Speed cooking oven
AssigneeTurbochef Technologies, Inc.
InventorDavid H. McFadden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A speed cooking oven is disclosed comprising a cooking cavity, thermal heating source, air movement and directing means, air delivery means, and a vent assembly. Hot gas is circulated to and from the oven cavity via air delivery means such that turbulently mixed glancing, conflicting and colliding gas flow patterns mix at and about the surfaces of the food product. The turbulently mixed gas flows are spatially averaged over the surface area of the food product producing high heat transfer, thereby optimizing speed cooking of the food product.
Claims23
A method of speed cooking a food product with gas, comprising:
- providing a housing defining a cavity comprising a cooking chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall, and opposing left and right sides defined by left and right gas discharge plates positioned alongside opposite left and right side walls defining the cavity, said left and right discharge plates having gas discharge apertures directed in downwardly convergent directions, at least one upper gas accelerator, and a cooking rack in the cooking chamber;
- introducing gas into the cooking chamber through the gas discharge apertures in the left and right gas discharge plates and causing the gas to accelerate at a high velocity such that gas entering the cooking chamber through the gas discharge apertures is directed in downwardly convergent directions from the left and right sides of the cooking chamber toward food product on the cooking rack in the cooking chamber;
- and
- cooking food product in the cooking chamber by turbulently colliding the downwardly converging gas in close proximity to the food product.
A system for controlling a flow of gas in an oven having a housing defining a cavity comprising a cooking chamber defined by a top wall, a bottom wall, and opposing left and right sides, comprising:
- left and right gas discharge plates defining the left and right sides of the cooking chamber and positioned alongside opposite left and right side walls defining the cavity, respectively;
- gas discharge apertures in the left and right gas discharge plates for directing gas into the cooking chamber through the gas discharge apertures in downwardly convergent directions;
- at least one upper gas accelerator for accelerating gas flow through the gas discharge apertures;
- a cooking rack in the cooking chamber;
- and
- a control system for controlling the flow of the gas within the oven such that gas introduced into the cooking chamber via the gas discharge apertures cooks the food product by moving in said downwardly convergent directions and turbulently colliding in close proximity to a food product disposed on the cooking rack within the oven.
A method of speed cooking a food product in an oven having a housing defining a cavity comprising a cooking chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall, and opposing left and right sides, and at least one upper gas accelerator;
- the method comprising:
- directing heated gas at a high velocity through gas discharge apertures in left and right gas discharge plates at the left and right sides of the cooking chamber and positioned alongside opposite left and right side walls defining the cavity, respectively, such that gas entering the cooking chamber moves in downwardly convergent directions and collides in close proximity to the food product;
- directing microwave energy from the left and right sides of the cooking chamber toward the exposed surface of the food product;
- and
- continuing one or both of the directing steps until the food product is cooked.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.