Self-cleaning convection oven
First Claim
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1. A self-cleaning oven, comprising:
- a cabinet defining an interior cavity for cooking a food product;
a door moveable between an open position and a closed position for allowing access to the interior cavity;
one or more heating elements positioned in the interior cavity for delivering heat to the interior cavity;
a fan positioned within the interior cavity near the one or more heating elements for circulating heated air within the interior cavity during normal cooking operations;
a first nozzle positioned in the interior cavity of the oven outside of and above the fan, the first nozzle aimed at a periphery of the fan; and
a plumbing system operably connected to a water supply for delivering water into the interior cavity of the oven through the first nozzle, such that, as part of a self-cleaning operation, water is discharged onto the periphery of the fan for distribution throughout the interior cavity of the oven.
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Abstract
A self-cleaning convection oven includes a cabinet defining an interior cavity for cooking a food product; a door moveable between an open position and a closed position for allowing access to the interior cavity; one or more heating elements positioned in the interior cavity for delivering heat to the interior cavity; a fan positioned within the interior cavity; and a plumbing system operably connected to a water supply for delivering water into the interior cavity of the oven through a first nozzle positioned near the fan. The plumbing system of the self-cleaning convection oven further also delivers a cleaning solution into the interior cavity of the oven.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A self-cleaning oven, comprising:
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a cabinet defining an interior cavity for cooking a food product; a door moveable between an open position and a closed position for allowing access to the interior cavity; one or more heating elements positioned in the interior cavity for delivering heat to the interior cavity; a fan positioned within the interior cavity near the one or more heating elements for circulating heated air within the interior cavity during normal cooking operations; a first nozzle positioned in the interior cavity of the oven outside of and above the fan, the first nozzle aimed at a periphery of the fan; and a plumbing system operably connected to a water supply for delivering water into the interior cavity of the oven through the first nozzle, such that, as part of a self-cleaning operation, water is discharged onto the periphery of the fan for distribution throughout the interior cavity of the oven. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for cleaning an oven having a cabinet defining an interior cavity for cooking a food product, a door moveable between an open position and a closed position for allowing access to the interior cavity, one or more heating elements positioned in the interior cavity for delivering heat to the interior cavity, and a fan positioned within the interior cavity for circulating heated air within the interior cavity during normal cooking operations, the method comprising the steps of:
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placing the door in the closed position; activating the fan; and delivering water into the interior cavity of the oven through a first nozzle positioned outside of and above the fan, the first nozzle aimed at a periphery of the fan, such that water is discharged onto the periphery of the fan for distribution throughout the interior cavity of the oven. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method for cleaning an oven having a cabinet defining an interior cavity for cooking a food product, a door moveable between an open position and a closed position for allowing access to the interior cavity, one or more heating elements positioned in the interior cavity for delivering heat to the interior cavity, and a fan positioned within the interior cavity for circulating heated air within the interior cavity during normal cooking operations, the method comprising the steps of:
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placing the door in the closed position; activating the fan; initiating a pre-rinse phase by opening a drain valve associated with a drain from the interior cavity of the oven, and opening a water solenoid valve for a predetermined time period to discharge water through a first nozzle outside of and above the fan, the first nozzle aimed at a periphery of the fan, such that water is discharged onto the periphery of the fan for distribution throughout the interior cavity of the oven; initiating a filling phase by closing the drain valve, while the water solenoid valve remains open for a predetermined time period to fill the interior cavity of the oven with a volume of water; and initiating a wash phase by energizing a recirculation pump for a predetermined time period while the drain valve remains closed, which pumps an effluent from the interior cavity that passes through the drain, mixes the effluent with a specified amount of a cleaning solution in a cross connector to create a mixture of the cleaning solution and the effluent, and then delivers the mixture to the interior cavity of the oven through a second nozzle positioned outside of and above the fan. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A self-cleaning oven, comprising:
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a cabinet defining an interior cavity for cooking a food product; a door moveable between an open position and a closed position for allowing access to the interior cavity; one or more heating elements positioned in the interior cavity for delivering heat to the interior cavity; a fan positioned within the interior cavity near the one or more heating elements for circulating heated air within the interior cavity during normal cooking operations; a first nozzle positioned in the interior cavity of the oven outside of and above the fan, the first nozzle aimed at a periphery of the fan; a second nozzle positioned in the interior cavity of the oven outside of and above the fan; and a plumbing system that (i) is operably connected to a water supply for delivering water into the interior cavity of the oven through the first nozzle, such that, as part of a self-cleaning operation, water is discharged onto the periphery of the fan for distribution throughout the interior cavity of the oven, (ii) includes a pump for drawing a cleaning solution from a storage receptacle, and (iii) mixes the cleaning solution drawn from the storage receptacle with an effluent draining from the interior cavity of the oven through a drain, thus creating a mixture of the cleaning solution and the effluent that is then delivered into the interior cavity of the oven through the second nozzle as part of the self-cleaning operation. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification