Conveyor oven apparatus and method

A method of operating a conveyor oven for cooking food product, the method comprising:

• measuring a period of time indicating the absence of food product from the oven;
• changing operation of the oven, after passage of the period of time indicating the absence of food product from the oven, from a cooking mode to an energy saving mode, in which a fan moves air in the oven at a reduced speed from the cooking mode;
• and
• adjusting the output of a heating element after the oven enters the energy saving mode in response to a change in the temperature of the oven to maintain the oven substantially at a temperature.

A method of operating a conveyor oven for cooking food product, the method comprising:

• operating a fan in a cooking mode to move air in an oven chamber at a first speed;
• operating a heating element in the cooking mode to generate heat to be provided to the oven chamber at a first temperature;
• changing operation of the oven, based at least in part upon the absence of food product from the oven, from the cooking mode to an energy saving mode in which the fan moves air in the oven chamber at a second speed reduced from the first speed;
• and
• adjusting the output of the heating element after the oven enters the energy saving mode in response to a change in the temperature of the oven to maintain the oven substantially at the first temperature.

A conveyor oven for cooking food product wherein the conveyor oven has a cooking mode and an energy saving mode, the conveyor oven comprising:

• an oven chamber in which food product is cooked;
• a conveyor for moving food product through the oven chamber;
• a heating element operable to generate heat to be provided to the oven chamber;
• a fan operable to move air in the oven chamber, wherein in the energy saving mode the fan moves air in the oven chamber at a reduced speed from the cooking mode in response to a first signal associated with the absence of food product from the oven chamber and the output of the heating element is adjusted in response to a change in the temperature of the oven to maintain the oven substantially at a temperature;
• and
• at least one input device operatively associated with the oven by which a second signal indicating food product to be cooked is transmitted and operation of the fan is changed from the energy saving mode to the cooking mode in response to the second signal.

A conveyor oven for cooking food product wherein the conveyor oven has a cooking mode and an energy saving mode, the conveyor oven comprising:

• an oven chamber in which food product is cooked;
• a conveyor for moving food product through the oven chamber;
• a heating element operable to generate heat to be provided to the oven chamber;
• a fan operable to move air in the oven chamber;
• and
• at least one controller that
• controls at least one of the fan and the heating element, and
• changes operation of the fan, after passage of a period of time indicating the absence of food product from the oven, to an energy saving mode, in which the fan moves air in the oven chamber at a reduced speed from the cooking mode, wherein in the energy saving mode the output of the heating element is adjusted to maintain the oven substantially at a measured steady state temperature.

A method of operating a conveyor oven for cooking food product, the method comprising:

• operating a fan in a cooking mode to move air in an oven chamber at a first speed;
• operating a heating element in the cooking mode to generate heat to be provided to the oven chamber at a first temperature;
• changing operation of the oven from the cooking mode to an energy saving mode in response to a signal associated with the absence of food product from the oven chamber, wherein in the energy saving mode the fan moves air in the oven at a second speed reduced from the first speed;
• and
• adjusting the output of the heating element after the oven enters the energy saving mode to maintain the oven substantially at a measured steady state temperature.