Pizza Oven

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the field of cooking ovens for the preparation of foodstuffs in an enclosed environment including a visual flame along with a cooking plate upon which foodstuffs are placed and are transported through various cooking regions before being removed from the cooking oven for consumption.

Therefore I claim: 
     
         1 . An oven for cooking of foodstuffs, the oven comprising:
 a. a cooking chamber;   b. a cooking plate within the cooking chamber,   c. at least one heat source;   d. at least one heat sensor configured to determine the localized temperature of a first region of the cooking when the first region not positioned adjacent the at least one heat source; and   e. circuitry configured to engage the at least one heat source to provide heat via the at least one heat source to the first region for a calculated time as the first region is positioned adjacent the at least one heat source.   
     
     
         2 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  wherein the at least one heat sensor comprises more than two independent heat sensors at separate positions below the cooking plate. 
     
     
         3 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 2  wherein each heat sensor is connected to circuitry configured to engage a heat source uniquely connected to each heat sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  wherein the oven comprises a debris ring removably attached to an inner surface of the oven and extending downward into a perimeter debris collecting channel of the cooking plate. 
     
     
         5 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  comprising:
 a perimeter multi-flame manifold at a circumferentially offset location in the cooking chamber relative to the doorway; and circuitry coupled to valves controlling fluid (gas) flow to the central radiant heating flame and separately actuated valves controlling fluid (gas) flow to the perimeter multi-flame manifold to maintain a thermal output offset between the central radiant heating flame and perimeter multi-flame manifold. 
 
     
     
         6 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 5  wherein the circuitry is coupled to a thermal detector in the cooking chamber to adjust the thermal output of the central radiant heating flame and perimeter multi-flame manifold as a function of the temperature within the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  wherein the at least one heat source below the cooking plate is a radiant heat source. 
     
     
         8 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 7  wherein the at least one radiant heat source is a gas flame heat source. 
     
     
         9 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 7  wherein the radiant heat source is a fiber mesh heat source. 
     
     
         10 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 at least one sensor detecting the localized temperature of the air adjacent the cooking plate; and 
 a control apparatus varying the thermal output of the at least one heat source below the cooking plate as a function of the sensed localized temperature. 
 
     
     
         11 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  further comprising:
 at least one sensor detecting entry of an uncooked foodstuff; 
 circuitry programed to account for the additional thermal load added to the system by the uncooked foodstuff; and 
 a control apparatus varying the thermal output of the at least one heat source as a function of the uncooked foodstuff. 
 
     
     
         12 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  comprising a central heat deflector positioned radially between the central radiant heating flame and a baking region of the cooking plate. 
     
     
         13 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  wherein the cooking plate further comprising a perimeter multi-flame manifold at a circumferentially offset broiling region in the cooking chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The cooking oven as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a baking region comprising a heat shield above the cooking plate and below the uppermost internal surface of the cooking chamber.