Patent ID: 7309422

Claim:
A fryer, comprising: a fryer vat for frying food stuffs in heated oil; an oil drain path leading from the fryer vat; a pan arranged vertically below the fryer vat having sides and a bottom connected with curved portions, the pan further including a flange extending from a top of the pan along each of the sides, the pan structured to be removable and configured to receive oil from the oil drain path and further configured to slide between an interior position and an extended position; a sliding pan support engaging the flange and supporting the pan in both the extended position and the interior position, the sliding pan support comprising wheels that engage a rail to facilitate a sliding movement between the extended position and the interior position, the sliding pan support engaging the flange; and a filter system including oil return piping, the oil return piping extending rearward from a front of the pan to a return coupler that slidingly mates with a corresponding coupler when the pan slides from the extended position to the interior position, and the oil return piping is coupled to the pan such that heat is conducted from heated oil to the oil return piping.