CIMINO, Ottavio (145 Russell Street, Emu Plains, NSW 2750, AU)
CLAIMS:
1. An oven comprising: an oven cavity defined by oven walls and an oven door; a gas burner for heating air to be delivered to said oven cavity; a flue extending between said gas burner and an opening in said oven cavity, said opening being spaced apart from said gas burner.
2. An oven according to claim 1, wherein the gas burner is located adjacent a bottom portion of the oven cavity.
3. An oven according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the opening is provided in a rear wall of the oven cavity.
4. An oven according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the opening is provided in a side wall of the oven cavity.
5. An oven according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a first fan adjacent the opening for drawing hot air from the gas burner through the flue and into an interior portion of the oven cavity via the opening.
6. An oven according to claim 5, wherein the first fan is provided in a first recess.
7. An oven according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a second fan adjacent a second said opening for drawing hot air from the gas burner through the flue and into an interior portion of the oven cavity via said second opening. 8. An oven according to claim 7, wherein the second fan is provided in a second recess.
9. An oven according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the first and second fans are counter-rotating.
10. An oven according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the flue is adapted to direct hot air from the gas burner into a space between the first and second fans.
11. An oven according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the fan(s) include(s) outer blades adapted to move air from an outlet of the flue to the associated said opening.
12. An oven according to any one of claims 5 to 11, wherein the fan(s) include(s) inner blades adapted to generate suction for drawing air from within the oven cavity through one or more apertures in the respective oven wall and into the associated recess.
13. An oven according to any one of claims 5 to 11, further comprising a cover plate that at least partially defines said rear wall of the oven cavity and extends at least partially over the fan(s) and the associated recess(es).
14. An oven according to claim 13, wherein the opening(s) are defined, at least in part, by one or more cut-outs in the cover plate, which align generally over the fan(s).
15. An oven according to claim 14, wherein the cut-out(s) are located adjacent edges of the cover plate. s 16. An oven according to claim 15, comprising first said cut-outs are located adjacent side edges of the cover plate.
17. An oven according to claim 15 or claim 16, comprising second said cut-outs located adjacent top and bottom edges of the cover plate.
18. An oven according to any one of claims 5 to 17, wherein the flue includes a flutedo guide portion for guiding air from the gas burner toward the fan(s).
19. An oven according to claim 18, wherein the fluted guide portion has a larger cross- sectional area nearer the gas burner and a smaller cross-sectional area nearer the opening(s).
20. An oven according to any one of claims 5 to 19, wherein the flue comprises a flanges at a lower portion thereof for shielding the gas burner from air circulated by the fan(s).
21. An oven according to any one of claims 5 to 20, further comprising one or more first radiant heating elements associated with the fan(s).
22. An oven according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a second radiant heating element located within the oven cavity adjacent a top portion thereof.0 23. An oven according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a third radiant heating element located within the oven cavity adjacent a bottom portion thereof. 24. An oven according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising slots in a wall of the oven cavity, external to said flue, to facilitate flow of hot air emanating from the gas burner into the oven cavity. s 25. An oven according to claim 24, wherein the slots are located adjacent the opening(s) extending from the flue into the oven cavity, such that flow of air through the opening(s) induces flow through the slots.
26. An oven according to claim 24 or claim 25, comprising a first plurality of said slots located adjacent upper and lower portions of the oven cavity and oriented generally0 horizontally.
27. An oven according to any one of claims 24 to 26, comprising a second plurality of said slots located adjacent side walls of the oven cavity and oriented generally vertically. |
An Oven
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an oven and, in particular, to an oven comprising at least a gas burner. The invention has been developed for use in domestic and commercial ovens for food preparation and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention may also be used in other applications.
Background of the Invention
Known ovens for food preparation typically include either a gas burner or an electric heating element, but not both.
In known gas burner ovens, the gas burner is located outside of and adjacent the base of the oven cavity. Heat from the gas burner is fed through slots in the base of the oven cavity by convection. Accordingly, a disadvantage of known gas burner ovens is that the lower portion of the oven cavity tends to be relatively hot compared to the upper portion of the oven cavity, thereby creating an uneven heat distribution within the oven cavity. This uneven heat distribution causes food within the oven to be unevenly cooked. The uneven heat distribution is particularly disadvantageous where trays of food are being cooked on different levels within the oven and requires users to reposition the trays within the oven periodically to achieve more even cooking. A disadvantage of known electric ovens is that they are relatively slow to heat and are less efficient than gas ovens. Moreover, electric ovens create a relatively dry environment within the cooking chamber, which is disadvantageous when cooking some foods - particularly meats.
Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the above disadvantages.
Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, the present invention provides an oven comprising: an oven cavity defined by oven walls; a gas burner for heating air to be delivered to said oven cavity; a flue extending between said gas burner and an opening in said oven cavity, said opening being spaced apart from said gas burner.
The gas burner is preferably located adjacent a bottom portion of the oven cavity. The opening is preferably provided in a rear or side wall of the oven cavity.
A first fan is preferably provided in a first recess adjacent the opening for drawing hot air from the gas burner through the flue and into an interior portion of the oven cavity via the opening. A second fan is also preferably provided in a second recess adjacent a second said opening for drawing hot air from the gas burner through the flue and into an interior portion of the oven cavity via a second said opening. The first and second fans are preferably counter-rotating. The flue preferably directs hot air from the gas burner into a space between the first and second fans. The fan(s) preferably include outer blades adapted to move air from an outlet of the flue to the associated opening and inner blades adapted to generate suction for drawing air from within the oven through one or more apertures in the respective oven wall and into the associated recess.
A cover plate preferably at least partially defines a rear wall of the oven cavity and extends at least partially over the fan(s) and the associated recess(es). The opening(s) are preferably defined by one or more cut-outs in the cover plate, which align generally over the fan(s). The cut-out(s) are preferably located adjacent edges of the cover plate. First said cut-outs are preferably provided adjacent the side edges of the cover plate. Second said cut-outs are preferably provided adjacent the top and bottom edges of the cover plate.
Slots are preferably provided in a wall of the oven cavity, external to said flue, to facilitate flow of hot air emanating from the gas burner into the oven cavity. The slots are preferably located adjacent the opening(s) extending from the flue into the oven cavity, such that flow of air through the opening(s) induces flow through the slots. A first plurality of said slots are preferably provided adjacent upper and lower portions of the oven cavity and are oriented horizontally. A second plurality of said slots are preferably provided adjacent side walls of the oven cavity and are preferably oriented vertically.
The flue preferably includes a fluted guide portion for guiding air from the gas burner toward the fan(s). The guide portion preferably has a larger cross-sectional area nearer the gas burner and a smaller cross-sectional area nearer the fan(s). The flue preferably comprises a flange at a lower portion thereof for shielding the gas burner from air circulated by the fan(s).
A first radiant heating element is preferably associated with the first or second fan. A second radiant heating element is preferably provided within the oven cavity adjacent a
top portion thereof. A third radiant heating element is preferably provided within the oven cavity adjacent a bottom portion thereof.
Brief Description of the Drawings
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of an example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Fig 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of an oven according to the present invention;
Fig 2 is a rear view of the oven of Fig 1 ; Fig 3 is an underside rear view of the oven of Fig 1 ; Fig 4 is a front view of the oven of Fig 1, shown with rear wall cover plate removed;
Fig 5 is a rear view of the gas burner, part of the flue and fans of the oven of Fig 1, showing the flow path of air from the gas burner; and
Fig 6 is a front view of the oven of Fig 1, showing air flows.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to Figs 1 to 3, there is shown an oven 10, wherein the oven door and insulating housing have been omitted from the drawings to allow the internal components of the oven to be seen. The oven 10 comprises an oven cavity 12 defined by top 13, bottom 14, side 16, 18 and rear 20 oven walls. A gas burner 22 is provided adjacent a bottom portion of the oven cavity 12 for heating air to be delivered thereto. A flue 24 extends between the gas burner 22 and openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 in the rear wall 20 of the oven cavity 12. The openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 are spaced apart from the gas burner 22. As best seen in Fig 2, the flue 24 has angled side walls 34 so as to direct air passing from the flue 24 through openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 diagonally into the oven cavity 12 toward the top, bottom and side walls 13, 14, 16, 18 of the oven 10. As shown in Fig 4, a first fan 36 is provided in a first recess 38 adjacent openings 26, 27 and 28 for drawing hot air from the gas burner 22 through the flue 24 and into an interior portion of the oven cavity 12 via openings 26, 27 and 28. A second fan 40 is also provided in a second recess 42 adjacent openings 29, 30 and 31 for drawing hot air from the gas burner 22 through the flue 24 and into an interior portion of the oven cavity 12 via openings 29, 30 and 31. The fans 36, 40 include outer blades 36 A, 4OA adapted to move air from an outlet 44 of the flue 24 to the associated openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.
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The fans 36, 40 also include inner blades 36B, 4OB adapted to generate suction for drawing air from within the oven cavity 12 through a plurality of apertures 46 in the rear oven wall 20, as can be seen in Figs 1 and 6, and into the associated recess 38, 42. The first and second fans 36, 40 are counter-rotating, with the first fan 36 rotating counter- clockwise and the second fan 40 rotating clockwise. As shown in Fig 5, the flue 24 directs hot air from the gas burner 22 into a space between the first and second fans 36, 40.
Referring again to Fig 1, a cover plate 48 partially defines the rear wall 20 of the oven cavity and extends at least partially over the fans 36, 40 and their associated recesses 38, 42. The openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 are defined by cut-outs in the cover plate 48, which align with the recesses 38, 42. The cut-out associated with openings 26 and 29 are provided near side edges of the cover plate 48, and the cut-outs associated with openings 27, 28, 30 and 31 are provided adjacent top and bottom edges of the cover plate 48.
As best seen in Fig 2, slots 26A, 27 A, 28 A, 29 A, 30A and 31 A are provided in the rear wall 20 of the oven cavity 12, external to the flue 24, to facilitate additional flow of hot air emanating from the gas burner 22 into the oven cavity 12. The slots 26A, 27 A, 28 A, 29A, 30A and 31A are located adjacent the openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31, such that flow of air through the openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 induces flow through the slots 26A, 27A, 28A, 29A, 30A and 3 IA. Slots 27A, 28A, 30A and 31 A are provided adjacent upper and lower portions of the oven cavity 12 and are oriented horizontally, and slots 26A and 29A are provided adjacent the side walls 16, 18 of the oven cavity and are oriented vertically.
As best seen in Fig 5, the flue 24 includes a fluted guide portion 24 A for guiding air from the gas burner 22 toward the fans 36, 40. The guide portion 24A has a larger cross- sectional area nearer the gas burner 22 and a smaller cross-sectional area nearer the fans 36, 40. As best seen in Fig. 3, the flue 24 also comprises a flange 24B at a lower portion thereof for shielding the gas burner 22 from air circulated by the fans 36, 40.
As shown in Figs 4 and 5, first and second radiant heating elements 66 are associated, respectively, with the first and second fans 36, 40. Second 68 and third 70 radiant heating elements are provided within the oven cavity 12 adjacent top and bottom portions thereof. Whilst not described herein, it will be appreciated that the oven 10 can be configured with electronic controls, as are well known in the art, to provide multiple cooking functions. For example, the oven can be operated using only the gas burner 22, only the radiant
heating elements 66, only the top or bottom radiant heating elements 68, 70 (with or without the fans 36, 40), both the top and bottom radiant heating elements 68, 70 (with or without the fans 36, 40), a combination of the gas burner 22 with one or more of the radiant heating elements 66, 68, 70, or a combination of the radiant heating elements 66 with the top and/or bottom radiant heating elements 68, 70.
As best seen by reference to Figs 5 and 6, where the arrows indicate air flows, when using the gas burner 22, the fans 36, 40 draw air heated by the gas burner 22 upwardly, through the flue 24, along the rear wall 20 of the oven cavity 12, into the recesses 38, 42, and out through openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 for dispersion into the interior portion of the oven cavity 12. In addition, air heated by the gas burner 22 is also dispersed into the oven cavity 12 through the slots 26 A, 27 A, 28 A, 29A, 30A and 31 A by a combination of air flow induced by flow through the openings 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and by convention. The inner blades 36B, 4OB of the fans also draw air from within the oven chamber 12 into the recesses 38, 42 through apertures 46 for subsequent recirculation through openings 26, 28, 30, 32. When using the gas burner 22 in combination with the radiant element 66, heated air is drawn from the gas burner 22 in the same manner and is additionally heated by the radiant element 66.
When using only the radiant element 66, the air flow through the oven is the same as described above with respect to air flow when using the gas burner 22. It will be appreciated that the illustrated oven 10 advantageously provides for improved heat distribution throughout the oven cavity 12 by drawing heated air away from the gas burner 22 prior to dispersing the heated air into the oven cavity 12. Moreover, the interaction of air being drawn in through the apertures 46 and being dispersed through the openings 26, 28, 30, 32, as well as through slots 58, 60, 62, 64 is such as to provide relatively uniform heat distribution within the oven cavity 12. Accordingly, the lower portion of the oven cavity 12 does not become overheated relative to other portions of the oven cavity 12, as is the case with prior art ovens. Also, the configuration of the oven 10 is such that it allows users to take advantage of the benefits provided by both gas and electric cooking. For example, a user can preheat the oven 10 using the gas burner 22, which is faster to heat than the electric elements 66, 68, 70, and once the desired temperature is reached, can switch to electric cooking to take advantage of, for example, the drier cooking environment it provides, which is more suitable to cooking pastries.
Alternatively, a user may utilise only the gas burner 22 if desiring a moister cooking environment, such as is well suited to cooking meats.
Whilst the present invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, it will be appreciated that it may also be embodied in many other forms. For example:
• the opening(s) 26, 28, 30, 32 can be provided in a side wall 16, 18 of the oven cavity 12, rather than in the rear wall 20; and/or
• a radiant heating element can be associated with one or both of the first and second fans 36, 40.