Convection recirculating fryer for cooking foods

Abstract

A convection recirculating food product fryer with a fry tank with and inlet tube connected to a heat exchanger and an outlet connected to a magnetic pump with an outlet tube to the heat exchanger, the pump having a driving magnet assembly housing an impeller and a driven magnet, with a ceramic shaft extending through the impeller about which the impeller rotates when pumping oil; an electric motor magnetically coupled to the magnetic pump; a burner to heat the oil in the heat exchanger; a controller to control the ignition and running of the burner.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A convection recirculating fryer, comprising:
 a fry tank for receiving a fluid; and   a magnetic pump operatively connected to the fry tank for pumping the fluid through the fry tank, the magnetic pump comprising:
 (i) a cylindrical driving magnet assembly having a circumference, wherein the cylindrical driving magnet assembly includes a plurality of driving magnets positioned in equidistant arrangement around the circumference of the cylindrical driving magnet assembly; 
 (ii) an impeller magnet housing encasing at least one driven magnet, wherein the impeller magnet housing is concentric with and receivable by the cylindrical driving magnet assembly; and 
 (iii) an impeller that rotates about a stationary ceramic shaft extending through the impeller when pumping the fluid, 
 wherein the plurality of driving magnets and the at least one driven magnet comprise a magnetic material that maintains magnetic properties when exposed to the fluid at temperatures in excess of 350° F. 
   
     
     
         21 . The fryer of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of driving magnets are separated by a plurality of axially-aligned voids positioned therebetween around the circumference of the cylindrical driving magnet assembly. 
     
     
         22 . The fryer of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of driving magnets are separated by a plurality of circumferential gaps of predetermined width along the circumference of the cylindrical driving magnet assembly. 
     
     
         23 . The fryer of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of driving magnets form a plurality of diametrically opposite pairs around the circumference of the cylindrical driving magnet assembly. 
     
     
         24 . The fryer of  claim 20 , wherein each of the plurality of driving magnets comprises an elongate member positioned axially along an inner surface of the cylindrical driving magnet assembly. 
     
     
         25 . The fryer of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of driving magnets comprises eight driving magnets. 
     
     
         26 . The fryer of  claim 20 , further comprising a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the fry tank for heating the fluid as the fluid passes through the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         27 . The fryer of  claim 26 , further comprising a means for heating the fluid as the fluid passes through the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         28 . The fryer of  claim 27 , further comprising a controller for controlling the heating means. 
     
     
         29 . The fryer of  claim 28 , wherein the means for heating the fluid as the fluid passes through the heat exchanger is a gas burner with a blower, an injector tube, and a plurality of symmetrically positioned gas injectors to evenly distribute the flame along a burner sleeve of the gas burner. 
     
     
         30 . The fryer of  claim 26 , wherein the magnetic pump comprises an inlet in fluid communication with the fry tank and an outlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         31 . The fryer of  claim 30 , wherein the magnetic pump is positioned in a substantially vertical orientation such that the inlet is positioned above the impeller. 
     
     
         32 . The fryer of  claim 31 , further comprising an electric motor mechanically coupled to the magnetic pump and operative to drive the impeller such that the fluid from the fry tank enters the inlet of the magnetic pump, is imparted with velocity by the impeller, is directed to the heat exchanger, is heated in the heat exchanger, and then is provided back to the fry tank. 
     
     
         33 . The fryer of  claim 32 , further comprising a glow plug with a flame sensor to ignite gas, an injector tube and a plurality of injectors to inject gas into the tube, and a perforated burner sleeve to better distribute the flame in the heat exchanger, wherein the fluid is distributed through the heat exchanger by tubing included within the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         34 . The fryer of  claim 32 , wherein the magnetic pump is located above the electric motor. 
     
     
         35 . The fryer of  claim 20 , further comprising a filter to remove foreign matter from the fluid. 
     
     
         36 . The fryer of  claim 35 , wherein the filter is positioned within an interior of the fry tank for collecting the foreign matter within the fry tank. 
     
     
         37 . The fryer of  claim 35 , further comprising a filter pump for circulating the fluid through the filter. 
     
     
         38 . The fryer of  claim 20 , wherein the stationary ceramic shaft extending through the impeller is oriented in a substantially vertical orientation. 
     
     
         39 . The fryer of  claim 20 , wherein the magnetic material is Samarium Cobalt. 
     
     
         40 . A fryer apparatus, comprising:
 a tank for receiving a fluid; and   a magnetic pump operatively connected to the tank for pumping the fluid through the tank, the magnetic pump comprising:
 (i) a cylindrical driving magnet assembly having a circumference, wherein the cylindrical driving magnet assembly includes a plurality of driving magnets positioned in a spaced-apart manner around the circumference of the cylindrical driving magnet assembly; 
 (ii) an impeller magnet housing encasing at least one driven magnet, wherein the impeller magnet housing is concentric with and receivable by the cylindrical driving magnet assembly; and 
 (iii) an impeller that rotates about a stationary ceramic shaft extending through the impeller when pumping the fluid, 
 wherein the plurality of driving magnets and the at least one driven magnet comprise a magnetic material that maintains magnetic properties when exposed to the fluid at temperatures in excess of 350° F. 
   
     
     
         41 . A convection recirculating fryer apparatus, comprising:
 a magnetic pump for pumping fluid through the convection recirculating fryer apparatus, the magnetic pump comprising:
 (i) a cylindrical driving magnet assembly having a circumference, wherein the cylindrical driving magnet assembly includes a plurality of driving magnets positioned in equidistant arrangement around the circumference of the cylindrical driving magnet assembly; 
 (ii) an impeller magnet housing encasing at least one driven magnet, wherein the impeller magnet housing is concentric with and receivable by the cylindrical driving magnet assembly; and 
 (iii) an impeller that rotates about a stationary ceramic shaft extending through the impeller when pumping the fluid, 
 wherein the plurality of driving magnets and the at least one driven magnet comprise a magnetic material that maintains magnetic properties when exposed to the fluid at temperatures in excess of 350° F.