The Middleby Corporation

Middleby Marshall, Incorporated

Middleby Cooking Systems Group

Middeby Marshall Incorporated

William S Schjerven, Sr

Theodore James Chmiola

Richard H Van Camp

John H Wiker

Mohan K Panicker

Magdy A Albert

Mark A Sieron

Adrian A Bruno

Ricky Joe Sullivan McIntosh

James Jeffery Hanson

Roberto Nevarez

Brent James Carlson

Richard Rosenbrock

Ralph A Chrzastek

Robert Edward Jacob

Gerald J Schneeweiss

Frank Carbonara

Bruce Grau

Robert Nevarez

Sylvia Pauline Schneeweiss, Legal Representative

Tony Bruno

Bruce Gray

A system and method to control the power supplied to heating elements of a conveyor oven. The conveyor oven includes a plurality of heating elements to evenly distribute heat in an oven compartment. During peak-loads, the current draw of the heating elements may exceed available power of a power supply. Therefore, a system and method to reduce the total current draw of the plurality of heating elements is provided. The system includes a controller configured to perform the methods disclosed herein. The methods effectively lower the total current draw by rapidly cycling a plurality of relays connected to each of the plurality of heating elements to achieve even distribution of heat and reduced current draw during peak-loads.

Power modulator for infrared conveyor oven

A gas manifold for a convection conveyor oven includes an elongated housing having a wall that at least partially encloses an interior volume; a gas inlet in fluid communication with the interior volume and extending through the wall; a plurality of gas outlets in fluid communication with the interior volume and extending through the wall; a plurality of seat inserts removably coupled with a plurality of gas outlets; a plurality of valve openings formed in the wall and aligned opposite the plurality of gas outlets; and at least one valve removably coupled to the wall and aligned with a first valve opening, wherein the valve is aligned with a first gas outlet and has a first position in which a first seat insert is not in fluid communication with the gas inlet.

Convection conveyor oven manifold and damper system

A conveyor oven for cooking food and having an oven chamber in which food is cooked; a conveyor moveable to convey food within the oven chamber; a burner assembly operable to emit a flame to heat air for cooking food moving within the oven chamber on the conveyor; a burner tube extending into a compartment and positioned to receive at least a portion of the flame emitted by the burner assembly; and one or more passive tubes in the compartment positioned opposite the burner tube, wherein elongated baffles are located between adjacent passive tubes, wherein a baffle plate is located between the burner and passive tubes to restrict airflow from the burner tube to the passive tube, and/or wherein shelf assemblies in the oven enable movement (and in some cases removal) of a shelf with a corresponding fan and/or motor without disturbing other shelves and their corresponding fans and/or motors.

Conveyor oven air system

Conveyor ovens for cooking food according to various embodiments include one or more passive tubes in a plenum positioned opposite one or more burner tubes, wherein the passive tubes have outer walls with apertures therethrough. In some cases, a burner assembly for a conveyor oven includes at least one burner tube extending into a plenum and positioned to receive at least a portion of a flame emitted by the burner assembly, wherein a rifling plate extends through the burner tube and is slidingly positioned within the burner tube. Also, in some cases a baffle in a plenum of the oven is positioned opposite the burner tube and defines a fluid conduit having an entrance into which air heated from the burner tube is received and an exit separate from the entrance and through which air is discharged.

Conveyor oven heat delivery system

A method of controlling a cooking oven including a contactor, a relay, and a heating element, the contact, the relay, and the heating element in a series-type configuration. The method includes during a first operation, placing the contactor in a closed position, and during the first operation, selectively providing power, via the relay, to the heating element. The method further includes during a second operation, bypassing the relay while the contactor is in the closed position, and during the second operation, providing power to the heating element.

Bypass circuit and wipe technique for contactor used to operate solid state relays that control heating elements

An oven with a sensor positioned to detect an event that will cause a decrease in the internal temperature of a tunnel. The oven includes a controller configured to increase the thermal output of a heating element in anticipation of the upcoming decrease in the internal temperature. In some embodiments, the oven is a conveyor over and the sensor is positioned to detect a food item approach the tunnel on a conveyor. In some embodiments, the amount of current provided to an electric heating element is increased by increasing the target temperature. In some embodiments, the amount of current provided to the electric heating element is increased by a predetermined offset.

Conveyor oven apparatus and method

A method and arrangement is provided for setting a peak operating power level for an oven having an oven compartment, a user interface, and a controller having a memory with a maximum peak operating power level stored therein. The method includes the steps of displaying an oven set-up user interface window on the user interface during an initial start-up of the oven; in response to an input for selecting a maximum output for the oven, displaying a maximum output user interface window on the user interface. Further, after input of a peak operating power level, the method stores the peak operating power level in the memory and selectively provides a power control signal to generate heat that corresponds to the peak operating power level. The oven is either an electric oven or gas oven. In operation, the oven heats at the peak operating power level, which is less than the maximum peak operating power level.

Cooking oven power modulation system and method

A conveyor oven includes a controller configured to change the operation of a first set of burners and a second set of burners from a cooking mode to an energy saving mode based at least in part upon detection of the absence of food in the oven chamber. The first set of burners operating at a first intensity during the cooking mode and are off during the energy saving mode. The second set of burners operating at a first intensity during the cooking mode and being adjustable to a different intensity during the energy saving mode, where the second set of burners produce heat during the different intensity.

Apparatus and method for controlling a conveyor oven

A control circuit for a cooking oven. The control circuit includes a contactor. The contactor has at least one contact and at least one coil. A relay (such as a solid-state relay) is in series connection with the contactor. A heating element is controlled by the relay and is in series connection with the relay and the contactor. The controller also includes a controller. The controller is configured to bypass the relay and to control power to the at least one coil.

A control system for a control-compartment cooling fan of an oven. In one embodiment, the control system includes a sensor for sensing an operating condition of a motor of the cooling fan. The operating condition is selected from the group of a motor current and a motor RPM. A controller is communicatively connected to the sensor and is configured to receive the operating condition from the sensor, compare the operating condition to one or more predetermined tolerances and, when the operating condition exceed at least one of the one or more predetermined tolerances, generate an interrupt command. A heating control element is communicatively connected to the controller and configured to interrupt operation of a heating element in response to receiving the interrupt command. The control system may also include a user interface communicatively connected to the controller.

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Schaumburg, IL, United States of America

William S Schjerven, Sr