Sensor system and method for detecting misaligned trays and/or mis-positioned utensils in a direct recirculating oven

An oven, comprising:

• an oven bake chamber defined at least in part by two side panels extending parallel to one another;
• a conveyor system disposed within the bake chamber for conveying and positioning trays;
• a light beam transmitter configured to emit a beam along a line of sight region extending across the oven bake chamber between the at least two side panels;
• a receiver disposed along the line of sight region and configured to receive the beam emitted by the transmitter;
• a controller operably connected to the receiver and disposed to provide a signal indicative of one of a misalignment and a mis-position condition when a tray or utensil carried by the conveyor system interrupts transmission of the beam between the transmitter and the receiver.

A method for detecting mis-positioned trays or misaligned utensils disposed on trays in a continuous oven having a conveyor system disposed within an oven bake chamber of the continuous oven for conveying and positioning trays, comprising:

• emitting a beam along a line of sight region extending across the oven bake chamber;
• receiving the beam along the line of sight region;
• and
• providing a signal indicative of one of a misalignment and a mis-position condition to a controller when a tray or a utensil disposed on the tray carried by the conveyor system interrupts receipt of the beam.