US 6,376,817 B1Granted

Compact quick-cooking oven

AssigneeTurbochef Technologies, Inc.

InventorsDavid H. McFadden, James K. Pool, III, Earl R. Winkelman, John David Gidner

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Abstract

For residential use primarily, a compact quick-cooking convection oven for cooking a food product at least partially by hot gas flow, includes a housing defining (i) a cooking chamber having a top, a bottom and a support means therebetween and spaced above the chamber bottom for receiving and supporting a food product for cooking, and (ii) conduit means for providing gaseous communication outside of the cooking chamber upwardly from the chamber bottom to the chamber top. Associated with the cooking chamber are (i) adjacent the chamber top, directing means for directing gas flow from the conduit means downwardly onto a top of the food product on the support means, and (ii) adjacent the chamber bottom, return means for directing the gas flow from the cooking chamber into the conduit means. Flow means cause gas flow from the directing means via the conduit means. Control means independently vary without human intervention at least one of the effective volumetric flow rate of the gas flow into the cooking chamber and the temperature of the gas flow into the cooking chamber. The cooking means are selected from the group consisting of microwave radiant heating, non-microwave radiant heating, convection heating, and combinations thereof.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A compact quick-cooking convection oven for cooking a food product, comprising:

(A) a compact housing defining a quick-cooking chamber having a top, a bottom and a support means therebetween and spaced above said chamber bottom for receiving and supporting a food product for cooking, and conduit means for providing gaseous communication outside of said cooking chamber upwardly from said chamber bottom to said chamber top;
(B) associated with said cooking chamber, adjacent said chamber top, directing means for directing gas flow from said conduit means downwardly onto a top of the food product on said support means, and, adjacent said chamber bottom, return means for directing the gas flow from said cooking chamber into said conduit means;
(C) flow means for causing gas flow from said directing means into said return means and from said return means into said directing means via said conduit means;
(D) control means for independently varying without human intervention at least one of the effective volumetric flow rate of the gas flow into said cooking chamber and the temperature of the gas flow into said cooking chamber, without regard to humidity and without human intervention;
and
(E) cooking means selected from the group consisting of microwave radiant heating, non-microwave radiant heating, convection heating, and combinations thereof;
(i) said microwave radiant heating, when present, including at least one microwave radiant heating element selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a microwave heating system including a waveguide, a magnetron connected to said waveguide and a microwave antenna centrally disposed beneath said food support and mounted in said waveguide,
(b) a microwave heating system including a waveguide, a magnetron connected to said waveguide and at least one ½λ(free space) slot opening disposed beneath said food support and mounted in said waveguide, and
(c) combinations thereof;
(ii) said non-microwave radiant heating, when present, including at least one non-microwave radiant heating element selected from the group consisting of:
(a) an upper non-microwave radiant heating element disposed adjacent and below said directing means,
(b) a lower non-microwave radiant heating element disposed in said return means and distributed along the area below said food support such that at least a portion of the gas entering said return means is initially reheated by one said non-microwave radiant heating element prior to flow under the remainder of said food support, and
(c) combinations thereof;
(iii) said convection heating, when present, including at least one convection heating element selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a convection heating element disposed in said return means;
(b) a gas combustion burner disposed below said food support, and
(c) combinations thereof.

15 more elements

A compact quick-cooking convection oven for cooking a food product at least partially by hot gas flow, comprising:

(A) a compact housing defining a quick-cooking chamber having a top, a bottom and a support means therebetween and spaced above said chamber bottom for receiving and supporting a food product for cooking, and conduit means for providing gaseous communication outside of said cooking chamber upwardly from said chamber bottom to said chamber top;
(B) associated with said cooking chamber, adjacent said chamber top, directing means for directing gas flow from said conduit means downwardly onto a top of the food product on said support means, and, adjacent said chamber bottom, return means for directing the gas flow from said cooking chamber into said conduit means;
(C) flow means for causing gas flow from said directing means into said return means and from said return means into said directing means via said conduit means;
(D) control means for independently varying without human intervention at least one of the effective volumetric flow rate of the gas flow into said cooking chamber and the temperature of the gas flow into said cooking chamber, without regard to humidity and without human intervention;
and
(E) cooking means selected from the group consisting of microwave radiant heating, non-microwave radiant heating, convection heating, and combinations thereof;
(i) said convection heating including at least one convection heating element selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a convection heating element disposed in said return means,
(b) a gas combustion burner disposed below said food support, and
(c) combinations thereof.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/696,750Filed 24 Oct 2000 · continuation in part
Priority: 9 Oct 1998
Granted: 23 Apr 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

A21B 1/245
Ovens heated by media flowing therethrough: with a plurality of air nozzles to obtain an impingement effect on the food
F24C 15/2014
From oven cavities: with means for oxidation of cooking fumes
F24C 15/322
Arrangements of ducts for hot gases, e.g. in or around baking ovens: with forced circulation
F24C 15/325
With forced circulation: electrically-heated

Family

Application09/169,523Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Oct 1998
Application09/199,902Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Nov 1998
Application09/465,739Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Dec 1999
US 6,262,406 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,060,701 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,008,483 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,376,817 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.