WO2013111005A1

WO2013111005A1 - Combined apparatus for cooking food and for temperature maintenance with an accessory smoking system

Info

Publication number: WO2013111005A1
Application number: PCT/IB2013/000115
Authority: WO
Inventors: Simone LAZZER; Samuele LAZZER
Original assignee: Moduline S.R.L.
Priority date: 2012-01-27
Filing date: 2013-01-25
Publication date: 2013-08-01
Also published as: ITTV20120014A1

Abstract

Apparatus for cooking food and for temperature maintenance with an accessory smoking system, made up of an oven of the electrical type and with a smoking device that communicates with the cooking chamber in such a way as to introduce in a controlled way a quantity of smoke into said cooking chamber, said smoking device being removable with respect to the oven and interfaceable with respect to the control logic unit of said oven that detects its presence, said smoking device being provided with fan means in such a way as to draw the smoke generated in the combustion chamber of the smoking device and to convey the flow of smoke without it crossing the blades of the fan, towards and along the collector of connection to the feeding/vent pipe of said oven provided with shut-off valves.

Description

COMB INED APPARATUS FOR COOKI NG FOOD AN D FOR

TEM PERATURE MAI NTENANCE WITH AN ACCESSO RY SMOKING

SYSTEM

[0001 ] The present invention relates to an apparatus for cooking food, which comprises an electrical oven but also if necessary a gas oven of the convection or mixed type for cooking food with an additional smoking system. The invention finds particular although not exclusive application in the field of equipment for the foodservice industry and for large kitchens in general.

Field of the invention

[0002] In the foodservice industry there is often the tested need to resort to equipment for cooking food, such as ovens, provided on the one hand with a good thermal performance for a faster and more uniform cooking minimizing consumptions, but on the other hand, above all, able to ensure in a single integrated oven a good versatility of use depending on the growing and variable needs of the chef, for example the fact to be able to choose whether to roast, braise, grill, or brown the food being cooked.

[0003] In principle these functions are entrusted to the logic unit of the oven, which operates in such a way as to make some values detected inside the cooking chamber interact with other values, selected by the manufacturer, which allows to obtain some prearranged cooking modes with a good quality. Moreover, it must be added that the currently existing ovens integrate or avail themselves of accessory devices able to offer also simultaneously other cooking modes, such as the steam cooking function.

[0004] In the field of culinary art there is sometimes the need to smoke the dishes, before serving them or simply for their preservation. Usually some chefs, such as those devoted to molecular cuisine, prefer to use cold smoke rather than hot, and consequently they provide themselves in an empiric way to flavour/treat the dish in such a way that it results with organoleptic characteristics similar to the conventional smoking process that is usually used to improve the preservation process. In principle, it is possible to agree on the fact that the artisan smoking process is obtained by exposing the food to the smoke generated by the slow combustion of the sawdust of aromatic woods, and is a food preservation technique used by man since ancient times. Smoking has antiseptic, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The aspect and the taste of the smoked food are modified in such a way as to be aromatic, and those more often submitted to the treatment are meat, salmon, sword fish. Finally, the cheeses that are usually submitted to a fast and superficial smoking.

[0005] It is possible to correctly state that some companies of the sector, for their own cooking equipment within the foodservice industry, have long since introduced the smoking function, associating or integrating to the cooking apparatus, in this case a traditional oven, some devices able to generate in a controlled way some smoke in such a way as to be able to introduce it, according to needs, into the cooking chamber.

Prior art

[0006] Short research within patent literature, although not much in depth, has allowed to find the following prior documents:

D1 EP2005831 (Bassoli)

D2 US61 42066 (Anders et al.)

D3 W02004000027 (Chan)

D4 US2005051 038 (Bartelick)

D5 WO2009026877 (Leuschner)

D1 , in particular, describes a cooking and smoking apparatus for cooking and smoking food that comprises cooking chamber means for containing said food, heating means, placed in said cooking chamber means, for heating said food, smoking chamber means for smoking said food and duct means for connecting said cooking means to said smoking chamber means. D2 proposes an apparatus and a method for cooking and smoking food. Basically, it describes a cooking apparatus that comprises, upstream of a first fan means that precedes the burner and that introduces hot air into the cooking chamber, a smoke generator. The smoke generated by said smoke generator is sucked by a second fan means and then sent through said first fan means into the cooking chamber.

D3 relates to an apparatus for transforming food with electrical heating means, as well as the capability to generate smoke so that the foodstuffs may be smoked and cooked simultaneously. The food transformation apparatus is equipped with means for making the seasoning foodstuffs (the flavouring smoke) circulate within a closed food transformation space. It also comprises a passage of the exhaust air provided with a controllable valve and connected to valves and a means for adsorbing and deodorant for purifying the exhaust air when the smoke is removed from the closed food transformation space.

D4 is an oven indicated with a first food preparation apparatus in the form of a convection heat source and/or of a steam generation assembly and/or a radiant heat source, and a second food preparation apparatus in the form of a smoke generator. The oven can work with at least one of the food preparation devices or simultaneously with the smoke generator or separately from the smoke generator.

D5 The invention relates to a display and control device for adjusting a food treatment programme, in particular a cooking programme, of a cooking appliance, which comprises a plurality of control elements, each of which allows at least one parameter of said program to be adjusted. The display and control device is characterised in that a parameter of the programme is graphically displayed on each control element for the purpose of controlling the cooking appliance regardless of the product and of the language. A specific module of the cooking appliance symbolizes a preparation of a product to be cooked, such as flash roasting, roasting, frosting, sauteing, flash grilling, grilling, cooking, poaching, steaming, baking, braising, roasting, finishing, deep-frying, browning, fermenting, drying, or the like, and at least temporarily displayed on at least one first number of control elements, and a variable that relates to the way in which the product to be cooked is prepared and that is determined by an intensity, quantity and/or duration, at least temporarily displayed on at least one second number of control elements.

[0007] Given the foregoing, it is therefore reasonable to consider as known an oven for cooking food, comprising a device for generating smoke like a smoker, in such a way as to introduce said smoke in a controlled way into the cooking chamber, see for example D1 -D4, as equally known are means for controlling the smoking function, see for example D5.

Drawbacks

[0008] It is certainly possible to agree on the fact that the solutions described in the previous paragraph are all in all effective, because they act so that some smoke is introduced into the cooking chamber in order to treat and/or flavour the dishes being cooked, however, the known appliances do not ensure in a versatile and rapid way an optimal production of smoke in such a way as to feed in a controlled and effective way the environment of the cooking chamber. This may be referred both to the classical cooking-smoking oven configuration, in which case the smoker most of the times is substantially integrated in the same cooking apparatus, and to the fact that in the smokers of the known type, the smoke as is conveyed substantially affects the optimal operation of the smoker itself.

[0009] Secondly, the conventional equipment provided with a smoking device, in a smoking cycle, needs the operation, in the cooking chamber or in the smoking device, of the sucking fan or alternatively they suck from the back zone with respect to said fan, in conclusion being little efficient, requiring maintenance, complex in their operation and substantially little suitable for immediate use in the foodservice industry having not sufficiently rapid response times. For these and the below-mentioned reasons, in conclusion, there is the need to identify some improving proposals with respect to the currently existing techniques.

Short description of the object of the invention

[001 0] These and other aims are achieved by the present invention according to the characteristics as in the enclosed claims solving the mentioned problems by means of an apparatus for cooking food and for temperature maintenance with an accessory smoking system, made up of an oven of the electrical type and with a smoking device that communicates with the cooking chamber in such a way as to introduce in a controlled way some smoke into said cooking chamber, said smoking device being removable with respect to the oven and interfaceable with respect to the control logic unit of said oven that detects its presence, said smoking device being provided with fan means in such a way as to draw the smoke generated in the combustion chamber of the smoking device and to convey the flow of smoke without it crossing the blades of the fan, towards and along the collector of connection to the feeding/vent pipe of said oven provided with shut-off valves.

Aims

[001 1 ] In this way, by the considerable creative contribution the effect of which constitutes an immediate and non-negligible technical progress, various and important aims are achieved. A first aim was to obtain an apparatus for cooking, in particular an oven, combined in a versatile way with a smoking system that, by means of a smoking device, makes use of an original suction system of the flow of smoke to convey into the cooking chamber the smoke produced by the smoking device. In more detail, the smoking device is absolutely removable with respect to the oven, in such a way as to be used only at the moment in which the user needs its use, ensuring at the same time a limited bulk. The installation of said smoking device is carried out in a very easy and rapid way, first placing it in the above part, upper surface or top of the oven so that the smoke outflow collector of the smoking device fits with a male female connection to the so arranged feeding pipe that slightly protrudes from the top of the oven. The connection for the interfacing with the logic unit of the oven is obtained by means of a cable which is unwound and simply connected to the relative socket prearranged in the immediate proximity of the top of the oven, also providing the relative power supply. By sucking the smoke generated by the smoking device and conveying it towards the cooking chamber of the oven, one puts the smoking device itself in a slight depression obtaining a flow of external air that sustains combustion, improving ignition ensuring a continuous, rapid and uniform production of smoke.

[001 2] A second aim, peculiar to the smoking device, consists in preventing that the flow of smoke to be conveyed into the oven interferes with the blades of the fan, in such a way as to prevent the latter from getting dirty, which causes a progressive decrease in efficiency in the feeding action with the flow of smoke of the cooking chamber obliging the user to carry out constant maintenance.

[001 3] A further aim consists in allowing a - even cold - smoking function, therefore with the cooking chamber of the oven not necessarily in temperature. In conventional ovens the smoking function can be performed only at high temperature, this because the inflow of the smoke into the cooking chamber is allowed by the ventilation function present inside the cooking chamber, which causes a depression which in this way calls back the flow of smoke generated by the smoking device. In the case of the apparatus and system under examination, the smoking device generates some smoke that is pushed into the cooking chamber independently of the ventilation activity of the cooking chamber.

[001 4] With respect to the solutions mentioned in the prior art, it is possible to state the following. D1 substantially suggests that the connection duct or feeding pipe, between the device that generates smoke and the oven, is distinct from other functions of the oven, and configured in such a way as to enter with its second end substantially opposite the blades of the fan. The figure of reference of the descriptive text is more explicative, as a consequence in the case of D1 the fan works by suction. The proposal object of the present invention, on the other hand, always uses a duct independent of the smoke generating device/oven, but said smoke generating device is connected to the oven through the connection of the feeding pipe in such a way as not to use the fan in suction, placed in the technical space, and avoiding to suck in from the back zone with respect to the fan.

[001 5] As far as the solution described in D2 is concerned, it has been observed that it substantially requires two cascade fans, the first of which sucks the smoke generated by the smoker and the second introduces said smoke together with the hot air generated by the burner into the cooking chamber. In this case, the object of the present invention uses only one fan and, on the contrary, does not work by direct sucking, but uses the depression created in correspondence of the entrance of the smoking device in the feeding pipe of the oven, getting round the crossing of the fan placed immediately downstream of the smoke generator. This condition allows to keep the blades of the fan clean and to significantly reduce its maintenance, with high and constant efficiency.

[001 6] D3 and D4, which are similar, comprise integrated in the oven the smoke generating device, where on the contrary the solution proposed by the present invention allows to separate the smoke generator from the oven in such a way that it can be used only in case of actual need. To summarize, the object of the present invention is a less complex solution, of minimum maintenance and versatile, with the possibility to significantly reduce bulk. In conclusion, these advantages have the non-negligible merit of obtaining an oven with a good technological content, functional for its high performance and extremely reliable, also in particular working conditions. These and other advantages will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred solution with the aid of the schematic drawings enclosed whose details of execution are not to be considered limitative but only and exclusively illustrative.

Content of the drawings

Figure 1 is a whole view of the apparatus for cooking food provided with an accessory smoking system;

Figure 2 is a section view of the apparatus for cooking food provided with an accessory smoking system in which the collector of entrance to the feeding duct of the oven is highlighted;

Figure 3 is a block diagram of the smoking programme;

Figure 4 is a block diagram of the smoking programme with the cooking and maintenance function.

Practical execution of the invention

[001 7] The object of the present invention relates to an apparatus for cooking food (Fig. 1 ) and for temperature maintenance made up of an electrical oven (1 0) to which a smoke generating device (20), also conventionally called smoker, is joined in a removable way.

[0018] The oven ( 10) comprises a cooking chamber into which the dishes are introduced, accessing through a door, generally positioned in the front part with respect to said oven ( 1 0). On the bottom of said cooking chamber there is an exhaust or cooking liquid collection hole, which hole is connected to an underlying exhaust liquid pipe. There is also provided a side vent and safety pipe ( 1 1 0) that discharges the pressure that is formed inside the cooking chamber due to its heating and to the entry of the smoke, and is provided with a shut-off valve (1 1 1 ) suitable to open/close the outflow of the flow of smoke and/or hot air present inside said cooking chamber of the oven ( 1 0).

[001 9] A feeding pipe (1 20) puts in communication the cooking chamber of the oven (1 0) with the smoke generating device (20), in such a way that while a second end of the feeding pipe (1 20) is positioned in correspondence of said cooking chamber, the first end ( 121 ) protrudes slightly with respect to the top or upper surface ( 100) of the external coating of the oven (1 0) in such a way as to facilitate the connection between the smoke generating device (20) and the oven ( 1 0). In correspondence of said first end (1 1 ) of the feeding pipe ( 1 20) is positioned a shut-off valve (200) in such a way as to allow to open/close the delivery of the flow of smoke from the smoke generating device (20) to the cooking chamber of the oven (1 0).

[0020] Always in correspondence of the upper surface (100) of said oven (1 0) there is a socket (300) which is connected to the power supply system of the apparatus and comprises slots for the communication with the logic unit of the oven (1 0). A cable (400) with a relative plug on the one side connected to said smoke generating device (20) is connectable to said socket (300) in such a way as to interface and supply said smoke generating device (20) with respect to the oven (1 0).

[0021 ] With reference to Figure 1 , the apparatus for cooking food comprises the smoke generating device (20) which is removable and rests in correspondence of the upper surface ( 1 00) of the oven (1 0). More in particular said smoke generating device (20) is made up of a container (21 ) with a cover (22) of the openable type to access the combustion chamber (23) of the removable and perforated metal type. Below said combustion chamber (23) by means of a resistor (24) some sawdust chips are heated, which are placed inside said perforated combustion chamber (23). The wood chips, when heated, develop smoke in the perforated combustion chamber (23), from which by means of a duct (25) through the fan (26) the drawing of the flow of smoke and its transport to the inside of the cooking chamber of the oven (1 0) are allowed.

[0022] Even more in particular, the smoke generating device (20) conveys the flow of smoke into said cooking chamber of the oven (10) by means of the action of the fan (26) that is placed above the conical connection collector (27) which in its turn is in communication with the duct (25). In this case the conical connection collector (27) has the function of causing a Venturi-Bernoulli effect and to this purpose it was configured in such a way as to be of the type with a double coating, in practice two coaxial conical liners (271 , 272) in such a way as to obtain, between said first internal (271 ) and second external coating (272), the air space (270) where the second end of the duct (25) is connected whose first end is in communication with the combustion chamber (23) of the smoke generating device (20). The fan (26) that is placed at the top with respect to the conical connection collector (27) pushes the air drawn from outside downwards, inviting it to cross the conical connection collector (27), in such a way that in correspondence of the outlet it sucks up downwards the flow of smoke (f) that through the duct (25) is conveyed into the air space (270) to be sucked up along the connection entrance (280) to the feeding pipe (1 20) of the oven (10). In more detail, to cause the Venturi-Bernoulli effect that determines the suction of the flow of smoke (f) from the combustion chamber (23), the first internal coating (271 ) has a greater development with respect to the second external coating (272) to which the duct (25) is connected, in such a way that the outflow channel (281 ) that circumscribes the end of the first coating (271 ) is below the second end of the duct (25). In this way said feeding pipe (1 0) of the oven (1 0) through said connection entrance (280) puts in communication the cooking chamber of the oven (1 0) with the smoke generating device (20) for the purpose of conveying into it the flow of smoke (f) generated by said smoke generating device (20).

[0023] Once the smoke generating device (20) has been connected to the oven (1 0), by inserting the plug of the cable (400) into the corresponding socket (300) of the oven (1 0), the logic unit of the oven ( 1 0) will make available some information shown for example on a display suitable to perform a smoking programme (Fig. 3) or a smoking programme implemented with the cooking and/or maintenance programme (Fig. 4). Said information can be shown on the display or another display system in a written form or consisting of graphic symbols and can be selected through conventional selection means, be they with keys, with a selector of the knob type, even in the touch screen version.

[0024] In a possible solution, from the main menu of the graphic interface of the logic unit of the oven ( 1 0), which for example presents at least the following indications SMOKING, PREHEATING, COOKING, MAINTENANCE, COMBINED, one selects the entry SMOKING (Figure 3), which in turn presents the following sub-functions SOFT, MEDIUM and HARD to which three different smoking degrees correspond. By selecting each of the three levels, one enters a sub-menu where it is possible to set the smoking temperature and the smoking time. In this case the smoking temperature can go from the minimum ambient value (AMB), thus the smoking will be carried out without heating the cooking chamber of the oven (1 0), up to the maximum value of 1 00° C. As for the smoking time, it can get up to a maximum of 48 hours. By selecting start, the preset time and possibly the time remaining to the completion of the smoking cycle will be displayed.

[0025] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the electronic management of the apparatus object of the present invention. From the main menu of the graphic interface of the logic unit of the oven (1 0), which for example presents at least the following indications SMOKING, PREHEATING, COOKING, MAINTENANCE, COMBINED, one selects the entry COMBINED, which in its turn presents the following sub-functions SMOKING, PROGRAMME. By selecting SMOKING, one is reconnected to the selections described in the previous paragraph, whereas by selecting PROGRAMME one can select one of the stored programmes, which in its turn can be made up of a cooking programme plus a temperature maintenance programme once the desired cooking has been reached. By selecting start, the preset time and possibly the time remaining to the completion of the smoking cycle will be displayed. Reference

(1 0) oven

(1 00) top or upper surface

(1 1 0) vent and safety pipe

(1 1 1 ) shut-off valve

(1 20) feeding pipe

(1 21 ) first end

(200) shut-off valve

(300) socket

(20) smoke generating device

(21 ) container

(400) cable with plug

(22) cover

(23) combustion chamber

(24) resistor

(25) duct

(26) fan

(27) conical connection collector (271 , 272) coaxial coating (270) air space

(f) flow of smoke

(280) connection entrance

(281 ) outflow channel

Claims

1. Apparatus for cooking food, made up of an oven (1 0) and with a smoking device (20), which communicates with the cooking chamber of the oven ( 10) in such a way as to introduce in a controlled way a quantity of smoke into said cooking chamber, said smoking device (20) being of the removable type with respect to the oven (1 0) and interfaceable with respect to the control logic unit of said oven ( 1 0) that detects its presence, characterised in that said smoking device (20) is provided with fan means (26) and a conical connection collector (27) in such a way as to draw through the duct (25) the smoke generated in the combustion chamber (23) of the smoking device (20) and to convey the flow of smoke (f) without it crossing the blades of the fan (26), towards and along the connection collector (27) connected to the feeding/vent pipe (1 20) of said oven (1 0).

2. Apparatus for cooking food, according to claim 1 , characterised in that the smoke generating device (20) conveys the flow of smoke into said cooking chamber of the oven (1 0) by means of the action of the fan (26) that is placed above the conical connection collector (27) which in its turn is in communication with the duct (25) since the conical connection collector (27) has the function of causing a Venturi-Bernoulli effect, said connection collector (27) being made up of two coaxial conical liners (271 , 272) in such a way as to obtain, between said first internal (271 ) and second external coating (272), the air space (270) where the second end of the duct (25) is connected whose first end is in communication with the combustion chamber (23) of the smoke generating device (20).

3. Apparatus for cooking food, according to claim 1 and 2, characterised in that the fan (26) is placed at the top with respect to the conical connection collector (27) in such a way as to push the air drawn from outside downwards, inviting it to cross the conical connection collector (27) with, in correspondence of the outlet, the first internal coating (271 ) that has a greater development with respect to the second external coating (272) to which the duct (25) is connected, creating the outflow channel (281 ) that circumscribes the end of the first coating (271 ) which is below the second end of the duct (25), in such a way as to suck downwards the flow of smoke (f) that through the duct (25) is conveyed into the air space (270) and sent along the entrance (280) to the feeding pipe (1 20) of the oven (10).

Apparatus for cooking food, according to the previous claims, characterised in that the oven (10) comprises a cooking chamber communicating with a side vent and safety pipe (1 10) lateral with respect to the cooking chamber, which leads to the external environment, said side vent and safety pipe (1 1 0) being provided with a shut-off valve (1 1 1 ) suitable to open/close the outflow of the flow of smoke and/or hot air present inside the cooking chamber of the oven (10), and with a feeding pipe (1 20) that puts in communication the cooking chamber of the oven (1 0) with the smoke generating device (20), in such a way that while a second end of the feeding pipe ( 1 20) is placed in correspondence of said cooking chamber, the first end (1 21 ) is connected to the smoke generating device (20), wherein in correspondence of said first end (1 21 ) of the feeding pipe (1 20) there is a shut-off valve (200) in such a way as to allow to open/close the delivery of the flow of smoke from the smoke generating device (20) to the cooking chamber of the oven (1 0).

Apparatus for cooking food, according to the previous claims, characterised in that in correspondence of the upper surface (1 00) of said oven (1 0) there is a socket (300) connected to the power supply system of the apparatus and that comprises slots for the communication with the logic unit of the oven ( 1 0); a cable (400) with a relative plug on the one side connected to said smoke generating device (20) is connectable to said socket (300) in such a way as to interface and supply said smoke generating device (20) with respect to the oven (1 0).

6. Accessory smoking system, which comprises an oven (1 0) and a smoke generating device (20), which smoke generating device (20) is interfaced with the logic unit of the oven ( 1 0), in such a way that from the main menu of the graphic interface of the logic unit of the oven (1 0) that presents at least the following information SMOKING, PREHEATING, COOKING, MAINTENANCE, COMBINED, one selects the entry SMOKING, which presents the following sub-functions SOFT, MEDIUM and HARD to which three different smoking degrees correspond, in such a way that, by selecting one, one enters a submenu where the smoking temperature and the smoking time are set; said smoking temperature being comprised between the minimum ambient value (AMB) and the maximum value of 1 00° C, for a maximum smoking time of 48 hours.

7. Accessory smoking system, which comprises an oven ( 1 0) and a smoke generating device (20), according to claim 6, characterised in that from the main menu of the graphic interface of the logic unit of the oven (1 0) one selects the function COMBINED, which in its turn presents the following sub-functions SMOKING, PROGRAMME, in such a way that, by selecting SMOKING, one is reconnected to the selections described in the previous paragraph, whereas, by selecting the function PROGRAMME, one can select one of the stored programmes, which in its turn can be made up of a cooking programme plus a temperature maintenance programme once the desired cooking has been reached.