Conveyor oven

Abstract

An accelerated cooking or speed cooking conveyor oven with at least one discrete cooking zone. The oven includes a first and a second gas directing member configured to cause the gas from the first gas directing member to collide with the gas fron the second gas directing member upon the upper or lower surface of the food product being conveyed.

1 . A conveyor oven for cooking a food product, comprising: 
 a cooking tunnel comprising:    at least one cooking zone, each cooking zone comprising:    a housing defining a cooking chamber;    a conduit means for circulating gas to and from the cooking chamber;    a flow means for causing circulation of the gas;    a means for heating the gas;    a first gas directing means disposed above the food product; the first gas directing means being operably associated with the conduit means; and    a second gas directing means disposed above the food product, the second gas directing means also being operably associated with the conduit means;    wherein the first and second gas directing means are configured to cause the gas from the first gas directing means to collide with the gas from the second gas directing means upon or above the upper surface of the food product; and    a conveyor for conveying products through the cooking zone.    
     
     
         2 . A conveyor oven for cooking a food product, comprising: 
 a cooking tunnel, comprising:    at least one cooking zone, each cooking zone comprising:    a housing defining a cooking chamber;    a conduit means for circulating gas to and from the cooking chamber;    a flow means for causing circulation of the gas;    a means for heating the gas;    a first gas directing means disposed below the food product; the first gas directing means being operably associated with the conduit means; and    a second gas directing means disposed below the food product, the second gas directing means also being operably associated with the conduit means;    wherein the first and second gas directing means are configured to cause the gas from the first gas directing means to collide with the gas from the second gas directing means upon or below the lower surface of the food product; and    a conveyor for conveying products through the cooking zone.    
     
     
         3 . The oven of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a first lower gas directing means disposed below the food product; the first lower gas directing means being operably associated with the conduit means; and    a second lower gas directing means disposed below the food product, the second lower gas directing means also being operably associated with the conduit means;    wherein the first and second lower gas directing means are configured to cause the gas from the first lower gas directing means to collide with the gas from the second lower gas directing means upon or below the bottom surface of the food product.    
     
     
         4 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein each cooking zone cooks the food product independently of the other cooking zones.  
     
     
         5 . The oven of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a control means for controlling the gas flow.    
     
     
         6 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the gas exits the cooking chamber via the top wall.  
     
     
         7 . The oven of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 at least one odor filter.    
     
     
         8 . The oven of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a damper means for adjusting the amount of said gas delivered via said conduit means to said first, second, first lower and second lower gas directing means.    
     
     
         9 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the flow means is a blower motor.  
     
     
         10 . The oven of  claim 9  wherein the blower motor runs at variable speeds.  
     
     
         11 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the thermal means is a electric resistance heater.  
     
     
         12 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the control means is a toggle switch.  
     
     
         13 . The oven of  claim 12  wherein the toggle switch controls the flow means.  
     
     
         14 . The oven of  claim 5  wherein the control means is a rotary switch.  
     
     
         15 . The oven of  claim 14  wherein the rotary switch controls the flow means.  
     
     
         16 . The oven of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 an electromagnetic source.    
     
     
         17 . The oven of  claim 16  wherein the control means controls the electromagnetic source, the damper means, the flow means, the thermal means, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The oven of  claim 16  wherein the control means is comprised of toggle switches to control the electromagnetic source, the damper means, the flow means, the thermal means, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         19 . The oven of  claim 16  wherein the control means is comprised of rotary switches to control the electromagnetic source, the damper means, the flow means, the thermal means, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The oven of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 a control panel for controlling the operation of the electromagnetic source, the damper means, the flow means, the thermal means, or combinations thereof.    
     
     
         21 . An oven as defined in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 an egress opening to allow the gas to exit the cooking chamber and a catalyst located within said egress opening.    
     
     
         22 . The oven of  claim 21  wherein said egress opening is located in a top wall of the cooking chamber.  
     
     
         23 . The oven of  claim 21  wherein said egress opening is located in a side wall of the cooking chamber.  
     
     
         24 . The oven of  claim 21  wherein said egress opening is located in a back wall of the cooking chamber.  
     
     
         25 . The oven of  claim 21  wherein said egress opening is located in a bottom wall of a cooking chamber.  
     
     
         26 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the first gas directing means and the second gas directing means are located within a top wall.  
     
     
         27 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the first gas directing means and the second gas directing means are located within the right and left side walls.  
     
     
         28 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the first gas directing means and the second gas directing means are located at the intersection of side walls and a top wall.  
     
     
         29 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the first gas directing means and the second gas directing means are located within a back wall.  
     
     
         30 . The oven of  claim 2  wherein the first lower gas directing means and the second lower gas directing means are located within a bottom wall.  
     
     
         31 . The oven of  claim 2  wherein the first lower gas directing means and the second lower gas directing means are located within the right and left side walls.  
     
     
         32 . The oven of  claim 2  wherein the first lower gas directing means and the second lower gas directing means are located at the intersection of the side walls and a bottom wall.  
     
     
         33 . The oven of  claim 2  wherein the first lower gas directing means and the second lower gas directing means are located within a back wall.  
     
     
         34 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein the thermal means is a heater powered by gaseous fuel.  
     
     
         35 . The oven of  claim 34  wherein the gaseous fuel is propane.  
     
     
         36 . The oven of  claim 34  wherein the gaseous fuel is natural gas.  
     
     
         37 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein said oven is a speed cooking oven.  
     
     
         38 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein said oven is a conventional cooking oven.  
     
     
         39 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein said oven is an accelerated cooking oven.  
     
     
         40 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein said oven is a recycling oven.  
     
     
         41 . The oven of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 at least two additional gas directing means for direction on at least one further food product.    
     
     
         42 . The oven of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 an ingress door disposed at one end of the cooking tunnel;    an egress door disposed at the other end of the cooking tunnel;    a plurality of sealing means carried by the conveyor for providing a seal between the ingress door and the cooking tunnel and between the egress door and the cooking tunnel.    
     
     
         43 . The oven of  claim 7  wherein the odor filter is a catalytic odor filter.  
     
     
         44 . The oven of  claim 1  having a bleed gas flow system further comprising: a gas bleed chamber, and an odor filter within the gas bleed chamber.  
     
     
         45 . The oven of  claim 44  wherein the odor filter causes catalytic destruction of cooking by-products.  
     
     
         46 . The oven of  claim 45  further comprising a pre-heater to heat the bleed gas flow prior to the gas entering the catalytic odor filter.