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US 5,368,008 AGranted
Steamer apparatus
AssigneeDelaware Capital Formation, Inc.
InventorG. Robert Oslin
Life of this patent
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AssigneeDelaware Capital Formation, Inc.
InventorG. Robert Oslin
Estimating the term…
Atmospheric convection type steamer apparatus includes at least one oven chamber and a discrete atmospheric steam generator operative to provide steam to the oven chamber. A quiescent low fire power input to the steam generator maintains water in the steam generator at its boiling temperature during a non-cooking mode and provides a continuous steam flow into the oven chamber to maintain the chamber in a ready condition for substantially instantaneous steam heating when a cooking or high fire mode is initiated. In a stacked double oven embodiment, each oven chamber has a discrete atmospheric steam generator maintained at a quiescent low fire power input sufficient to maintain the water at its boiling temperature and effect a continuous ready condition within the corresponding oven chambers. Steam lines directly connect the oven chambers to their corresponding steam generators and enable introduction of cleaning and deliming agents directly into the steam generators from within the oven chambers. Other features contribute to improved steamer operation, reliability and cost savings over prior atmospheric steamers.
A double oven steamer for cooking foodstuffs and the like, comprising, in combination, a cabinet having a pair of discrete oven chambers each of which has an access opening and door means enabling selective opening and closing of the access opening, a pair of atmospheric steam generators supported within said cabinet, first conduit means interconnecting one of said steam generators to a selected one of said oven chambers for supplying steam exclusively thereto, second conduit means interconnecting the other of said steam generators to the other oven chamber for supplying steam exclusively thereto, first sensor means for sensing the creation of steam in said one of said steam generators, second sensor means for sensing the creation of steam in the other of said steam generators, and control means for applying a first power level to each of said steam generators to initially create steam flow to the corresponding oven chamber during a non-cooking operating mode, said control means being operative to reduce the power level to each of said steam generators in response to sensing of steam flow to the corresponding oven chamber so that a continuous reduced quiescent power level is applied to each steam generator during the non-cooking mode sufficient to maintain the corresponding oven chamber essentially at the temperature of boiling water, whereby return of the power level applied to either of said steam generators to said first power level during a cooking mode of operation effects substantially immediate increased steam flow to the corresponding oven chamber.
Steamer apparatus comprising, in combination, means defining at least one oven chamber, atmospheric steam generator means including heater means operative to heat water within the steam generator means to create steam, at least one steam conduit connecting said steam generator means to said oven chamber to enable passage of steam from said steam generator means to said oven chamber, and heater control means including sensing means for sensing the creation of steam in the steam generator means, said heater control means being operative to apply a first heating power level to said steam generator to heat water in the steam generator to its boiling temperature and being responsive to sensing of steam created by said steam generator to apply a continuous reduced quiescent power level to said steam generator in a non-cooking operating mode so as to maintain the temperature within said oven chamber essentially at the boiling temperature of water in continued preparedness for substantially immediate steam cooking when said first heating power level is again applied to said steam generator means.
An atmospheric steam generator for use in a steamer apparatus comprising, in combination, an outer shell having generally parallel sidewalls interconnected along outer marginal edges by a peripheral wall to define an internal chamber, and a firetube assembly within said chamber, said firetube assembly including a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel sidewalls having relatively high heat transfer properties and interconnected along outer marginal edges so that said firetube sidewalls are spaced inwardly from said outer shell sidewalls, a first plurality of baffles supported in mutually opposed pairs on inner surfaces of said firetube sidewalls so that free longitudinal edges of each opposed pair of baffles are in spaced-apart relation, said pairs of baffles extending longitudinally of said firetube assembly and defining a first plurality of generally parallel heat flow passages having inlet and outlet ends, a second plurality of baffles supported within said firetube assembly and defining a second plurality of heat flow passages operative to receive heat flow from said first flow passages and cause the heat flow to traverse an approximately 180.degree. double-pass return path through said firetube assembly, and means for introducing heated air into said first flow passages.
A method for maintaining an oven chamber in a steamer apparatus at essentially the temperature of boiling water during a non-cooking operating mode and wherein the steamer apparatus includes a steam generator having heating means associated therewith to heat water within the steam generator to its boiling temperature and produce steam, and having steam conduit means interconnecting the steam generator to the oven chamber so that steam generated in the steam generator passes to the oven chamber;
A steamer apparatus including an oven chamber, a boiler including an internal water chamber and operative to provide steam to the oven chamber, a pair of sensors exposed within the water chamber in vertically spaced relation, said sensors defining an upper sensor operative to control water input to the water chamber and detect when an upper water level has been attained, and a lower sensor operative to effect heat input to the boiler when the upper sensor indicates an upper water level has been attained, said upper and lower sensors being susceptible to liming-over with resulting malfunction, and indicator means responsive to the state of the upper and lower sensors to provide an indication to an operator that one or more of the sensors has limed over whereby to indicate that the boiler needs cleaning.
Steamer apparatus comprising, in combination, means defining at least one oven chamber, atmospheric steam generator means including heater means operative to heat water within the steam generator means to create steam, steam conduit means connecting said steam generator means to said oven chamber to enable passage of steam from said generator means to said oven chamber, said steam conduit means including a steam discharge orifice in direct communication with said oven chamber so as to enable introduction of a cleaning agent directly into said discharge orifice from internally of said oven chamber and effect gravity flow of the cleaning agent to said steam generator means through said conduit means.
Steamer apparatus comprising, in combination, housing means supporting a plurality of oven chambers, steam generator means interconnected to said oven chambers and operative to supply steam to said chambers, a drain tank, and a discrete condensate drain line connecting each oven chamber to said drain tank, said drain tank having water spray means and baffle plate means cooperative to condense steam received from the oven chambers so as to substantially prevent passage of steam to atmosphere.
A steamer for cooking foodstuffs and the like, comprising, in combination, a cabinet having a pair of discrete oven chambers each of which has an access opening and door means enabling selective opening and closing of the access opening, a pair of atmospheric steam generators supported within said cabinet, each of said atmospheric steam generators including an outer shell having generally parallel sidewalls interconnected along outer marginal edges by a peripheral wall to define an internal chamber, first conduit means interconnecting one of said steam generators to a selected one of said oven chambers for supplying steam exclusively thereto, and second conduit means interconnecting the other of said steam generators to the other oven chamber for supplying steam exclusively thereto, and a firetube assembly within each internal chamber, each said firetube assembly including a par of laterally spaced substantially parallel sidewalls having relatively high heat transfer properties and interconnected along outer marginal edges so that said firetube sidewalls are spaced inwardly from said outer shell sidewalls, a first plurality of baffles supported in mutually opposed pairs on inner surfaces of said firetube sidewalls so that free longitudinal edges of each opposed pair of baffles are in spaced-apart relation, said pairs of baffles extending longitudinally of said firetube assembly and defining a first plurality of generally parallel heat flow passages having inlet and outlet ends, a second plurality of baffles supported within said firetube assembly and defining a second plurality of heat flow passages operative to receive heat flow from said first flow passages and cause the heat flow to traverse an approximately 180.degree. double-pass return path through said firetube assembly, and means for introducing heated air into said first flow passages.
A steamer for cooking foodstuffs and the like, comprising, in combination, a cabinet having a pair of discrete oven chambers each of which has an access opening and door means enabling selective opening and closing of the access opening, a pair of atmospheric steam generators supported within said cabinet, each of said steam generators including heating means operative to heat water within the corresponding steam generator to create steam, first conduit means interconnecting one of said steam generators to a selected one of said oven chambers through a metallic inlet housing having a steam discharge orifice directly communicating with the oven chamber for supplying steam exclusively thereto, second conduit means interconnecting the other of said steam generators to the other oven chamber through a metallic inlet housing having a steam discharge orifice directly communicating with the oven chamber for supplying steam exclusively thereto, sensing means operatively associated with each of said first and second conduit means for sensing the flow of steam into the corresponding oven chamber, said heating means being operative to initially heat water in the corresponding steam generator to its boiling temperature in a non-cooking operating mode and maintain the temperature within the corresponding oven chamber at essentially the boiling temperature of water in continued preparedness for substantially immediate steam cooking in a cooking mode, each of said inlet housings being mounted generally centrally on a substantially vertical sidewall of the corresponding oven chamber and having a funnel member projecting into the corresponding oven chamber to facilitate pouring of a cleaning agent into the discharge orifice for passage through the corresponding conduit means to the corresponding steam generator.
A method for maintaining a steamer apparatus in a non-cooking operating mode preparatory to substantially immediate cooking of food items during a cooking mode, said steamer apparatus including an oven chamber, a steam generator having heating means operative to heat water in the steam generator, and conduit means interconnecting the steam generator to the oven chamber so that steam created in the steam generator passes into the oven chamber;
A method of maintaining an oven chamber in a steamer apparatus at essentially the temperature of boiling water during a non-cooking mode of operation in continued preparedness for substantially immediate steam cooking during a cooking mode of operation, said steamer apparatus including a steam generator having heating means for heating water in the steam generator, and steam conduit means connecting the steam generator to the oven chamber so that steam generated in the steam generator passes into the oven chamber, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.