Oven providing surge mode cleaning

Abstract

A cleaning system for an oven having a shelf providing a distributed hot air jet, allowing water to accumulate within the shelf during cleaning by reducing air flow through the shelf, and then rapidly expelling the water in a cohesive stream after accumulation to provide high inertial cleaning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to food preparation ovens, and more particularly to ovens with a built-in water cleaning system. Background Technology

[0002] A combination steam and convection oven (“combination oven”) uses a combination of convection and steam for cooking. In convection cooking, heated air circulates rapidly through the cooking compartment to break up the air insulation layer surrounding the food, thereby increasing the rate of heat transfer. Because water has a higher specific heat than dry air, steam increases the rate of heat transfer to the food and also reduces moisture 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 this invention, and those patents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The combination oven can be configured to clean by introducing water and detergent into the cooking cavity. The water and detergent are heated by the oven fan and heater and circulated in the form of high-speed, atomized mist.

[0004] Professional kitchens often require the simultaneous preparation of a wide variety of dishes, each with its own optimal cooking time, temperature, and humidity. To address this, multi-cavity ovens with independent cooking chambers have been developed, where heated air is introduced through openings in the partition shelves between the chambers. The upper partition shelves direct heated air downwards onto the food, while the lower partition shelves direct air upwards. The air is distributed within the shelves via channels that communicate with the oven's fan and heating system. Such ovens are commercially available from Alto-Shaam, Inc. of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, under the trademark Vector, and involve several pending patent applications, including 2019 / 0056118; 2020 / 0041135; 2017 / 0211819; and U.S. Patent Application 17 / 078,711, filed October 23, 2020, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inventors have recognized that the atomized water and steam produced in conventional oven cleaning systems may be insufficient to remove stubborn oven residue and clear air passages in the partitioned shelves of multi-cavity ovens. Therefore, the present invention introduces a surge cleaning system in which the oven fan is regulated to first allow water to accumulate in the lower partitioned shelves, and then rapidly discharge the water in one or more substantially uninterrupted streams that carry debris from the shelves and provide a strong inertial impact against the oven walls, thereby promoting deep cleaning. Contrary to intuition, the inventors have recognized that intermittent operation of the fan during cleaning can promote improved cleaning results.

[0006] Specifically, the present invention provides a multi-cavity oven having a housing that maintains a cooking volume surrounded by an insulated outer wall and at least one door, the door being openable and closable to provide access to the cooking volume. A set of shelves divides the cooking volume into cooking chambers, the shelves having air passages, each air passage leading from an air inlet to an upwardly or downwardly oriented airflow opening and into an adjacent chamber. At least one fan supplies air through the air passages to the air inlets, and a water inlet communicates with a water valve to introduce water into the cooking chambers. A controller controls the oven to provide a first cleaning state and a second cleaning state. In the first state, the fan operates below a predetermined airflow rate to allow water to drain back from the water inlet into the air passages and accumulate in the air passages, and in the second state, the fan operates above a predetermined airflow volume to rapidly discharge the accumulated water in at least one stream from the air passages through the airflow openings.

[0007] Therefore, one feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention is the use of atomized water and air to provide improved cleaning by allowing water to accumulate, which can provide a high inertial impact on the oven surface and can help to carry materials and debris out of the air passages of the shelf.

[0008] Air can enter the rear of the shelf opposite the door, such that the momentum of water moving through the air passage before being discharged through the airflow opening directs at least one flow toward the door. The door may be provided with a glass panel.

[0009] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by providing improved door cleaning to allow for better observation of food during cooking and improved oven aesthetics after cleaning.

[0010] The shelf may include a set of airflow openings spaced apart along two different vertical dimensions of the shelf, thereby each providing water flow.

[0011] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by providing a multi-stream concentrated flow that can have a higher speed.

[0012] The oven may also include a set of drain sections extending from the cavity, wherein a valve controls the water inlet such that the water flow into the cavity is greater than the water flow leaving the cavity through the drain sections, so as to allow water to accumulate in the air passage.

[0013] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by providing a system that allows water to accumulate while simultaneously complying with the necessity of draining water after the cleaning process.

[0014] The oven may include heaters that operate in pairs to heat water circulating within the cavity via the action of a fan. Therefore, at least one embodiment of the invention is characterized by providing a high-inertia, heated water flow for improved cleaning.

[0015] In a second embodiment of the invention, the oven may include a steam generator for generating steam introduced into the cooking volume. In this embodiment, the controller may (a) open a water valve to allow water to flow in through a water inlet while operating a circulating fan to circulate water and detergent material through the cooking volume; (b) allow detergent and water to be discharged from the cooking volume; and (c) introduce steam into the cooking volume to disperse accumulated detergent foam.

[0016] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by eliminating some residual detergent foam that may remain in the oven cavity. This detergent foam is generated by high air turbulence but floats on the discharged water rather than flowing with it. The inventors have determined that high-temperature steam can disrupt the structure of such foam without requiring additional rinsing cycles.

[0017] The controller can also be operated to include a step prior to step (a) of introducing steam into the cooking volume to soften the accumulated grease.

[0018] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by utilizing steam that is available in such an oven for both the initial cleaning step and the final cleaning step.

[0019] The controller can also be operated to provide a flushing cycle after step (b), in which additional water is introduced into the cooking volume through a water inlet and circulated by a fan and then allowed to be discharged from the cooking volume, and a flushing cycle after step (c), in which additional water is introduced into the cooking volume through a water inlet and circulated by a fan and then allowed to be discharged from the cooking volume.

[0020] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by breaking the detergent foam so that the detergent foam can be successfully rinsed out of the oven by a second rinsing cycle, thereby allowing for optimized rinsing water.

[0021] In another embodiment of the invention, the oven may provide a drain duct associated with each chamber and having a drain duct valve communicating between each chamber and air outside the housing. A controller communicates with the drain duct valve to control the drain duct valve during cooking mode to independently control the drainage of each chamber according to individual cooking plans, and during cleaning mode to control the drain duct valve and water inlet valve to allow cleaning water to circulate through at least a portion of the chamber and the drain duct via a fan.

[0022] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the invention is characterized by providing improved cleaning of the exhaust passage for rapid air exchange in such an oven. The inventors have determined that opening the valve reduces the effective dead zone of air trapped in the exhaust passage that hinders proper cleaning.

[0023] The drain valve can displace a portion of the drain tube from the corresponding chamber.

[0024] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by allowing proper cleaning of the discharge passage when the discharge conduit valve is positioned away from the cooking chamber to prevent thermal contamination and direct contamination.

[0025] The portion of the drain tube before the drain tube valve can be drained downwards from the cooking chamber.

[0026] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by preventing small amounts of contaminants in the discharge conduit from falling into the food subsequently prepared.

[0027] Each discharge duct provides a separate passage from the corresponding chamber to the outside air.

[0028] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by preventing the cooking chambers from being interconnected via drain pipes, which could allow flavor transfer during different cooking cycles in different chambers—where one chamber is under pressure and another is under pressure.

[0029] The discharge duct can discharge air to the outside through openings separated from each other by partition walls that extend from the openings in the direction of the airflow from the duct and extend beyond the openings.

[0030] Therefore, at least one embodiment of the invention is characterized by allowing the exhaust ducts to exit at a common location, for example, removed by the oven user, without the risk of cross-contamination of the storage room atmosphere. The partition provides increased separation between the exhaust ducts while exposing them to outside air for diffusion.

[0031] These specific objectives and advantages may apply only to some embodiments falling within the claims and therefore do not limit the scope of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a four-cavity oven according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the unfolding details of a shelf consisting of a separate upper and lower air chamber that can be individually removed through the oven's open door.

[0033] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken by line 2-2 shows isolated internal air channels in the shelving, which can conduct air of different temperatures while maintaining thermal separation between cavities through active insulation and other technologies.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a simplified block diagram of an air delivery system and water control valves used for steam generation and clean feedback control;

[0035] Figure 4 Is it through Figure 1 A schematic cross-section of a partial view of multiple cavities, showing the airflow entering the cavities from the fan and heater system via shelves that separate the cavities;

[0036] Figure 5 Is it through Figure 1 A schematic cross-section of the plane of one cavity of an oven, showing a fan and steam generation system, as well as valves and drainage systems for managing clean water, and air intake and exhaust ducts leading to the outside air.

[0037] Figure 6 Is with Figure 2 A similar partial cross-sectional view shows the accumulation phase of the cleaning cycle, during which the filling water is allowed to collect in the lower partition shelf;

[0038] Figure 7 Is with Figure 6 A similar diagram shows the water that accumulates in the second surge phase of the cleaning cycle being rapidly discharged as a series of non-atomized sheet streams;

[0039] Figure 8 It is a timing diagram of the program executed by the controller, to provide Figure 6 and Figure 7 It provides surge cleaning and offers foam reduction treatment to break up residual detergent foam;

[0040] Figure 9 yes Figure 1A side view of the oven, showing the arrangement of the drain pipe and valves to improve the cleanliness of the pipe and prevent odors from passing through the cavity;

[0041] Figure 10 It is Figure 9 An exploded three-dimensional partial view of a chimney whose exhaust duct remains separated to communicate with the outside air; and

[0042] Figure 11 It is similar to Figure 10 A diagram showing the assembly form. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Now refer to Figure 1 The multi-zone combination oven 10 may provide a housing 12 having upright, insulated left outer side walls 14a and right outer side walls 14b, and an upright, insulated outer rear wall 14c extending between and connecting the opposite, generally horizontal, insulated upper outer walls 14d and 14e. Each wall 14 encloses a volume 16 opening towards the front, and, as is generally understood in the art, the volume 16 may be covered by a hinged door 18 when it is in the closed position. The housing 12 may be supported on one or more legs 21 extending downward from the bottom surface of the bottom wall 14e.

[0044] The cooking volume 16 can be divided into a plurality of cooking cavities 20a to 20d. Although four cooking cavities are shown, the invention envisions cooking cavities that are vertically spaced in the range of two to six. Each cooking cavity is separated by shelves 22a to 22c, wherein shelf 22a separates cavities 20a and 20b, shelf 22b separates cavities 20b and 20c, and shelf 22c separates cavities 20c and 20d.

[0045] Also refer to Figure 2 Each shelf 22 may consist of a generally rectangular, divided upper and lower air chambers 24a and 24b horizontally assembled in the cooking volume 16, wherein air chamber 24a faces the upper cavity and air chamber 24b faces the lower cavity. A single upper air chamber 24a forms the bottom of the lowermost cavity 20d and a single lower air chamber 24b forms the upper wall of the uppermost cavity 20a.

[0046] Each air chamber 24 has a horizontally extending air distribution plate 28 on its outer surface, the air distribution plate 28 having a set of airflow openings 30 distributed over its area to provide a substantially uniform airflow through the airflow openings 30. In one embodiment, the airflow openings 30 in the air distribution plate 28 may provide a set of holes 31 connected by slots 33 extending from the left to the right side of the chamber 20, as described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent Application 15 / 224,319. Typically, the width of the slots 33 will be less than 0.05 inches and preferably less than 0.1 inches to reduce pressure loss in the channel 34 that may result from a large slot area. The holes 31 are much larger than the slots 33 and may be circular and may have a diameter in the range of 0.3 inches to 0.6 inches to provide airflow that helps guide air from the slots 33 while also minimizing air pressure loss. The slot length may vary between 1 inch and 2 inches, and is preferably about 1.6 inches. The air distribution plate 28 is a sheet of metal, such as stainless steel, with a thickness of less than 1 / 8 inch and typically less than 1 / 16 inch, which can be easily formed, for example, using laser cutting technology.

[0047] Air enters through the sidewalls of each of the air chambers 24a and 24b at corresponding outlets at the rear of each chamber, via air inlets 32a and 32b. These air inlets 32 may be only 1 1 / 2 inches high and preferably less than one inch high. Air then flows from the air inlets 32a and 32b through a horizontally extending channel 34, defined by the inner surface of an air distribution plate 28 and the inner surface of a barrier wall 36 opposite to the air distribution plate 28. The barrier wall 36 has maximum spacing from the air distribution plate 28 at the air inlets 32 and then bends inward toward the air distribution plate 28 as the air conducted in the channel 34 escapes through the airflow opening 30, requiring a small channel height. The barrier walls 36 of each of the air chambers 24a and 24b slope inward together, providing an additional insulating zone 38 between the barrier walls 36 of the upper and lower air chambers 24a and 24b, thereby minimizing shelf height but maximizing insulation. The average spacing of the barrier walls 36 can be about one inch, varying from contact between the barrier walls to a spacing of approximately two inches. The invention envisions an average spacing of at least a quarter inch, and preferably at least one inch.

[0048] The peripheral wall 40 of each air chamber 24 surrounds the air distribution plate 28 and the barrier wall 36 to enclose the air within the passage 34 in all directions except through the inlet 32 ​​and the airflow opening 30. The peripheral wall 40 also provides inwardly extending horizontally protrusions 43 that can support the wire frame 45 at intervals of approximately 1 / 4 inch and at least 1 / 8 inch above the upper boundary of the air distribution plate 28 of the upper air chamber 24a. In one embodiment, a dedicated wire frame 45 can be used, or the wire frame 45 can be supported more than one inch above the air distribution plate 28 and preferably more than 1.5 inches above the air distribution plate via an extender protrusion (not shown). In this way, cooking sheets or dishes positioned on top of the shelf 22 rest on the wire frame 45 without obstructing the airflow opening 30. In a preferred embodiment, the distance 44 between the uppermost boundary of the airflow opening 30 of the air distribution plate 28 of the upper air chamber 24a and the lowermost boundary of the airflow opening 30 of the air distribution plate 28 of the lower air chamber 24b is ( Figure 1 and Figure 4 The cavity 20 (shown in the diagram) will be less than four inches, preferably less than three inches, and desirably less than two inches, thus providing an extremely compact shelf that maximizes cavity space and minimizes overall height. Figure 1 and Figure 4 (As shown) a nominal height 42, defined by the distance between air distribution plates 28 demarcated by the upper and lower boundaries of cavity 20, between four and nine inches, and preferably five inches or more. In a non-limiting example, each cavity may add about seven inches to the height of the oven, such that three cavities may have a height not exceeding 23 inches or at least not exceeding 25 inches, and four cavities may have a nominal height of 30 inches and not exceeding 35 inches.

[0049] Typically, for durability and ease of cleaning, the shelf 22 can be constructed entirely of stainless steel, and although the invention envisions that a thin insulating material may also be incorporated into the shelf 22 in some embodiments, non-metallic shelf construction materials are not considered necessary. The barrier wall 36 can be held within each air chamber 24 in a “floating mount” that allows the barrier wall 36 to slide relative to other structures of the air chamber 24, for example by creating a sliding fit between these components, which is reinforced by the natural flexural force of the metal of the barrier wall 36 providing light pressure between the barrier wall 36 and the inwardly extending lips of the ribs 29 and the peripheral wall 40.

[0050] Now refer to Figure 3Each cavity in cavity 20 can be associated with a temperature sensor 41, which communicates with a controller 47, such as a microcontroller having one or more processors 48 that execute programs and communicate with an associated memory 49 to store operating programs 51 and various cooking plans 76. The temperature sensor 41 can be a thermistor, a resistive temperature sensor, etc.

[0051] Each chamber 20 can also be associated with an airflow system 50 including a heater system, a fan motor, and a variable speed motor controller, such that the controller 47 can independently control the airflow circulating through each chamber 20 over a continuous range and can control the temperature of the air over a continuous temperature range. The heater system can be, for example, a resistance heater, such as a "cal" rod controlled by a solid-state relay, or a heat exchanger of an electrically controllable gas burner system.

[0052] Optionally, each cavity 20 may have an electrically controllable wash water valve 52 in communication with a common water supply 54, allowing water for cleaning to be introduced into the cavity via a signal sent from the controller 47 to the controllable wash water valve 52. An additional steam control valve may operate to allow water to be introduced into the heating unit of the airflow system 50, as will be discussed below, to allow independent control of humidity according to a cooking plan. For example, mechanisms for introducing controlled humidity into oven cavities 20 suitable for the present invention are described in U.S. Patents 9,375,021; 7,307,244; 7,282,674 and 6,188,045, all of which are assigned to the assignee of this application and are incorporated herein by reference.

[0053] The controller 47 can also receive signals from the door switch 56 (such as a limit switch or proximity switch) and can provide input and output to the oven user through a user interface 58 such as a touch screen, graphic display, membrane switch, etc., as is known in the art. The data connector 60 can communicate with the controller 47 to allow cooking plans 76 to be easily uploaded via the Internet or by transmission from a portable storage device, etc.

[0054] One or more cavities of cavity 20 may also include a smoker 61, for example, providing a compartment for receiving sawdust or the like, which is to be heated by an electrical element controlled by a controller 47 via a corresponding solid-state relay. For example, constructions of smokers 61 suitable for the present invention are described in U.S. Patents 7,755,005; 7,317,173 and 7,157,668, each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated herein by reference.

[0055] Now refer to Figure 4Each chamber 20's airflow system 50 (generally indicated by the separating dashed lines) may include a separate fan 62 independently controlled by a variable-speed motor and a motor drive 64. The fan 62 may be, for example, a squirrel-cage fan, and the motor may be a DC synchronous motor driven by a solid-state motor controller of a type known in the art. Using a separate fan 62 allows for complete separation of airflow within each chamber 20. Using a separate motor and motor drive 64 allows for independent airspeed control of the air in each chamber 20.

[0056] The airflow system 50 may also include a heater 66, and air from each fan 62 may pass through the heater 66 to be received by a branch manifold 68, which separates the heated airflow into an upper airflow 70 and a lower airflow 74. The upper airflow 70 enters a passage 34 in the lower air chamber 24b of the upper shelf 22, which defines the upper wall of the cavity 20. Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, and then as a set of downward-oriented airflows 72a from the airflow openings 30 distributed in the lower region of the air chamber 24b ( Figure 2 Each airflow opening in the passage 34 exits the channel 34. The lower airflow 74 enters the upper channel 34 of the upper air chamber 24a of the lower shelf 22 that defines the lower wall of the cavity 20, so as a set of upwardly oriented airflows 72b from the airflow openings 30 distributed on the upper region of the air chamber 24a. Figure 2 Each airflow opening in the channel 34 (as shown in the diagram) exits the channel 34.

[0057] The bifurcation manifold 68 can be designed, for example, to provide a significantly greater airflow in the upper airflow 70 than in the lower airflow 74, by means of the contraction or orientation of the branches of the bifurcation manifold 68 relative to the natural circulation flow of the fan. In one example, the air can be split such that 53% to 60% of the heated air is distributed to the lower shelf that carries the air upwards, and 40% to 57% of the heated air is distributed to the upper chamber that pulls downwards, as described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent Application 15 / 016,093.

[0058] The arrangement of the fan, airflow system 50, and bifurcation manifold 68 is repeated for each cavity 20. In the uppermost cavity 20a, a single lower air chamber 24b is provided at the top of the uppermost cavity 20a, and in the lowermost cavity 20d, a single upper air chamber 24a is provided, each air chamber effectively being one half of the shelf 22.

[0059] Now refer to Figure 5In one embodiment, fan 62 may be a centrifugal fan with a squirrel-cage impeller mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis 80 extending from the right wall to the left wall of oven 10, wherein fan 62 is centered relative to the volume of cavity 20. A steam generator 82 is also positioned behind each cavity 20 and, for example, to the left of fan 62, providing a water injector 84 with conduits and nozzles to direct water flow or droplets onto a rotating rotator 86. Rotator 86 may be mounted to rotate independently of rotating fan 62 and driven by a speed-controlled motor 88, or may utilize a motor 64 with suitable linkage.

[0060] The water injector 84 can disperse fresh water onto the rotating rotor 86, causing the water to spread and spray out a fine mist, which is heated by the spiral heater tubes of the heater 66 surrounding the rotor 86. The water to the water injector 84 can be controlled by an electronically controlled wash water valve 52. In this way, the convection fan speed control motor 64 and the rotor speed control motor 88 are independently controlled to provide separate control over the heating of the oven cavity 20 and the steam generation of the oven cavity 20.

[0061] Still refer to Figure 5 Air from fan 62, heated by heater 66, can enter cavity 20 to heat the food contained therein, and is then drawn through side vent 90 into return duct 92 to pass back through heater 66. Side vent 90 is sized to provide a slight constriction, thereby creating low pressure in the return duct, which can be directly or optionally controlled by valve 96 to communicate with fresh air duct 94, thus providing an air inlet from outside the oven. Valve 96 can be controlled by controller 47.

[0062] Similarly, cavity 20 will be under slightly higher pressure due to the size of the side vent 90, and can be connected to the discharge conduit 98 controlled by valve 100 via controller 47, thereby discharging air and steam from cavity 20 to the outside air, as will be discussed below.

[0063] As described above, wash water can be introduced into cavity 20, for example, through a nozzle in cavity 20 or in branch manifold 68, or both. The system of drain 102 allows excess water to be discharged into container 104, in which detergent material 106 can be placed for cleaning. Container 104 can supply water to wash water valve 52 via a pump (not shown) for recycling of clean water, and can be provided with drain 108 leading to a fresh water supply and a fresh water replenishment valve 110, as is commonly understood in the art.

[0064] Now refer to Figure 8 Controller 47's program 51 ( Figure 4As shown, this is implemented starting at stage 120, for example, by the user inputting information through interface 58. Figure 8 The cleaning sequence is initiated as shown in the diagram. At this time, program 51 can utilize... Figure 3 The interface 58 shown conveys the following information to the user: detergent material should be added to container 104 or placed in each cavity of cavity 20.

[0065] Once detergent has been added and the door is closed, as indicated by door switch 56 ( Figure 3 As shown in the diagram), heater 66 can be activated and steam water valve 53 opened to begin steam generation production as indicated during stage 122a. At this time, wash water valve 52 is closed and drain duct valve 100 ( Figure 5 (As shown) is opened to allow cleaning steam to enter and soften the material in conduit 98. Fan motor 64 operates to assist in steam dispersion.

[0066] In the next stage 122b, the washing water valve 52 is opened and the steam water valve 53 is closed, while the heater 66 remains active, allowing heated water to be introduced into each chamber 20 and circulated by high-speed air from the fan 62. This process produces a spray of heated and atomized detergent-injected water covering all cleanable surfaces inside the oven.

[0067] Still referencing Figure 6 In the next stage 122c, surge cleaning begins, and the speed of fan 62 is turned off or reduced, causing water 124, introduced through wash water valve 52 and heated by heater 66, to be discharged rearward through spray opening 30 into upper air chamber 24 to substantially fill air passage 34. In this respect, drain 102 may be sized or fitted with a valve to allow sufficient water to accumulate such that at least 25% of air passage 34 is filled, and preferably a small amount of water is present above opening 30.

[0068] In the next stage 122, fan 62 can be rapidly activated again to high speed, thereby generating a sudden pressurized airflow 126 that enters channel 34, such as... Figure 7As shown in the diagram. This ejects multiple continuous streams or slugs 130 of water and / or foam from the opening 30, which, compared to atomized heated water, provide a flushing flow that empties debris from the channel 34 and a continuous, large volume of water that provides a high-inertial impact to the oven surface. In this tsunami-like flow, softened grease and the like can be removed. The momentum of the water within the air channel 34 before it leaves directs the cohesive water stream 130 toward the glass element 93 on the inner surface of the door 18, thereby providing improved cleaning of this highly visible surface. In one embodiment, the water stream 103 will have a continuous range of one inch or more upward from the opening 30 without significant dispersion.

[0069] The steps in stages 122c and 122d can have a duration of approximately one minute, and can be... Figure 6 The accumulation of phase 122c and the accumulation of each phase 122d, as well as the accumulation of each phase 122d, are shown in the figure. Figure 7 The water slugs shown alternately repeat multiple times between rapid discharges in the surge.

[0070] In the next stage 122e, the washing water valve 52 and heater 66 are closed, and water is allowed to drain. Fan 62 is activated to assist in this process.

[0071] After an appropriate drainage time, a flushing is performed in stage 122f, during which the washing water valve 52 is optionally activated again along with the heater 66 and the fan 62, followed by the second drainage stage 122e.

[0072] At the end of this drainage, some detergent foam, representing a very small amount of durable material, may remain in cavity 20. In the subsequent foam defoaming stage 122, steam is reactivated by opening the steam water valve 53, heater 66, and motor 88, but no wash water flows through the wash water valve 52; instead, fan 62 is activated to disperse the steam. The hot steam causes the bubbles contained in any detergent foam structure to expand rapidly, thereby causing the foam to burst. Following the steam reduction step of stage 122a, there may be an optional additional rinsing stage 122f, followed by a drying stage 122g in which fan 62 and heater 66 are activated without water or steam.

[0073] Now refer to Figure 9During the cleaning process, valve 100 of the drain conduit 98 can be opened as described to facilitate the entry of steam and cleaning solution into adjacent portions of the drain conduit 98 to clean cooking grease, etc., that may have entered during the drain cycle to be cooled by and condense on the conduit walls. In one embodiment, the adjacent portion of the drain conduit 98 may be angled downwards from its connection to the cavity 20 so that any uncleaned material from the drain conduit 98 will not subsequently fall into the cavity 20, for example, during subsequent heating when such material may break or flake off. After exiting at a downward angle, the drain conduit 98 may be angled upwards and collected by chimney 160 for discharge to outside air 163. If necessary, the upward bend of the drain conduit 98 may include a drain section leading to container 104, etc.

[0074] Now refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 As described, multiple exhaust ducts 98a to 98c can be collected together within the tubular chimney 160 for guidance to the outside air 162. By collecting the exhaust ducts 98 in this way, heated steam and the like discharged from the chambers 20 can be safely guided away from the user of the oven 10 to a single location. However, it is important that there be no possible cross-contamination path outside one exhaust duct 98, for example, from the chamber 20 cooking with overpressurized steam to, for example, a second chamber 20 that may be cooling. In such cross-contamination, undesirable order and flavors could be passed between foods cooked in different chambers 20. Therefore, a partition 164 can be provided at the end of the chimney 160, separating each opening 166 in the exhaust duct 98 from each other, and extending at least 1 inch and desiredly a diffusion distance of at least 2 inches along an axis 174 defining the direction of air discharge from the exhaust duct 98. Within this diffusion distance 170 beyond the upper edge 172 of the chimney 160, flow between the discharge ducts 98 is impeded to facilitate diffusion into the outside air. In this respect, the partition plate 164 can provide a simple set of partition walls that extend radially at equal angles around the center of the chimney 160 to its periphery, the number of walls being equal to the number of cavities 20, and positioned between each distal end of the discharge duct 98.

[0075] As used herein, the term "fan" is intended to include all motor-driven devices used for moving air, including blowers, fans, etc. Specific terms used herein are for reference only and are therefore not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as "upper," "lower," "above," and "below" refer to orientations in the referenced figures. Terms such as "front," "back," "rear," "bottom," and "side" describe the orientation of parts of a component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference, which is clearly defined by reference to the text describing the component in question and the associated figures. Such terms may include the words specifically mentioned above, their derivatives, and words with similar meanings. Similarly, terms relating to structure such as "first," "second," and other such numerical terms do not indicate a sequence or order unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0076] In describing the elements or features of this disclosure and exemplary embodiments, the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” are intended to mean the presence of one or more such elements or features. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that additional elements or features may be present in addition to those specifically indicated. It should also be understood that the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not construed as necessarily requiring performance in the particular order discussed or described, unless expressly identified as such. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0077] The terms "controller" and "processor" or "microcontroller" and "processor" can be understood to include one or more microprocessors that can communicate in an independent and / or distributed environment and can therefore be configured to communicate with other processors via wired or wireless communication, wherein such one or more processors can be configured to operate on a device controlled by one or more processors, which may be similar or different devices. Furthermore, regarding memory, unless otherwise stated, it may include one or more processor-readable and accessible memory elements and / or components, which may be located internally to the processor-controlled device, externally to the processor-controlled device, and accessible via a wired or wireless network.

[0078] In particular, this invention is not limited to the embodiments and descriptions contained herein, and the claims should be understood to include modifications of these embodiments, including portions of embodiments as described within the scope of the claims and combinations of elements of different embodiments. All publications described herein, including patent and non-patent publications, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0079] In order to assist the Patent Office and any reader of any patent published in this application in interpreting the appended claims, the applicant wishes to indicate that, unless “means for…” or “steps for…” is expressly used in a particular claim, the applicant does not intend for any claim or claim element in the appended claims to invoke 35 U.SC 112(f).

Claims

1. A multi-cavity oven, the multi-cavity oven comprising: A housing that provides a cooking volume surrounded by an insulated outer wall and at least one door, the door being openable and closable to provide an entrance to the cooking volume; A set of shelves that divide the cooking capacity into cooking chambers, each shelf having an air passage that leads from an air inlet to an upwardly or downwardly oriented airflow opening and into an adjacent chamber; At least one fan that supplies air through the air passage to the air inlet; A water inlet, which is connected to a water valve, to introduce water into the cooking cavity; as well as A controller, which communicates with the fan and the water valve, provides a first cleaning state and a second cleaning state, wherein in the first cleaning state, the fan operates below a predetermined airflow rate to allow water to be discharged back from the water inlet into the air passage and accumulate in the air passage, and in the second cleaning state, the fan operates above a predetermined airflow volume to rapidly discharge the accumulated water from the air passage through the airflow opening in at least one stream.

2. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 1, wherein, The air enters the rear of each shelf opposite the door, such that the momentum of the water moving through the air passage before being discharged through the airflow opening directs at least one flow toward the door.

3. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 1, wherein, The door provides a glass panel for receiving the at least one stream.

4. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 1, wherein, The shelf includes a set of airflow openings spaced apart along two different vertical dimensions of the shelf, each providing a flow of water.

5. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 1, wherein, The controller operates the water valve to allow water to accumulate in the air passage to fill at least 25% of the air passage volume in the first clean state.

6. The multi-cavity oven of claim 1, further comprising a set of drainage sections extending from said cavity, and wherein, The water valve controls the water inlet such that the water flow into each chamber is greater than the water flow leaving the chamber through the drain section, allowing water to accumulate in the air passage.

7. The multi-cavity oven of claim 1 further includes heaters that operate in pairs to heat water circulating in the cavities by the action of the fan.

8. An oven, said oven comprising: A housing that provides a cooking volume surrounded by an insulated outer wall and at least one door, the door being openable and closable to provide an entrance to the cooking volume; A water inlet, which is connected to a water valve, to introduce clean water into the cooking volume; A drainage section for discharging cleaning water from the cooking volume; At least one fan is provided for circulating air and water through the cooking volume; A steam generator for generating steam to be introduced into the cooking volume; as well as A controller, which communicates with the water valve, the fan, and the steam generator, to provide a cleaning cycle including the following steps: (a) Open the water valve to allow water to flow in through the water inlet, while operating the fan to circulate water and detergent material through the cooking volume; (b) Allowing detergent and water to be drained from the cooking volume; as well as (c) Introduce steam into the cooking volume to disperse accumulated detergent foam.

9. The oven according to claim 8, wherein, The controller is also configured to include a step of introducing steam into the cooking volume prior to step (a) to soften the accumulated grease.

10. The oven according to claim 9, wherein, The controller is also configured to include a step of providing a rinsing cycle after step (b), in which additional water is introduced into the cooking volume through the water inlet and circulated by the fan and then allowed to be discharged from the cooking volume.

11. The oven according to claim 10, wherein, The controller is also configured to include a step of providing a rinsing cycle after step (c), in which additional water is introduced into the cooking volume through the water inlet and circulated by the fan and then allowed to be discharged from the cooking volume.

12. The oven of claim 8, further comprising a heater for heating the cleaning water, and wherein, The controller is configured to activate the heater during step (a).

13. The oven of claim 8, further comprising a display, and wherein, The controller is configured to instruct the user to introduce detergent material into the cooking cavity prior to step (a).

14. A multi-cavity oven, the multi-cavity oven comprising: A housing that provides a cooking volume surrounded by an insulated outer wall and at least one door, the door being openable and closable to provide an entrance to the cooking volume; A set of dividers that divide the cooking capacity into at least two chambers; A water inlet, which is connected to a water valve, for introducing clean water into the cavity; A heater and a fan, which are associated with each chamber and can be controlled to independently control the temperature of each chamber; A discharge conduit associated with each chamber, the discharge conduit having a discharge conduit valve and communicating between each chamber and the air outside the housing; as well as A controller, which communicates with the heater, the fan, and the drain duct valve, to operate during cooking mode to independently control the heating of each chamber and the discharge from each chamber according to a separate cooking plan, and to operate during cleaning mode to open the drain duct valve and the water inlet valve to allow cleaning water to circulate through the chambers and at least a portion of the drain duct via the fan.

15. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 14, wherein, The discharge conduit valve is moved from the corresponding chamber to a portion of the discharge conduit.

16. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 15, wherein, The portion of the discharge conduit is discharged downward from the cooking chamber.

17. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 14, wherein, Each drain duct provides a separate passage from the corresponding chamber to the outside air.

18. The multi-cavity oven according to claim 14, wherein, The discharge conduit discharges air to the outside through openings separated from each other by partition walls that extend from the openings in the direction of the airflow from the conduit and extend beyond the openings.

Images