Recycling cooking oven with catalytic converter

• US 5,927,265 A
• Filed: 05/27/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TurboChef Technologies Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TurboChef Technologies Incorporated (Middleby Corporation)
• Inventors: McKee, Philip R., Winkelmann, Earl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dority, Carroll B.
• Application Number:
  US08/863,671
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 219/400, 126/21 A
• US Class Current: 126/21.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/322 with forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6476 the refrigerating air being used for convection
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/666 Safety circuits emergency protective circuits in general H02H

Abstract

A recycling cooking oven providing a substantially closed environment, includes a thermal plenum for supplying a stream of hot air into a cooking chamber and for receiving a stream of hot air from the cooking chamber, the thermal plenum maintaining a reservoir of hot air therein. The cooking chamber of the oven supplies a stream of hot air into the thermal plenum and receives a stream of hot air from the thermal plenum, the cooking chamber cooking foods therein at least partially with a stream of hot air and such foods adding oxidizable components to the hot air of the stream. A blower and ducting cause the stream of hot air to circulate in substantially a continuous travel path including the thermal plenum and the cooking chamber. A catalytic converter is disposed in the travel path of the stream of hot air, downstream of the cooking chamber and upstream of the thermal plenum, for flamelessly oxidizing oxidizable components in the hot air of the stream leaving the cooking chamber, thereby both to remove them from the hot air of the stream and to release at least some additional heat energy into the hot air of the stream.

Claims

1. A recycling cooking oven for cooking at least in part by hot air impingement and providing a substantially closed environment, comprising:

(A) a cooking chamber for receiving a stream of hot air from a thermal plenum via a plurality of openings in a top of said cooking chamber, said cooking chamber cooking food therein at least partially with streams of hot air from the plurality of openings and such foods adding oxidizable components to the hot air;

(B) a thermal plenum located upstream of said cooking chamber and including a heating means for supplying hot air downwardly into said cooking chamber via said plurality of openings;

(C) means for causing the stream of hot air to circulate in substantially a continuous travel path including said thermal plenum, said plurality of openings and said cooking chamber; and

(D) a catalytic converter disposed in said continuous travel path of the stream of hot air for flamelessly oxidizing oxidizable components in the hot air of the stream leaving said cooking chamber, thereby both to remove them from the hot air of the stream and to release at least some additional heat energy into the hot air of the stream.

2. The oven of claim 1 including means for maintaining said thermal plenum at at least 570°

F.; and

an inlet temperature of said catalytic converter at at least 475°

F. and said catalytic converter being characterized by a light-off temperature of 475-550°

F., said catalytic converter flamelessly oxidizing oxidizable components in the hot air of the stream leaving said cooking chamber essentially to carbon dioxide and water.

3. The oven of claim 1 wherein said catalytic converter is disposed downstream of said cooking chamber and upstream of said thermal plenum.