Systems and methods for heating food

Abstract

An oven for processing food comprising a housing assembly defining a vent opening. The vent opening allows at least a portion of fluid within the food heating chamber to flow out of an exhaust port.

1 . An oven for processing food, comprising:
 a housing assembly comprising
 an outer housing assembly defining a main chamber, an exhaust chamber, an exhaust opening, and an outer access opening, and 
 an inner housing assembly arranged within the main chamber, where the inner housing assembly comprises
 an inner housing member defining an inner chamber and an inner access opening, and 
 a baffle member arranged to divide the inner chamber into a food heating chamber and an air heating chamber, 
 
 a door member rotatably attached to the outer housing assembly; 
   a blower fan assembly at least partly disposed within the air heating chamber;   an exhaust fan assembly supported relative to the outer housing assembly; whereby   the outer access opening and the inner access opening at least partly align to define an access port;   the door member rotates between
 an open position in which the inner chamber is accessible through the access port, and 
 a closed position in which the inner chamber is not accessible through the access port; 
   a vent opening is defined by the housing assembly, where the vent opening allows at least a portion of fluid within the food heating chamber to flow into the exhaust chamber;   the exhaust chamber is in fluid communication with the vent opening;   operation of the blower fan assembly causes air within the air heating chamber to flow into the food heating chamber; and   operation of the exhaust fan assembly draws at least a portion of any fluid exiting the food heating chamber through the vent port, through the exhaust chamber, and out of the exhaust port.   
   
   
       2 . An oven as recited in  claim 1 , in which operation of the exhaust fan assembly further draws ambient air into the exhaust chamber. 
   
   
       3 . An oven as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a heating system arranged to heat air within the air heating chamber. 
   
   
       4 . An oven as recited in  claim 3 , in which the heating system comprises at least one heating element arranged within the air heating chamber. 
   
   
       5 . An oven as recited in  claim 1 , in which:
 a gap is defined between the door member and the outer housing assembly when the door member is in the closed position; and   when the door member is in the closed position, the door member engages the outer housing assembly such that
 fluid flow is substantially prevented through a first portion of the gap, and 
 the vent opening is defined by a second portion of the gap. 
   
   
   
       6 . An oven as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising a seal system adapted to inhibit flow of air through the first portion of the gap. 
   
   
       7 . An oven as recited in  claim 6 , in which the seal system comprises:
 a seal projection extending from the door member; and   a seal recess formed in the outer housing assembly; whereby   the seal projection is adapted to engage the seal recess to inhibit fluid flow through the first portion of the gap.   
   
   
       8 . An oven as recited in  claim 1 , in which the blower fan assembly comprises:
 a blower motor, and   a motor standoff assembly; whereby   the motor standoff assembly is configured to inhibit transmission of heat from the inner housing member to the blower motor.   
   
   
       9 . An oven as recited in  claim 1 , in which:
 the outer housing assembly comprises a main housing member comprising an upper flange; and   the housing assembly further comprises a cover member adapted to be supported by the upper flange, where the exhaust chamber is defined by the main housing member and the cover member.   
   
   
       10 . An oven as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a filter member arranged within the exhaust chamber to filter fluid flowing through the exhaust chamber. 
   
   
       11 . An oven as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a condenser member arranged within the exhaust chamber. 
   
   
       12 . An oven for processing food, comprising:
 a housing assembly comprising
 an outer housing assembly defining a main chamber and an outer access opening, 
 an inner housing assembly arranged within the main chamber, where the inner housing assembly comprises
 an inner housing member defining an inner chamber and an inner access opening, and 
 a baffle member arranged to divide the inner chamber into a food heating chamber and an air heating chamber, and 
 
 a door member rotatably attached to the outer housing assembly; 
   a blower fan assembly comprising
 a blower fan disposed within the air heating chamber, 
 a blower motor for rotating the blower fan, and 
 a motor standoff assembly configured to support the blower motor relative to the inner housing member such that transmission of heat from the inner housing member to the blower motor is inhibited; 
   the outer access opening and the inner access opening at least partly align to define an access port;   the door member rotates between
 an open position in which the inner chamber is accessible through the access port, and 
 a closed position in which the inner chamber is not accessible through the access port; and 
   operation of the blower fan assembly causes air within the air heating chamber to circulate through the food heating chamber.   
   
   
       13 . An oven as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising a heating system arranged to heat air within the air heating chamber. 
   
   
       14 . An oven as recited in  claim 13 , in which the heating system comprises at least one heating element arranged within the air heating chamber. 
   
   
       15 . An oven as recited in  claim 12 , in which:
 the outer housing assembly defines an exhaust chamber and an exhaust opening;   the housing assembly defines a vent opening that allows at least a portion of fluid within the food heating chamber to flow into the exhaust chamber; and   the oven further comprises an exhaust fan assembly that draws at least a portion of any fluid exiting the food heating chamber through the vent port, through the exhaust chamber, and out of the exhaust port.   
   
   
       16 . An oven as recited in  claim 15 , in which the exhaust fan assembly further draws ambient air through the exhaust chamber. 
   
   
       17 . An oven as recited in  claim 16 , in which:
 a gap is defined between the door member and the outer housing assembly when the door member is in the closed position; and   when the door member is in the closed position, the door member engages the outer housing assembly such that
 fluid flow is substantially prevented through a first portion of the gap, and 
 the vent opening is defined by a second portion of the gap. 
   
   
   
       18 . An oven for processing food, comprising:
 a housing assembly comprising
 an outer housing assembly defining a main chamber and an outer access opening, 
 an inner housing assembly arranged within the main chamber, where the inner housing assembly comprises
 an inner housing member defining an inner chamber and an inner access opening, where a ratio of the bulk volume of the inner housing member to the volume of the food heating chamber is within a range of 1:5.5 to 1:8, and 
 a baffle member arranged to divide the inner chamber into a food heating chamber and an air heating chamber, where the baffle member defines an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and 
 
 a door member rotatably attached to the outer housing assembly; 
   a blower fan assembly at least partly disposed within the air heating chamber;   the outer access opening and the inner access opening at least partly align to define an access port;   the door member rotates between
 an open position in which the inner chamber is accessible through the access port, and 
 a closed position in which the inner chamber is not accessible through the access port; and 
   operation of the blower fan assembly causes air to circulate through the inlet opening, the air heating chamber, the outlet opening, and the food heating chamber.   
   
   
       19 . An oven for processing food, comprising:
 a housing assembly comprising
 an outer housing assembly defining a main chamber, an outer access opening, and an exhaust opening, 
 an inner housing assembly arranged within the main chamber, where the inner housing assembly comprises
 an inner housing member defining an inner chamber and an inner access opening, and 
 a baffle member arranged to divide the inner chamber into a food heating chamber and an air heating chamber, where the baffle member defines an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and 
 
 a door member rotatably attached to the outer housing assembly; 
   a blower fan assembly at least partly disposed within the air heating chamber;   the outer access opening and the inner access opening at least partly align to define an access port;   the door member rotates between
 an open position in which the inner chamber is accessible through the access port, and 
 a closed position in which the inner chamber is not accessible through the access port; 
   the housing assembly defines a vent opening for allowing fluid flow between the food heating chamber and the exhaust opening;   operation of the blower fan assembly causes air within the air heating chamber to circulate through the inlet opening, the air heating chamber, the outlet opening, and the food heating chamber; and   a ratio of an interior surface area of the food heating chamber to areas of the return inlet opening, the outlet opening, and the vent opening is approximately within a range of 40:1:0.6:0.16 to 50:1:0.85:0.28.   
   
   
       20 . An oven as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising an exhaust fan assembly supported relative to the outer housing assembly, where operation of the exhaust fan assembly draws at least a portion of any fluid exiting the food heating chamber through the vent port and out of the exhaust port.