# US 2013/0152913 A1 · Combination Oven with Catalytic Converter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152913 A1 - Document ID: US20130152913A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/328,741 - Filed: 2011-12-16 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: Alto-Shaam, Inc. - Inventors: J.K. Raghavan; Thomas Wayne Rand; Joshua Paul Wittig; Nickolas W. Wagner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152913A1 ## CPC - F24C 15/2014: {with means for oxidation of cooking fumes} - A21B 3/04: Air-treatment devices for ovens, e.g. regulating humidity - F24C 15/32: Arrangements of ducts for hot gases, e.g. in or around baking ovens - F24C 15/325: {electrically-heated} - F24C 15/327: {with air moisturising} - F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION - A21B: BAKERS' OVENS; MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR BAKING (domestic baking equipment A47J37/00) ## Abstract A combination oven provides for a catalyst chamber for heating and treating a bypass portion of the air circulated within the cooking chamber at a high temperature using a catalyst to process cooking fumes without substantially elevating the desired cooking temperature. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A combination oven comprising: an oven housing defining a cooking volume and having a door providing access to the cooking volume and sealing the cooking volume when the door is in a closed position; a convection heater assembly communicating with the cooking volume and providing a convection heater element, a steam generator, and a fan for circulating convection air and steam into and out of the cooking volume along a first path; and a catalyst chamber assembly communicating with the cooking volume to conduct bypass air along a second path different from the first path through the catalyst chamber into and out of the cooking volume, the catalyst chamber including a catalytic element treating the bypass air and a bypass heater heating at least one of the bypass air and catalyst to a catalytic activation temperature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The combination oven of claim 1 wherein the convection heater element and bypass heater element are controlled by an electronic controller executing a stored program to permit operation of the convection heater element only, the bypass heater element only, or both the convection heater element and bypass heater element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The combination oven of claim 2 wherein the bypass heater element is activated automatically by the electronic controller upon selection of a preprogrammed cooking schedule by a user through a user interface that communicates with the electronic controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The combination oven of claim 2 wherein the bypass heater element is activated by the electronic controller upon manual input of a cooking parameter by a user through a user interface that communicates with the electronic controller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The combination oven of claim 1 wherein the catalyst chamber provides a lower wall sloping downward toward an opening to the oven volume to drain condensation or other liquids from the catalyst chamber into the oven volume. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The combination oven of claim 5 wherein the opening also provides an outlet of bypass air. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The combination oven of claim 5 wherein the catalyst chamber further includes a standoff supporting the catalyst above the lower wall the standoff allowing a flow of liquid along the lower wall. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The combination oven of claim 1 wherein the convection heater element and the bypass heater element are thermally isolated from each other except by a communication of heated air. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The combination oven of claim 1 wherein the convection heater assembly is separated from the cooking volume by a first wall of the cooking volume and the catalyst chamber is separated from the cooking volume by a second wall of the cooking chamber providing a different side of the cooking volume. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The combination oven of claim 1 wherein the catalyst chamber provides a first and second opening to the cooking volume wherein the first opening is positioned in a high-pressure zone of the cooking volume during operation of the fan and the second opening is positioned in a low-pressure zone of the cooking volume during operation of the fan so that air will flow through the catalytic chamber without a fan unique to the catalytic chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The combination oven of claim 1 wherein the bypass heater is positioned upstream from the catalytic element with respect to a flow of the bypass air. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The combination oven of claim 1 wherein the catalyst chamber is separated from the oven volume by a thermally conductive metal barrier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The combination oven of claim 10 wherein the bypass heater element and catalytic element are positioned in a first portion of the catalytic chamber representing less than half of its length between an inlet and outlet between the catalytic chamber and the cooking volume. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The combination oven of claim 1 wherein the steam generator comprises a controllable water nozzle discharging water on at least one of the fan and the convection heating element. ### Claim 15 A method of cooking employing an oven of a type providing: an oven housing defining a cooking volume and having a door providing access to the cooking volume and sealing the cooking volume when the door is in a closed position; a convection heater assembly communicating with the cooking volume and providing a convection heater element, a steam generator, and a fan for circulating convection air and steam into and out of the cooking volume along a first path; a catalyst chamber assembly communicating with the cooking volume to conduct bypass air along a second path different from the first path through the catalyst chamber into and out of the cooking volume, the catalyst chamber including a catalytic element treating the bypass air and a bypass heater heating at least one of the bypass air and catalyst to a catalytic activation temperature; and an electronic controller executing a stored program to permit operation of the convection heater element only, the bypass heater element only, or both the convection heater element and bypass heater element, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving commands from a user selecting among cooking schedules characterized as providing substantial cooking fumes or not providing substantial cooking fumes; (b) operating the convection heater assembly to provide a desired cooking environment within the cooking volume according to the cooking schedule; (c) operating the bypass air heater to provide heated air in the catalyst chamber only for cooking schedules characterized as providing substantial cooking fumes.