Conveyor oven apparatus and method
AssigneeThe Middleby Corporation
InventorsJohn H. Wiker, Mohan K. Panicker, Magdy A. Albert, William S. Schjerven, Sr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oven according to some embodiments includes an oven chamber in which food is cooked, a heating element, a fan, a sensor for sensing the temperature of the oven chamber, a remote input device, and a controller configured to receive a signal from the remote input device and to change the fan or heating element based at least in part upon the signal received from the remote input device. In a method of operating the oven according to some embodiments, the oven enters an operating mode from an energy-savings mode responsive to receiving an signal from a remote device.
Claims61
A conveyor oven for cooking food product, the conveyor oven comprising:
- a tunnel within which food product is cooked;
- a conveyor movable to convey food product through the tunnel;
- a heating element operable to generate heat to be provided to the tunnel;
- a fan operable to move air in the tunnel;
- an input device remote from the oven by which information reflecting food product to be cooked is transmitted;
- and
- a controller that controls at least one of the fan and the heating element, the controller changes operation of the oven to an energy saving mode, in which the fan moves air in the tunnel at a reduced speed, in response to passage of a period of time indicating the absence of food product from the tunnel,
- the controller also changes the output of the heating element in response to a change in oven temperature to maintain the oven substantially at a cooking temperature after the oven enters the energy saving mode, and
- the controller also changes operation of the at least one of the fan and the heating element from the energy saving mode to a cooking mode prior to food product being placed on the conveyor in response to a signal initiated by the input device.
A method of operating a conveyor oven for cooking food product, the method comprising:
- operating a conveyor movable to convey food product through a tunnel;
- operating a heating element operable to generate heat to be provided to the tunnel;
- operating a controller;
- sensing at least one of a temperature in the oven and the presence of food product on the conveyor;
- measuring a period of time indicating the absence of food product from the oven;
- changing operation of the oven from a cooking mode to an energy saving mode by the controller after passage of the period of time indicating the absence of food product from the oven, wherein in the energy saving mode (i) a fan moves air in the oven at a reduced speed and (ii) in response to a change in oven temperature the controller changes output of the heating element to maintain the oven substantially at a cooking temperature;
- receiving a signal representative of an order for cooked food product initiated by an input device operatively associated with the oven;
- and
- changing operation of the fan from the energy saving mode to the cooking mode by the controller responsive to the signal representative of an order for cooked food product.
A conveyor oven for cooking food product wherein the conveyor oven has a cooking mode and an energy saving mode, the conveyor oven comprising:
- an oven chamber in which food is cooked;
- a conveyor for moving food product through the oven chamber;
- a heating element operable to generate heat to be provided to the oven chamber;
- a fan operable to move air in the oven chamber;
- at least one sensor positioned to detect at least one of a temperature in the oven and the presence of food product on the conveyor;
- an input device remote from the oven by which information reflecting food product to be cooked is transmitted;
- and
- a controller that controls at least one of the fan, the heating element and the conveyor, the controller changes the operation of the fan from a cooking mode to an energy saving mode, in which the fan moves air in the oven chamber at a reduced speed, in response to (i) detection of the absence of food product from the oven chamber based at least in part upon the operation of the sensor and (ii) passage of a first period of time indicating the absence of food product from the oven,
- the controller also changes the output of the heating element in response to a change in oven temperature to maintain the oven substantially at a cooking temperature after the oven enters the energy saving mode, and
- the controller also changes operation of the fan from the energy saving mode to the cooking mode in response to receiving a signal initiated by the input device reflecting food product to be cooked.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.