Heated compressed air broiler system

Abstract

An oven and broiler for cooking foods using convection and radiant heat, including a housing defining a cooking chamber with an inlet for introducing uncooked foods into the cooking chamber, an outlet for discharging cooked foods and a conveyor for conveying food product from the inlet to the outlet, an array of heating elements, and a compressed air injection system for providing a bank of moving air over the food product during the early stages of cooking so as to break up the blanket of cold air over the food product.

1 . A method of rapidly cooking frozen food, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a cooking apparatus with a cooking chamber with convective and radiant heating elements, a source of pressurized air, an air plenum in fluid communication with the source of pressurized air disposed above at least one heating element in the cooking chamber, the underside of the air plenum having a plurality of air outlets for directing a body of moving heated air down and toward food product, and a food conveyor for conveying food product through the cooking chamber;   (b) introducing frozen food into the cooking chamber on the food conveyor;   (c) exposing the frozen food first to radiant heating in the initial stages of the cooking process;   (d) simultaneously with step (c), also directing a moving bank of air toward the food to break the protective blanket of cold air surrounding the frozen food;   (e) continuing the cooking process as the food is conveyed by the conveyor using convective and radiant heating with at least one gas burner having a radiant reflector cap shaped to confine and control the shape of the heat cone produced by the burner flames;   (f) conveying the food from the cooking chamber when it is properly cooked and browned.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (e) includes deflecting flame away from the burner so as to reduce burner temperature while simultaneously creating a radiant heating surface with the radiant reflector cap. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of injecting low pressure air into the heat cones produced by the gas burners to shape and control the flame field characteristics. 
     
     
         4 . A cooking system, comprising:
 a cooking chamber having an inlet end, and outlet end, an upper portion, a lower portion, and a product conveyor disposed between said upper and lower portions;   at least one gas burner or electric heating element in said lower portion;   at least one gas burner or electric heating element in said upper portion;   an automatic food product feeder for conveying food product through said cooking chamber from said inlet end to said outlet end; and   an air plenum disposed in said upper portion of said cooking chamber above said at least one gas burner or said electric heating element in said upper portion, said air plenum having an interior volume in fluid communication with a source of pressurized air and having a plurality of air outlets for directing a body of heated moving air onto and over food product in an initial quick thaw stage of cooking.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said air plenum is height adjustable such that the volume and velocity of air directed onto food product can be tailored to the particular product cooking requirements. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said air plenum comprises a box and wherein said at least one gas burner or heating element is disposed immediately under said air plenum. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said cooking platform is a moving food product conveyor belt or grid. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said at least one gas burner or electric heating element is a gas burner, and further including air injection apparatus coupled to a source of air for injecting air into heat cones produced by said gas burner, such that the heat cones can be shaped and controlled to create desired flame and heat cone characteristics. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said air injection apparatus comprises at least one air injection nozzle. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said gas burner comprises:
 an elongate tube body having a top portion, a bottom, and a gas inlet portion for insertion of a gas jet nozzle, and a burner portion having a burner orifice array disposed on said bottom of said tube body, said burner portion further including a support element running substantially the entire length of said burner portion of said tube body; and   a reflector cap having a medial channel disposed over said top portion of said tube body, and wing elements angled upwardly and away from said channel portion.   
     
     
         11 . The oven and broiler of  claim 10 , wherein said tube body has a bottom which exposes the burner orifice array, such that said burner outlet array and said reflector cap configuration confine and control the shape of the heat cone from said gas burners to minimize indirect heating of the burner and maximize the production of radiant heat.