Ventilated range with convertible radiant convection oven

Claim 1

A range having ventilated surface cooking units and an oven operable in either a radiant mode or a convected mode and utilizing a first air moving means for providing ventilation of the surface units and a second air moving means for providing the convection air circulation in the oven, said range including a range housing supporting electrical surface cooking units and an oven enclosure having thermally insulated walls and having conventional upper and lower electrical heating elements therein, said oven enclosure being disposed below said surface units and having a frontal opening and an oven door for closing said opening, means forming an air plenum chamber along one sidewall of said oven enclosure and extending between an intake aperture adjacent the surface units and a discharge aperture adjacent the range housing base, said first air moving means being disposed in said plenum chamber, a housing inset in said one oven enclosure sidewall for accommodating said second air moving means, means for mounting said second air moving means including a switch-controlled electrical drive motor mounted in said plenum chamber, a drive shaft extending from said motor through said one oven sidewall into said inset housing and supporting said second air moving means therein, said inset housing having an intake aperture communicating with the oven interior and an exhaust aperture adjacent each of said conventional upper and lower oven heating elements, whereby operation of said second air moving means provides forced circulation of air within said oven, the circulating air being heated by said conventional oven heating elements.