Middleby Marshall, Incorporated

Kurt S Creamer

Thomas C Hotard

Richard W Hartzell

Murray Van Johnson

A pressure regulator and steamer oven for cooking food at low pressure includes heating elements and a cooking cavity having a pool for holding water to be turned into steam. A pressure sensor is disposed in a steam outlet passage connected to the cooking cavity. The pressure sensor is operable to turn off the heating elements when the pressure in the steam outlet passage exceeds a pre-determined level. The pressure sensor may be a float switch monitoring the water level in the steam outlet passage. The condensing steam in the steam outlet conduit may be routed back to the pool in the cooking cavity via an overflow.

Pressure regulator for steam oven

A pressure regulator and steamer oven for cooking food at low pressure is provided which conserves water and space. The oven includes heating elements and a cooking cavity having a pool for holding water to be turned into steam. A pressure regulator mechanism attached to the rear of the steamer includes a reservoir and a float switch. A steam outlet conduit connects the cooking cavity to the reservoir and extends below the normal water level in the reservoir. The lower end of the conduit is blocked by water in the reservoir. The float switch is operable to turn off the heating elements when the pressure in the conduit exceeds a pre-determined level. Thus, the pressure regulator employs a water seal and float switch to help indirectly measure the pressure in the cooking cavity and control the heating elements accordingly. The reservoir is connected to the pool via an overflow which allows condensate to be recirculated to the cooking cavity. The steamer optionally includes a fill trough disposed above and in front of the cooking cavity and connected to the fluid reservoir for ease of filling. Further, the steamer optionally includes a pool cover with steam directing flow holes for promoting steam flow in the cooking cavity and a vent hole in the steam outlet conduit to help purge cold air on start-up.

A compressible and thermally conductive heat transfer membrane is placed between heating blocks and the bottom of a reservoir in a steam oven. This heat transfer membrane assists in distributing the heat from the heating block to the reservoir while serving as a compliant interface for maximizing contact uniformity and heat distribution between the heating block and the reservoir. Optionally, spaces within and around the heat transfer membrane may be filled with a thermally conductive grease material to facilitate thermal contact and heat transfer. The inclusion of the heat transfer membrane in steam ovens provides an economical, thermally efficient way to compensate for surface irregularities and mis-matches between heating blocks and reservoir surfaces.

Steam cooking appliance with a corrugated heat transfer membrane and

A pressure regulator and steamer oven for cooking food at low pressure is provided which conserves water and space. The oven includes heating elements and a cooking cavity having a pool for holding water to be turned into steam. A pressure regulator mechanism attached to the rear of the steamer includes a reservoir and a float switch. A steam outlet conduit connects the cooking cavity to the reservoir and extends below the normal water level in the reservoir. The lower end of the conduit is blocked by water in the reservoir. The float switch is operable to turn off the heating elements when the pressure in the conduit exceeds a pre-determined level. Thus, the pressure regulator employs a water seal and float switch to help indirectly measure the pressure in the cooking cavity and control the heating elements accordingly. The reservoir is connected to the pool via an overflow which allows condensate to be recirculated to the cooking cavity. The steamer optionally includes a fill trough disposed above and in front of the cooking cavity and connected to the fluid reservoir for ease of filling.

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Apex, NC, United States of America

Kurt S Creamer