Patent ID: 7624728

Claim:
I claim an air impingement tunnel type conveyor oven comprising: a. an oven chamber comprising a cooking zone, a conveyor extending at least partially out of the oven for transporting materials therethrough, and b. at least one plenum substantially co-extensive with at least one removable nozzle plate containing an array of nozzles, wherein said plenum is defined at least in part by a portion of a top or bottom panel of said cooking chamber, said plenum fixed with respect to the oven, and c. a means for heating and circulating air providing pressurized heated air to said plenum wherein said nozzles form jets of heated air extending into the cooking zone of said oven chamber and impinging on food being cooked, d. thence the heated air of said jets is recirculated and reheated by said heating and recirculating means, and e. where said recirculating air does not exit the cooking chamber through said nozzle plate.