Abstract:
A grease removal system for an oven that collects excess grease during a cook cycle into a reservoir, which also serves as a container for cleaning solution during a clean cycle. A high-pressured shooter tube allows the cleaning solution to be shot from the reservoir to a ceiling of the oven cavity without the need for extra tubing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to cooking implements, and in particular relates to a cleaning system for rotisserie ovens. 
         [0002]    Rotisserie ovens are traditionally used to cook raw meat and poultry product, such as chicken, duck and the like, inside a cooking chamber. In particular, a food product to be prepared is carried by a rotating spit assembly that brings the food product into communication with a radiating heat source that cooks, and in some cases, browns the outer surface of the food product. 
         [0003]    Some food product, when cooked, produces significant quantities of grease which may be allowed to drain away from the food and to be captured in a drip pan positioned at the bottom of the oven. The drip pan may be attached to a drain line to allow gravity draining of the grease into a removable collection container. One method of providing such a drainage system is described in U.S. Pat No. 7,421,942 entitled “Grease Collection System for Oven,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. For ovens using steam to cook food, the grease may drip into a water-filled condenser chamber and subsequently be pumped out of the chamber for disposal. This method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,997,731 entitled “Grease Handling Apparatus for Closed System Oven,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a grease removal system for a rotisserie oven, having radiation and convection heating, that collects excess grease during a cook cycle into a reservoir, which also serves as a container for cleaning solution during a clean cycle. A high-pressured shooter tube allows the cleaning solution to be shot from the reservoir to the top walls of the oven cavity without the need for additional tubing. 
         [0005]    In one embodiment, the present invention may be an oven having an oven housing defining a cooking volume and having a door providing access to a cooking volume and sealing the cooking volume when the door is in a closed position; a heater communicating with the cooking volume to heat the same; and a cleaning assembly including a reservoir chamber communicating with the cooking volume through a drain opening in a floor of the oven volume, a first suction pump communicating through a first opening in the reservoir to pump a cleaning solution out of the reservoir and expel the cleaning solution to the cooking volume through a nozzle positioned below a center of the cooking volume between a ceiling of the oven volume and the floor of the oven volume, and a conduit communicating with a second opening in the reservoir chamber and a collection container to permit the movement of grease out of the reservoir into the collection container. 
         [0006]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a nozzle that is integrated into the oven for automatic cleaning and is located, near the bottom of the oven so that additional tubing is not needed. 
         [0007]    The nozzle may be configured to expel the cleaning solution through the drain opening. 
         [0008]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a single opening at the oven floor to avoid leakage. 
         [0009]    The nozzle may be concentric with the drain opening to provide clearance around the nozzle for grease and wastewater pass-through. 
         [0010]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow grease and wastewater to drain around the nozzle. 
         [0011]    The nozzle may be configured to expel the cleaning solution through a floor of the oven. The nozzle may extend in a generally upward direction from the floor of the oven volume. 
         [0012]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to position the nozzle so that it may expel the solution to the oven ceiling. 
         [0013]    The oven may further include an electronic computer communicating with the heater element, the first pump, and a second pump communicating with the conduit and executing a program stored in a non-transient medium to (a) receive commands from the user indicating a cooking schedule associated with cooking times and temperatures; (b) activate the second pump according to a selection of a cooking schedule indicating cooking of grease producing foodstuffs; (c) receive commands from the user indicating a cleaning schedule associated with cleaning times and temperatures; and (d) activate the first pump according to a selection of the cleaning schedule. 
         [0014]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow the user to operate pre-programmed cooking and cleaning schedules. 
         [0015]    A valve may be disposed in the conduit that can be actuated to control grease flow from the reservoir into the collection container. 
         [0016]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to expel grease from the reservoir using a valve or pump arrangement. 
         [0017]    The oven may further include a conduit communicating with a third opening in the reservoir chamber and a freshwater source to provide freshwater into the reservoir. 
         [0018]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow recirculation of the cleaning solution and provide cleaning of the reservoir chamber. 
         [0019]    The oven may further include a third pump communicating with a third opening in the reservoir chamber and a cleaning solution source to pump cleaning solution into the reservoir. 
         [0020]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow for automatic filling of cleaning solution into the reservoir. 
         [0021]    The nozzle may be positioned to expel a stream of cleaning solution to a ceiling of the cooking volume. 
         [0022]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow for pressure cleaning of the top wall of the oven and avoid the beater or fan used in steam cleaning. 
         [0023]    The first suction pump may be sized to provide sufficient force and volume to exert a stream of cleaning solution to a ceiling of the cooking volume. 
         [0024]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a direct steam of cleaning solution to clean the entire oven cavity. 
         [0025]    The oven may include a radiating heating system disposed in the cooking volume that receives an electrical current and produces radiating heat; a convection heat system disposed in the cooking volume including one or more heating elements that produce heat in response to an electrical current and a rotating fan that draws incoming air from the cooking volume into the convection heat system, forces the air over the heating elements to become heated, and expels the heated air into the cooking volume; and a spit assembly rotatably attached proximal the side walls and carrying at least one spit configured to support a food product that is heated by the radiating heat source and the convection heat source. 
         [0026]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to use the cleaning system with a rotisserie oven, which typically does not include a water-filled condenser chamber. 
         [0027]    The present invention may further include a method of operating an oven, the method including the steps of (a) providing an oven having an oven housing defining a cooking volume and having a door providing access to a cooking volume and sealing the cooking volume when the door is in a closed position; a heater communicating with the cooking volume to heat the same; a cleaning assembly including a reservoir chamber communicating with the cooking volume through a drain opening in the floor of the oven volume, a first suction pump communicating through an opening in the reservoir to pump cleaning solution out of the reservoir and expel the cleaning solution to the cooking volume through a nozzle positioned below a center of the cooking volume between a ceiling of the oven volume and the floor of the oven volume, and a second suction pump communicating with an opening in the reservoir to pump grease out of the reservoir; (b) activating the second suction pump to pump grease from the reservoir; (c) introducing a cleaning agent into the reservoir to produce a cleaning solution; and (d) activating the first suction pump to pump the cleaning solution from the reservoir through the nozzle. 
         [0028]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide for an automatic cleaning cycle after a cooking cycle whereby the grease pump is only operated during the cooking cycle. 
         [0029]    The method may further include a step between steps (b) and (c) of opening a water inlet valve to allow freshwater to fill the reservoir chamber. 
         [0030]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to automatically create a cleaning solution. 
         [0031]    The method may further include a step after step (d) of activating a third suction pump to remove wastewater from the reservoir chamber. 
         [0032]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to remove grease and wastewater through a common drain. 
         [0033]    Step (c) may further include activating a fourth pump to pump liquid cleaner into the reservoir chamber. 
         [0034]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow the addition of cleaning solution to be automated. 
         [0035]    Step (c) may further include inserting a cleaning tablet into the reservoir chamber through the drain opening. 
         [0036]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow the user to use cleaning tablets to produce the cleaning solution. 
         [0037]    The oven may further include a spit assembly rotatably attached proximal the sidewalls and carrying at least one spit configured to support a food product that is heated by the heater, and further providing a step of rotating the spit assembly during step (d). 
         [0038]    It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to utilize the natural movement of the spit assembly to facilitate dispersal of the cleaning solution to the oven walls. 
         [0039]    These particular objects and advantages may apply to only some embodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0040]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rotisserie oven stacked on top of a warming chamber in accordance with the preferred embodiment; 
           [0041]      FIG. 2  is a fragmentary cross-section along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  showing a first embodiment of the grease management system of the present invention providing for the collection of grease and cleaning solution through a common drain opening; 
           [0042]      FIG. 3  is an orthographic view of the grease management system showing connection to other oven elements including a computer controller board and various pump elements; 
           [0043]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  is a cross-section similar to  FIG. 2  showing the oven cavity and an enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of the shooter tube and reservoir opening; and 
           [0044]      FIG. 5  is a simplified flowchart of the program executed by the controller board of  FIG. 3  for managing grease and cleaning cycles. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0045]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a rotisserie over  40  includes an outer housing  41  having upper and lower walls  42  and  44 , respectively, opposing left and right sidewalls  46  and  48 , respectively, and opposing front and rear walls  50  and  52 , respectively. A cooking chamber  58  is defined by upper and lower walls  42  and  44 , right side wall  48 , and a left chamber side wall  64  spaced inwardly from, and extending parallel to, oven sidewall  46 . 
         [0046]    Walls  64  and  46  thus define the lateral boundaries of a cabinet  68  that contains control components (e.g., a microprocessor or other suitable controller) of oven  40 . In particular, cabinet  68  houses a control assembly  110  (see  FIG. 3 ) that controls various aspects of the oven  40 , such as cooking sequences, draining functions, and cleaning functions as is described in more detail below. Cabinet  68  further houses a motor  74  (see  FIG. 4A ) that drives a spit assembly  82 . Oven operation is controlled by an operator via a set of user controls and outputs  77  that are disposed on the front wall  50  of cabinet  68 . An indicator  81 , such as a light or an audible alarm, can be disposed anywhere on the oven, including at the chef side or the server side, and can be activated either manually or automatically via controls  77  upon completion of a cooking sequence. 
         [0047]    A front door assembly  54  is connected to the front wall  50 , and a rear door assembly  56  is carried by the rear wall  52 , that can both be opened and closed to provide access to cooking chamber  58 . Front door assembly  54  includes a window assembly  55  that provides visible access to the cooking chamber  58 . Rear door assembly  56  may be constructed in the manner described with respect to front door assembly  54 . Oven  40  thus has a pass-through design as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,608,288, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, and thus may further be used in accordance with the methods described therein. 
         [0048]    For instance, one such method of using an oven of the type having a heating cavity that utilizes cooking elements to produce a prepared food product from a raw food product, a chef-side access assembly including a first door for the insertion of raw food product into the cavity, and a server-side access assembly located remote from the chef-side access assembly and including a second door for the removal of prepared food product from the cavity, can include the step of first inserting raw food product into the cavity via the first door. Next, the cooking elements (preferably the rotisserie cooking elements, as are described in more detail below) are activated via controls  77 . Next, indicator  81  is activated once the raw food product has been prepared. Finally, in response to indicator  81  the prepared food product can be removed from cooking chamber via the rear, server-side door  56 . 
         [0049]    The rotisserie oven  40  can be mounted on top of a warming chamber  67  including a housing  70  of generally the same size and shape as housing  41 , and an internal warming chamber (not shown) of generally the same size and shape of cooking chamber  58 . Advantageously, the rotisserie oven  40  and warming chamber  67  may be stacked on top of each other. Ovens  40  and  72  are modular, such that oven  40  has rotisserie and/or convection heating components installed and warming chamber  72  may have a conductive heating systems installed that arc configured to maintain the temperature of the food product that was prepared in the rotisserie oven. Oven  40  can alternatively be supported on for instance, a kitchen floor directly via any suitable conventional a support assembly. For example, oven  40  can be supported by support legs with wheels for ease of maneuvering or with support feet for stabilized positioning. 
         [0050]    Referring in addition to  FIG. 4A , spit assembly  82  includes a plurality of spits (collectively identified as  78 ) that span between sidewalls  46  and  48  of the cooking chamber  58 . Specifically, spits  78  span between a pair of support discs  106  (one shown in  FIG. 1 ) and are suitable for retaining meat product such as chicken, turkey, duck, and the like. Discs  106  are rotated under power supplied by motor  74  to correspondingly rotate the meat product with respect to a heat source or sources. The cooking chamber  58  incorporates a convection heat source  114  that is used to cook raw food product along with a radiation heat system  112  that browns the food being prepared. 
         [0051]    A recess is formed in left chamber sidewall  64  that carries a convection heating system  114  that includes a standard resistive coil in the form of a loop that is connected to controls  77  and produces heat in response to an electrical current input. A fan is disposed inside the loop formed by the coil, and includes a circular plate supporting a plurality of circumferential fan blades that rotate about a hub to draw air into heating system  114  from cooking chamber  58 . The air is also expelled radially outwardly by the fan blades, thereby forcing the air to flow across the resistive coil before being expelled into the cooking chamber  58  to heat the food product. 
         [0052]    Oven  40  further includes a radiating heat system  112  that delivers radiating heat to food product carried by spit assembly  82 . Radiating heat system  112  may be centrally disposed above spit assembly  82  at upper wall  42 . Radiation heat system  112  includes a plurality of rectangular ceramic discs having grooves that at least partially enclose traditional resistive coils. In particular, the bottom of the coil (when positioned as installed in the cooking chamber  58 ) is essentially coated with a ceramic material which has been found to emit infrared heat that is less scattered compared to coils that are not embedded in ceramic. The food product is thus browned more uniformly than conventionally achieved. The coils are connected via electrical leads to the control, and emit heat upon an electrical current input. Accordingly, heat is produced in response to the supply of electrical power to the coils, which is controlled via user controls  77 , in order to prepare food product rotating with spit assembly  82 . 
         [0053]    The outer housing  41  of oven  40  may provide a shelf or caddy  60  attached to the outer surface of the oven side wall  46  for supporting a container for retaining, for example, a concentrated cleaning solution to be pumped into the oven  40 , as will be further described below. 
         [0054]    A controller board  110  within the housing  41  may provide an electronic computer or microcontroller receiving instructions from controls  77  accessible on the front of the oven  40 , and having, for example membrane switches that may be activated by the user. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the controller board  110  generally provides an electronic computer executing a stored program  118  to control, for example, the radiating heating system  112 , convection heat system  114 , spit motor  74 , and cleaning assembly  116 , to be described further below, turning them on and off as necessary to implement a particular cooking schedule or cleaning schedule. 
         [0055]    The rotisserie oven  40  may be as generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,487,716, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, and further adapted as provided in the disclosure provided herein. 
         [0056]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a cleaning assembly  116  of oven  40  provides a reservoir chamber  22  positioned with respect to a lower wall  44  of the cooking chamber  58  so that a drainage aperture  24  of lower wall  44  is located directly above a drainpipe  28  of the reservoir chamber  22 , the latter being a short tube extending vertically upward to the drainage aperture  24  when the reservoir chamber  22  is positioned beneath the lower wall  44 . The drainpipe  28  allows grease and oil  33  passing through the drainage aperture  24  to enter the reservoir chamber  22  under the influence of gravity. The lower wall  44  may be inclined toward the drainage aperture  24  to facilitate the drainage of grease and oil  33  through the drainage aperture  24 . 
         [0057]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the reservoir chamber  22  provides a generally enclosed box having a bottom wall  32  sloping downwardly from an end closest to the drainpipe  28  to an opposite end adjacent to a grease discharge port  34 . In an alternative configuration (not shown), the bottom wall  32  is generally horizontal. Upstanding sidewalls  35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38  around the periphery of the bottom wall  32  retain accumulated grease and cleaning solution within the reservoir chamber  22  as will be described further below. Left sidewall  35  opposite right sidewall  36  define a left and right end, respectively, with respect to the oven  40 , and are connected at their front and rear edges by sidewalls  37 ,  38  defining a front and rear end, respectively, with respect to the oven  40 . These upstanding sidewalls  35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38  are joined at their upper edges to a generally horizontal upper wall  39  adjacent to a bottom of the reservoir chamber  22 . The upper wall  39  carries the drainpipe  28  which aligns with the draining aperture  24  of the lower wall  44 . The lower end of the drainpipe  28  extends below the upper wall  39  and above the water level  26 . In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the drainpipe  28  extends upward but stops at the upper wall  39  so that it does not extend below the upper wall  39 . 
         [0058]    Referring also to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , a shooter tube  108  extends horizontally into the reservoir chamber  22  from the front sidewall  38  toward the rear sidewall  37 , ending generally midway between the front and rear sidewalls  37  and  38 , and closer to the right sidewall  36  than the left sidewall  35 . The shooter tube  108  is generally centered below the drainpipe  28  and drainage aperture  24  to further extend vertically upward through the drainpipe  28 . The shooter tube  108  may be generally concentric with the drainpipe  28  opening. The shooter tube  108  extends slightly above the drainpipe  28  to reside within the draining aperture  24 . However, it is possible for the shooter tube  108  to extend through and reside above the draining aperture  24  or within or below the drainpipe  28 . 
         [0059]    The diameter of the drainage aperture  24  and drainpipe  28  opening are generally similar, with the diameter of the drainpipe  80  opening at least as large as the drainage aperture  24  to prevent leakage. The drainage aperture  24  may be facilitated by a downwardly and inwardly inclined lip which helps to funnel the fluid to the drainpipe  28 . An O-ring  30  or gasket may be positioned between a lip of the drainage aperture  24  and the drainpipe  28  to create a seal at the interface therebetween. 
         [0060]    The shooter tube  108  generally has a diameter less than the diameter of the drainage aperture  24 , and generally less than half the diameter of the drainage aperture  24  and drainpipe provide sufficient clearance around the shooter tube  108 . The clearance allows for the flow of fluids, such as grease, oil, and wastewater through the drainpipe  28  around the shooter tube  108 . The clearance also allows for the insertion of cleaning tablets into the reservoir chamber  22 , to be further described below. 
         [0061]    Referring again to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , left sidewall  35  provides a grease discharge port  34 , a liquid cleaner inlet port  80 , and a freshwater inlet port  83 . The grease discharge port  34  provides for a flow of grease and oil  33  out of the reservoir chamber  22  through a conduit passing to and facilitated by a grease discharge pump  90  or suction pump. The grease discharge port  34  is generally arranged close to the bottom wall  32  to collect grease and oil  33  from a bottom of the reservoir chamber  22 . The liquid cleaner inlet port  80  provides for flow of concentrated liquid cleaner  92  into the reservoir chamber  22  through a conduit passing from a pump  94 . Freshwater inlet port  83  provides for a flow of freshwater  96  from a freshwater source through a conduit and into the reservoir chamber  22  and may be controlled by a valve  98 . Liquid cleaner inlet port  80  and freshwater inlet port  83  are generally centered between the bottom wall  32  and upper wall  39 , or close to the upper wall  39  to be above a water level  214 , to be further described below. 
         [0062]    Front sidewall  38  provides cleaning solution outlet port  84  and shooter tube port  86 . The cleaning solution outlet port  84  allows for the flow of cleaning solution  107  out of the reservoir chamber  22  through a conduit passing to and facilitated by a pump  100 . The pump  100  proceeds to pump the cleaning solution  107  through a conduit to the shooter tube port  86  and into the shooter tube  108  extending within the reservoir chamber  22 . The cleaning solution outlet port  84  is generally arranged close to the bottom wall  32  to collect cleaning solution from a bottom of the reservoir chamber  22 . 
         [0063]    Rear sidewall  37  provides waste drain port  88 . Drainage port  88  allows for a flow of wastewater  102  out of the reservoir chamber  22  through a conduit passing to and facilitated by a suction pump  104 . The drainage port  88  is generally arranged close to the bottom wall  32  to drain wastewater  102  from a bottom of the reservoir chamber  22 . 
         [0064]    It is understood that the location of the ports may be changed to any sidewall  35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ,  39 ,  44  of the reservoir chamber  22  and to any position on the sidewall, It is also understood that a pump or valve described above may be interchanged, or may be substituted by other known mechanisms for moving or controlling the flow of fluids, as understood in the art. It should be appreciated that the valve may be an automatic valve that is electrically connected to the oven circuitry and may be programmed to open and close according to the cooking or cleaning program, or opened and closed by the user via controls. Alternatively, the valve can be a manually actuated valve that is opened and closed using a knob or like handle that extends out from the valve. 
         [0065]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , a controller board  110  may execute a stored program  118  held in a memory  120  using a processor  122  communicating with memory  120 . The program  118  may selectively operate the grease discharge pump  90  both on a periodic basis during the cooking of foods that express grease and only in cooking modes associated with foods that express grease in order to conserve energy. The program  118  implements this functionality by communicating with a cooking program also executed by the controller board  110  and the control panel  111 . The cooking program generally includes and implements pre-stored schedules of cooking times and temperatures for different foods. The cooking program may also allow manual setting of temperatures and times. 
         [0066]    The program  118  also implements a cleaning program associated with the operation of the cleaning assembly  116 . The program  118  may selectively operate the valve  98  during the cleaning program to fill the reservoir chamber with a predetermined volume of freshwater. The program  118  may also selectively operate the liquid cleaner pump  94  during the cleaning program to fill the reservoir chamber with concentrated liquid cleaning  92 , for example, if cleaning tablets are not used. The program  118  may also selectively operate the pump  100  during the cleaning program to wash the oven  40  by pumping liquid cleaning solution  107  through the shooter tube  108  into the oven cavity. The program  118  may also selectively operate the suction pump  104  during the cleaning program to drain the wastewater  102  from the reservoir chamber  22  after washing. 
         [0067]    The program  118  implements this functionality by communicating with a cleaning program (e.g., light clean, medium clean, heavy clean, forced rinse) also executed by the controller board  110  and the control panel  111 . The cleaning program generally includes and implements pre-stored schedules of cleaning step duration, cleaning step order, and oven temperature, for different cleaning modes. The cleaning program may also allow manual setting of cleaning step duration, cleaning step order, and oven temperature. 
         [0068]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a cooking cycle, as indicated by process block  200 , may be initiated by indication of a particular cooking mode, captured by the cooking program  118  through cooking mode buttons  124  on control panel  111 , such as may indicate, for example, a desired cooking schedule for cooking of chicken. In this regard, a particular button  124  may be labeled with indicia indicating roasted chicken, for example. 
         [0069]    During the cooking cycle, a pump cycle, as indicated by process block  202 , in which grease discharge pump  90  is turned on for a brief period of time or periodically may be initiated depending on the cooking program. Alternatively, the pump cycle  202  may be initiated by pressing of a special grease purge button  126  indicating a desire to manually operate the grease discharge pump  90 . 
         [0070]    During the cooking cycle  200 , generally, grease will drop from the cooking food through the drainpipe  28  to be retained by the reservoir chamber  22 . During process block  202 , grease discharge pump  90  is activated to communicate with the reservoir chamber  22  to discharge accumulated grease  33  through the grease discharge port  34 . The grease discharge pump  90  may pump the grease through a conduit of arbitrary length to a collection vessel, for example, removed from the oven  40  for convenient access. The removal path may include a conduit in the from of an inverted U-tube whereby the inverted-U extends higher than the upper wall  39  of the reservoir chamber to prevent excess grease from leaving the conduit if the reservoir chamber overflows. The “siphon” prevents the grease  33  from flowing back into the cooking chamber  58  and out of the inverted “U” since the grease  33  in the conduit cannot be higher than the water level at the source reservoir chamber  22 . The grease discharge pump  90  may communicate with the controller board  110  to be controlled thereby according to the cooking program. Alternatively, a grease discharge valve may replace the grease discharge pump  90  and the inverted U-tube for controlling the flow of grease. The grease discharge valve may control the discharge of grease through the grease discharge port  34 , and may be under the control of the controller board  110 . The controller board  110  may communicate with the grease discharge valve to allow the movement of grease out of the reservoir chamber  22 , as provided by the cooking program  118 . 
         [0071]    When the cooking cycle  200  is ended, a cleaning cycle, as indicated by process block  204 , may be initiated by indication that a stored value, such as time since last cleaning or number of cooking cycles since last cleaning, meets a predetermined level. For example, the amount of time elapsed or number of cooking cycles since last cleaning is compared to a stored cleaning schedule providing a value representing a desired frequency of cleaning. If the stored Value meets the predetermined level, the program  118  proceeds to process block  204 . Alternatively, the cleaning cycle  204  may be initiated by pressing a special clean cycle button  128  indicating a desire to manually activate the cleaning cycle  204 . The user may select a desired cleaning mode, for example, heavy, medium or light cleaning, or quick rinse cycle. If the cleaning cycle  204  is not initiated, the program  118  may be allowed to loop back to process block  200  to allow a subsequent cooking cycle  200 . During the cleaning cycle  204 , the grease discharge pump  90  is turned off. The grease discharge pump  90  is allowed to operate during the cooking cycle  200 . 
         [0072]    During the cleaning cycle  204 , the reservoir chamber  22  is filled with freshwater  96 , as indicated by process block  206 , passing through the freshwater inlet port  83  of the left sidewall  35 . A valve  98  may control the delivery of freshwater  96  through the freshwater inlet port  83  to the reservoir chamber  22 , and may be under the control of the controller board  110 . The controller board  110  may communicate with the valve  98  to deliver a predetermined volume of freshwater  96  into the reservoir chamber  22 , as provided by the cleaning program. The controller board  110  may also communicate with a water level sensor (not shown) so that additional water is added through valve  98  when water is below a water level  214 . At desired water level  214 , the reservoir chamber  22  is filled with, for example, approximately 1 gallon of fluid, and the reservoir chamber  22  is generally filled halfway or below halfway, The desired water level  214  may be above the cleaning solution outlet port  84  and drainage port  88 , and below the freshwater inlet port  83  and liquid cleaner port  80 . However, it is contemplated that the water level  214  may also be at or above the level of the freshwater inlet port  83  and liquid cleaner port  80 . Alternatively, a freshwater pump may replace valve  98 . The freshwater pump may control the movement of water through the freshwater inlet port  83 , and may be under the control of the controller board  110 . The controller board  110  may communicate with the freshwater pump to pump the freshwater into of the reservoir chamber  22 , as provided by the cleaning program. 
         [0073]    As indicated by process block  208 , a cleaning agent is added to the reservoir chamber  22 . When cleaning tablets  91  are used, a desired number of cleaning tablets  91 , for example, one to four cleaning tablets, are placed into the reservoir chamber  22  through the drainpipe  28  opening where the tablets  91  are dropped into the freshwater  96  of the reservoir chamber  22  and are gradually dissolved in the freshwater  96  to produce a cleaning solution  107 . For example, the tablets  91  may last for a desired number of cleaning cycles so that freshwater added at the beginning of each cleaning cycle will continue to produce a cleaning solution  107 . 
         [0074]    Alternatively, the reservoir chamber  22  may be filled with a concentrated liquid cleaner  92  that is mixed with the freshwater  96  of the reservoir chamber  22  to produce a cleaning solution  107 . The concentrated liquid cleaner  92  passes through a liquid cleaner inlet port  80  of the left sidewall  35  into the reservoir chamber  22 . The liquid cleaner pump  94  may pump the concentrated liquid cleaner  92  through a conduit  76  of arbitrary length from a solution container  71 , for example, stored on an external shelf  60  for convenient access (see  FIG. 1 ), to the liquid cleaner port  80  of reservoir chamber  22 . The liquid cleaner pump  94  may communicate with the controller board  110  to be controlled thereby. The controller board  110  may communicate with the liquid cleaner pump  94  to deliver a predetermined amount of concentrated liquid cleaner  92  into the reservoir chamber  22 , as provided in the cleaning program. The concentrated liquid cleaner  92  may be pumped into the reservoir chamber  22  at the beginning of each cleaning cycle sequence, for example, after or about the same time that the freshwater  96  is added. Alternatively, a liquid cleaner valve may replace liquid cleaner pump  94 . The liquid cleaner valve may control the movement of liquid cleaner through the liquid cleaner inlet port  80 , and may be under the control of the controller board  110 . The controller board  110  may communicate with the liquid cleaner valve to permit the movement of liquid cleaner into the reservoir chamber  22 , as provided in the cleaning program. 
         [0075]    Once the reservoir chamber  22  is filled with cleaning solution  107 , either through cleaning tablets  91  or concentrated liquid cleaner  92 , the cleaning cycle proceeds to process block  210 , whereby the pump  100  delivers cleaning solution  107  to the shooter tube  108 . The pump  100  communicates with the controller board  110  to be controlled thereby. The pump  100  discharges the cleaning solution  107  out through the cleaning solution outlet port  84  to the pump  100 . The pump  100  then delivers the cleaning solution  107  back through the shooter tube port  86  of the reservoir chamber  22  to the shooter tube  108 . The controller board  110  may communicate with the pump  100  to deliver cleaning solution  107  to the shooter tube  108  for a predetermined duration or for a predetermined volume of cleaning solution  107 , as provided by the cleaning program. Alternatively, the pump  100  will continue to cycle the cleaning solution  107  from the reservoir chamber  22  to the shooter tube  108  until the oven meets a desired visual cleanliness, and whereby the user may manually end the washing step  210 . 
         [0076]    During washing, the shooter tube  108  discharges the cleaning solution at a high-pressure force and volumetric rate, for example, between 5-10 gallons per minute and preferably at least 7 gallons per minute, allowing the cleaning solution  107  to contact the upper wall  42  of the cooking chamber  58 . The cleaning solution  107  ricochets off the upper wall  42  to contact and clean the sidewalls  64  and  48 . The spit motor  74  may be activated to rotate spit assembly  82 , facilitating the deflection, and dispersal of the cleaning solution  107  onto the sidewalls of the cooking chamber  58 , and to clean the spit assembly  82  itself. Generally, the wastewater  109  will drip from the oven  40  walls and spit assembly  82 , and fall into the drainpipe  28  to be retained by reservoir chamber  22 . 
         [0077]    Next, a draining step, as indicated by process block  210 , will activate the suction pump  104  to discharge the wastewater  102  through the waste drain port  88  and out to a sanitary sewer line. For example, the waste drain port  88  may discharge onto a floor drain or the like. The removal path may include a conduit in the form of an inverted U-shape whereby the inverted extends higher than the upper wall  39  of the reservoir chamber to prevent excess wastewater from leaving the conduit were the reservoir chamber to overflow. The “siphon” prevents the wastewater  102  from flowing back into the cooking chamber  58  and out of the inverted “U” since the wastewater  102  in the conduit cannot he higher than the water level at the source reservoir chamber  22 . The suction pump  104  may communicate with the controller board  110  to be controlled thereby. Alternatively, a wastewater discharge valve may replace the suction pump  104  and the inverted U-tube. The wastewater discharge valve may control the discharge of wastewater through the waste drain port  88 , and may be under the control of the controller board  110 . The controller board  110  may communicate with the wastewater discharge valve to permit the movement, of wastewater out of the reservoir chamber  22 , as provided by the cleaning program. 
         [0078]    The program  118  may loop back to process block  206  to continue cleaning until a set number of cleaning cycles is complete, a predetermined time has elapsed (for example 1-3 hours) or the oven has met predetermined, visual cleanliness. Alternatively, the cleaning cycle  204  may end by pressing the clean cycle button  128  indicating a desire to manually end the cleaning cycle  204 . After the cleaning cycle  204  is ended, the program  118  may loop back, to allow for a new cooking cycle  200  to be initiated. 
         [0079]    In an exemplary cleaning cycle  204 , the process blocks  206  (water fill),  208  (cleaning agent fill-omitted if using cleaning tablets),  210  (wash) and  212  (drain) are run through consecutively, for example, two to three times, in order to remove grease and oils  33  from the oven  40 . To perform a more thorough clean, the duration of step  210  (wash) may be extended to provide a longer wash. Next, the process blocks  206  (water fill),  208  (cleaning agent fill), and  210  (wash) are performed at the same time followed by step  210  (wash) and step  212  (drain) consecutively to perform a rinse cycle. In this respect, the cleaning solution may be re-circulated for an additional rinse before it is drained. The rinse cycle is run through consecutively, for example, three to four times, in order to fully rinse the oven  40  and the reservoir chamber  22 . 
         [0080]    It is contemplated that any schedule of process blocks  206  (water fill),  208  (cleaning agent fill-omitted if using cleaning tablets),  210  (wash) and  212  (drain) may be used in a cleaning schedule, and any duration of steps or order of steps may be performed. For example, steps may be performed simultaneously or sequentially, and repeated in any order, as desired by the cooking schedule. 
         [0081]    Certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front”, “back”, “rear”, “bottom” and “side”, describe the orientation of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. 
         [0082]    When introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and the exemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted. It is further to be understood that the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. 
         [0083]    References to “a controller” and “a processor” should be understood to include one or more microprocessors that can communicate in a stand-alone and/or a distributed environment(s), and can thus be configured to communicate via wired or wireless communications with other processors, where such one or more processor can be configured to operate on one or more processor-controlled devices that can be similar or different devices. Furthermore, references to memory, unless otherwise specified, can include one or more processor-readable and accessible memory elements and/or components that can be internal to the processor-controlled device, external to the processor-controlled device, and can be accessed via a wired or wireless network. 
         [0084]    It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims. All of the publications described herein, including patents and non-patent publications, are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.