Energy-efficient bi-radiant oven system
OwnerM. Virginia Peart, David P. DeWitt +1inventors
InventorsM. Virginia Peart, David P. DeWitt, Susan T. Kern
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A domestic electric baking oven system utilizing upper and lower independently controlled low temperature, low wattage radiant heating elements which radiate heat directly to a food product and to a baking pan bottom. The system efficiently couples the two radiant heat energy sources to the product by utilizing interior oven cavity walls that are highly reflective of radiant energy and a baking pan member that is highly absorptive of radiant energy. The system accomplishes shorter baking times and reduction in energy consumption while maintaining quality levels in the baked product.
Claims12
An oven system comprising an oven cavity having inner top, bottom and side walls forming said cavity, one of said side walls having a door therein, a horizontal food product supporting rack member mounted within said cavity, wherein the improvement comprises:
- an upper infrared radiant heat element mounted to one of said walls, said upper element being located above said food product supporting rack member;
- a lower infrared radiant heat element mounted to one of said walls, said lower element being located below said food product supporting rack member;
- said oven cavity walls having a low emissivity E and thus being highly reflective of infrared radiant heat energy;
- a baking pan member within said oven cavity and positioned upon said food supporting rack member, the lower portion of said baking pan member having a high emissivity E and thus being highly absorptive of infrared radiant heat energy;
- wherein said oven system has means for supplying infrared radiant energy directly to said baking pan member and a food product within said oven cavity from said upper and lower infrared radiant heat elements;
- said oven system including control means for independently and simultaneously supplying power to said upper and lower infrared radiant heat elements and for adjusting said upper element to a first power setting and said lower element to a second power setting;
- said upper infrared radiant heat element having a higher wattage rating than said lower infrared radiant heat element thus supplying more infrared radiant power to the top of a food product to counter the effect of evaporative heat losses during the baking process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.