Convection preheat system and method for radiant baking

1. A cooking appliance, comprising:

a cabinet forming an oven cavity;

a broil heating element;

a bake heating element;

a convection heating system including a fan and a convection heating element for developing a flow of heated air into the oven cavity;

a controller for controlling activations of the broil, bake and convection heating elements during an oven cavity preheating operation in which the broil heating element and the bake heating element are alternately activated while the convection heating element is activated; and,

a control panel for allowing user selections of a convection baking operation and a non-convection baking operation, wherein the controller initiates said preheating operation based on a selection of the non-convection baking operation.

2. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the convection heating element has a power rating that is less than a power rating of the broil heating element and less than a power rating of the bake heating element.

3. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a removable panel installed in the oven cavity for covering the bake heating element.

4. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the bake heating element is activated for a longer time than the broil heating element during the preheating operation.

5. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the bake heating element is activated for approximately two-thirds of the entire preheating operation, and wherein the broil element is activated for approximately one-third the entire preheating operation.

6. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the bake heating element is activated for approximately twice as long as the broil heating element during the preheating operation.

7. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the fan is activated whenever the convection heating element is activated during said preheating operation.

8. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the fan and the convection heating element are activated during approximately the entire preheating operation.

9. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising an interlock circuit configured to prevent simultaneous activation of the broil heating element and the bake heating element.

10. A cooking appliance, comprising:

a cabinet forming an oven cavity;

a broil heating element;

a bake heating element;

a convection heating system including a fan and a convection heating element for developing a flow of heated air within the oven cavity, wherein the convection heating element has a power rating that is less than a power rating of the broil heating element and a power rating of the bake heating element;

a controller for controlling activations of the broil, bake and convection heating elements during an oven cavity preheating operation in which the broil heating element and the bake heating element are alternately activated while the convection heating element is activated; and,

a control panel having a non-convection baking operation selection, wherein the controller automatically initiates said preheating operation using the convection heating element when the non-convection baking operation is selected by a user.

11. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising an interlock circuit configured to prevent simultaneous activation of the broil heating element and the bake heating element.

12. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising a removable panel installed in the oven cavity for covering the bake heating element.

13. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising a removable panel installed in the oven cavity for covering the bake heating element.

14. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the fan and the convection heating element are activated during approximately the entire preheating operation.

15. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the bake heating element is activated for a longer time than the broil heating element during the preheating operation.

16. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the bake heating element is activated for approximately two-thirds of the entire preheating operation, and wherein the broil element is activated for approximately one-third the entire preheating operation.

17. The cooking appliance as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the bake heating element is activated for approximately twice as long as the broil heating element during the preheating operation.