Forced air convection oven
AssigneeSpecialty Equipment Companies, Inc.
InventorsDipak J. Negandhi, Jeffrey S. McMahon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A forced air convection oven having an open front and a door for closing the open front, a centrifugal air circulating blower on a horizontal axis located generally centrally on the rear wall of the cavity with heaters adjacent the rear wall for heating the air circulated by the blower. An air distributor cage unit is mounted for removal as a unit through the front opening in the housing and the top, bottom and opposing side panels of the cage have a multiplicity of air discharge openings therein for passing air into the cage for flow therethrough to the return outlet in the rear wall. A food tray support rack is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis in the cage and is removable through the opening in the front of the cage for cleaning.
Claims8
An oven for cooking food products comprising:
- 1) a thermally insulated housing defining a cavity having a rear wall and a top wall, a bottom wall and opposed side walls extending forwardly from the rear wall, and a front access opening opposite said rear wall;
- b) a centrifugal air circulating blower in the cavity on a horizontal axis located generally centrally on said rear wall and blower motor means on the rear wall at a side thereof opposite said cavity for rotating the blower, the blower having an axial air intake at a forward side thereof and blades for discharging air centrifugally outwardly from the blower;
- c) heater means mounted on the cavity adjacent the rear wall for heating air circulated by the blower;
- d) an air distributor cage unit disposed in the cavity and removable as a unit through the front access opening for cleaning, the cage unit including a rear panel, a top panel, a bottom panel and opposed side panels extending forwardly from the rear panel, and an open front, means removably supporting said cage unit in the cavity with the rear panel spaced forwardly from the rear wall to define a rear air chamber therebetween and with the top, bottom and side panels respectively spaced from the top, bottom and side walls of the cavity to define top, bottom and side air flow passages therewith each communicating with the rear chamber, the rear panel having air return opening means registering with the air intake of the blower, the top, bottom and side panels of the cage unit each having a multiplicity of air discharge openings for discharging air from the associated top, bottom and side air flow passages into the cage unit for flow through the interior of cage unit and back through the air return opening in the rear panel to the blower;
- e) food tray support rack means in said cage unit and removable through the open front of the cage unit, and
- f) door means mounted on the housing for movement into and out of a closed position extending across said access opening in the housing and across said open front of the cage unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.