Ovens, finger ducts therefor, and methods for distributing air in a finger duct

Abstract

The present invention is directed to ovens for heat treating products and may include food preparation ovens for preparing pizza and similar types of food products. The oven include finger ducts having longitudinally-extending staggered angled air deflectors to aid in distribution of the heated air into the oven.

1 . A finger duct for directing heated air in an oven, said finger duct comprising:
 an elongated housing having an inlet at one end of the housing for receiving a flow of heated air, and a plurality of outlets spaced generally along a length of the housing for directing heated air towards a surface to be heated in the oven;   at least one elongated divider disposed in and along the length of said housing to define at least a plurality of longitudinally-extending channels in said housing; and   a plurality of spaced-apart angled deflectors disposed in a staggered pattern in said plurality of longitudinally-extending channels for directing the heated air towards the plurality of openings.   
   
   
       2 . The finger duct of  claim 1  wherein said at least one elongated divider comprises a plurality of elongated dividers to define a plurality of longitudinally-extending channels, and said plurality of angled deflectors comprise a staggered checkered pattern in said plurality of longitudinally-extending channels. 
   
   
       3 . The finger duct of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of angled deflectors is sandwiched between said divider and said housing in the longitudinally-extending channels. 
   
   
       4 . The finger duct of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of angled deflectors comprises a plurality of angled deflectors disposed at an angle of less than about 45-degrees relative to the length of said housing. 
   
   
       5 . The finger duct of  claim 1  wherein the number of said plurality of angled deflectors, the spacing between said angled deflectors, and the angle of said angled deflectors are optimized to result in a discharge of heated air from the plurality of outlets openings generally evenly along said length of said housing. 
   
   
       6 . The finger duct of  claim 1  wherein the number of said plurality of angled deflectors, the spacing between said angled deflectors, and the angle of said angled deflectors are optimized so that a pressure and a temperature are generally constant over the surface to be heated. 
   
   
       7 . The finger duct of  claim 1  wherein said housing longitudinally tapers from said inlet opening to a distal end of the housing. 
   
   
       8 . The finger duct of  claim 1  further comprising a diffuser disposed between said plurality of outlets and said at least one divider. 
   
   
       9 . The finger duct of  claim 1  wherein said housing longitudinally tapers from said inlet opening to a distal end of the housing, said at least one elongated divider disposed in and along the length of said housing comprises a plurality of elongated dividers, and said plurality of angled deflectors comprises a plurality of angled deflectors disposed in a staggered checkered pattern in said plurality of longitudinally-extending channels for directing the heated air toward the plurality of outlets in said housing. 
   
   
       10 . The finger duct of  claim 9  wherein said plurality of angled deflectors is sandwiched between said divider and said housing in the longitudinally-extending channels. 
   
   
       11 . The finger duct of  claim 9  wherein said plurality of angled deflectors comprises a plurality of angled deflectors disposed at an angle of less than about 45-degrees relative to the length of said housing. 
   
   
       12 . The finger duct of  claim 9  wherein the number of said plurality of angled deflectors, the spacing between said angled deflectors, and the angle of said angled deflectors are optimized to result in a discharge of heated air from the plurality of outlets openings generally evenly along said length of said housing. 
   
   
       13 . The finger duct of  claim 9  wherein the number of said plurality of angled deflectors, the spacing between said angled deflectors, and the angle of said angled deflectors are optimized so that a pressure and a temperature are generally constant over the surface to be heated. 
   
   
       14 . The finger duct of  claim 9  further comprising a diffuser disposed between said plurality of outlets and said at least one divider. 
   
   
       15 . An oven for heat treating a product, said oven comprising:
 a housing having a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a right sidewall, a left sidewall, a top, a bottom, and an interior wall extending between said right sidewall and said left sidewall to define a first chamber and a second chamber in said housing;   means for heating air in said first chamber;   an elongated finger duct of  claim 1  in fluid communication with said first chamber for receiving heated air from said first chamber and discharging the heated air along a length of said finger duct in a first direction towards a surface to be heated in said second chamber.   
   
   
       16 . An oven for heat treating a product, said oven comprising:
 a housing having a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, a right sidewall, a left sidewall, a top, a bottom, and an interior wall extending between said right sidewall and said left sidewall to define a first chamber and a second chamber in said housing;   means for heating air in said first chamber;   an elongated finger duct of  claim 9  in fluid communication with said first chamber for receiving heated air from said first chamber and discharging the heated air along a length of said finger duct in a first direction towards a surface to be heated in said second chamber.   
   
   
       17 . A method for distributing air in a finger duct for use in an oven for heat treating a product, the method comprising:
 introducing a flow of heated air into an inlet of the finger duct;   dividing the flow of heated air into a plurality of longitudinally-extending channels in the finger duct;   staggering the deflection of the flow of air in adjacent ones of the plurality of longitudinally-extending channels toward a plurality of outlets in the finger duct; and   discharging the deflected flow of air in each of the plurality of longitudinally-extending channels from respective plurality of outlets in the finger duct.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the deflecting the flow of air in adjacent ones of the plurality of longitudinally-extending channels comprises deflecting the flow of air in the plurality of longitudinally-extending in a staggered checkered pattern. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising distributing the discharge of heated air generally evenly from the plurality of outlets. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising tapering the plurality of longitudinally-extending channels from the inlet opening to a distal end of the housing. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising diffusing the flow of air out of the plurality of outlets.