Spiral cooking devices and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10448650-B2
Application number	US-201715587697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2017
Priority date	May 5, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

In one aspect, a spiral cooking device includes a first cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally therethrough in a first direction, a second cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally therethrough in a second direction different than the first direction, and a spiral conveyor belt at least partially positioned in the first and second cooking zones and configured to transport food product thereon through the first and second cooking zones. In one aspect, a spiral cooking device includes a spiral conveyor belt providing a central opening inside the belt and a conveyor belt drive member positioned externally of the central opening. In one aspect, a conveyor belt cleaning device is provided. In one aspect, a cooking device includes a frame including a plurality of coupled pipes for providing structural support to the device and at least one of the pipes is configured to have liquid pass therethrough.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spiral cooking device having a central vertical axis comprising:
a first cooking zone defined by a first sector of the spiral cooking device about the central vertical axis with air configured to move horizontally there through in a first direction;
a second cooking zone defined by a second sector of the spiral cooking device about the central vertical axis, clocked relative to the first cooking zone, with air configured to move horizontally there through in a second direction different than the first direction; and
a spiral conveyor belt at least partially extending about the central vertical axis and positioned in the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone, wherein the spiral conveyor belt is configured to transport food product thereon through the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone.

2. The spiral cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction.

3. A spiral cooking device comprising:
a first cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally there through in a first direction;
a second cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally there through in a second direction different than the first direction; and
a spiral conveyor belt at least partially positioned in the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone, wherein the spiral conveyor belt is configured to transport food product thereon through the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone,
wherein the spiral cooking device is circular in shape, and wherein the first direction is a center-out direction and the second direction is an outside-in direction.

4. A spiral cooking device comprising:
a first cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally there through in a first direction;
a second cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally there through in a second direction different than the first direction;
a spiral conveyor belt at least partially positioned in the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone, wherein the spiral conveyor belt is configured to transport food product thereon through the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone; and
a first adjustable opening in fluid communication with the first cooking zone and a second adjustable opening in fluid communication with the second cooking zone, wherein heated air is configured to pass through the first adjustable opening into the first cooking zone and heated air is configured to pass through the second adjustable opening into the second cooking zone, and wherein a size of the first adjustable opening and a size of the second adjustable opening are adjustable.

5. The spiral cooking device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally there through;
a fourth cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally there through;
a fifth cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally there through; and
a sixth cooking zone with air configured to move horizontally there through.

6. The spiral cooking device of claim 5 , wherein the first through sixth cooking zones are consecutively positioned around the spiral cooking device.

7. The spiral cooking device of claim 5 , further comprising a hood defining a cavity therein, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth cooking zones are within the cavity in the hood.

8. The spiral cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the spiral conveyor belt includes a plurality of tiers and a plurality of cooking locations, wherein the spiral conveyor belt is configured to transport food product through the plurality of cooking locations, wherein one of the plurality of cooking locations is positioned at each of the plurality of tiers, and wherein both the plurality of tiers and the plurality of cooking locations are at least partially positioned in the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone.

9. The spiral cooking device of claim 8 , wherein air is configured to move horizontally through the plurality of cooking locations positioned in the first cooking zone in the first direction, and wherein air is configured to move horizontally through the plurality of cooking locations positioned in the second cooking zone in the second direction.

10. The spiral cooking device of claim 1 , wherein:
the spiral conveyor belt includes a first tier and a second tier positioned above the first tier;
the first tier and the second tier are positioned in both the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone;
a first cooking location is defined between the first tier and the second tier in the first cooking zone, air is configured to move horizontally through the first cooking location in the first direction; and
a second cooking location is defined between the first tier and the second tier in the second cooking zone, air is configured to move horizontally through the second cooking location in the second direction.

11. The spiral cooking device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a first opening in fluid communication with the first cooking location, wherein heated air is configured to pass through the first opening into the first cooking location in the first direction; and
a second opening in fluid communication with the second cooking location, wherein heated air is configured to pass through the second opening into the second cooking location in the second direction.

12. The spiral cooking device of claim 11 , wherein the first opening is a first adjustable opening that is adjustable to change a size thereof, and wherein the second opening is a second adjustable opening that is adjustable to change a size thereof.

13. The spiral cooking device of claim 12 , wherein the first adjustable opening and the second adjustable opening are adjustable independent of each other.

14. The spiral cooking device of claim 10 , wherein the first cooking zone includes a first heating element positioned in the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone includes a second heating element positioned in the second cooking zone.

15. The spiral cooking device of claim 1 , further comprising a hood defining a cavity therein, wherein the first and second cooking zones are within the cavity of the hood.

Assignees

• Provisur Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Van De Rijt Frederik N L A
• Van Der Helm Inge
• Steensma Patrick Xander

Classifications

• B65G2207/26

  Hygienic features, e.g. easy to sanitize · CPC title

• B65G2201/0202

  Agricultural and processed food products · CPC title

• B65G45/24

  comprising plural diverse cleaning devices · CPC title

• B65G45/22

  comprising fluid applying means · CPC title

• B65G45/18

  comprising brushes · CPC title