Patent ID: 7604000

Claim:
A tunnel oven comprising: (a) a case enclosing a baking chamber, the baking chamber having a lateral side, an oppositely lateral side, a longitudinal end, and an oppositely longitudinal end, the case comprising longitudinal and oppositely longitudinal end walls respectively bounding the baking chamber's longitudinal and oppositely longitudinal ends; (b) first and second food passage ports respectively extending through the case's longitudinal and oppositely longitudinal end walls, the first food passage port having an upper end and lateral and oppositely lateral sides; (c) a heater connected operatively to the case; (d) a food conveyor extending longitudinally through the baking chamber; (e) a plenum mounted within the baking chamber's lateral side, the plenum being opened by a blower port and by at least a first duct port; (f) an air blower mounted in communication with the plenum's blower port; (g) at least a first air duct mounted in communication with the at least first duct port; and (h) at least a first air curtain port further opening the plenum, the at least first air curtain port being positioned for directing air toward the first food passage port's lateral side, the at least first air curtain port being further positioned at an elevation below that of the first food passage port's upper end.