Patent Description:
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.

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 <CIT> entitled "Grease Collection System for Oven". 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 <CIT> entitled "Grease Handling Apparatus for Closed System Oven". <CIT>, <CIT> (on which the two-part form of claims <NUM> and <NUM> is based), <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose various arrangements of oven.

<CIT> entitled Rotisserie Oven With Shooter Tube Cleaning System describes a cleaning system for a rotisserie oven using a high-pressured shooter tube which allows the cleaning solution to be shot from the reservoir to the top walls of the oven cavity without the need for additional tubing.

The present disclosure provides a trap for use with the above cleaning system that provides improved resistance to clogging and improved maintenance better matching the ability of the shooter tube system to provide complete cleaning and removal of grease and food particles.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an oven according to claim <NUM> is provided.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to use a dedicated heater for heating cleaning fluid for improved heat efficiency.

The cleaning heater assembly may include a heater contained in a chamber and where the pump receives water from the reservoir and pumps it through the chamber. The heater may be positioned at an outlet of the pump. The cleaning heater assembly may be upstream from the nozzle and downstream from the pump.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to minimize temperature loss before water is sprayed and to spray the oven with the warmest temperature water.

The cleaning heater assembly may be positioned beneath the cooking volume.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow leakage heat and leakage liquid to spill into the cooking cavity.

The heater may be an immersion heater providing an electrical heating element surrounded by a sheath electrically insulating the electrical heating element from surrounding liquid.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to minimize heat loss by heating the water directly.

The cleaning heater assembly may be held within a heating chamber separated by a baffle preventing water from exiting the heating chamber before passing through the cleaning heater assembly.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to pass all water over the heater for greatest heat efficiency.

The oven according to the present invention further includes a second opening in the reservoir chamber and permitting a movement of grease through the second opening and a third opening in the reservoir chamber permitting a movement of freshwater from a freshwater source through the third opening where the second opening and third opening are on adjacent upstanding sidewalls and the freshwater source is configured to spray freshwater orthogonal to the second opening. The freshwater source may be configured to spray freshwater along a curved path.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to use pressurized water entering the reservoir to clear out ports and remove clogs.

The nozzle may be positioned proximate a center of the floor of the oven volume.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide even distribution of cleaning liquid within the oven cooking cavity.

Another embodiment of the present invention may provide a filter extending over the drain opening in a first position and exposing the drain opening in a second position to permit user access to the reservoir chamber.

It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the invention to allow for easy access to the reservoir to allow a user to remove clogs and food debris.

The filter may be a basket slidably moveable along an upper wall of the reservoir chamber along rails between the first and second position. A bottom wall of the basket may be downwardly sloping. The basket may be perforated with holes sized to catch large debris.

The oven may further include a second filter separating the reservoir chamber into a first portion leading to the drain opening and a second potion communicating directly with a drain port. The second filter may slope generally upward from the bottom wall of the reservoir chamber at a point about midway along the length of the bottom wall, contacting left and right sidewalls and joining to an underside of an upper wall of the reservoir chamber close to an end side wall joining the left and right sidewalls. The second filter may be perforated with holes sized to catch large debris. The second filter may be an angled screen.

Another embodiment of the present invention may be a method of operating an oven, according to claim <NUM>.

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.

Referring initially to <FIG>, a rotisserie oven <NUM> includes an outer housing <NUM> having upper and lower walls <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, opposing left and right sidewalls <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, and opposing front and rear walls <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. A cooking chamber <NUM> is defined by upper and lower walls <NUM> and <NUM>, right side wall <NUM>, and a left chamber side wall <NUM> spaced inwardly from, and extending parallel to, oven sidewall <NUM>.

Walls <NUM> and <NUM> thus define the lateral boundaries of a cabinet <NUM> that contains control components (e.g., a microprocessor or other suitable controller) of oven <NUM>. In particular, cabinet <NUM> houses a control assembly <NUM> (see <FIG>) that controls various aspects of the oven <NUM>, such as cooking sequences, draining functions, and cleaning functions as is described in more detail below. Cabinet <NUM> further houses a motor <NUM> (see <FIG>) that drives a spit assembly <NUM>. Oven operation is controlled by an operator via a set of user controls <NUM> including inputs and outputs that are disposed on the front wall <NUM> of cabinet <NUM>. An indicator <NUM>, 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 <NUM> upon completion of a cooking sequence.

A front door assembly <NUM> is connected to the front wall <NUM>, and a rear door assembly <NUM> is carried by the rear wall <NUM>, that can both be opened and closed to provide access to cooking chamber <NUM>. Front door assembly <NUM> includes a window assembly <NUM> that provides visible access to the cooking chamber <NUM>. Rear door assembly <NUM> may be constructed in the manner described with respect to front door assembly <NUM>. Oven <NUM> thus has a pass-through design as described in <CIT>, which may further be used in accordance with the methods described therein.

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 <NUM>. Next, indicator <NUM> is activated once the raw food product has been prepared. Finally, in response to indicator <NUM>, the prepared food product can be removed from cooking chamber via the rear, server-side door <NUM>.

The rotisserie oven <NUM> can be mounted on top of a warming chamber <NUM> including a housing <NUM> of generally the same size and shape as housing <NUM>, and an internal warming chamber (not shown) of generally the same size and shape of cooking chamber <NUM>. Advantageously, the rotisserie oven <NUM> and warming chamber <NUM> may be stacked on top of each other. Ovens <NUM> and warming chamber <NUM> are modular, such that oven <NUM> has rotisserie and/or convection heating components installed and warming chamber <NUM> may have a conductive heating systems installed that are configured to maintain the temperature of the food product that was prepared in the rotisserie oven. Oven <NUM> can alternatively be supported on, for instance, a kitchen floor directly via any suitable conventional a support assembly. For example, oven <NUM> can be supported by support legs with wheels for ease of maneuvering or with support feet for stabilized positioning.

Referring in addition to <FIG>, spit assembly <NUM> includes a plurality of spits (collectively identified as <NUM>) that span between sidewalls <NUM> and <NUM> of the cooking chamber <NUM>. Specifically, spits <NUM> span between a pair of support disks <NUM> (one shown in <FIG>) and are suitable for retaining meat product such as chicken, turkey, duck, and the like. Disks <NUM> are rotated under power supplied by motor <NUM> to correspondingly rotate the meat product with respect to a heat source or sources. The cooking chamber <NUM> incorporates a convection heating system <NUM> that is used to cook raw food product along with a radiant heat system <NUM> that browns the food being prepared.

A recess is formed in left chamber sidewall <NUM> that carries a convection heating system <NUM> that includes a standard resistive coil in the form of a loop that is connected to controls <NUM> 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 <NUM> from cooking chamber <NUM>. 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 <NUM> to heat the food product.

Oven <NUM> further includes a radiant heat system <NUM> that delivers radiating heat to food product carried by spit assembly <NUM>. Radiant heat system <NUM> may be centrally disposed above spit assembly <NUM> at upper wall <NUM>. Radiant heat system <NUM> includes a plurality of rectangular ceramic disks 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 <NUM>) 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 <NUM>, in order to prepare food product rotating with spit assembly <NUM>.

The outer housing <NUM> of oven <NUM> may provide a shelf <NUM> attached to the outer surface of the oven side wall <NUM> for supporting a container for retaining, for example, a concentrated cleaning solution to be pumped into the oven <NUM>, as will be further described below.

A controller board <NUM> within the housing <NUM> may provide an electronic computer or microcontroller receiving instructions from controls <NUM> accessible on the front of the oven <NUM>, and having, for example membrane switches that may be activated by the user. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the controller board <NUM> generally provides an electronic computer executing a stored program <NUM> to control, for example, the radiant heat system <NUM>, convection heating system <NUM>, spit motor <NUM>, and cleaning assembly <NUM>, to be described further below, turning them on and off as necessary to implement a particular cooking schedule or cleaning schedule.

The rotisserie oven <NUM> may be as generally described in <CIT>, further adapted as provided in the disclosure provided herein.

Referring now to <FIG> and <FIG>, a cleaning assembly <NUM> of oven <NUM> provides a reservoir chamber <NUM> positioned with respect to a lower wall <NUM> of the cooking chamber <NUM> so that a drain aperture <NUM> of lower wall <NUM> is located directly above a drainpipe <NUM> of the reservoir chamber <NUM>, the latter being a short tube extending vertically upward to the drain aperture <NUM> when the reservoir chamber <NUM> is positioned beneath the lower wall <NUM>. The drainpipe <NUM> allows grease and grease <NUM> passing through the drain aperture <NUM> to enter the reservoir chamber <NUM> under the influence of gravity. The lower wall <NUM> may be inclined toward the drain aperture <NUM> to facilitate the drainage of grease and grease <NUM> through the drain aperture <NUM>.

Referring now to <FIG>, the reservoir chamber <NUM> provides a generally enclosed box having a bottom wall <NUM> sloping downwardly from an end closest to the drainpipe <NUM> to an opposite end adjacent to a grease discharge port <NUM>. In an alternative configuration (not shown), the bottom wall <NUM> is generally horizontal. Upstanding sidewalls <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> around the periphery of the bottom wall <NUM> retain accumulated grease and cleaning solution within the reservoir chamber <NUM> as will be described further below. Left sidewall <NUM> opposite right sidewall <NUM> define a left and right end, respectively, with respect to the oven <NUM>, and are connected at their front and rear edges by sidewalls <NUM>, <NUM> defining a front and rear end, respectively, with respect to the oven <NUM>. These upstanding sidewalls <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> are joined at their upper edges to a generally horizontal upper wall <NUM> adjacent to a bottom of the reservoir chamber <NUM>. The upper wall <NUM> carries the drainpipe <NUM> which aligns with the drain aperture <NUM> of the lower wall <NUM>. The lower end of the drainpipe <NUM> extends below the upper wall <NUM> and above the water level <NUM>. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the drainpipe <NUM> extends upward but stops at the upper wall <NUM> so that it does not extend below the upper wall <NUM>.

Referring also to <FIG>, a shooter tube <NUM> extends horizontally into the reservoir chamber <NUM> from the front sidewall <NUM> toward the rear sidewall <NUM>, ending generally mid-way between the front and rear sidewalls <NUM> and <NUM>, and closer to the right sidewall <NUM> than the left sidewall <NUM>. The shooter tube <NUM> is generally centered below the drainpipe <NUM> and drain aperture <NUM> to further extend vertically upward through the drainpipe <NUM>. The shooter tube <NUM> may be generally concentric with the drainpipe <NUM> opening. The shooter tube <NUM> extends slightly above the drainpipe <NUM> to reside within the drain aperture <NUM>. However, it is possible for the shooter tube <NUM> to extend through and reside above the drain aperture <NUM> or within or below the drainpipe <NUM>.

The diameter of the drain aperture <NUM> and drainpipe <NUM> opening are generally similar, with the diameter of the drainpipe <NUM> opening at least as large as the drain aperture <NUM> to prevent leakage. The drain aperture <NUM> may be facilitated by a downwardly and inwardly inclined lip which helps to funnel the fluid to the drainpipe <NUM>. An O-ring <NUM> or gasket may be positioned between a lip of the drain aperture <NUM> and the drainpipe <NUM> to create a seal at the interface therebetween. In an alternative embodiment, the interface may be a welded joint instead of utilizing the O-ring <NUM>.

The shooter tube <NUM> generally has a diameter less than the diameter of the drain aperture <NUM>, and generally less than half the diameter of the drain aperture <NUM> and drainpipe <NUM> to provide sufficient clearance around the shooter tube <NUM>. The clearance allows for the flow of fluids, such as grease, oil, and wastewater through the drainpipe <NUM> around the shooter tube <NUM>. The clearance also allows for the insertion of cleaning tablets into the reservoir chamber <NUM>, to be further described below.

Referring again to <FIG>, left sidewall <NUM> provides a grease discharge port <NUM>, a liquid cleaner inlet drainpipe <NUM>, and a freshwater inlet port <NUM>. The grease discharge port <NUM> provides for a flow of grease and grease <NUM> out of the reservoir chamber <NUM> through a conduit passing to and facilitated by a grease discharge pump <NUM> or suction pump. The grease discharge port <NUM> is generally arranged close to the bottom wall <NUM> to collect grease and grease <NUM> from a bottom of the reservoir chamber <NUM>. The liquid cleaner inlet drainpipe <NUM> provides for flow of concentrated liquid cleaner <NUM> into the reservoir chamber <NUM> through a conduit passing from a pump <NUM>. Freshwater inlet port <NUM> provides for a flow of freshwater <NUM> from a freshwater source through a conduit and into the reservoir chamber <NUM> and may be controlled by a valve <NUM>. Liquid cleaner inlet drainpipe <NUM> and freshwater inlet port <NUM> are generally centered between the bottom wall <NUM> and upper wall <NUM>, or close to the upper wall <NUM> to be above a water level <NUM>, to be further described below.

Front sidewall <NUM> provides cleaning solution outlet port <NUM> and shooter tube port <NUM>. The cleaning solution outlet port <NUM> allows for the flow of cleaning solution <NUM> out of the reservoir chamber <NUM> through a conduit passing to and facilitated by a pump <NUM>. The pump <NUM> proceeds to pump the cleaning solution <NUM> through a conduit to the shooter tube port <NUM> and into the shooter tube <NUM> extending within the reservoir chamber <NUM>. The cleaning solution outlet port <NUM> is generally arranged close to the bottom wall <NUM> to collect cleaning solution from a bottom of the reservoir chamber <NUM>.

Rear sidewall <NUM> provides waste drain port <NUM>. Drain port <NUM> allows for a flow of wastewater <NUM> out of the reservoir chamber <NUM> through a conduit passing to and facilitated by a suction pump <NUM>. The drain port <NUM> is generally arranged close to the bottom wall <NUM> to drain wastewater <NUM> from a bottom of the reservoir chamber <NUM>.

It is understood that the location of the ports may be changed to any sidewall <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> of the reservoir chamber <NUM> 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.

Referring now to <FIG> and <FIG>, a controller board <NUM> may execute a stored program <NUM> held in a memory <NUM> using a processor <NUM> communicating with memory <NUM>. The program <NUM> may selectively operate the grease discharge pump <NUM> 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 <NUM> implements this functionality by communicating with a cooking program also executed by the controller board <NUM> and the control panel <NUM>. 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.

The program <NUM> also implements a cleaning program associated with the operation of the cleaning assembly <NUM>. The program <NUM> may selectively operate the valve <NUM> during the cleaning program to fill the reservoir chamber with a predetermined volume of freshwater. The program <NUM> may also selectively operate the liquid cleaner pump <NUM> during the cleaning program to fill the reservoir chamber with concentrated liquid cleaner <NUM>, for example, if cleaning tablets are not used. The program <NUM> may also selectively operate the pump <NUM> during the cleaning program to wash the oven <NUM> by pumping liquid cleaning solution <NUM> through the shooter tube <NUM> into the oven cavity. The program <NUM> may also selectively operate the suction pump <NUM> during the cleaning program to drain the wastewater <NUM> from the reservoir chamber <NUM> after washing.

The program <NUM> 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 <NUM> and the control panel <NUM>. 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.

Referring now to <FIG>, a cooking cycle, as indicated by process block <NUM>, may be initiated by indication of a particular cooking mode, captured by the cooking program <NUM> through cooking mode buttons <NUM> on control panel <NUM>, such as may indicate, for example, a desired cooking schedule for cooking of chicken. In this regard, a particular button <NUM> may be labeled with indicia indicating roasted chicken, for example.

During the cooking cycle, a pump cycle, as indicated by process block <NUM>, in which grease discharge pump <NUM> is turned on for a brief period of time or periodically may be initiated depending on the cooking program. Alternatively, the pump cycle <NUM> may be initiated by pressing of a special grease purge button <NUM> indicating a desire to manually operate the grease discharge pump <NUM>.

During the cooking cycle <NUM>, generally, grease will drop from the cooking food through the drainpipe <NUM> to be retained by the reservoir chamber <NUM>. During process block <NUM>, grease discharge pump <NUM> is activated to communicate with the reservoir chamber <NUM> to discharge accumulated grease <NUM> through the grease discharge port <NUM>. The grease discharge pump <NUM> may pump the grease through a conduit of arbitrary length to a collection vessel, for example, removed from the oven <NUM> for convenient access. The removal path may include a conduit in the form of an inverted U-tube whereby the inverted-U extends higher than the upper wall <NUM> of the reservoir chamber to prevent excess grease from leaving the conduit if the reservoir chamber overflows. The "siphon" prevents the grease <NUM> from flowing back into the cooking chamber <NUM> and out of the inverted "U" since the grease <NUM> in the conduit cannot be higher than the water level at the source reservoir chamber <NUM>. The grease discharge pump <NUM> may communicate with the controller board <NUM> to be controlled thereby according to the cooking program. Alternatively, a grease discharge valve may replace the grease discharge pump <NUM> 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 <NUM>, and may be under the control of the controller board <NUM>. The controller board <NUM> may communicate with the grease discharge valve to allow the movement of grease out of the reservoir chamber <NUM>, as provided by the cooking program <NUM>.

When the cooking cycle <NUM> is ended, a cleaning cycle, as indicated by process block <NUM>, 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 <NUM> proceeds to process block <NUM>. Alternatively, the cleaning cycle <NUM> may be initiated by pressing a special clean cycle button <NUM> indicating a desire to manually activate the cleaning cycle <NUM>. The user may select a desired cleaning mode, for example, heavy, medium or light cleaning, or quick rinse cycle. If the cleaning cycle <NUM> is not initiated, the program <NUM> may be allowed to loop back to process block <NUM> to allow a subsequent cooking cycle <NUM>. During the cleaning cycle <NUM>, the grease discharge pump <NUM> is turned off. The grease discharge pump <NUM> is allowed to operate during the cooking cycle <NUM>.

During the cleaning cycle <NUM>, the reservoir chamber <NUM> is filled with freshwater <NUM>, as indicated by process block <NUM>, passing through the freshwater inlet port <NUM> of the left sidewall <NUM>. A valve <NUM> may control the delivery of freshwater <NUM> through the freshwater inlet port <NUM> to the reservoir chamber <NUM>, and may be under the control of the controller board <NUM>. The controller board <NUM> may communicate with the valve <NUM> to deliver a predetermined volume of freshwater <NUM> into the reservoir chamber <NUM>, as provided by the cleaning program. The controller board <NUM> may also communicate with a water level sensor (not shown) so that additional water is added through valve <NUM> when water is below a water level <NUM>. At desired water level <NUM>, the reservoir chamber <NUM> is filled with, for example, approximately <NUM> gallon of fluid, and the reservoir chamber <NUM> is generally filled halfway or below halfway. The desired water level <NUM> may be above the cleaning solution outlet port <NUM> and drain port <NUM>, and below the freshwater inlet port <NUM> and liquid cleaner drainpipe <NUM>. However, it is contemplated that the water level <NUM> may also be at or above the level of the freshwater inlet port <NUM> and liquid cleaner drainpipe <NUM>. Alternatively, a freshwater pump may replace valve <NUM>. The freshwater pump may control the movement of water through the freshwater inlet port <NUM>, and may be under the control of the controller board <NUM>. The controller board <NUM> may communicate with the freshwater pump to pump the freshwater into of the reservoir chamber <NUM>, as provided by the cleaning program.

As indicated by process block <NUM>, a cleaning agent is added to the reservoir chamber <NUM>. When cleaning tablets <NUM> are used, a desired number of cleaning tablets <NUM>, for example, one to four cleaning tablets, are placed into the reservoir chamber <NUM> through the drainpipe <NUM> opening where the tablets <NUM> are dropped into the freshwater <NUM> of the reservoir chamber <NUM> and are gradually dissolved in the freshwater <NUM> to produce a cleaning solution <NUM>. For example, the tablets <NUM> 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 <NUM>.

Alternatively, the reservoir chamber <NUM> may be filled with a concentrated liquid cleaner <NUM> that is mixed with the freshwater <NUM> of the reservoir chamber <NUM> to produce a cleaning solution <NUM>. The concentrated liquid cleaner <NUM> passes through a liquid cleaner inlet drainpipe <NUM> of the left sidewall <NUM> into the reservoir chamber <NUM>. The liquid cleaner pump <NUM> may pump the concentrated liquid cleaner <NUM> through a conduit <NUM> of arbitrary length from a solution container <NUM>, for example, stored on an external shelf <NUM> for convenient access (see <FIG>), to the liquid cleaner drainpipe <NUM> of reservoir chamber <NUM>. The liquid cleaner pump <NUM> may communicate with the controller board <NUM> to be controlled thereby. The controller board <NUM> may communicate with the liquid cleaner pump <NUM> to deliver a predetermined amount of concentrated liquid cleaner <NUM> into the reservoir chamber <NUM>, as provided in the cleaning program. The concentrated liquid cleaner <NUM> may be pumped into the reservoir chamber <NUM> at the beginning of each cleaning cycle sequence, for example, after or about the same time that the freshwater <NUM> is added. Alternatively, a liquid cleaner valve may replace liquid cleaner pump <NUM>. The liquid cleaner valve may control the movement of liquid cleaner through the liquid cleaner inlet drainpipe <NUM>, and may be under the control of the controller board <NUM>. The controller board <NUM> may communicate with the liquid cleaner valve to permit the movement of liquid cleaner into the reservoir chamber <NUM>, as provided in the cleaning program.

Once the reservoir chamber <NUM> is filled with cleaning solution <NUM>, either through cleaning tablets <NUM> or concentrated liquid cleaner <NUM>, the cleaning cycle proceeds to process block <NUM>, whereby the pump <NUM> delivers cleaning solution <NUM> to the shooter tube <NUM>. The pump <NUM> communicates with the controller board <NUM> to be controlled thereby. The pump <NUM> discharges the cleaning solution <NUM> out through the cleaning solution outlet port <NUM> to the pump <NUM>. The pump <NUM> then delivers the cleaning solution <NUM> back through the shooter tube port <NUM> of the reservoir chamber <NUM> to the shooter tube <NUM>. The controller board <NUM> may communicate with the pump <NUM> to deliver cleaning solution <NUM> to the shooter tube <NUM> for a predetermined duration or for a predetermined volume of cleaning solution <NUM>, as provided by the cleaning program. Alternatively, the pump <NUM> will continue to cycle the cleaning solution <NUM> from the reservoir chamber <NUM> to the shooter tube <NUM> until the oven meets a desired visual cleanliness, and whereby the user may manually end the washing step <NUM>.

During washing, the shooter tube <NUM> discharges the cleaning solution at a highpressure force and volumetric rate, for example, between <NUM>-<NUM> gallons per minute and preferably at least <NUM> gallons per minute, allowing the cleaning solution <NUM> to contact the upper wall <NUM> of the cooking chamber <NUM>. The cleaning solution <NUM> ricochets off the upper wall <NUM> to contact and clean the sidewalls <NUM> and <NUM>. The spit motor <NUM> may be activated to rotate spit assembly <NUM>, facilitating the deflection and dispersal of the cleaning solution <NUM> onto the sidewalls of the cooking chamber <NUM>, and to clean the spit assembly <NUM> itself. Generally, the wastewater <NUM> will drip from the oven <NUM> walls and spit assembly <NUM>, and fall into the drainpipe <NUM> to be retained by reservoir chamber <NUM>.

Next, a draining step, as indicated by process block <NUM>, will activate the suction pump <NUM> to discharge the wastewater <NUM> through the waste drain port <NUM> and out to a sanitary sewer line. For example, the waste drain port <NUM> 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 "U" extends higher than the upper wall <NUM> of the reservoir chamber to prevent excess wastewater from leaving the conduit were the reservoir chamber to overflow. The "siphon" prevents the wastewater <NUM> from flowing back into the cooking chamber <NUM> and out of the inverted "U" since the wastewater <NUM> in the conduit cannot be higher than the water level at the source reservoir chamber <NUM>. The suction pump <NUM> may communicate with the controller board <NUM> to be controlled thereby. Alternatively, a wastewater discharge valve may replace the suction pump <NUM> and the inverted U-tube. The wastewater discharge valve may control the discharge of wastewater through the waste drain port <NUM>, and may be under the control of the controller board <NUM>. The controller board <NUM> may communicate with the wastewater discharge valve to permit the movement of wastewater out of the reservoir chamber <NUM>, as provided by the cleaning program.

The program <NUM> may loop back to process block <NUM> to continue cleaning until a set number of cleaning cycles is complete, a predetermined time has elapsed (for example <NUM>-<NUM> hours) or the oven has met predetermined visual cleanliness. Alternatively, the cleaning cycle <NUM> may end by pressing the clean cycle button <NUM> indicating a desire to manually end the cleaning cycle <NUM>. After the cleaning cycle <NUM> is ended, the program <NUM> may loop back to allow for a new cooking cycle <NUM> to be initiated.

In an exemplary cleaning cycle <NUM>, the process blocks <NUM> (water fill), <NUM> (cleaning agent fill- omitted if using cleaning tablets), <NUM> (wash) and <NUM> (drain) are run through consecutively, for example, two to three times, in order to remove grease <NUM> from the oven <NUM>. To perform a more thorough clean, the duration of step <NUM> (wash) may be extended to provide a longer wash. Next, the process blocks <NUM> (water fill), <NUM> (cleaning agent fill), and <NUM> (wash) are performed at the same time, followed by step <NUM> (wash) and step <NUM> (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 <NUM> and the reservoir chamber <NUM>.

It is contemplated that any schedule of process blocks <NUM> (water fill), <NUM> (cleaning agent fill- omitted if using cleaning tablets), <NUM> (wash) and <NUM> (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.

Referring now to <FIG>, in an alternative embodiment, the shooter tube <NUM> may be displaced to one side of the chamber <NUM> to pass through its own opening <NUM> in the lower wall <NUM> of the oven adjacent to the opening of the drain aperture <NUM>.

Referring also to <FIG>, this displacement of the shooter tube <NUM> opens up the drain aperture <NUM> so that an operator's hand may be easily inserted through the drain aperture <NUM> into the chamber <NUM> through an opening <NUM> in the upper wall <NUM> of the chamber <NUM>. In this way, the operator may remove large debris <NUM> that may be trapped in a secondary filter <NUM> within the chamber <NUM> without the need for service call.

The secondary filter <NUM> separates the chamber <NUM> into a first portion 228a leading directly from the opening <NUM> and a second portion 228b communicating directly with the drain port <NUM>, the liquid cleaner drainpipe <NUM>, the grease discharge port <NUM> and the freshwater inlet port <NUM> as well as the solution outlet port <NUM>. The secondary filter <NUM> may slope generally upward from the bottom wall <NUM> of the chamber <NUM> at a point about midway along the length of the bottom wall <NUM>, contacting the front and rear sidewalls <NUM> and <NUM> and joining to the underside of the upper wall <NUM> close to the left wall <NUM>. Significantly, the surface of the secondary filter <NUM> facing portion 228a is readily cleaned by hand through the opening <NUM>. The secondary filter <NUM> may have elongated slots directed generally along a path of fluid flow along the length of the chamber <NUM> having a width of approximately <NUM> (<NUM>/<NUM> inch) to <NUM> (one half inch) and preferably <NUM> (one quarter inch).

Referring also to <FIG>, a primary filter <NUM> in the form of an upwardly open basket may slidably move along the underside of upper wall <NUM> on rails <NUM> to be positioned at one extreme of its movement to fit beneath the opening <NUM> to receive all debris flowing into the opening <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>) or to be slid away from the opening <NUM> to allow access by the operator's hand into the portion 228a.

A bottom wall of the basket of the primary filter <NUM> may slope downwardly in a direction away from portion 228b and the basket of the primary filter <NUM> may be perforated with numerous holes of diameter <NUM> to <NUM> (<NUM>/<NUM> to <NUM>/<NUM> inch) (and preferably substantially <NUM> (one quarter inch)) on all of its walls to catch large debris that would otherwise not fit through the liquid cleaner drainpipe <NUM>, the drain port <NUM>, or grease discharge port <NUM> and therefore might cause clogs. A handle <NUM> may be provided on the basket of the primary filter <NUM> extending upward from one wall of the basket of the primary filter <NUM> to assist in the sliding operation.

When the primary filter <NUM> is positioned beneath the opening <NUM>, its interior also may be readily cleaned by hand through drain aperture <NUM>. Grease, water, and debris passing through drain aperture <NUM> are first received within the basket formed by primary filter <NUM> and then pass into portion 228a through secondary filter <NUM> to be discharged as discussed above.

In other respects the reservoir may operate as discussed above with respect to <FIG>.

Referring now to <FIG>, in an alternative embodiment, the shooter tube <NUM> may be substantially centered within the reservoir chamber <NUM> to pass through its own opening <NUM> in the lower wall <NUM> of the oven adjacent to the opening of the drain aperture <NUM>. Similar to the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the operator's hand may be easily inserted through the drain aperture <NUM> into the chamber <NUM> through the opening <NUM> in the upper wall <NUM> of the chamber <NUM> to remove large debris.

Referring also to <FIG>, the freshwater inlet port <NUM> may be held on a sidewall <NUM> and/or <NUM>, adjacent to the left wall <NUM> holding the liquid cleaner drainpipe <NUM>, the drain port <NUM>, grease discharge port <NUM>, and cleaning solution outlet port <NUM> so that freshwater <NUM> entering the chamber <NUM> shoots out past the liquid cleaner drainpipe <NUM>, the drain port <NUM>, grease discharge port <NUM>, and cleaning solution outlet port <NUM>. In this manner, the position of the freshwater inlet port <NUM> may be in close proximity to the left wall <NUM> such that pressurized freshwater <NUM> flowing through the freshwater inlet port <NUM> and in a "sweeping" fashion along a curve or multiple angles between <NUM> degrees and <NUM> degrees may assist with cleaning out the ports <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> of the chamber <NUM> and removing clogs caused by debris such as large food particles, sediment, and viscous fluids.

A heating tank <NUM> is positioned adjacent the chamber <NUM> upstream from the shooter tube <NUM> and carrying an electrical heating element such as an immersion heater <NUM>, separate from the radiant heat system <NUM> for heating or cooking food within the warming chamber <NUM> or other cooking heater of the oven, for heating up the cleaning solution <NUM> during cleaning operation. The immersion heater <NUM> is operated separately from the radiant heat system <NUM> or cooking heater of the oven for dedicated heating during cleaning operation. The immersion heater <NUM> may be an electrical heating element surrounded by a sheath electrically insulating the electrical heating element from surrounding liquid.

The pump <NUM> may receive the cleaning solution <NUM>, for example formed by tablets <NUM> dropped into the freshwater <NUM>, from the reservoir chamber <NUM> through the cleaning solution outlet port <NUM>. The pump <NUM> then delivers the cleaning solution <NUM> into the heating tank <NUM> through the port <NUM> of the heating tank <NUM>. A filter may be positioned upstream from the pump <NUM> to prevent debris from entering the pump <NUM> and to prevent clogs.

The cleaning solution <NUM> passes through the heating tank <NUM> with direct contact with the immersion heater <NUM> for directly heating the cleaning solution <NUM>. The heated cleaning solution <NUM> is directed to pass through the immersion heater <NUM> by a baffle <NUM> separating the chamber <NUM> into a first portion holding the port <NUM> and immersion heater <NUM> and a second portion holding an outlet <NUM>, but allowing the cleaning solution <NUM> to pass from the first portion to the second portion. The baffle <NUM> may contact the floor and ceiling of the chamber <NUM>, and extend from a wall <NUM> of the port <NUM> toward an opposite wall <NUM> but providing a gap between the baffle <NUM> and the opposite wall <NUM> to allow cleaning solution <NUM> to pass from the first portion to the second portion. The cleaning solution <NUM> may pass along a U-shaped path through the immersion heater <NUM>, around the baffle <NUM>, and out of the heating tank <NUM> through the outlet <NUM> communicating with the shooter tube <NUM>. The heated cleaning solution <NUM> is then delivered through the shooter tube <NUM> for cleaning with wastewater reentering the chamber <NUM> through drain aperture <NUM> as part of a closed loop was system.

In other respects the reservoir may operate as discussed above with respect to <FIG> or with respect to the embodiment shown in <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, and as described above, the controller board <NUM> may execute the stored program <NUM> held in the memory <NUM> using the processor <NUM> communicating with memory <NUM> (see <FIG>). The program <NUM> may selectively operate the immersion heater <NUM> during the cleaning program <NUM> according to signals from a thermostat <NUM> to heat the cleaning solution <NUM> within the heating tank <NUM>. The thermostat <NUM> may be positioned within the heating tank <NUM> or downstream from the heating tank <NUM> to detect a temperature signal and communicate with the controller board <NUM> to adjust the operation of the immersion heater <NUM>.

In one embodiment, a grease extraction cycle <NUM> may occur after cooking but before the cleaning cycles according to stored program <NUM>. During the grease extraction cycle <NUM>, freshwater may be introduced into the reservoir chamber <NUM> at a specified time after cooking operation ends for a specified duration. The grease extraction cycle <NUM> is provided to create a siphon of flowing fluid in order to remove grease from the chamber <NUM> while the fluid is still inviscid.

Following the grease extraction cycle <NUM>, the cleaning cycles may be operated according to stored program <NUM> including a user selected rinse cycle <NUM>, light clean cycle <NUM>, and heavy clean cycle <NUM>. The rinse cycle <NUM> may circulate cleaning solution <NUM> without turning on the immersion heater <NUM>, and optionally adding a lime de-scaler to the cleaning solution <NUM>, as indicated by process block <NUM>. The light clean cycle <NUM> may circulate cleaning solution <NUM> at a lower temperature, for example, less than <NUM>°F, as indicated by process block <NUM>, while the heavy clean cycle may circulate cleaning solution <NUM> at a higher temperature, for example, at or above <NUM>°F, as indicated by process block <NUM>. The temperature of the cleaning solution <NUM> may be determined by a temperature sensor (not shown) so that the immersion heater <NUM> remains in an ON state when a higher temperature is desired or turned to an OFF state when the desired temperature is achieved or a lower temperature is desired. The heavy clean cycle <NUM> may also incorporate additional cycles of cleaning or longer duration of cleaning compared to the light clean cycle <NUM>.

The cleaning cycles may end with a dry cycle <NUM>, which prevents the user from opening the front door assembly <NUM> or rear door assembly <NUM> until the warming chamber <NUM> of the oven is dry. Once the cleaning cycle is ended, the user may operate the oven <NUM> immediately without additional drying time.

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.

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.

Claim 1:
An oven (<NUM>) comprising:
an oven housing (<NUM>) defining a cooking volume (<NUM>) and having a door (<NUM>, <NUM>) providing access to the cooking volume (<NUM>) and sealing the cooking volume (<NUM>) when the door is in a closed position;
an oven heater (<NUM>, <NUM>) communicating with the cooking volume (<NUM>) to heat the same; and
a cleaning assembly including
a reservoir chamber (<NUM>) communicating with the cooking volume through a drain opening (<NUM>) in a floor (<NUM>) of the cooking volume (<NUM>),
a pump (<NUM>) communicating through a first opening (<NUM>) in the reservoir chamber (<NUM>) to pump a cleaning solution out of the reservoir chamber (<NUM>) and expel the cleaning solution to the cooking volume (<NUM>) through a nozzle directing a spray against an interior of the cooking volume, and
a cleaning heater assembly communicating with the cleaning solution to heat the same;
the oven (<NUM>) further comprising a second opening (<NUM>) in the reservoir chamber (<NUM>) permitting a movement of grease through the second opening (<NUM>) , and a third opening (<NUM>) in the reservoir chamber (<NUM>) permitting a movement of freshwater from a freshwater source through the third opening (<NUM>), characterised in that the second opening (<NUM>) and third opening (<NUM>) are on adjacent upstanding sidewalls (<NUM>, <NUM>) and the freshwater source is configured to spray freshwater orthogonal to the second opening (<NUM>).