Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
PASS THROUGH CONVECTION OVEN
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No.
62/459,019 filed on February 14, 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated
herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to the field of cooking and
more specifically to
convection ovens used in kitchens for baking foodstuffs.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Traditionally, a user has used a convention oven to more quickly
and efficiently cook
a food item. Such traditional convection ovens, however, may be deficient.
SUMMARY
[0004] In a first example, a convection oven comprises: a cooking
chamber having a front
door and a rear door opposing the front door; a combustion chamber disposed
below at least a
portion of the cooking chamber; a side flue conduit configured to direct hot
air from the
combustion chamber to the cooking chamber; and a side sub-chamber with a
convection fan
configured to re-circulate at least a portion of the hot air within the
cooking chamber, in which
the side sub-chamber is disposed adjacent a side of the cooking chamber that
is orthogonal to the
front and rear door.
[0005] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising a sub-
housing positioned opposite the sub-chamber, the sub-housing including a motor
configured to
rotate the convection fan, and further including a cooling fan that is coupled
to the motor and this
is configured for exchanging air in the side sub-chamber.
[0006] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising a means for
venting air from the sub-housing.
[0007] Another example includes any such convection oven, wherein the
means for venting
air from the sub-housing comprises a rear vent on a side of the sub-housing.
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[0008] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising a means for
drawing air into the sub-housing.
[0009] Another example includes any such convection oven, wherein the
means for drawing
air into the sub-housing comprises a sub-cavity positioned below at least one
of a front and a rear
portion of the cooking chamber, wherein the sub-cavity is vented to the
exterior of the
convection oven and is in fluid communication with a lower portion of the sub-
housing.
[0010] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising a means for
venting air from the sub-housing.
[0011] Another example includes any such convection oven, wherein the
means for venting
air from the sub-housing comprises a rear vent on a side of the sub-housing.
[0012] Another example includes any such convection oven, wherein the sub-
housing
comprises one or more components for controlling the convection oven.
[0013] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising at least one
external control on an outside of the sub-housing that is adjacent the front
door, wherein the
external control modulates a component inside the sub-housing that controls at
least one aspect
of the operation of the convection oven.
[0014] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising thermal
insulation surrounding at least a portion of the cooking chamber and the
combustion chamber
that is adjacent to and external to the sub-housing.
[0015] Another example includes any such convection oven, wherein the at
least one
external control modulates the speed of the motor.
[0016] In a second example, a convection oven comprises: a cooking
chamber having a front
door and a rear door opposing the front door; a combustion chamber disposed
below at least a
portion of the cooking chamber; a side flue conduit configured to direct hot
air from the
combustion chamber to the cooking chamber; a side sub-chamber with a
convection fan
configured to re-circulate at least a portion of the hot air within the
cooking chamber, in which
the side sub-chamber is disposed adjacent a side of the cooking chamber that
is orthogonal to the
front and rear door; a sub-housing positioned opposite the sub-chamber, the
sub-housing
including a motor configured to rotate the convection fan, and further
including a cooling fan
that is coupled to the motor and this is configured for exchanging air in the
side sub-chamber;
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and at least one external flue conduit configured to direct a portion of
combustion gas outside of
. the convection oven.
[0017] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising at least one
upper conduit to direct the portion of combustion gas from the cooking chamber
to the at least
one external flue conduit.
[0018] Another example includes any such convection oven, wherein the at
least one
external flue conduit is disposed on an opposite side of the convection oven
from the sub-
housing.
[0019] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising a means for
drawing air into the sub-housing.
[0020] Another example includes any such convection oven, wherein the
means for drawing
air into the sub-housing comprises a sub-cavity positioned below at least one
of a front and a rear
portion of the cooking chamber, wherein the sub-cavity is vented to the
exterior of the
convection oven and is in fluid communication with a lower portion of the sub-
housing.
[0021] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising at least one
external control on an outside of the sub-housing that is adjacent the front
door, wherein the
external control modulates a component inside the sub-housing that controls at
least one aspect
of the operation of the convection oven.
[0022] Another example includes any such convection oven, wherein the at
least one
external control modulates the speed of the motor.
[0023] Another example includes any such convection oven, further
comprising thermal
insulation surrounding at least a portion of the cooking chamber and the
combustion chamber
that is adjacent to and external to the sub-housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0024] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and
its features and
advantages, reference is now made to the following description, taken in
conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0025] FIG. 1 is perspective view of an example convection oven having
two doors on
opposing sides, with both doors open;
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[0026] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the example
convection oven of FIG.
1, taken at section line A-A;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the example
convection oven of FIG. 1,
taken at section line A-A;
100281 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the example convection
oven of FIG. 1,
taken at section line B-B;
[0029] FIG. 5 is an expanded portion of FIG. 4, showing the cooking
chamber and
combustion chamber;
[0030] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view of the example convection
oven of FIG. 3, taken
at section line C-C;
[0031] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an example baffle for the example
convection oven of
FIG. 3;
[0032] FIG. 8A is a cross- sectional view of an example convection oven
having air vents;
[0033] FIG. 8B is an orthogonal cross-section of FIG. 8, illustrating the
relative transverse
dimension of an example sub-cavity that is vented;
[0034] FIG. 9 is a side perspective exterior view of an example
convection oven;
[0035] FIG. 10 is a side perspective exterior view of the example
convection oven of FIG. 9,
with the front door, front cover panel and side cover panel removed;
[0036] FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective exterior view of the example
convection oven of FIG.
9;
[0037] FIG. 12 is a front perspective exterior view of the example
convection oven of FIG.
9; and
[0038] FIG. 13 is a front perspective exterior view of the example
convection oven of FIG. 9,
with the front door and a cover panel removed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] Embodiments of the present disclosure are best understood by
referring to FIGS. 1-13
of the drawings, like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of
the various
drawings.
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[0040]
FIGS. 1-7 illustrate an example convection oven 100. A convection oven, such
as
convection oven 100, refers to an oven that uses one or more fans to re-
circulate hot air in the
cooking area of the oven. By re-circulating hot air using a fan, convection
ovens may distribute
heat evenly around a food item, removing the blanket of cooler air that
surrounds the food item
when it is first placed in an oven and allowing the food item to cook more
evenly in less time and
at a lower temperature than in a conventional oven. Convection ovens typically
promote faster
cooking and browning, and are the preferred oven in commercial kitchens.
[0041]
As is illustrated in FIG. 2, the convection oven 100 includes a cooking
chamber 120
and a combustion chamber 110. The cooking chamber 120 may be any chamber into
which a
food item may be positioned in order to be cooked using the convection oven
100. The
combustion chamber 110 may be any chamber that may generate heat to be used to
cook a food
item. For example, the combustion chamber 110 may generate heat (e.g., hot air
and combustion
gases) by burning gas from one or more gas burner manifolds 115. The hot air
and combustion
gases may exit the combustion chamber 110 and enter the cooking chamber 120
via one or more
side flue conduits 130 (illustrated in FIG. 6).
[0042]
The combustion chamber 110 may be disposed below at least a portion of the
cooking chamber 110.
Furthermore, the combustion chamber 110 may be in fluid
communication with the cooking chamber 120 via the one or more side flue
conduits 130. The
side flue conduit 130 may direct hot air and combustion gas from the
combustion chamber 110 to
the cooking chamber 120. The convection oven 100 may include only a single
side flue conduit
130, or more preferably, may include two such conduits 130 and 130' (as is
illustrated in FIG. 6),
or more than two such conduits 130. The convection oven 100 may further
include an external
flue conduit 136 (shown in FIG. 1) for external venting of combustion gas (or
other heat) from
the cooking chamber 120. Also, the convection oven 100 may also include at
least one upper
conduit 133 (shown in FIG. 3) to direct at least a portion of the combustion
gas from the cooking
chamber 120 to the external flue conduit 136, for external venting. Examples
of the air flow in-
between the combustion chamber 110 and the cooking chamber 120 is illustrated
in FIG. 3.
Additionally, FIG. 3 further illustrates the air flow inside the cooking
chamber 120.
[0043]
In some examples, the cooking chamber 120 may also be heated by radiation from
a
horizontal divider 118 (shown in FIG. 3) positioned between the cooking
chamber 120 and the
combustion chamber 110. This horizontal divider 118 may form the bottom wall
of the cooking
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chamber 120, and may further form the upper wall of the combustion chamber
110. In some
examples, the cooking chamber 120 may also include one or more additional
radiant heat sources
(e.g., gas broilers, electrical broiling elements) positioned on the bottom
and/or top walls of the
cooking chamber 120, similar to a conventional oven. In some examples, this
may allow the
convection oven 100 to operate as a conventional oven when, for example, the
convection
features are turned off
[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the convection oven 100 further includes
doors 121 and 122
on opposing sides 101 and 102 of the cooking chamber 120, thereby forming a
pass through
convection oven. These doors 121 and 122 may both open and close (as shown in
FIG. 8B),
allowing a food item to be added or removed from the cooking chamber 120 on
either side 101
and 102 of the cooking chamber 120. The doors 121 and 122 may be counter-
balanced, soft
opening oven doors. Furthermore, they may be positioned on opposite ends,
allowing users to
access the cooking chamber 120 from both sides of the same convention oven
100, or (in most
cases) from both sides of a cooking suite / island. This capability may
increase productivity
within a small footprint. It may also reduce the number of ovens needed, thus
lower operating
cost, lowering capital cost, lowering heat generated, and/or providing a more
comfortable
environment.
[0045] Unlike convection oven 100, a typical convection oven does not
include two doors on
opposing sides. Instead, a typical convention oven includes only one door, or
multiple doors
positioned on the same side of the convention oven. The reasoning for this is
that a convection
oven uses one or more fans to re-circulate hot air in the cooking area of the
oven. These fans can
be problematic because they must be positioned on (or in) a surface of the
oven. Typically, the
fans (and motor system) of a convection oven are positioned on a rear wall of
the typical
convection oven. This, however, prevents the typical convection oven from
having two doors
positioned on opposing sides, as the opposing wall (e.g., the rear wall) is
usually where the fans
(and motor system) are positioned. As is discussed above, unlike typical
convection ovens,
convection oven 100 includes two doors on opposing sides (e.g., a front door
and a rear door).
Furthermore, unlike conventional ovens (i.e., non-convection ovens),
convection oven 100 also
includes one or more fans (discussed below) that re-circulate hot air in the
cooking area of the
oven. As such, the convection oven 100 may provide access from opposing aisles
in a
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commercial kitchen to improve work flow and efficiency, and reduce foot
traffic, yet retain the
benefits of convection ovens.
[0046] As is illustrated in FIG. 4, the convection oven 100 may further
include a side sub-
chamber 140 with a convection fan 150 to re-circulate hot oven air within the
cooking chamber
120. The side sub-chamber 140 may be positioned within the cooking chamber
120. However, a
baffle plate 125 may separate the side sub-chamber 140 from the cooking
chamber 120. This
baffle plate 125 may define the dimensions of the side sub-chamber 140. The
solid portion of
the baffle plate 125 may extend beyond the fan blade 151 perimeter that
defines an operative
portion of the convection fan 150, so that the blade assembly is centered with
hole 126 in the
baffle plate 125.
[0047] The combination of the rotating blades 151 of the convection fan
150 and convection
baffle 125 may create optimum heat and air circulation within the cooking
chamber 120,
increasing overall heat transfer efficiency, recovering efficiency, and/or
fuel efficiency.
Following the basic theory of forced convective heat transfer, the addition of
a convection fan
can achieve higher heat transfer (and even heat distribution) than is capable
in a non-convective
(standard) oven design. The heat transfer characteristics and convective heat
transfer coefficient
are improved dramatically, increasing the speed for temperature rise. The
baffle 125 may have
openings 145 to ensure even heat distribution throughout the entire oven
cooking chamber 120.
The openings 145 may be at the sides and/or bottom. Furthermore, the baffle
plate 125 may
have alternative shapes, and may vent at least partially on 2 or 4 sides, with
a center hole or
perforated region 126 opposite the fan blades 150.
[0048] To position the side sub-chamber 140 within the cooking chamber
120, the baffle
plate 125 may be attached to the side wall 124 of the cooking chamber 120 (as
is shown in FIG.
6). In such an example, the side sub-chamber 140 may be positioned adjacent
the side wall 124,
as is seen in FIG. 6. The side wall 124 may refer to a wall that is orthogonal
to the doors 121
and 122. That is, if the doors 121 and 122 are positioned on the front and
rear of the convection
oven 100, the side wall 124 may refer to the left side wall or the right side
wall. By attaching the
baffle plate 125 to the side wall 124 (which is orthogonal to the doors 121
and 122), the side sub-
chamber 140 is not positioned in the rear of the convection oven 100. Thus,
the convection oven
100 can have a door 121 (or door 122) positioned on the rear side of the
convection oven 100.
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Therefore, unlike typical convection ovens, convection oven 100 can include
doors 121 and 122
positioned on opposing sides of the cooking chamber 120.
[0049] The convection oven 100 may further include a sub-housing or
control compartment
180. The sub-housing 180 may be disposed on the opposite side of wall 124
(i.e., on the side
opposite of the side-sub chamber 140). Furthermore, the sub-housing 180 may
extend the depth
of the oven 100 (i.e., from door 121 to door 122) outside the cooking chamber
120 at the side
having the convection fan 150. The sub-housing 180 may contain a motor 160
(for rotating the
convection fan 150). Additionally, a cooling fan blade assembly 170 may be
disposed in the
sub-housing 180. The cooling fan 170 may also be coupled to the motor 160,
allowing the motor
160 to rotate the cooking fan 170. As such, the motor 160 may rotate both the
convection fan
150 and the cooling fan 170. Vents 163 may be disposed in a rear side of the
sub-housing 180 to
provide for exchange of air therein by the cooling fan 170.
[0050] The cooling fan 170 and motor 160 is preferably extremely low-
profile. It is also
preferable for the motor 160 to be able to operate at HIGH and LOW speeds. It
is also
preferably designed to be able to be left OFF while operating the convention
oven 100 in its
standard, non-convective mode, without damaging the fan motor 160 itself. The
fan motor 160
may be easily accessed and/or serviced from inside the cooking chamber 120.
[0051] The sub-housing 180 may also contain gas control valves 165 for
external modulation
of the gas flow from an external source to the gas burner manifold 115. It may
also contain
additional oven controls (e.g., thermostat, indicator light, gas valve, etc.).
Furthermore, these
oven controls positioned in the sub-housing 180 may further be modulated (or
otherwise
controlled) by an external control system positioned elsewhere on the
convection oven 100 (e.g.,
adjacent one of the doors 121 or 122).
[0052] In some examples, the convection oven 100 may be able to have two
doors on
opposing sides because the convection oven 100 incorporates a low profile
convective fan motor
160 within its narrow sub-housing 180. Vent holes 163' may be positioned in
strategic locations
to help provide (or ensure) sufficient air flow to keeping the fan motor 160
cool. Also, a second
fan system (i.e., cooling fan 170) may be coupled to the same motor 160, to
generate constant
cooling air to help cool off the motor 160 (and other electronics in the
convection oven 100).
Also, a unique baffling system may be formed by attaching the baffle plate 125
to the inner
sidewall 124, providing uniform heat flow distribution throughout the cooking
chamber 120, as
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is illustrated by the double headed arrows in FIG. 3. Additionally, the
convection oven 100 may
be designed to maximize the interior volume of the cooking chamber 120, while
staying within a
standard 36" width, allowing full sized sheet pans to be used in a front-to-
back orientation (via
doors 121 and 122). In such examples, the convection oven 100 may not be
larger or wider than
a conventional gas oven, but may still include convection abilities (e.g., it
may include a
convection fan) and may still include two doors on opposing sides. In contrast
to convection
oven 100, traditional fan systems are quite deep, making it difficult to
attach to a wall of an oven
without either increasing the overall width of the oven or reducing the oven
cavity.
[0053] FIGS. 8-13 illustrate another example convection oven 100. The
convection oven
100 of FIGS. 8-13 may be substantially similar to the convection oven 100 of
FIGS. 1-7.
However, the convection oven 100 of FIGS. 8-13 may further include a sub-
cavity 190 and/or
insulating material 210.
[0054] As is illustrated, in a preferred example, the combustion chamber
110 and cooking
chamber 120 of convection oven 100 may be disposed in a sub-cavity 190. The
shape and size
of sub-cavity 190 may be defined by the doors 121 and 122, the dimensions of
the convection
oven 100 (e.g., the side, top, and bottom walls of the convection oven 100),
and the sub-housing
180 (on the other side). The sub-cavity 190 may have a lower portion 191
disposed below the
combustion chamber 110. The lower portion 191 may include vents 192 to allow
air to enter
from outside the oven. These vents 192 may optionally be (or include) one or
more of front
vents 1921, side vents 1922, rear vents 1923, and/or bottom vents 1924 (as
shown in FIG. 8).
[0055] The sub-cavity 190 may further have one or more side vents 195 to
allow fluid
communication and exchange of air between the interior of the sub-housing 180
and the interior
of the sub-cavity 190. The combination of multiple vents to bring outside air
into the sub-
housing 180 may sufficiently aid in keeping the electrical components below
their rated
maximum temperatures for continuous use.
[0056] With the forced convection of the cooler outside air arriving from
vents 195 and vents
192 (e.g., vent holes on the rear of the sub-housing 180), the cooling fan 170
may circulate and
exchange air heated by convection or conduction from the cooking chamber 110
or combustion
chamber 120. In such examples, the cooling fan 170 may generally vent hotter
air in the sub-
housing 180 out via upper vents 163', which are included in vent holes 163 in
the rear of the sub-
housing 180 (as shown in FIG. 12). The vent holes 163 may extend the majority
of the height of
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the sub-housing 180, with the upper most vent holes 163' therein, allowing
hotter air that rises to
escape. It should be appreciated that additional vent holes can be placed on
the upper exterior
surface of the sub-housing 180.
[0057] As is discussed above, the convection oven 100 may further include
insulating
material 210 (as shown as the cross hatching in FIGS. 8A-8B). The insulating
material 210 may
be disposed within the sub-cavity 190 to cover the exterior of the cooking
chamber 110 and/or
the combustion chamber 120. However, in some examples, the lower portion 191
may not
include the insulating material 210, so as to allow external air entering from
vents 192 to flow
therein, and further to allow external air entering from vents 195 to enter
the sub-housing 180.
The insulating material 210 may include any thermal insulating material
suitable for use in a
convection oven. Also, the thickness (or other dimensions) of the insulating
material 210 may be
increased (or decreased) as desired to further reduce (or avoid) heating of
the electrical and/or
electronic components in the sub-housing 180.
[0058] In some examples, a combination of additional insulating material
210 and vents 192
and 195 of sub-cavity 190 may be used to increase the maximum temperature of
the oven,
without the risk of overheating components in the housing 180. Also, because
additional
insulating material 210 may consume space that could be used for the cooking
chamber 120, it
may be preferable to increase the total area of the vents 192 and 195 (without
increasing the
amount or size of the insulating material 210).
[0059] Modifications, additions, and/or substitutions may be made to the
convection oven
100, the components of the convection oven 100, and/or the functions of the
convection oven
100 without departing from the scope of the specification. For example, the
convection oven
may include any type(s) of heating elements, may have any dimensions, may
include additional
components, and/or may not include one or more of the components discussed
above.
[0060] This specification has been written with reference to various non-
limiting and non-
exhaustive embodiments or examples. However, it will be recognized by persons
having
ordinary skill in the art that various substitutions, modifications, or
combinations of any of the
disclosed embodiments or examples (or portions thereof) may be made within the
scope of this
specification. Thus, it is contemplated and understood that this specification
supports additional
embodiments or examples not expressly set forth in this specification. Such
embodiments or
examples may be obtained, for example, by combining, modifying, reorganizing,
or removing
CA 2995027 2018-02-14
any of the disclosed steps, components, elements, features, aspects,
characteristics, limitations,
and the like, of the various non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments or
examples described
in this specification. In this manner, Applicant reserves the right to amend
the claims during
prosecution to add features as variously described in this specification.
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