VERTICAL CONVEYOR OVEN WITH ADVANCED AIRFLOW

A conveyor oven is disclosed comprising a cooking chamber, thermal heating source, conveyor means and top and bottom airflow within the cooking chamber wherein substantial uniformity of the cooking of food in the convection oven is achieved. Specifically, the apparatus and methods of the present invention provide for moving food through a first heated section with one particular heat and airflow, then through a second section with an air flow in the opposite direction wherein the oven can produce a very high volume of food that is evenly baked.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present innovation relates generally to devices and methods for use in cooking food products. Provided is an oven having a conveyor means for moving food through a first heated section with a first heat source and airflow and then through a second heated section with a second heat source and airflow in the opposite direction wherein the oven can produce a very high volume of food that is evenly baked.

At the start of the day, the oven will be preheated to ready to cook conditions. The oven temperature and the cook time will be set on the controls based on the product to be cooked. When the operator is ready, product will be inserted into the upper slot. The product will pass down into the first airflow stream, and then continue through the second airflow stream. The product will then exit the bottom slot. Products that are cooked will experience one of three situations:Product on the right side of the oven may see the hottest air first and then the cooler air second.Product on the left side of the oven may see the cooler air first and then the hottest air second.Product in the middle of the oven (side to side) will always see an intermediate temperature.

In this manner, all products will be well cooked. With initial reference toFIGS. 1-6conveyor oven includes exterior front wall, exterior right side wall, exterior left side wall, exterior back wall, exterior bottom wall and exterior top wall. Food products, not shown, are transported into and through cooking chamber by conveyor. In one embodiment, the conveyor assembly comprises a continuous conveyor which extends from entrance opening and exit opening. The width of conveyor allows for placement of trays. In one embodiment, the trays are removable.

The conveyor oven may be supported by legs, movable by rollers or both. In addition, the oven may sit on a support base, shelf or table top, or be stacked one above another.

FIG. 1shows one embodiment of an oven20of the present invention complete with the outer skin22, which houses the internal components and the insulation. In typical use, food product is inserted into the oven through the top slot24(shown on the oven front). The top slot can include a top door24amounted within a main door25. The cooked product exits at the bottom through a bottom slot26which can include a bottom door26amounted in the main door25. A window28can be provided for viewing the food. Products may be placed on a tray or rack so that multiple products may be at anyone vertical position. A top30can be provided for food placement or for a control module32as shown inFIG. 2

FIG. 2is a front view of the oven ofFIG. 1showing the control module32mounted on the top30. The control module32can offer temperature controls, conveyor speed controls, and different settings that may be required to cook different types or thicknesses of food. The conveyor movement downward through the cavity may be continuous or indexing (where the movement will be multiple small rapid moves followed by a period of stationary positioning. The airflow for the indexing movement may be designed to maximize the airflow directed at the top and bottom of the product to enhance the speed of cook by changing the position of the air holes in the ducts. The airflow temperature of the top and bottom duct outlets may be set independently to adjust for buoyancy effects. The volume of air delivered from the top and bottom duct outlets may be set independently to adjust for buoyancy effects. Instead of exiting through a bottom slot, the product may enter a holding cabinet that is attached to the oven bottom. As additional products are cooked, the holding cabinet will index down to accommodate the next product. Oven operators can the access the hot cabinet to remove the desired products.

The gas flow within the conveyor oven, as well as other functions of cooking appliance are directed by the control module32. The c control module32determines, among other things, the velocity of gas flow, which may be constant or varied, or, may be constantly varied throughout the cooking cycle. It may be desired to cook the food product on one velocity throughout the entire cooking cycle, or to vary the gas velocity depending upon conditions such as a pre-determined cooking recipes, or vary the gas velocity in response to various sensors that may be placed within the cooking zone, oven return gas paths or various other positions within the oven. The location and placement of said sensors will be determined by the particular application of the oven. Additionally, other means may be utilized wherein data is transmitted back to the controller, and thereafter the controller adjusts the cooking recipe in an appropriate manner. For example sensors (temperature, humidity, velocity, vision and gas borne chemical mixture level sensors) may be utilized to constantly monitor the cooking conditions and adjust the gas flow, and other sensors not described herein may also be utilized and the cooking conveyor oven may utilize sensors that are not currently commercially practical due to cost or other limitations (such as laser, non-invasive temperature sensors, IR sensors and laser to locate the sensed area and other sensors that are currently too expensive to be commercially feasible), and the oven is not limited to those discussed herein, as many sensing devices are known and utilized in and applicant intends to encompass within the language any structure presently existing or developed in the future that performs the same function.

FIG. 3is a rear side view one embodiment of part of the internal components of an oven20of the present invention. The previously described outer skins22and top mount onto a hollow chamber assembly38. The chamber assembly38include a left conveyor assembly40mounted within the chamber assembly on the left side and a right conveyor assembly60mounted within the chamber assembly38on the right side to move pans80from top to bottom within the oven20. The left conveyor assembly40is shown exploded and the right conveyor assembly60is shown assembled and mounted within a cooking chamber34of the oven20. The left conveyor assembly40comprises a conveyor belt42that rotates vertically around a pair of shafts43that mount into a conveyor frame44. A central slot45is located within the conveyor belt42.

A heating assembly50mounts within the chamber assembly38from the rear to blow warm convection oven air from side to side within the chamber assembly. A drive assembly70mounts at the rear of the oven to drive the left conveyor assembly40and the right conveyor assembly60.

As best shown inFIG. 4, andFIGS. 2 and 5, the heating assembly50can comprise a hollow blower unit51that is divided into an upper portion52and a lower portion53. A left blower54attaches the upper portion52, and a heater56mounts within as seen through an intake57. A right blower55attaches to the lower portion53and also includes a heater56and an intake57on the bottom of the hollow blower unit51. A left duct61attaches to the left side of the hollow blower unit51and includes a plurality of slots59in the top to vent convection air thereform. A plurality of holes62are located in the in the bottom of the left duct61. The right duct59is a mirror of the left duct61with the slots59on the bottom and the holes62on the top (seeFIG. 8).

As shown inFIG. 6, at the top of the oven20, convection air exits from the slots59in the top of the left duct61and enters the holes in the top of the right duct59. At the bottom of the oven20, the convection air exits from the slots59in the bottom of the right duct59and enters the holes in the bottom of the left duct61. Thus, the upper portion of the oven has convection flow from left to right, and the lower portion has convection flow from right to left.

In one embodiment, the heater56of the conveyor oven is comprised of two independently controlled gas transfer systems, described herein as a first gas transfer system56aand a second gas transfer system56band although the first and second gas transfer systems56a,56bare described as identical, it is not required that they be identical. Described herein in detail is the first gas transfer system56a.The bottom system is made, functions and operates in the same manner as the top system. Alternately, heating coils can be used.

The term “gas” refers to any fluid mixture, including air, nitrogen and other mixtures that may be used for cooking, and applicant intends to encompass within the language and meaning any gas or gas mixture existing or developed in the future that performs the same function. Additionally, the term “airflow” refers to, and includes gas flow.

First gas delivery system56aofFIG. 4delivers temperature-controlled gas to the top side of food product and second gas delivery system56bdelivers gas to the bottom side of the food product. Independent control of top and second gas transfer systems is known and further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,568,802, 5,717,192, 6,517,882, and 6,716,467.

Turning now toFIGS. 5 and 6, the heating assembly50ofFIG. 4is show with the left duct60nested into the central slot45of the left conveyor assembly40and the right duct59nested within the central slot45of the right conveyor assembly60. Pans90can be seen supported between the left conveyor assembly40and the right conveyor assembly60, and can be moved from top to bottom by the conveyors40,60. As descried previously and best shown inFIG. 6, the upper portion of the oven has convection flow from left to right, and the lower portion has convection flow from right to left

FIG. 7shows a rear view of the oven20and the drive assembly70mounts at the rear of the oven to drive the left conveyor assembly40and the right conveyor assembly60.

In one embodiment, portions of oven are cooled by one or more cooling duct wherein fresh air is drawn through intake opening and distributed throughout oven as required.

In one embodiment, the first and second gas supply systems are the same configuration and function to uniformly circulate hot gas flow to the top and bottom sides of food product upon the conveyor, and return the gas to the gas heating means for re-delivery to the cooking chamber.

The number and placement of the apertures will vary according to the particular oven that is desired. For example, a general purpose conveyor oven may be scaled to a baking oven by changing the number of apertures, which may be fewer in number but be larger in size, thereby allowing for a more gentle gas flow across the food product, and producing proper delicate baking of the food product. If a browning oven were desired, the apertures may be more numerous and smaller in diameter.

Although the first gas flow system has been described in detail, the second gas system functions in the same manner.

Although the exemplary embodiment illustrates the use of a two blower design with one blower providing the gas flow to the top of the cooking cavity and a second blower for gas flow to the bottom of the cooking cavity, one gas flow means may be utilized, or more than two gas flow means may be utilized and applicant intends to encompass within the language any structure presently existing or developed in the future that performs the same function.

Although one version present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, various sizes of conveyor ovens may be made. In these cases larger or smaller component parts may be utilized, and fewer or more components may be employed. In the case where it is desirable to make a smaller conveyor oven, one gas flow acceleration means may be utilized instead of two; smaller or fewer thermal gas devices may be used.

To summarize, the present invention provides for a conveyor oven utilizing hot gas flow, supplied from combustion energy in order to achieve faster cooking of food products. The conveyor oven is simple and economical to manufacture, use and maintain, and is directly scalable to larger or smaller embodiments.

All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated as incorporated by reference. It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein, will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

As will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art, the methods and compositions of the invention substantially reduce or eliminate the disadvantages and drawbacks associated with prior art methods and compositions.

While it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of the invention herein disclosed fulfill the objectives stated above, it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments may be devised by one of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and embodiments, which come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.