Baking oven having inductors and susceptor plates

• US 8,766,148 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haas Food Equipment GmbH (Buhler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Franz Haas Waffel- und Keksanlagen-Industrie GmbH
• Inventors: Haas, Johann, Haas, Johannes, Haas, Josef, Koletnik, Erich, Obermaier, Fritz, Jiraschek, Stefan, Pickart, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Ket D
• Application Number:
  US12/030,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20090200291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,331 Days
• Field of Search: 219620-622, 219/624, 219/630, 219/631, 219634-637, 219/645, 219/647, 219/649, 219650-653, 219655-658, 219671-676, 993/73, 994/43.C, 994/43.R, 993/91, 993/93, 993/24, 99360-367, 993/77, 99380-386, 993/97, 994/04, 994/07, 994/20, 994/21.H, 994/21.HH, 994/21.HV, 994/23, 994/32, 994/39, 994/28, 426/523, 426/118, 426/234, 426/243, 432/121, 432/152
• US Class Current: 219/622
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 5/023 Hinged moulds for baking waffles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/12 Cooking devices

Abstract

A baking oven for producing baked molded products. The baking oven has an input station, a baking area and an output station. In addition, the oven has baking plates, which are arranged along a circulation path passing through the baking area, and a conveying device for the baking plates. The baking plates are in the form of susceptor plates, which can be heated inductively without contact. An induction heating device is provided in the baking area. This device includes at least one elongated inductor, which is arranged parallel to the circulation path of the baking plates and extends along the circulation path over a plurality of susceptor plates. The elongated inductor produces a large-area, broad magnetic field, which simultaneously inductively heats a plurality of baking plates in the form of susceptor plates without any contact.

Claims

1. A baking oven comprising:

an input station, a baking area with a horizontal baking zone, an output station, baking plates arranged one behind the other along a circulation path passing through said horizontal baking zone, and a conveying device for said baking plates;

said baking plates being constructed as susceptor plates for contact-free inductive heating by a single large-area, broad magnetic field extending over at least two successive said baking plates;

a single elongated inductor disposed in said horizontal baking zone and extending along said circulation path over said at least two successive susceptor plates for generating the single large-area broad magnetic field.

2. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said single elongated inductor is disposed beneath said circulation path.

3. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said single elongated inductor is disposed above said circulation path.

4. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said single elongated inductor is disposed above said circulation path and further including a second said single elongated inductor is disposed beneath said circulation path.

5. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said circulation path includes two circulation path sections disposed one above another and each passing through a respective said horizontal baking zone disposed in said baking area one above another, each said horizontal baking zone having at least one respective said single inductor disposed therein.

6. The baking oven according to claim 5, wherein said single elongated inductor is disposed beneath said circulation path section in each said horizontal baking zone.

7. The baking oven according to claim 5, wherein said single elongated inductor is disposed above said circulation path section in each said horizontal baking zone.

8. The baking oven according to claim 5, wherein said single elongated inductor is two single elongated inductors, one said single elongated inductor disposed above and one said single elongated inductor disposed below said circulation path section in each said horizontal baking zone.

9. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said baking plates are fixed on a common turntable rotatable about a vertical axis, said circulation path being circular, and said singular elongated inductor being an elongated arcuate inductor disposed along said circulation path.

10. The baking oven according to claim 9, wherein said elongated arcuate inductor is disposed beneath said circulation path.

11. The baking oven according to claim 9, wherein said elongated arcuate inductor is disposed above said circulation path.

12. The baking oven according to claim 9, wherein one said elongated arcuate inductor is disposed above said circulation path and one said elongated arcuate inductor is disposed beneath said circulation path.

13. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said baking plates are upper and lower baking plates, said upper and lower baking plates are accommodated in upper and lower tong parts of a plurality of baking tongs arranged one behind another along said circulation path, said baking tongs are conveyed by said conveying device in a closed state through said horizontal baking zone, said horizontal baking zone being provided with a single upper elongated inductor disposed above said circulation path and contact-free inductive heating the upper baking plates of at least two successive ones of said baking tongs by a single large-area, broad magnetic field generated by said single upper elongated inductor and extending along said circulation path over the upper baking plates of at least two successive ones of said baking tongs, and said horizontal baking zone being provided with a single lower elongated inductor disposed beneath said circulation path and contact-free inductive heating the lower baking plates of at least two successive ones of said baking tongs by a single large-area, broad magnetic field generated by said single lower elongated inductor and extending along said circulation path over the lower baking plates of at least two successive ones of said baking tongs.

14. The baking oven according to claim 13, wherein said baking tongs are each fixed on a respective turntable rotatable about a vertical axis, said single elongated inductors being elongated arcuate inductors disposed along said course of said circular path.

15. The baking oven according to claim 13, wherein said baking tongs are arranged one behind another along said circulation path and said circulation path includes two circulation path sections disposed one above another and each passing through a respective said horizontal baking zone disposed in said baking area one above another, each said horizontal baking zone being provided with a single upper elongated inductor disposed above said circulation path and contact-free inductive heating the upper baking plates of at least two successive baking tongs by a single large-area, broad magnetic field generated by said single upper elongated inductor and extending along said circulation path over the upper baking plates of at least two successive baking tongs, and each said horizontal baking zone being provided with a single lower elongated inductor disposed beneath said circulation path and contact-free inductive heating the lower baking plates of at least two successive baking tongs by a single large-area, broad magnetic field generated by said single lower elongated inductor and extending along said circulation path over the lower baking plates of at least two successive baking tongs.

16. The baking oven according to claim 13, wherein each of said baking tongs has an upper tong part pivotably connected to a lower tong part by a hinge, and said baking plates accommodated by said tong parts are in each arranged between two edge pieces, which laterally adjoin said baking plates, said edge pieces are arranged on the hinge side of said baking tong, and one of said edge pieces arranged at a free end of said upper tong part having a control roller for opening and closing said baking tong.

17. The baking oven according to claim 16, wherein said baking plates are electrically insulated from said edge pieces.

18. The baking oven according to claim 16, wherein each of said baking tongs has a baking tong locking apparatus having locking elements disposed on a side edge of said baking tong which is remote from said hinge, said locking elements fitted on said edge pieces of said tong parts which are arranged on said side edge, next to said baking plates.

19. The baking oven as claimed in claim 13, wherein said upper and lower tong parts each have flat plate frames in which said upper and lower baking plates are disposed with exposed rear sides.

20. The baking oven according to claim 19, wherein said flat plate frames have lateral frame parts arranged on both sides of said baking plates, said frame parts are connected to one another by a front transverse rail arranged along a front edge of said baking plate and by a rear transverse rail arranged along a rear edge of said baking plate.

21. The baking oven according to claim 20, wherein said transverse rails are electrically insulated from said lateral frame parts.

22. The baking oven according to claim 19, wherein said baking plates are floatably mounted in said flat plate frames, or are displaceably arranged, to a limited extent, at right angles relative to a flat plate plane.

23. The baking oven according to claim 22, wherein said baking plates are displaceably arranged in transverse rails of said flat plate frames, to a limited extent, at right angles relative to a flat plate plane.

24. The baking oven according to claim 13, wherein said baking plates contain inserts embedded to form baking mold halves.

25. The baking oven according to claim 24, wherein said baking plates are cast iron or steel and said baking mold halves are aluminum.

26. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said baking plates each include respective upper and lower baking plates, said circulation path is an upper and a lower circulation path, each having horizontal circulation path sections passing through said horizontal baking zone along a horizontal baking stretch, said upper and lower baking plates disposed at said horizontal baking stretch are positioned opposite one another and constitute upper and lower baking mold halves, each of said upper and lower circulation paths having a respective chain conveyor for respectively carrying said upper and lower baking plates, said upper circulation path includes an upper return section remote from said horizontal baking stretch and passing from said output station back to said input station, said lower circulation path includes a lower return section remote from said horizontal baking stretch and passing from said output station back to said input station, said horizontal baking zone is provided with a single upper elongated inductor disposed above said horizontal baking stretch and contact-free inductively heating at least two successive upper baking plates by said magnetic field generated by said single upper elongated inductor and extending along said horizontal baking stretch over at least two successive upper baking plates, said horizontal baking zone is provided with a single lower elongated inductor disposed beneath said horizontal baking stretch and contact-free inductively heating at least two successive lower baking plates with said magnetic field generated by said single lower elongated inductor and extending along said horizontal baking stretch over at least two successive lower baking plates.

27. The baking oven according to claim 26, wherein said lower baking plates are disposed on said lower chain conveyor with upwardly pointing baking faces in said horizontal baking stretch said upper baking plates are disposed on said upper chain conveyor with downwardly pointing baking faces in said horizontal baking stretch, said upper baking plates are oscillatingly suspended on said upper chain conveyor, said upper chain conveyor deposits said upper baking plates on top of said lower baking plates at a beginning of said horizontal baking stretch to assemble said baking mold halves into baking molds, said baking molds are conveyed by said lower chain conveyor along said horizontal baking stretch through said horizontal baking zone, said upper chain conveyor raises said upper baking plates from said lower baking plates at the end of said horizontal baking stretch to disassemble said baking molds.

28. The baking oven according to claim 26, wherein along said lower return section of said lower circulation path, a second elongated inductor is configured for contact-free inductively heating of said lower baking plates arranged in said lower return section, said second elongated inductor extends over at least two successive lower baking plates and generates a single magnetic field extending over the lower baking plates and contact-free inductively heating the lower baking plates.

29. The baking oven according to claim 26, wherein along said upper return section of said upper circulation path, a second elongated inductor is configured for contact-free inductively heating of said upper baking plates arranged in said upper return section, said second elongated inductor extends over at least two successive upper baking plates and generates a single magnetic field extending over the upper baking plates and contact-free inductively heating the upper baking plates.

30. The baking oven according to claim 26, wherein said lower baking plates are disposed in said lower chain conveyor and are electrically insulated from said lower chain conveyor.

31. The baking oven according to claim 26, wherein said upper baking plates are disposed in said upper chain conveyor and are electrically insulated from said upper chain conveyor.

32. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said single elongated inductor is provided with a broad transverse extension extending transversely to said circulation path and is also provided with a long longitudinal extension extending along the course of said circulation path over a circulation path section containing said at least two successive susceptor plates.

33. The baking oven according to claim 32, wherein said single elongated inductor includes two or more inductor bars, said inductor bars extend parallel to one another along said circulation path.

34. The baking oven according to claim 33, wherein said inductor bars are individual inductor bars and each said individual inductor bar defines a respective individual inductor loop.

35. The baking oven according to claim 33, wherein said elongated inductor bars are fixed on a framework of the baking oven, said elongated inductor bars are mounted on said framework in electrically insulated manner.

36. The baking oven according to claim 32, wherein said single elongated inductor includes two or more individual inductors, said two or more individual inductors are arranged side by side and each one of said two or more individual inductors defines an individual inductor loop.

37. The baking oven according to claim 36, wherein each one of said two or more individual inductors is a U-shaped inductor having two inductor bars disposed along the course of said circulation path parallel to one another.

38. The baking oven according to claim 36, wherein each one of said two or more individual inductors includes inductor bars arranged along the course of said circulation path parallel to one another, said inductor bars are connected at their ends by a transverse bar to define an elongated coil in a longitudinal direction of said two or more individual inductors.

39. The baking oven according to claim 32, wherein said single elongated inductor defines an individual inductor loop and said single elongated inductor includes inductor bars arranged along the course of said circulation path parallel to one another, said inductor bars are connected at their ends by a transverse bar to define an elongated coil in a longitudinal direction of said individual inductor.

40. The baking oven according to claims 32, wherein said single elongated inductor defines an individual inductor loop having two half-loops disposed side by side, within said single elongated inductor two half-inductors are arranged side by side, each half-inductor is provided with inductor bars arranged along the course of said circulation path parallel to one another, said inductor bars are connected at their ends by a transverse bar to define an elongated coil in a longitudinal direction of said half-inductor.

41. The baking oven according to claim 40, wherein said inductor bars and said transverse bar of one of said half inductors are connected to define a coil in a clockwise direction and said inductor bars and said transverse bar of the other of said half inductors are connected to define a coil in a counterclockwise direction.

42. The baking oven according to claim 40, wherein said two half-inductors are provided with inductor bars and transverse bars connected to define a coil in the same direction.

43. The baking oven according to claim 32, wherein said single elongated inductor defines an individual inductor loop, said single elongated inductor is provided with inductor bars arranged along the course of said circulation path parallel to each other, said inductor bars are connected to one another alternately at their ends by a transverse bar, said inductor bars and said transverse bars are arranged in a pattern of meander having loops arranged one after another in a direction transverse to said circulation path.

44. The baking oven according to claim 43, wherein said inductor bars are solid bars having a low rectangular cross section and having a broad side facing said circulation path and said baking plates.

45. The baking oven according to claim 32, wherein said single elongated inductor is fixed on a framework of the baking oven, said single elongated inductor is mounted on said framework in electrically insulated manner.

46. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said single elongated inductor is disposed horizontally in the baking oven, said single elongated inductor is mounted to be vertically adjustable on a framework of the baking oven.

47. The baking oven according to claim 1, wherein said single elongated inductor is disposed at a distance to said circulation path which is smaller than the range of the magnetic field generated by said single elongated inductor.