Self-cleaning oven

• US 20070006865A1
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Middleby Corporation
• Original Assignee: Middleby Corporation
• Inventors: Carbonara, Frank, Matthews, Michael, Chmiola, Theodore, Tomko, Gregory, Wiker, John
• Application Number:
  US10/546,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20070006865A1
• 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: A21B 1/48 with surfaces in the form of an endless band
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 14/00 Stoves or ranges having self-cleaning provisions, e.g. continuous catalytic cleaning or electrostatic cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 14/02 pyrolytic type
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 14/025 for gaseous fuels
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/322 with forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/122 on stoves

Abstract

A self-cleaning, gas-fired tunnel oven is provided. One embodiment of the oven provides a self-cleaning, gas-fired tunnel oven for cooking food products. The oven includes a control system that regulates oven temperature during a pyrolitic, self-cleaning procedure for incinerating contaminants that accumulate inside; a burner for cooking food products and incinerating contaminants; a modulating air and fuel control system arranged for proportionally delivering air and fuel to the burner; a plurality of convection air fingers for directing heated air toward the food products; a collapsible conveyor, capable of fitting into the oven when collapsed, for passing the food products through the oven; a plurality of blowers, each having a dedicated speed controller; a floating cooking chamber; and a vent system that maintains a negative pressure in the oven during the self-cleaning procedure

Claims

1. A conveyor oven comprising:

a housing defining a cooking chamber therein; and

a conveyor having a main conveyor section positioned substantially within the cooking chamber and first and second conveyor extension sections releasably connected to the main conveyor section at opposite ends of the main conveyor section, the first and second conveyor extension sections extending at least partially outside the cooking chamber during a cooking cycle of the oven, wherein the first and second conveyor extension sections are disconnected from the main conveyor section and placed substantially within the cooking chamber during a self-cleaning cycle of the conveyor oven.

2. The conveyor oven of claim 1, further comprising oven openings on opposite sides of the housing through which the conveyor extension sections extend during the cooling cycle and doors that close the oven openings during the self-cleaning cycle.

3. A conveyor oven comprising:

a housing defining a cooling chamber therein;

a blower having a high pressure side and a low pressure side, the blower propelling air on the high pressure side into the cooking chamber and drawing air from the cooking chamber into the low pressure side;

a vent tube in fluid communication with the high pressure side, the vent tube providing a bypass route for air from the high pressure side to the outside of the housing without entering the cooking chamber; and

a vent valve positioned within the vent tube, the vent valve being closed during a cooking cycle of the oven so that air from the high pressure side is substantially directed into the cooking chamber and being opened during a self-cleaning cycle of the oven so that at least some air from the high pressure side is directed through the vent tube and outside the oven housing.

4. The conveyor oven of claim 3, further comprising an inducer blower in the venttube.

5. A conveyor oven comprising:

a platform;

an outer housing fixed to the platform; and

a cooking housing defining a cooking chamber and positioned within the outer housing, the cooking housing being supported by the platform and moveable with respect to the platform to permit contraction and expansion of the cooking housing.

6. The conveyor oven of claim 5, wherein the cooking housing includes a front wall, back wall, and two side walls, the back wall being fixed with respect to the platform and the front wall and side walls being permitted to move with respect to the platform.

7. The conveyor of claim 5, further comprising insulation between the outer housing and the cooking housing.

8. A conveyor oven comprising:

a housing defining a cooking chamber;

an opening in a wall of the housing providing a passageway from the exterior of the oven to the cooking chamber;

a conveyor positioned adjacent the opening; and

a door moveable between a first and second position, the door closing the opening in the second position.

9. The conveyor oven of claim 8, wherein the conveyor includes a main conveyor section and a conveyor extension section separable from the main conveyor section, the conveyor extension section at least partially extending outside the housing.

10. A conveyor oven comprising:

a housing defining a cooking chamber;

a conveyor moveable through the cooking chamber;

a burner providing heat to the cooking chamber;

a gas line providing gas to the burner;

a gas valve moveable to regulate the flow of gas through the gas line;

an air line providing air to the burner; and

an air valve moveable to regulate the flow of air through the air line, wherein the movements of the gas and air valves are dependent on each other.

11. The conveyor oven of claim 10, further including a valve link connecting the gas valve to the air valve, thereby moving the gas valve and air valve together.

12. A conveyor oven comprising:

a housing defining a cooling chamber;

a burner in fluid communication with the cooking chamber; and

a variable speed blower blowing air into the cooking chamber, wherein the blower operates at a first speed during a cooking cycle of the oven and at a second speed during a self-cleaning cycle of the oven.

13. The conveyor oven of claim 12, wherein the speed of the blower is controlled by a computer.

14. The conveyor oven of claim 12, wherein the first speed is slower than the second speed.

15. A conveyor oven comprising:

a housing defining a cooling chamber;

a burner in fluid communication with the cooking chamber; and

a variable speed blower blowing air into the cooling chamber, wherein the blower operates at a first speed during a cooking cycle of the oven and at a second speed during a start-up cycle of the oven.

16. The conveyor oven of claim 15, wherein the speed of the blower is controlled by a computer.

17. The conveyor oven of claim 15, wherein the first speed is faster than the second speed.