FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a cooking apparatus for food for domestic and/or professional use, for example an oven for pizzerias, bakeries, pastry shops and delis, or for catering in general.

In a preferred but not restrictive application, the cooking apparatus can be a pizza oven of the ventilated type, for example of the type with continuous movement of the food from an entrance to an exit from the cooking chamber. The present invention also concerns a cooking method in which an effective distribution of a stream of air inside the cooking apparatus is provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cooking apparatuses are known, comprising a cooking chamber for food made inside a containing structure, provided with at least one aperture that can be selectively opened/closed.

Cooking apparatuses known in the state of the art also comprise an air heating unit inside the cooking chamber and a ventilation unit to generate a stream of heated air to be sent to and recovered from the cooking chamber.

It is known that the heating unit can consist of electric resistances.

Moreover, in some countries the energy cost of electric resistances is higher than other energy sources, hence the need to use alternative power sources such as gas in its various application methods.

Alternatively, or in combination with the use of electric resistances, it is known to use gas cooking apparatuses comprising a heating unit defined by at least one gas burner element of the total pre-mixing type with a forced, pressurized stream of the air that feeds combustion.

These gas cooking apparatuses need a unit to discharge the fumes generated by the gas combustion process, which is disadvantageous in terms of plant complications, installation and maintenance costs, bulk occupied by the cooking apparatus and emissions of gaseous products harmful to the environment and health.

Furthermore, the use of burner elements of the total pre-mixing type with a forced stream of air requires an electronic control of the mixing of the air with the combustible gas, further complicating the production of the cooking apparatus and the related periodic checks with regard to the plant.

In fact, burner elements of the total pre-mixing type with a forced stream of air, known in the state of the art, need specialized technical personnel with suitable instruments for the installation, calibration and periodic control of the pressure of the gas and air supplied.

It also happens that gas burner elements of the total pre-mixing type with a forced stream of air require a constant intake of cold air taken in from the outside, which is disadvantageous in terms of heating efficiency and homogeneous distribution of the heat inside the cooking chamber.

One purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cooking food which allows to obtain a homogeneous cooking and which, therefore, can homogeneously distribute the heat inside the entire cooking chamber.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cooking food which maximizes heating efficiency.

Another purpose is to provide a cooking apparatus which minimizes the emissions of combustion products into the atmosphere.

Another purpose is to provide an inexpensive cooking apparatus which does not require frequent maintenance interventions.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus which provides an easy installation of at least one burner element and which facilitates maintenance activities.

Another purpose is to provide a cooking apparatus which reduces the overall bulk and allows the modular combination of other cooking appliances.

Another purpose is to provide a cooking apparatus which guarantees a stream of delivery air entering into a cooking chamber that is as far as possible without bacteria.

Another purpose is to perfect a method to homogeneously distribute a stream of air inside a cooking chamber of a cooking apparatus.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, the present invention concerns an apparatus to cook food comprising an external containing structure, a cooking chamber made inside the containing structure and at least one aperture made on the containing structure and selectively able to be opened/closed through which to introduce and extract the food into/from the cooking chamber.

The cooking apparatus also comprises at least a combustion unit and a ventilation unit configured to generate a stream of air.

The combustion unit comprises at least one gas burner element configured to generate a flame.

The cooking chamber provides at least a through aperture configured to be passed through by a stream of air coming from the ventilation unit.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooking apparatus comprises at least a first heat exchange chamber located between the cooking chamber and the ventilation unit. The first heat exchange chamber is configured to at least partly house inside it the flame generated by the at least one burner element to heat a stream of recovery air.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus comprises a second heat exchange chamber connected to the first heat exchange chamber and to the cooking chamber, and configured to further heat the stream of recovery air and to house the ventilation unit.

The presence of the second heat exchange chamber advantageously makes it possible to install the at least one burner element so that its flame does not go into direct contact with the cooking chamber.

Moreover, the first and the second heat exchange chambers allow to heat the stream of recovery air gradually and homogeneously so as to allow to reach easily, and homogeneously, the temperature set inside the cooking chamber.

The second heat exchange chamber, being characterized by a very high temperature, and higher than the first heat exchange temperature, also allows to perform an anti-bacterial function on the stream of recovery air which is about to be sent to the inside of the cooking chamber. Advantageously, the use of a gas burner element, in combination with a recirculation and homogeneous distribution circuit of at least one stream of air, allows to carry out more rapid heating cycles, quicker cooking of the food and cooking in a moister area compared with the use of electric resistances which perform a dryer cooking.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the burner element is the atmospheric type with partial pre-mixing.

The burner element of the atmospheric type with partial pre-mixing can be easily installed in the cooking apparatus, as it does not require any calibration, or periodic controls of the gas pressure and supply air, controls that, on the contrary, are necessary for a burner of the total pre-mixing type with a forced stream of air. The stream of air can be completely recirculated inside the cooking chamber. According to another embodiment, the cooking apparatus can comprise at least one channel associated with the corresponding through aperture and configured to be passed through by the stream of delivery air toward the cooking chamber. The channel is provided with a plurality of through holes configured to be passed through by the stream of delivery air.

According to another embodiment, the cooking apparatus provides a plurality of channels, for example four or more, disposed below and above a shelf on which the food is disposed.

According to another embodiment, the combustion unit comprises two or more burner elements disposed inside a containing compartment connected to the second heating chamber by means of a through aperture made in correspondence with each burner element.

According to another preferred embodiment, the cooking apparatus can comprise at least a control and command unit configured to selectively activate/deactivate the drive of an impeller of the ventilation unit in order to exert a suction of the flame inside the first heat exchange chamber. In this way, it is possible to accurately and safely control the presence and intensity of the flame, in order to reach the set temperature.

Advantageously, the cooking apparatus described here allows to optimize the heating efficiency of the cooking chamber for a homogeneous cooking of the food. In fact, these aspects can be obtained by a balance between mechanical components that generate the stream of delivery and recovery air, such as for example the impeller, the channels, the heat exchange chambers, electric and electronic components, such as for example the control and command unit, and the combustion unit by means of the at least one burner element of the atmospheric type with partial pre-mixing.

The present invention also concerns a method to cook food using said cooking apparatus, which provides to:

- generate a stream of recovery air by the ventilation unit inside the cooking chamber;

- generate a flame by at least one burner element of the atmospheric type with partial pre-mixing, comprised in the combustion unit;

- carry out a first heating of the stream of recovery air inside the first heat exchange chamber in which, during use, there is the flame;

- carry out a further heating of the stream of recovery air by means of a second heat exchange chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a view from above of the cooking apparatus according to the present invention;

- fig. 2 is a cross section view from above of the cooking apparatus for food according to the present invention;

- fig. 3 is a lateral cross section view of the apparatus in fig. 1 ;

- fig. 4 is a front cross section view of the apparatus in fig. 1 along the section line I-I;

- fig. 5 is a front cross section view of the apparatus in fig. 1 along the section line II-II;

- fig. 6 is a front cross section view of the apparatus in fig. 1 along the section line ffl-lil;

- fig. 7 is a front cross section view of the apparatus in fig. 1 along the section line IV-IV. To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to figs. 1 to 7, we will now describe possible embodiments of an apparatus 10 for cooking food 11 for domestic and/or professional use and/or for the food industry.

For example, and in one of its preferred but non-restrictive embodiments, the apparatus 10 can be an oven for pizzerias, bakeries, pastry shops, delis, or for catering in general.

In particular, the present invention concerns ovens which provide a cooking mode of the ventilated type, that is, with a stream of forced air which hits the cooking chamber.

The apparatus 10 comprises a containing structure 12 configured to determine an external protective and containing casing and which substantially defines the bulk of the apparatus 10.

The containing structure 12 can be made of a refractory metal material or of any other material suitable to resist high temperatures and constitute a heat insulation toward the outside.

By way of example only, the apparatus 10 can be configured to reach temperatures comprised between about 200°C and about 360°C.

The containing structure 12 can have a rectangular or square box-like shape, or polygonal in general, or any shape suitable for the purpose.

The apparatus 10 comprises a cooking chamber 13, made from the containing structure 12, configured to house the food 1 1 to be cooked inside.

For example, in the cooking chamber 13, pizzas, pies, meat, or any other food that requires cooking in the oven can be cooked.

Furthermore, for example, the cooking chamber 13 can have a support plane configured to dispose the food 1 1 in order to cook it.

The support plane can also consist of a mobile belt which allows the continuous or stepwise feed of the food between the entrance and the exit of the cooking chamber 13. The apparatus 10 comprises at least one aperture 14 made on the containing structure 12 and which determines the selective opening/closing of the cooking chamber 13 to introduce and extract the food 1 1.

The cooking chamber 13 can be selectively opened/closed by means of a door 15.

The door 15 can be pivoted to the containing structure 12 and can be configured to avoid heat losses of the cooking chamber 13 which can occur in correspondence with the aperture 14.

The cooking chamber 13 also comprises at least one lead-in through aperture for a stream of hot delivery air 27 coming from a ventilation unit 18, described below.

According to a preferred embodiment, shown by way of example in figs. 2-4, the apparatus 10 can comprise at least one channel 25 associated with the through aperture and configured to be passed through by the stream of delivery air 27. The channel 25 can be provided with a plurality of through holes 26 configured to allow the entrance of the stream of delivery air 27 into the cooking chamber 13.

Each through hole 26 is disposed in such a way as to allow a homogeneous distribution of the stream of delivery air 27 onto the food 11 and guarantee effective cooking of the latter.

The cooking chamber 13 has a bottom wall 28 disposed opposite to the aperture 14 and in which the at least one through aperture is made.

The bottom wall 28 of the cooking chamber 13 has at least one through recovery aperture 29 for a stream of recovery air 23 after it has given up heat to the food 1 1.

The recovery aperture 29 can be made in a position suitable to allow the ventilation unit 18 to generate the stream of recovery air 23.

In this way, it is possible to recover the stream of air after it has given up the heat to the food 1 1 and to recirculate it for further heating.

The recovery aperture 29 communicates directly with a first heat exchange chamber 22 described below. According to a preferred embodiment, the bottom wall 28 can have two recovery apertures 29 respectively disposed below and above the support plane of the food 11.

The cooking chamber 13 can be disposed in a central position with respect to the height of the containing structure 12, for example, disposed distanced with respect to an upper and lower wall of the containing structure 12.

According to embodiments described here, the channel 25 can be disposed in correspondence with at least one compartment made from the distanced positioning of the cooking chamber 13 with respect to the upper and lower walls of the containing structure 12 (fig. 3).

Moreover, the cooking chamber 13 can be disposed near the aperture 14 to facilitate the operations to remove and insert the food 11.

According to an embodiment shown by way of example in fig. 4, if the containing structure 12 has a box- like shape, in correspondence with lateral walls adjacent to the wall which has the aperture 14, two more apertures 41, 42 can be made, opposite each other.

In particular, an entrance aperture 41 can define an entry point for the food 1 1 into the cooking chamber 13 and an exit aperture 42 can define an exit point for the food 11 from the cooking chamber 13.

In this specific case, the apparatus 10 can comprise a feed device 19 configured to feed the food 11 inside the cooking chamber 13 as it is cooked. In this way, the support plane of the food 1 1 is defined by the feed device 19.

In accordance with the above embodiment, the apparatus 10 can be, for example, a ventilated oven of the tunnel type, that is, an oven which cooks the food 11 in a predetermined time while the food 1 1 itself advances at a constant speed from the point of entry to the point of exit of the cooking chamber 13.

For example, the food 11 can pass through the cooking chamber 13 over a period of about 3 minutes to about 5 minutes.

The apparatus 10 also comprises a combustion unit 16 comprising at least one gas burner element 17 configured to generate a flame.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the burner element 17 is a gas burner of the atmospheric type with partial pre-mixing. The burner element 17 provides a stream of atmospheric and non-pressurized supply air, facilitating its installation, avoiding periodic calibrations and/or checks of the components associated therewith.

The apparatus 10 also comprises a ventilation unit 18 configured to generate at least one stream of air 23, 27.

The ventilation unit 18 can comprise an impeller 20 configured to suck a stream of recovery air 23 coming out of the cooking chamber 13 and send the stream of delivery air 27 toward the cooking chamber 13.

For example, the impeller 20 can be the tangential type in which the orientation of the blades that define it is suitable to determine the recovery and delivery of the streams of air 23, 27.

The ventilation unit 18 can also comprise a drive device 21 configured to determine the rotation of the impeller 20.

The apparatus 10 comprises a first heat exchange chamber 22 located between the cooking chamber 13 and the ventilation unit 18.

The first heat exchange chamber 22 is configured to at least partly house the flame generated by the burner element 17 to heat the stream of recovery air 23 exiting from the cooking chamber 13 through the at least one recovery aperture 29 (fig. 4).

The first heat exchange chamber 22 communicates with the cooking chamber 13 and, in particular, is close to it in correspondence with the bottom wall 28 of the cooking chamber 13 itself.

The first heat exchange chamber 22 also has a bottom wall 32 made opposite to the bottom wall 28 of the cooking chamber 13 (figs. 5 and 6).

The bottom wall 32 has at least a first through hole 33 configured at least to be passed through by the flame generated by the burner element 17, and a second through hole 35 configured to be passed through by the stream of recovery air 23.

The second through hole 35 cooperates with the impeller 20 of the ventilation unit 18.

In particular, the through hole 35 has a section for the passage of the stream of recovery air 23 lower than the diameter of the impeller 20 of the ventilation unit 18. According to embodiments described here, the apparatus 10 can comprise at least one tubular body 34 configured to advantageously direct the flame in a desired manner.

The tubular body 34 can be installed at least partly inside the first heat exchange chamber 22 in order to direct the flame inside it and toward a flame deflector element 30.

According to embodiments described here, on its internal surface the tubular body 34 can have guide cavities configured as a pyramid, that is convergent, to direct and modulate the flame so that it assumes substantially a pointed shape and is conveyed toward the deflector element 30.

According to one embodiment, shown by way of example in figs. 2 and 5, the first heat exchange chamber 22 can comprise at least one deflector element 30 configured to be hit by the flame generated by the burner element 17.

The deflector element 30 is attached in correspondence with the bottom wall 28 on the side inside the first heat exchange chamber 22.

According to a preferred embodiment, the deflector element 30 can be C- shaped, in which the bent ends have a plurality of through-slots 31.

The through slots 31 allow to break the flame and to direct it in a desired manner in order to effectively exploit the heat exchange with the stream of recovery air 23.

In particular, the ventilation device 18 is able to generate the stream of recovery air 23 and to also draw heat and combustion products generated by the burner element 17 exiting from the tubular body 34 because it is at least partly installed inside the first heat exchange chamber 22. According to this aspect, the stream of recovery air can be understood as the warm air coming from the cooking chamber 13 and/or the heat generated by the flame inside the first heat exchange chamber 22, or in any case a stream of warm air, or which has been partly heated.

The apparatus 10 also comprises a second heat exchange chamber 24 connected to the first heat exchange chamber 22 and to the cooking chamber 13.

The second heat exchange chamber 24 is configured to further heat the stream of recovery air 23 and to house the ventilation unit 18. The second heat exchange chamber 24 is connected to the first heat exchange chamber 22 through the second through hole 35.

In particular, the second heat exchange chamber 24 is close up to the first heat exchange chamber 22 in correspondence with the bottom wall 32.

According to one embodiment, shown by way of example in figs. 5 and 6, the bottom wall 32 of the first heat exchange chamber 22 can have at least one delivery aperture 38 of the stream of delivery air 27.

According to embodiments described here, the through aperture of the cooking chamber 13 corresponds to the delivery aperture 38.

The second heat exchange chamber 24 also has a bottom wall 36 on which at least one first through hole 33 is made, similar to the first through hole 33 of the first heat exchange chamber 22, configured to house the tubular body 34.

The second heat exchange chamber 24 is configured to further heat the stream of recovery air 23 by heat exchange between the latter and the heat emitted by the tubular body 34.

The impeller 20 can be disposed centrally with respect to the bottom wall 36 and in proximity to the latter.

According to one embodiment, shown by way of example in figs. 2, 3 and 7, the ventilation unit 18 can comprise a deflector element 37 configured to direct the stream of air 23, 27 in a desired manner and according to the action of the impeller 20.

The deflector element 37 can be configured at least to uniformly distribute the stream of delivery air 27.

In the second heat exchange chamber 24 there is a second heating of the recovery air 23 and of the combustion products to a higher temperature than in the first heat exchange chamber 22. In this way, the temperature has an antibacterial action for the stream of delivery air 27 entering the cooking chamber 13.

By way of example only, the second heat exchange chamber 24 can have a temperature of more than about 90°C, suitable to eliminate any bacteria or harmful substances that have formed inside the cooking chamber 13.

The deflector element 37 is configured to connect to the at least one channel 25 which sends the stream of delivery air 27 toward the cooking chamber 13. In particular, the deflector element 37 is configured to direct the stream of recovery air 23 exiting from the impeller 20 toward the tubular body 34 to effect a further heat exchange and to generate the stream of air 27 to be sent into the cooking chamber 13 through the at least one channel 25.

By "stream of delivery air" we mean the stream of hot air exiting from the second heat exchange chamber 24 and that has reached the optimum temperature expected to enter into the cooking chamber 13.

According to a preferred solution, the impeller 20 has a diameter such that it is positioned at least partly in front of the delivery aperture 38 on the side opposite the channel 25.

According to another embodiment, shown by way of example in fig. 4, the apparatus 10 can comprise four channels 25 associated respectively with four through apertures made in the cooking chamber 13.

The four channels 25 can be disposed, respectively, two above the feed device 19 and two below the feed device 19, coplanar with each other and in proximity to the entry point and the exit point of the food 11.

According to embodiments described here, the feed device 19 can be holed, for example, it can have a grid, mesh or similar structure, suitable to allow the passage of the stream of delivery air 27 toward the bottom of the food 1 1.

According to one embodiment, shown by way of example in figs. 2 and 3, the apparatus 10 can comprise a containing compartment 39 configured to house the at least one burner element 17.

Furthermore, the containing compartment 39 can be configured to at least partly house the actuation device 21 of the impeller 20.

According to a preferred solution, the apparatus 10 can comprise two burner elements 17 disposed symmetrically with respect to the impeller 20 and in proximity to the lateral walls of the containing structure 12 in order to distribute the heat homogeneously.

In particular, the at least two burner elements 17 are disposed aligned and coplanar with respect to the support plane, or to the feed device 19.

According to another solution, the apparatus can comprise three burner elements 17 and two impellers 20, in which the burner elements 17 are separated by the two impellers 20. For example, each burner element 17 can have a power from about 5 kW to about 10 kW.

According to another embodiment shown by way of example in figs. 2 and 3, the containing compartment 39 can be provided with a rear wall 40 of the apparatus 10, configured to insulate the containing compartment 39 from the outside.

For example, the rear wall 40 can have an insulation interspace.

The rear wall 40 can have through holes to allow the entry of air so that the combustion of the gas occurs by means of the burner elements 17 and/or to cool the drive device 21.

According to a preferred embodiment and shown by way of example in fig. 2, the apparatus 10 can comprise at least one control and command unit 43 configured to selectively activate/deactivate the drive of the impeller 20 of the ventilation unit 18.

The control and command unit 43 is connected to the drive device 21 to control its functioning in order to modulate the suction of the flame generated by the at least one burner element 17 and thus control the temperature inside the cooking chamber 13 according to the set temperature.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts can be made to the apparatus 10 and method as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of apparatus 10 and method, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate reading: they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection claimed in the specific claims.