Oven with door locking system for cooking food under pressure
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An oven for heating food products under pressure, the oven comprising:
- a housing having side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, the walls defining an enclosure with a cavity inside in which the food products are placed for heating, the front wall of the housing including an opening which permits access to the cavity;
a door hingedly mounted to the housing through a hinge assembly and including a latch for closing off the opening in the oven, the door having a first hinge component, and a first door latch component;
a locking assembly attached to the housing and configured to engage with and lock the door to the housing, the locking assembly including;
a first lock subassembly located adjacent to one of the side walls, the first lock subassembly including a first actuator plate slideably disposed adjacent to the side wall and connected so as to transition laterally along the sidewall in a sealing direction substantially perpendicular to the front wall, the first actuator plate having a second door latch component mounted on the actuator plate and adapted to engage with the first door latch component on the door for latching the door to the first actuator plate when the door is closed against the front wall of the oven, a locking device mounted to the housing and engaged with the first actuator plate, the locking device adapted to transition the first actuator plate in the sealing direction from an unsealed position to a sealed position, the first actuator plate being further from the front wall of the housing in the sealed position than in the unsealed position, the first actuator plate when transitioned by the locking device between the unsealed position and the sealed position is adapted to transition the first and second door latch components in the sealing direction when they are engaged, wherein the transition of the first and second door latch components in the sealing direction functions to pull the door into the front wall of the oven;
a second lock subassembly located adjacent to another side wall, the second lock subassembly including a second actuator plate slideably disposed adjacent to the side wall and connected so as to transition laterally along the side wall in the sealing direction, a connector assembly attached to the second actuator plate and the first actuator plate such that transition of the first actuator plate in the sealing direction causes the second actuator plate to transition laterally along the side wall in the sealing direction, a second hinge component mounted on the second actuator plate and engaged with the first hinge component for hingedly attaching the door to the second actuator plate, the second actuator plate adapted to transition the first and second hinge components in the sealing direction when the first actuator plate transitions the first and second door latch components in the sealing direction, the transition in the sealing direction of the first and second hinge components functioning to pull the hinged door into the front wall of the oven.
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Abstract
An oven system is disclosed that includes an oven housing. A door is hingedly attached to the housing through a locking assembly designed to lock and seal an opening in the housing. The locking assembly includes floating latch and hinge systems which can be translated into and away from the opening of the housing.
51 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An oven for heating food products under pressure, the oven comprising:
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a housing having side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, the walls defining an enclosure with a cavity inside in which the food products are placed for heating, the front wall of the housing including an opening which permits access to the cavity; a door hingedly mounted to the housing through a hinge assembly and including a latch for closing off the opening in the oven, the door having a first hinge component, and a first door latch component; a locking assembly attached to the housing and configured to engage with and lock the door to the housing, the locking assembly including; a first lock subassembly located adjacent to one of the side walls, the first lock subassembly including a first actuator plate slideably disposed adjacent to the side wall and connected so as to transition laterally along the sidewall in a sealing direction substantially perpendicular to the front wall, the first actuator plate having a second door latch component mounted on the actuator plate and adapted to engage with the first door latch component on the door for latching the door to the first actuator plate when the door is closed against the front wall of the oven, a locking device mounted to the housing and engaged with the first actuator plate, the locking device adapted to transition the first actuator plate in the sealing direction from an unsealed position to a sealed position, the first actuator plate being further from the front wall of the housing in the sealed position than in the unsealed position, the first actuator plate when transitioned by the locking device between the unsealed position and the sealed position is adapted to transition the first and second door latch components in the sealing direction when they are engaged, wherein the transition of the first and second door latch components in the sealing direction functions to pull the door into the front wall of the oven; a second lock subassembly located adjacent to another side wall, the second lock subassembly including a second actuator plate slideably disposed adjacent to the side wall and connected so as to transition laterally along the side wall in the sealing direction, a connector assembly attached to the second actuator plate and the first actuator plate such that transition of the first actuator plate in the sealing direction causes the second actuator plate to transition laterally along the side wall in the sealing direction, a second hinge component mounted on the second actuator plate and engaged with the first hinge component for hingedly attaching the door to the second actuator plate, the second actuator plate adapted to transition the first and second hinge components in the sealing direction when the first actuator plate transitions the first and second door latch components in the sealing direction, the transition in the sealing direction of the first and second hinge components functioning to pull the hinged door into the front wall of the oven. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An oven for heating food products under pressure, the oven comprising:
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a housing having side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, the walls defining an enclosure with a cavity inside in which the food products are placed for heating, the front wall of the housing including an opening which permits access to the cavity; a door hingedly attached to the housing through a hinge assembly for closing off the opening in the oven, the door including a first hinge component, and a first door latch component; a locking assembly attached to the housing and configured to engage with and lock the door to the housing, the locking assembly including; an actuation lever pivotally mounted to the housing, the lever includes a lever arm that extends forwardly past the front wall of the housing adjacent to the door, and a lever mounting plate connected to the arm and pivotally mounted to the housing; a first lock subassembly located adjacent to one of the side walls, the first lock subassembly including a first actuator plate slideably disposed adjacent to the side wall and connected to the lever mounting plate such that rotation of the lever causes the first actuator plate to transition laterally along the sidewall in a sealing direction toward either the front or rear walls, the first actuator plate having a second door latch component mounted on the actuator plate and adapted to engage with the first door latch component on the door for latching the door to the first actuator plate when the door is closed against the front wall of the oven, the first actuator plate adapted to transition the first and second door latch components when they are engaged in the sealing direction when the lever is pivoted between a first open position and a second sealed position, the transition in the sealing direction functioning to pull the locked door into the front wall of the oven; and a second lock subassembly located adjacent to one of the side walls on the opposite side of the oven from the first lock subassembly, the second lock subassembly including a second actuator plate slideably disposed adjacent to the side wall and connected so as to transition laterally along the side wall in the sealing direction, a connector assembly attached to the second actuator plate and the first actuator plate such that pivoting of the lever causes the second actuator plate to transition laterally along the sidewall in the sealing direction, the second actuator plate having a second hinge component mounted on the actuator plate and engaged with the first hinge component for hingedly attaching the door to the second actuator plate, the second actuator plate adapted to transition the first and second hinge components in the sealing direction when the lever is pivoted between its first open position and its second sealed position, the transition in the sealing direction functioning to pull the hinged door into the front wall of the oven. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An oven for heating food products under pressure, the oven comprising:
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a housing having side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, the walls defining an enclosure with a cavity inside in which the food products are placed for heating, the front wall of the housing including an opening which permits access to the cavity; a door hingedly attached to the housing through a hinge assembly for closing off the opening in the oven, the door including a first hinge component, and a first door latch component; a locking assembly attached to the housing and configured to engage with and lock the door to the housing, the locking assembly including; an actuation lever pivotally mounted to the housing, the lever includes a lever arm that extends forwardly past the front wall of the housing adjacent to the door, and a lever mounting plate connected to the arm and pivotally mounted to the housing; a first lock subassembly located adjacent to one of the side walls, the first lock subassembly including a first actuator plate slideably disposed adjacent to the side wall and connected to the lever mounting plate through a first linkage, the first linkage adapted to cause the pivoting motion of the lever to produce lateral motion of the first actuator plate along the side wall in a sealing direction substantially perpendicular to the front wall, the first actuator plate having a second door latch component mounted on the actuator plate and adapted to engage with the first door latch component on the door for latching the door to the first actuator plate when the door is closed against the front wall of the oven, the first actuator plate adapted to transition the first and second door latch components when they are engaged in the sealing direction when the lever is pivoted between a first unsealed position and a second sealed position, the transition of the first actuator plate in the sealing direction functioning to pull the locked door into the front wall of the oven, and the second latch component being pivotally mounted on the first actuator plate so as to be biased against pivoting; a second lock subassembly located adjacent to one of the side walls on the opposite side of the oven from the first lock subassembly, the second lock subassembly including a second actuator plate slideably disposed adjacent to the side wall and connected to a connector assembly through a second linkage, the second linkage adapted to cause motion of the connector assembly to produce lateral motion of the second actuator plate along the side wall in the sealing direction, the second actuator plate having a second hinge component mounted on the actuator plate and engaged with the first hinge component for hingedly attaching the door to the second actuator plate, the second actuator plate adapted to transition the first and second hinge components in the sealing direction when the lever is pivoted between its first unsealed position and its second sealed position, the transition of the second actuator plate in the sealing direction functioning to pull the hinged door into the front wall of the oven; and the connector assembly attaching the second actuator plate to the first actuator plate or lever such that pivoting of the lever causes the second actuator plate to transition laterally along the side wall in the sealing direction, the connector assembly including a first connector arm attached to the lever plate, a second connector arm attached to the second actuator plate, and a crossbar extending from one side of the oven to the other, the crossbar being attached to the first connector arm though a bracket such that upward movement of the first connector arm causes rotation of the crossbar, and the crossbar being attached to the second connector arm through a bracket such that rotation of the crossbar causes the second connector arm to move upward, and wherein the second linkage is connected to the second connector arm such that upward or downward movement of the connector arm rotates the second linkage so as to cause lateral transition of the second actuator plate.
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Specification