Speed cooking oven with gas flow control

• US 20060169272A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TurboChef Technologies Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TurboChef Technologies Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Inventors: Bolton, David A., McFadden, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/21.A
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 1/245 with a plurality of air nozzles to obtain an impingement effect on the food
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/003 with forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/325 electrically-heated
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6473 combined with convection heating H05B6/6485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6485 further combined with convection heating

Abstract

A speed cooking oven is disclosed comprising a cooking cavity, a controller, thermal heating source, blower assembly, air directing means and a vent assembly. Hot air is circulated by the blower motor assembly into the oven cavity where the hot air is directed in a manner wherein a conflicting, colliding turbulent gas flow is directed at a food product providing for the rapid cooking of food products.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An oven for cooking a food product by hot gas, comprising:

a housing defining a cooking chamber;

a flow means for causing circulation of gas;

a first gas directing means; and

a second gas directing means;

wherein the first and second gas directing means are configured to cause the gas from the first gas directing means to collide with the gas from the second gas directing means.

3. The oven according to claim 2, further comprising:

at least one additional pair of gas directing means.

4. The oven according to claim 2, wherein the first and second gas directing means are configured so as, in use, to cause gas from the first gas directing means to collide with gas from the second gas directing means near the surface of at least one food product disposed within the cooking chamber.

5. The oven according to claim 2, further comprising:

a conduit means for delivering gas to the gas directing means; and

a damper means for adjusting the amount of gas delivered via the conduit means.

6. The oven according to claim 2, wherein the flow means is a blower motor.

7. The oven according to claim 6, wherein the blower motor is a variable speed motor.

8. The oven according to claim 2, further comprising:

an electromagnetic source.

9. The oven according to claim 2, further comprising:

a thermal means for heating the gas.

10. The oven according to claim 9, wherein the thermal means is a sheathed heater.

11. The oven according to claim 9, wherein the thermal means is a heater powered by gaseous fuel.

12. The oven according to claim 2, further comprising:

a control means for controlling the operation of the oven.

13. The oven according to claim 2, further comprising:

an egress opening to allow gas to exit the cooking chamber.

14. The oven according to claim 13, wherein the egress opening is disposed near the top of the cooking chamber.

15. The oven according to claim 2, further comprising:

a catalyst.

16. The oven according to claim 15, further comprising:

an egress opening to allow gas to exit the cooking chamber; and

a catalyst disposed within the egress opening.

17. The oven according to claim 2, wherein the oven is operable as a speed cooking oven.

18. The oven according to claim 2, wherein the oven is operable as a recycling oven.