Oven appliance
An oven appliance includes a baking stone positioned within a housing at a bottom portion of a cooking chamber. A controller is in operative communication with an upper heating element array, a lower heating element array, a pair of upper temperature sensors and a pair lower temperature sensors. The controller is configured for independently operating each of a first zone of the upper heating element array, a second zone of the upper heating element array, a first zone of the lower heating element array and a second zone of the lower heating element array.
1. An oven appliance, comprising:
a housing defining a cooking chamber;
an upper heating element array positioned within the housing at a top portion of the cooking chamber, the upper heating element array having a first zone and a second zone;
a pair of upper temperature sensors, each of the temperature sensors of the pair of upper temperature sensors positioned adjacent a respective one of the first and second zones of the upper heating element array;
a baking stone positioned within the housing at a bottom portion of the cooking chamber;
a lower heating element array positioned within the housing below the baking stone adjacent the bottom portion of the cooking chamber, the lower heating element array having a first zone and a second zone;
a pair of lower temperature sensors mounted to the baking stone, each of the temperature sensors of the pair of lower temperature sensors positioned adjacent a respective one of the first and second zones of the lower heating element array; and
a controller in operative communication with the upper heating element array, the lower heating element array, the pair of upper temperature sensors and the pair lower temperature sensors, the controller configured for independently operating each of the first zone of the upper heating element array, the second zone of the upper heating element array, the first zone of the lower heating element array and the second zone of the lower heating element array.
2. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured for operating the first zone of the upper heating element array in response to temperature measurements from a first one of the pair of upper temperature sensors and for operating the second zone of the upper heating element array in response to temperature measurements from a second one of the pair of upper temperature sensors.
3. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured for operating the first zone of the lower heating element array in response to temperature measurements from a first one of the pair of lower temperature sensors and for operating the second zone of the lower heating element array in response to temperature measurements from a second one of the pair of lower temperature sensors.
4. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first zone of the upper heating element array is positioned at a front portion of the cooking chamber, the first zone of the lower heating element array is positioned below the baking stone adjacent the front portion of the cooking chamber, the second zone of the upper heating element array is positioned at a rear portion of the cooking chamber, the second zone of the lower heating element array is positioned below the baking stone adjacent the rear portion of the cooking chamber.
5. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the pair of lower temperature sensors are positioned within the baking stone.
6. The oven appliance of claim 5 , wherein the pair of lower temperature sensors are positioned within the baking stone at a middle portion of the baking stone.
7. The oven appliance of claim 5 , wherein the pair of lower temperature sensors are positioned within the baking stone at a top portion or a bottom portion of the baking stone.
8. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the upper heating element array and the lower heating element array are electrical heating element arrays.
9. The oven appliance of claim 8 , wherein the upper heating element array and the lower heating element array comprise calrods.
10. The oven appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured for regulating a power output of each of the first zone of the upper heating element array, the second zone of the upper heating element array, the first zone of the lower heating element array and the second zone of the lower heating element array by pulse-width modulation of a voltage supplied to a solid state relay.
11. An oven appliance, comprising:
a housing defining a cooking chamber;
an upper electrical heating element array positioned within the housing at a top portion of the cooking chamber, the upper electrical heating element array having a first zone and a second zone;
a pair of upper temperature sensors, each of the temperature sensors of the pair of upper temperature sensors positioned adjacent a respective one of the first and second zones of the upper electrical heating element array;
a baking stone positioned within the housing at a bottom portion of the cooking chamber;
a lower electrical heating element array positioned within the housing below the baking stone adjacent the bottom portion of the cooking chamber, the lower electrical heating element array having a first zone and a second zone;
a pair of lower temperature sensors positioned within the baking stone, each of the temperature sensors of the pair of lower temperature sensors positioned adjacent a respective one of the first and second zones of the lower electrical heating element array; and
a controller in operative communication with the upper electrical heating element array, the lower electrical heating element array, the pair of upper temperature sensors and the pair lower temperature sensors, the controller configured for independently operating the first zone of the upper heating electrical element in response to temperature measurements from a first one of the pair of upper temperature sensors and for independently operating the second zone of the upper electrical heating element array in response to temperature measurements from a second one of the pair of upper temperature sensors, the controller also configured for independently operating the first zone of the lower electrical heating element array in response to temperature measurements from a first one of the pair of lower temperature sensors and for independently operating the second zone of the lower electrical heating element array in response to temperature measurements from a second one of the pair of lower temperature sensors.
12. The oven appliance of claim 11 , wherein the first zone of the upper electrical heating element array is positioned at a front portion of the cooking chamber, the first zone of the lower electrical heating element array is positioned below the baking stone adjacent the front portion of the cooking chamber, the second zone of the upper electrical heating element array is positioned at a rear portion of the cooking chamber, the second zone of the lower electrical heating element array is positioned below the baking stone adjacent the rear portion of the cooking chamber.
13. The oven appliance of claim 11 , wherein the pair of lower temperature sensors are positioned within the baking stone at a middle portion of the baking stone.
14. The oven appliance of claim 11 , wherein the pair of lower temperature sensors are positioned within the baking stone at a top portion or a bottom portion of the baking stone.
15. The oven appliance of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured for regulating a power output of each of the first zone of the upper electrical heating element array, the second zone of the upper electrical heating element array, the first zone of the lower electrical heating element array and the second zone of the lower electrical heating element array by pulse-width modulation of a voltage supplied to a solid state relay.