Patent Publication Number: US-2018051891-A1

Title: Commercial cooking oven with combustion divider

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates generally to commercial cooking ovens and, more specifically, to an oven including a combustion dividing baffle arrangement to provide even flow of combustion gases around the sides of the cooking cavity. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In commercial kitchens (e.g., found in restaurant, cafeteria and retail environments) ovens of various types are used for cooking a large variety of food items. ovens utilizing gas-burners for heating of the oven cavity are known. In systems utilizing gas burners difficulties can arise in assuring that combustion gases traverse desired flow paths in a manner that will provide relatively even heating of the oven cavity. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a cooking oven adapted to provide an even flow of combustion gases between desired paths around the cavity. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a cooking oven includes cavity walls defining an internal cooking cavity with an opening for enabling food items to be moved into and out of the cooking cavity, and at least one door mounted for providing access to the cooking cavity. Firewalls are spaced from and disposed about the cooking cavity to define a space for flow of combustion gases around the cavity walls, including a combustion area below the cooking cavity, a left flow path externally along a left cavity wall and a right flow path externally along a right cavity wall. A burner is disposed in the combustion area and having a left burner segment disposed left of a centerline of the cooking cavity and a right burner segment disposed right of the centerline of the cooking cavity. A baffle arrangement is located in the combustion area, the baffle arrangement configured for directing combustion gases from the left burner segment along the left flow path and for directing combustion gases from the right burner segment along the right flow path. 
     In another aspect, a cooking oven includes cavity walls defining an internal cooking cavity with an opening for enabling food items to be moved into and out of the cooking cavity, and at least one door mounted for providing access to the cooking cavity. Firewalls are spaced from and disposed about the cooking cavity to define a space for flow of combustion gases around the cavity walls, including a combustion area below the cooking cavity, a left flow path externally along a left cavity wall and a right flow path externally along a right cavity wall. A burner disposed in the combustion area and includes a left burner segment disposed left of a centerline of the cooking cavity and a right burner segment disposed right of the centerline of the cooking cavity. A baffle arrangement is located in the combustion area, the baffle arrangement configured for directing combustion gases from the left burner segment along the left flow path and for directing combustion gases from the right flow segment along the right flow path. The baffle arrangement includes an upper baffle that has a low point substantially aligned with the centerline, and a lower baffle wall extending downward from the low point and between the left burner segment and the right burner segment. 
     In a further aspect, a cooking oven includes a cooking cavity with an opening for enabling food items to be moved into and out of the cooking cavity. A combustion area is located below the cooking cavity and a combustion gas flow space includes paths along left and right external sides of the cooking cavity. A burner is disposed in the combustion area and has a left burner segment disposed left of a centerline of the cooking cavity and a right burner segment disposed right of the centerline of the cooking cavity. A baffle arrangement is located in the combustion area. The baffle arrangement including a lower baffle wall having a lower portion between the left burner segment and the right burner segment and an upper portion higher than the left burner segment and the right burner segment. 
     The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a cooking oven; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-section along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial front elevation view showing the combustion area of the oven of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view of the combustion area and cooking cavity of the oven of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is another partial perspective view of the combustion area and cooking cavity of the oven of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is another partial perspective view of the combustion area and cooking cavity of the oven of  FIG. 1  showing the baffle wall connected to a removable front cover plate; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the oven showing the cover plate connected to a front firewall; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial front elevation showing another embodiment of a baffle arrangement; 
         FIG. 9  is partial front elevation showing another embodiment of a baffle arrangement; and 
         FIG. 10  is a partial front elevation showing another embodiment of a baffle arrangement. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , one embodiment of a cooking oven  10  is shown. The oven includes an box-shaped housing  12  with top, bottom, front, rear and left and right sides. The front side of the housing includes an opening  14  through which food items can be moved into and out of an internal cooking cavity  16 . The housing  10  may, by way of example, be made up of external skins  40  (e.g., of stainless steel), frame components, internal cavity walls  42  (e.g., also of stainless steel), and firewalls  44  between the cavity walls  42  and the external skins  40  (e.g., where insulation may be provided between the firewalls  44  and the skins  40 ). The cooking cavity may also include an internal rack system with one or more food product receiving racks  18 . User interface controls  20  are also shown alongside the cavity, with a side compartment  50  being provided to hold various control components as well as other oven components. 
     The illustrated oven  10  includes two door assemblies  20 ,  22 , each of which is mounted to the housing  12  for rotation about a respective vertical pivot axis  24 ,  26  via pivot assemblies  30 . The pivoting action enables each of the doors to move independently between a closed position and an open position relative to the cooking cavity. In certain embodiments, the doors  20 ,  22  may be easily removable from the housing to facilitate cleaning as described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0211745. 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , in the space between the lower firewall  44  and lower cavity wall  42  provides a combustion area in which a U-shaped burner  60  is mounted. The U-shaped burner includes left and right elongated side segments  62  and  64  joined by a curved segment  66 , where the curved segment  66  is located toward the rear of the oven and the side segments  62  and  64  are disposed left and right of a centerline  200  of the oven cavity. Gas emission orifices are located along the upper portion of both side segments  62  and  64 , and may also be located on the curved segment  66 . A radial blower  70  is located at the rear of the oven cavity  16  behind an intake plate  72  that includes a central set of intake openings  74 . A duct  76  has a lower end that aligns with and opens to the openings  74  and runs upward to an opening the upper cavity wall  42  to provide a flow passage from the space between the upper firewall  44  and cavity wall  42  to the blower. During oven heating the blower  70  is operated and the burner  60  is operated. As depicted by the flow arrows  80  in  FIG. 2 , the blower draws gases down through the duct  76 , such that an overall flow of combustion gases is from the centrally located burner  60  laterally to the left and right, upward along the exterior left side and right side cavity walls  42 , over the top of the upper cavity wall to the opening leading to duct  76 , downward through the duct  76  and into the intake of the blower  70 , then radially outwardly from the blower  70  within the oven cavity  16 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a baffle arrangement  100  is provided in the combustion area to aid in providing relatively even flow of combustion gases on the left and right sides of the cavity. The baffle arrangement includes an upper baffle wall  102  and a lower baffle wall  104  extending downward from the upper baffle wall  102  between the burner tube segments  62  and  64 . The baffle wall  102  includes a central and lowest segment  106  formed by a deep V-structure of the wall that is substantially centered on the centerline  200  of the oven cavity. The sides  106 A,  106 B defining the V-shape may be offset from vertical by an angle (e.g., θ 1  in  FIG. 3 ) of no more than about forty degrees (e.g., between about ten degrees and about forty degrees) to provide a relatively steep incline. In the illustrated embodiment the bottom of the deep V-structure is located slightly above the top of the burner  60  (e.g., between about ¼ inch and about 1 inch above the top of the burner structure). The upper ends of sides  106 A,  106 B join with more gradually inclined baffle segments  108 A,  108 B. In one example, segments  108 A,  108 B are offset from vertical by an angle (e.g., θ 2  in  FIG. 3 ) of at least about fifty degrees (e.g., at least about 60 degrees or at least about 70 degrees). 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 3-6 , the baffle wall  104  (which may be in the form of a plate or adjacent plates) extends downward from the bottom of the V-shaped segment  106 . Where the baffle wall  104  is removable, as in the case of the illustrated embodiment, positioning plates  110 A,  110 B may extend laterally and upwardly from the baffle wall  104  to provide a Y-shaped baffle structure. The bottom of the V-shaped segment  106  sits within the Y-shape to provide proper alignment between the baffle wall  104  and the V-shaped segment  106  and to assure that combustion gases on the left side of baffle wall  104  move to the left and upward along the side  106 A, and combustion gases on the right side of the baffle wall move to the right and upward along the side  106 B. 
     As seen in  FIG. 4 , the bottom edge of the majority of the baffle  104  may be raised slightly above the lower firewall and, in this case, is supported in part by a downwardly extending foot  112  located along the plate. As seen in illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 5 , the baffle wall  104  may extend only partly along the front to rear extent of the U-shaped burner  60  and V-shaped segment  106  (e.g., the baffle wall may extend along between about forty percent and about eighty percent of the length of the front to rear extent of the U-shaped burner, such as between about fifty percent and about seventy percent). However, other variations are possible, including those in which the baffle wall extends along substantially the entire front to rear extent of the U-shaped burner. 
     A burner nozzle  120  is connect to burner segment  64  and provides the gas feed for the entire U-shaped burner. At the front end of the baffle wall a set of lateral mount tabs  122  are provided for securing the baffle wall to a removable combustion cover plate  130 , which in turn mounts (e.g., using screws) to a front firewall  132  (see  FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The mount tabs  122  include fastener openings  124  that align with fastener openings  134  in the cover plate  130 , and screws are used to connect the cover plate  130  and baffle wall  104 . When the cover plate  130  is removed to access the burner, the baffle wall  104  is also removed, the two plates  130  and  104  being an interconnected unit. The front end of the baffle wall also includes a set of forwardly extending alignment tabs  140  that align with and fit within respective alignment slots  142  of the cover plate  130 . The alignment tabs and slots help properly position the mount tabs fastener openings  124  into alignment with the cover plate fastener openings  134 . 
     The baffle structures may, for example, all be formed of stainless steel, as can the cover plate  130 . 
     It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible. For example, in certain embodiments, the upper baffle  102  with deep V-shaped segment  106  may suffice to provide even distribution of the combustion gases, eliminating the need for the vertical baffle wall, as shown in  FIG. 8 . In other embodiments, the deep V-shaped segment may be eliminated from the upper baffle. In one such example shown in  FIG. 9 , the vertical baffle wall extends vertically higher, as suggested by upper baffle  102 ′ and baffle wall  104 ′. In the arrangement of  FIG. 9  the baffle wall  104 ′ could also be formed a part of a Y-shaped baffle structure as suggested by the dashed lines in  FIG. 9 , in which case a low point of upper baffle  102 ′ would be positioned within the Y-shape. In another example, an upper baffle  102 ″ could be bent or otherwise formed to provide a substantially vertical central portion  150  as shown in  FIG. 10 , where a baffle wall  104 ″ that is formed as part of a Y-shaped baffle structure is also shown in dashed line form. Other variations are possible.