Visible light and infra-red cooking apparatus
AssigneeQuadlux, Inc.
InventorsEugene R. Westerberg, Robert I. Beaver, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oven using one or more quartz tungsten light bulbs or quartz arc bulbs capable of producing 1.5 kW of radiant energy of which a significant portion is light energy in the 0.4 to 0.7 .mu.m wavelength range impinges high intensity visible light wave radiation directly onto a food item. Light sources can be positioned above and below the food item and the inner walls of the oven are preferably highly reflective to reflect light energy onto the food. The intensity of the visible light source is automatically controllable and can be varied throughout the cooking cycle.
Claims22
An oven for cooking a food item having a first temperature, wherein the oven comprises:
- a) means for generating at least 5 KW of radiant energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, wherein significant portion of the radiant energy has a wavelength in the range of 0.4 .mu.m to 0.7 .mu.m and at least 90% of the radiant energy has a wavelength less than 1.0 .mu.m;
- and
- b) means for directing the energy to impinge directly on the food in order to bring the food to a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature, the means for directing comprising an enclosure surrounding the means for generating having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface being reflective of the radiant energy.
An oven for cooking and baking food comprising:
- a) a cooking chamber having reflective inner walls and a food location centrally thereof;
- b) a plurality of means for generating radiant energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, wherein more than 90% of the radiant energy has a wavelength less than 1.0 .mu.m, where the means for generating are positioned inside the cooking chamber and spatially surround the food location for impinging the radiant energy directly on the food location;
- and
- c) a container for holding the food while cooking which is transparent to the radiant energy.
A pizza oven for cooking and baking a pizza pie and forming a cooked pizza therefrom, the pizza having a crust formed of dough and toppings formed of a variety of foodstuffs, comprising:
- a) a cooking chamber having reflective inner walls and a pizza location centrally thereof;
- b) a plurality of quartz body tungsten lamps for generating at least 5 KW of radiant energy having more than 90% of the radiant energy in the electromagnetic spectrum having a wavelength less than 1.0 .mu.m, the lamps having a first group of lamps inside the cooking chamber positioned above the pizza location and a second group of lamps inside the cooking chamber positioned below the pizza location for impinging the radiant energy directly onto the pizza location;
- c) a plurality of plates which are transparent to radiant energy positioned between the pizza location and the lamps;
- and
- d) means for controlling the first group of lamps and the second group of lamps differentially by time and intensity.
A method of cooking and baking food comprising:
- a) generating at least 5 KW of radiant energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, wherein a a significant portion of the radiant energy has a wavelength in the range of 0.7 .mu.m to 0.7 .mu.m and at least 90% of the energy has a wavelength less than 1.0 .mu.m;
- and
- b) directing the energy to impinge directly on the food in order to bring the food to a second temperature, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature.
A method for cooking and baking a raw pizza pie in a cooking chamber having reflective inner walls comprising the steps of:
- a) generating at least 5 KW of radiant energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, wherein at least 90% of the radiant energy has a wavelength less than 1.0 .mu.m by using a plurality of quartz body tungsten lamps, the lamps having a first group of lamps inside the cooking chamber positioned above the pizza and a second group of lamps inside the cooking chamber positioned below the pizza for impinging the radiant energy directly onto the pizza;
- b) positioning a plurality of plates which are transparent to radiant energy between the pizza and the lamps;
- and
- c) controlling the first group of lamps and the second group of lamps differentially by time and intensity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.