ROTISSERIE OVEN WITH LIFTING WASH ARM

• US 20090178664A1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Matthew A., Heiser, James M., Valentine, Richard D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,752,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/21.A
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/042 with food supports arranged on wheels or spiders rotating about a horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 14/005 using a cleaning liquid

Abstract

A rotisserie oven with a self-cleaning mechanism in the form of a lifting wash arm. The wash arm is driven to lift and rotate when washing the oven by the action of the pressure from the wash water used therein. By lifting, the wash arm negates the sealing action of fatty build-up around its base which would otherwise impede its rotation.

Claims

1. A rotisserie oven, comprising:

a cooking compartment;

a convection system including a heating element and ventilation system configured to heat the cooking compartment;

a rotor positioned within the cooking compartment; and

a spray arm assembly within the cooking compartment including a spray arm configured to spray liquid into the cooking compartment, the spray arm mounted for rotation about an axis and configured to be in a lowered position when not spraying liquid and configured to move axially upward along the axis into a raised position when spraying liquid.

2. The rotisserie oven of claim 1, wherein the spray arm rotates due to pressure from sprayed liquid ejected from nozzles of the spray arm, and wherein the spray arm moves from the lowered position to the raised position due to pressure from liquid passing through the spray arm assembly.

3. The rotisserie oven of claim 2, wherein the spray arm assembly includes a bearing journal defining an upper seat and a lower seat, a bearing mounted for rotational and axial movement with respect to the bearing journal such that in the lowered position a bottom portion of the bearing engages the lower seat and a top portion of the bearing is spaced from the upper seat and in the raised position the top portion of the bearing engages the upper seat and the bottom portion of the bearing is spaced from the lower seat.

4. The rotisserie oven of claim 3, wherein axial movement of the arm and journal between the lowered position and the raised position is between about 0.04 inch and 0.125 inch.

5. The rotisserie oven of claim 4, further comprising a drain along a bottom portion of the cooking compartment.

6. The rotisserie oven of claim 1, the spray arm assembly further including:

a stationary bearing journal through which the liquid flows, the journal including a first stop at a first end and a second stop at a second end, the second stop proximate to where the liquid exits the journal;

a bearing surrounding the stationary bearing journal, the bearing axially shorter than the bearing journal such that the bearing can move axially along the bearing journal;

a spray arm hub connected to the bearing journal to move along with the bearing journal;

wherein the journal, bearing, and hub are configured such that the bearing rests against the first stop in the lowered position when the spray arm is not in operation; and

wherein the journal, bearing, and hub are configured such that water flowing through the journal will exert pressure on the hub which will push the hub and bearing axially upward along the journal, resulting in the bearing resting against the second stop in the raised position when the spray arm is in operation.

7. The rotisserie oven of claim 6, wherein the force of gravity acts to pull the hub and journal down into the lowered position when the spray arm is not in operation, and wherein the pressure from the wash water acts against the force of gravity to hold the hub and journal up into the raised position when the spray arm is in operation.

8. A self-cleaning oven, comprising:

a cooking compartment;

a heating system configured to heat the cooking compartment; and

a spray arm assembly within the cooking compartment including a spray arm configured to spray liquid into the cooking compartment, the spray arm mounted for rotation about an axis and configured to be in a lowered position when not spraying liquid and configured to move axially upward along the axis into a raised position when spraying liquid.

9. The self-cleaning oven of claim 8, wherein the spray arm assembly includes a bearing journal defining an upper seat and a lower seat, a bearing mounted for rotational and axial movement with respect to the bearing journal such that in the lowered position a bottom portion of the bearing engages the lower seat and a top portion of the bearing is spaced from the upper seat and in the raised position the top portion of the bearing engages the upper seat and the bottom portion of the bearing is spaced from the lower seat.

10. The self-cleaning oven of claim 9, wherein axial movement of the arm and journal between the lowered position and the raised position is between about 0.04 inch and 0.125 inch.

11. The self-cleaning oven of claim 8, the spray arm assembly further including:

a stationary bearing journal through which the liquid flows, the journal including a first stop at a first end and a second stop at a second end, the second stop proximate to where the liquid exits the journal;

a bearing surrounding the stationary bearing journal, the bearing axially shorter than the bearing journal such that the bearing can move axially along the bearing journal;

a spray arm hub connected to the bearing journal to move along with the bearing journal;

wherein the journal, bearing, and hub are configured such that the bearing rests against the first stop in the lowered position when the spray arm is not in operation; and

wherein the journal, bearing, and hub are configured such that water flowing through the journal will exert pressure on the hub which will push the hub and bearing axially upward along the journal, resulting in the bearing resting against the second stop in the raised position when the spray arm is in operation.

12. A spray arm assembly for use in a self-cleaning oven, the spray arm assembly including:

a spray arm configured to spray liquid into a cooking compartment of the self-cleaning oven, the spray arm mounted for rotation about an axis and configured to be in a lowered position when not spraying liquid and configured to move axially upward along the axis into a raised position when spraying liquid;

a bearing journal defining an upper seat and a lower seat; and

a bearing mounted for rotational and axial movement with respect to the bearing journal such that in the lowered position a bottom portion of the bearing engages the lower seat and a top portion of the bearing is spaced from the upper seat, and such that in the raised position the top portion of the bearing engages the upper seat and the bottom portion of the bearing is spaced from the lower seat.

13. The spray arm assembly of claim 12, wherein axial movement of the arm and journal between the lowered position and the raised position is between about 0.04 inch and 0.125 inch.

14. A method of cleaning a rotisserie oven including a rotor located within a cooking compartment and a convection system including a heating element and ventilation system configured to heat the cooking compartment, the method comprising:

rotating a spray arm of a spray arm assembly within the cooking compartment about an axis during a cleaning operation;

moving the spray arm axially upward along the axis into a raised position when spraying liquid; and

moving the spray arm axially downward along the axis to a lowered position when not spraying liquid.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of rotating the spray arm includes rotating the spray arm due to pressure from sprayed liquid ejected from nozzles of the spray arm, and wherein the step of moving the spray arm axially upward includes moving the spray arm from the lowered position to the raised position due to pressure from liquid passing through the spray arm assembly.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the spray arm assembly includes a bearing journal defining an upper seat and a lower seat, a bearing mounted for rotational and axial movement with respect to the bearing journal such that in the lowered position a bottom portion of the bearing engaging the lower seat and a top portion of the bearing is spaced from the upper seat and in the raised position the top portion of the bearing engaging the upper seat and the bottom portion of the bearing is spaced from the lower seat.