Patents by Inventor Robert C. Vroom

Robert C. Vroom has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8770154
    Abstract: A multi-chamber conveyor type dishwasher uses a heat recovery unit (HRU) to heat water for a final rinse chamber during a preheat and/or dishwashing phase. The HRU heats water supplied by a low temperature water source using the dishwasher's hot vapor exhaust. An input supply of water for a downstream booster heater is varied based on a sensed temperature of the HRU's output water. If the temperature is acceptable, the HRU supplies input water to the booster heater for the rinse chamber. When the temperature drops below a threshold, the controller temporarily bypasses the HRU and supplies water to the booster heater from a high temperature water source. The HRU may be primed during a preheat phase using water from the high temperature water source. An amount of fan force used to pull the hot exhaust vapors through the HRU may vary based on the status of the dishwasher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Champion Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert C. Vroom
  • Publication number: 20140090676
    Abstract: A batch ware washing machine and/or related method of washing wares. The machine includes a moveable door which partially encloses a steam cavity. When the door is in the up or open position, hot moist air may be forcibly pulled from the steam cavity and into an exhaust plenum via an air inlet port that is strategically positioned above the top wall of the door when the door is in the closed position, but below the top wall when the door is in the open position. A controller causes the air to be forcibly pulled through the plenum for a predetermined exhaust time period, such as one minute, and then automatically stops the forced air exhaust movement. The exhaust plenum may be ducted directly to the outside of the surrounding building. The air conditioning load on the HVAC units serving the kitchen are reduced, thereby reducing energy consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Champion Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Vroom, Patrick S. Conklin
  • Patent number: 8623150
    Abstract: A batch ware washing machine and/or related method of washing wares. The machine includes a moveable door which partially encloses a steam cavity. When the door is in the up or open position, hot moist air may be forcibly pulled from the steam cavity and into an exhaust plenum via an air inlet port that is strategically positioned above the top wall of the door when the door is in the closed position, but below the top wall when the door is in the open position. A controller causes the air to be forcibly pulled through the plenum for a predetermined exhaust time period, such as one minute, and then automatically stops the forced air exhaust movement. The exhaust plenum may be ducted directly to the outside of the surrounding building. The air conditioning load on the HVAC units serving the kitchen are reduced, thereby reducing energy consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Champion Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Vroom, Patrick S. Conklin
  • Publication number: 20130160801
    Abstract: A batch ware washing machine and/or related method of washing wares. The machine includes a moveable door which partially encloses a steam cavity. When the door is in the up or open position, hot moist air may be forcibly pulled from the steam cavity and into an exhaust plenum via an air inlet port that is strategically positioned above the top wall of the door when the door is in the closed position, but below the top wall when the door is in the open position. A controller causes the air to be forcibly pulled through the plenum for a predetermined exhaust time period, such as one minute, and then automatically stops the forced air exhaust movement. The exhaust plenum may be ducted directly to the outside of the surrounding building. The air conditioning load on the HVAC units serving the kitchen are reduced, thereby reducing energy consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: Champion Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Vroom, Patrick S. Conklin
  • Publication number: 20110048342
    Abstract: A multi-chamber conveyor type dishwasher uses a heat recovery unit (HRU) to heat water for a final rinse chamber during a preheat and/or dishwashing phase. The HRU heats water supplied by a low temperature water source using the dishwasher's hot vapor exhaust. An input supply of water for a downstream booster heater is varied based on a sensed temperature of the HRU's output water. If the temperature is acceptable, the HRU supplies input water to the booster heater for the rinse chamber. When the temperature drops below a threshold, the controller temporarily bypasses the HRU and supplies water to the booster heater from a high temperature water source. The HRU may be primed during a preheat phase using water from the high temperature water source. An amount of fan force used to pull the hot exhaust vapors through the HRU may vary based on the status of the dishwasher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Champion Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert C. Vroom
  • Publication number: 20100051063
    Abstract: A ware rinse and/or dishwashing device includes an enclosure with a support adapted to support a dish tray in a working chamber. A rotatable rinse arm assembly is disposed in the enclosure below the support. The rinse arm assembly has a plurality of non-linear arms disposed for rotation about a common rotational axis. Each of the arms has at least two of the nozzles mounted thereon. The nozzles are disposed so that water sprayed therefrom during a period of time of a plurality of revolutions of the rinse arms has a coverage variation of not more than 25%. The two nozzles on each arm may be an inner nozzle disposed proximate the revolution axis and an outer nozzle disposed distal therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: Champion Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Vroom, Lucian Bibirus
  • Patent number: 6904903
    Abstract: A convection steam cooking device utilizes forced recirculation of gases along a primary recirculation path that extends through a steam chamber so that gases from the cooking cavity flow through the steam chamber and are subjected to a “steam bath” that alters the gases by adding heat and/or moisture. The cooking device includes a cooking cavity, a fan, a steam chamber disposed beneath the cooking cavity with a lower pool area for holding water and an upper steam collecting area disposed directly above the pool area, and a removable baffle disposed between the cooking cavity and the steam chamber with a perforated section remote from the fan and disposed at an upward angle. The primary forced recirculation path extends from the main cooking cavity, through the baffle, substantially across the steam collecting area, through a duct to the fan, and back to the main cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Middleby-Marshall, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert C. Vroom
  • Patent number: 6389960
    Abstract: A more uniform heating of a griddle surface of a gas-fired cooking device is provided by a plurality of heating chambers disposed below the griddle surface, with each of the heating chambers heated by at least one naturally fed gas burner. A portion of the hot combustion gases rise into upper zones associated with each heating chamber that have relatively low average front-to-back air flow therein. The upper zones have sidewalls and downwardly extending dam walls that cooperate to create the low flow zones beneath the griddle surface. The relatively low flow rates within the low flow zones allow a more uniform layer of hot combustion gases to be formed along the underside of the griddle surface, thereby more evenly delivering heat to the griddle surface. There may be two or more such heating chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Middleby-Marshall, Inc.
    Inventors: Rafé T. Williams, Robert Van Murray, Robert C. Vroom
  • Patent number: 5727539
    Abstract: A convection oven is described that provides a more desirable cooking condition. The convection oven includes a cooking cavity having sidewalls, a ceiling and a floor and a combustion chamber below the cooking cavity for heating combustion gases to be supplied to the cooking cavity. A blower fan within the cooking cavity circulates air inside the cavity. As part of the airflow path from combustion chamber to the blower fan is an intermediate flow chamber disposed between the cooking cavity and the combustion chamber. By causing the combustion gases to flow through the intermediate flow chamber, a more uniform heat distribution of the combustion gases is achieved. In addition, some heat is transferred from the combustion gases to the cooking cavity floor while the combustion gases are flowing through the intermediate flow chamber. Because this heat is supplied to the cooking cavity floor rather than to the top or sides of the cooking cavity, a more desirable cooking condition is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Middle by Marshall, Inc
    Inventor: Robert C. Vroom