Smoked food apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for smoking food items, said apparatus comprising:
- an oven includingconveying means for continuously conveying said food items through said oven,circulating means for circulating a cooking medium in said oven, andimpingement means for contacting said food items with said cooking medium in an impinging manner; and
adding means for adding smoke to said cooking medium such that said smoke contacts said food items along with said cooking medium,wherein said circulating means is operable for delivering said cooking medium and said smoke through said impingement means and onto said food items in said impinging manner at a velocity effective for accelerating the rate at which said food items are cooked and smoked.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, and method for cooking and smoking food items and a smoked product produced by the inventive method. The inventive apparatus preferably comprises (a) an oven including a belt-type conveyor, for continuously conveying food items through the oven, and a circulation system for circulating a cooking medium in the oven such that the cooking medium contacts and cooks the food items and (b) a smoke generation and delivery system for delivering smoke to the circulating system such that the smoke contacts the food items along with the cooking medium. The inventive method preferably comprises the steps of (a) continuously conveying food items through an oven and (b) delivering smoke into the oven such that the smoke contacts the food items. The oven used in the inventive apparatus and inventive method is preferably an indirect-fired oven. The smoke most preferably contacts the food items in an impinging manner.
60 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for smoking food items, said apparatus comprising:
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an oven including conveying means for continuously conveying said food items through said oven, circulating means for circulating a cooking medium in said oven, and impingement means for contacting said food items with said cooking medium in an impinging manner; and adding means for adding smoke to said cooking medium such that said smoke contacts said food items along with said cooking medium, wherein said circulating means is operable for delivering said cooking medium and said smoke through said impingement means and onto said food items in said impinging manner at a velocity effective for accelerating the rate at which said food items are cooked and smoked. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for smoking food items, said apparatus comprising:
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an oven including conveying means for continuously conveying said food items through said oven and circulating means for circulating a cooking medium in said oven such that said cooking medium contacts and cooks said food items; and adding means for adding smoke to said cooking medium such that said smoke contacts said food items along with said cooking medium, said circulating means comprising blowing means for blowing said cooking medium, said blowing means having an inlet, said adding means being operable for delivering said smoke to said inlet, said apparatus further comprising smoke generating means for generating said smoke, said blowing means being operable for creating a vacuum at said inlet which will draw said smoke from said generating means, and said adding means including boosting means for boosting the delivery of said smoke to said inlet.
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13. An apparatus for smoking food items comprising:
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an oven; impingement means, in said oven, for contacting said food items in an impinging manner with a cooking medium; adding means for adding smoke to said cooking medium such that said smoke will contact said food items along with said cooking medium; a blower; and conduit means for conducting said cooking medium and said smoke from said blower to said impingement means, said blower being operable for blowing said cooking medium and said smoke through said impingement means and onto said food items in said impinging manner at a velocity effective for accelerating the rate at which said food items are cooked and smoked. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for smoking food items comprising:
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an oven including conveying means for continuously conveying said food items through said oven, circulating means for circulating a cooking medium in said oven such that said cooking medium contacts and cooks said food items, and heating means for heating said cooking medium such that no fuel combustion products produced by said heating means directly contact and mix with said cooking medium and adding means for adding smoke to said cooking medium such that said smoke contacts said food items along with said cooking medium, wherein said circulating means is operable for continuously recirculating said cooking medium and said smoke through said heating means and into contact with said food items. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification