Apparatus for food dehydration and raising bakery products doughs

• US 4,143,592 A
• Filed: 08/11/1977
• Issued: 03/13/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elsie Kuest, Johnnie Kuest
• Original Assignee: Elsie Kuest, Johnnie Kuest
• Inventors: Kuest, Johnnie, Kuest, Elsie
• Primary Examiner(s): Christian, Leonard D.
• Application Number:
  US05/823,875
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 99/473-476, 99/483-484, 99/516, 219/393, 34/90-91, 126/20, 126/281
• US Class Current: 99/483
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 13/00 Provers, i.e. apparatus permitting dough to rise
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/003 with forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/066 the products to be dried being disposed on one or more containers, which may have at least partly gas-previous walls, e.g. trays or shelves in a stack F26B9/003 takes precedence; in combination with duct systems F26B21/00

Abstract

The invention comprises a food dehydration and bakery product and bread dough raising appliance for household use. The appliance has a heating element within the dehydration and dough raising chamber and a temperature control unit capable of regulating temperature within both the dough raising and food dehydrating temperature ranges. The appliance, when dehydrating foodstuffs, utilizes a fixed volume, constant speed ventilation system wherein air enters the chamber through presized intake ports, is blown horizontally between the drying racks and exits through exhaust vents defined between a frontal access door and the appliance cabinet. The appliance, when used as a dough raiser, utilizes a dough raising shelf with an attached water trough which is positionable directly above the heating element for raising the relative humidity within the chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for food dehydration and bakery product dough raising comprising:

(a) a cabinet defining a dehydration and dough raising chamber;

(b) a frontal access door defining the front side of said chamber;

(c) means for attaching said frontal access door to said cabinet at a distance so as to define exhaust vents between said cabinet and said frontal access door;

(d) the side of said cabinet opposite the frontal access door having a plurality of intake ports;

(e) a plurality of support shelves attached to the interior side walls of said cabinet in paired relationship for supporting drying racks and a dough raising shelf in a horizontal plane;

(f) a plurality of drying racks resting upon said support shelves so as to be in vertical spaced relationship to each other so as to define air passageways between said drying racks;

(g) a dough raising shelf for supporting bakery product dough adaptable for resting upon said support shelves;

(h) means for increasing the relative humidity within said chamber when used for raising dough;

(i) a constant speed blower motor and fan mounted upon the rear wall of said cabinet for continuously drawing replacement air from the intake ports, through the chamber and between the drying racks to exit through the exhaust vents when the chamber is used for dehydrating foodstuffs;

(j) a screen disposed in said cabinet between said fan and drying racks so as to diffuse replacement air uniformly throughout the air passageways defined by the plurality of drying racks;

(k) means for stopping said distribution of replacement air when raising bakery product doughs;

(l) heating means disposed within said chamber for elevating the temperature therein; and

(m) means for regulating the temperature of the air within said chamber adaptable to regulate said temperature within the foodstuff dehydration temperature range of 100°

F. to 160°

F. and the dough raising temperature range of 75°

F. to 100°

F.

2. An apparatus for food dehydration and bakery product dough raising comprising:

(a) a cabinet defining a dehydration and dough raising chamber;

(b) a frontal access door defining the front side of said chamber;

(c) means for attaching said frontal access door to said cabinet at a distance so as to define exhaust vents between said cabinet and said frontal access door;

(d) the side of said cabinet opposite the frontal access door having a plurality of intake ports;

(e) a plurality of support shelves attached to the interior side walls of said cabinet in paired relationship for supporting drying racks and a dough raising shelf in a horizontal plane;

(f) a plurality of drying racks resting upon said support shelves so as to be in vertical spaced relationship to each other so as to define air passageways between said drying racks;

(g) a dough raising shelf for supporting baker product dough adaptable for resting upon said support shelves;

(h) blower means for continuously distributing replacement air from the intake ports, through the chamber and between the drying racks to exit through the exhaust vents when the chamber is used for dehydrating foodstuffs;

(i) means for stopping said distribution of replacement air when raising bakery product doughs;

(j) a resistance heating element having a heater housing and adaptable for positioning upon the bottom of said chamber and adjacent to the side opposite said access door;

(k) a water trough adaptable for positioning in close spacial relationship above said heating element for increasing the relative humidity within said chamber when used for raising dough;

(l) means for regulating the temperature of the air within said chamber adaptable to regulate said temperature within the foodstuff dehydration temperature range of 100°

F. to 160°

F. and the dough raising temperature range of 75°

F. to 100°

F.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said water trough is attached to said dough raising shelf and adaptable for positioning above said heating element when said dough raising shelf rests upon the lowermost pair of support shelves.