Abstract:
A food cooking oven has a front door, a back wall opposite the front door, and two side walls connecting the front door to the back wall. The oven also has a rear divider parallel to and spaced apart from the back wall, the rear divider running between the side walls and having a support bracket at a lower edge. The rear divider has a fan inlet. Side brackets are located along each side wall of the oven, each side bracket spaced evenly from the side wall to allow controlled amounts of air to flow between each side wall and each adjacent bracket. A solid cooking surface is adapted to be supported by the support bracket on the lower edge of the rear divider and the side brackets. A lower heating element is positioned below the solid cooking surface and spaced evenly from the solid cooking surface. A fan is positioned between the rear divider and the back wall, the fan is adapted to draw air through the fan inlet in the rear divider and push the air onto the lower cooking element.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/561,730, filed Apr. 13, 2004. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   This invention relates to ovens, and more particularly to ovens for quickly cooking food. 
   BACKGROUND 
   It is desirable to cook foods quickly while also obtaining a proper texture in the foods after cooking. Standard ovens and brick ovens may impart a desirable texture to food, but such ovens may take longer than desired. Microwave ovens are known for fast cooking, but bread dough and other foods do not achieve proper texture when cooked in a microwave. Convection ovens may achieve the proper texture for some foods and are quicker than standard ovens, but are not fast enough for walk-up service as in a convenience store or fast food restaurant. Additionally, rapid-cooking ovens often result in cooked food items that are cooked unevenly due to the high temperatures used and the lack of adequate circulation. 
   As an example, there are no commercial ovens known that can cook a raw pizza of standard size from a raw state to a properly browned and crisp state in less than four minutes. 
   SUMMARY 
   A food-cooking oven has a front door, a back wall opposite the front door, and two sidewalls connecting the front door to the back wall. The oven also has a rear divider parallel to and spaced apart from the back wall, the rear divider running between the sidewalls and having a support bracket at a lower edge. The rear divider has a fan inlet. Side brackets are located along each sidewall of the oven, each side bracket spaced evenly from the sidewall to allow controlled amounts of air to flow between each sidewall and each adjacent bracket. A solid cooking surface is adapted to be supported by the support bracket on the lower edge of the rear divider and the side brackets. A lower heating element is positioned below the solid cooking surface and spaced evenly from the solid cooking surface. A fan is positioned between the rear divider and the back wall, the fan is adapted to draw air through the fan inlet in the rear divider and push the air onto the lower cooking element. 
   Additional implementations may include a plurality of upper heating elements, a plurality of solid cooking surfaces, and/or a plurality of lateral deflectors. Additionally, one or more longitudinal deflectors may be disposed between two or more upper heating elements to deflect radiant heat emitted from the upper heating elements. In one or more implementations, multiple fans may draw air through multiple inlets through multiple interior portions of the oven. 
   The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a convection brick oven.  FIG. 2A  is a sectional plan view of the oven of  FIG. 1  along an axis defined by  3 - 3 . 
       FIG. 2B  is the same view along the axis  2 - 2  as  FIG. 2  with the cooking brick removed to show details obscured by the brick 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional front view of the oven of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of the oven of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a sectional front view of an alternate implementation of an oven. 
       FIG. 5B  is a sectional side view of the alternate implementation illustrated in  FIG. 5A . 
   

   Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , an oven  10  has housing that includes a front  12 , sides  14 , and a back  16 . On the front  12  is a door  18  with a handle  19 , and a control panel  20 . On the sides  14  are side vents  22 . A power cord  17  may be disposed through the back  16  (shown) or the sides (not shown), to provide electricity to the oven  10 . The power cord  17  and the oven  10  may be adapted to operate at any suitable voltage, such as 110V, 220V, or other suitable voltage. 
   The oven  10  may be of varying proportions with sufficient interior dimensions to include the various aspects included in differing implementations. Additionally, the oven  10  may be constructed of various suitable materials. For example, the oven  10  may be constructed of various metals and/or metal alloys, such as aluminum, steel, stainless steel, or other suitable metal and/or metal alloy. Additionally, or alternatively, the oven  10  may be constructed of a ceramic material, heat-resistant polymers, nylons, or other olefin resins. The oven  10  may also contain various components manufactured from any number of materials in a given implementation. Various implementations may provide for cooking food items of varying sizes. For example, the oven  10  may be appropriately sized to cook various sizes of pizzas, calzones, breads, crusts, or other food products. 
     FIG. 2A  illustrates the oven  10  having interior sidewalls  24 , a rear divider  26 , a back wall  28 , and a solid cooking surface  30 . The solid cooking surface  30  has a top side  31  and a bottom-side  33  (shown in  FIG. 4 ), and may be a natural substance, such as a milled stone or baker&#39;s stone or a metal. Solid cooking surface  30  may be a brick, ceramic, metallic, composite or some other solid material. The material must be able to withstand high heat over a long period of time and provide a good cooking surface. Alternatively, the solid cooking surface  30  may be a manufactured substance such as a ceramic, metal alloy, or other suitable manufactured substance. In various implementations, the solid cooking surface  30  exhibits uniform heating properties that facilitate the even distribution of heat, so that when the solid cooking surface  30  is exposed to a heat source, the solid cooking surface  30  distributes the heat in a substantially even manner throughout the top-surface  31  of the solid cooking surface  30 . 
     FIG. 2B  illustrates a sectional plan view of the oven  10  along the line  3 - 3  with the solid cooking surface  30  removed. Side brackets  32  are coupled to the interior side walls  24  and support the solid cooking surface  30 . The side brackets  32  may be spaced from the interior side walls  24  by support pins  34 . Alternatively, the side brackets  32  may be supported by the support pins  34  in a manner in which the support pins  34  are coupled to the interior side walls  24 , and the side brackets  32  rest on the support pins  34 . Other suitable fasteners (not shown) may be used in various implementations to secure the side brackets  32  to the interior walls  24 , such as screws or clips, etc. The side brackets  32  are spaced from the interior side walls  24 . 
   The side brackets  32  may also have front springs  36  to help secure solid cooking surface  30  against rear divider  26 . In alternate implementations, other devices may be used to secure the solid cooking surface  30  within the interior  39  of the oven  10  against the rear divider  26 , such as brackets, or clips (not shown). The rear divider  26  may also have a rear support or shelf  38  to further support the solid cooking surface  30 . The rear shelf  38  may be coupled to the rear divider  26  and/or the side brackets  38  to provide stability to the solid cooking surface  38  when the solid cooking surface  30  is placed in the interior  39  of the oven  10 . 
   Rear shelf  38  and side brackets  32  are designed to allow some movement of solid cooking surface  30  while maintaining a fixed area of airflow both in front of the solid cooking surface  30  and on the sides of the solid cooking surface  30 . 
   As can be seen in  FIGS. 2B ,  3 , and  4 , a heating element  40  is positioned below the solid cooking surface  30  and spaced between the solid cooking surface  30  and an oven floor  29 . The lower heating element may exhibit numerous configurations. For example, the lower heating element  40  may be circular, elliptical, serpentine, or other suitable configuration. Also visible in  FIGS. 3 and 4  is a front deflector  42  or  42   a  which may extend downward at an angle θfrom an upper position on the front interior of the oven  10 . The front deflector  42  may extend from the intersection of the oven ceiling  27  and the interior wall of front  12  of the oven  10  near where the oven door  18  is positioned adjacent to or near the oven ceiling  27 . Alternatively, a front deflector  42   a  may extend downward from the oven ceiling  27  at an angle θ. The front deflector  42   a  is displaced a distance “d” from the interior front of the oven  10 . 
   Additionally, a longitudinal deflector  45  may be coupled to the oven ceiling  27  and/or the rear divider  26 . Upper heating elements  48   a  and  48   b  may be positioned between the solid cooking surface  30  and an oven ceiling  27  to provide additional radiant heat to items being cooked in the oven  10 . The upper heating elements  48  may be configured as circular, elliptical, serpentine, or other suitable configuration. The longitudinal deflector  43  provides a radiant barrier between the upper heating elements  48   a  and  48   b . Accordingly, multiple food items may be placed on solid cooking surface  30  and be cooked at different temperatures based on different heat settings used for the upper heating elements  48   a  and  48   b . 
   A fan  44  is positioned near a fan inlet  46 , which may be a vent disposed in the rear divider  26 . The fan inlet  46  may be voids in the surface of the rear divider  26 , a separate vent placed in a suitable opening in the rear divider  26 , or other suitable inlet operable to communicate an airflow from one side of the rear divider  26  to the other side of the rear divider  26 . In addition to radiant heat, the upper heating elements  48   a  and  48   b  may provide some additional heat to air flowing through the oven  10  as a result of the circulation provided by the fan  44 . 
   When fan  44  is activated air is circulated in the oven  10  as generally shown by arrows  50 . Air within the oven interior  39  is pulled in through the fan inlet  46  to be pushed down between the rear divider  26  and interior back wall  28  of the oven  10 . The air is forced to a lower interior portion  43  containing the lower heating element  40 . The lower heating element  40  heats the air as the air flows under the solid cooking surface  30  through the lower interior portion  43  to create a convection flow within the oven. 
   As the air is pushed toward the front of the oven  10 , a controlled amount of air is allowed to flow up between the side brackets  32  and the side walls  24 . The amount of air allowed to flow between the side brackets  32  and the side walls  24  is not changed if the solid cooking surface  30  shifts within the side brackets  32 , due to the spacing of the side brackets  32  from the oven side walls  24 . Another portion of the airflow reaches the front of the solid cooking surface  30  and flows up between the door  18  and the solid cooking surface  30 . The space between the front of the solid cooking surface  30  and the door  18  is controlled by front springs  36  which push the solid cooking surface  30  against the rear divider  26 , thus providing a consistent space even if the solid cooking surface  30  is moved laterally between the side walls  24 . Even if the solid cooking surface  30  shifts its position on the side brackets  32 , the portion of the side brackets  32  that extend underneath the solid cooking surface  30  to hold the solid cooking surface  30  into place extend a sufficient distance beneath the solid cooking surface  30  to prevent any space between the side brackets  32  and the solid cooking surface  30 . Thus the air flow is directed in a substantially controlled manner through the spaces between the side walls  24  and door  18  and the solid cooking surface  30  from the lower interior portion  43  and the upper interior portion  41 . Thus, the only space between the solid cooking surface and the lower interior portion  43  and the upper interior portion  41  is via the spaces between the side brackets  32  and the side walls  24  and the space between the door  18  and the solid cooking surface  30 . 
   As the bulk of the airflow is directed up between the door  18  and the solid cooking surface  30 , the deflector  42  may interrupt the air flow, as shown by arrows  50  in  FIG. 4 . Without deflector  42  the airflow will not be in contact with the top surface  31  of solid cooking surface  30  and relatively cool regions could develop at various locations on the top surface  31  of the solid cooking surface  30 . The deflector  42  or  42   a  facilitates the airflow over the entire top surface  31  of the solid cooking surface  30 . 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate an alternative implementation of an oven  100 . Reference numerals  100  to  150  in  FIGS. 5A and 5B  generally correspond with reference numerals  10 - 50  of  FIGS. 1 through 4 . The oven  100  includes multiple solid cooking surfaces  130 , and multiple fans  144 . The oven  100  also includes a door or front  118 , a back  128 , side walls  124 , a ceiling  127  and a floor  129 . Support pins  134  may be coupled to the side walls  124  to support side brackets  132 . Side brackets  132  provide a support platform upon which the solid cooking surfaces  130  may be placed. Rear shelf  138  may be coupled to the side walls  124  and/or the rear divider  126  to provide additional support for the solid cooking surface and/or to prevent convection airflow from passing between the solid cooking surfaces  130  and the rear divider  126 . The oven  100  has an oven interior  139  that includes a lower interior portion  143  and upper interior portions  141   a  and  141   b.    
   Solid cooking surfaces  130  include a lower solid cooking surface  131   a  and an upper solid cooking surface  131   b . Accordingly, side brackets  132   a  and  132   b , support pins  134   a  and  134   b , longitudinal deflectors  145   a  and  145   b  and upper heating elements  148  and  148 ′ correspond to upper interior portions  141   a  and  141   b , respectively. The two upper interior portions  141   a  and  141   b  each comprise a separate cooking environment. The upper interior portion  141   a  is located between the upper interior portion  141   b  and the lower interior portion  143 . The multiple interior portions  141   a  and  141   b  allow for multiple food items to be cooked at different temperatures and for varying durations relative to each other. Fans  144   a  and  144   b  correspond with upper interior portions  141   a  and  141   b , and solid cooking surfaces  130   a  and  130   b , respectively. 
   During operations, fans  144   a  and  144   b  draw air from upper interior portions  141   a  and  141   b  through fan inlets or vents  146   a  and  146   b , respectively. The airflow generated by fans  144   a  and  144   b  is depicted in  FIGS. 5A and 5B  by arrows  150 . After the air is drawn through the vents  146 , it is forced downward between the rear divider  126  and the interior back wall  128  to the lower interior portion  143 . As the air continues to move through the lower interior portion  143 , it is heated by lower heating element  140 . A portion of the airflow will be forced upward, passing between the side walls  124  and the side brackets  132   a  and  132   b . A remaining portion of the airflow  150  is divided between the upper interior portion  141   a  and the upper interior portion  141   b . Upper deflectors  147  and  142   a  deflect portions of the airflow  150  into the upper interior portions  141   a  and  141   b , respectively, to ensure uniform heating of the top surfaces  131   a  and  131   b  of the solid cooking surfaces  130   a  and  130   b.    
   Longitudinal deflectors  145   a  and  145   b  may be disposed between the upper heating elements  148  and between the upper heating elements  148 ′ to provide deflection of radiant heat. The upper deflectors  145   a  and  145   b  provide for different food types to be cooked on different portions of the solid cooking surfaces  130   a  and  130   b . For example, some food items may be thicker and require a longer cooking time at a lower temperature than other, thinner food items. 
   By way of example only, and not by way of limitation, a calzone may be thicker, and thus require a longer cook time than a thinner food item, such as a pizza. If both a calzone and a pizza are placed on the solid cooking surface  130   a  for simultaneous cooking, each food item may require a different temperature for cooking. Accordingly, the upper heating elements  148   a  and  148   b  may radiate at differing temperatures to provide the variance. The longitudinal deflector  145   a  limits the amount of radiant heat produced by upper heating element  148   a  from that has an effect on the temperature of the upper interior portion  141   a  between the upper heating element  148   b  and the portion of the solid cooking surface  130   a  below the upper heating element  148   b , and vice versa. 
   The operation of heating elements  40 ,  140  and  48 ,  148  are discussed in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,663, U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,914, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/077,250, all incorporated herein by reference. In addition to the disclosure therein, it is notable that the circulation of airflow will allow the lower heating elements  40 ,  140  to maintain a suitable non-cooking temperature of the solid cooking surface and the air in the oven. Upon operation as explained in the above publications, the upper heating elements  48 ,  148 , which may be one or more heating elements, will be heated to provide a browning effect on the food to be cooked and will also continue to heat the air being circulated. Thus the lower heating elements  40  and  140  may be limited to stand by heating of the ovens  10  and  100 , respectively. In operation this allows for very lower power consumption in stand by mode, which is desirable. 
   A single embodiment of the invention has been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a single upper heating element  48  or  148  may be used. Additionally or alternatively, multiple longitudinal deflectors  45  and  145  may be implemented, such that the number of longitudinal deflectors  45 ,  145  present equal one less than the number of upper heating elements  48 ,  148  to allow for more than two lateral cooking zones to be created using a single solid cooking surface  30 ,  130 . Also, more than two upper interior portions  141  may be used in an implementation, thus allowing for multiple solid cooking surfaces  130  to be used. The multiple cooking zones could operate individually, alternatively, or simultaneously to cook food products in the ovens  10  and  100  in various implementations. Accordingly, other embodiments and implementations are within the scope of the following claims.