Heating assembly for an oven appliance

Abstract

An oven appliance includes a cooking chamber positioned within a cabinet and being defined at least in part by a chamber wall. A heating assembly is positioned outside the cooking chamber for heating the cooking chamber. The heating assembly includes a first plate and a second plate joined together to define a heater cavity containing a heating element. The first plate is spaced apart from the chamber wall to define an airgap therebetween.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oven appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the oven appliance comprising:
 a cabinet extending between a top and a bottom along the vertical direction;   a cooking chamber positioned within the cabinet and being defined at least in part by a chamber wall; and   a heating assembly positioned outside the cooking chamber for heating the cooking chamber, the heating assembly comprising:
 a first plate spaced apart from the chamber wall to define an airgap therebetween; and 
 a heating element positioned adjacent the first plate opposite from the airgap. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the heating assembly comprises:
 standoff features defined on the first plate for seating against the chamber wall and defining the airgap.   
     
     
         3 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the airgap defines a gap size that is substantially constant along the entire chamber wall. 
     
     
         4 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the airgap extends in the transverse direction between a rear wall and a front opening of the cooking chamber, and in the lateral direction between a first side wall and a second side wall of the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the heating assembly further comprises:
 a second plate coupled to the first plate to define a heater cavity, the heating element being positioned within the heater cavity.   
     
     
         6 . The oven appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the heating assembly further comprises:
 a service heater positioned within the heater cavity adjacent the heating element.   
     
     
         7 . The oven appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the first plate and the second plate are joined by one or more fastening joints. 
     
     
         8 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first plate is constructed from aluminized steel and the chamber wall is constructed from enameled steel. 
     
     
         9 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first plate comprises a coating that minimizes transfer of heat through thermal infrared radiation. 
     
     
         10 . The oven appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the coating is an aluminum ceramic paint or other low infrared emitting coating or plating. 
     
     
         11 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber wall is a bottom wall of the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the cooking chamber is a lower cooking chamber and the heating assembly is a lower heating assembly, the oven appliance further comprising:
 an upper cooking chamber positioned within the cabinet above the lower cooking chamber and being defined in part by an upper chamber wall; and   an upper heating assembly positioned outside the upper cooking chamber for heating the upper cooking chamber, the upper heating assembly comprising:
 a third plate spaced apart from the upper chamber wall to define an airgap therebetween; 
 an upper heating element positioned adjacent the third plate opposite from the airgap; and 
 a fourth plate coupled to the third plate to define a second heater cavity, the upper heating element being positioned within the second heater cavity. 
   
     
     
         13 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element is a calrod heater. 
     
     
         14 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element is a low profile heating element. 
     
     
         15 . A heating assembly for heating a cooking chamber defined at least in part by a chamber wall, the heating assembly comprising:
 a first plate spaced apart from the chamber wall to define an airgap therebetween; and   a heating element positioned adjacent the first plate opposite from the airgap.   
     
     
         16 . The heating assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 standoff features defined on the first plate for seating against the chamber wall and defining the airgap.   
     
     
         17 . The heating assembly of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a second plate coupled to the first plate to define a heater cavity, the heating element being positioned within the heater cavity.   
     
     
         18 . The heating assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the first plate and the second plate are joined by one or more fastening joints. 
     
     
         19 . The heating assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first plate is constructed from aluminized steel and the chamber wall is constructed from enameled steel. 
     
     
         20 . The heating assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the chamber wall is a bottom wall of the cooking chamber.