Hot-air circulation cooking oven

Abstract: A cooking oven includes a box-like casing (l2) defining a heating chamber (l4) wherein food in placed. A rear plate (l2c) of the casing has a recess projecting outward, a number of suction holes (24) cut in the bottom of the recess, and a number of discharge holes (26, 28) cut in sections located above and below the recess. A cover (30) is fixed to the outer surface of the rear plate to define a storing chamber (3l). In the storing chamber are arranged a fan (34) for drawing air in the heating chamber into the storing chamber and discharging the air into the heating chamber, and a heater (36) for heating the sucked air. The cover has a first air-directing section (32a, 33a) for directing part of hot air from the fan in a direction parallel to the top plate (l2a) of the casing, and a second air-­ directing section (32c, 33c) for directing part of the hot air in a direction different from the direction wherein the hot air is directed by the first air-­ directing section.

Description: This invention relates to a hot-air circulation cooking oven for cooking food within a heating chamber by circulating hot air within the chamber with the use of a fan as it is disclosed in EP-A-0023627. Such, a hot-air circulation cooking oven has an inner casing defining a heating chamber for storing a cooking tray at its center and a pan-like cover attached to the rear plate of the inner casing to define a fan chamber in which a hot air circulation fan and heater are provided. A number of suction holes are cut, as punched holes, in the center portion of the rear plate. A number of upper discharge holes and of lower discharge holes are cut in the upper and lower portions of the rear plate, above and below the suction holes. The upper and lower discharge holes are formed in a band-like array extending in the horizontal direction. The fan is arranged opposite to the suction holes and driven by a motor which is provided external to the cover. A heater is ring-like in configuration and provided around the fan. When the fan and heater are operated, with two cooking trays set within the heating chamber, air within the heating chamber is sucked into the fan chamber through the suction holes opening between the cooking trays, and is heated by the heater and becomes hot. The hot air is blown into the heating chamber through the discharge holes provided between the top plate of the inner casing and the upper cooking tray, and between the bottom plate of the inner casing and the lower cooking tray. The hot air flows toward the neighborhood of a door situated in front of the heating chamber, and then is sucked again through the suction holes into the fan chamber. In this away, the hot air is circulated within the heating chamber to cook the food set within the heating chamber. In the cooking oven thus manufactured, the hot air has to be circulated up to the region remote from the discharge holes, i.e., up to the neighborhood of the door in front of the heating chamber. Of the cover, the portion facing the discharge holes is inclined toward the heating chamber. Thus the hot air from the fan is directed by the inclination portion toward the heating chamber and sent toward the neighborhood of the door far distant from the discharge holes. In the aforementioned structure, the hot air can be circulated from the discharge holes into a zone far from the discharge holes. However, the hot air is more strongly blown over the food item on the cooking tray as situated on the door side than the food item on the same cooking tray as situated on the discharge hole side. This causes the food items set one behind another on the same tray to be unevenly browned within the heating chamber. Since the suction holes and discharge holes are provided adjacent to one another in the cooking oven, part of the hot air, which is discharged from the discharge holes, is short-circuited, thus causing it to blow from the suction holes directly into the fan chamber without being circulated through the heating chamber. As a result, the hot air cannot be effectively used in heating the food items and the heat quantity is not adequately applied to the zone distant from the discharge holes, resulting in the uneven heating of the food items. Also in the known arrangement, the hot air impinging on the bottom of the upper tray is causing a faster cooking of the food thereon than the food on the lower tray which is exposed to a hot air stream with less temperature. In this way, it has been difficult in the conventional cooking over to uniformly discharge the hot air into the heating chamber so that the food may be uniformly heated from item to item. Another hot-air circulation oven is disclosed in the DE-A-3021144.1. In this prior art however, only one tray is used for cooking food items ghereon. Thus, the problem related to unequal heating of two above each other disposed food trays does not arise with such an oven. Furthermore, from DE-A-24 22 632 and DE-A-24 10 464 there are known hot-air circulation cooking ovens according to the precharacterizing part of claim 1. In both known ovens the suction holes communicate not only with the space between two trays, but also with a further space, what entaels the possibility that the hot air discharged through the discharge holes may directly flow into the suction holes, without fully circulating in the heating chamber. Moreover, in the oven disclosed in the DE-A-24 10 464 the hot air discharged through the upper discharge holes flows between the outer and inner cases, and, thereafter, flows into the space between the top plate and the upper tray which are arranged in the inner case. While flowing between the outer and inner cases, the hot air does not contribute toward heating foods and incurs a considerable loss of heat. Thus, the hot air cannot be efficiently used. It is accordingly the object of this invention to provide a hot-air circulation cooking over with two cooking trays, which can uniformly supply hot air into a heating chamber and uniformly heat food items on the cooking trays. In order to attain the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a cooking over which comprises the features as claimed in claim 1. Further features and advantages of the invention are subject of subclaims. This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figs. 1 to 5 show a cooking oven according to a first embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the oven; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line II-II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view showing a cover with a fan and heater; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of the oven; and Fig. 5 is an exploded, perspective view showing a fitting arrangement of a cover; Figs. 6 and 7 show a cooking oven according to a second embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 6 is a front view corresponding to Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 4; and Figs. 8 and 9 show a cooking oven according to a third embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 8 is a front view corresponding to Fig. 3; and Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 4. Embodiments of this invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a hot-air circulation cooking oven includes outer casing 10 and inner casing 12 located within the outer casing and defining heating chamber 14. Casing 12 is box-like in configuration and has top plate 12a, bottom plate 12b and side plates 12c to 12e with access opening 16 located at the front side. Access to food within heating chamber 14 is gained by opening and closing door 18 which is attached to outer casing 10. A pair of support rails 20, 20 are formed on the inner surface of each of side plates 12d and 12e, and extend in the horizontal direction. Upper and lower cooking trays 22a and 22b are supported by corresponding support rails 20, 20 within heating chamber 14. Rails 20, 20 are so arranged that an equal internal is defined between top plate 12a of casing 12 and cooking tray 22a, between cooking trays 22a and 22b, and between cooking tray 22b and bottom plate 12b. At the center portion of side plate 12c, i.e., the rear plate of casing 12, substantially rectangular recess 15 is formed by "drawing" such that it projects outwardly of the casing. At the bottom wall of recess 15, a plurality of punched holes are formed as suction holes 24 and distributed in a rectangular pattern. Suction holes 24 are formed at a location corresponding to the space between cooking trays 22a and 22b. A number of upper discharge holes 26 are formed in side plate 12c of casing 12 at a location situated above suction holes 24, or recess 15, whereas a number of lower discharge holes 28 are formed in side plate 12c of casing 12 at a location situated below recess 15. Upper exhaust holes 26 are arranged in a rectangular pattern across a substantially whole width of side plate 12c and situated at a location corresponding to the space defined between top wall 12a of casing 12 and upper cooking tray 22a. Lower discharge holes 28 are arranged in a rectangular pattern across a substantially whole width of side plate 12c and situated at a location corresponding to the space between lower cooking tray 22b and bottom plate 12b of casing 12. Cover 30 is a rectangular pan-like in configuration and fixed to the outer surface of rear plate 12c to define storing chamber 31 therebetween. Storing chamber 31 communicates with heating chamber 14 through suction hole 24 and discharge holes 26, 28. As well appreciated from Figs. 1, 3 and 4, cover 30 has bottom plate 30a facing rear plate 12c, upper and lower plates 30b and 30c slantly extending across the whole width of heating chamber 14, and a pair of vertically extending side plates 30d, 30d. Upper and lower plates 30b and 30c are located opposite to upper and lower discharge holes 26 and 28, respectively. Upper plate 30b has first air-directing section 32a located on the side of top plate 12a, vertically extending shoulder 32b and second air-directing section 32c extending from shoulder 32b to bottom plate 30a. First air-directing section 32a is inclined at angle (an acute angle) ϑ1 with respect to top plate 12a, i.e., a horizontal plane, and second air-directing section 32c is inclined at an angle equal to, or smaller than, the angle ϑ1 of first air-directing section 32a with respect to a horizontal plane. Similarly, lower plate 30c has first air-directing section 33a, shoulder 33b and second air-directing section 33c. In storing chamber 31 are arranged fan 34 facing suction holes 24 and substantially ring-like electric heater 36 located around the outer periphery of fan 34. Fan 34 is rotated in a predetermined direction i.e., in a counterclockwise direction, by means of motor 38 which is provided outwardly of cover 30. As well appreciated from Figs. 4 and 5, top plate 12a of casing 12 is bent upward at the rear end portion to form bent section 17. The middle portion of bent section 17 further projects upward, thereby forming an engaging piece 17a. Latching member 19 with engaging hole 19a extends from the upper end of cover 30 in a direction of casing 12. Cover 30 is securely fixed by screw 21 to casing 12 with engaging piece 17a inserted into engaging hole 19a. In the attachment of cover 30 to casing 12, cover 30 can readily be positioned relative to casing 12 by means of a combination of engaging piece 17a and latching member 19. In Fig. 1, reference numeral 46 represents a motor. Rotation shaft 46a of motor 46 extends into heating chamber 14 through bottom plate 12b of casing 12. With cooking trays 22a and 22b not in use, a turntable (not shown) is placed in engagement with rotation shaft 46a within heating chamber 14 such that it may be rotated by motor 46. The cooking oven is equipped with a magnetron (not shown) and can be used as a microwave oven. The operation of the cooking oven having the above construction described. When many food items are to be cooked at a time, upper and lower cooking trays 22a and 22b are set within heating chamber 14 through access opening 16 and, upon closing door 18, motor 38 and heater 36 are operated by actuating the operation section, not shown. When fan 34 is rotated by motor 38, air between cooking trays 22a and 22b within heating chamber 14 is sucked from suction holes 24 into storing chamber 32. The sucked air, while being agitated in a vortex by the rotation of fan 34, is blown outwardly, at which time it is heated by heater 36 and becomes hot air. The hot air abuts plates 30a and 30b of cover 30 and is directed toward rear plate 12c of inner casing 12, thereby being discharged into heating chamber 14 through discharge holes 26 and 28. Here, first and second air-directing sections 32a and 32c of upper plate 30a are inclined at different angles and hence the hot air abutting the upper plate is divided into two streams: a stream along the first air-directing section and stream along the second air-directing section. The hot air abutting first air-directing section 32a is discharged in a direction substantially parallel to top plate 12a of casing 12 from discharge hole 26 and flows to that zone in the neighborhood of door 18. The hot air abutting second air-directing section 32c is discharged in a direction different from that of the hot air hit against first air-directing section 32a, i.e., into a zone in the neighborhood of discharge holes 26 within heating chamber 14. On the side of lower plate 30c, the hot air hitting against first-directing section 33a is discharged toward a zone in the neighborhood of door 18 within heating chamber 14, and the hot air hitting against second air-directing section 33c is discharged toward a zone in the neighborhood of discharge hole 28. The food items placed on the tray within heating chamber 14 are cooked by the hot air discharged. According to the hot-air circulation cooker, the hot air is uniformly discharged everywhere into the heating chamber from the discharge holes. On the cooking tray, the food item near the door and food item near the discharge holes can be substantially uniformly heated in a better balance within the heating chamber. Therefore, there is no possibility that some of food items will be locally intensely heated within the heating chamber. It is, therefore, possible to prevent the food items one behind another on the same tray from being unevenly browned. The uneven browning of the food items on the upper tray is markedly improved due to the hot air from the upper discharge holes directly hitting the food items on the upper tray. Similarly, the food items which are placed one behind another on the lower tray are uniformly heated through the cooking tray and browned in better condition. The suction holes are formed in the recess bottom wall which projects outwardly from the casing, and adequately spaced from the discharge holes. Therefore, the hot air discharged into the heating chamber through the discharge holes always flows through the suction holes into the fan chamber after it has been circulated within the heating chamber, without being flowed directly toward the suction holes. Thus, all the air discharged from the discharge holes can effectively be utilized to heat the food in the heating chamber, and discharged into the whole heating chamber so that the food in the heating chamber can be uniformly heated. Furthermore, a greater space can be secured within a heating chamber due to the presence of the recess. Thus, many items of food can be cooked at a time since it is possible to place, within the heating chamber, cooking trays of larger size which would have so far been unable to be held within the heating chamber. This invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments and various changes and modifications can be made within the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. In the first embodiment, for example, the second air-directing section is formed of the upper plate or the lower plate of the cover. However, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the second air-directing section may be formed by an air-directing plate separate from the cover. In this embodiment, upper and lower plates 30b and 30c of cover 30 constitute first air-directing sections 32a and 33a, respectively. Second air-directing section 32c is formed of air-directing plate 42 which is fixed to bottom plate 30 along the edge of first air-directing section 32a. Air-directing plate 42 extends across the whole width of cover 30 and is inclined at an angle of ϑ2 (ϑ2 ≦ ϑ1) to a horizontal. Similarly, second air-directing section 33c is formed of air-directing plate 44 which is fixed to bottom plate 30a of cover 30 along the edge of first air-directing section 33a. Air-directing plate 44 extends across the whole width of cover 30 and is inclined at an angle, smaller than the inclination angle of first air-directing section 33a, with respect to the horizontal. Even in the second embodiment, it is also possible to prevent the food on the tray within the heating chamber from being unevenly browned as in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, air-directing plates 42 and 44 may have a plurality of punched holes as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In this case, it is possible to improve uneven heating in the front and rear zones around the cooking tray as in the case of the first embodiment. Further, any possible unbalance in the amounts of hot air discharged into the left and right zones around the cooking tray within the heating chamber can be improved by the straightening effect of the punched holes. The left-right unbalance, though depending upon the capability of the heater, diameter of the fan, number of rotations of the fan, and so on, can be much improved by selecting the length of the air-directing plate, diameter and pitch of the punched holes, etc. The number of the second air-directing sections can be increased as required. An increased number of the second air-directing sections allows the hot air to be finely controlled in their discharging directions. The cover for defining the storing chamber, though being provided at the rear plate of the inner casing, may be fixed to any other side plate of the inner casing.

Claims: A hot-air circulation cooking oven, comprising: a box-like casing (12) having a top plate (12a), a bottom plate (12b), and a plurality of side plates (12c, 12d, 12e) and defining a heating chamber (14) wherein food items are placed, one of the side plates (12c) having a recess (15) projecting outward, a number of suction holes (24) formed in the bottom of the recess (15), and a number of discharge holes (26, 28) formed in sections located above and below the recess (15); upper and lower cooking trays (22a, 22b) arranged in the heating chamber (14), substantially in parallel to the top plate (12a), said upper discharge holes (26), located above the recess (15), opening to a first space between the top plate (12a) of the casing (12) and the upper cooking tray (22a), and said lower discharge holes (28), located below the recess (15), opening to a second space between the bottom plate (12b) of the casing and the lower cooking tray (22b); a cover (30) fixed to the outer surface of said one side plate (12c) and cooperating with said one side plate (12c) to define a storing chamber (31) communicating with the suction holes (24) and the discharge holes (26, 28); a fan (34) arranged in the storing chamber to face the suction holes (24), for drawing air in the heating chamber (14) into the storing chamber (31) through the suction holes (24) and discharging the air through the upper and lower discharge holes (26, 28) into the first space and the second space; a heater (36) located in the storing chamber (31) along the outer periphery of the fan (34), for heating the air sucked into the storing chamber (31); and drive means (38) for rotating the fan (34); characterized in that: said suction holes (24) are opened to a third space between the upper and lower cooking trays (22a, 22b) so that air in the third space is drawn into the storing chamber through the suction holes (24); and said cover (30) includes a pair of first air-directing sections (32a, 33a) opposing to said upper and lower discharge holes (26, 28), respectively, and inclined at a predetermined angle, for directing part of hot air from the fan (34) into said first and second spaces in a direction substantially parallel to the top plate (12c); and a pair of second air-directing sections (32c, 33c) opposing to said upper and lower discharge holes (26, 28), respectively, and inclined at a predetermined angle different from the inclination angle of the first air-directing sections (32a, 33a), for directing part of the hot air from the fan (34) into the first and second spaces in a direction different from the direction in which the hot air is directed by the first air-directing sections (32a, 33a) so that the hot air from the fan is supplied into, and uniformly distributes the first and second spaces. A cooking oven according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said second air-directing sections (32c, 33c) is inclined at an angle to the horizontal direction so that the hot air from the fan (34) is directed to an area within the heating chamber (14) in the neighborhood of the corresponding discharge holes (26, 28), said angle being smaller than the inclination angle of the first air-directing sections (32a, 33a). A cooking oven according to claim 1, characterized in that said cover (30) includes a bottom plate (30a) facing said one side plate (12c) of the casing (12), an upper plate (30b) provided opposite to the upper discharge holes (26) and having said first and second air-directing sections (32a, 32c), and a lower plate (30c) provided opposite to the lower discharge holes (28) and having said first and second air-directing sections (33a, 33c). A cooking oven according to claim 1, characterized in that said cover (30) includes a bottom plate (30a) facing said one side plate (12c) of the casing (12), an upper plate (30b) facing the upper discharge holes (26) and constituting said first air-directing section (32a), an upper air-directing plate (42) facing the upper discharge holes (26) and constituting the second air-directing section (32c), a lower plate (30c) facing the lower discharge holes (28) and constituting the first air-directing section (33a), and a lower air-directing plate (44) facing the lower discharge holes (28) and constituting the second air-directing section (33c). A cooking oven according to claim 4, characterized in that said upper and lower air-directing plates (42, 44) have a number of small holes for straightening the hot air which is discharged from the fan (34).

Inventors: ARABORI YOSHINARI, ICHIKAWA KAZUO, MATSUSHIMA KAZUFUMI, ARABORI, YOSHINARI C/O PATENT DIVISION, ICHIKAWA, KAZUO C/O PATENT DIVISION, MATSUSHIMA, KAZUFUMI C/O PATENT DIVISION
Applicants: TOSHIBA KK, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Application year: 1987
Main classification: F24C15
IPC codes: F24C15