Multi-zone oven with improved cleaning distribution

Abstract

A multi-cavity oven provides improved cavity and jet plate cleaning by directing a pressurized cleaning spray into the jet plate through cleaning spray inlet ports in the wall of a removable jet plate when the jet plate is installed within the oven. By directing the cleaning spray directly into the interior of the jet plate, cooking juices that fall through the slots and openings and into the air passages of the jet plate can be pressure-cleaned and drained from the interior of the jet plate without removing the jet plate from the oven cavity.

Description

[0001] STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 924,924, filed October 23, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62,962,313, filed January 17, 2020, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0004] The present invention relates to ovens for preparing food and, in particular, to multi-zone ovens providing independently controlled convection heating and spray cleaning within each cooking zone.

[0005] Combination steam and convection ovens ("combination ovens") use a combination of convection and steam to cook. In convection cooking, heated air is rapidly circulated through the cooking compartment to disrupt the insulating, stagnant air layer surrounding the food, thereby increasing the rate of heat transfer. Higher air velocities generally increase the rate of heat transfer from the air to the food by further disrupting the insulating, stagnant air layer surrounding the food, as does the impact of air delivered in a direction generally perpendicular to the food against the largest surface of the food, because vertical air disrupts this insulating, stagnant air layer more than air sliding across the largest surface of the food. High humidity further increases the rate of heat transfer to the food due to the high specific heat of water compared to dry air, and such humidity can be used at temperatures near the boiling point of water (commonly referred to as "steam cooking") or in a superheated state well above the boiling point of water (commonly referred to as "combination cooking"). Steam can also reduce water loss from the food. Combination ovens are described, for example, in U.S. Patents 7,307,244 and 6,188,045, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.

[0006] In common combination oven designs, steam is generated by spraying water onto a fan or structure associated with the fan that circulates the air. This mechanical atomization process breaks the water into a fine spray that aids in steam production as it strikes the adjacent heating coils.

[0007] Professional kitchens are often required to prepare a variety of dishes simultaneously, each optimally cooked at a different cooking temperature for a different time period, preferably according to a schedule that enables multiple different dishes to emerge from the oven simultaneously in order to coordinate the simultaneous delivery of a variety of "freshly baked" foods to different customers at the same table. U.S. Patent No. 9,677,774, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference, describes a multi-zone convection oven that can provide independent control of temperature, blower speed, steam generation, and cooking time for each cooking zone for this purpose. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention further improves upon the prior art by providing improved cavity and jet plate cleaning by directing a pressurized cleaning spray into the jet plate through cleaning spray inlet ports in the wall of a removable jet plate when the jet plate is installed within the oven. By directing the cleaning spray directly into the interior of the jet plate, cooking juices that fall through the slots and openings and into the air passages of the jet plate can be pressure cleaned and drained from the interior of the jet plate without removing the jet plate from the oven cavity.

[0009] The present invention provides improved spray cleaning by directing a pressurized cleaning spray above the baffle wall of the upper spray plate, particularly for multi-zone ovens with separate cooking chambers. The present invention further improves upon the prior art by providing improved foam generation on the upper surface of the baffle wall of the upper spray plate by providing small air holes in the baffle wall. By providing the small air holes, when the blower is on, an increased amount of air flow is provided upward to the pool of cleaning fluid, generating more trapped air in the form of soap bubbles. When the blower is off or at low speed, the small air holes also allow foam to drain into the interior of the upper spray plate, better cleaning the internal air chamber.

[0010] The present invention further improves upon the prior art by providing a spray diverter at the upper surface of the upper spray plate, directly in front of the spray outlet, to more efficiently distribute the cleaning solution to the upper surface of the upper spray plate. The upper spray plate is also tilted downward to provide accumulation of water and foam, which can then fall downward into the interior of the spray plate through small air holes.

[0011] The present invention further improves upon the prior art by providing a small hole in the top wall of the upper spray plate, directly in front of the spray outlet, to allow water from the cleaning spray to be atomized into the interior of the spray plate (as the spray is directed into the upper surface of the top wall of the upper spray plate) via a low-pressure venturi tube, which draws water through the hole to clean the interior of the spray plate.

[0012] The present invention provides improved control of steam generation, particularly for small oven cavities, by providing distinct and independent mechanical atomization and convection blower speed controls using separate motors and independent control chains. By providing a separate mechanical atomizer, consistent steam generation and delivery time can be achieved, independent of the main convection blower speed.

[0013] The present invention further improves upon the prior art by providing an improved steam generator by using an atomizer to distribute water vapor or water droplets onto a rotating spinner to produce an improved circumferential distribution of a fine water spray over an adjacent heating coil at low energy input.

[0014] The present invention further improves upon the prior art by providing an improved seal between the multiple cavities when the oven door is closed by positioning an improved front gasket between the cavities to prevent residue buildup against the glass panel when the front gasket is pressed against the inner surface of the glass panel and to provide multiple distinct longitudinal seals to reduce the risk of seal failure.

[0015] The present invention further improves upon the prior art by providing improved uniformity between cooking chambers by using a separate drain tube for each cooking chamber, thereby eliminating variations that arise from differences in steam introduction, air flow, heating, etc. when the lowermost chamber includes a condensate drop port.

[0016] The present invention also provides an improved steam generator that utilizes an insulated motor unit that is separate from the cooking cavity and supported by a floating mount that accommodates angular offset of the motor unit to accommodate a fixed rotator shaft.

[0017] One embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-cavity oven, which includes: a shell having an inner wall defining an oven cavity; at least one removable shelf, the at least one removable shelf being fitted in the oven cavity and providing a horizontally extending passage through the removable shelf, the horizontally extending passage being connected to an air jet directed in a vertical direction from at least one horizontal surface of the removable shelf; and at least one fluid spray nozzle, the at least one fluid spray nozzle extending through the inner wall of the oven cavity and into the wall of the at least one removable shelf to guide a cleaning fluid into the horizontally extending passage through the at least one removable shelf when the removable shelf is positioned in the oven cavity.

[0018] The at least one removable shelf may provide a fluid inlet port in a vertical wall of the at least one removable shelf to receive the at least one fluid spray nozzle in the fluid inlet port.

[0019] The at least one fluid spray nozzle may direct fluid into the vertical sidewalls of the at least one removable shelf and into the air flow of the horizontally extending passageway.

[0020] The oven may include first and second removable shelves and a spray manifold supporting at least two fluid spray nozzles configured to deliver a cleaning fluid into horizontally extending passageways of the first and second removable shelves positioned within the oven cavity.

[0021] The oven may include a drain manifold, wherein the drain manifold further supports at least two drain tubes configured to receive fluid from the horizontally extending passages of at least two removable shelves positioned within the oven cavity.

[0022] A discharge manifold may recirculate water from the at least two discharge pipes to the at least two fluid spray nozzles.

[0023] The discharge manifold may receive fluid received at the bottom wall of the cooking cavity through the discharge port in the vertical wall of each cooking cavity and direct the fluid out of the cooking cavity into a common receptacle for cooling water.

[0024] The spray manifold may extend along the rear of the side wall of the oven cavity.

[0025] The at least one removable shelf may provide a first removable shelf having a first horizontally extending passage and a second removable shelf having a second horizontally extending passage, the first horizontally extending passage and the second horizontally extending passage being in communication with the vertically upwardly directed air jet and the vertically downwardly directed air jet, respectively.

[0026] The at least one fluid spray nozzle may deliver cleaning fluid into both the first horizontal passageway of the first removable shelf and the second horizontal passageway of the second removable shelf.

[0027] The at least one fluid spray nozzle may extend horizontally into a fluid inlet port of the at least one removable shelf, wherein the fluid inlet port may extend on an upper surface of a top wall of the horizontally extending passageway.

[0028] An upper surface of the top wall of the horizontally extending channel may slope downwardly from the fluid inlet port to an opposite end, and the opposite end includes a discharge hole that allows air to flow upwardly and fluid to flow downwardly into the horizontally extending passageway.

[0029] The oven may include a diverter plate positioned directly in front of the at least one fluid spray nozzle to receive the cleaning fluid from the at least one fluid spray nozzle.

[0030] The diverter plate may be perforated.

[0031] The diverter plate may have a horizontal plate extending along the top wall and a vertical plate extending perpendicular to the top wall to block the flow of the cleaning fluid from the at least one fluid spray nozzle.

[0032] A diverter plate may be attached to an upper surface of the top wall of the at least one removable shelf.

[0033] The at least one removable shelf may be provided with a small hole in the top wall of the horizontally extending passage, the small hole being positioned directly in front of the at least one fluid spray nozzle to separate the at least one fluid spray nozzle from the discharge hole, thereby promoting atomization of the fluid passing through the small hole by the low-pressure venturi tube.

[0034] The oven may include: at least one moisture barrier member, the at least one moisture barrier member subdividing the oven cavity into cooking cavities with different humidity levels, wherein each cavity is provided with a separate heater and thermal sensor; a controller that receives user commands to independently set the temperatures of the plurality of cooking cavities; and a steam generator located in each of the plurality of cooking cavities and having a water source and a steam heater controlled by the controller to introduce steam into a selective cooking cavity for steam cooking; wherein the heaters and the steam heaters of the plurality of cooking cavities are independently controlled.

[0035] The steam generator may include: a rotor having a plurality of outwardly extending blades and a motor controlled by a controller to rotate the rotor about a horizontal axis; a water source controlled by the controller to spray water onto the rotor; and a steam heater extending around the rotor to evaporate the water, thereby introducing steam into the selective cooking cavity of the oven.

[0036] The oven may include: at least one moisture barrier member, the at least one moisture barrier member subdividing the oven cavity into cooking cavities having different humidity levels, wherein each cavity is provided with a separate heater and thermal sensor; a steam generator system that introduces steam into a selective cooking cavity in response to an electrical signal; a set of fans that independently circulate air through the cooking cavities that are isolated from other cooking cavities; a controller that receives user commands to independently set the temperature and humidity of different cooking cavities; and a resilient seal positioned between the at least one moisture barrier member and the at least one door, wherein the resilient seal has an upper cantilevered lip and a lower concave surface, the upper cantilevered lip being curved to flex upwardly along the inner surface of the at least one door when the door is closed to promote moisture flow away from the inner surface of the at least one door, and the lower concave surface promoting the resilient seal to seal against the inner surface.

[0037] These particular objects and advantages may apply only to some embodiments falling within the claims and therefore do not limit the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 is a simplified perspective view of an oven constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention showing a cooking volume divided into cooking cavities by a removable shelf assembly;

[0039] Figure 2 is an exploded view of a removable shelf assembly showing the shelf, lower jet plate (for the upper cavity), and upper jet plate (for the lower cavity) mounted around a dividing wall attached to the oven cavity to subdivide the cooking volume into separate cooking cavities;

[0040] Figure 3 It passes through Figure 1 a partial view of a cross section of one chamber showing the installation of the shelf assembly above and below the divider wall with the shelf and lower ejector plate compressed against the top of the divider wall;

[0041] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 a partial side view in cross section of a front portion of the shelf assembly showing a forward-facing gasket for compression against a glass panel of the door;

[0042] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 a partial perspective view of a forward-facing gasket of a partition wall engaging a glass panel of a door;

[0043] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 a schematic elevational view of a cross section of a cooking cavity showing the connection of discharge pipes for multiple cavities to a common sump via a backflow restrictor that prevents steam from circulating between cavities through the discharge connection;

[0044] Figure 7 It passes through Figure 1 a top plan view of a cross section of a cavity showing the rear location of a fan heater assembly and a steam generator assembly associated with the cavity;

[0045] Figure 8 a and Figure 8 b is Figure 7 A perspective view and an exploded view of a rotor of a steam generator, the rotor helping to centrifugally disperse incoming water dripping onto the rotor along the axis of the rotor;

[0046] Figure 9 yes Figure 1 a perspective view of two cooking cavities showing a manifold for delivering cleaning fluid to the spray plates;

[0047] Figure 10 is by cleaning the inlet port from Figure 9 a partial perspective view of an upper spray plate and a lower spray plate of a water jet manifold receiving a cleaning fluid;

[0048] Figure 11 yes Figure 8 a and Figure 8 b is a top plan view of a cross section of the rotator;

[0049] Figure 12 yes Figure 7 A partial perspective view of a steam generator showing a heating coil surrounding a rotor and water being distributed at two points along the length of the rotor;

[0050] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the upper injection plate, which is opened from the cleaning inlet port Figure 9 The water ejectors of the manifold receive the cleaning fluid, whereby the cleaning fluid is ejected onto the upper surface of the partition wall of the upper ejection plate into the spray diverter;

[0051] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 a side elevational view of a cross section of an upper jet plate, exaggerated in size for clarity and illustrating accumulation of water on the inclined upper surface of the bulkhead wall of the upper jet plate;

[0052] Figure 15 is a partial view of a corner of the cooking cavity with the upper spray plate removed and showing the means for directing cleaning fluid from the Figure 9 The water jets of the manifold spray into a purge inlet port in the upper jet plate, which is below the upper jet plate but above the lower jet plate when installed, and the cooking cavity is shown;

[0053] Figure 16 Driven by a speed controlled motor Figure 7 A partial perspective view of a rotator of a steam generator;

[0054] Figure 17 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a floating mounting member of a speed control motor;

[0055] Figure 18 is a table illustrating an exemplary cleaning schedule of the present invention, which shows the operation of the heater, blower, pump, water valve, and steam generator during a cleaning cycle; and

[0056] Figure 19a and Figure 19b yes Figure 13 and Figure 14Figure 1 is a top plan view and side view of a cross section of a baffle wall showing the apertures positioned forward of the clean inlet port arranged to atomize water from the jet spray by the venturi effect created by the jet air stream flowing through the interior of the jet plate as the water is drawn into the jet plate through the apertures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] Multi-zone oven with fixed dividing walls

[0058] Now refer to Figure 1 The multi-zone oven 10 may be provided with a housing 12 having upright right and left outer side walls 14a, 14b and an upright rear wall 14c extending therebetween. The three walls 14 are generally connected by opposing upper and lower walls 14d, 14e, with the lower wall 14e providing support so that the oven 10 can be placed on a cart or the like (not shown).

[0059] Walls 14 enclose a generally rectangular cooking volume 16 having an opening 18 through front wall 14f providing access to cooking volume 16 for receiving food for cooking. Cooking volume 16 is defined by inner walls 19 that are spaced inwardly from each of outer walls 14. Cooking volume 16 may be subdivided from top to bottom into, for example, cooking cavities 20a, 20b, and 20c by means of divider walls 52, as will be described in greater detail below.

[0060] The periphery of oven opening 18 supports a resilient gasket 24 that can seal against the inner surface of a glass panel 26, which provides the inner surface of door 28. Door 28 is hinged about a vertical axis at the front edge of wall 14b to move between an open state and a closed state, which seals cavities 20a to 20c from the outside air and from each other. As is generally understood in the art, door 28 can be maintained in the closed state by a latch mechanism and a handle 29. In one embodiment, the glass panel 26 of door 28 extends as a continuous surface over the opening of each of cavities 20; however, the present invention also contemplates separate glass panels or separate doors associated with each of cavities 20.

[0061] An upper portion of front wall 14f can support user controls 30, including input controls such as one or more dials and an output display such as an LCD display, for communicating with a user. A condensation pan 32 can extend forward from a lower edge of front wall 14f to catch condensation from the inner surface of glass panel 26 when door 28 is opened or closed.

[0062] A multi-zone oven of this general design is discussed in U.S. Patent Publication 2019 / 0242586, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.

[0063] Now also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , divider walls 52a, 52b (for example) can be attached to the inner wall 19 of the cooking volume 16 and vertically spaced apart to subdivide the cooking volume 16 into cooking cavities 20a, 20b, and 20c. The divider walls 52 can be evenly spaced apart to provide cooking cavities 20 of the same size, or unevenly spaced apart to provide cooking cavities 20 of varying sizes. Each divider wall 52 provides a generally rectangular panel 27 sized to extend the entire lateral and front-to-back dimensions of the cooking volume 16 and to operate to seal out moisture from passing between the cooking cavities 20. The right edge 31, left edge 33, and rear edge 35 of the divider wall 52 are respectively attached to the right, left, and rear inner walls 19 of the cooking volume 16, for example, by welding and a sealant, or other attachment method that connects the divider wall 52 to the inner wall 19.

[0064] The front edge of the divider wall 52 also supports a resilient gasket 58 that extends forward to seal against the inner surface of the glass panel 26, as will be discussed in more detail below. The front edge of the divider wall 52 can be tilted from horizontal so that the upper surface is tilted rearwardly at an angle 59, and optionally tilted downwardly from left to right, as indicated by discharge arrow 57. This tilt encourages water to flow to the rear edge and right corner of the divider wall 52.

[0065] Mounted within cooking volume 16, above and below divider wall 52, is a shelf assembly 22 comprising individually removable elements that can be inserted into cooking volume 16. The wire mesh shelf 34 and lower jet plate 42 of shelf assembly 22 can be mounted above divider wall 52, while the upper jet plate 42′ of shelf assembly 22 can be mounted below divider wall 52. An additional upper jet plate 42′ can be mounted on the top wall of uppermost cooking cavity 20 a, and an additional wire mesh shelf 34 and lower jet plate 42 can be mounted on the floor of lowermost cooking cavity 20 c.

[0066] The uppermost component of the shelf assembly 22, the wire mesh shelf 34, is removably insertable above the divider wall 52 and has an outer wire mesh element 36 that forms a generally rectangular perimeter defining the edges of the shelf assembly 22. The outer wire mesh element 36 supports a set of parallel wire rods 38 located between the front and rear edges of the wire mesh element 36 that can support food while allowing ample air flow around the food. The outer wire mesh element 36 has downwardly extending feet 40 in each corner for supporting the wire mesh shelf 34 at spaced heights above the generally rectangular, flat upper surface of the lower spray plate 42.

[0067] The lower jet plate 42, positioned below the wire mesh shelf 34 and above the divider wall 52 (or above the floor of the lowermost chamber 20c), is provided with an upper surface penetrated by slots and openings 44 and reinforcing upwardly extending ribs 46 located between the front and rear edges of the lower jet plate 42. A jet plate 42 of this general design is discussed in U.S. Patent No. 10,337,745, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. As discussed in that reference, the lower jet plate 42 provides internal channels 194 below the upper surface of the jet plate 42 that direct air from the rear open edge of the jet plate 42 through the jet plate 42 to exit from the slots and openings 44 as a set of structured air jet 50 openings 44.

[0068] Temporary reference Figure 4 , the jet plate 42 can include internal horizontal baffles 41 that vary the cross-sectional area of the jet plate 42 to provide a more uniform air flow through the plurality of openings 44. Generally, the size of the openings 44 and the cross-section of the channels 194 within the jet plate 42 will vary to force a desired air flow pattern upward onto the food supported by the shelves 34. The lower surface of the jet plate 42 in the shelf assembly 22 rests on the divider wall 52.

[0069] Below the partition wall 52 (or below the ceiling of the uppermost chamber 20a), an upper spray plate 42' of the next lower chamber 20 is positioned. This spray plate 42' has openings 44' on its lower surface to direct the structured air jets 50' downwardly. This spray plate 42' can be structurally identical to the spray plate 42, but can be simply flipped over for ease of manufacturing and on-site use. This upper spray plate 42' can be independently supported on the protrusion 60 so that it can be removed and inserted without adjusting or removing the shelf 34 and the lower spray plate 42.

[0070] Now refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4, the wire mesh rack 34 and lower spray plate 42 can be inserted into the cooking cavity (e.g., cavity 20b) together or separately as indicated by arrow 69. In this orientation, the rear edge of the wire mesh rack 34 can fit under the capture flange 80 attached to the rear interior wall of the cooking cavity 20b, thereby compressing the wire mesh rack 34 and lower spray plate 42 against the upper surface of the dividing wall 52. In this position, closing of the door (e.g., Figure 4 ) compresses the front gasket 58 against the inner surface of the glass panel 26, thereby completing the sealing process and is described in further detail below.

[0071] Front sealing elastic gasket

[0072] Now refer to Figures 2 to 5 , the front gasket 58 is supported by the divider wall 52 at a forwardly open rectangular channel 72 at the front edge of the divider wall 52. The rectangular panel 27 of the divider wall 52 provides a generally flat upper surface 62 and supports the outwardly facing forwardly open rectangular channel 72 at the front edge of the rectangular panel 27 (facing forward at the front edge of the divider wall 52). The forwardly open rectangular channel 72 can be provided by a downwardly extending flange at the front edge of the rectangular panel 27, the downwardly extending flange being defined by a rearwardly extending bend or joint 53 connected to a rearwardly extending horizontal wall 54, which is connected at the rear edge by a downwardly extending vertical wall 55 and further connected at the bottom edge by a forwardly extending horizontal wall 56 to form a top wall 54, a rear wall 55, and a bottom wall 56 of the forwardly open rectangular channel 72 extending along the length of the front edge.

[0073] The channel 72 receives the rearwardly extending support rib 66 of the front gasket 58 , with the remainder of the front gasket 58 extending forwardly from the channel 72 toward the door 28 to provide a forwardmost sealing portion 67 extending generally outwardly from the dividing wall 52 to seal against the glass door surface 26 dividing the cavity 20 .

[0074] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The front gasket 58 can be cantilevered away from the partition wall 52 at the front edge of the partition wall 52, extending along the entire lateral extent of the partition wall 52, and extending laterally beyond the outer left front edge and the outer right front edge of the partition wall 52 to completely seal the corners of the partition wall 52 and the corners of the cavity 20.

[0075] The support rib 66 of the front gasket 58 supported within the rectangular channel 72 is defined by a rectangular rod that extends longitudinally along the rectangular channel 72 of the partition wall 52 and has an upper surface 150 opposite the lower surface 152 and bearing a plurality of ridges 61 extending longitudinally thereof, and flat front and rear surfaces 154, 156 that respectively contact the sealing portion of the front gasket 58 and the rear wall of the channel 72. The support rib 66 is compressed in a direction between the upper surface 150 and the lower surface 152 to be tightly received within the rectangular channel 72.

[0076] The sealing portion of the front gasket 58 extending forward from the support rib 66 has a generally trapezoidal cross-section with a rear end 68 defining a small base of the trapezoid and attached to the support rib 66 opposite a front end 75 defining a large base of the trapezoid and extending outward toward the glass door surface 26. The rear end 68 and the front end 75 are connected at their upper and lower ends, respectively, by an upper surface 73 that slopes upward toward the front end 75 and a lower surface 74 that slopes downward toward the front end 75. As indicated by arrow 180, the slope of the upper surface 73 directs moisture from the front end 75 that contacts the glass door surface 26 toward the rear end 68 of the front gasket 58.

[0077] The front end 75 of the gasket 58 also provides a plurality of horizontal parallel sealing lips 76 , 77 and 78 that provide a plurality of longitudinal contact lines that seal individually against the glass panel 26 .

[0078] The upper inwardly concave beveled cutout 70 extends laterally along the front gasket 58 below an upper longitudinal lip 76 and above an intermediate longitudinal lip 78 of the front gasket 58. The upper lip 76 provides an upwardly curved convex fin that extends upwardly from the upper surface 73 and flexes to hold the sealing portion 63 against the glass door surface 26 to contact the glass panel 26 along the entire lateral extent of the front gasket 58. The upwardly extending upper lip 76 prevents moisture from collecting on the glass panel 26 by naturally directing moisture away from the upper lip 76.

[0079] A lower inwardly concave bevel cutout 71 extends laterally along the front gasket 58 below the upper concave bevel cutout 70 and below the intermediate longitudinal lip 78 and above the lower longitudinal lip 77 of the front gasket 58. The lower lip 76 provides a downwardly curved convex fin that extends downwardly from the lower surface 74 and flexes to hold the sealing portion 63 against the glass door surface 26 along the entire lateral extent of the front gasket 58.

[0080] As described above, the upper and lower concave bevel cutouts 70, 71 flank the forwardly extending central lip 78, thereby providing a convex ridge extending across the entire lateral extent of the front gasket 58 to contact the glass panel 26 near the vertical center of the front gasket 58. The convex ridge may be rounded to allow the central lip 78 to contact the wide surface of the glass panel 26.

[0081] When the door 28 is closed, the upper lip 76, the lower lip 77, and the center lip 78 sealingly engage the glass panel 26 of the door 28 to provide three separate longitudinal contact surfaces that seal under compression against the glass panel 26. The interior of the front gasket 58 may be hollowed out by a rectangular channel 81 extending along the length of the front gasket 58 to allow the front gasket 58 to be more easily compressed in the direction between the front end 75 and the rear end 68. Generally, the front gasket 58 completely seals each cavity 20, thereby preventing heated air or steam from passing between the cavities 20a-20c along the inner surface of the glass panel 26.

[0082] The front gasket 58 can be made of a resilient elastomeric material such as extruded rubber, sponge rubber, silicone, or fluorosilicone, allowing the front gasket 58 to seal larger uneven gaps between the glass panel 26 and the door 28 while bearing the greater compression pressure point to quickly rebound after compression.

[0083] Uniform condensation chamber connection

[0084] Now refer to Figure 6 , each of the oven cavities 20 may provide a matching connection between the oven cavity 20 through the discharge tube 82 to a common condenser sump 86 positioned below the oven cavity 20, and may provide a matching guide path to the atmosphere through the outlet port 88 to provide improved consistency in controlling the air flow steam and heating.

[0085] The discharge tubes 82 may each be connected to a common condenser sump 86 via separate discharge tubes, or may be combined into a single discharge tube that is then connected to the condenser sump 86. The discharge tubes 82 eliminate excess heat loss by providing a small outlet port opening.

[0086] The drain tube 82 for each of the chambers 20a, 20b, 20c can optionally be connected to a P-shaped collector 84, which can be partially filled with water to provide a collection portion that prevents direct gas flow and provides a barrier to backflow, which prevents steam or over-pressurized gas from moving between the chambers 20 instead of exiting through the conduit to the condenser sump 86. Typically, the P-shaped collector 84 allows liquid to overflow into the condenser sump 86 when the liquid fills the lower collector portion and overflows into the downwardly extending drain tube. In this way, combined drainage to a single shared reservoir can be provided without the risk of moisture passing between the chambers 20 through the common connection.

[0087] The condenser sump 86 can hold a pool of cooling water, such as described in U.S. Patent No. 8,997,730, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The condenser sump 86 can provide a grease trap, for example, using a dividing wall 91 that extends slightly downward into the water 90 to block grease from passing to a drain 93. It should be understood that other backflow restriction mechanisms can be used to prevent gas from being exchanged between the chambers 20, including, for example, one-way valves, anti-blocking members, etc.

[0088] Independent control of steam generators

[0089] Now refer to Figure 3 and Figure 7 Positioned behind each cavity 20 is a convection fan 94, such as a centrifugal fan having a squirrel cage impeller 95 surrounded by an involute housing 96. The convection fan 94 can be mounted so that the squirrel cage impeller 95 rotates about a horizontal axis 160 extending from the right wall to the left wall of the oven 10, wherein the squirrel cage impeller 95 is centered relative to the volume of the cavity 20.

[0090] The volume of the housing 96 can provide an opening 98 that directs air along a tangent line 99 that is inclined upwardly at approximately 30 degrees relative to the horizontal, thereby allowing a larger squirrel-cage impeller 95 to fit within the compact height dimensions of the chamber 20 while still delivering air to the upper and lower spray plates 42. A baffle 100 faces the opening 98 at a distance 102 less than the minimum dimension 104 of the opening 98 to provide high turbulence and high resistance to air flow, which uniformly distributes the air flow into the passage 79 and into the upper and lower spray plates 42', 42. In this regard, the baffle 100 can be asymmetrical about the tangent line 99 to provide the desired air flow separation and can also operate when cleaning solution must be distributed through the spray plates 42.

[0091] Reference Figure 7Each squirrel cage impeller 95 may be driven by a convection fan speed control motor 106 operated by a convection solid-state motor driver 108. In this regard, the squirrel cage impellers 95 propel heated air, wherein the air from each squirrel cage impeller 95 enters the oven cavity 20, thereby providing convection cooking while also evaporating excess moisture. The heat may be ventilated by ventilation fans 131 or the like.

[0092] Now turn Figure 12 , also positioned behind each chamber 20, for example, to the left of the squirrel cage impeller 95, a water atomizer 162 provides a pair of water injection nozzles 116a, 116b that distribute a stream or droplets of water onto a rotating spinner 110. The spinner 110 of the water atomizer 162 may be mounted for rotation independently of the rotation of the squirrel cage impeller 95 on a shaft 115 driven by a spinner speed control motor 112 operated by a spinner solid-state motor drive 114 and imparting rotation to the spinner 110.

[0093] The spinner 110 can rotate about a horizontal rotation axis 164 extending from the rear wall of the oven 10 toward the front opening 18, perpendicular to a horizontal axis 160 of the squirrel-cage impeller 95. The rotational speed of the rotating spinner 110 can be switched between a closed speed and a constant open speed, or controlled, to affect the amount or rate of steam introduced into the cavity 20.

[0094] Water injection nozzles 116a, 116b can disperse fresh water onto the rotating spinner 110 to break up the water and emit a fine spray of water heated by a spiral heater tube 118 surrounding the spinner 110, as described in further detail below. The water to the injection nozzles 116a, 116b can be controlled by electronically controlled valves.

[0095] Thus, convection fan speed control motor 106 and spinner speed control motor 112 are independently controlled to provide separate control of heating of oven cavity 20 and steam generation of oven cavity 20 .

[0096] Rotating rotor of water atomizer

[0097] Now refer to Figure 7 、 Figure 8 a and Figure 8 b. Figure 11 and Figure 12 The shaft 115 of the rotator 110 can extend forward along the rotation axis 164 through a vertical wall 117 that separates the rotator 110 from the rotator speed control motor 112 / solid-state motor drive 114 and also supports the injection nozzles 116a, 116b extending through the vertical wall 117.

[0098] Specific reference Figure 8 a、 Figure 8 b and Figure 11 The rotor 110 of the water atomizer 162 can be defined by a shaft 115 extending along a rotational axis 164 and supporting, for example, four equally spaced fins 134a, 134b, 134c, 134d spaced 90 degrees apart about the rotational axis 164, with each fin 134 being defined by a flat plate extending radially outward from the shaft 115 along the length of the shaft 115. Two parallel disks 168, 170 coupled to the shaft 115 are provided on either side of the fins 134 along the length of the shaft 115, with the proximal disk 168 being located adjacent to the vertical wall 117 and the distal disk 170 being located away from the vertical wall 117 at the distal end of the shaft 115. The disks 168, 170 are generally octagonal in shape, with the proximal disk 168 having a larger diameter than the distal disk 170.

[0099] The fins 134 are defined by a generally trapezoidal plate 171 having a proximal edge 173 attached to the inner surface of the proximal circular plate 169, opposite a distal edge 175 attached to the inner surface of the distal disk 170. The proximal and distal edges 173, 175 are connected by an inner edge 172 that extends adjacent the shaft 115, opposite an outer edge 174 that extends between the outer diameters of the disks 168, 170, and tapers inwardly from the proximal disk 168 to the distal disk 170 to define the trapezoidal shape of the plate 171.

[0100] Specific reference Figure 11 The outer straight edge 174 of each fin 134 is bent 90 degrees to provide a longitudinal projection 176 that extends tangentially to the motion of the fin 134 in the direction 177 of rotation of the fin 134. In cross-section, each fin 134 may form an "L" shape or an inverted "L" shape, wherein the longitudinal projection 176 is capable of cutting and capturing water when the spinner 110 rotates in direction 177. The longitudinal projection 176 has an outer serrated edge 178, formed, for example, by a serrated cut, extending substantially the entire length of the longitudinal projection 176. The serrated edge 178 helps break up the water droplets into a fine spray as the water exits the rotating spinner 110.

[0101] Now refer to Figure 12 The injection nozzles 116a, 116b provide an elongated tube extending forward from the vertical wall 117 so that the outlets are respectively close to the distal end of the rotator 110 and the proximal end of the rotator 110, and when the rotator 110 rotates, water streams or water droplets are distributed to the distal end and the proximal end of the rotator 110 so that the water is captured by the longitudinal protrusion 176 and the water is deflected circumferentially around the rotation axis 164.

[0102] The spiral heater tube 118 can be placed concentrically around the spinner 110 so that a fine spray of water from the spinner 110 is dispersed evenly around the inner surface of the spiral heater tube 118 and outwardly along the length of the spiral heater tube 118. The spiral heater tube 118 can include approximately six turns or revolutions as the spiral heater tube 118 extends forward from the vertical wall 117 from a proximal end 120 to a distal end 121 distal from the vertical wall 117, wherein the distal end 121 of the spiral heater tube 118 returns to the vertical wall 117 in a straight path along the outside of the coil 119 formed by the spiral heater tube 118. By evenly distributing the water around the inner surface of the spiral of the heater tube 118, stress on and possible damage to the spiral heater tube 118 is reduced.

[0103] The distally positioned injection nozzle 116a may include a straight section 127 extending forward from the vertical wall 117 at the upper left end of the spiral heater tube 118 along the exterior of the coil 119 toward the front of the spiral heater tube 118, a curved section 128 extending over the distal end 121 of the coil 119, and a straight section 129 extending into the interior of the coil 119 and terminating near the distal end 121 of the coil 119 and distributing approximately one-quarter to one-third of the water from the distal end 121 of the coil 119 (e.g., at approximately the fifth turn of a six-turn coil) onto the spinner 110. The water may be distributed downward toward the attachment end of the spinner 110 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

[0104] The proximal-positioned injection nozzle 116b may include a straight section 127 extending forward from the vertical wall 117 at the upper right end of the spiral heater tube 118 along the exterior of the coil 119 toward the front of the spiral heater tube 118, a curved section 128 extending over the distal end 121 of the coil 119, and a straight section 129 extending into the interior of the coil 119 and terminating near the proximal end 120 of the coil 119 and distributing approximately one-quarter to one-third of the water from the proximal end 120 of the coil 119 (e.g., at approximately the second turn of a six-turn coil) onto the spinner 110. The water may be distributed downward toward the attachment end of the spinner 110 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

[0105] The water atomizer 162 can be positioned in the side compartment 123 located at the left rear side of the cavity 20 and to the left of the centrifugal fan 94, which can receive air from the side compartment 123 to pass through the passage 79 (e.g., Figure 3 ) is discharged into the injection plate 42 and returns through the vents 124 at the rear of each cavity 20 and through the side vents 125 and side channels 126 to be heated by the spiral heater tubes 118.

[0106] Jet plate cleaning port

[0107] Now refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 , cleaning of the cavity 20 can be provided by using a cleaning manifold 141, which extends vertically along the rear corner of the cooking cavity 20 adjacent to the discharge pipe 82 and is provided with a nozzle 143, which extends from the vertical side wall of the cavity 20 into the injection plate 42 installed in the cavity 20 to guide the spray of water into the inner surface of the injection plate 42 and to guide the spray of water perpendicular to the air flow through the injection plate 42.

[0108] Reference Figure 10 The spray plates 42, 42' may include ports 144 located along the rear corners of the spray plate walls and along the vertical sidewalls of the spray plates to allow the nozzles 143 of the cleaning manifold to direct a spray of water into the interior surfaces of the spray plates 42, 42'.

[0109] The ports 144 of the upper injection plate 42' may be circular or elliptical to receive the nozzles 143a above the inner horizontal partition 41 of the upper injection plate 42' (eg, Figure 13 41 ) or below, thereby allowing water to drain downwardly into the cavity 20 through the slots and openings 44. In one embodiment, the cleaning spray can be sprayed directly into the air stream from the inlet 190 of the spray plate 42'. In another embodiment, the cleaning spray can be sprayed above the inner horizontal baffle 41 to allow the foam to flow downwardly into the air stream of the spray plate 42', as further described below. Alternatively, the port 144 of the lower spray plate 42 can receive the nozzle 143c above or below the inner horizontal baffle 41 of the upper spray plate 42 to allow water to be drawn upwardly into the cavity 20 through the slots and openings 44.

[0110] Reference Figure 7 Air from the interior of the spray plates 42, 42' is then drawn into vents 125 and 124 for circulation by fan 94 and possibly heating by spiral heater tube 118 and passing through the interior of the spray plate 42. Excess water is collected by drain pipe 82 and provided to sump 86 where it is pumped by pump 146 ( Figure 6 ) can be pumped back through the manifold 141 for constant recirculation. In this process, cleaning surfactants, etc. can be introduced into the water to enhance the cleaning power. Figure 3 The upper surface of the upper injection plate 42 or the passage 194 through the injection plate as described may be sloped downwardly toward the rear exhaust pipe 82 to provide complete exhaust of the chamber 20 (e.g., Figure 3 ).

[0111] Jet Plate Spray Diverters and Atomizers

[0112] Now refer to Figure 13 、 Figure 14 and Figure 15 , can be achieved by using Figure 9 and Figure 10 , whereby cleaning manifold 141 extends vertically along a rear corner of cooking cavity 20 and provides a plurality of horizontally extending nozzles, e.g., nozzles 143a, 143b, 143c of cleaning manifold 141, that extend through the interior wall of oven 10 via ports 181, 183, etc. Ports 181, 183, etc., extending through the interior wall of oven 10 are positioned at a plurality of vertical locations in oven 10 and within each cavity 20, and are thus capable of cleaning the upper and lower surfaces and internal plenum of upper jet plate 42' and the upper and lower surfaces and internal plenum of lower jet plate 42.

[0113] As previously mentioned Figure 3 and Figure 4 As depicted, the upper jet plate 42' of each cooking cavity 20 is supported on a projection 60 at the top of each cooking cavity 20 and can be removed and inserted from the oven 10 along a removal and insertion direction 182. Each of the upper jet plates 42' provides an air chamber provided by an inner horizontal baffle 41 and a lower air distribution plate 186 having slots and openings 44' on its lower surface for directing structured air jets 50' downwardly. Air or air stream 187, which may be heated, enters from a vent 188 of the oven 10 into an inlet 190 of a vertically extending rear sidewall 192 of the upper jet plate 42' that abuts the rear wall 14c of the oven 10. The air stream 187 further extends through a horizontally extending channel 194 defined by the interior volume of the upper jet plate 42' between the inner horizontal baffle 41, the lower air distribution plate 186, and the vertically extending sidewalls. The general construction of the spray plate 42' may be as generally described in US Patent No. 10,088,173, assigned to the present applicant and incorporated herein by reference.

[0114] Now refer to Figure 13 and Figure 14Horizontally extending nozzles 143a can direct a spray of water onto the upper surface 218 of the inner horizontal baffle 41 of the upper spray plate 42'. The upper surface 218 of the inner horizontal baffle 41 can be exposed without an enclosure wall. The inner horizontal baffle 41 can be tilted inwardly and downwardly from the horizontal at an angle 196 from the rear to the front of the chamber 20, such that the tilt encourages water to flow to the front end 198 of the inner horizontal baffle 41. The accumulation or pooling of water 199 at the front end 198 of the inner horizontal baffle 41 helps encourage the downward drainage of soapy water (through the apertures in the inner horizontal baffle 41, described further below) into the horizontally extending channel 194 and helps generate foam or suds for improved cleaning of the upper spray plate 42' and its internal air chamber. It is contemplated that the angle 196 of the inner horizontal baffle 41 can be between 5 and 15 degrees relative to the horizontal.

[0115] The front end 198 of the inner horizontal baffle 41 can be perforated with a plurality of small holes 210, for example, four holes distributed toward and along the front edge 212 of the inner horizontal baffle 41, and two holes distributed toward and along each side of the inner horizontal baffle 41 and toward the front end 198 of the inner horizontal baffle 41. For example, the holes 210 can be located only in the front half of the upper plate 148. In this regard, the holes 210 can be distributed near the periphery of the front end 198 of the inner horizontal baffle 41, toward areas where water accumulates. The holes 210 can be much smaller than the openings 44 of the upper jet plate 42', for example, at least 1 / 2 to 1 / 10 the area of the openings 44, so that only a small amount of air flow and moisture is allowed to flow through the holes 210 and not large enough to interfere with the downward structured air jets 50' flowing from the upper jet plate 42' into the cavity 20 below. The flow of air upward through the holes 210 (when the blower is on or at high speed) helps to create foam or suds when cleaning the chamber 20, while the discharge of water downward through the holes 210 (when the blower is off or at low speed) helps to promote the flow of cleaning fluid into the horizontally extending channel 194.

[0116] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown in FIG, the rear end portion 214 of the upper spray plate 42' may include a port 216 extending through the right vertical sidewall 200 of the upper spray plate 42'. The port 216 may be circular or oval and corresponds to the position of the nozzle 143a to open to a position above the upper surface 218 of the inner horizontal partition 41 so that the spray of water is projected onto the upper surface 218.

[0117] Reference Figure 13, a spray diverter 220 is positioned on the upper surface 218 of the inner horizontal partition 41 near the right vertical sidewall 200 and to the left of the port 216 to receive the spray of water and redirect the water on the upper surface 218. The spray diverter 220 is provided with a rectangular metal sheet that is perforated with a pattern of circular holes 224 punched therein and is bent at an angle of approximately 90° to form an "L"-shaped plate.

[0118] The lower panel 226 of the spray diverter 220 is attached to the upper surface 218 of the upper spray plate 42', or alternatively attached near but spaced above the upper surface 218 of the upper spray plate 42', and is generally centered around the port 216. The lower panel 226 is provided as a planar sheet extending along the upper surface 218 of the inner horizontal partition 41, the planar sheet having a length defined between the front and rear of the spray plate 42' and a width defined between the right and left sides of the spray plate 42'. The length of the lower panel 226 can be between 3 inches and 5 inches, and the width of the lower panel 226 can be between 2 inches and 3 inches.

[0119] The lower panel 226 is bent upward along the leftmost edge 230 to form a vertical panel 228 of the spray diverter 220. The vertical panel 228 extends generally parallel to the right vertical sidewall 200 of the upper spray plate 42' to provide a barrier to water sprayed away from the right vertical sidewall 200 toward the left vertical sidewall. The length of the vertical panel 228 defined between the front and rear of the spray plate 42' can be between 3 inches and 5 inches, and the height of the vertical panel 228 defined upward from the spray plate 42' can be between 1 inch and 2 inches.

[0120] Temporary reference Figure 19a and Figure 19b In one embodiment, the upper surface 218 of the inner horizontal partition 41 can be provided with a series of small holes 185, which are positioned just in front of the port 216 through which the water 199 is discharged from the nozzle 143a. Although most of the water 199 is as described above with respect to Figure 13 The high velocity air stream 187, which will flow toward the front of the shelf, but passing beneath but along the surface of the interior horizontal baffle 41, will create a low pressure venturi that draws droplets 199' of water in atomized form through the apertures 185 to promote flushing of the clean water 199 mist into the volume beneath the interior horizontal baffle 41 from a point proximate the rear wall 192. In this regard, the apertures 185 can be relatively small to promote atomization, e.g., the apertures 185 having a diameter of less than one quarter inch and typically less than 3 / 16 inch, and the apertures 185 will be positioned to receive a substantially continuous layer of water on its surface before the water is drawn through the apertures 185.

[0121] Now refer to Figure 13 When the pressurized water spray is ejected from nozzle 143a through port 216, the water strikes the perforated pattern of lower panel 226 and vertical panel 228 of spray diverter 220, deflecting the water spray in multiple directions onto upper surface 218 of upper spray plate 42' and onto upper surface 218 of upper spray plate 42', thereby producing a more dispersed water spray. The outer edge of spray diverter 220, formed by the perforated pattern, may be uneven to further disperse the water spray.

[0122] It should be understood that the upper spray plate 42' can be reversed to provide the lower spray plate 42. In this regard, when water is drawn upward through the apertures 210, a pressurized water spray can be emitted from the nozzles 143c through the ports 216 to clean the horizontally extending channels 194 and the upper surface of the lower spray plate 42.

[0123] Refer again Figure 10 、 Figure 13 and Figure 15 , an additional water spray can be emitted into each cooking cavity 20 from a second nozzle 143b, which is directed to a port 183 located at the upper rear corner of each cooking cavity 20, below the upper spray plate 42' but above the lower spray plate 42, to distribute water into the cooking cavity 20 and thereby spray the lower surface of the upper spray plate 42' and the upper surface of the lower spray plate 42 to clean the spray plate surfaces and the horizontally extending channels 194 of the lower spray plate 42. The water spray emitted from the second nozzle 143b into the port 183 is emitted toward the top of each cavity 20 to fall downward onto the lower spray plate 42, thereby flooding the upper surface of the lower spray plate 42 with the cleaning solution.

[0124] The convection fan 94 of the oven 10 can be operated at variable speeds, as discussed further below. At higher speeds, the fan 94 forces air flow through the horizontally extending channels 194 of the lower spray plate 42 and upward through the slots and openings 44 in the upper surface of the lower spray plate 42, thereby promoting the generation of foam or suds at the upper surface of the lower spray plate 42 and minimizing the discharge back into the interior of the spray plate 42. Similar to the air flow provided through the holes 210 of the upper spray plate 42' described above, the upward air flow helps generate foam or suds by injecting air into the cleaning solution. At lower speeds, the convection fan 94 forces the foam to be discharged downward into the interior of the spray plate 42.

[0125] By drawing the foam or suds into the vents 125, 124 and outwardly by the fan 94 into the interior plenum, the foam or suds are distributed throughout the oven cavity 20 via the return air path, thereby helping to promote cleaning of the interior of the spray plates 42, 42'.

[0126] Cleaning Schedule

[0127] Reference Figure 18 The pre-cleaning phase 300 may provide the following operation: the convection fan 94 is initially set to, for example, 70% of its maximum speed, with the pump 146, water spray, and steam generator turned off to circulate heated air throughout the cooking cavity 20 and allow the cooking cavity 20 to warm to the desired predetermined temperature. The fan speed may then be reduced to, for example, 50% of its maximum speed, with the pump 146 and water spray turned off, but the steam generator turned on, to fill the oven with steam. The fan speed may then be further reduced to, for example, 30% of its maximum speed, with the pump 146 turned on and the water spray and steam generator turned off to circulate steam throughout the oven. The pump may then be turned off, the water spray turned on, and the steam generator turned off to flood the spray plates 42, 42' with water for foam generation, as described in detail above.

[0128] Next, a cleaning phase 302 may provide alternating cycles of foam cycles 304 (by increasing the speed of the fan 94, turning on the pump 146, and turning off steam generation) and steam generation 306 (by decreasing the speed of the fan 94, turning off the pump 146, and turning on steam generation). During the cleaning phase 302, the temperature of the cooking cavity 20 may be maintained substantially constant, for example, at approximately 180°F. Each foam cycle 304 may be approximately 30 minutes, while each steam generation cycle 306 may be approximately 3 minutes. In this regard, the foam cycle 304 may be at least five to ten times longer than the steam generation cycle 306.

[0129] Next, the rinse phase 308 may provide a settling cycle 310 (by turning on pump 146 while the water spray and steam generation are turned off and then turning off pump 146), followed by a rinse cycle 312 (by turning on the water spray while the pump 146 and steam generation are turned off), followed by a rinse cycle 314 (by turning on pump 146 while the water spray and steam generation are turned off). The oven's heater may be turned on only during the rinse cycle 314, for example, to approximately 140°F, while the heater may be turned off during the settling cycle 310 and the rinse cycle 312. The settling cycle 310, rinse cycle 312, and rinse cycle 314 may be repeated sequentially in the rinse phase 308, for example, up to five or more times. The settling cycle 310 may be approximately one minute with pump 146 on and four minutes with pump 146 off. The flush cycle 312 may be an approximately 30 second cycle, and the rinse cycle 314 may be approximately 2 to 10 minutes long, with the duration of the cycle decreasing as the cycle progresses, e.g., the cycle starts at 10 minutes and then gradually decreases to 5 minutes and then to 2 minutes.

[0130] Finally, the post-cleaning phase 316 may provide the following operation: the convection fan 94 is at, for example, 30% of its maximum speed, with the pump 146 off, the water spray on, and the steam generator off, to fill the cavity with water. During the descaling process, the fan speed may be increased to, for example, 100% of its maximum speed, with the pump 146 turned on and the water spray and steam generator turned off. During the previous filling and descaling steps, the temperature of the cooking cavity 20 may be approximately 140°F. The fan 94 may then be turned off, and the pump 146, water spray, and steam generator turned off to allow for settling and draining. The water spray may then be turned on, while the pump 146 and steam generator are turned off, to fill the cooking cavity 20 with water. During the previous settling, draining, and filling steps, the heater may be turned off. Finally, the pump 146 is turned on, while the water spray and steam generator are turned off, for a final rinse. During the final rinse step, the temperature of the cooking cavity 20 may be approximately 140°F.

[0131] Rotating rotator floating mount

[0132] Now refer to Figure 16 and Figure 17 , for example, as previously mentioned about Figure 8 and Figure 11 The rotating spinner 110 shown and discussed is supported by a shaft 115 that extends along an axis of rotation 164 through a vertical wall 117 of the multi-zone oven 10 into a side compartment 123 of the oven 10 located to the rear and left of the cavity 20, such as Figure 7 . The shaft 115 can be supported for rotation on the vertical wall 117 by a vertically extending wall mount 248 attached to the vertical wall 117. The wall mount 248 can be a hexagonal metal plate that carries a circular opening 250 in the center that allows the shaft 115 to extend therethrough, and has mounting holes 249 surrounding the opening 250 that allow, for example, screws or bolts to extend therethrough for mounting the wall mount 248 to the vertical wall 117.

[0133] The vertical wall 117 separates the rotator 110 and the cavity 20 from the speed control motor 112 that imparts rotational motion to the rotator 110. The speed control motor 112 is generally housed within the side compartment 123 and is supported by a motor mount 252 attached to a vertical support wall of the side compartment 123 that is generally fixed relative to the vertical wall 117. The motor mount 252 has a front plate 266 spaced apart from a rear plate 254, which will be described further below.

[0134] Mounted between the vertical wall 117 and the motor mount 252 is a cylindrical housing 270 that surrounds the shaft 115 and allows the shaft 115 to extend a greater distance from the wall 117. The shaft 115 extends through the cylindrical housing 270 between the opposite circular ends of the cylindrical housing 270 and provides a protective housing around the shaft 115. The opposite circular ends of the cylindrical housing 270 are attached to the vertical wall 117 and the front plate 266 of the motor mount 252, respectively. The cylindrical housing 270 can have a length between 2 inches and 4 inches, thereby spacing the vertical wall 117 from the speed control motor 112.

[0135] The exterior of the cylindrical housing 270 may be surrounded by an insulating material 271, such as fiberglass batting, positioned between the vertical wall 117 and the motor mount 252 and further abutting the vertical wall 117 and a rear surface 272 of the wall mount 248. The cylindrical housing 270 and insulating material 271 help facilitate insulating the speed control motor 112 from heat dissipated from the cavity 20 through the vertical wall 117.

[0136] The left and right edges of the front plate 266 of the motor mount 252 can be provided with left and right rearward extending arms 265, respectively, which space the front plate 266 from the rear plate 254 and connect the front plate 266 to the rear plate 254. The front plate 266 and the rear plate 254 can be generally rectangular plates, and the arms 265 are rectangular plates extending between the front plate 266 and the rear plate 254. The front plate 266 can include a central hole 268 that corresponds with the central hole 260 of the rear plate 254 to simultaneously receive the shaft 115 passing through the motor mount 252 along the rotational axis 164. It should be understood that the shaft 115 can have an extended length, thereby allowing the shaft 115 to extend a greater distance away from the vertical wall 117 to the speed control motor 112.

[0137] Specific reference Figure 17 The rear plate 254 may include a pair of transverse holes 255 located to the left and right of the central hole 260, thereby allowing the rear plate 254 to be mounted to the vertical support wall, such as by screws or bolts.

[0138] The rear plate 254 also supports a floating mount 256 that supports the speed control motor 112 attached to the rear surface 262 of the plate. The floating mount 256 of the rear plate 254 is defined by a central disk 258 that carries a central aperture 260 that receives the shaft 115 therethrough and supports the speed control motor 112 on the rear surface 262. The central disk 258 is surrounded by a helical cutout 264 that circumscribes the central disk 258 and retreats away from the central disk 258 for at least two full turns, or at least two 360° turns. In this regard, the central disk 258 can be moved at an angle relative to the plane of the rear plate 254 and in a direction away from the rear plate 254 by flexure of the cutout 264, while still being restrained and supported by the floating mount 256 to prevent rotation. The floating mount 256 provides improved engineering tolerances in the position of the speed control motor 112 relative to the shaft 115 and the axis of rotation 164 , which are constrained by, for example, the wall mount 248 and the motor mount 252 .

[0139] Certain terms used herein are for reference purposes only and are therefore not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as "upper," "lower," "above," and "below" refer to directions in the accompanying drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as "front," "rear," "back," "bottom," and "side" describe the orientation of portions of a component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference that is made clear by reference to the text and associated drawings describing the component in question. Such terms may include the words specifically mentioned above, their derivatives, and words of similar meaning. Similarly, the terms "first," "second," and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

[0140] When introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and exemplary embodiments, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to indicate the presence of one or more of such elements or features. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features in addition to those specifically noted. It should also be understood that, unless explicitly identified as an order of execution, the method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be interpreted as necessarily requiring the method steps, processes, and operations to be performed in the particular order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0141] References to "microprocessor" and "processor" or "the microprocessor" and "the processor" may be understood to include one or more microprocessors that may communicate in a standalone and / or distributed environment, and thus may be configured to communicate with other processors via wired or wireless communication devices, wherein such one or more processors may be configured to operate on one or more processor-controlled devices, which may be similar or different devices. In addition, unless otherwise specified, references to memory may include one or more processor-readable and accessible memory elements and / or components, which may be internal to the processor-controlled device, external to the processor-controlled device, and accessible via a wired or wireless network.

[0142] It is specifically intended that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and illustrations included herein, and that the claims should be construed to include modifications of these embodiments, including portions of the described embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. The entire contents of all publications described herein, including patent publications and non-patent publications, are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0143] To assist the Patent Office, and any reader of any patent issuing based on this application, in understanding the claims appended hereto, Applicant wishes to point out that unless the words "means for" or "step for" are expressly used in a particular claim, Applicant does not intend that any appended claim or claim element invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f).

Claims

1. A multi-cavity oven, comprising: a housing having an interior cavity wall defining an oven cavity; At least one removable shelf, at least one of said removable shelves being fitted within said inner cavity wall and providing a rectangular outer frame defined by a front side wall, a rear side wall, a left side wall, and a right side wall; an upper wall extending between the front side wall, the rear side wall, the left side wall, and the right side wall, the upper wall being at least partially located below a top edge of each of the side walls; a lower wall, the lower wall extending between the front side wall, the rear side wall, the left side wall, and the right side wall, the lower wall being located below the upper wall; wherein the space between the upper wall and the lower wall defines an interior horizontally extending passageway that receives air and generates air jets that are directed in a vertical direction out through the aperture openings in the lower wall of the removable shelf and into the oven cavity; as well as At least one fluid spray nozzle is positioned in communication with the rectangular outer frame of at least one removable shelf to direct a cleaning fluid above the upper wall of at least one removable shelf when the removable shelf is positioned within the oven cavity.

2. The multi-cavity oven of claim 1 , further comprising a first removable shelf and a second removable shelf and further comprising a spray manifold supporting at least two fluid spray nozzles configured to deliver a cleaning fluid above the upper walls of the first removable shelf and the second removable shelf positioned within the oven cavity.

3. The multi-cavity oven of claim 2, further comprising a discharge manifold, wherein The drain manifold also supports at least two drain tubes configured to receive fluid from interior horizontally extending passageways of at least two removable shelves positioned within the oven cavity.

4. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 3, wherein: The discharge manifold recirculates water from the at least two discharge pipes to the at least two fluid spray nozzles.

5. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 3, wherein: The discharge manifold receives fluid received at the bottom wall of the cooking cavity through a discharge port in a vertical wall of the cooking cavity and directs the fluid out of the cooking cavity into a common receptacle for cooling water.

6. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 2, wherein: The spray manifold extends along a rear wall of the interior cavity wall of the oven cavity.

7. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the removable shelves provides a first removable shelf having a first horizontally extending passageway and a second removable shelf having a second horizontally extending passageway, the first horizontally extending passageway and the second horizontally extending passageway being in communication with vertically upwardly directed air jets and vertically downwardly directed air jets, respectively.

8. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 7, wherein: The at least one fluid spray nozzle delivers cleaning fluid into both the first horizontal passageway of the first removable shelf and the second horizontal passageway of the second removable shelf.

9. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one fluid spray nozzle extends horizontally into a fluid inlet port within the rectangular outer frame of at least one removable shelf, wherein the fluid inlet port within the rectangular outer frame of at least one removable shelf sprays a spray that extends above the upper surface of the upper wall of at least one removable shelf.

10. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 9, wherein: The upper surface of the upper wall of at least one of the removable shelves slopes downward from the fluid inlet port of each of the side walls of at least one of the removable shelves to an opposite end, and the opposite end includes a discharge hole that allows air to flow upward and fluid to flow downward into the internal horizontally extending passage.

11. The multi-cavity oven of claim 10, further comprising a diverter plate positioned directly in front of the at least one fluid spray nozzle to receive the cleaning fluid from the at least one fluid spray nozzle.

12. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 11, wherein: The diverter plate is perforated.

13. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 12, wherein: The diverter plate has a horizontal plate and a vertical plate, wherein the horizontal plate extends along the upper wall of at least one of the removable shelves and the vertical plate extends perpendicular to the upper wall of at least one of the removable shelves to block the flow of the cleaning fluid from the at least one fluid spray nozzle.

14. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 12, wherein: The diverter plate is attached to a top surface of a top wall of at least one of the removable shelves.

15. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the removable shelves is provided with an aperture in the upper wall of the at least one removable shelf, the aperture being positioned directly forward of the at least one fluid spray nozzle to promote atomization of the fluid passing through the aperture by a Venturi effect.

16. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one moisture barrier, the at least one moisture barrier subdividing the oven cavity into a plurality of cooking cavities having different humidity levels, wherein each cavity is provided with a separate heater and thermal sensor; a controller that receives a user command to independently set the temperatures of the plurality of cooking cavities; and a steam generator located in each of the plurality of cooking cavities and having a water source and a steam heater controlled by the controller to introduce steam into a selective cooking cavity for steam cooking; Wherein, the heaters and the steam heater of the plurality of cooking cavities are independently controlled.

17. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 16, wherein: The steam generator comprises: a spinner having a plurality of outwardly extending blades and a motor controlled by a controller to rotate the spinner about a horizontal axis; a water source controlled by the controller to direct a spray of water onto the spinner; and A steam heater extends around the rotor to evaporate water to introduce steam into the optional cooking cavity of the oven.

18. The multi-cavity oven of claim 1 , further comprising: at least one moisture barrier subdividing the oven cavity into cooking cavities having different humidity levels, wherein each cavity provides a separate heater and thermal sensor; a steam generator system that introduces steam into the selective cooking cavity in response to an electrical signal; a set of fans that circulate air independently through the cooking cavity isolated from the other cooking cavities; a controller that receives user commands to independently set the temperature and humidity of the different cooking chambers; and A resilient seal positioned between at least one barrier and at least one door, wherein the resilient seal has an upper cantilevered lip that is curved to flex upwardly along an interior surface of at least one door when the door is closed to promote moisture flow away from the interior surface of the at least one door, and a lower concave surface that promotes sealing of the resilient seal against the interior surface.

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