Cooking appliance and method for controlling cooking appliance

Abstract

A cooking appliance may include a frame with a cooking chamber, and a circulation device in the frame. The circulation device may include a circulation chamber. A heating device may be provided outside of the frame. The heating device may include a combustion chamber, and a burner to heat air in the combustion chamber. A circulation fan may be provided in the circulation chamber. The circulation fan may circulate air in the cooking chamber and air in the circulation chamber. A controller may control the burner and the circulation fan. The controller may perform a speed-changing control to change a rotational speed of the circulation fan, a direction-switching control to switch a rotational direction of the circulation fan, or an on/off control to selectively operate the circulation fan.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooking appliance, comprising:
 a frame in which a cooking chamber is formed;   a circulation device arranged inside of the frame and having a circulation chamber configured to allow airflow between the circulation chamber and the cooking chamber;   a heating device having a combustion chamber configured to allow airflow between the combustion chamber and the circulation chamber, and a burner configured to heat air of the combustion chamber;   a circulation fan arranged in the circulation chamber, and configured to circulate air of the cooking chamber and air of the circulation chamber; and   a controller that controls operation of the burner and operation of the circulation fan, wherein the controller is configured to selectively perform of a speed-changing control to change a rotational speed of the circulation fan, a direction-switching control to switch a rotational direction of the circulation fan, and an on/off control to selectively operate the circulation fan.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller selectively performs the speed-changing control, the direction-switching control, and the on/off control while a heating operation of the heating device is maintained. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the direction-switching control is performed by:
 rotating the circulation fan in a first rotational direction;   stopping operation of the circulation fan; and   rotating the circulation fan in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, wherein the controller maintains a heating operation of the burner when the fan is stopped.   
     
     
         4 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein, according to a selected cooking mode input into the controller, the controller selectively performs the speed-changing control, the direction-switching control, and the on/off control. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein when operation of the circulation fan is stopped, the controller lowers a firepower of the heating device. 
     
     
         6 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein when air heated by the burner moves from the combustion chamber to the circulation chamber, an internal pressure of the combustion chamber is lower than an external pressure of the combustion chamber, and wherein when the burner is operated to provide heat with operation of the circulation fan stopped by the controller, a pressure difference between an internal portion of the combustion chamber and an external portion of the combustion chamber allows air to flow from the external portion of the combustion chamber to the internal portion of the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an outer case that contains the frame, wherein the heating device comprises a first inlet open toward a surface of the burner, and wherein a second inlet connected to the combustion chamber is provided between the heating device and the outer case.   
     
     
         8 . The cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the circulation chamber provides an upper flow path connected to the cooking chamber, wherein the combustion chamber provides a lower flow path that transfers air heated by the burner to the upper flow path, and wherein the upper flow path and the lower flow path are connected to each other through a connection passage provided at a bottom surface of the frame in a heightwise direction of the frame. 
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance having a circulation chamber configured to allow airflow between the circulation chamber and a cooking chamber, and a combustion chamber configured to allow airflow between the combustion chamber and the circulation chamber, wherein a circulation fan is provided in the circulation chamber, and a burner is provided in the combustion chamber, and wherein the cooking appliance comprises a controller configured to selectively perform a speed-changing control to change a rotational speed of the circulation fan, a direction-switching control to switch a rotational direction of the circulation fan, and an on/off control to selectively operate the circulation fan, the method comprising:
 inputting a cooking signal; and   performing cooking in the cooking chamber by operating at least one of the burner or the circulation fan in response to the cooking signal, wherein the cooking is performed by at least one of the speed-changing control to change the rotational speed of the circulation fan, the direction-switching control to switch the rotational direction of the circulation fan, or the on/off control to selectively operate the circulation fan.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the speed-changing control is performed by:
 rotating the circulation fan at a first rotational speed; and   rotating the circulation fan at a second rotational speed different from the first rotational speed, wherein while a heating operation of the burner is maintained, the rotating of the circulation fan at the first rotational speed is switch with the rotating of the circulation speed at the second rotational speed.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the direction-switching control is performed by:
 rotating the circulation fan in a first rotational direction;   stopping operation of the circulation fan; and   rotating the circulation fan in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, wherein a heating operation of the burner is maintained when the fan is stopped.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein when air heated by the burner moves from the combustion chamber to the circulation chamber, an internal pressure of the combustion chamber is lower than an external pressure of the combustion chamber, and wherein when the fan is stopped, a flow of secondary air is created by allowing the air to flow from an external portion of the combustion chamber to an internal portion of the combustion chamber by a pressure difference between the internal portion of the combustion chamber and the external portion of the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the on/off control is performed by:
 rotating the circulation fan in a first rotational direction and at a first rotational speed; and   stopping operation of the circulation fan, wherein the rotating and the stopping of the fan are repeatedly performed, and wherein a heating operation of the burner is maintained when the fan is stopped.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 preheating the cooking chamber between the inputting and the cooking, wherein, in the preheating, the circulation fan is rotated in a first rotational direction and at a first rotational speed, and the burner is operated to provide heat.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a heating operation of the burner and a rotating operation of the circulation fan are controlled separately from each other. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cooking appliance comprises:
 a frame in which the cooking chamber is formed;   a circulation device arranged inside of the frame and having the circulation chamber connected with the cooking chamber;   a heating device arranged at a lower portion of the frame, having the combustion chamber connected to the circulation chamber, and comprising the burner; and   the circulation fan arranged in the circulation chamber and configured to circulate air of the cooking chamber and air of the circulation chamber, wherein a discharge hole is open in the circulation device and allows air to be discharged from the circulation chamber to the cooking chamber when the circulation fan is rotated in a first rotational direction or a second rotational direction.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the cooking appliance further comprises an outer case that contains the frame, wherein the heating device comprises a first inlet open toward a surface of the burner and a second inlet connected to the combustion chamber provided between the heating device and the outer case, and wherein, when the circulation fan is operated or stopped, air flows into the combustion chamber through the second inlet. 
     
     
         18 . A method for controlling a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance including an outer case; a frame arranged inside of the outer case and in which a cooking chamber is formed; a circulation device arranged inside of the frame, the circulation device having a circulation chamber configured to allow airflow between the circulation chamber and the cooking chamber, and comprising a circulation fan; and a heating device having a combustion chamber configured to allow airflow between the combustion chamber and the circulation chamber, and comprising a burner mounted therein, the method comprising:
 inputting a cooking signal;   heating by operating the burner to provide heat according to the cooking signal; and   circulating air by operating the circulation fan by changing at least one of a rotational direction or a rotational speed of the circulation fan.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the cooking appliance further comprises an input, and wherein the inputting of the cooking signal comprises receiving an input from a user via the input. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 stopping operation of the circulation fan while maintaining operation of the burner.