GB2062847A - Cooking oven - Google Patents

Abstract

An oven for cooking foodstuffs can be heated by gas or electricity and incorporates a circulation fan 17 in a circulating zone to assist in the even distribution of heat throughout the cooking chamber. The oven may be operated with or without the circulation fan in operation. Side and rear walls 11 and 4 respectively of the cooking chamber are provided with a series of apertures 14 arranged in a row or rows towards the outer edges of the walls and providing communication between the cooking chamber and the circulating zone which is located behind the walls around the sides and rear of the cooking chamber. Means are provided for heating the oven in the form of a gas burner 19 located in a combustion chamber 18 extending along the rear portion of the cooking chamber adjacent the rear wall 4 or alternatively the heating means comprises electrical heating elements. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A dual cooking function oven for foodstuffs convertible for use with alternative fuels This invention relates to a dual cooking function oven for foodstuffs which is convertible for use with alternative fuels.

More specifically the invention provides for an oven for cooking foodstuffs which can be heated by gas or electricity and which incorporates a circulation fan which assists in the even distribution of heat throughout a cooking chamber in the oven to provide a substantially even temperature cooking zone where food can be cooked at the same temperature throughout the cooking chamber.

However, this method of cooking may not at times be desirable, and the oven according to the invention which has a dual function is capable of being used without the aid of the circulation fan to provide a temperature gradient, otherwise known as zoned heating, in the cooking chamber where foodstuffs requiring differing temperatures for cooking may be cooked at the same time.

It is also possible to use the circulation fan on its own without any heat source, as a means for defrosting frozen food-stuffs.

If for any reason, during a fan assisted cooking sequence it is desired to stop the circulation fan, or in the event of a fan failure, the oven will continue to cook foodstuffs.

According to the invention a dual cooking function oven for foodstuffs comprises a cooking chamber located within the oven and bounded at the front by the oven door, at the top by an inner roof panel spaced from an outer roof panel and at the rear and opposed sides by a circulating zone, the circulating zone being separated from the cooking chamber by rear and side panels, a substantially centrally disposed opening in the inner roof panel provides a flue-way communicating with a flue restrictor and outlet in the outer roof panel, an aperture or apertures located substantially centrally of the rear panel has a circulation fan disposed rearwardly of the aperture or apertures and within the circulating zone to draw air from the cooking chamber into the circulating zone, said side panels each having a series of apertures arranged in a row or rows towards the outer edges providing communication between the circulating zone and the cooking chamber, a combustion chamber located below and along the rear lower portion of the cooking chamber has a forwardly inclined rear wall portion and a vertically extending end portion terminating at the bottom of the rear panel and a front wall extending upwardly and inclined rearwardly towards the rear wall and terminating in a vertically extending portion, said opposed vertically extending wall portion forming a transfer duct extending into and along the rear portion of the cooking chamber above the level of the floor of the cooking chamber and means for heating the cooking chamber and means for selectively actuating the heating means and/or the circulation fan.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of an oven according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view along the line A-A of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional front view along the line B-B of Fig. 1; Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional view of the transfer duct of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a three-quarter cutaway view of the oven of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings a dual cooking function oven for foodstuffs is indicated generally at 1 and comprises a cooking chamber 2 located within the oven and bounded at the front by an oven door 3, which provides access to the cooking chamber, and bounded at the rear by a rear panel 4 spaced from a back outer panel 5 of the oven.

The cooking chamber is bounded at the top by an inner roof panel 6 spaced from an outer roof panel 7 the inner roof panel 6 having an aperture 8, which acts as a flueway and communicates with a flue restrictor and outlet 9 through the space 10 between the inner and outer roof panels. The cooking chamber 2 is also bounded at each side by inner side panels 11 and 1 2 spaced from the outer side panels of the oven and at the bottom is bounded by the floor of the oven. The space between the rear panel 4 and back outer panel 5 and the spaces between the inner side panels 11 and 12 and the outer side panels of the oven communicate with each other to form a circulating zone indicated generally at 1 3 which extends across the rear and round both sides of the cooking chamber 2.

The inner side panels 11 and 12 are each provided with a row or rows of apertures 14 towards the outer edge which provide communication between the circulating zone 1 3 and the cooking chamber 2.

The rear panel 4 is provided with a vertically disposed row or rows of apertures 1 4a on each side of the panel adjacent the side panels 11 and 12 to provide communication between the circulating zone 1 3 and the cooking chamber 2.

A plurality of horizontally disposed shelf supports 1 5 are arranged in spaced parallel relation on each of the side panels 11 and 12 within the cooking chamber.

The rear panel 4 is provided with a substantially centrally disposed aperture or series of apertures 16 which may be in the form of a louvre or louvres, and a circulation fan 1 7 is located rearwardly of the aperture or apertures 1 6 within the circulating zone 13.

The circulation fan 1 7 provides for extracting heated air and combustion products from the cooking chamber 2 and recirculating the air and combustion products through the circulating zone 13 back into the cooking chamber 2 through the apertures 14 and 1 4a in the inner side panels 11 and 12 and the rear panel 4.

The fan 1 7 is electrically operated and is provided with switching means for selectively actuating the fan.

A combustion chamber indicated generally at 18 is located below and along the rear lower portion of the cooking chamber 2 and a gas burner 19 can be located along the bottom portion of the combustion chamber to heat the cooking chamber 2 by burning gas.

The combustion chamber 18 has an upwardly and forwardly inclined rear wall portion 20 and vertically extending upper portion 21 which terminates at the bottom of the rear panel 4. The inclined wall portion 20 may be provided with an aperture 22 and a flap 22a which extends downwardly over the aperture 22 and together provide a controlled dimension pressure relief for the burner. A front wall 23 of the combustion chamber extends upwardly and has a rearwardly inclined portion 24 which terminates in a vertically extending upper portion 25. The vertical upper wall portions 21 and 25 form a transfer duct 26 which opens into and extends along the rear portion of the cooking chamber 2 above the level of the floor of the chamber 2.A horizontally disposed opening 27, preferably of the louvre type, may be provided in the front vertical wall portion 25, providing communication between the lower portion of the cooking chamber 2 and the transfer duct 26 to entrain air from the lower portion of the cooking chamber 2 and assist the natural convection of the air in the cooking chamber, particularly when the oven is being used without the aid of the circulation fan 1 7. Air inlets 28 are provided along the bottom of the combustion chamber adjacent or below the gas burner 1 9 which is located under the transfer duct 26 forwardly of the circulation fan 1 7.

As an alternative to gas heating, electrical heating elements may be provided for heating the oven. Electrical heating elements 28 are located in a vertically disposed plane at each side of the cooking chamber within the circulating zone 13 behind the inner side panels 11 and 12.

Alternatively at least one electrical heating element 28a, located peripherally of the circulation fan 1 7 within the circulating zone, and an electrical element 29 located on the top inner panel 6 within the cooking chamber may be provided for heating the cooking chamber 2. The element or elements 28a operate only when the fan is in operation during a cooking cycle. The element 29 provides heat for the cooking chamber 2 whether the fan is in operation or not.

The element 29 may be an infra red heater or may be a conventional heating element which may also be used as a grill.

The electrical heating element 29 may altematively be located under the cooking chamber as at 29a.

Switch means are provided for energizing the heating elements.

Lighting means 30 located in the outer roof panel 7 provides for illuminating the cooking chamber. The lighting means 30 is located behind the aperture 8 and switch means are provided for actuating the lighting means.

A blanking plate 31 is provided for closing-off the transfer duct 26 and opening 27 into the duct when converting from gas to electrical heating for the cooking chamber 2.

A blanking plate 31a is used when the oven is manufactured for electrical heating only.

When the oven is used with gas heating the burner 1 9 is ignited and the circulation fan 1 7 is actuated so that air and combustion products are drawn by the fan 1 7 into the circulating zone from the cooking chamber 2 around the sides of the cooking chamber and expelled from the circulating zone through the apertures 14 and 1 4a in the side panels 11 and 12 and rear panel 4 back into the cooking chamber 2 where it is recirculated by the fan. When the fan is not in use circulation in the bottom portion of the cooking chamber is assisted by air in the bottom of the cooking chamber being drawn into the horizontally disposed opening 27 in the vertical wall portion 25 of the combustion chamber.

Fig. 6 shows the airflow path in the gas heated version of the oven.

When the oven is electrically heated a number of electrical heating element positions are available. The combinations are, with the heating element 28 located in a vertical plane on each side of the cooking chamber behind the side panels within the cooking zone, or a heating element 28a located peripherally of the circulation fan and one other heating element located either at the top of the cooking chamber as at 29 or under the floor of the cooking chamber as at 29a.

When the heating elements 28 or 28a and 29 or 29a and the circulation fan 1 7 are actuated to draw air from the cooking chamber through the aperture or apertures 1 6 into the circulating zone where it is heated by the heating element 28 or 28a as it passes through the circulating zone 13 round the sides of the cooking chamber to be expelled into the cooking chamber through the apertures 14 in the side panels and 1 4a in the rear panel 4.A further combination of electrical heating elements is one heating element 29 in the top of the cooking chamber and one heating element 29a under the floor of the cooking chamber, when these and the circulation fan are actuated the air that has been heated in the cooking chamber by the elements 29 and 29a is drawn through the aperture or apertures 1 6 into the circulating zone 13 where it passes round the sides of the cooking chamber to be expelled into the cooking chamber through the apertures 14 in the side panels and 1 4a in the rear panel 4.

At any time during a fan assisted cooking sequence, whether the oven is gas fired or electrically heated, the fan may be stopped by actuating switch means so that the cooking sequence may continue under natural convection and radiation conditions.

In the event of a fan failure during a cooking sequence the oven will operate as a non-fanned oven.

The oven may also be used without the fan to provide a temperature gradient in the cooking chamber and at any time during such a cooking sequence the fan may be actuated to assist circulation within the cooking chamber.

The oven may also be used without heating by actuating the fan only for defrosting frozen foodstuffs.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1. A dual cooking function oven for foodstuffs comprising a cooking chamber located within the oven and bounded at the front by the oven door, at the top by an inner roof panel spaced from an outer roof panel and at the rear and opposed sides by a circulating zone, the circulating zone being separated from the cooking chamber by rear and side panels, a substantially centrally disposed opening in the inner roof panel provides a flue-way communicating with a flue restrictor and outlet in the outer roof panel, an aperture or apertures located substantially centrally of the rear panel has a circulation fan disposed rearwardly of the aperture or apertures and within the circulating zone to draw air from the cooking chamber into the circulating zone, said side panels each having a series of apertures arranged in a row or rows towards the outer edges providing communication between the circulating zone and the cooking chamber, a combustion chamber located below and along the rear lower portion of the cooking chamber has a forwardly inclined rear wall portion and a vertically extending end portion terminating at the bottom of the rear panel and a front wall extending upwardly and inclined rearwardly towards the rear wall and terminating in a vertically extending portion, said opposed vertically extending wall portions forming a transfer duct extending into and along the rear portion of the cooking chamber above the level of the floor of the cooking chamber and means for heating the cooking chamber and means for selectively actuating the heating means and/or the circulation fan.

2. An oven as claimed in claim 1 in which the heating means comprises a gas burner located in the combustion chamber under and along the transfer duct and in which the vertical front wall portion of the transfer duct is provided with a horizontally disposed opening.

3. An oven as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the inclined rear wall of the combustion chamber is provided with an aperture and a flap which extends downwardly over the aperture to provide a controlled dimension pressure relief for the burner.

4. An oven as claimed in claim 1 in which the heating means comprises an electrical heating element located in a vertical plane on each side of the cooking chamber behind the side panels within the circulating zone.

5. An oven as claimed in claim 1 in which the heating means comprises at least one electrical heating element located peripherally of the circulation fan and at least one electrical heating element located within the cooking chamber.

6. An oven as claimed in claim 1 in which the heating means comprises at least one electrical heating element located peripherally of the circulation fan and at least one electrical heating element located below the cooking chamber.

7. An oven as claimed in claim 1 in which the heating means comprises at least one electrical heating element located adjacent the roof of the cooking chamber and an electrical heating element located under the floor of the cooking chamber.

8. An oven as claimed in claim 5 or 7 in which at least one of the heating elements located within the cooking chamber is an infra red element.

9. An oven as claimed in any of claims 4 to 8 in which a cover member is provided for closing the transfer duct and horizontally disposed opening in the transfer duct.

10. A dual cooking function oven for foodstuffs substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.