Patent ID: 9516704
Filing Date: 2016-12-06
CPC Classification: H05B

Claim Text:
1. An oven comprising: an oven chamber having a plurality of vertical walls; at least one impingement air generator disposed in said oven chamber to provide impingement air that flows via an impingement plate from a top of the oven in substantially a vertical direction within said oven chamber; a microwave generator disposed to provide microwave energy into said oven chamber through at least one of said plurality of vertical walls; a vent connected to said oven chamber and being positioned inside said oven chamber; a steam generation apparatus mounted in one of said vertical walls of said oven chamber disposed below said impingement plate, such that steam is provided to said oven chamber through said one of said vertical walls, wherein said steam generation apparatus comprises a steam vent valve in fluid communication with said vent, said vent being in a closed position to retain the steam in said oven chamber and in an open position to release the steam from said oven chamber to an external environment outside of the oven, wherein water that is external of said oven chamber is introduced and converted into the steam inside said oven chamber by said steam generation apparatus; and an oven controller that is capable of operating the oven in a microwave mode, an impingement mode, and/or a steam mode, wherein the steam from said steam generation apparatus is introduced into said oven chamber and released therefrom via said vent, which said vent is in direct fluid communication with said oven chamber, and wherein said steam vent valve is directly controlled by a steam controller.