Convection heating assembly for an oven appliance

Abstract

An oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a cooking chamber, a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the cooking chamber, and a convection heating assembly operably coupled to the cooking chamber. The convection heating assembly includes a convection fan mounted in the cabinet for circulating a flow of air in the cooking chamber and a baffle plate at least partially surrounding the convection fan for directing the flow of air.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oven appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the oven appliance comprising: 
 a cabinet defining a cooking chamber;   a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the cooking chamber; and    a convection heating assembly operably coupled to the cooking chamber, the convection heating assembly comprising: 
 a convection fan mounted in the cabinet for circulating a flow of air in the cooking chamber; and 
 a baffle plate at least partially surrounding the convection fan for directing the flow of air. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the convection heating assembly further comprises: 
 a convection fan enclosure positioned proximate a rear of the cooking chamber, the convection fan enclosure being defined at least partially by a front wall and a rear wall spaced apart along the transverse direction.   
     
     
         3 . The oven appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the baffle plate is positioned within the convection fan enclosure and extends between the front wall and the rear wall along the transverse direction. 
     
     
         4 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle plate is arcuate and wraps around at least a portion of a perimeter of the convection fan. 
     
     
         5 . The oven appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the baffle plate wraps around at least half of the perimeter of the convection fan. 
     
     
         6 . The oven appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the baffle plate is U-shaped and defines an open top portion. 
     
     
         7 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle plate is formed from a plurality of linear segments. 
     
     
         8 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle plate encloses at least a lower third of the convection fan along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         9 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle plate encloses at least a lower half of the convection fan along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         10 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle plate extends from a first end to a second end, the first end extending higher than the second end along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         11 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the baffle plate extends at least partially above the convection fan along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         12 . The oven appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the convection fan is a centrifugal fan. 
     
     
         13 . A convection heating assembly operably coupled to a cooking chamber of an oven appliance, the convection heating assembly comprising: 
 a convection fan mounted in a cabinet for circulating a flow of air in the cooking chamber; and   a baffle plate at least partially surrounding the convection fan for directing the flow of air.   
     
     
         14 . The convection heating assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the convection heating assembly further comprises: 
 a convection fan enclosure positioned proximate a rear of the cooking chamber, the convection fan enclosure being defined at least partially by a front wall and a rear wall spaced apart along a transverse direction, wherein the baffle plate is positioned within the convection fan enclosure and extends between the front wall and the rear wall along the transverse direction.   
     
     
         15 . The convection heating assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the baffle plate is arcuate and wraps around at least a portion of a perimeter of the convection fan. 
     
     
         16 . The convection heating assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the baffle plate wraps around at least half of the perimeter of the convection fan. 
     
     
         17 . The convection heating assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the baffle plate is formed from a plurality of linear segments. 
     
     
         18 . The convection heating assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the baffle plate extends from a first end to a second end, the first end extending higher than the second end along a vertical direction. 
     
     
         19 . The convection heating assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the baffle plate extends at least partially above the convection fan along a vertical direction.