Patent Description:
Hot meals on board passenger aircraft are typically prepared in oven inserts installed in the galley of the aircraft. These oven inserts can use steam, convection or induction for cooking meals. Currently, galley ovens used in passenger aircraft have the drawback that a plurality of meals supplied by a catering service have to be loaded into the ovens for cooking and subsequently unloaded from the ovens by the flight crew.

Loading and unloading of the ovens is very time-consuming. As a result, crew members occupied with this task are unavailable to carry out other services for the passengers for an extended period. Furthermore, when unloading of the ovens, crew members can burn themselves on hot surfaces of the ovens.

In addition, because current oven inserts used on commercial aircraft are designed for cooking many meals all at the same time and in accordance with a common heating profile, they are not well-suited for cooking individual meals on-demand in an energy efficient manner and in accordance with a unique cooking profile to create a quality meal.

The subject invention is directed to an oven insert that overcomes these drawbacks by providing a system for cooking individual food products on-demand in accordance with a predetermined cooking profile. <CIT> relates to a conveyorized oven.

The subject invention is directed to a new and useful oven system as defined by claim <NUM>, which is particularly well adapted for making on-demand meals in an automated galley installed on a commercial aircraft. The oven system includes a housing having a cooking path extending between an inlet for introducing a food product into the cooking path and an outlet for retrieving the food product from the cooking path.

There are a plurality of heating zones located along the cooking path for sequentially cooking the food product, and a conveyor assembly is provided for transporting the food product from the inlet of the cooking path to the outlet of the cooking path through the plurality of heating zones. The conveyor assembly includes a plurality conveyor belts for transporting the food product through the plurality of cooking zones.

There is at least one heating element located within each cooking zone, and the heating element is selected from the group of heating elements consisting of a resistive heating element, an inductive heating element, a ceramic heating element, a metallic heating element and a microwave heating element.

In an embodiment of the invention, the inlet of the cooking path is adjacent a top of the housing and the outlet of the cooking path is adjacent a bottom of the housing. In an embodiment of the invention, the plurality of heating zones includes heating zones that are adjacent one another within the housing. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plurality of heating zones includes heating zones that are vertically spaced apart from one another within the housing.

The oven system further includes a data input device for entering data relating to a predetermined cooking profile of the food product to control the at least one heating element located within each heating zone. It is envisioned that the predetermined cooking profile relates to at least one of a transport speed of the conveyor assembly, an activation time of one or more of the heating elements, and a temperature of one or more of the heating elements. In an embodiment of the invention, a fan is associated with the cooking path within the housing, and the predetermined cooking profile relates to operating parameters of the fan.

The data input device is selected from the group consisting of a bar code scanner, a QR code scanner and an RFID scanner for automatically setting the predetermined cooking profile for a particular food product. Alternatively, the data input device is a user interface for manually setting the predetermined cooking profile for a particular food product.

The oven system further includes means for sending a message that the food product is ready for serving. The means for sending a message that the food product is ready for serving can includes at least one of a visual signal indicator and an audible signal indicator. Alternatively, the means for sending a message that the food product is ready is a device that is adapted and configured to facilitate communication between the oven and a Personal Electronic Device (PED).

The subject invention is also directed to an oven for preparing meals on demand in the galley of an aircraft, which includes a housing having a cooking path extending between an inlet for introducing a plurality of food products in succession to the cooking path and an outlet for retrieving the food product from the cooking path. A plurality of heating zones is located along the cooking path and they are spaced vertically apart from one another within the housing for sequentially cooking the food product. A conveyor assembly is provided for transporting the food product from the inlet of the cooking path to the outlet of the cooking path through the plurality of heating zones, and at least one heating element is located within each cooking zone.

A data input device is also provided for entering data relating to a predetermined cooking profile of a food product introduced into the cooking path to control the at least one heating element located within each heating zone. And, a controller is provided for receiving the data relating to the predetermined cooking profile from the data input device to control heating element located within each heating zone based thereon.

These and other features of the on-demand oven of the subject invention will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which the subject invention appertains from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following brief description of the drawings.

So that those having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand how to make and use the oven system of the subject invention without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to the figures wherein:.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or elements of the subject invention, there is illustrated in <FIG> a new and useful oven system, which is designated generally by reference numeral <NUM>. Oven system <NUM> is adapted for use as a galley insert for making meals on a commercial aircraft.

More particularly, the oven system <NUM> can be used for making meals on-demand in an automated self-service galley installed on a commercial aircraft, where passengers could purchase a meal, for example, from a crew member or vending machine, and then prepare that meal in the oven system <NUM> without assistance from a crew member. Alternatively, a crew member can make meals on-demand utilizing the oven system <NUM> of the subject invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the oven system <NUM> includes a housing <NUM> having a cooking path <NUM> extending between an inlet <NUM> located near the top of housing <NUM> for introducing food products <NUM> into the cooking path <NUM> and an outlet <NUM> located near the bottom of housing <NUM> for retrieving food products <NUM> from the cooking path <NUM>. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, there are a plurality of heating zones located along the cooking path <NUM> for sequentially cooking food products <NUM>. For example, heating zones 20a through 20d of cooking path <NUM>.

It is envisioned that each heating zone along the cooking path <NUM> would be configured to perform a different function, such as for example, defrosting, preheating, grilling, cooking and/or crisping or the like, which would allow for the creation of a particular heating profile for a food product, resulting in a perfectly cooked meal. While the cooking path <NUM> shown in <FIG> includes four heating zones (20a through 20d), it is envisioned that the oven system <NUM> could include fewer or more than four cooking zones. The more cooking zones there are in the oven, the more meals can be cooked sequentially at the same time.

To achieve this functionality, each heating zone 20a-20d along the cooking path <NUM> includes one or more heating element <NUM>. That is, there is at least one heating element located within each cooking zone 20a-20d, designated by reference numerals 22a-22d, respectively. It is envisioned that the heating element(s) in each zone could be the same type of heating elements, or one or more of the heating elements could be different from the others. The heating elements 22a-22d would be selected from a group of heating elements consisting of a resistive heating element, an inductive heating element, a ceramic heating element, a metallic heating element, an infrared heating element and/or a microwave heating element.

The oven system <NUM> further includes a conveyor assembly for transporting food products from the inlet <NUM> of the cooking path <NUM> to the outlet <NUM> of the cooking path <NUM> through the plurality of heating zones 20a-20d. As illustrated in <FIG>, according to the invention, the conveyor assembly includes a plurality of sequentially arranged and vertically separated motorized conveyor belts 24a-24d for transporting food products <NUM> through the plurality of cooking zones 20a-20d. They conveyor belts 24a-24d are preferably fabricated from a heat resistant material, such as linked metal struts, chain linked wires or the like, and they are preferably driven by a mechanical drive mechanism such as a chain and sprocket assembly or belt and pulley assembly.

According to the invention, the cooking path <NUM> also includes a series of cooperating guide ramps <NUM> and deflector flanges <NUM> for directing the flow of food products <NUM> along the cooking path <NUM> from the inlet <NUM> to the outlet <NUM> in an orderly and efficient manner. More particularly, at the terminal end of each conveyor belt there is an angled guide ramp <NUM> that fees a meal product toward an oppositely angled deflector flange <NUM> located adjacent a leading edge of a successive or following conveyor belt.

The oven system <NUM> further includes a data input device <NUM> for entering data relating to a predetermined cooking profile of the food product <NUM> to control the at least one heating element <NUM> located within each heating zone 20a-20d. More particularly, the predetermined cooking profile could relate to at least one of an activation time of one or more of the heating elements <NUM>, and/or a temperature of one or more of the heating elements <NUM>.

It is envisioned that the predetermined cooking profile could also relate to a transport speed of one or more of the conveyor belts 24a-24d. In an embodiment of the subject invention, at least one fan <NUM> is associated with the cooking path <NUM> within the housing <NUM>, and the cooking profile could relate to the operating parameters of the fan <NUM>, to allow for a cooling period or the like, for example. Alternatively, the fan <NUM> could be used to blow hot air over a food product <NUM> to enhance heat transfer within one or more of the heating zones 20a-20d.

Preferably, the data input device <NUM> is selected from a group of devices consisting of a bar code scanner, a QR code scanner and an RFID scanner for automatically setting the cooking profile for a particular food product <NUM>. The data input device <NUM> is preferably located at or near the inlet <NUM> to the cooking path <NUM>, so that it can readily obtain data from a bar code label <NUM> on the package of the food product <NUM>.

Alternatively, the data input device is a user interface panel <NUM> located on the front of the housing <NUM> for manually setting the cooking profile for a particular food product <NUM> using a set of buttons <NUM>, for example, in accordance with an instruction set on the product packaging. The user interface panel <NUM> includes a graphical display <NUM> for presenting messages and other operating information to a user.

The oven system <NUM> further includes a device for sending a message that a food product <NUM> is ready for serving. The device for sending a message that a food product <NUM> is ready for serving can includes a visual signal indicator <NUM> associated with the user interface panel <NUM> or an audible signal indicator <NUM>. Alternatively, the device for sending a message that a food product <NUM> is ready is an electronic device <NUM> (e.g., a wireless transmitter) associated with the user interface panel <NUM> or elsewhere in the oven system <NUM> that is adapted and configured to facilitate communication between the oven system <NUM> and a Personal Electronic Device (PED).

Referring now to <FIG>, there illustrated a schematic illustration of the control architecture for the oven system <NUM> of the subject invention. In particular, the control architecture includes an oven controller <NUM> that includes programmable control electronics and associated control software <NUM>. The control software <NUM> is adapted and configured to receive and process data that is input or otherwise entered through the user interface <NUM> relating to the cooking profile of a food product <NUM> or from the bar code scanner <NUM>, which obtains data relating to a cooking profile from a barcode <NUM> on a food product <NUM>.

The control software <NUM> of oven controller <NUM> is also adapted and configured to receive data or feedback from one or more sensors <NUM> associated with each of the multiple heating zone located within the cooking path <NUM> of oven system <NUM>, for example a temperature sensor or a motor speed sensor. In addition, the control software <NUM> is adapted and configured to communicate control instructions to a heater element <NUM>, conveyor belt motor <NUM> and air circulation fan <NUM> associated with each heating zone in the cooking path <NUM> of oven system <NUM>.

The oven system <NUM> of the subject invention provides several benefits over prior art oven inserts installed on aircraft. The oven system <NUM> is designed for cooking a single meal in an efficient manner, rather than cooking a plurality of meals all at the same time, thus conserving power. The use of a tailored cooking profile or program for a specific food product provides for optimal cooking and high quality meals. Because of the conveyor system, there is no need to access a meal from the oven while it is hot, so there is less chance of a crew member getting a burn injury.

Claim 1:
An oven for preparing meals on demand comprising:
a) a housing (<NUM>) including a cooking path (<NUM>) extending between an inlet (<NUM>) for introducing a food product (<NUM>) into the cooking path and an outlet (<NUM>) for retrieving the food product from the cooking path;
b) a plurality of heating zones (20a-20d) located along the cooking path for sequentially cooking the food product;
c) a conveyor assembly for transporting the food product from the inlet of the cooking path to the outlet of the cooking path through the plurality of heating zones,
d) at least one heating element (22a-22d) located within each cooking zone; characterized in that the conveyor assembly includes a plurality of sequentially arranged and vertically separated motorized conveyor belts (24a-24d) for transporting the food product through the plurality of cooking zones;
and that the cooking path (<NUM>) includes a series of cooperating guide ramps (<NUM>) and deflector flanges (<NUM>) for directing the flow of the food product (<NUM>) along the cooking path (<NUM>).