Cooking apparatus

• US 3,884,213 A
• Filed: 03/30/1973
• Issued: 05/20/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Patentsmith Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Donald K. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Donald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sprague, Kenneth W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US05/346,416
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 34/90,202,203,209,223,224,225,232,233,237,238,243R 126/19R,19M,20,21R,21A,22 219/388,400 99/474,475,476,477,478
• US Class Current: 126/21.00A
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 1/245 with a plurality of air nozzles to obtain an impingement effect on the food
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 2/00 Baking apparatus employing high-frequency or infrared heating
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/10 by heating materials in packages which are not progressively transported through the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/16 Shelves, racks or trays inside ovens; Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6473 combined with convection heating H05B6/6485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/66 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/745 Rotatable stirrers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/782 wherein the material moved is food
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 99/14 Induction heating

Abstract

Directed jets of temperature controlled gaseous fluids are applied to irregularly shaped products, such as food portions, to subject discrete areas of the surface to a very high heat transfer rate and to cause these areas to be passed over surfaces of the product at a proper rate to obtain over-all surface effects such as crisping, browning, searing or freezing. The cooking apparatus comprises a generator adapted to supply microwave energy for heating the interior of a food product in combination with apparatus to direct spaced discrete high velocity jets of heated air to impinge against exterior surfaces of the food product. A conveyor is employed to provide relative motion between each of the sources of heat and the product for averaging cooking through the product by reducing effect of RF standing waves and simultaneously sweeping the jets of air over the product at proper rate to heat all exposed surfaces.

Claims

1. Apparatus to transfer heat to a product comprising:

a cabinet;

a jet plate in said cabinet, said jet plate having a plurality of passages formed therein arranged to form disctete jets of fluid;

a plenum associated with one side of said jet plate arranged to force pressurized fluid through said passages;

impeller means having a discharge passage communicating with said plenum and having an intake passage communicating with the inside of the cabinet on the other side of said jet plate;

means to control temperature of fluid forced through said passages in said jet plate;

product support means in said cabinet, said product support means being spaced from said jet plate; and

means to move said jet plate relative to said product support means such that the discrete jets of fluid sweep across the surface of the product on said product support means, said passages in said jet plate being spaced such that fluid drawn to the intake opening of said impeller means flows between said discrete jets of fluid.

2. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the passages are spaces apart a distance at least two times the diameter of passages.

3. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein the means to move the jet plate relative to a product support means comprises, a conveyor spaced from the jet plate;

and means to move the conveyor.

4. Apparatus for transferring heat to a food product comprising, a cabinet;

a jet plate secured in the cabinet, said jet plate having a plurality of spaced apertures extending through the surface thereof, each of said apertures having an effective length at least one-half as long as the minimum dimension of said aperture;

product support means spaced from said jet plate;

means to move the product support means relative to the jet plate;

a plenum over said jet plate arranged to force pressurized fluid through the apertures in the jet plate; and

heat transfer means arranged to control temperature of fluid in said plenum.

5. The combination called for in claim 4 with the addition of impellEr means in said cabinet having an intake adjacent one side of the jet plate and exhausting into said plenum.

6. The combination called for in claim 4 with the addition of a second jet plate in said cabinet below said product support means, said second support plate having passages extending therethrough having a length exceeding one half the minimum dimension of said passage, said plenum being arranged adjacent each of said jet plates.

7. The combination called for in claim 6 wherein the intake of the impeller means is positioned between the jet plates.

8. The combination called for in claim 6 wherein the intake means comprises, a trough extending transversely of said cabinet and having an opening adjacent a central portion thereof adjacent said impeller.

9. The combination called for in claim 4 with the addition of a vent opening extending into said cabinet and communicating with said plenum;

an air intake opening extending through the wall of the cabinet communicating with the intake of the impeller; and

means to control flow through said vent opening and intake opening.

10. The combination called for in claim 4 wherein the product support means comprises guide means in said cabinet;

a carriage movably secured to said guide means; and

means to move the carriage relative to the guide means.