TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This application relates generally to commercial cooking ovens and, more specifically, to an oven including a combustion dividing baffle arrangement to provide even flow of combustion gases around the sides of the cooking cavity.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In commercial kitchens (e.g., found in restaurant, cafeteria and retail environments) ovens of various types are used for cooking a large variety of food items, ovens utilizing gas-burners for heating of the oven cavity are known. In systems utilizing gas burners difficulties can arise in assuring that combustion gases traverse desired flow paths in a manner that will provide relatively even heating of the oven cavity.

[0003] Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a cooking oven adapted to provide an even flow of combustion gases between desired paths around the cavity.

SUMMARY

[0004] In one aspect, a cooking oven includes cavity walls defining an internal cooking cavity with an opening for enabling food items to be moved into and out of the cooking cavity, and at least one door mounted for providing access to the cooking cavity. Firewalls are spaced from and disposed about the cooking cavity to define a space for flow of combustion gases around the cavity walls, including a combustion area below the cooking cavity, a left flow path externally along a left cavity wall and a right flow path externally along a right cavity wall. A burner is disposed in the combustion area and having a left burner segment disposed left of a centerline of the cooking cavity and a right burner segment disposed right of the centerline of the cooking cavity. A baffle arrangement is located in the combustion area, the baffle arrangement configured for directing combustion gases from the left burner segment along the left flow path and for directing combustion gases from the right burner segment along the right flow path.

[0005] In another aspect, a cooking oven includes cavity walls defining an internal cooking cavity with an opening for enabling food items to be moved into and out of the cooking cavity, and at least one door mounted for providing access to the cooking cavity. Firewalls are spaced from and disposed about the cooking cavity to define a space for flow of combustion gases around the cavity walls, including a combustion area below the cooking cavity, a left flow path externally along a left cavity wall and a right flow path externally along a right cavity wall. A burner disposed in the combustion area and includes a left burner segment disposed left of a centerline of the cooking cavity and a right burner segment disposed right of the centerline of the cooking cavity. A baffle arrangement is located in the combustion area, the baffle arrangement configured for directing combustion gases from the left burner segment along the left flow path and for directing combustion gases from the right flow segment along the right flow path. The baffle arrangement includes an upper baffle that has a low point substantially aligned with the centerline, and a lower baffle wall extending downward from the low point and between the left burner segment and the right burner segment.

[0006] In a further aspect, a cooking oven includes a cooking cavity with an opening for enabling food items to be moved into and out of the cooking cavity. A combustion area is located below the cooking cavity and a combustion gas flow space includes paths along left and right external sides of the cooking cavity. A burner is disposed in the combustion area and has a left burner segment disposed left of a centerline of the cooking cavity and a right burner segment disposed right of the centerline of the cooking cavity. A baffle arrangement is located in the combustion area. The baffle arrangement including a lower baffle wall having a lower portion between the left burner segment and the right burner segment and an upper portion higher than the left burner segment and the right burner segment.

[0007] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a cooking oven;

[0009] Fig. 2 is a cross-section along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

[0010] Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation view showing the combustion area of the oven of Fig. 1;

[0011] Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of the combustion area and cooking cavity of the oven of Fig. 1;

[0012] Fig. 5 is another partial perspective view of the combustion area and cooking cavity of the oven of Fig. 1;

[0013] Fig. 6 is another partial perspective view of the combustion area and cooking cavity of the oven of Fig. 1 showing the baffle wall connected to a removable front cover plate;

[0014] Fig 7 is a perspective view of the oven showing the cover plate connected to a front firewall;

[0015] Fig 8 is a partial front elevation showing another embodiment of a baffle arrangement;

[0016] Fig 9 is partial front elevation showing another embodiment of a baffle arrangement; and

[0017] Fig 10 is a partial front elevation showing another embodiment of a baffle arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, one embodiment of a cooking oven 10 is shown.

The oven includes an box-shaped housing 12 with top, bottom, front, rear and left and right sides. The front side of the housing includes an opening 14 through which food items can be moved into and out of an internal cooking cavity 16. The housing 10 may, by way of example, be made up of external skins 40 (e.g., of stainless steel), frame components, internal cavity walls 42 (e.g., also of stainless steel), and firewalls 44 between the cavity walls 42 and the external skins 40 (e.g., where insulation may be provided between the firewalls 44 and the skins 40). The cooking cavity may also include an internal rack system with one or more food product receiving racks 18. User interface controls 20 are also shown alongside the cavity, with a side compartment 50 being provided to hold various control components as well as other oven components.

[0019] The illustrated oven 10 includes two door assemblies 20, 22, each of which is mounted to the housing 12 for rotation about a respective vertical pivot axis 24, 26 via pivot assemblies 30. The pivoting action enables each of the doors to move independently between a closed position and an open position relative to the cooking cavity. In certain embodiments, the doors 20, 22 may be easily removable from the housing to facilitate cleaning as described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0211745.

[0020] As seen in Fig. 2, in the space between the lower firewall 44 and lower cavity wall 42 provides a combustion area in which a U-shaped burner 60 is mounted. The U-shaped burner includes left and right elongated side segments 62 and 64 joined by a curved segment 66, where the curved segment 66 is located toward the rear of the oven and the side segments 62 and 64 are disposed left and right of a centerline 200 of the oven cavity. Gas emission orifices are located along the upper portion of both side segments 62 and 64, and may also be located on the curved segment 66. A radial blower 70 is located at the rear of the oven cavity 16 behind an intake plate 72 that includes a central set of intake openings 74. A duct 76 has a lower end that aligns with and opens to the openings 74 and runs upward to an opening the upper cavity wall 42 to provide a flow passage from the space between the upper firewall 44 and cavity wall 42 to the blower. During oven heating the blower 70 is operated and the burner 60 is operated. As depicted by the flow arrows 80 in Fig. 2, the blower draws gases down through the duct 76, such that an overall flow of combustion gases is from the centrally located burner 60 laterally to the left and right, upward along the exterior left side and right side cavity walls 42, over the top of the upper cavity wall to the opening leading to duct 76, downward through the duct 76 and into the intake of the blower 70, then radially outwardly from the blower 70 within the oven cavity 16.

[0021] Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, a baffle arrangement 100 is provided in the combustion area to aid in providing relatively even flow of combustion gases on the left and right sides of the cavity. The baffle arrangement includes an upper baffle wall 102 and a lower baffle wall 104 extending downward from the upper baffle wall 102 between the burner tube segments 62 and 64. The baffle wall 102 includes a central and lowest segment 106 formed by a deep V-structure of the wall that is substantially centered on the centerline 200 of the oven cavity. The sides 106A, 106B defining the V-shape may be offset from vertical by an angle (e.g., Θ1 in Fig. 3) of no more than about forty degrees (e.g., between about ten degrees and about forty degrees) to provide a relatively steep incline. In the illustrated embodiment the bottom of the deep V-structure is located slightly above the top of the burner 60 (e.g., between about 1/4 inch and about 1 inch above the top of the burner structure). The upper ends of sides 106 A, 106B join with more gradually inclined baffle segments 108 A, 108B. In one example, segments 108 A, 108B are offset from vertical by an angle (e.g., Θ2 in Fig. 3) of at least about fifty degrees (e.g., at least about 60 degrees or at least about 70 degrees).

[0022] As best seen in Figs. 3-6, the baffle wall 104 (which may be in the form of a plate or adjacent plates) extends downward from the bottom of the V-shaped segment 106. Where the baffle wall 104 is removable, as in the case of the illustrated embodiment, positioning plates 110A, HOB may extend laterally and upwardly from the baffle wall 104 to provide a Y-shaped baffle structure. The bottom of the V-shaped segment 106 sits within the Y-shape to provide proper alignment between the baffle wall 104 and the V- shaped segment 106 and to assure that combustion gases on the left side of baffle wall 104 move to the left and upward along the side 106 A, and combustion gases on the right side of the baffle wall move to the right and upward along the side 106B.

[0023] As seen in Fig. 4, the bottom edge of the majority of the baffle 104 may be raised slightly above the lower firewall and, in this case, is supported in part by a downwardly extending foot 1 12 located along the plate. As seen in illustrated embodiment of Fig. 5, the baffle wall 104 may extend only partly along the front to rear extent of the U- shaped burner 60 and V-shaped segment 106 (e.g., the baffle wall may extend along between about forty percent and about eighty percent of the length of the front to rear extent of the U-shaped burner, such as between about fifty percent and about seventy percent). However, other variations are possible, including those in which the baffle wall extends along substantially the entire front to rear extent of the U-shaped burner.

[0024] A burner nozzle 120 is connect to burner segment 64 and provides the gas feed for the entire U-shaped burner. At the front end of the baffle wall a set of lateral mount tabs 122 are provided for securing the baffle wall to a removable combustion cover plate 130, which in turn mounts (e.g., using screws) to a front firewall 132 (see Figs. 6 and 7). The mount tabs 122 include fastener openings 124 that align with fastener openings 134 in the cover plate 130, and screws are used to connect the cover plate 130 and baffle wall 104. When the cover plate 130 is removed to access the burner, the baffle wall 104 is also removed, the two plates 130 and 104 being an interconnected unit. The front end of the baffle wall also includes a set of forwardly extending alignment tabs 140 that align with and fit within respective alignment slots 142 of the cover plate 130. The alignment tabs and slots help properly position the mount tabs fastener openings 124 into alignment with the cover plate fastener openings 134.

[0025] The baffle structures may, for example, all be formed of stainless steel, as can the cover plate 130.

[0026] 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. For example, in certain embodiments, the upper baffle 102 with deep V-shaped segment 106 may suffice to provide even distribution of the combustion gases, eliminating the need for the vertical baffle wall, as shown in Fig. 8. In other embodiments, the deep V-shaped segment may be eliminated from the upper baffle. In one such example shown in Fig. 9, the vertical baffle wall extends vertically higher, as suggested by upper baffle 102' and baffle wall 104' . In the arrangement of Fig. 9 the baffle wall 104' could also be formed a part of a Y-shaped baffle structure as suggested by the dashed lines in Fig. 9, in which case a low point of upper baffle 102' would be positioned within the Y-shape. In another example, an upper baffle 102" could be bent or otherwise formed to provide a substantially vertical central portion 150 as shown in Fig. 10, where a baffle wall 104" that is formed as part of a Y-shaped baffle structure is also shown in dashed line form. Other variations are possible.