Convection oven

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903598-B2
Application number	US-201514791906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 28, 2008
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A convection oven having a vapor collection system; water injection system; easily accessible electrical components; and a variable-speed, reversible blower is disclosed. The vapor collection system collects vapor from the cooking chamber during a cooking event, condenses the vapor, and drains the condensed vapor. The water injection system injects water for impact against a blower wheel for dispersion into the air circulating through the cooking chamber. The electrical components are housed within a housing that in a closed position conceals the components and in a closed position exposes the components for easy access. The rotational speed and direction of the variable-speed, reversible blower is controlled during a cooking event according to predetermined speed curves which may include one or more reversal events to achieve more uniform cooking of food. A main controller is programmable via an operator input (e.g., liquid crystal display touch screen) to control operating parameters of the oven.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:
a cooking chamber for receiving the food,
a conduit for circulating gas from the cooking chamber back to the cooking chamber,
a blower wheel in the conduit, the blower wheel having a suction side, a circumferential output side, and a third side opposite the suction side, the blower wheel being rotatable for drawing gas into the blower wheel axially from the suction side and for outputting gas radially from the circumferential output side,
a heater for heating the gas,
a water tube having an outlet positioned to deliver water to the third side of the blower wheel,
wherein the cooking chamber has an exhaust for exhausting gas from the cooking chamber to the conduit, the suction side of the blower wheel being positioned adjacent to and facing the exhaust, and the suction side of the blower wheel being located between the water tube outlet and the exhaust, and
wherein the blower wheel includes a water receiving region on the third side to which the water tube outlet is positioned to deliver water as the blower wheel rotates, said water receiving region on the third side being free of blades extending radially away from the shaft to adjacent the circumferential output side.

2. An oven as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the blower wheel includes a wheel member and a plurality of blades, the wheel member being located between the outlet of the water tube and the exhaust, the outlet of the water tube being positioned for delivering water to the wheel member, the wheel member being configured for dispersing the water radially from the wheel member while the blower wheel is rotating.

3. An oven as set forth in claim 2 , further comprising a shaft connected to the wheel member for rotating the blower wheel, the multiple blades being supported by the wheel member for rotation by the shaft.

4. An oven as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the water receiving region comprises an annular region configured for receiving the water from the tube outlet as the blower wheel is rotating, the annular region being concentric with the shaft.

5. An oven as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the water tube outlet terminates short of the third side.

6. An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:
a cooking chamber for receiving the food,
a conduit for circulating gas from the cooking chamber back to the cooking chamber,
a blower wheel in the conduit configured for moving gas from the cooking chamber back to the cooking chamber, the blower wheel being rotatable for drawing gas into the blower wheel axially from a suction side of the blower wheel and for outputting gas radially from an output side of the blower wheel, the blower wheel including a third side opposite the suction side,
a shaft connected to the wheel member for rotating the blower wheel, the shaft having a an axis of rotation about which the blower wheel is rotatable,
a heater for heating the gas, and
a water system including a water tube configured to deliver water to the third side of the blower wheel opposite the suction side,
wherein the cooking chamber has an exhaust for exhausting gas from the cooking chamber to the conduit, and the suction side of the blower wheel is positioned adjacent to and facing the exhaust, and
wherein the blower wheel includes a water receiving region on the third side to which the water system is configured to deliver water as the blower wheel rotates, the water receiving region including a water receiving surface facing in a direction generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft away from the suction side, the water system being configured to deliver substantially all of said water to said water receiving surface.

7. An oven as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the blower wheel includes a wheel member and a plurality of blades, the water system is configured for delivering the water to the wheel member, and the wheel member is configured for dispersing the water radially from the wheel member.

8. An oven as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the wheel member includes the water receiving region and the water receiving region is concentric with the axis of rotation for receiving the water.

9. An oven as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the blades are supported by the wheel member for rotation by the shaft.

10. An oven as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the wheel member is configured to disperse water radially as water droplets, and the wheel member is configured to disperse substantially all of said water droplets in a water dispersion plane generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

11. An oven as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the water tube has an outlet positioned for delivering water to the third side of the blower wheel.

12. An oven as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the output side of the blower wheel faces transversely with respect to the exhaust.

13. An oven as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the third side of the blower wheel faces away from the exhaust.

14. An oven as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the water tube has an outlet, and the suction side of the blower wheel is located between the tube outlet and the exhaust.

15. An oven as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the wheel member comprises a circular plate.

16. An oven for cooking food, the oven comprising:
a cooking chamber for receiving the food,
a conduit for circulating gas from the cooking chamber back to the cooking chamber,
a blower wheel in the conduit configured for moving gas from the cooking chamber back to the cooking chamber, the blower wheel being rotatable for drawing gas into the blower wheel axially from a suction side of the blower wheel and for outputting gas radially from an output side of the blower wheel, the blower wheel including a third side opposite the suction side,
a shaft connected to the wheel member for rotating the blower wheel, the shaft having a an axis of rotation about which the blower wheel is rotatable,
a heater for heating the gas, and
a water system including a water tube configured to deliver water to the third side of the blower wheel opposite the suction side,
wherein the cooking chamber has an exhaust for exhausting gas from the cooking chamber to the conduit, and the suction side of the blower wheel is positioned adjacent to and facing the exhaust, and
wherein the blower wheel is configured to disperse water radially as droplets, and the wheel member is configured to disperse substantially all of said water droplets in a water dispersion plane generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

17. An oven as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the blower wheel includes a water receiving region to which the water system is configured to deliver water as the blower wheel rotates, said water receiving region being free of blades extending radially away from the shaft to adjacent the circumferential output side.

18. An oven as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the blower wheel includes a wheel member and a plurality of blades, the blades are supported by the wheel member for rotation by the shaft, and the water system is configured for delivering the water to the wheel member.

19. An oven as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the wheel member includes a water receiving region to which the water system is configured to deliver water as the blower wheel rotates, and the water receiving region is concentric with the axis of rotation.

Assignees

• Duke Mfg Co

Inventors

• Greenwood Jack
• Reese Robert J

Classifications

• A21D8/06

  Baking processes · CPC title

• F24C7/006

  using electrically heated liquids · CPC title

• F24C7/082

  on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination · CPC title

• A21B1/26

  by hot air · CPC title

• F24C15/327 Primary

  with air moisturising · CPC title