Continuous oven with a plurality of heating zones
AssigneeResearch Corporation
InventorsNorman R. Cox, Jean P. Menard, Wayne W. Baer, Bradley C. Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pass-through convection oven having a series of gas jet distributors and an exhaust system adjacent later distributors in the series to gather gas for the initial distributors in the series. A distributor in the series is formed of a pair of plenums in series in the gas flow path with a cumulative area of the passageway between them exceeding the cumulative area of the orifice from which the gas jets are formed in that distributor.
Claims20
A pass-through convection oven having provided therein at least a portion of a conveying means for conveying therethrough selected items positioned on a conveying surface moving at a selected rate, said oven comprising:
- an initial gas jet distribution means, having a gas intake suited to receive a flow of a gas, and being capable of providing from a plurality of output orifices therein an initial plurality of gas jets positioned about and directed toward a selected initial portion of that path followed by said conveying surface in moving at said selected rate, said gas jets being in such numbers, and of such output orifice temperatures and gas flow rates, as to establish said selected items at temperatures substantially in a first range of temperatures as they move adjacent to said initial path portion at said selected rate;
- a subsequent gas jet distribution means, having a gas intake suited for connection to a supply of gas, and being capable of providing from a plurality of output orifices therein a subsequent plurality of gas jets positioned about and directed toward a selected subsequent portion of that path followed by said conveying surface in moving at said selected rate after passing said initial portion thereof, said gas jets being in such numbers, and of such output orifice temperatures and gas flow rates, as to establish said selected items in a second range of temperatures as they move adjacent to said subsequent path portion at said selected rate, said second range of temperatures substantially exceeding said first range of temperatures;
- and
- an exhaust means, having an outlet suited to provide a flow of a gas, and having a gas gathering means, said gas gathering means being capable of gathering gases located in a vicinity of said subsequent path portion so as to provide a flow thereof through said exhaust means outlet, said exhaust means outlet being connected to said initial gas jet distribution means gas intake.
A pass-through convection oven having provided therein at least a portion of a conveying means for conveying therethrough selected items positioned on a conveying surface moving at a selected rate, said oven comprising:
- a first gas jet distribution means having a gas intake suited to receive a flow of a gas, said first gas jet distribution means comprising:
- an output plenum means with a gas reception opening to an interior volume in a jet distribution shell means having a plurality of output orifices distributed over a surface thereof across from a selected first portion of that path followed by said conveying surface in moving at said selected rate so as to permit a gas to flow from said output plenum means interior volume through said output plenum means plurality of output orifices toward and about said first path portion, said output plenum means plurality of output orifices having a cumulative output plenum orifice area;
- an input plenum means having said gas intake leading to an interior volume in a gas transport distribution shell means connected to said output plenum means across said gas reception opening, said gas transport distribution shell means having a plurality of gas transport passageways therethrough to permit a gas to flow from said input plenum means interior volume through said input plenum means plurality of gas transport passageways to said output plenum means interior volume, said input plenum means plurality of gas transport passageways having a cumulative input plenum passageway area that is less than said output plenum orifice area;
- and
- a heating means capable of transferring heat to a gas in said output plenum means interior space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.