High Efficiency Infra-Red Cooking Oven

Abstract

A high efficiency cooking system includes a thermal enclosure having an open mouth at its front, the mouth in communication with the ambient atmosphere, the enclosure having hinged frontal doors below the open mouth, an interior of doors defining an upward air path provided by an air blower for blowing air upwardly through vertical channels within the doors, across the open mouth, into an exhaust assembly above the top of the mouth, and an exhaust assembly for expelling air into the atmosphere. Also included is a horizontal high thermal conductivity panel formed of a stone-like material, positioned on a complemental support, axially journaled on a rigid shaft, rotated by a gear motor. Further included are a pair of hydrocarbon gas or electrical powered infrared OR) emitters.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A high efficiency cooking system, comprising:
 (a) a thermal enclosure having an open mouth at front thereof, said mouth in communication with the ambient atmosphere, said enclosure having hinged frontal doors below said open mouth, an interior of said doors defining an upward air path therein powered by an air blower beneath said enclosure, blowing air upwardly through vertical channels within said doors and across said open mouth, above said open doors, to a ceiling of said enclosure, and into an exhaust assembly above a top of said enclosure, said exhaust assembly expelling said air into ambient atmosphere;   (b) a horizontal high thermal conductivity panel formed of a stone-like material, said panel positioned in a complemental support axially journaled on a rigid shaft, said shaft rotated by a gear motor;   (c) a pair of hydrocarbon gas powered infrared (IR) emitters, one located upon said ceiling of said enclosure and or beneath said panel; and   (d) a flicker flame burner situated at a rear surface of interior of said enclosure and above but proximally to said conductive panel.   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gas manifold having an input of a pressurized hydrocarbon gaseous fuel and output channels directed to inputs to each of said upper and lower IR emitters, said inputs having orifices and an output channel directed to an input to said flicker flame burner.   
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , in which said ceiling of said enclosure comprises the color black. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising gas flow solenoids proximally to inputs to each of said IR emitter channels and said flicker flame channel. 
     
     
         5 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 means for adjusting a ratio of gas flow of said upper IR emitter orifice to that of said lower IR emitter orifice.   
     
     
         6 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , in which said ceiling of said enclosure pitches from a higher level at its rear to a lower level as said ceiling approaches said open mouth of the system. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 6 , in which said enclosure defines a substantially circular horizontal cross-section. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 7 , in which a polar extent of said mouth relative to an entire circumference of said enclosure defines a range of between about 90 degrees and about 180 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 8 , in which a rotational speed of said panel defines a range of about 0.25 to about 2.0 revolutions per minute. 
     
     
         10 . The system as recited in  claim 9 , in which a greatest height of said open mouth defines about 30 percent of an entire height of said thermal enclosure. 
     
     
         11 . The system as recited as in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 means for adjusting a ratio of gas flow to said upper IR orifice to that of said lower IR orifice.   
     
     
         12 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a gas manifold having an input of a pressurized hydrocarbon gaseous fuel and output channels directed to inputs to each of said upper and lower IR emitters, said inputs having orifices and an output channel directed to an input to said flicker flame burner.   
     
     
         13 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , in which said ceiling of said enclosure pitches from a higher level at its rear to a lower level as said ceiling approaches said open mouth of the system. 
     
     
         14 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , in which said infrared emitters are situated proximally to the rear of the ceiling and of the floor respectively of said thermal enclosure. 
     
     
         15 . A high efficiency infrared oven for cooking food items. comprising:
 (a) a housing having a housing wall including a proximal permanent food access opening for inserting and removing food products to be processed to thereby provide a continuous and uninterrupted fluid communication with ambient atmosphere;   (b) a high thermal storage capacity food product support panel horizontally and rotationally mounted within said housing; and   (c) IR radiant emitters for heating of said support panel for delivering heat above and below said panel to, therefrom, conducively transfer stored heat into food products placed upon said panel, said emitters oriented to deliver heat as the panel rotates to provide a region of intensified cooking, into and out of which food items pass as said food product support panel is rotated.   
     
     
         16 . The oven as recited in  claim 15 , further comprises a flicker flame burner at a rear of an interior of said housing. 
     
     
         17 . The oven as recited in  claim 16 , in which said panel heating means are oriented between an axis of rotation of said support panel and a periphery thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The oven as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 means for effecting circulation throughout oven interior thermal values of said IR emitters not transferred to said rotating panel or items therein.   
     
     
         19 . The oven as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 thermostatic or control means for balancing temperature and thermal output of said upper and lower IR sources.   
     
     
         20 . The oven as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a black surface comprising an interior of said oven to thereby utilize phenomenon of black body radiation to contain in oven interior radiant energy from said IR heating sources not utilized within said region of intensified heating.