US 10,208,964 B2Granted

Steam cooking oven and method

AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.

InventorsTimothy L. Cupp, Jeffrey L. Frock, Atul Saksena

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Abstract

A method for reducing energy consumption in a steam cooker that includes a steam cooking cavity, a steam generator for delivering steam along a steam path to the steam cooking cavity, a steam outlet from the steam cooking cavity to a first flow path leading to a drain path. The method involves: (a) utilizing a second flow path from the steam outlet to a vent stack to deliver excess steam flows from the steam cooking cavity up the vent stack rather than down to the drain box; (b) sensing temperature within the vent stack; and (c) utilizing sensed temperature within the vent stack to regulate power of a heating unit of the steam generator to produce steam in a controlled manner that reduces flows of excess steam out of the steam cooking cavity.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of meeting Energy Star applicable cooking efficiency requirements in a steam cooker that includes a steam cooking cavity having a door moveable between opened and closed positions for enabling access to the steam cooking cavity, a steam generator external of the steam cooking cavity and defining a volume for holding water and having a water inlet, a steam outlet and an associated heating unit for heating water in the volume so as to generate steam, and a steam path fluidly connecting the steam outlet to the steam cooking cavity, the method comprising:

(a) utilizing a cavity outlet for excess steam to exit the steam cooking cavity, the cavity outlet fluidly connected via a first flow path to a steam vent stack and via a second flow path to a drain;
(b) sensing temperature within the vent stack;
(c) utilizing sensed temperature within the vent stack to regulate power level of the heating unit to produce steam within the steam generator in a controlled manner that reduces flows of excess steam into the steam cooking cavity via the steam path and subsequently out of the steam cooking cavity via the vent stack, including:
(i) utilizing sensed temperature within the vent stack to identify when little or no excess steam is passing through the vent stack and responsively operating the heating unit at its full power level resulting in a maximum steam production rate;
and
(ii) utilizing sensed temperature within the vent stack to identify increasing flow of steam through the vent stack and responsively operating the heating unit at a reduced non-zero power level, which is less than the full power level, so as to reduce steam production within the steam generator to a reduced rate that is less than the maximum steam production rate and thereby reduce steam flow into the steam cooking cavity and subsequent steam outflow through the vent stack.

3 more elements

A method of reducing energy consumption in a steam cooker of a type that includes a steam cooking cavity with a steam cavity inlet and a steam cavity outlet, a steam generator for delivering steam along a steam path from an outlet of the steam generator to and into the steam cooking cavity through the steam cavity inlet, the steam cavity outlet connected for delivering steam from the steam cooking cavity to a first flow path that connects the steam cooking cavity to a drain, the method comprising:

(a) utilizing a second flow path from the steam cavity to a vent stack to deliver steam from the steam cooking cavity up the vent stack, rather than down to the drain, when steam flow from the steam generator into the steam cooking cavity is excessive;
(b) sensing temperature within the vent stack;
(c) utilizing sensed temperature within the vent stack to regulate power level of a heating unit of the steam generator to produce steam in the steam generator in a controlled manner that reduces flows of steam into and subsequently out of the steam cooking cavity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.