Oven for cooking food

• US 7,634,992 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Bujeau, Robert Fernand, Foray, Michel Georges
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Kenneth B
• Assistant Examiner(s): NDUBIZU, CHUKA CLEMENT
• Application Number:
  US10/540,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20060054155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 126/19.R, 126/273.R, 126/20, 126/20.1, 126/369
• US Class Current: 126/21.00A
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 3/04 Air-treatment devices for ovens, e.g. regulating humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/008 Illumination for oven cavities
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/085 on baking ovens

Abstract

An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:

• • an enclosure (2) for receiving the food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, the enclosure (2) comprising two horizontal walls forming respectively a bottom wall (9) and a top wall (10), interconnected by at least two vertical side walls (7, 8), the enclosure (2) being closed by at least one door (5) that is likewise vertical, and communicating with the outside via an exhaust opening (28) for exhausting gas inside the enclosure (2) and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and
  • a heater device (11) for heating the cooking atmosphere.

Claims

1. An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:

an enclosure for receiving food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, the enclosure comprising two horizontal walls forming respectively a bottom wall and a top wall, interconnected by at least two vertical side walls, the enclosure being closed by at least one door that is likewise vertical, and communicating with the outside via an exhaust opening for exhausting gas inside the enclosure and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and

a heater device for heating the cooking atmosphere;

the oven being characterized by the fact that it comprises;

a regulation chamber, filled at least in part with a liquid of volume adapted to vary between a high level and a low level, the regulation chamber communicating with the enclosure via an air inlet;

an air admission duct which extends between a high end and a low end, the high end opening out outside the regulation chamber and the enclosure, and the low end being within the liquid in the regulation chamber when the level of the liquid corresponds substantially to its high level such that the low end is closed by contact with the liquid in the regulation chamber when the level of the liquid corresponds substantially to its high level;

an evacuation chamber filled at least in part with a liquid of volume that is adapted to vary between a high level and a low level, said evacuation chamber communicating with the regulation chamber during oven cooking operations; and

an evacuation tube extending between the exhaust opening and the evacuation chamber, the evacuation tube having a low end, a high end and an intermediate portion, the low end connected to the exhaust opening, the intermediate portion extending from the low end to the high end, and the a high end opening out into the evacuation chamber above the high and low liquid levels.

2. An oven according to claim 1, including a chimney extending between a first end communicating with the outside of the evacuation chamber and a second end coming over the high level of the liquid, said second end allowing gas under positive pressure to escape from the enclosure via the evacuation tube.

3. An oven according to claim 1, including a regulator itself comprising the regulation chamber and the evacuation chamber, these two chambers constituting side by side volumes that are separated from each other at least in part via a partition internal of the regulator and that communicate with each other via a narrow passage in the partition adapted to allow the liquid to flow between these two chambers.

4. An oven according to claim 1, including, in the evacuation chamber, a first temperature probe for measuring the temperature of the gas coming from the exhaust opening, and in the regulation chamber, a second temperature probe for measuring the temperature of the gas coming into the enclosure via the air inlet.

5. An oven according to claim 1, comprising in the evacuation chamber, a first temperature probe for measuring the temperature of the gas coming from the exhaust opening, and a second temperature probe placed below the low level of the liquid in the evacuation chamber.

6. An oven according to claim 4, including calculation means for determining the relative humidity in the oven as a function of the temperatures measured by the first and second probes.

7. An oven according to claim 1, including a fan disposed inside the enclosure to stir the cooking atmosphere heated by the heater device, said fan creating a suction zone inside the enclosure, the air inlet being situated substantially in the suction zone of the fan.

8. An oven according to claim 1, including vapour-producing means suitable for delivering water vapour into the enclosure, the vapour-producing means external of the regulation chamber.

9. An oven according to claim 1, in which the exhaust opening for exhausting gas under positive pressure inside the enclosure is situated beneath the heater device.

10. An oven according to claim 1, in which the exhaust opening opens out substantially in the lowest point of the bottom wall.

11. An oven according to claim 1, in which the exhaust opening communicates with a siphon adapted to evacuate liquids and condensates from the enclosure while preventing cold air from rising into the enclosure.

12. An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:

an enclosure for receiving food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, the enclosure comprising a bottom wall and a top wall, interconnected by at least two side walls, the enclosure being closed by at least one door, and communicating with the outside via an exhaust opening for exhausting gas inside the enclosure and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and

a heater device for heating the cooking atmosphere;

a regulation chamber, filled at least in part with a liquid of volume adapted to vary between a high level and a low level, the regulation chamber communicating with the enclosure via an air inlet;

an air admission duct which extends between a high end and a low end, the high end opening out outside the regulation chamber and the enclosure, and the low end being lower than the liquid in the regulation chamber when the level of the liquid corresponds substantially to its high level;

an evacuation chamber filled at least in part with a liquid of volume that is adapted to vary between a high level and a low level, said evacuation chamber communicating with the regulation chamber during oven cooking operations;

wherein the evacuation chamber is located higher than the exhaust opening and an evacuation passage extends from the exhaust opening to the evacuation chamber, the evacuation passage opens out into the evacuation chamber above the high and low liquid levels.

13. An oven according to claim 12, including, in the regulation chamber, a temperature probe that measures the temperature of the gas in the regulation chamber prior to the gas entering the enclosure via the air inlet.

14. An oven according to claim 12 wherein the regulation chamber and the evacuation chamber comprise side by side volumes within a common regulator, the regulator located higher than the exhaust opening, the side by side volumes separated from each other at least in part via a partition internal of the regulator and communicate with each other via a passage in the partition adapted to allow the liquid to flow between these two chambers.

15. An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:

an enclosure for receiving food to be heated and for containing a cooking atmosphere, the enclosure comprising a bottom wall and a top wall, interconnected by at least two side walls, the enclosure being closed by at least one door, and communicating with the outside via an exhaust opening for exhausting gas inside the enclosure and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and

a heater device for heating the cooking atmosphere;

a regulation chamber, filled at least in part with a liquid of volume adapted to vary between a high level and a low level, the regulation chamber communicating with the enclosure via an air inlet of the enclosure;

an air admission duct that extends between a high end and a low end, the high end opening out outside the regulation chamber and the enclosure, and the low end being (i) above the liquid in the regulation chamber when the level of the liquid is at the low level, thereby enabling outside air to enter the air admission duct and pass to the enclosure via the air inlet without being blocked by liquid and (ii) within the liquid in the regulation chamber when the level of the liquid corresponds substantially to the high level such that the low end is closed by contact with the liquid in the regulation chamber so as to prevent outside air from entering the air admission duct and passing to the enclosure via the air inlet, such that humidity control is obtained by varying the water level in the regulation chamber;

wherein the high level is defined by an overflow outlet of the regulation chamber and the low end of the air admission duct is lower than the overflow outlet.

16. An oven according to claim 15 wherein the exhaust opening communicates with a siphon adapted to evacuate liquids and condensates from the enclosure while preventing cold air from rising into the enclosure, and the overflow outlet delivers liquid to the siphon.