VENTLESS OVEN HOOD FOR COMBINATION OVEN PROVIDING RAPID ACCESS

• US 20150059595A1
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alto-Shaam Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alto-Shaam Incorporated
• Inventors: Rand, Thomas W., Bartelick, Janus, Cukjati, Deborah E., Raghavan, J.K., Menominee, Kim J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,364,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/468
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/2007 from oven cavities
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/2035 Arrangement or mounting of filters F24C15/2021 takes precedence; filters per se B01D46/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/322 with forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens

Abstract

A ventless fume hood is integrated with an oven to anticipate a conclusion of the cooking schedule executed by the oven and in this way to provide direct venting of the oven cavity before the oven door is opened. Proper venting of a multimode combination oven may be thereby performed and the door may be opened up immediately upon conclusion of the cooking schedule without the delay otherwise required to collect cooking fumes escaping through the partially open door.

Claims

1. An oven comprising:

a housing providing a first opening coverable by a door, the door closing to define an interior cooking volume and opening to provide access to the cooking volume;

a heater communicating with the cooking volume to heat the cooking volume;

a filter system providing filter medium and a fan for moving air through the filter medium;

an exhaust channel communicating from the cooking volume to the filter system through a second opening in the housing; and

an electronic computer executing a program stored in memory to control the heater in accordance with a predetermined cooking schedule and to activate the fan of the filter system to move air from the cooking volume through the exhaust channel in a venting process beginning at a time based on the cooking schedule before a conclusion of the cooking schedule to provide venting of the cooking volume before an anticipated opening of the door.

2. The oven of claim 1 wherein the venting process begins at the time based on a predetermined duration of the cooking schedule.

3. The oven of claim 1 wherein the venting process begins at a temperature based on a predetermined temperature rise of the cooking schedule.

4. The oven of claim 1 wherein the exhaust channel includes a first electrically controlled damper for opening and closing the exhaust channel and wherein the electronic computer executes the program to open the first electrically controlled damper during the venting process.

5. The oven of claim 4 wherein the electronic computer further controls the first electrically controlled damper according to the predetermined cooking schedule and overrides control of the first electrically controlled damper according to the predetermined time to open the first electrically controlled damper.

6. The oven of claim 1 further including an intake channel communicating from the cooking volume to ambient air outside of the cooking volume through a third opening in the housing to provide intake air into the cooking volume during the venting process;

and

wherein the intake channel includes a second electrically controlled damper for opening and closing the intake channel and wherein the electronic computer executes the program to open the second electrically controlled damper during the venting process.

7. The oven of claim 1 wherein the door includes a handle for opening the door and further including a door sensor detecting movement of the handle or door indicating a desire by a user to fully open the door and wherein the electronic computer executes a stored program to further activate the fan of the filter system to move air from the cooking volume upon detecting movement of the handle or door indicating a desired open the door.

8. The oven of claim 7 further including a lock for holding the door closed and wherein the electronic computer executing the stored program retains the lock in a locked position holding the door closed for a predetermined venting time after detection of movement of the handle or door indicating a desire by a user to open the door.

10. The oven of claim 1 wherein the filter system includes at least one filter medium and the fan is positioned after the filter medium to draw air through the filter medium.

11. The oven of claim 1 wherein the filter system includes a grease filter and an activated carbon filter.

12. The oven of claim 1 wherein the filter system includes a steam filter providing a steam condensing medium;

wherein the steam filter is selected from the group consisting of a sprayed mist of condensing water and a tank of water, through which air moved by the fan must pass.

13. The oven of claim 1 wherein the activation of the fan increases airflow through the filter system to greater than 40 cubic feet per minute.

14. The oven of claim 1 further including an airflow sensor detecting airflow through the filter when the fan is on and storing a value of airflow when the fan is on.

15. The oven of claim 1 wherein the electronic computer further executes the program to prevent operation of the heater before commencing the predetermined cooking schedule when a previously stored value of airflow indicates a clogging of the filter system.

16. The oven of claim 1 further including a filter medium detection switch indicating a presence of filter medium in the filter system and wherein the electronic computer further executes the program to prevent operation of the heater for commencing the predetermined cooking schedule when the filter medium detection switch indicates a filter medium is not present in the filter system.

17. The oven of claim 1 wherein the oven further includes a steam generator generating steam from a source of introduced water.

18. The oven of claim 1 further including a convection fan for circulating heated air within the interior volume.

19. The oven of claim 18 wherein the convection fan operates to move air from the cooking volume through the exhaust channel at a first rate when the fan of the filter system is not activated, the first-rate decreasing humidity of the cooking volume and being less than a second rate of air movement occurring when the fan of the filter system is activated.

9. The oven of claim I wherein the filter system is in a housing without venting surfaces on a front of the housing on a same side as the door of the oven through which air may be substantially drawn into the filter system from the oven cavity out of the opened door.

20. A method of operating an oven of a type having a housing providing a first opening coverable by a door, the door closing to define an interior cooking volume and opening to provide access to the cooking volume, a heater communicating with the cooking volume to heat the cooking volume, a filter system providing a filter medium and a fan for moving air through the filter medium, an exhaust channel communicating from the cooking volume to the filter system through a second opening in the housing, and an electronic computer executing a program stored in memory to control the heater in accordance with a predetermined cooking schedule and to activate the fan of the filter system to move air from the cooking volume through the exhaust channel in a venting process beginning at a predetermined time prior to a conclusion of the cooking schedule before an anticipated opening of the door, the method comprising execution of the electronic computer of the steps of:

(1) commencing the cooking schedule to control the heater in accordance with the cooking schedule; and

(2) at the predetermined time prior to conclusion of the cooking schedule, activating the fan of the filter system to move air from the cooking volume through the exhaust channel.