Patent Description:
In particular, the invention relates to a climatic chamber which is suited for all restaurateurs, catering companies, bakeries, delicatessens, and possibly also non-professionals, who need equipment for regenerating blast-chilled finished or semi-finished dishes, maintaining the temperature of dishes ready to be served and for proofing baked goods.

In the last few years, many restaurateurs have found themselves in the condition of needing to work efficiently in extremely confined spaces. Choosing the best cooking equipment is crucial in this case and factors such as footprint and multifunctionality are extremely important. Operators are no longer concerned with using traditional cooking equipment to achieve the desired results because the important factor is now to use the wide range of technologies available to them to produce high-quality food for the customer every time, even if it means using less conventional cooking methods. Nowadays, the focus is more on the food, the current trends, and the speed of delivery to the customer rather than having lots of traditional kits in the kitchen. Worldwide, as kitchens increasingly dominate both the classic restaurant and food delivery scene, traditional restaurateurs must be able to incorporate new food trends, innovative cooking methods, and exceptional skills into their kitchens.

Performance and energy efficiency are decisive characteristics for operators who choose prime-quality cooking equipment, which has a higher cost but is very convenient in the long run, permitting significant savings on the energy used and above all on the cost of personnel, which may be reduced by up to <NUM>%, with a significant return on investment.

It is also more and more common to organize banquets of various kinds, for conferences, official receptions, weddings and other, inside villas, castles, and other prestigious historical buildings, in which the preparation of food, usually refined, innovative and modern, is not compatible with the aging cooking equipment in the building chosen for the banquet.

Hence the need, for restaurateurs operating in such contexts, to have transportable equipment to be positioned each time in the buildings used for the banquet to overcome the inadequacies of the buildings themselves for catering purposes and also allow the remote preparation of food to be finished on site.

An analysis of the current art in the field of the production of mobile equipment for the catering industry has revealed the total absence of a product with truly satisfactory characteristics of efficiency, versatility, and compactness.

In particular, the existing conventional ovens designed for baking and also used for finishing are impractical, bulky, and difficult to move. On the other hand, the ovens are designed for cooking and their main function is to ensure the cooking of food in an operating temperature range from <NUM> to <NUM>, guaranteeing fast and high-performance temperature gradients. However, using an oven to heat a pre-cooked dish, maintain it, possibly perform a <NUM>-hour proofing process or a <NUM>-hours drying or dehydrating process means keeping the equipment occupied on the kitchen production line for functions it was not designed for, with a higher energy consumption not consistent with the work performed. Furthermore, it is also worth noting that the known ovens, with a capacity equivalent to that of the invention at hand, have a weight varying from <NUM> to <NUM>, so they require logistics (trucks with hydraulic tailboard, manual pallet trucks) to be transported to different places, as well as an electrical power and plumbing network available on site.

Food warmer cabinets that maintain and regenerate the temperature of ready-made dishes are also known. They can be used to regenerate plates from positive (+<NUM>) or negative (-<NUM>) temperatures with a probe that can warm products to a temperature higher than <NUM>. They also have the automatic ability to add humidity to the food being regenerated and adjust the speed of an aeration fan. However, this compact equipment is suitable for installation in structures and not for being moved.

Other warming cabinets typically used to keep food warm in hospitals and health care settings are statically heated, bulky, and not suitable for in-line operations. These devices perform only one function, i.e., they either keep the dishes warm (heat chain <NUM>) or keep them refrigerated (cold chain <<NUM>), and thus they are not versatile.

There is also a piece of equipment which is substantially an insulated hot box-like cabinet in which an oven grill combined with said cabinet can be kept and transported. After cooking the food in the oven, the grill is simply slid directly into the hot cabinet, which can then be transported to the dining room. The heavy weight and impossibility to close the equipment again make it difficult to use in multi-story buildings. Furthermore, the oven-holder carriage is not comprised in the assembly and is provided separately by the oven manufacturer.

All of this known equipment displays difficulties of transportation and poor versatility of use, meaning that any one piece of equipment is individually usable for specific operations but not for all the operations which may be required for the treatment of food of various kinds, such as warming, regenerating, dehumidifying, cooling and more.

<CIT>, which is regarded as the closest prior art, discloses a portable multifunctional climatic chamber for thermic treatment of food, comprising a vertically extending frame formed by a base element, a top element and a pair of lateral shoulders which connect said base and top elements to define an operative space which is provided with means for positioning food-bearing planes and is coverable with a thermic cover, wherein said top element comprises a heating unit and a ventilation unit which is controllable to intake ascending air from said operative space.

The specific purpose of the present invention is to make an easily transportable and installable piece of equipment which can meet all the needs that may arise for large-scale catering in buildings which are not prepared for the purpose.

In particular, it is the object of the invention to make a portable piece of equipment which can be used as a multifunctional climatic chamber, in a hot and cold chain, with internal control of thermo-hygrometric conditions, capable of satisfying a plurality of needs, such as in particular:.

Taking all these needs into account, the present invention achieves the purpose by means of a multifunctional climatic chamber comprising a vertically extending frame formed by a base element, a top element and a pair of lateral shoulders which connect said base and top elements to define an operative space which is provided with means for positioning food-bearing planes and coverable with thermic covers, said climatic chamber being characterized in that said base element comprises a heating unit, said top element comprises a ventilation unit which is controllable to intake air from said operative space or introduce air into the same space and said lateral shoulders are provided with channelized vertical plates run along by vertical channels which communicate at the bottom with said heating unit and further communicate at the top with said ventilation unit to be alternatively run along by descending or ascending air flows according to whether said ventilation unit intakes from said operative space or introduces it as an air veil, said vertical channels being further in communication with said operative space through transversal slits formed at different heights in said channelized plates and there being provided inside said channelized plates oblique deflectors alternated with said slits to deviate partially into said operative space the descending air flows which run along said channels when said ventilation unit intakes air from said operative space and partially deviate the ascending air flows in said channels said descending air veil introduced by said ventilation unit in said operative space.

Advantageously, the climatic chamber base element further provides a humidity generation unit associated with said heating unit and a humidity extraction system through a vent valve controlled by a programmable logic controller.

A cooling unit can also be mounted on the top element as an accessory to provide the desired degree of cooling to the air veil descending within the thermal space when required for various needs.

To achieve the objectives described above with quality and precision, such as regenerating food, keeping ready-made meals at the correct temperature, proofing baked products, etc., in addition to having temperature and relative humidity sensors inside the operative space to measure the thermo-hygrometric properties of said space at different points, the climatic chamber has and is managed by a programmable logic controller containing the control logics of the heating, cooling, ventilation and humidity devices and can drive the implementation devices based on information derived from the process status in real-time.

A practical embodiment of the climatic chamber according to the present invention is shown by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:.

The climatic chamber shown by way of example in <FIG> comprises a load-bearing frame <NUM>, preferably made of metal, in particular preferably anodized aluminum and steel, which is formed by mutually assembled and disassembled elements relative to a support carriage <NUM>.

In particular, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the frame <NUM> is formed by a base element <NUM>, a top element <NUM>, and two lateral shoulders <NUM>. In turn, the support carriage <NUM> consists of two crossed crossbars <NUM> hinged to each other at a vertical pin <NUM> (<FIG>), which rest at their ends on freely rotatable casters <NUM> and have hollow vertical profiles <NUM> at the same ends into which corresponding vertical extensions <NUM> of the shoulders <NUM> of the frame <NUM> can be removably engaged.

Once assembled and mounted on the carriage <NUM>, the frame <NUM> can be covered with a high-performance thermic cover <NUM>, preferably made of washable polyester with a reflective aluminum core, to create a closed operative space <NUM> (<FIG>) within the frame itself which can be used for housing and heat-treating food of any kind.

The base element <NUM> of the frame <NUM> comprises a heating unit <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>), which, in turn, consists of an electric resistance <NUM>, exemplified by two branches, onto which a perforated protective screen <NUM> is superimposed having the function of screening the thermal radiation, protecting the heating resistance <NUM> and being an evaporation plane for atomized water introduced by a high-pressure hydraulic humidification system <NUM>, formed by a pump <NUM> and by atomizers <NUM>, which by aspirating from a tank <NUM> integrated into one of the shoulders <NUM> (<FIG>) produces the quantity of humidity necessary for the required heat treatment. The two branches of the electrical resistance <NUM> are housed within a containment casing <NUM> with a lid <NUM> to guarantee the passage of air. The containment casing <NUM> has two laterally offset side slits <NUM>, the purposes of which will be clarified later.

The base element <NUM> of the casing <NUM> further comprises a unit <NUM> named technical compartment, formed by a casing <NUM> with a lid <NUM>, in which the pump <NUM>, the inlet of which is connected to the tank <NUM> and outlet of which is connected to the high-pressure hydraulic system <NUM>, and a programmable logic controller <NUM> are inserted.

Said programmable logic controller <NUM>, by means of dedicated and customized programs, manages, by means of single or concatenated routines, the heating assembly <NUM> by progressively adjusting the amount of energy used for the resistances <NUM>, avoiding the overheating thereof. The same programmable logic controller <NUM> also manages the humidification unit <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> by managing the amount of water atomized onto the evaporation plane <NUM> thereby creating the required percentage of humidity within the operative space <NUM>.

In turn, the top element <NUM> of the frame <NUM> comprises a ventilation unit <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>), which consists of one or more axial fans <NUM> positioned at the bottom of a containment casing <NUM> with a lid <NUM> and communicating with the operative space <NUM> underneath (<FIG>) through respective holes <NUM>. The containment casing <NUM> has two laterally offset side slits <NUM>, the purposes of which will be clarified later.

A vent and humidity control valve <NUM>, managed by the programmable logic controller <NUM>, which is indispensable for maintaining and partializing the humidity percentage, is positioned on said top element <NUM> (<FIG>). The programmable logic controller <NUM> controls the actuating and regulating devices of said valve <NUM> if the humidity of the operative space <NUM> exceeds the set parameters.

The aforementioned controller <NUM> manages the ventilation unit <NUM> to manage the speed and thus the capacity of the axial fans <NUM>, which allow for the correct uniformity of temperature and humidity by creating an upward airflow.

The lateral shoulders <NUM> substantially consist of a pair of side uprights <NUM>, each provided on the bottom with a thinner vertical extension <NUM> suitable for engaging in a corresponding hollow profile <NUM> of the carriage <NUM>. Each pair of uprights <NUM> is closed and consolidated on the top by crossbars <NUM>, which together with the uprights <NUM> form substantially inverted U-shaped structures. Vertically equidistant horizontal rods <NUM> connect laterally and at different heights of the other shoulder <NUM>, projecting inside the operative space <NUM>, the two uprights <NUM> of each shoulder <NUM>, forming with the corresponding rods <NUM>, positioned in the same manner, lateral supports for trays or other containment planes <NUM> (some indicated by dashed lines) for the food to be subjected to heat treatment inside the space <NUM> (<FIG>).

A rectangular plate <NUM> vertically extends between one and the other of the two uprights <NUM> of each shoulder <NUM>, inside which plate respective vertical channels <NUM> are defined communicating on the bottom with the side slits <NUM> of the containment casing <NUM> of the heating unit <NUM> and on the top with the side slits <NUM> of the containment casing <NUM> of the ventilation unit <NUM>.

Within the vertical channels <NUM>, a plurality of deflectors <NUM> having a predetermined inclination are arranged at different equally spaced heights alternating, again vertically, with communication side slits <NUM> of the vertical channels <NUM> with the operative space <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>).

The described arrangement of the heating unit <NUM>, the ventilation unit <NUM>, and the shoulders <NUM> with the described arrangement and communication of the vertical channels <NUM> with deflectors <NUM> and the slits <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> determines the following operating mode of the climatic chamber described above controlled by a logic system <NUM> such as that shown in <FIG>.

Once the trays <NUM> with the food to be heated and/or regenerated have been placed inside the thermic space <NUM>, using the supports formed by the rods <NUM> protruding from the uprights <NUM> for this purpose, and after the thermic space <NUM> has been closed by means of the thermic cover <NUM>, the system is started by powering the electrical resistances <NUM> of the heating unit <NUM> and putting into operation either the humidification system, consisting of the tank <NUM>, from which the pump <NUM> draws water by gravity and takes it to the atomizers <NUM> through the high-pressure hydraulic system <NUM> or the dehumidification system, consisting of the extraction valve <NUM>, controlled by an electric actuator <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the heated air <NUM> supplied by the heating unit <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>) by convection rises into the operative space <NUM> and is drawn in by the ventilation unit <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>), reaching the containment casing <NUM> of the fans <NUM> of the ventilation unit <NUM> and from there reaching through the side slits <NUM> (appropriately adjusted) the top of the channels <NUM>, which act as ventilation channels for the entire climatic chamber. The deflectors <NUM> and the slits <NUM> present in the vertical plates <NUM> progressively divert part <NUM> of the descending thermal flow <NUM> through the channels <NUM>, ensuring a substantially uniform temperature for the entire height of the thermic space and thus for all the food inserted therein. The recycling of the hot air from the ventilation channels <NUM> ends inside the heating unit <NUM> through the side slits <NUM> of the containment casing <NUM> of the heating unit. In this manner, part of the air introduced into the channels <NUM> by the ventilation unit <NUM> is forced onto the heating elements <NUM> both to prevent overheating and to reheat the air by implementing upward convective motion in the chamber.

The sensors <NUM> located at appropriately chosen positions (<FIG>) of the thermic space <NUM> read the thermo-hygrometric values of the chamber at the various aforementioned positions for comparison with respective thermo-hygrometric values preset in the programmable logic programmer <NUM>. A similar comparison, on the thermal value, is made at the evaporation plane <NUM> present inside the heating unit <NUM> to control the amount of thermal energy to be produced in the unit of time. According to the detected values, the control system <NUM> inserted in the compartment <NUM>, operating as shown in <FIG>, automatically manages the resistances <NUM> and the supply of water on the evaporation plane <NUM> present inside the heating unit <NUM> (humidification system).

The humidity extraction valve <NUM> present on top of the ventilation unit <NUM> (dehumidification system) is opened in a modulated manner by the programmable logic controller <NUM>, which compares the humidity value detected by appropriate sensors with preset data suitable for the current thermo-hygrometric treatment.

As shown in <FIG>, the climatic chamber may also include a cooling unit <NUM>, superimposed on the ventilation unit <NUM> and formed by a compressor <NUM>, an external condenser <NUM>, and an internal evaporation unit <NUM>. Such cooling unit <NUM>, included as an accessory, is used to operate an inverse cycle relative to the heat cycle, exploiting the channels <NUM> to aspirate air, making it pass through the evaporation unit <NUM> by virtue of a tangential fan <NUM> and reintroduce it into the thermic space <NUM> in the form of a descending air veil <NUM> which progressively re-enters into the channels <NUM> by means of the slits <NUM> and the deflectors <NUM>. The cooling air circulation thus determined is shown in <FIG>. The programmable logic programmer <NUM> inserted in the technical compartment <NUM>, operating as shown in <FIG>, regulates the cooling function.

The climatic chamber described above determines a series of advantages for the catering industry as listed below.

The quantitative benefits consist of greater efficiency during field service by halving of kitchen staff, obtaining savings in energy consumption and space used, and finally easier transportation.

With regard to savings in terms of personnel, the climatic chamber according to the invention makes it possible to shorten the downtime before service and optimize the use of personnel whose task is to regenerate the food before service begins. Comparing this to using a traditional oven, which requires four people for a hypothetical service of <NUM>-<NUM> meals, the personnel employed can be reduced by up to <NUM>%. In other words, instead of employing four people who start service four hours earlier using two ovens for <NUM>-<NUM> diners, only two people are needed to start service two hours earlier with two climatic chambers acting as a "buffer" for regeneration operations. Comparing the two situations, the first requires personnel to be present at all times, often resulting in downtime, while in the second case personnel can take advantage of the "buffer" effect of the climatic chamber, taking full advantage of the modern system of cooking food in the central site or at a more convenient production time, chilling it to +<NUM> and warming it at the time of service.

As for the savings in terms of energy consumption, starting from a comparison with the current art (oven with twenty GN1/<NUM> trays), taking into account the minimum power consumption (<NUM> kWh) and the time needed to reach the target temperature for each category of food, it results in a reduction of consumption of <NUM>%. The climatic chamber according to the invention has an excellent energy consumption to active working volume ratio. Furthermore, considering a peak power consumption of at most maximum <NUM> W and the maximum electrical power available in many catering situations, similar to a normal domestic condition (generally <NUM>-<NUM> kW), it opens up the possibility of circumventing the local electrical grid limitations, which often prevent the installation of kitchens on-site, if not by resorting to external generating sets, with major logistical complications. At the same time, there is also the possibility of using the electrical power network in all situations where the three-phase <NUM> A power supply is not available. Finally, the climatic chamber according to the invention is an excellent solution for low energy consumption and a consequent reduction in CO2 emissions.

In terms of space utilization, the climatic chamber according to the invention is developed vertically and its mobility system allows for space optimization, this being a factor that is often critical in real-world cases. Compared to a horizontal shelf system, as a function of the number of place settings and/or area occupied in the kitchen, the climatic chamber according to the invention makes it possible to reduce the space occupied by a meal by ten times. On the other hand, concerning the amount of assembled weight, the climatic chamber according to the invention can have an overall weight, in its basic version, of less than <NUM> with a consequent significant advantage over a traditional oven of the same volume, whose weight varies from <NUM> to <NUM>, with a reduction of the weight handled from two to five times. One of its peculiarities also relates to its possible disassembly into eight components, the individual weight of which is less than the occasionally handled weights, less than <NUM> according to the provisions of the law, which makes the individual parts of the climatic chamber perfectly suitable for handling by a single person, according to the regulations on the occupational safety (Annex XXXIII Legislative Decree. <NUM>/<NUM> and ISO <NUM>). When folded and disassembled, the carriage takes up minimal space, essentially reducing to one-third of its operational footprint.

This makes it possible to use it in places that are difficult to reach, such as multi-story historical buildings, where traditional systems (ovens) are precluded for reasons related to access to the premises. In addition, only one person is needed to assemble the climatic chamber.

On the other hand, with reference to the qualitative advantages, the climatic chamber according to the invention presents particular ease of use with easy access and use by all operators, not necessarily qualified kitchen personnel (chefs), by virtue of a remote electronic system by means of an app and the possibility of storing recipes and automatic modes of operation according to the dishes placed in the operative space.

The climatic chamber according to the invention also enables excellent quality of regenerated food. The vertically developed forced air convection system has an advantageous effect on food which requires a dry regeneration environment (crispy foods, baked goods, fried foods, etc.). Indeed, being more buoyant than dry air, humid air naturally rises vertically up the inner space facilitated by the suction of the fans. With regard to food which must be kept humid (meat, vegetables, pasta, etc.), the controlled air humidification system makes the climatic chamber particularly flexible and suitable for all delicate foods which are sensitive to thermal shocks. So, by virtue of the microcontroller control system integrated into the equipment, which allows the punctual monitoring of the thermo-hygrometric values, it is possible to recreate the most suitable climatic conditions for every need.

Finally, the climatic chamber can be provided with a program dedicated to thermal sanitization to be carried out according to HACCP protocols, guaranteeing the elimination of Listeria Monocytogenes bacteria.

Claim 1:
Portable multifunctional climatic chamber for thermic treatment of food, comprising a vertically extending frame (<NUM>) formed by a base element (<NUM>), a top element (<NUM>) and a pair of lateral shoulders (<NUM>) which connect said base and top elements (<NUM>, <NUM>) to define an operative space (<NUM>) which is provided with means (<NUM>) for positioning food-bearing planes (<NUM>) and is coverable with a thermic cover (<NUM>), wherein said base element (<NUM>) comprises a heating unit (<NUM>), said top element (<NUM>) comprises a ventilation unit (<NUM>) which is controllable to intake ascending air from said operative space (<NUM>) and said lateral shoulders (<NUM>) are provided with channelized vertical plates (<NUM>) run along by vertical channels (<NUM>) which communicate at the bottom with said heating unit (<NUM>) and further communicate at the top with said ventilation unit (<NUM>) so as to be run along by descending air flows when said ventilation unit (<NUM>) intakes ascending air (<NUM>) from said operative space (<NUM>), said vertical channels (<NUM>) being further in communication with said operative space (<NUM>) through transversal slits (<NUM>) formed at different heights in said channelized plates (<NUM>) and there being provided inside said channelized plates (<NUM>) oblique deflectors (<NUM>) alternated with said slits (<NUM>) to deviate partially into said operative space (<NUM>) the descending air flows (<NUM>) which run along said channels (<NUM>) when said ventilation unit (<NUM>) intakes air from said operative space (<NUM>).