Oven with cleaning system and grease and water flow separation

Abstract

Ovens having spray systems for spraying cleaning fluid in a cooking chamber are disclosed that include a chamber drain flow path that leads to a grease drain path and a water drain path. A baffle wall in the chamber drain flow path controls the flow of fluid between the grease drain path and the water drain path. The chamber drain flow path may also have a recirculation path to return water to the spray system. Ovens having spray systems for cleaning are disclosed that include a door having a latch mechanism that automatically latches upon closure of the door and a gasket disposed between the door and an oven housing that directs water impinging upon the door back into the cooking chamber and the chamber drain flow path. The door may have an inner glass pane and an outer glass pane pivotably mounted to the inner glass pane.

Claims

1. An oven, comprising: a cooking chamber; a spray system for spraying cleaning fluid in the cooking chamber; and a chamber drain flow path that leads to each of a grease drain path, a water drain path and a water recirculation path of the spray system, wherein the water drain path includes an associated drain pump or drain valve, the water recirculation path includes an associated wash pump and the grease drain path lacks a drain pump and flow along the grease drain path is controlled by a controllable valve; wherein the grease drain path leads to a grease collecting compartment or container; wherein the water drain path leads externally of the oven; a grease drain opening positioned in the chamber drain flow path and leading to the grease drain path; a chamber positioned downstream of the grease drain opening, wherein the chamber leads to both the water drain path and the water recirculation path; and a baffle wall positioned between the grease drain opening and the chamber, wherein the baffle wall controls flow of liquids to the chamber.

2. The oven of claim 1, wherein the wash pump is at a first end of the chamber and the drain pump or drain valve is at a second end of the chamber, the second end opposite the first end.

3. The oven of claim 1, further comprising a door movable between an open position and a closed position for accessing the cooking chamber, the door including a latch member that automatically latches upon closure of the door.

4. The oven of claim 3, wherein the latch member is biased into a latching position and includes a ramped surface that interacts with a latch pin upon door closure to temporarily move the latch member out of its latching position.

5. The oven of claim 1, further comprising: a door movable between an open position and a closed position relative to an access opening of the cooking chamber; and a gasket positioned between the door and an oven housing when the door is in the closed position to redirect sprayed water that impinges upon the door back into the cooking chamber.

6. The oven of claim 5, wherein the door includes a latch member that automatically latches upon closure of the door.

7. The oven of claim 6, wherein the door includes an inner glass pane and an outer glass pane, wherein the inner glass pane is rigidly mounted to a frame of the door for movement therewith, and the outer glass pane is movably mounted to the frame.

8. An oven, comprising: a cooking chamber; a spray system for spraying cleaning fluid in the cooking chamber; and a chamber drain flow path that leads to each of a grease drain path, a water drain path and a water recirculation path, wherein the water drain path includes an associated drain pump or drain valve, the water recirculation path includes an associated wash pump to deliver liquid to the spray system, and the grease drain path leads to a grease collecting compartment or container, wherein flow along the grease drain path is by gravity under selective control by a controllable valve; a grease drain opening positioned in the chamber drain flow path and leading to the grease drain path; a chamber positioned downstream of the grease drain opening, wherein the chamber leads to both the water drain path and the water recirculation path; a baffle wall positioned between the grease drain opening and the chamber, wherein the baffle wall controls flow of liquids to the chamber, wherein the wash pump is at a first end of the chamber and the drain pump or drain valve is at a second end of the chamber, the second end opposite the first end; and a controller configured to maintain the controllable valve in an open condition during cooking operations such that grease flows downward through the grease drain opening and along the grease drain path under the force of gravity without overflowing the baffle wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oven.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of the oven of FIG. 1 with an associated drain and cleaning flow arrangement and a steam input arrangement.

(3) FIGS. 3-6 are partial perspective views of various aspects of a drain and cleaning flow arrangement of the oven of FIGS. 1-2.

(4) FIGS. 7-11 are partial perspective views of various aspects of an alternative embodiment of a drain and cleaning flow arrangement for the oven of FIGS. 1-2.

(5) FIG. 12 is a top view of a door of the oven of FIGS. 1-2.

(6) FIG. 13 is a side view of the latch mechanism for the door depicted in FIG. 12.

(7) FIGS. 14-15 are partial side views, with a portion cut away, of a door gasket/seal arrangement for the ovens of FIGS. 1-13.

(8) FIG. 16 is a side sectional view of another embodiment of a door gasket/seal arrangement for use with the ovens of FIGS. 1-13.

(9) FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the door gasket/seal arrangement of FIG. 16.

(10) FIGS. 18-19 are partial perspective views of an oven door assembly for the ovens of FIGS. 1-17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary oven 10 is shown. The oven 10 includes a control interface 12, which may include a variety of components, such as an information display area, a numeric keypad, ON/OFF buttons/keys, function specific buttons/keys, and/or various indicator lights. The oven 10 includes a hinged access door 14 with a handle 16 and glass area 18 for viewing the internal cooking chamber 20. In one embodiment, the door 14 may be vertically hinged so that the door 14 pivots horizontally. The door 14 is generally movable between a closed position and one or more open positions relative to an access opening to the internal cooking chamber 20. In one example, the oven 10 is a type that includes a heating source (e.g., electrical or gas-powered), a blower for moving air past the heating source, and a steam generation system. In one embodiment, stationary, removable racks may be located in the cooking chamber 20, while in another embodiment a movable food supporting structure (e.g., a rack rotation mechanism) may be located within the cooking chamber 20.

(12) As shown in the schematic of FIG. 2, the oven 10 also includes an internal spraying system 28 for cleaning purposes. In one embodiment, the spraying system 28 is formed by a rotatable spray arm 30 with multiple nozzles thereon, located at the bottom of the cooking chamber 20. However, stationary spray systems 28 could also be used, and the location of the spray system varied. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom of the cooking chamber 20 is configured to direct liquid flows toward a drain 32 which may have a cover screen. In this regard, liquids in the oven 10 will tend to move under gravity toward the drain 32, including liquids from the spray cleaning system (spraying system 28), liquids from any steam that condenses within the oven 10, and liquids generated directly by cooking foods (e.g., water, oils and grease that come out or off of heated food products). Thus, drain 32 acts as a universal drain for all such liquid flows. The universal drain 32 can deliver such flows along a common flow path 33 (referred to herein, in the alternative, as the chamber drain flow path) and then to any of a grease drain path 34 (e.g., that leads to a grease collecting compartment or container 35), a water drain path 36 (e.g., that leads to a municipal drain system or septic), or a water recirculation path 38 (e.g., leading back to the spray nozzles within the cooking chamber 20). A valve 40 controls flow along the grease drain path 34, a drain pump (or drain valve) 42 controls flow along water drain path 36, and a wash pump 44 controls flow along water recirculation path 38.

(13) Referring now to FIG. 3, the valve 40 and pumps 42, 44 are shown in a perspective view, all located toward the end of the common flow path 33. As seen in FIG. 4, a grease drain opening 50 (e.g., second opening relative to first opening 55 described below) is located in the floor of the common flow path 33, and a baffle wall 52 is located at the side of the end of the common flow path 33 so that liquid must pass over the baffle wall 52 to reach a compartment or chamber 54 (external of the cooking chamber 20) that feeds to the drain pump 42. The baffle wall 52 extends upward from the floor/bottom of the common flow path 33 to define a first opening 55 in the common flow path 33 above the baffle wall 52 that leads to chamber 54, drain pump 42, and into the water drain path 36. The first opening 55 in the common flow path 33 is elevated or raised above the grease drain opening 50. The baffle wall 52 restricts the flow of grease from the common flow path 33 to chamber 54 and the drain pump 42. Liquid in the common flow path 33 must travel over the baffle wall 52 to reach the chamber 54 and the drain pump 42. A third opening 56 leading to the wash pump 44 and the water recirculation path 38 is also elevated above the bottom of the common flow path 33 and the grease drain opening 50 therein.

(14) Referring to FIG. 5, during a cooking operation, grease flows from the cooked food product, under the force of gravity, down the drain 32, along common flow path 33, which angles downwardly, and into the grease drain opening 50. The valve 40 is maintained open during cooking operations so that the grease flows will flow down the grease drain opening 50 and into the downstream container or compartment (not shown). All grease flows to the grease container or compartment are under gravity flow, eliminating any need for use of a grease pump, which would be subject to clogging and mechanical degradation due to the grease. The baffle wall 52 extends high enough to prevent the grease flows from passing over during the cooking operation, thereby inhibiting undesired grease flows toward the drain pump 42. Both the drain pump 42 and wash pump 44 are generally off during the cooking operations.

(15) When it is desired to initiate a cleaning operation, the valve 40 is closed and liquid sprayed within the chamber will pass through drain 32, along path 33, and then through opening 56 to the wash pump 44 that delivers the cleaning liquid back along path 38 to the spray arm 30 for further spraying, per FIG. 6. The drain pump 42 is off during this operation.

(16) To bring the cleaning operation to a close, the wash pump 44 is turned off, and the drain pump 42 is turned on to pump the cleaning liquid and any material therein to the municipal drain. The grease drain valve 40 remains closed. In some embodiments a clean rinse spray may subsequently be initiated, with flows from the rinse also being delivered to the drain pump 42. Once the cleaning operation, including any associated rinse, is complete, the pump 42 is turned off, and the grease drain valve 40 may be opened for future cooking operations. The oven 10 may also include a controller 100 (shown schematically in FIG. 2) configured to control the valve 40, the drain pump 42, the wash pump 44, or combinations thereof in order to accomplish the aforementioned cooking operations and/or cleaning operations, or steaming operations utilizing a steam input arrangement. In some embodiments, the controller may also control other functions of the oven.

(17) In the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 7-11, the chamber 54 is located at the end of the common flow path 33. The baffle wall 52 is located downstream of the grease drain opening 50 and upstream of the chamber 54. The drain pump (or drain valve) 42 and the wash pump 44 are located on opposite ends of the chamber 54. During cooking, per FIG. 9, the grease drain valve 40 is open and the baffle wall 52 prevents grease from traveling to the chamber 54. During wash water recirculation, the grease drain valve 40 is closed and water fills the common flow path 33, per FIG. 10, and enters the chamber 54, where it is delivered to the wash pump 44 for recirculation. As shown in FIG. 11, the recirculation path 38 extends from chamber 54, through one end (e.g., left side in reference to the paper upon which FIG. 11 is printed) of the chamber 54, and to the wash pump 44, which returns wash liquids to the spray arm 30. At the conclusion of a wash cycle, the wash pump 44 is stopped and the drain pump 42 is started to direct liquids through the water drain path 36. In FIG. 11, the water drain path 36 extends from chamber 54, through an opposing end (e.g., opposite the recirculation path 38 and to the right in reference to the paper upon which FIG. 11 is printed) of the chamber 54 opposite the recirculation path 38, and to the drain pump 42.

(18) Referring back to FIG. 2, the cooking chamber 20 of the oven 10 may also include a steam input arrangement 60, which may be formed by a mass of metal 62, which acts as a heat accumulator, and onto which water is delivered by a water input path 64 in order to generate steam. By way of example, the metal mass may be similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,712, but variations are possible. Any incoming water that is not converted to steam passes to the bottom of the steam input arrangement 60 and is delivered out of the cooking chamber 20.

(19) During steaming operations, as well as during cleaning operations, it is generally desirable to assure that the oven door 14 remains closed. A positive latching feature is provided for this purpose.

(20) Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the oven 10 includes a positive latch member 110, shown engaged with a pin 112. The latch member 110 includes a ramped surface 114 (or cam surface) that contacts the pin 112 when the door 14 is being pushed closed, such that the latch member 110 automatically shifts toward its unlatched state during door closure, and then moves back to the illustrated latching position to hold the door 14 closed. Engagement of the latch member 110 with the pin 112 to latch the door 14 in the closed position occurs automatically upon closure of the door 14 without further engagement by the user. To open the door 14, the handle 16 is simply pulled straight away from the door, which causes the retaining portion of the latch member 110 to move clear of the pin 112, allowing the door to be pulled open. A biased linkage system 116 may facilitate this operation.

(21) In one embodiment, the latch member 110 is mounted for pivotable movement about a point 118, with a spring member 120 biasing the latch member 110 into the latching position. Pulling the handle 16 outward away from the door causes a linkage 122 to move to the left (e.g., relative to the page on which FIG. 13 is printed) with the travel of the linkage 122 controlled via an associated pin 124 and slot 126 arrangement. The movement of linkage 122 causes the latch member 110 to pivot to its unlatch position. Upon release of the handle 16, a biasing spring 120 causes the handle to move back toward the door into its normal position.

(22) The spring 128 acts as a handle debounce assist. When the door is closed the latch member 110 temporarily pivots out of its latching position during interaction with the pin 112. However, the spring 128 keeps the handle member 16 in a stable position near the plane of the door during the temporary latch movement to aid in assuring that the door does not kick back open.

(23) Notably, the grip portion 130 of the handle maintains a consistent orientation relative to the door 14 when the handle 16 is pulled away from the door 14 (e.g., in the illustrated case an axis of the grip portion remains generally parallel to the outer surface of the door 14). The spaced apart arms 132 extending from the grip portion 130 extend into the door 14 to provide connection with the linking arrangement. The arms 132 also maintain their respective orientations relative to the door 14 when the handle 16 is moved (e.g., in the illustrated case the axes of the arms 132 remain generally perpendicular to the outer surface of the door).

(24) The positive latch member 110 helps maintain good sealing contact between a gasket and the door. During cleaning operations, it is generally desirable to assure that sprayed liquids are retained within the cooking chamber. A gasket arrangement is provided for this purpose.

(25) Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, a gasket 140 is positioned between the oven door 14 and the oven housing frame 142. In the illustrated embodiment, the gasket 140 is mounted to a surrounding oven housing frame 142 of the access opening to the oven cooking chamber 20. The gasket 140 includes an outer mount portion 144 positioned alongside the access opening and having a metal insert 146 to provide rigidity thereto and for fastener attachment. The metal insert 146 includes a generally planar mid-portion 148 with two wing portions 150 that extend outward away from the oven 10 and that are angled slightly toward each other. Corresponding slots 151 formed internally of the gasket 140 hold the two wing portions 150 of the metal insert 146. The gasket 140 may be an extruded member with slots 151 formed for the metal insert 146 to be added later. An outwardly domed side 152 of the mount portion 144 abuts against the inside surface 149 of the oven door 14 (e.g., an inside surface of a glass plate of the door 14) when closed in order to provide one line of sealing contact with the door 14 at a first position 154. A partially hollow interior cavity 156 allows the domed side 152 to flex slightly when contacted by the oven door 14.

(26) Notably, the outwardly domed side 152 of the mount portion 144 can be folded upward away from the metal insert 146 and a planar gasket part 143 (e.g., per arrow 157) to provide access to the metal insert 146 for the purpose of placing bolts or other fasteners through the metal insert 146 and into the housing frame 142 to secure the gasket 140 in place. The outer domed side 152 is then folded back down to engage the slots 151 with the wing portions 150 and hold the outer domed side 152 down in its normal operating position. An internal space 153 is provided to receive the bolt heads.

(27) An inner portion 158 of the gasket 140 is positioned alongside the mount portion 144 and includes an inwardly extending wing 160 and an outwardly extending wing 162. The outwardly extending wing 162 contacts the inside surface 149 of the door 14 when closed to provide another line of sealing contact at a second position 164 spaced apart from the first position 154 (i.e., the first position 154 is spaced apart from the outwardly extending wing 162). The outwardly extending wing 162 flexes slightly when contacted by the door 14 for this purpose. The inwardly extending wing 160 extends slightly into the cooking chamber 20 and abuts against the rim of the cooking chamber access opening (e.g. at corner 166). Water that is sprayed onto and impinges the oven door 14 falls under gravity onto outwardly extending wing 162, then along the inwardly facing surface 161 of the gasket 140 to inwardly facing wing 160, thereby causing the water to be redirected back into the cooking chamber 20 (e.g., see arrow 165). This arrangement prevents buildup of wash water on top of the seal by the door 14, thereby avoiding undesired release of any such water when the door 14 is opened.

(28) In an alternative embodiment, the inwardly extending wing 160 could be shortened or eliminated, with the gasket 140 terminating at or near the corner 166. FIGS. 16 and 17 depict such an embodiment, where the metal insert 146 has not yet been placed into the gasket 140. Moreover, the planar gasket part 143 of such gasket could also be eliminated, in which case the metal insert would abut directly against the housing frame 142 when the gasket is installed on the oven.

(29) As seen in FIGS. 18 and 19, in one embodiment the door 14 includes a frame 170 that is pivotably mounted to the oven housing frame 142. An inner glass pane 172 is mounted to the frame 170 (e.g., between inner retaining flanges 174 and outer retaining flanges 176). Thus, the inner glass pane 172 is rigidly positioned on the door frame 170 for movement therewith. When the door 14 is in the closed position and the inner surface of the inner glass pane 172 abuts against the gasket 140 as shown in FIG. 14, the rigid mounting of the inner glass pane 172 helps to assure consistent, even pressure against the gasket 140. By contrast, in the previously known door configurations in which an inner glass pane is movably mounted to the pivoting door frame, gasket pressure against the door glass could cause bowing of the inner door glass, resulting in uneven gasket pressure and an increase in the likelihood of steam and water leakage.

(30) The door 14 includes an outer, secondary frame 180 that is pivotably mounted to the door frame 170 (e.g., secondary frame 180 is secondary to the door frame 170, which is the primary frame). The secondary frame 180 carries an outer glass pane 182 that is spaced apart from the inner glass pane 172 when the secondary frame 180 is positioned against/alongside the frame 170 in a closed condition. The secondary frame 180 swings open as shown to provide access between the inner and outer glass panes 172, 182 for cleaning purposes. In the open condition, the outer glass pane 182 is pivoted outward away from the inner glass pane 172. Notably, the secondary frame 180, including the outer glass pane 182, may be swung open even when the door 14 is in the closed and latched position relative to the oven housing 142. In this regard, a magnetic latch, quick slider type latch, or other manual latch may be used to hold the secondary frame 180 against the door frame 170 during normal use of the door 14, but enabling ready operator release of the latch (e.g., either by pulling the secondary frame 180 to overcome the magnet force or by manually operating the slide latch) to swing the secondary frame 180 away from the door frame 170.

(31) It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible.