Radial jet air impingement nozzle, oven and method

Abstract

An oven that generates impingement air with a jet nozzle that includes a nozzle insert that provides a slot-shaped orifice through which the air flows toward a product to be heated or cooled. In particular, an oven for cooking a food product is disclosed in which a plurality of the jet nozzles produces an overall turbulence and a homogeneous heat transfer at a surface of the food product.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 180,575, filed on May 22, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This disclosure relates to new and improved air impingement nozzles, methods and ovens that use the nozzles for heating or cooling a product within the air streams coming out of the air impingement nozzles. For example, the improved impingement nozzles can be used in an oven for cooking food products.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0003]Jet nozzles are used to provide impingement air to heat or cool a product in a variety of ovens, including countertop ovens, conveyor ovens, and the like. Several known jet nozzles are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,283, which discloses an oven for cooking food products. In some applications, the jet nozzles are shaped and spaced to provide non-overlapping columns of hot impingement air that impinge directly on the surface of the food produc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The present disclosure describes a jet nozzle that provides hot air acceleration and a nozzle insert or member in the flow path beneath the jet nozzle that transforms the air flow to create a relatively thin thermal boundary layer of hot air at the surface of the food, utensil or any other material placed within the air stream that is characterized by an overall flow pattern at the surface of the food product that enhances the heat transfer to the product. In a preferred embodiment, the member has a cone like or goblet like shape that causes the airflow to form a relatively thin bell-shaped flow ring after separating from the nozzle insert, which leads to a more homogeneous and high heat distribution cooking of food products.

[0010]In another embodiment of the oven of the present disclosure, the slot-shaped orifice has a thickness that produces an overall flow pattern at the surface of the product that enhances heat transfer to the product and a homogeneous heat transfer at a surface of the product.

[0013]In another embodiment of the oven of the present disclosure, the jet nozzle is one of a plurality of jet nozzles that each have an associated nozzle insert in relation to the jet nozzle to form about the nozzle insert a slot-shaped orifice through which the impingement air flows. The plurality of jet nozzles collectively provide a homogeneous and high heat transfer distribution at the product.

[0026]In another embodiment of the method of the present disclosure, the slot-shaped orifice has a thickness that produces an overall flow pattern at the surface of the product that enhances heat transfer to the product and a homogeneous heat transfer at a surface of the product.

Problems solved by technology

A disadvantage of these nozzles is that the columns of hot impingement air develop hot spots that result in a pattern of overcooked and undercooked areas of the food product.

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