Gas Research Institute

Tiax LLC

Philip Morris USA Inc.

Mimmo Elia

Jan-Roger Linna

Francis M Sprinkel

James Timothy Cole

David Keeler

Niranjan Maharajh

Anthony Patti

William E Lyle

Darrell J King

David L Richardson

Josh Breinlinger

A multiple panel cooking oven having individual controls for combined conductive and radiant heating. Each panel comprises an upper heating element for conductive heating and a lower heating element for radiant heating to obtain uniform baking within a zone between panels in the oven. A control panel having displays and keypads interfaces with a processor which provides control signals for adjusting the temperature of the heating elements of the panels. Cooking energy efficiency is increased through the use of radiative and conductive heat transfer, to reduce bake times by significantly increasing heat transfer to the food products. Independent cook zones allow preparation of multiple products simultaneously under different cooking conditions. The oven, in one embodiment may include a convection heating mode of operation. In an alternative embodiment no convection mode is provided and the sole source of heat is provided by the conductive/radiant panels.

Multiple panel oven having individual controls for combined conductive and radiant heating panels

An oven assembly having oppositely disposed first and second wall structures enclosing a cooking chamber, each wall structure having a plurality of spaced apart openings for passage of air therethrough. A rotating valve is provided, which is in heated air receiving communication and return air communication with a heat source and in heated air distributing communication with the first wall structure and in return air communication with the second wall structure whereby heated air is passed through the spaced apart openings in the first wall structure into the cooking chamber and return air from the cooking chamber is passed through the spaced apart openings in the oppositely disposed second wall structure and to the rotating valve for return to the heat source. The rotating valve is rotatable to be in heated air distributing communication with the second wall structure and in return air communication with the first wall structure.

Food oven with even heat distribution

The cooking chamber is defined at least in part by at least two pairs of oppositely disposed first and second wall structures, each of the wall structures including at least one slot opening for the passage of air therethrough. The rotating valve is in heated air distributing communication with the first wall structure and in return air communication with the second wall structure of only one of the two pairs of oppositely disposed first and second wall structures at a selected point in time such that heated air is passed through the slot opening in the first wall structure into the cooking chamber and return air from the cooking chamber is passed through the slot opening in the oppositely disposed second wall structure and to the rotating valve for return to the heat source. The rotating valve is capable of rotation to be in heated air distributing communication with the first wall structure and in return air communication with the second wall structure of the other of the two pairs of oppositely disposed first and second wall structures at a subsequent selected point in time.

Growing community of inventors

Watertown, MA, United States of America

Mimmo Elia