Oven appliance with a single heating element

Abstract

An oven appliance includes a cabinet and a cooking chamber within the cabinet for receipt of food items for cooking. A heating chamber is defined below the cooking chamber. A heating element is positioned within the heating chamber. A fan is positioned at a back side of the heating chamber. A controller is positioned within the cabinet and is in operative communication with the heating element and the fan. The controller is configured to operate the heating element to heat air in the heating chamber in a first heating mode and receive an input indicative of a second heating mode. The controller is also configured to trigger the fan to pull air through the heating chamber and into the cooking chamber in response to the second heating mode and operate the heating element to heat air flowing through the heating chamber in the second heating mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oven appliance, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a cooking chamber defined within the cabinet for receipt of food items for cooking, the cooking chamber delineated by a plurality of walls including a bottom wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall;   a heating chamber defined below the cooking chamber;   a heating element positioned within the heating chamber;   a fan positioned at a back side of the heating chamber, the fan configured to pull air through the heating chamber and into the cooking chamber; and   a controller positioned within the cabinet, the controller in operative communication with the heating element and the fan, the controller configured to:
 operate the heating element to heat air in the heating chamber in a first heating mode; 
 receive an input indicative of a second heating mode; 
 trigger the fan to pull air through the heating chamber and into the cooking chamber in response to the second heating mode; and 
 operate the heating element to heat air flowing through the heating chamber in the second heating mode. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the heating chamber comprises an inlet proximate one or more of a front side, the left side wall, and the right side wall of the heating chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The oven appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the heating chamber comprises an outlet at the back side of the heating chamber, the fan configured to pull air through the inlet, across the heating element, and out of the outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element is one of an electric resistance element or a gas burner. 
     
     
         5 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first heating mode comprises the controller configured to operate the heating element in a bake mode, wherein the fan is inactive. 
     
     
         6 . The oven appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the second heating mode comprises the controller configured to operate the heating element in a convection mode, wherein the fan is active. 
     
     
         7 . The oven appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the controller configured to trigger the fan in response to the second heating mode comprises the controller configured to activate the fan to pull air through the heating chamber and into the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first heating mode comprises the controller configured to operate the heating element in a convection mode, wherein the fan is active. 
     
     
         9 . The oven appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the second heating mode comprises the controller configured to operate the heating element in a bake mode, wherein the fan is inactive. 
     
     
         10 . The oven appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the controller configured to trigger the fan in response to the second heating mode comprises the controller configured to deactivate the fan. 
     
     
         11 . A method of operating an oven appliance, the oven appliance comprising a cabinet, a cooking chamber defined within the cabinet for receipt of food items for cooking, the cooking chamber delineated by a plurality of walls including a bottom wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall, a heating chamber defined below the cooking chamber, a heating element positioned within the heating chamber, a fan positioned at a back side of the heating chamber, the fan configured to pull air through the heating chamber and into the cooking chamber, and a controller positioned within the cabinet, the controller in operative communication with the heating element and the fan, the method comprising:
 operating the heating element to heat air in the heating chamber in a first heating mode;   receiving, at the controller, an input indicative of a second heating mode;   triggering, by the controller, the fan to pull air through the heating chamber and into the cooking chamber in response to the second heating mode; and   operating the heating element to heat air flowing through the heating chamber in the second heating mode.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the heating chamber comprises an inlet proximate one or more of a front side, the left side wall, and the right side wall of the heating chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the heating chamber comprises an outlet at the back side of the heating chamber, the fan configured for pulling air through the inlet, across the heating element, and out of the outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the heating element is one of an electric resistance element or a gas burner. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first heating mode comprises operating the heating element in a bake mode, wherein the fan is inactive. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second heating mode comprises operating the heating element in a convection mode, wherein the fan is active. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein triggering the fan in response to the second heating mode comprises activating the fan to pull air through the heating chamber and into the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first heating mode comprises operating the heating element in a convection mode, wherein the fan is active. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second heating mode comprises operating the heating element in a bake mode, wherein the fan is inactive. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein triggering the fan in response to the second heating mode comprises deactivating the fan.