Abstract: An oven which runs on a 20 ampere single phase electrical service includes a cooking chamber comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, at least one microwave generator, at least one set of nozzles, tubes or apertures disposed above a food product disposed within the oven, at least one blower having an RPM in the range between about 3000 to about 4000 at 100 percent velocity, wherein the blower circulates at least a portion of gas from the nozzles, tubes or apertures into the cooking chamber substantially toward the food product and back to the nozzles, tubes or apertures, and a thermal energy source that heats the gas, wherein the heated gas at or near the food product disposed in the cooking chamber exhibits a flow rate of at least about 150 CFM.

Abstract: A compact oven is disclosed. The compact oven includes a housing having a cavity for receiving food items, and one or more blowers for directing heated air into the cavity. The compact oven also includes an air deflection plate coupled to a nozzle plate having multiple nozzles for capturing and directing a portion of heated air from the blower to the cavity via nozzles located between the air deflection plate and the nozzle plate, while allowing the remaining heated air exiting the blower to move into the cavity via nozzles not located between the air deflection plate and the nozzle plate such that the velocities of heated air exiting all nozzles into the cavity are as close to each other as possible.

Abstract: A matchbox oven is disclosed. The matchbox oven includes a housing, a slider, a mover, a heat source and a blower. The housing includes a cavity having two openings. The mover moves the slider in and out of the cavity through the two openings. The heat source provides heat to the cavity for heating up any food item placed within the cavity. The slider includes multiple stoppers to serve as oven covers for preventing heat within the cavity from escaping through the two openings. The slider can also be utilized as a heat sink for lowering the cavity's temperature during oven operation. When a new cook temperature is substantially lower than the temperature of the cavity, the blower forces heated air within the cavity to exit through the two openings before the starting of and/or during the initial portion of a new cook cycle.

Abstract: A matchbox oven is disclosed. The matchbox oven includes a housing, a slider, a mover and a heat source. The housing includes a cavity having a first and second openings. The mover moves the slider in and out of the cavity through the first and second openings. The heat source provides heat to the cavity for heating up any food item placed on a portion of the slider located within the cavity. The slider, which is configured to receive food items, includes multiple stoppers to serve as oven covers for preventing heat within the cavity from escaping through the first and second openings. When necessary, a portion of the slider can also be utilized as a heat sink for lowering the temperature of the cavity during oven operation.

Abstract: A cooking oven system with a master-slave power assembly therebetween to allow for a single power connection to a 30 ampere single phase electrical outlet includes: a first oven which runs on about 15 amperes; and a second oven which runs on about 15 amperes with an electrical power system which includes a power cord that extends from the second oven to the electrical inlet of the first oven, thereby allowing the first oven to act as a power master to the second oven which acts as a slave by obtaining power from the first oven; wherein the heated gas at or near the food product disposed in the cooking chamber of either the first or second oven exhibits a flow rate of at least about 100 CFM at 100 percent velocity.

Abstract: A matchbox oven is disclosed. The matchbox oven includes a housing, a slider, a mover, a heat source and a blower. The housing includes a cavity having two openings. The mover moves the slider in and out of the cavity through the two openings. The heat source provides heat to the cavity for heating up any food item placed within the cavity. The slider includes multiple stoppers to serve as oven covers for preventing heat within the cavity from escaping through the two openings. The slider can also be utilized as a heat sink for lowering the cavity's temperature during oven operation. When a new cook temperature is substantially lower than the temperature of the cavity, the blower forces heated air within the cavity to exit through the two openings before the starting of and/or during the initial portion of a new cook cycle.

Abstract: A matchbox oven is disclosed. The matchbox oven includes a housing, a slider, a mover and a heat source. The housing includes a cavity having a first and second openings. The mover moves the slider in and out of the cavity through the first and second openings. The heat source provides heat to the cavity for heating up any food item placed on a portion of the slider located within the cavity. The slider, which is configured to receive food items, includes multiple stoppers to serve as oven covers for preventing heat within the cavity from escaping through the first and second openings. When necessary, a portion of the slider can also be utilized as a heat sink for lowering the temperature of the cavity during oven operation.

Abstract: An oven comprising a housing, a cavity located within the housing, and a rotator having a first food loading section and a second food loading section is disclosed. The cavity includes a single opening for loading a food item into the cavity. If one of the first food loading section and the second food loading section is located outside of said cavity, then the other of the first food loading section and the second food loading section is located within said cavity. A first cook setting of the oven when the first food loading section is within the cavity and a second cook setting of the oven when the second food loading section is within the cavity are independently controllable. The first food loading section and the second food loading section may be separated by a divider, which prevents heat from escaping from the cavity through the opening.

Abstract: A matchbox oven is disclosed. The matchbox oven includes a housing, a slider, a mover, a heat source and a blower. The housing includes a cavity having two openings. The mover moves the slider in and out of the cavity through the two openings. The heat source provides heat to the cavity for heating up any food item placed within the cavity. The slider includes multiple stoppers to serve as oven covers for preventing heat within the cavity from escaping through the two openings. The slider can also be utilized as a heat sink for lowering the cavity's temperature during oven operation. When a new cook temperature is substantially lower than the temperature of the cavity, the blower forces heated air within the cavity to exit through the two openings before the starting of and/or during the initial portion of a new cook cycle.

Abstract: A conveyor oven is disclosed. The conveyor oven includes a housing, a conveyor belt, a first and second doors, and a heat source. The housing includes a cavity and a first and second openings. The conveyor belt is configured to receive and transport food items in and out of the cavity through the first and second openings. The conveyor belt includes a loading section and an unloading section for food. The first and second doors cover first and second openings, respectively, in order to prevent heat within the cavity from escaping through the first and second openings during operation. Configured to provide different cooking times and thermal profiles to various types of food items, the heat source provides heat to the cavity for heating up any food item placed on a portion of the conveyor belt located within the cavity.

Abstract: A method for cooking food items in an oven is disclosed. A history of instant oven temperatures is initially obtained during a cook of a first food item. A salient representation of the oven temperature history is stored in a non-volatile memory. The salient representation includes multiple average oven temperatures, each selected to represent a summary of the instant oven temperatures at various specific time periods throughout the cook of the first food item. During a cook of a second food item that is substantially similar to the first cook item, the current cook settings are dynamically adjusted during the cook of the second food item based on the results of a comparison between the instant oven temperatures and the stored average oven temperatures in order to duplicate the result of the cook of the first item.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to improving the conventional high-speed cooking oven based on a combination of hot air impingement and microwave heating by providing a time-dependent spatial variation in the net air impingement and/or net microwave energy applied to the food product in the oven. This is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and microwave efficiencies in a high-speed cooking oven, thereby enabling the oven to deliver an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to the conventional high-speed cooking oven. In addition, under the embodiments of the present invention, the cooking efficiency may be further optimized by providing a plenum between each wall of the cooking chamber and the housing of the oven.

Abstract: A matchbox oven is disclosed. The matchbox oven includes a housing, a slider, a mover and a heat source. The housing includes a cavity having a first and second openings. The mover moves the slider in and out of the cavity through the first and second openings. The heat source provides heat to the cavity for heating up any food item placed on a portion of the slider located within the cavity. The slider, which is configured to receive food items, includes multiple stoppers to serve as oven covers for preventing heat within the cavity from escaping through the first and second openings. When necessary, a portion of the slider can also be utilized as a heat sink for lowering the temperature of the cavity during oven operation.

Abstract: A matchbox oven is disclosed. The matchbox oven includes a housing, a slider, a motor and a heat source. The housing includes a cavity and a first and second openings. The slider, which is configured for receiving food items, includes multiple stoppers serve as oven covers to prevent heat within the cavity from escaping through the first and second openings. The slider can be moved in and out of the cavity through the first and second openings by a motor. The heat source provides heat to the cavity for heating up any food item placed on a portion of the slider located within the cavity.

Abstract: An improved heating apparatus is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and delivering an optimal heating efficiency in comparison to conventional heating apparatus. The improved heating apparatus includes tubes that generate plume arrays of a fluid (e.g., a gas, such as air) that is heated in a conduit. The tubes introduce the heated fluid into a chamber of the heating apparatus. The fluid is returned to the conduit through a return opening in the chamber. The path that the fluid travels in the chamber, from the tubes to the return air opening, is provided such that optimized heat transfer and optimal heating efficiency are facilitated.

Abstract: An improved oven is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and delivering an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to conventional high-speed cooking ovens. The oven includes a support for supporting a food product in a cooking chamber of the oven, which utilizes impingement of hot air and microwave energy. The support includes a metal plate having a surface for receiving a food product thereon and at least one aperture located at an outer periphery of the metal plate adjacent the surface. The aperture permits heated air to flow therethrough as the heated air flows in a return path from the cooking chamber. The aperture also limits the reflection of microwave energy within the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A cooking oven system with a master-slave power assembly therebetween to allow for a single power connection to a 30 ampere single phase electrical outlet, the system comprising: a first oven which runs on about 15 amperes; and a second oven which runs on about 15 amperes with an electrical power system which includes a power cord that extends from the second oven to the electrical inlet of the first oven, thereby allowing the first oven to act as a power master to the second oven which acts as a slave by obtaining power from the first oven; wherein the heated gas at or near the food product disposed in the cooking chamber of either the first or second oven exhibits a flow rate of at least about 100 CFM at 100 percent velocity.

Abstract: An improved oven is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and delivering an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to conventional high-speed cooking ovens. The oven includes a support for supporting a food product in a cooking chamber of the oven, which utilizes impingement of hot air and microwave energy. The support includes a metal plate having a surface for receiving a food product thereon and at least one aperture located at an outer periphery of the metal plate adjacent the surface. The aperture permits heated air to flow therethrough as the heated air flows in a return path from the cooking chamber. The aperture also limits the reflection of microwave energy within the cooking chamber.

Abstract: An improved heating apparatus is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and delivering an optimal heating efficiency in comparison to conventional heating apparatus. The improved heating apparatus includes tubes that generate plume arrays of a fluid (e.g., a gas, such as air) that is heated in a conduit. The tubes introduce the heated fluid into a chamber of the heating apparatus. The fluid is returned to the conduit through a return opening in the chamber. The path that the fluid travels in the chamber, from the tubes to the return air opening, is provided such that optimized heat transfer and optimal heating efficiency are facilitated.

Abstract: An oven which runs on a 20 ampere single phase electrical service includes a cooking chamber comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, at least one microwave generator, at least one set of nozzles, tubes or apertures disposed above a food product disposed within the oven, at least one blower having an RPM in the range between about 3000 to about 4000 at 100 percent velocity, wherein the blower circulates at least a portion of gas from the nozzles, tubes or apertures into the cooking chamber substantially toward the food product and back to the nozzles, tubes or apertures, and a thermal energy source that heats the gas, wherein the heated gas at or near the food product disposed in the cooking chamber exhibits a flow rate of at least about 150 CFM.