of the plurality of outlet apertures disposed proximate a periphery of the bottom wall relative to the inlet aperture;   a heating element disposed within the heating chamber and configured to heat the cooking chamber; and   a fan operable to flow air along an air flow path between the cooking chamber and the heating chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the air flow path travels from the heating chamber into the cooking chamber through the outlet apertures and from the cooking chamber into the heating chamber through the inlet aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover panel disposed within the cooking chamber and adjacent the inlet aperture. 
     
     
         4 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a partition disposed within the heating chamber, the partition separating the fan and the heating element. 
     
     
         5 . The oven appliance of  claim 4 , wherein an air flow aperture is defined in the partition. 
     
     
         6 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller in communication with the heating element and the fan, the controller operable to activate the fan when the heating element is active in a preheat mode. 
     
     
         7 . The oven appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is further operable to activate the fan when the heating element is active in a cooking mode. 
     
     
         8 . The oven appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is operable to activate the fan such that the fan is constantly active during the entire preheat mode. 
     
     
         9 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of outlet apertures is generally equally spaced from the inlet aperture along the lateral direction. 
     
     
         10 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet aperture is generally centrally located in the bottom wall. 
     
     
         11 . An oven appliance that defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction that are each perpendicular to each other, the oven appliance comprising:
 a cabinet defining a cooking chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of items to be cooked and comprising a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along the vertical direction, the heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber and comprising the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along the vertical direction;   an inlet aperture defined and generally centrally located in the bottom wall;   a plurality of outlet apertures defined in the bottom wall, each of the plurality of outlet apertures generally equally spaced from the inlet aperture along the lateral direction;   a heating element disposed within the heating chamber and configured to heat the cooking chamber; and   a fan operable to flow air along an air flow path between the cooking chamber and the heating chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising a cover panel disposed within the cooking chamber and adjacent the inlet aperture. 
     
     
         13 . The oven appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising a partition disposed within the heating chamber, the partition separating the fan and the heating element. 
     
     
         14 . A method for operating an oven appliance, the oven appliance comprising a cabinet defining a cooking chamber and a heating chamber, the cooking chamber configured for receipt of items to be cooked and comprising a top wall and a bottom wall spaced apart along the vertical direction, the heating chamber disposed below the cooking chamber and comprising the bottom wall and a base wall spaced apart along the vertical direction, the method comprising:
 activating a heating element in a preheat mode, the heating element disposed within the heating chamber; and   activating a fan disposed in the heating chamber when the heating element is activated in the preheat mode, wherein activation of the fan causes an air flow along an air flow path through an inlet aperture and a plurality of outlet apertures defined in the bottom wall, each of the plurality of outlet apertures disposed proximate a periphery of the bottom wall relative to the inlet aperture.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the air flow path travels from the heating chamber into the cooking chamber through the outlet apertures and from the cooking chamber into the heating chamber through the inlet aperture. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising activating the heating element in a cooking mode, and activating the fan disposed in the heating chamber when the heating element is activated in the cooking mode. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the fan is activated such that the fan is constantly active during the entire preheat mode. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of outlet apertures is generally equally spaced from the inlet aperture along the lateral direction. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the inlet aperture is generally centrally located in the bottom wall.