GB2331451A - Grill - Google Patents

Abstract

An infra-red oven or grill comprises upper and lower frustoconical housing sections 1, 2 spaced apart by a cylindrical housing section 3 secured to one frusto-conical housing section. The housing includes a frontal opening for access to the housing interior. An electric heater 4 is positioned generally coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the housing and is operable to emit infra-red rays. Positioned within the housing interior is a grid 9 for supporting products to be heated by infra-red rays emitted by the resistor. The heater is in two parts 5 + 6 and each part is operable separately via switches 7' + 7".

Description

2331451 1 INFRA-RED OVENS The pres ent invention relates to infra-red

ovens and more especially, but not exclusively, to infra-red ovens for cooking and heating rolls, toast, garlic bread and the like.

As is known, food products which comprise one or more slices of bread filled with, for example, dressed pork products, cheeses, vegetables and other food items require to be cooked au gratin on both sides.

Appliances for cooking au gratin have numerous configurations but all can be typified as a plate or grill of heat resisting material on which the products to be cooked are placed.

In the case of cooking au gratin garlic bread or heating rolls, it is necessary that these products should not always present the same side to the source of heat, as a result of which it becomes necessary for an operator periodically to turn the product so that the external sides of the products are cooked evenly.

One embodiment of an oven particularly suitable for the above mentioned uses, that is to say capable of providing uniform cooking on both sides of garlic bread and cooking filled rolls, without it being necessary to turn the same during cooking is described and claimed in Italian Utility 2 Models No. 221,040 filed on 24.09.86 and No. V195U000031 filed on 05.04.95.

1 1 1 " This oven comprises two frusto-conical housing sections placed one above the other and spaced from each other by a cylindrical housing section. The oven includes a gas burner operable to heat to red heat an element made from a heat resisting material. On becoming red hot, the element emits infra-red rays which are reflected by the internal walls of the two frusto-conical housing sections onto products to be cooked placed on a grill positioned inside the oven.

Because the grill is positioned to correspond substantially with the transverse centre line of the oven and in the direction of the infra-red rays, products placed within the oven are cooked substantially uniformly on both sides.

The present invention sets out to provide an infra-red oven which is structurally and functionally preferable to the ovens referred to above.

According to the present invention in one aspect there is provided an infra-red oven whose housing comprises upper and lower frusto-conical housing sections spaced apart by a cylindrical housing section secured to one frusto-conical housing section and including a frontal opening for access to the housing interior, an electric resistor positioned generally coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the housing and operable to emit infra-red rays, and a grill for supporting products to be heated by infrared rays emitted by the resistor.

Advantageously, the electric resistor comprises two separate elements, one positioned above the other, with the upper element positioned within the upper frusto-conical housing section and the central cylindrical part of the oven, and the lower element positioned within the lower frusto- 3 conical housing section.

The lower resistor element may be withdrawn completely from the housing thereby permitting removal of both the grill and the lower frustoconical housing section and considerably facilitating internal cleaning operations of the housing.

The electric resistors can be of differenttypes of variously shaped coil or oblong electric resistors made of heat resisting steel and shielded with quartz tubes of diameter and design appropriate to the thermal energy requirements needed for cooking and for the size of the oven.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:- Figure 1 illustrates a front view partly in section of an oven in accordance with the invention in its position; and Figure 2 illustrates the oven shown in Figure 1 with its lower electric resistor withdrawn.

The infra-red oven illustrated in the drawings comprises a housing having upper and lower frusto-conical sections 1, 2 spaced apart by a cylindrical section surface 3. An electric resistor 4 is disposed generally vertically and emits infra-red rays which are reflected from the inner walls of the two frusto-conical sections 1, 2 onto products 8 to be cooked placed on a grill 9. The grill 9 is positioned horizontally within the oven and rests on and is fixed to the lower frusto-conical section 2.

The central cylindrical section 3 is fixed to the upper frusto-conical section 12 and includes a front opening through which the products 8 can be placed in and removed from the oven. The opening is shaped to define 4 a door 11 which can be opened.

The electric resistor 4 is subdivided into an upper element 5 and a lower element 6. Each resistor element 5, 6 is respectively supplied with electricity separately through switches 7' and 7" positioned externally of the housing.

The upper resistor element is secured to the upper frusto-conical housing section 1. The lower resistor element 6 is fixed to the lower frusto conical housing section 2 and can also be withdrawn completely from the interior of the housing.

i The resistor element 6 is shown in its withdrawn position in Figure 2.

Withdrawal of the lower resistor element 6 from the housing interior allows the operator, after opening the door 11, to remove both the grill 9 and the lower frusto-conical housing section 2 for routine cleaning and maintenance of the oven.

The lower resistor element 6 is secured in a selected one of its two positions by a manually operable pin 12 which locates within a hollow body 13 which is formed integrally with the f rusto-conical housing section 2 and within which is positioned a guide cylinder 14 to which the resistor element 6 is fixed.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary of infrared ovens in accordance with the invention and that modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention set out in the appended claims.

Claims (1)

1. An infra-red oven whose housing comprises upper and lower frustoconical housing sections spaced apart by a cylindrical housing section secured to one frusto-conical housing section and including a frontal opening for access to the housing interior, an electric resistor positioned generally coaxially with the)ongitudinal axis of the housing and operable to emit infra-red rays, and a grill for supporting products to be heated by infrared rays emitted by the resistor.

   An oven acc"ording to Claim 1 wherein the electric resistor comprises two separate elements, one positioned above the other and each connected to receive electricity separately through a switch.

   3.

   5.

   An oven according to Claim 2 wherein the uppermost resistor element is secured to the upper frusto-conical section of the housing.

   An oven according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the lower resistor element is secured to the lower frusto-conical element of the oven housing.

   An oven according to any one of Claims 1, 2 and 4 wherein the lower resistor element is withdrawable from the interior of the lower frustoconical section of the housing to permit removal of this frustoconical section and the grill to be removed from the housing.

   6. An oven according to Claim 5 wherein the lower resistor element is secured to a guide cylinder which slides within a hollow body to which the lower frusto-conical housing section is secured.

   7.

   An oven according to Claim 6 wherein the lower resistor element is secured in its selected position by a pin which locks the guide cylinder 6 to the hollow body.

   8. An oven according to Claim 1 wherein the electric resistor is shielded with a heat resisting steel quartz tube.

   9. An infra-red oven substantially as herein described and as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

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