Oven for cooking food

• US 20060054155A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Bujeau, Robert Fernand, Foray, Michel Georges
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/21.A
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 3/04 Air-treatment devices for ovens, e.g. regulating humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/008 Illumination for oven cavities
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens

Abstract

An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:

• • an enclosure (2) for receiving the food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, the enclosure (2) comprising two horizontal walls forming respectively a bottom wall (9) and a top wall (10), interconnected by at least two vertical side walls (7, 8), the enclosure (2) being closed by at least one door (5) that is likewise vertical, and communicating with the outside via an exhaust opening (28) for exhausting gas inside the enclosure (2) and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and
  • a heater device (11) for heating the cooking atmosphere.

Claims

1. An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:

an enclosure for receiving food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, the enclosure comprising two horizontal walls forming respectively a bottom wall and a top wall, interconnected by at least two vertical side walls, the enclosure being closed by at least one door that is likewise vertical, and communicating with the outside via an exhaust opening for exhausting gas inside the enclosure and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and

a heater device for heating the cooking atmosphere;

the oven being characterized by the fact that it comprises;

a regulation chamber, filled at least in part with a liquid of volume adapted to vary between a high level and a low level, the regulation chamber communicating with the enclosure via an air inlet; and

an admission duct which extends between a high end and a low end, the high end opening out outside the regulation chamber and the enclosure, and the low end being closed by the liquid when the level of the liquid corresponds substantially to its high level.

2. An oven according to claim 1, including an evacuation chamber filled at least in part with a liquid of volume that is adapted to vary between a high level and a low level, said evacuation chamber communicating with the regulation chamber.

3. An oven according to claim 2, including an evacuation tube extending between the exhaust opening and a high end opening out into the evacuation chamber above the high and low liquid levels.

4. An oven according to claim 3, including a chimney extending between a first end communicating with the outside of the evacuation chamber and a second end coming over the high level of the liquid, said second end allowing gas under positive pressure to escape from the enclosure via the evacuation tube.

5. An oven according to claim 2, including a regulator itself comprising the regulation chamber and the evacuation chamber, these two chambers constituting volumes that are separated from each other at least in part and that communicate with each other via a narrow passage adapted to allow the liquid to flow between these two chambers.

6. An oven according to claim 2, including, in the evacuation chamber a first temperature probe for measuring the temperature of the gas coming from the exhaust opening, and in the regulation chamber a second temperature probe for measuring the temperature of the gas coming into the enclosure via the air inlet.

7. An oven according to claim 2, comprising in the evacuation chamber, a first temperature probe for measuring the temperature of the gas coming from the exhaust opening, and a second temperature probe placed below the low level of the liquid in the evacuation chamber.

8. An oven according to claim 6, including calculation means for determining the relative humidity in the oven as a function of the temperatures measured by the first and second probes.

9. An oven according to claim 1, including a fan disposed inside the enclosure to stir the cooking atmosphere heated by the heater device, said fan creating a suction zone inside the enclosure, the air inlet being situated substantially in the suction zone of the fan.

10. An oven according to claim 1, including vapour-producing means suitable for delivering water vapour into the enclosure.

11. An oven according to claim 1, in which the exhaust opening for exhausting gas under positive pressure inside the enclosure is situated beneath the heater device.

12. An oven according to claim 1, in which the exhaust opening opens out substantially in the lowest point of the bottom wall.

13. An oven according to claim 1, in which the exhaust opening communicates with a siphon adapted to evacuate liquids and condensates from the enclosure while preventing cold air from rising into the enclosure.

14. An oven for cooking food, comprising:

an enclosure for receiving the food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, this enclosure comprising two horizontal walls, respectively forming a bottom wall and a top wall, interconnected by at least two vertical side walls, this enclosure being closed by at least one door which is also vertical, and communicating with the outside by means of an evacuation aperture for gases under positive pressure in the enclosure, characterised in that it comprises a first temperature probe to measure the temperature of the gases issuing from the evacuation aperture.

15. The oven according to claim 14, comprising calculating means of calculating the humidity rates in the oven as a function of the temperature measured at the first probe.

16. The oven according to claim 15, comprising a second temperature probe to measure a reference temperature.

17. The oven according to claim 16, wherein the humidity rates in the oven is calculated by the calculating means as a function of the temperature measured at the first and second probes.

18. The oven according to claim 14, comprising:

a heater for heating the cooking atmosphere,

a fan, located in the interior of the enclosure, to stir the cooking atmosphere heated by the heater, this fan creating an area of low pressure in the enclosure, and

an air inlet opening in the enclosure, approximately in said low-pressure area of the fan.

19. The oven according to claim 18, comprising a regulation chamber, at least partially filled with a liquid of which the volume is adjusted so as to vary between a high level and a low level, this regulation chamber communicating with the air inlet.

20. The oven according to claim 19, comprising an admission duct which extends between a high end and a low end, the high end opening outside the regulation chamber and the enclosure, and the low end being covered by the liquid when the level of the liquid corresponds approximately to its high level.

21. The oven according to claim 19, comprising an evacuation chamber, at least partially filled with a liquid of volume adapted to vary between the high level and the low level, this evacuation chamber communicating with the regulation chamber.

22. The oven according to claim 21, comprising a regulator box, itself comprising the regulation chamber and the evacuation chamber, these two chambers constituting volumes which are at least partially separated from one another, communicating between one another by means of a narrow passage, adapted to allow the liquid to flow between these two chambers.

23. The oven according to claim 21, comprising an evacuation tube extending between the evacuation aperture and a high end, opening into the evacuation chamber above the high and low levels of the liquid.

24. The oven according to claim 23, comprising a chimney extending between a first end communicating with the outside of the evacuation chamber and a second end coming over the high level of the liquid, this second end allowing the gases under positive pressure in the enclosure to escape via the evacuation tube.

25. The oven according to claim 22, wherein the second temperature probe is located beneath the low level of the liquid in the regulation box.

26. The oven according to claim 21, wherein the first temperature probe is located above the high level of the liquid in the evacuation chamber.

27. The oven according to claim 14, comprising means for the production of steam, arranged to supply steam in the enclosure.

28-100. -100. (canceled)