IES73480B2

IES73480B2 - Oven and condenser box

Info

Publication number: IES73480B2
Authority: IE
Inventors: Ronan Gerard Ncnamee
Original assignee: Mcnamee Ronan Gerard
Priority date: 1996-10-30
Filing date: 1996-10-30
Publication date: 1997-06-04

Description

OVEN AND CONDENSER BOX The present invention relates to an oven and to a condenser box suitable for use with an oven including an exhaust outlet for hot vapour laden gases.

In many ovens, particularly ovens used for baking bread products, a large volume of hot vapour laden gases is produced which is normally directed via an outlet pipe into the surrounding air. Due to the relatively high temperature of these vapour laden gases, condensation is produced when the gases meet the cooler surrounding air around outlet pipe and adjacent the oven. The existing arrangements provide certain disadvantages.

Condensation on walls behind ovens and adjacent the exhaust outlet usually leads to degradation of the wall surface, facilitating microbiological growth, particularly fungal growth. This is particularly undesirable in a food manufacturing environment. Additionally, condensation may cause floors to become wet and slippy thereby increasing the risk of accidents and injury to workers.

It is an object of the present invention to seek to alleviate the above disadvantages.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an oven for baking edible products, the oven including a condensing means for extracting moisture from vapour laden exhaust 1 30 gases generated during baking and for removing the condensate from the oven.

» The invention further provides an oven for baking edible products, the oven including an outlet for vapour laden exhaust gases generated during baking and a condensing S73 480 4 means comprising an exhaust inlet connected to the outlet of the oven, an outlet, a condensing tray disposed between the inlet and the outlet in which the vapours condense from the gases and a drain for the condensed vapours.

The condensing tray comprises an inner tray for containing a coolant and an outer tray disposed below the inner tray for directing the exhaust gases around the inner tray.

The base of the inner tray comprises a heat exchange surface on which the vapours from the exhaust gases condense.

Condensate from the heat exchange surface falls under gravity into the outer tray which directs the condensate towards the drain.

The heat exchange surface may be profiled to increase the surface area and/or to enhance the formation of droplets of condensate.

The present invention yet further provides a condensation box suitable for use in an oven in which hot vapour laden exhaust gases are generated during baking of edible products, the condenser box comprising an exhaust inlet for vapour laden gases, an outlet for dried gases, a condensing tray disposed between the inlet and the outlet in which the vapours condense from the gases and a drain for the condensed vapours, the condensing tray comprising an inner tray for containing a coolant and an outer tray disposed below and about the inner tray for directing the exhaust gases around the inner tray and for collecting the condensate, the base of the inner tray comprising a heat exchange surface.

Advantageously, the inner tray is nested in the outer tray.

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, two embodiments of condenser box according to the invention. In the drawings: Figures 1a to 1c are a front elevation, a side elevation and a plan view of the first embodiment of condenser tray for use with a single oven, respectively; and Figure 2a to 2c are a front elevation, a side elevation and a plan view of the second embodiment of condenser tray for use with a double oven, respectively.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1a to 1c, the first embodiment of condenser box 1 comprises an exhaust inlet manifold 3, an exhaust pipe coupling 4, an exhaust outlet 5, a drain 7 and a pair to trays 10,12, one 10 nested inside the other 12. A path 15 for the exhaust gases is defined between the nested trays 10,12. One end of the path is connected to the inlet manifold 3 which is fed by the vapour laden exhaust gases and the other end is connected to the exhaust outlet 5 to atmosphere. The bottom plate of the inner tray 10 contains a coolant C such as water, and its bottom plate comprises a heat exchange interface between the coolant C and the hot vapour laden exhaust gases. The vapour condenses on the plate and the condensate falls under gravity into the outer tray 12, and it flows towards the drain 7. The cooled exhaust gases are expelled through the outlet 5 in a considerably drier form.

The outer tray 12 has a depth of 110 mm and side walls 480 mm in length. The inner tray 10 is smaller having a depth between 90 - 100 mm and side walls measuring 460 mm from inside wall to inside wall. The exhaust pipe coupling 4 has a diameter of 76 mm and the inlet manifold 3 depends 170 mm from the trays 10,12.

In use an oven, such as an oven for baking bread products, is provided with an exhaust outlet pipe (not shown). This pipe is secured to the coupling 4 of the exhaust inlet manifold 3. The vapour laden exhaust gases are directed along the path defined between the two trays 10,12. Along the path, the vapour in the gases comes into contact with the relatively cool surface of the heat exchange interface of the inner tray 10. The vapour in the gases condenses out of the exhaust gases which are then expelled. The condensate falls into the outer tray and flows into the inlet manifold 3 towards the drain 7.

The second embodiment of condenser box 20, as illustrated in Figures 2a to 2c, is similar to the first embodiment 1 in that it comprises an exhaust inlet manifold 23, an exhaust outlet 25, a drain 27 and a pair of trays 30,32, an inner one 30 being nested inside the outer one 32. The exhaust inlet manifold 23 is provided with two exhaust pipe couplings 35 for accepting exhaust piped from a double oven (not shown). As before, vapour laden exhaust gases are directed from the manifold 23 along a path defined between the inner and outer trays 30,32 where the vapours condense against the relatively cool surface of the inner tray 30. The condensate falls under gravity into the outer tray 32 and is directed towards the drain 27. The cooler drier exhaust gases are expelled through the exhaust outlet 25.

The inner tray 30 and the outer tray 32 have dimensions similar to those of the first embodiment of condenser box . The exhaust pipe coupling 35 has a diameter of 76 nun as before but the exhaust inlet manifold 23 depends approximately 800 mm from the trays 30,32.

The condenser box may be mounted to a wall adjacent an air vent so that the gases from the exhaust outlet are extracted. The condenser box may also be mounted to the rear of an oven so that manifold is fixed to the rear of the oven and the condenser trays lie above the oven.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope 15 of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1 . An oven for baking edible products, the oven including a condensing means for extracting moisture from vapour laden exhaust gases generated during baking and for removing the condensate from the oven.

2. An oven for baking edible products, the oven including an outlet for vapour laden exhaust gases generated during baking and a condensing means comprising an exhaust inlet connected to the outlet of the oven, an outlet, a condensing tray disposed between the inlet and the outlet in which the vapours condense from the gases and a drain for the condensed vapours.

3. An oven as claimed in claim 2 in which the condensing tray comprises an inner tray for containing a coolant and an outer tray disposed below the inner tray for directing the exhaust gases around the inner tray, the base of the inner tray comprising a heat exchange surface on which the vapours from the exhaust gases condense.

4. A condensation box suitable for use in an oven in which hot vapour laden exhaust gases are generated during baking of edible products, the condenser box comprising an exhaust inlet for vapour laden gases, an outlet for dried gases, a condensing tray disposed between the inlet and the outlet in which the vapours condense from the gases and a drain for the condensed vapours, the condensing tray comprising an inner tray for containing a coolant and an outer tray disposed below and about the inner tray for directing the exhaust gases around the inner tray and for collecting the condensate, the base of the inner tray comprising a heat exchange surface.

5. An oven or described with 1c and Figures a condensation box substantially as herein reference to and as shown in Figures 1a to 2a to 2c of the accompanying drawings.