Oven air flow arrangement

Abstract

An oven includes air deflectors arranged about a fan to aid in equalizing flow to two sides of the fan. The oven may also include plenums located on opposite sides of the oven cavity, with air interruption panels located in the plenums.

1 . An oven, comprising:
 a cavity for receiving food products to be cooked and having a door to provide access thereto;   a heat exchanger section for providing heat; and   an air flow system including at least one fan and an air flow path for enabling air to circulate from the heat exchanger section where it is heated, into the cavity for transferring heat to food products, and back to the heat exchanger section for further heating, wherein the air flow path includes:
 an opening in a wall of the cavity for delivering air from the cavity to the heat exchanger section, the fan located in the heat exchanger section and aligned with the opening; 
 a plurality of air deflectors located in the heat exchanger section and disposed circumferentially about the fan, each air deflector including a major deflector panel and a minor deflector panel, the minor deflector panel and major deflector panel intersecting at respective panel ends, wherein each of a multiplicity of the air deflectors are positioned with the minor deflector panel located closer to an axis of the fan than a free end of the major deflector panel, and at least one air deflector is positioned with the minor deflector panel located further from the axis of the fan than the free end of the major deflector panel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oven of  claim 1  wherein, for each air deflector, the minor deflector panel intersects the major deflector panel at an angle to form a V-shape, each of the multiplicity of the air deflectors is positioned with a closed end of the V-shape closer to the axis of the fan than the free end of the major deflector panel, the at least one air deflector is positioned with the closed end of the V-shape further from the axis of the fan than the free end of the major deflector panel. 
     
     
         3 . The oven of  claim 2  wherein,
 the opening is in a rear wall of the oven, 
 the air flow system further includes:
 a first flow path along a first plenum adjacent a first side wall of the cavity, a first air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across a width of the first plenum, the first air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein. 
 
 
     
     
         4 . The oven of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a second air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across the width of the first plenum, the second air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein, the second air flow interruption panel located downstream of the first air flow interruption panel.   
     
     
         5 . The oven of  claim 3  wherein the first air flow interruption panel extends from an outer side wall of the first plenum toward the first side wall of the cavity, an upstream end of the first air flow interruption panel spaced further from the first side wall than a downstream end of the first air flow interruption panel. 
     
     
         6 . An oven, comprising:
 a cavity for receiving food products to be cooked and having a door to provide access thereto;   a heat exchanger section for providing heat; and   an air flow system including at least one fan and an air flow path for enabling air to circulate from the heat exchanger section where it is heated, into the cavity for transferring heat to food products, and back to the heat exchanger section for further heating, wherein the air flow path includes:
 an opening in a rear wall of the cavity for delivering air from the cavity to the heat exchanger section, the fan moving air through the opening; 
 a first flow path along a first plenum adjacent a first side wall of the cavity; 
 a first air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across a width of the first plenum, the first air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein. 
   
     
     
         7 . The oven of  claim 6 , wherein the air flow path further includes:
 a second flow path along a second plenum adjacent a second side wall of the cavity;   a second air flow interruption panel located along the second flow path and extending partly across a width of the second plenum, the second air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein.   
     
     
         8 . The oven of  claim 7 , wherein the air flow path further includes:
 a third air flow interruption panel located along the first flow path and extending partly across the width of the first plenum, the third air flow interruption panel including a plurality of perforations therein, the third air flow interruption panel located downstream of the first air flow interruption panel.   
     
     
         9 . The oven of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first air flow interruption panel extends from an outer side wall of the first plenum toward the first side wall of the cavity, an upstream end of the first air flow interruption panel spaced further from the first side wall than a downstream end of the first air flow interruption panel; and   the second air flow interruption panel extends from an outer side wall of the second plenum toward the second side wall of the cavity, an upstream end of the second air flow interruption panel spaced further from the second side wall than a downstream end of the second air flow interruption panel.   
     
     
         10 . The oven of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first plenum includes a plurality of openings for delivering air back into the oven cavity, the plurality of openings arranged such that flow area back into the oven cavity increases when moving downstream along the first plenum;   the second plenum includes a plurality of openings for delivering air back into the oven cavity, the plurality of openings arranged such that flow area back into the oven cavity increases when moving downstream along the second plenum.