Cooking apparatus

Abstract

Cooking apparatus comprises an oven. The oven comprises a cooking chamber, a heated air source and two or more vents through which, in use, heated air can vent from the cooking chamber. The two or more vents comprise at least one lower vent and at least one upper vent. The at least one lower vent is provided at a lower height than the at least one upper vent. The at least one upper vent is controllable to regulate a flow of heated air therethrough.

Claims

1. A cooking apparatus comprising an oven, the oven comprising a cooking chamber, a heated air source, a flue, and two or more vents through which, in use, heated air can vent from the cooking chamber, wherein the two or more vents comprise at least one lower vent and at least one upper vent, the at least one lower vent being provided at a lower height than the at least one upper vent and the at least one upper vent being controllable to regulate a flow of heated air therethrough, wherein, when less heated air is permitted to vent through the at least one upper vent, heated air is also redirected from the at least one upper vent towards the at least one lower vent, thereby increasing the circulation of heated air within the cooking chamber, and wherein, in use, heated air can vent from the cooking chamber through the at least one lower vent into the flue, and wherein the oven comprises first and second heated air channels and the at least one lower vent of the oven comprises first and second lower vents, the first heated air channel being configured to guide heated air vented from the cooking chamber through the first lower vent into the flue, and the second heated air channel being configured to guide heated air vented from the cooking chamber through the second lower vent into the flue.

2. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one upper vent is located in an upper half of the cooking chamber and at least one of the first and second lower vents is located in a lower half of the cooking chamber.

3. The cooking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second lower vents is not controllable to regulate a flow of heated air therethrough.

4. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one upper vent comprises flow regulation means adjustable between two or more flow regulation configurations.

5. The cooking apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the flow regulation means comprises at least one movable portion movable between an open position in which heated air can flow through the at least one upper vent and a closed position in which heated air is restricted from flowing through said at least one upper vent.

6. The cooking apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one movable portion is a rotatable wall configured such that rotation of the said rotatable wall reversibly covers and/or uncovers an aperture through which heated air may vent.

7. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second heated air channels is configured to guide heated air vented from the cooking chamber through at least one of the first and second lower vents and the at least one upper vent into the flue.

8. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the oven comprises an oven door moveable between a closed position, in which external access to the cooking chamber is restricted, and an open position, in which the cooking chamber is externally accessible.

9. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the oven is a pizza oven configured for cooking one or more pizzas.

10. A cooking apparatus comprising an oven, the oven comprising a cooking chamber, a heated air source, at least one flue, and two or more vents through which, in use, heated air can vent from the cooking chamber, wherein the two or more vents comprise at least one lower vent and at least one upper vent, the at least one lower vent being provided at a lower height than the at least one upper vent and the at least one upper vent being controllable to regulate a flow of heated air therethrough, wherein, when the flow of heated air through the at least one upper vent is restricted, heated air vents from the cooking chamber through the at least one lower vent into the at least one flue, and wherein the oven comprises first and second heated air channels and the at least one lower vent of the oven comprises first and second lower vents, the first heated air channel being configured to guide heated air vented from the cooking chamber through the first lower vent into the flue, and the second heated air channel being configured to guide heated air vented from the cooking chamber through the second lower vent into the flue.

11. A cooking apparatus comprising an oven, the oven comprising a cooking chamber, a heated air source, at least one flue, and two or more vents wherein, in use, heated air vents from the cooking chamber through at least one of the two or more vents into the at least one flue, and wherein the two or more vents comprise at least one lower vent and at least one upper vent, the at least one lower vent being provided at a lower height than the at least one upper vent and the at least one upper vent being controllable to regulate a flow of heated air therethrough, and wherein the oven comprises first and second heated air channels and the at least one lower vent of the oven comprises first and second lower vents, the first heated air channel being configured to guide heated air vented from the cooking chamber through the first lower vent into the flue, and the second heated air channel being configured to guide heated air vented from the cooking chamber through the second lower vent into the flue.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An example embodiment of the present invention will now be illustrated with reference to the following Figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable pizza oven;

(3) FIG. 2 is a different perspective view of the portable oven of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view from above of the portable oven of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a view from the front of the portable oven of FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 is a view from the rear of the portable oven of FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of the portable oven of FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a burner unit from the portable oven of FIG. 1;

(9) FIG. 8 is a different perspective view of a burner unit from the portable oven of FIG. 1;

(10) FIG. 9 is a section view of the burner unit of FIGS. 7 and 8;

(11) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the portable oven of FIG. 1 with the burner unit removed and a burner tray installed within a cooking chamber;

(12) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the portable oven of FIG. 10 with a fuel hatch lid removed;

(13) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the burner tray of FIG. 10;

(14) FIG. 13 is a different perspective view of the burner tray of FIG. 10;

(15) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the portable oven of FIG. 1 with an oven door opened;

(16) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the portable oven of FIG. 1 with the oven door replaced by an alternative oven door;

(17) FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the portable oven of FIG. 1 illustrating the flow path of heated air through two heated air channels;

(18) FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a controllable vent within the portable oven of FIG. 1 when the vent is closed; and

(19) FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the controllable vent within the portable oven of FIG. 1 when the vent is open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT

(20) As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, a portable oven 1 comprises an oven body 2 supported on top of three legs 3, 4, 5 which extend from a base 6 of the body 2. A flue 7 extends from a top surface 8 of the body at a front end 9, and a removable burner 10 extends from a rear wall 11 of the body at a rear end 12. A hinged door 13 is provided at the front end 9 of the body. The hinged door 13 has an insulated handle 14. A fuel hatch lid 15 is provided in the top surface of the body at the rear end 12. The fuel hatch lid has an insulated handle 16. The oven body 2, flue 7, legs 3, 4, 5, burner 10, door 13 and fuel hatch lid 15 are constructed principally from stainless steel. The insulated handles 14 and 16 are constructed principally from wood.

(21) The removable burner 10, as shown in more detail in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, comprises a generally cuboidal combustion chamber 17 and generally cuboidal fuel inlet 18 extending from a top surface 19 of the combustion chamber 17. The fuel inlet 18 has a lid 20 with an insulated handle 21. A rear wall 22 of the combustion chamber is provided with a plurality of apertures functioning as air vents. A front, open end 23 of the combustion chamber is shaped and dimensioned to be slidably receivable within a corresponding rear burner opening of the oven body 2. The exterior of the combustion chamber is provided with a connecting flange 24 having two apertures 25A and 25B. The burner 10 may be attached to the oven body 2 by inserting bolts through the apertures on the connecting flange 24. A movable fuel chute 26 is mounted within the fuel inlet 18. The vertical inclination of the chute 26 is controlled by adjusting a screw 27 which extends through a rear wall 28 of the fuel inlet and contacts the chute 26. By adjusting the inclination of the chute 26, the flow of fuel into the burner 10 through the fuel inlet 18 may be controlled in use.

(22) When the removable burner 10 is removed from the oven, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a removable burner tray 29, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, may be placed within an interior cooking chamber 30 of the oven, against the interior of the rear wall 11. The burner tray 29 may be accessed directly (for, for example, fuel loading) by removing the fuel hatch lid 15. The removable burner tray 29 is provided with an aperture 31 which functions as a vent when the removable burner tray 29 is installed within the oven.

(23) The door 13 is mounted to the front end 9 of the oven by way of two hinges 32 and 33 located on opposing lateral sides of the door. The hinges 32 and 33 are configured such that the door can be opened (as shown in FIG. 14) by pulling the handle down and away from the oven and such that the door can be closed by pushing the handle up and towards the oven. In either of the closed or open positions, the door can be removed easily from the oven by simply lifting the door vertically upwards, releasing the door from the hinges 32 and 33. This enables the door to be removed for cleaning or repair, or for replacement with an alternative door. An alternative oven door 34 is shown in FIG. 15. The alternative door 34 includes an open aperture 35 which functions as a pizza inlet slot.

(24) The internal structure of the oven is illustrated in FIG. 16. A cooking surface 36 made of aluminium is provided within the oven body 2, extending from the front end 9 approximately three quarters of the way towards the rear end 11 of the oven where the burner 10 is mounted. The interior of the burner 10 is in gaseous communication with the interior of the oven body 2 such that, in use, heated air and combustion products can flow from the burner into the oven. An insulating air gap 37 is provided between the top surface of the oven body 8 and a cooking chamber ceiling 38. The cooking chamber ceiling 38 is fixedly attached to the oven body 2 at the rear and sides of the oven. Two vents 39 and 40 are provided in respective lateral interior walls 41 and 42 of the cooking chamber, bringing the air gap 37 and the interior of the cooking chamber into gaseous communication with one another. The air gap 37 is also in gaseous communication with the interior of the flue 7. The air gap 37 therefore provides two channels through which air may flow between the interior of the cooking chamber and the flue (as shown by arrows 43 and 44 in FIG. 16).

(25) A controllable vent 45 is also provided in the ceiling 38 of the cooking chamber. The controllable vent 45, as shown in more detail in FIGS. 17 and 18, is formed from a generally circular vent body 46 mounted to the ceiling 38 by way of a bolt 47 about which the vent body 46 is rotatable. A semi-circular vent aperture 48 is formed in the vent body 46. The vent body is mounted to the ceiling directly beneath a semi-circular ceiling aperture 49. Rotation of the vent body 46 about the bolt 47 allows the vent to be reversibly opened and closed by bringing the semi-circular aperture of the vent body into (as shown in FIG. 18) and out of (as shown in FIG. 17) alignment with the corresponding semi-circular aperture in the ceiling. When the controllable vent 45 is open, air can flow between the interior of the cooking chamber and the flue through the controllable vent aperture 48 and the ceiling aperture 49.

(26) In use, a user either mounts the burner 10 to the oven or inserts the burner tray 29 into the cooking chamber. The user then loads combustible fuel (such as wood chips or twigs) into the said burner 10 or burner tray 29. Fuel is loaded into the burner 10 through the controllable fuel inlet 18; fuel is loaded into the burner tray by removing the rear hatch lid 15. The combustible fuel is ignited and heated air (and combustion products) flow from the burner or burner tray into and through the cooking chamber.

(27) As heated air is less dense than cool air, the heated air tends to flow through the cooking chamber immediately below the cooking chamber ceiling. Accordingly, when the controllable vent 45 is open, at least some of the heated air flowing immediately beneath the ceiling tends to flow upwards through the vent 45, into the flue 7, and escapes into the surrounding atmosphere. Air heated by combustion of fuel in the burner or burner tray therefore spends a relatively short period of time within the cooking chamber and only a small proportion of the heated air flows towards the base of the cooking chamber. Any food which is placed on top of the cooking surface 36 (such as a pizza) reaches a relatively low maximum cooking temperature. When the oven is used to cook pizzas, this means that an optimum pizza cooking temperature may not be achieved, resulting in an inadequately cooked pizza.

(28) However, when the controllable vent 45 is closed by rotating the vent body 46 about the bolt 47, heated air flowing immediately beneath the ceiling of the cooking chamber is prevented from flowing through the vent aperture 48 and into the flue. Instead, the principal route for air to escape from the cooking chamber is through the two vents 39 and 40 provided in the lateral interior walls of the cooking chamber. Because the two vents 39 and 40 are located close to the cooking surface 36 at the base of the cooking chamber, it is typically cooler, denser air which escapes from the cooking chamber, flows through the channels formed within the air gap and reaches the flue 7. Heated air tends to circulate within the cooking chamber, and particularly within an upper portion of the cooking chamber, for a significant period of time before the air cools sufficiently to fall to the bottom of the chamber and escape through the two vents 39 and 40. As the heated air circulates within the cooking chamber, the average temperature of the cooking chamber is raised. Any food which is placed on top of the cooking surface (such as a pizza) reaches a higher maximum temperature than when the controllable vent is open. When the oven is used to cook pizzas, it is more likely that an optimum pizza cooking temperature is achieved, resulting in a higher quality pizza.

(29) A user can typically adjust the rate of flow of heated air out of the cooking chamber and into the flue by rotating the vent body 46 manually, for example using a pair of tongs.

(30) While the oven may be an oven for cooking pizzas (i.e. the size and shape of the cooking chamber is configured for cooking one or more pizzas), the oven may alternatively be configured for cooking other foodstuffs, including baked goods, roasted vegetables, casseroles, meat and fish, among others.

(31) The cooking surface may be made of any suitable material, including aluminium, cast iron, stainless steel, stone (such as cordierite) or a ceramic material.

(32) The oven body may be provided on legs, feet, castors, wheels or any other form of support. Alternatively, the oven body may rest directly on a (thermally insulating) work surface. The use of three legs in particular typically results in increased stability of the oven.

(33) The burner may be configured to burn any forms of combustible fuel including, but not limited to, coal, coke, charcoal, wood, twigs, wood chips, oil or gas. Alternatively, the burner may comprise an electric heater.

(34) Further modifications and variations may be made within the scope of the invention herein disclosed.