MX2007011209A - Air fryer. - Google Patents

Abstract

An accelerated cooking air fryer is disclosed comprising a cavity, controller, thermal heating source, blower assembly, gas directing means and a vent assembly. Hot gas is circulated by the blower motor assembly into the air fryer cavity where the hot air is directed in a manner wherein a conflicting, colliding turbulent gas flow is directed at a food product providing for the accelerated cooking of the food poduct.

Description

AIR FRYER CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED REQUESTS The present application claims priority to the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60/661, 591 filed on March 14, 2005 entitled "AIR FRYER"; claims priority to international application No. PCT / US2005 / 035605 filed on October 5, 2005; and claims priority to the request of E.U.A. No. 11 / 098,280 filed on April 4, 2005. Upon entering the national phase in the United States of America, the present application will be a request in part of the application of E.U.A. No. 11 / 098,280 filed on April 4, 2005; it will be a continuation in part of the request of E.U.A. No. 10 / 614,268 filed July 7, 2003; it will be a continuation in part of the request of E.U.A. No. 10 / 614,532 filed July 7, 2003; and will be a continuation in part of the application of E.U.A. No. 10 / 614,710 filed July 7, 2003. The present application contains a technical description in common with international application No. PCT / US2003 / 021225 filed July 5, 2003; contains technical description in common with international application No. PCT / US2005 / 007261 filed on March 7, 2005; contains technical description in common with the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60 / 394,216 filed July 5, 2002; contains technical description in common with PCT / US2004 / 035252 filed on October 21, 2004; contains technical description in common with the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60 / 513,110 filed on October 21, 2003; contains technical description in common with the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60 / 513,111 filed on October 23, 2003; contains technical description in common with the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60 / 614,877 filed on September 30, 2004; contains technical description in common with the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60/551, 268 filed on March 8, 2004; contains technical description in common with the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60 / 615,888 filed on October 5, 2004; and contains technical description in common with the provisional application of E.U.A. No. 60 / 550,578 filed on March 5, 2004. All the applications set forth above are hereby incorporated by reference as if they were fully disclosed.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a recirculating air fryer that is particularly useful in cooking food products at a level of taste, texture and appearance consistent with foods that have historically been fried by immersion in oil, lard or fat.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE The invention relates to an air fryer that is an improvement of the fat immersion fryer. In restaurant operations, fat-fryers are traditionally used to cook French fries and many other food products (eg, chicken, onion rings). These food products can be prepared from frozen, refrigerated, ambient conditions or above room temperature. A typical high efficiency fat immersion fryer used in such a fast food environment cooks approximately .68 kilograms of .64 cm French fries frozen in about 3 minutes and 30 seconds. The performance for said immersion fryer is approximately 27.22 kg / hr. Consumers place a high value on the healthiest foods that are prepared using fewer oils or fats and the replacement of the fat-frying process by frying in air eliminates a significant amount of oil and fat absorption in the food product. But, although consumers want healthier foods prepared with less fat and oil, they still want the taste, texture and palatability associated with the fat-frying process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Now it has been found that the above objects are obtained in an air fryer that uses gas flow for cooking, or re-thermalize a food product. The flow of gas to the food product is such that the conflicting gas flows and collision produce high heat transfer on the surface of the food product. The air fryer may also use microwave energy, or other means such as radio frequency, induction and other thermal means, to further heat the food product. Microwave producing magnetrons are used with microwave guides mounted on a side wall by using a slotted antenna, although it is not necessary for the microwave system to emit these from the side walls of the air fryer cavity and in fact can be use microwave emissions from other surfaces of the air fryer cavity. The air fryer can operate as a conventional speed, accelerated speed or speed cooking air fryer and the accelerated cooking air fryer is here discarded as an illustrative mode or version. The gas and energy flow of microwaves (when microwaves are used) are distributed to the food product in a manner that produces uniform cooking and heating and a typical cooking quality temperature range can be in the range of about 190 degrees centigrade to about 260 ° C, although temperatures of the cooking cavity can be used below 190 ° C and above 260 ° C. The cooking controls allow a wide variety of food products to be cooked sequentially through the air fryer with a food product that has a unique cooking profile, or recipe, that can be executed in a sequential format as the product food moves in and out of the cooking cavity. The present invention provides an air fryer that can prepare "fried" foods without the need for fat-free frying of the food product. The air fryer is a frying system that can also include: (1) an automatic frozen food supply unit, refrigerated, at room temperature, above room temperature or combinations of temperatures; (2) an air fryer to cook and / or retermalize the food; and (3) an oil spray apparatus for lightly coating the food product in order to provide the taste, texture and appearance characteristics (without significant additional oil) desired by consumers. The air fryer matches current fat immersion fryers with respect to performance, producing a single load of .68 kg of French fries frozen in about half the time compared to existing fat-fryers and will require little oil for operation (ie no shortening, voluminous lard) and therefore no filtration in hot oil is required. In fact, one of the main disadvantages of deep fat fryers Fat immersion is the labor required to filter the used oil and the safety measures associated with filtration and otherwise cooking (ie deep fat frying) with very hot oil. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an air fryer capable of cooking a wide variety of food products with profiles of variable size and volume without the use of fat, lard or other cooking means for deep-frying by immersion in traditional fat. Another additional object is to provide such an air fryer that is energy efficient, simple and safe to operate, simple and easy to clean, easy to service and has a low manufacturing cost. Still another object is to provide an air fryer that is capable of cooking high quality food product inside food baskets and other metal cooking devices commonly found in residential, commercial, industrial and retail locations. A further object is to provide an air fryer with a microwave distribution system that is more cost effective to manufacture and easy to clean and maintain. Another object is to provide a microwave distribution system that is reliable due to improvements and simplifications. Another object is to provide an air fryer that can be easily and quickly programmed by an operator to cook various food products by pushing a button or an air fryer that automatically enter cooking recipes in a controller without human intervention. Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments thereof, when taken together with the drawings in which like reference numbers refer to the corresponding parts in the drawings. various views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The novel aspects that are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a front view of the air fryer of the present invention illustrating gas flow supply; Figure 2 is a top view of the air fryer; Figure 3 is a side view of the air fryer; Figure 4 is a front view of the left side of the air fryer illustrating gas flow deflection means; Figure 5 is a front view of the right side of the fryer of air illustrating gas flow deflection means; Figure 6 is a top illustrative view of the gas flow with catalyst system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE MODALITY The air fryer of the illustrative embodiment is shown as a commercial air fryer of accelerated cooking, of a single cooking cavity, but the air fryer can be constructed in other modalities because it can be brought up or down. The term "scaled" here means that larger or smaller, faster or slower cooking versions can be developed, and each mode or version can have different size characteristics and use different electricity voltages; various forms of electric resistance heating means or using other thermal sources such as natural gas, propane or other thermal means to heat the gas. As used herein, the terms "magnetron", "magnetron tube" and "tube" have the same meaning; the terms "slot", "slots" and "antenna" have the same meaning; the term "commercial" includes, but is not limited to, the conventional food service industry, restaurants, fast food establishments, speed service restaurants, convenience stores (to list some) and other mass food establishments; the term "residential" refers, speaking in terms general, to residential applications (home use), although the term is not limited solely to residences, but refers to non-commercial applications for the air fryer and the air fryer of the present invention is not limited to commercial uses only, and is equally applicable for sales, residential, industrial and other cooking uses; the terms "air fryer cavity", "air fryer chamber", "cooking cavity" and "cooking cavity" have the same meaning and the term "gas" refers to any mixture of fluid, including air, nitrogen and other mixtures that can be used for cooking and the applicant intends to cover within language any gas or mixture of gases existing or developed in the future that perform the same function. The terms "conventional cooking" and "conventional means" have the same meaning and refer to cooking at the quantity level and at the speed that is currently widely used. As an example, in a current fat immersion fryer, the "conventional cooking time" for French fries of .68 kg with a length of .64 cm is approximately 3 minutes and 30 seconds, or approximately 27.22 kg. of french fries per hour. The terms "cooking profile" and "cooking recipe" have the same meaning. The term "cooking byproducts" refers to smoke, grease, vapors, small aerodynamic grease particles, odors and other products caused by the cooking process and the term "odor filter" does not refer exclusively to filter odors, but more well generally refers to filtering, reducing, removing or destroying catalytically byproducts of the cooking process. The terms "cooking", "frying with air" and "frying" have the same meaning here. As used herein, the term "quick cooking" and "speed cooking" have the same meaning and refer to cooking in five to ten minutes faster, and in some cases more than ten times faster than conventional cooking. The term "accelerated cooking" has the meaning of cooking at speeds faster than conventional cooking but not as fast as cooking at speed. The illustrative embodiment makes use of the gravity-fed air fryer where the food product falls into the cooking chamber from above, although other means of introducing the food product into the air fryer chamber can be used. The cooking time can be varied or set, it can be altered either manually or by means of a controller 334, figure 1, and is not limited. The control of the energy applied to the food product is important particularly in those cases where the air fryer is for cooking a variety of food products successively and the cooking profile, or cooking recipe, must be adjusted as the different products Foodstuffs enter the chamber of the air fryer. The air fryer can operate like a conventional, accelerated or speed cooking air fryer. The apparatus 301 includes a cooking cavity 302, Figure 1. The cooking cavity 302 is generally defined by a supepor wall 303, a bottom wall 304, a left side wall 305, a right side wall 306 and figure 2 a post-wall 307. The left wall 305 is composed of an upper gas discharge plate 323a, microwave emitter 320a (when using microwave ) and a lower gas discharge plate 327a. The right side wall 306 is composed of an upper gas discharge plate 323b, microwave emitter 320b (when using microwaves) and a lower gas discharge plate 327b, figure 1. In those cases where the microwave energy does not it is used in the air fryer, left and right side walls 305 and 306 may be composed of a sheet of metal instead of left and right guides 320a and 320b. The apparatus 301 may have associated therewith a food storage unit illustrated as a remote storage unit 360, Figure 1, which may use various means for transporting food product 310 to the food containment chamber 375, Figure 1. A mobile food storage isolation door 374 (shown in the open position) figure 1, and a mobile air fryer isolation door (shown in the closed position) 361, figure 1, allows the transportation of food product from the storage unit 360 to the air fryer chamber 302. The food product 310, figure 1 is placed in a food storage unit 360, which can be kept under refrigeration, freezing, room temperature or above the temperature environment, or in some In some cases, the food can be kept in a storage unit 360 at various temperatures. In those cases where the microwave energy is used, the upper insulation door 361 forms a microwave seal with an air fryer cavity 302. Although the doors 361, 374 are shown (as well as the door 369 that will be described further forward) as movable horizontally in relation to the upper wall 303, other door opening and closing means can be used; such as lateral hinge doors, upper hinge doors or doors using other joining means or other opening and closing means such as openings, and the applicant does not intend to be limited but rather seeks to encompass within language any currently existing structure or developed in the future that performs the same function as doors 361, 374 and 369. The air fryer is composed of two independent gas transfer systems, described here as a left gas transfer system and a fuel transfer system. right gas, wherein the left gas transfer system 317a supplies gas to and from the left side of the cooking cavity 302, figure 1, and the right gas transfer system 317b supplies gas to and from the right side of the cavity and cooking 302. The cooking cavity 302 can also have associated with it a ventilation tube 371, figure 2, which allows the passage of vent gas from the cooking cavity 302 to the atmosphere. Fixed within the ventilation tube 371 may be a ventilation odor filter 372, which provides for the removal of byproducts of cooking. The ventilation odor filter 372 can be made to be removable for cleaning or replacement, and various materials, including catalytic matepals, can be used to achieve odor removal. In some cases, the variable efficiencies of such materials can also be used to allow various amounts of odors to escape from the air fryer cavity. Referring again to Figure 1, the gas is transferred to the cooking cavity 302 by a left gas transfer conduit 317a. In fluid connection with the gas transfer section 317a is a gas outlet opening of the rear wall 312, figure 1, which is open to, and in fluid connection with, the air fryer cavity 302 through the rear wall 307. The rear gas outlet opening 312 is substantially circular, although other geometries may be used , and is located within the rear wall 307 and provides the passage of gas from the cavity of the air fryer 302 to return duct means 389, Figure 3 returning the gas from the air fryer cavity 302 to the air fryers 302. gas flow means 316a, FIG. 2 as the gases are removed from the air fryer cavity 302 through the rear gas outlet opening 312. Located within the gas outlet opening by 312 may be a gas extractor 313, figure 2. As the gas passes through the gas outlet opening 312, the gas passes through the gas extractor 313, which removes the larger grease particles. When extracting the largest fat particles, the handling of Accumulation of grease in the downdrafts and heater area is simplified. It may be desirable for the cooking cavity to use fat extracts 313, or alternatively without grease removal, or additional grease extractors may be placed through the gas flow path. The gas then passes over the heating means 314, Figure 2. During normal cooking it may be desirable for a food product to be cooked after another different type of food product with successive continuous cycles. For example, a food product such as shrimp can be cooked first, followed by French fries. Without proper filtration, the cooking by-products can contaminate the product of the potatoes, producing an undesirable taste and odor in the potatoes. Although grease removers 313 may be used, additional gas filtration may be desirable and odor filters 343, FIG. 2 may be placed within the cooking cavity or within the gas conduit 389 upstream of the blowers 316a, 316b which will be described below, and may be made from various materials including catalyst pads such as corrugated sheet coated with catalyst or screens coated with catalyst. The catalyst acts to burn (oxidize) the food by-products. Said catalyst materials may also include, but are not limited to: activated carbon, zeolite or ultraviolet wavelength light. It is beneficial that the odor filters are composed of a matepal or materials, which effectively purify, or clean the flow of gas with a minimum amount of interference with the gas flow rate and it is beneficial that the odor filters are easily removed, easily cleaned and of low cost for the operator to replace them. The most efficient use of the spent hot gas from the cooking cavity 302 is by recirculating the gas through the filters and heaters and returned to the air fryer cavity 302 during a cooking cycle. In some uses, it may be desirable to use additional odor filters, which can be placed anywhere within the gas flow path. Depending on the various levels of control of by-product cooking that may be desired depending on the food products to be cooked, the particular use of the air fryer, or the requirements of regulatory agencies, or other factors, in order to reduce to the minimum the cooking by-products within the air fryer cavity 302, the gas flow supply and the return ducts can therefore include an odor filter or more than one odor filter. As used herein, the term "upstream" refers to the location within the gas flow path that arrives before the gas flow means 316a, 316b, 391 a, 391 b. For example, the gas that is supplied to the gas flow means 316a, 316b is upstream of the gas flow means 316a, 316b and the gas that is discharged from the gas flow means 316a, 316b is downstream of said gas means. The illustrative embodiment illustrates gas flow means such as blower wheels 391 a, 391 b, although the present invention may use only one gas flow device, such as a single blower wheel and the applicant intends to encompass within language any structure currently existing or developed in the future that performs the same function as 316a, 316b. The blower wheels 391a, 391b act much like centrifugal separators that will separate and coalesce small grease particles in the blower's current area and discharge larger particles into the supply area. In an illustrative embodiment, a portion of the gas flow leaving the gas flow means 316a, 316b, 391a, 391b is diverted to the inlet side of the gas purge chamber 365a, 365b with 340a, 340b odor filters located inside the purge chambers. The gas flow portion diverted to the purge chamber is referred to herein as the "purge gas flow". The flow of purge gas passes through the odor filter 340a, 340b, Figure 6, shown as a catalytic converter, wherein a portion of the cooking by-products is oxidized. The cleaner gas left by the odor filter 340a, 340b is either reintroduced into the gas flow stream or is vented to the atmosphere via a vent pipe 371. The odor filter 340a, 340b will remove the desired amount of grease. during a single pass as the small purge gas flow will continue to remove grease generated during cooking. In fact, in some embodiments it may be desirable for the odor filter to remove all or as much by-product cooking as possible. Variable destruction efficiencies of the odor filter 340a, 340b will produce variable results and in those cases where the filter of Odor 340a, 340b is of the catalytic type, the destruction efficiencies of more than 50% have been shown to produce acceptable results. In some cases it may be desirable that the odor filter 340a be of a different variety or type than the 340b. For example, an odor filter could be of a catalytic type and the other of a non-catalytic type. In some cases, it may be desirable for the odor filters 340a and 340b to catalyze or otherwise filter out varying amounts of cooking by-products and therefore are made to destroy the by-products at different rates. The purge gas flow is configured as a loop of internal cleaning gas separated from the main gas flow to the cavity of the air fryer 302. In those cases where the odor filter 340a, 340b is a catalytic type filter of high efficiency for destruction efficiencies of high cooking by-products, a large pressure drop can occur through the odor filter 340a, 340b. Space rates for the range of the catalytic converter are typically in the range between about 60,000 / hr to 120,000 / hr depending on the catalytic material used, the amount of by-product loading in the gas stream and room temperature at the filter inlet of odor 340. In contrast to the placement of odor filter 343 in the main gas flow which results in a significant pressure drop in the entire recirculating gas flow, the use of purge gas catalytic type filters, or other odor filters, do not significantly reduce the pressure of the gas flow system. The small purge gas flow uses almost the total pressure capacity of the gas flow medium through the gas purge system, thus allowing the use of catalytic materials required for a high destruction efficiency, based on one pass through the odor filter 340. In addition, the small purge gas filters 340 are easily installed, can be placed in convenient and easily accessible places. The purge gas flows are a fraction of the main gas flow to the air fryer, therefore heating to a significant inlet gas temperature can be achieved. The placement of small gas preheaters 341 a, 341 b, figure 6 before the odor filters 340a, 340b within the purge gas flow system can further provide a substantial improvement in the destruction efficiency of odor filters 340a, 340b. The preheaters 341a, 341b are capable of increasing the gas inlet temperature by more than 37J8 ° C and this temperature increases in the purge gas to the odor filter 340a, 340b making it possible to achieve the desired destruction efficiency with less catalytic material. In some cases, a by-product cleaning system and gas flow odor may have difficulty cleaning the gas when the attachment point of the air fryer is below approximately 218.3 ° C. The preheaters 341 are capable of producing by-product cooking control with air fryer temperatures below 176.67 ° C. The flexibility of the additional apparatus is achieved by simultaneously allowing the firing temperature setting of the lower air fryer while providing grease control. The purge gas flow is approximately 10% of the flow of Total gas, the blowers 316a, 316b, and preheaters 341a, 341b would each provide approximately 600 watts of heat for an increase of 37J8 ° C in the gas inlet temperature. The combined 1200 watts of heating is less than one third of the total heat required for each air fryer's air fryer cavity and is very close to the heat needed to meet accompanying losses from the air fryer (ie, loss of air). heat due to conduction, radiation, loss of ventilation to the environment). As such, the preheaters can be the primary gas heaters with the largest main gas heater (for this example 3000 W) used to meet the cooking needs. As described above, in fluid connection with, and located within the return duct means 389 is a left gas flow means, illustrated as a left blower wheel 316a, 391a, figure 2. The present invention can use variable speed blower motors. and variable speed blower motor controllers, but there is no requirement for its use and in fact the air fryer of the present invention can avoid the problems and complexity of the variable speed blower motors by maintaining a constant gas flow , or alternatively, a substantially constant flow of gas through the cavity of the air fryer. The gas flow can be very aggressive, or less aggressive, depending on the cooking requirements for each food product and a means to achieve gas flow modulation is by the use of a gas pumping means such as a blower motor, a combination of blower wheels, using a controller or a multi-speed switch that allows the speed of the blower motor to be interrupted in predetermined fixed increments. Another means of gas flow can be used to accelerate the flow of gas, and the applicant intends to encompass within language any structure currently existing or developed in the future that performs the same function as 316a, 390a, 391a and 316b, 390b and 391 b, which will be described here below. Connected to the left blower wheel 391a is a blower motor arrow 390a, which is driven directly with the electric motor 316a, FIG. 2. Other means may be used to couple the blower wheel 391a to the electric motor 316a, such as an impeller band and the driving means is not limited to direct driver and the applicant intends to encompass within the language any structure currently existing or developed in the future that performs the same function. The blower wheel 316a collects the gas from return duct means 389 and supplies the gas via duct 317a to the air fryer cavity 302. The left gas transfer section 317a, Figure 1, is in fluid connection with a lower left gas transfer section 318a through a left vertical gas transfer section 319a. The left vertical gas transfer section 319a is bounded by a left side wall 305 and a left micobandon guide section 320a, when using microwave and external wall 366.

When no microwave is used, the microwave emitter 320a can be replaced by metal. As can be seen in Figure 1, as the gas is delivered to the upper left gas transfer section 317a, the gas is discharged through an upper left gas discharge plate 323a into the cavity of the gas fryer. air 302 through openings 300a and on the upper left and left side portion of food product 310 that are contained within the food baskets 364 which will be described hereinafter. The openings 300a can be regularly formed or irregularly formed slotted openings and are illustrated here as nozzles 300a and 300b, 329a, 329b, Fig. 1, and the applicant intends to encompass within language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function as 300a, 329a and 300b and 329b, described hereinafter. The gas that has not been discharged through the upper left gas discharge plate 323a flows to the lower left gas transfer section 318a through the vertical transfer section 319a. The gas that is distributed to the lower left gas transfer section 318a can be reheated, if desired, by a lower left heating means 303a, FIGS. 1, 4,5, before said gas passes through the plate. of slotted or perforated lower gas discharge 327a through the openings 329a, to be discharged to the lower left and left side portions of the food product 310 baskets for rotating sieve food 364, within the cavity of the air fryer 302. The means of lower left heating 303a may be present in some embodiments and not present in others depending on the particular requirements for the air fryer. Although the left lower heating means 303a is shown as an electric open coil heater, other means for heating the gas can be used such as other types of electric heating means, electric resistance elements, natural gas, propane or other means of heating. heating and the applicant intends to encompass within the language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function as 303a and 303b that will be described here below. The openings 300a and 329a are dimensioned for a low pressure drop, while providing and maintaining sufficient gas velocities in the range of about 609.6 meters / minute to about 1828.80 meters / minute to properly cook the food product as described herein. In some cases, speeds below 609.6 meters / minute or above 1828.80 meters / minute can also be used, depending on the particular food product to be cooked, or a particular cooking recipe that the controller is running, which is it will be described hereinafter, and the applicant does not intend to limit the invention to gas velocities within a particular range. The openings 300a are dimensioned in such a way that most of the gas is supplied from the upper left gas discharge plate 323a. The resulting imbalance of gas flows between the left upper gas discharge plate 323a and the discharge plate of lower gas 327a is desirable because the upper streams must aggressively remove moisture produced and escaping from the upper and upper side surfaces of the food product 310. The imbalance of the gas flow also serves to heat, toast and / or heat and toast the product 310. Referring again to Figure 1, the gas is transferred to the right of the cooking cavity 302 through a right gas transfer conduit 317b, Figure 1. In fluid connection with the gas transfer section upper 317b is the rear gas outlet opening 312 described above, which is in fluid connection with the return duct means 389. The return duct means 389 is in fluid connection with a right gas flow means, illustrated as right blower wheel 391 b, figure 2. As with the blower wheel 391a, other devices for gas flow means can be used 316b, 391 b to accelerate the flow of gas, and the applicant intends to encompass within language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function. Connected to the right blower wheel 391 b is the arrow of the blower motor 390b, which is driven directly by an electric motor 316b, and as with the electric motor 316a other means can be used to couple the blower wheel 391 b to the electric motor 316b . The blower wheel 316b collects gas from the cavity of the air fryer 302 through the return duct means 389, passes the gas through the heating means 314 and supplies the gas to the upper transfer section 317b. The upper right gas transfer section 317b, FIG. 1, is in fluid connection with a lower right gas transfer section 318b through a right vertical gas transfer section 319b. The right vertical gas transfer section 319b is bounded by the right side wall 306 (and the right microwave guide section 320b when using microwaves) and outer wall 366. As can be seen in figure 1, as the gas is supplied to the upper right gas transfer section 317b, the gas is discharged through an upper right gas discharge plate 323b into the air fryer cavity 302 through openings 300b and on the upper right portion and right side of the food product 310. The openings 300b can be slotted, regularly formed or irregularly formed openings and are illustrated here as nozzles 300b and 329b, Figure 1, and the applicant seeks to encompass within language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function as 300b and 329b. The gas that is distributed to the lower right gas transfer section 318b may be reheated, if desired, by a lower right gas heating means 303b, FIGS. 1, 4, 5 before said gas passes through the gas. bottom right slotted or perforated bottom gas discharge plate 327b through openings 329b, to be discharged to the bottom right and right side portions of the food product 310 in the air fryer 302 cavity. The gas heating means lower right 303b may be present in some embodiments and not present in others depending on the particular requirements for the air fryer and as with the gas heating means 303a, described above, it may be made of any material that achieves heating of the gas. The openings 300b and 329b are dimensioned for a low pressure drop, while providing and maintaining sufficient gas velocities in the range of about 2000 609.6 meters / minute to about 1828.8 meters / minute to properly cook the food product as described herein. In some cases, speeds below 609.6 meters / minute and above 1828.8 meters / minute can also be used. The openings 300b are dimensioned in such a way that most of the gas is supplied from the upper right gas discharge plate 323b. As with the left gas system, the resultant gas flow imbalance between the upper right gas discharge plate 323b and the lower right gas discharge plate 327b is desirable because higher flows must aggressively remove produced and escaping moisture of the upper and upper side surface of the food product 310. The unbalance also serves to heat, toast and / or heat and toast the food product 310. The left and right gas supply systems, although described here independently, are of the same configuration and function to circulate the flow of hot gas evenly through the upper and lower lateral and upper and lower lateral sides of the food product, and return the gas to the heating mechanism and gas flow means to re-supply to the air fryer cavity. Although the same configuration is shown in the illustrative mode there is no requirement for this symmetry and the left gas supply system can be configured differently than the right supply system, and the upper gas supply systems configured differently from the inferiors In fact, each cooking cavity can be configured differently from the other cooking cavity and many combinations of configurations may be desirable for the particular air fryer. As described above, the gas flow is supplied through four gas transfer sections 317a, 317b, 318a, 318b which are located in the upper and lower corners of each air fryer cavity 302 as shown in FIG. Figure 1. Gas flow transfer sections 317a, 317b, 318a and 318b extend to the width of the air fryer cavity 302, although the flow of gas transfer sections is not required to extend throughout the entire length of the air fryer 302. the length of the air fryer cavity. The gas transfer section 317a is located in the upper left corner of the air fryer cavity 302, Figure 1, wherein the top wall 303 intersects the left side wall of the air fryer 305 cavity; the gas transfer section 317b in the upper right corner where the upper wall 303 intersects right side wall 306; the gas transfer section 318a in the lower left corner of the air fryer cavity 302 where the bottom wall 304 intersects the left side wall 305; and the gas transfer section 318b in the lower right corner where the lower wall 304 intersects the right side wall 306. Each gas transfer section is dimensioned and configured to supply the gas suitable for the particular air fryer used. For example, in a smaller air fryer, the gas supply sections, in fact the entire air fryer, can be sized smaller in proportion to the smaller trace of the particular requirements, and a larger air fryer can have proportionally larger gas supply sections. As seen in Fig. 1, the left lateral and right lateral gas flows converge on the food product 310 creating an aggressive gas flow field on the surface of the food product that detaches the layer of moisture colindance. This flow of turbulent mixed gas directed at the food product can best be described as incident, conflict, and shock gas flow patterns that spatially average the gas flow over the surface area of the food product producing heat transfer and removal of heat. high humidity on the surface of the food product, thus optimizing the cooking. The gas flow is directed to the upper, lower and lateral sides of the food product from the left and right sides of the air fryer cavity and the flows of Lateral gas, left and right, come into conflict, collide with one another on the surface of the food product before leaving the air fryer cavity through the gas outlet opening by 312. As used here , the term "mix" refers to the incidental, conflicting and gas flow shock patterns found in and on the upper surface, the lower surface and the left and right side surfaces of the food product and produce transfer of high heat for cooking of the conventional or accelerated food product due to the spatial average of the heat transfer of the gas flow. The patterns of mixed gas flows are created within the cavity of the air fryer andWhen properly directed and diverted, they produce high quality cooked food that can also be cooked very quickly. Although accelerated cooking of the high quality food product can be achieved with this invention, conventional cooking and speed cooking can also be achieved by adjusting gas flow and microwave energy (in cases where microwave energy is used) to the food product; or by using gas flow alone without microwave energy. The improvement of the highly agitated incident, conflicting and shocking gas flow is the general upward flow path that the gas will follow before leaving the cooking chamber 302 as shown in Figure 1 through the rear gas outlet opening. 312, as the gas leaves the back of the cavity of the air fryer 302. This gas flow also extracts the gas from the gas discharge sections 318a and 318b thereby rubbing the lower part of the food product by passing the gas flow around the sides of the food, thus increasing the heat transfer, and passing the gas that rubs the upper surface towards the rear wall of the cavity of the air fryer. Returning to Figure 1, the upper gas discharge plates 323a and 323b are located within the cavity of the air fryer 302 in such a manner that the gas flow of the upper gas transfer section 317a conflicts and collides with the gas flow of the upper gas transfer section 317b on the surface of the food product and hits the food product at an angle that is between zero degrees and 90 degrees as it relates from the horizontal top wall (where zero degrees is parallel to the upper horizontal wall) and the lower gas discharge plates 327a and 327b are located within the cavity of the air fryer 302 in such a manner that the gas flow from the lower gas transfer section 318a is in conflict and collides with the gas flow from the lower gas transfer section 318b on the lower surface of the food product at an angle that is between zero degrees and ninety grams all as referred from the horizontal bottom wall. Various cooking requirements may require that the angle of the gas discharge plates 323a, 323b, 327a and 327b be adjusted, either during manufacture, or adjustable within the air fryer after manufacture, so that the head of the cook or cook change gas flow velocity angles (vectors) to perform different profiles of cooking. The number and placement of the openings 300a, 300b, 329a and 329b will vary according to the particular air fryer that is desired. The operator may desire more cooking flexibility and in these circumstances the gas discharge plates 323a, 323b, 327a and 327b can be manufactured in a way that allows the quick change of the plates by the operator. As used herein, the term "aperture" refers to irregular grooves, irregular holes or irregular nozzles, regularly formed grooves, regularly formed holes or regularly formed nozzles or a mixture of regularly formed, irregularly formed grooves, holes or nozzles. Figure 1 illustrates the use of three rows of openings 300a and 300b on upper gas supply sections 317a and 317b, and two rows of openings on the lower gas supply systems 318a and 318b, although more or less rows and numbers of openings can be used and the applicant intends to cover within language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function. The gas supply system, as illustrated in FIG. 1, produces aggressive, conflict, and shock gas flow patterns 330a and 330b where an aggressive, conflicting and shocking gas flow pattern 330a also interacts with the upper left portion and the upper left side portion of the food product 310 and a similar right upper conflicting and conflicting gas flow pattern 310b interacts with the upper right portion and right lateral portion upper of the food product 310. The incident, conflicting and shocking aggressive gas flow 331a interacts with the left and bottom left portions of the food product and the gas flow 331 b interacts with the lower and lateral right portions of the food product. This cooking profile creates high heat transfer capacity by using the surface of the food product, as well as the interference of flow fields to minimize the growth of the surrounding layer. After aggressive and conflicting gas flow patterns 330a and 330b contact or strike the food product, they exit through the rear exit section 312 and cycle through the air r as described here. The highly turbulent flow of the conflicting gas patterns described here have several benefits. First, the conflicting gas flow patterns create gas flow from the cooking cavity that is spatially averaged, or a flow condition that tends to average the highs and lows in the flow variation for a given point in the cavity of cooking greatly reduces the design complexity necessary to impose a uniform flow field on a cooking cavity. In those cases where the gas transfer sections 317a, 317b, 318a and 318b are used, the conflicting gas flows produce an "X" style gas flow where the high heat transfer rates necessary for the ng with air averages the flow conditions over space and time, thus producing uniform cooking and roasting. The pivot points of the baskets 364 allow the rotation of the sieve baskets of the food 368 by means of agitators of food product 363. In some embodiments a single screen basket can be used and in other embodiments the air fryer can be composed of more than one of those baskets. The gas flow within the air fryer, as well as other functions of the cooking appliance 301 are directed by the controller 334, figure 1. Frying with air of individual food products generally requires a separate cooking profile or recipe for that product food The air fryer may be capable of cooking several food products in turn, so the air fryer controls can track the food products as they are selected from the food storage unit 360 and move through the cavity of the air fryer 302, and adjust the energies of the gas flow, and microwave energies (when the microwave energy is used) of the cooking cavity according to the cooking recipe that has been introduced by the operator or introduced by a scanning device, or other device for each food product. The cooking profile for a food product, also referred to here as the "cooking recipe", can be very complex and the expense of time and labor associated with the introduction of cooking recipes can be minimized by using the controller 334 loaded with predetermined cooking recipes from a smart card, or loaded from an automated product identification device, or other devices Scrutiny and reading can be used. Alternative modalities will allow the operator to select the food product from food storage means 360, Figure 1, and a unique product identification code could be used to transfer recipes to the air fryer controller, thus eliminating the introduction of cooking recipes. manuals Alternatively, manual single-button entries, or multiple button entries may be made by the operator to enter the cooking recipes and the applicant does not intend to make limitations regarding the use of the control system for cooking recipes. In fact, optical scanners can be used. The illustrative embodiment describes a unique product identification code that is encoded with the correct cooking recipe values for each food product and the transfer of information is achieved using a radio frequency identification ("RFID") label placed on the food , food container or food packaging. The RFID tag can be programmed from the restaurant's point-of-sale system and read by the air fryer controller by any known means such as one-way wire communication, two-way communication, wireless or other means means and the applicant intends to cover within language any structure currently existing or developed in the future that performs the communication function. Reading the RFID tag by the controller 334 minimizes the error associated with the operator by entering an incorrect cooking recipe in the air fryer and allows a restaurant optimize customer service as the air fryer controller communicates with the point-of-sale system during the cooking cycle for each food product. The controller 334 determines, among other things, the gas flow velocity, which may be constant or varied, or, may be constantly varied throughout the cooking cycle and whether or not gas is supplied through the nodes of cooking previously described to the cooking cavity 302. It may be desired to cook the food product at a speed throughout the cooking cycle, or to vary the speed of the gas depending on conditions such as predetermined cooking recipes, or vary the speed of the gas in response to several sensors that can be placed within the cooking cavity, return gas paths of the air fryer or some other positions within the air fryer. The location and placement of these sensors will be determined by the particular application of the air fryer. In addition, other means may be used where the data is transmitted to the controller 334, and therefore the controller 334 adjusts the cooking recipe in an appropriate manner. For example, the sensors (temperature, humidity, velocity, vision and gas chemical mixing level sensors) can be used to constantly monitor the cooking conditions and adjust the gas flow, and energy of microwaves, when used, by Consequently, a cooking cycle may be used, and other sensors not described here may also be used and the air fryer may use sensors that are currently not commercially practical due to cost or other limitations (such as as laser, non-invasive temperature sensors and other sensors that are currently too expensive to be commercially feasible), and the air fryer is not limited to those described here, since many detection devices are known and used and the applicant intends encompass within language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function. In addition, the controller 334 can control the amount of purge gas flow through each odor filter 340a, 34b, as described above. For example, the cavity of the air fryer 302 may contain a food product which, under conventional cooking, or accelerated cooking, produces larger quantities of air fat, smoke and odor. In such a case, the controller 334 may allow more flow through the odor filter 340a, 340b from the air fryer cavity 302 and adjust the preheaters 341a, 341b. The gas flow can also be adjusted as a function of available power. In the case, for example, that the heating means of an all-electric air fryer is required or that it uses a large amount of power (greater than the available power levels which may vary according to the place and code and regulation) local) it may be desirable for the controller 334 to reduce the electrical power to the heating means or other electrical components to conserve the available power. In the air fryer, some systems can be energized by electric current, but the power requirements will not be as high as required for an air fryer totally electric because the energy required for gas heating and cooking will be provided by the combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel. In the event that a controller may not be required, in fact knobs or buttons can be used. In an alternative embodiment, the gas flow control can be achieved by a gas flow control means, Figs. 4, 5. As the gas is discharged to the upper left gas transfer section 317a, a portion selected of said gas can be directed through openings 300a within the gas discharge plate 323a by a gas deflection means 324a, shown in the open position, figure 4. The gas deflection means 324a is shown as pivotally attached to the gas discharge plate 323a, although other means can be used to achieve said gas deflection. For example, means such as normally open, normally closed or normally partially open and normally partially closed switch plates can be used (wherein said plates slide along the interior of the perforated plate 323a to limit the opening of the aperture 300a of the discharge plate 323a), and the applicant intends to encompass within the language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function as the gas deflection means 324a. Gas that has not been discharged or diverted through the openings 300a flows to the lower left gas transfer section 318a through the vertical transfer section 319a. Pivotally attached to the 320a waveguide section (when used wave guides and sheet metal when not in use) is a lower gas transfer deflection mechanism 352a, FIG. 4 which operates to limit the amount of gas that is transferred to the lower gas transfer section 318a. As used herein, the terms "flow control means", "gas deflection means", "transfer deflection mechanism" and "flow control means" all have the same meaning and refer to means for controlling the gas flow inside and to several parts of the air fryer. In fact, certain cooking operations may require more gas flow to the bottom of the air fryer, although its operations will require little or no gas flow to the underside of the air fryer to supply the lower part of the food product. In those cases where little or no gas flow is desired on the lower surface of the food product, the gas transfer deflection mechanism 352a can be closed to allow all, or substantially all, of the gas flow in the section of upper left gas supply 317a. The gas flowing to the lower left gas supply section 118a can be reheated, if desired, by means of left bottom heating 303a, figure 4. After passing over heating elements 303a, the gas can also be deflected by a deflection means 328a, figure 4, shown in the open position. As the gas deflection means 328a is rotated, the control of the directional gas flow can be further refined, allowing the gas flow to pass through the upper and lower rows of openings of the lower gas plate 327a in various positions along the lower surface of the food product 310, Figure 4. Although the gas deflection means 328a is shown as pivotally attached to the gas discharge plate 327a slotted or perforated left, the deflection means of gas 328a is not limited to the pivotally attached medium illustrated herein, and as described elsewhere herein, the applicant seeks to encompass within language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function as gas deflection means 324a, 352a, 328a, 324b, 352b and 328b which will be described hereinafter. As the gas is discharged in the upper right gas transfer section 317b, a selected portion of said gas can be directed through the openings 300b within the gas discharge plate 323b by a gas deflection means 324b , shown in the open position, figure 5. The gas deflection means 324b is pivotally attached to the gas discharge plate 323b, although as with 323a, other means can be used to achieve said gas deflection. For example, means such as normally open, normally closed, or normally partially open and normally partially closed switched plates can be used (wherein said plates slide along the interior of the perforated plate 323b to limit the opening of the opening 300b e the discharge plate 323b), and the applicant intends to encompass within the language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function as gas deflection means 324b.

Gas that has not been discharged or diverted through the openings 300b flows to the lower left gas transfer section 318b through the vertical transfer section 319b. Shown as a pivotally joined waveguide section 320b (when waveguides and sheet metal are used when not in use) is a lower transfer deflection gas mechanism 352b, FIG. 5 which operates to limit the amount of gas that it is transferred to the lower gas transfer section 318b. As with the left gas transfer system, certain cooking operations may require more gas flow to the bottom of the fryer, while other operations will require little or no gas flow to the bottom of the fryer of air to supply the lower part of the food product. In those cases where little or no desired gas flow over the lower surface of the food product, the gas transfer deflection mechanism 352b can be closed to allow all, or substantially all, of the gas to flow to the supply section of gas from the upper loop 317b. The gas flowing to the upper right gas supply section 118b can be reheated, if desired, by means of left lower heating 303b, figure 5. After passing over heating elements 303b, the gas can be further diverted by means of deflection 328b, figure 5, shown in the open position. As the gas deflection means 328b is rotated, the directional control of the gas flow can be further refined, allowing the gas flow to pass through. through the upper and lower rows of the openings of the lower gas plate 327b in various positions along the lower surface of the food product 310, Figure 5. Although the gas deflection means 328b is shown as pivotally attached to the slotted or perforated left discharge plate, the gas deflection means 328b is not limited to the pivotally fixed means illustrated herein, and as described elsewhere herein, the applicant seeks to encompass within language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function as the gas deflection means 324a, 352a, 328a, 324b, 352b and 328b. In those cases where the directional control of the gas flow is desired, the gas deflection means 324a, 324b, 328a, 328b and 352a and 352b, figures 4,5 can be rotated in such a way that the gas flow is supplied to selected openings, thus effecting a different gas flow pattern and gas mixing above and above the surface of the food product. In addition, in those cases where lower lateral gas flow is not desired, the gas deflection means 352a. 352b can be closed, thus allowing little or no gas flow passage to the lower portion of the air fryer cavity. Some other adjustments of the gas deflection means are possible and the applicant intends to encompass within language any structure currently existing or developed in the future that allows the combinations of positions of open and closed openings of the openings 300a, 300b, 329a and 329b by the various gas flow control means described herein. The gas deflection means 324a, 324b, 328a, 328b and 352a and 352b can be manually controlled, automatically controlled by the controller 334, controlled by other mechanical or electrical means, or controlled by a combination of automatic and manual control and the applicant intends to encompass within the language any currently existing structure or developed in the future that performs the function described herein concerning the adjustment of the gas deflection means. In those cases where the gas deflection means 324a or 324b allow little or no gas through the gas discharge plates 323a, 323b, and also where little gas flow through the discharge plates is desired. of lower gas 327a, 327b, a bypass return gas flow conduit can be provided to return the gas flow to the gas return conduit means 389. Also, in those cases where the gas steering means 328a , 328b allow little or no gas through the gas discharge plates 327a, 327b and less gas flow is desired through the gas discharge plates 323a, 323b, a conduit means can be provided to return the gas flow to the return duct means 389, or alternatively to the atmosphere or to the gas purge system previously described for subsequent odor and grease cleaning. In fact, there are several and multiple combinations of gas flow control, depending on the particular air fryer that is desired and the gas flow can be directed to many different openings along the air fryer to achieve the product desired finished cooking 310. The air fryer of the present invention can also be use microwave energy to cook at least partially the food product. Standard 2.45 GHz magnetron tubes can be used, which produce a maximum power level for the air fryer of about 2000 watts (supplied to the food) or 1000 watts per tube. Matching the microwave heat transfer and general convection energy patterns in such a way that uniform cooking conditions can be achieved at the top and bottom of the food product. As seen in Figure 1, the left side microwave emitting waveguide 320a is joined within the air fryer cavity 302 to the left side wall 305 between upper left gas discharge plate 323a and the discharge plate of lower gas 327a. The right side microwave emitter waveguide 320b is attached within the air fryer cavity 302 to the right side wall 306 between the upper right gas discharge plate 323b and the lower right gas discharge plate 327b. The microwave waveguides are designed to distribute magnetron microwave power 100, Fig. 3, uniformly from right to left of the cooking fry of the air fryer 302. The vertical distance above the lower wall of the cavity 304 of the waveguides 320a and 320b is such that, under normal cooking conditions, approximately more than one third of the microwave energy is available below the food product 310, with the rest of the microwave energy available per above the food product 310. The waveguides 320a, 320b (with slotted antennas) are located along the left and right cavity walls. The microwell feeds are centered above the level of the basket, slightly below the gas discharge plates 323a, 323b. As shown in FIG. 1, the microwave energy 351a, 351b, FIG. 5, is diffused from waveguides 320a, 320b to the cavity of the air fryer 302 via a slotted antenna 370, FIG. 3, wherein three or four narrow openings (slots) 370 are separated along the waveguide. Several configurations for microwave distribution have been used with variable results and less than three slots can be used or more than three slots can be used, and the applicant intends to encompass within the language any structure currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function. The slots 370 in the waveguides 320a, 320b are open to the cooking cavity and must be covered or protected in such a way that grease and other contaminants can not enter the waveguide and a durable slotted antenna cover and Low cost can be used to protect said slots 370. The slotted antenna covers 106 figure 3, are configured to cover slots 370 in waveguides 320a, 320b. The slotted antenna covers 106 adhere to the surrounding stainless steel of the waveguides 320a, 320b using room temperature vulcanization sealant ("RTV") of high temperature silicone rubber. This sealing approach creates a watertight seal of high temperature between the cover and the surrounding metal. Although one has been described Water resistant seal in illustrative embodiment, other sealing means may be used to adhere antenna covers 106 to waveguide 320a, 320b. The material of the cover must be compatible with the operation at high temperature, it must be of low loss characteristics in relation to microwave transmission, easy to clean, durable and inexpensive. For good microwave compatibility, materials with a dielectric constant less than 6 and a loss tangent of less than 0.2 have been found to provide such characteristics. These materials should be thin, generally less than 0.038 cm thick, and should be suitable for glue using RTV. A Teflon (Polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE")) / glass fiber cloth produced by Saint Gobain (product of ChemFab number 10 BT) having a treated side to accept silicone rubber and which is 0.0254 cm thick is described in FIG. illustrative mode and has shown to have little impact on the microwave characteristics of the magnetron system and microwave waveguide. The impedance test results (Smith diagram presentation) and water rinsing experiments of the waveguide impedance and the waveguide antenna for slot angles greater than 17 degrees (as measured throughout the center line, 379 figure 3 of the slot 370) with and without the antenna cover 106 are approximately the same. Although two microwave waveguides, 320a, 320b and two magnetrons, 100, are described per cooking cavity, in other embodiments the waveguides can be supplied by a larger magnetron, or various numbers of magnetrons can be used alternatively and the invention is not limited to two magnetrons per cooking cavity and the applicant seeks to encompass within language any structure currently existing or developed in the future that performs the same function. For cooking with optimum air, the food product 310 is dropped into the rotating food baskets 368, Figure 1 in the air fryer 302 cavity. The sieve baskets 368 are placed at a distance of at least 6.09. cm (for optimal cooking uniformity) of the left side wall 305 and right side wall 306. The measurement of 6.223 cm corresponds to one half of a microwave wavelength or 6.09 cm (for optimum cooking uniformity) (zero E field) ) for a microwave tube frequency of 2.45 GHz (microwave). This space allows the E field to expand and become more uniform before coupling with the food product. Another placement of side space can be used with other types of magnetron systems. The right side miter waveguide is identical to the left side system and the microwave energy is diffused from the right waveguide 320b to the air fryer cavity 302 by the slotted antenna 370 as described above for the left side. Although waveguides 320a and 320b are configured in the same manner, infinite combinations of groove designs, groove configurations, groove widths, groove lengths, number of grooves per groove guides, Wave and groove orientations are possible by waveguide depending on the type of air fryer desired. The microwave energy field therefore propagates through the cavity of the air fryer in a uniformly distributed pattern, coupling with the food product from all directions, and providing a uniform distribution of electromagnetic energy throughout the cavity of the air fryer without the need for a mechanical stirrer to propagate the electromagnetic field. The waveguides 320a and 320b are located on the left and right side walls of the air fryer, and therefore do not interfere with the exhaust of spent gas in the air fryer cavity. Since the microwave waveguides are located on the side walls of the air fryer cavity, are not affected by food spills, grease contamination, contamination with cleaning fluid or other contamination that normally affects a microwave emission system from the bottom. The microwave system of the present invention will therefore be less likely to be penetrated by grease, spills, cleaning materials and other contaminants because the systems are not located directly under the food product where the hot contaminants will fall. It is not required that the side emission waveguide be used and in fact microwave emission can be achieved from any surface of the air fryer cavity, with varying degrees of efficiencies. The microwave waveguides 320a, 320b, figure 1 with slotted antenna 370, figure 3, are located along the cavity walls left and right such that the food baskets 368 are slightly below the grooves 370. In this way, the energy of the microcrown is directed towards the upper and lower part of the food product. For safety, the microwave energy must be contained within the cooking cavity 302 and the cavity of the air fryer 302 is therefore equipped with a lower isolation scaling microwave door 369, FIG. 1. The product flow illustrative food is illustrated in Figure 1. The food storage unit 360 supplies food in portions to be prepared in the air fryer cavity 302. The storage unit 360 can supply bulk product or multiple products such as chicken and french fries. The storage unit supplies a quantity of food product in portions to food baskets 368 closed when the isolation door of the air fryer 361 is in the open position. The food product can fall directly from the storage unit 360 or alternatively, it can be contained in the containment area 375. Once the food product 310 has fallen into the baskets 368, the upper door 361 is closed and the cooking process start. As used herein, cooking includes re-thermalization. Mice energy, if used, and heat transfer by convection are controlled during the cooking cycle. The convection energy is modulated by a variable speed blower or flow control dampers as described above, and the microwaves are working cycle to achieve the desired energy level. The food product agitators, one per basket in the illustrative embodiment 363, FIG. 1, agitate the laminated products (e.g., layers of French fries) during the cooking cycle. Before, during or after the cooking cycle, the oil or oil mixtures, or other sprays can be sprayed or applied to the food product by the spouts 373, figure 1. When the cooking cycle is completed, the door of the fryer lower air 369 is opened and baskets 368 rotate open to deliver the cooked food product to a containment area below the air fryer cavity. The cooking values for the product 310 can be entered automatically or manually, as described above, in the controller 334. After the door 361 is closed, a second food product can be dropped into the containment chamber 375. In those cases where microwave energy is used, a microwave seal must be achieved between the cavity of the air fryer 302 and the containment chamber 375 by the microwave port 361 described above made of a material of reflection of micoondas. With the first food product 310 in the baskets 368, the controller 334 starts the cooking recipe for the food product 310 and a second food product can be selected and placed in the containment chamber 375 where the second food product can receive heating. defrosting or precooking, depending on the cooking recipe chosen. In fact, in some modalities it can be It is desirable that the isolation door 361 be made of a microwave transparent material to allow the microwaves to penetrate the containment chamber 375. In cases where the microwaves are allowed to penetrate the containment chamber 375, the Thawing of the frozen cooking product, or pre-heating of cold but not frozen food products can begin. In cases where the isolation door 361 is transparent to the microwaves, the door 374 must be reflective to the microwaves and form a microwave seal with the camera 302. The cooking values of the second food product can now be entered into the controller 334 in the event that the operator has not previously entered the cooking program, or the program has not been automatically loaded as described above. After the cooking is complete, the lower isolation door 369 is opened, and the food product is supplied either below the air fryer to the containment area or content for subsequent cooking. Therefore, the door 369 is closed and the cooking of the second food product is resumed. Although the illustrative embodiment illustrates the use of a two-blower design where one blower provides the gas flow to the left of each cooking cavity and a second blower is for the gas flow to the right of each cooking cavity, only a flow medium, such as a blower, may be used, or more than two gas flow means may be used and the applicant intends to encompass any structure within the language currently existing and developed in the future that performs the same function. The gas heating power requirements per cooking cavity of the illustrative embodiment are between about 3 to 7 kw for an electrical appliance and 12 to 30 Kbtu / hr for a heater energized by natural gas of direct ignition. For any power source, a standard temperature controller could be used (ie maintaining the blower discharge temperature). Either for a gas appliance, or for an electrical appliance, as described above, the appliance 301 can be selected to allow the use of available power supplies. In addition, a common gas heating medium is ideal for ease of installation, service, and the ability to incinerate grease particles that make contact with very hot combustion products. Of course, the hot products of the combustion of cooking by-products are mixed with the gas returning to the blowers, resulting in a moderate increase of the gas temperature between -6.67 ° C to 15.56 ° C and a number of types of combustion chamber are suitable for this application including a burner of surface type. Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, various sizes of air fryers, and various speeds of air fryers can be made in commercial, residential, industrial or sales modes. In these cases, larger or smaller component parts can be used, and They can use less or more components. In the case where it is desirable to make a smaller air fryer, one means of gas flow acceleration can be used instead of two; one microwave system instead of two; smaller thermal devices and in smaller numbers, ignition either electrical or gas resistance can be used. In cases where it is desirable for a larger air fryer, larger gas flow systems and microwavable systems can be added to achieve the cooking of more food product. To summarize, the present invention provides frying with air that uses substantially less or no oil when using hot gas flow, or hot gas flow coupled with microwave energy to achieve air frying of food products at levels of quality, taste and appearance equal to and superior than those achieved by conventional cooking. The air fryer is operable on various power supplies and is simple and economical to manufacture, use and maintain, and is directly scalable to larger or smaller modes. The air fryer can operate as a gas fired or fired electric resistance fryer, an air and microwave fryer or a combination gas and microwave air fryer. The air fryer may use means for injecting or spraying various oils, spices or other cooking additives onto the food product to provide a final food product having the taste, texture and appearance characteristics of a fat immersion food product. In addition, the invention can be to implement where gas deflection means are not used, such as in the illustrative embodiment, the gas deflection means are used as in alternative embodiments described herein. Other modifications and improvements to this will become readily apparent. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention should be broadly considered and limited only by the appended claims, and not by the above specification. Any element in a claim that does not explicitly establish "means to" perform a specific function, or "step to" perform a specific function, should not be interpreted as a "middle" or "step" clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. § 112, ^ 16. In particular, the use of "step of" in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112

Claims (8)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - An air fryer for cooking a food product, comprising; a housing defining a cooking chamber; a conduit means for circulating gas to and from the cooking chamber; a flow medium to produce gas circulation; a means to heat the gas; a first gas direction means disposed above the food product, the first gas direction means being operably associated with the conduit means; and a second gas direction means disposed above the food product, the second gas direction means also being operably associated with the conduit means; wherein the first and second gas direction means are configured to cause the gas of the first gas direction means to collide with the gas of the second gas direction means on the surface of the food product; a first lower gas steering means disposed below the food product; the first lower gas steering means being operably associated with the conduit means; and a second lower gas steering means disposed below the food product, the second lower gas steering means also being operably associated with the conduit means; wherein the first and second lower gas steering means are configured to cause the gas of the first lower gas steering means collides with the gas of the second lower gas steering means on the lower surface of the food product.

2. The air fryer according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises: at least one food basket disposed inside the cooking chamber to contain the food product.

3. The air fryer according to claim 2, further characterized in that it comprises: a basket for food on the right side; and a food basket on the left side.

4. The air fryer according to claim 2, further characterized in that at least one of the food baskets is rotatable to allow the food product to be discharged from the food basket.

5. The air fryer according to claim 2, further characterized in that it comprises: at least one food product stirrer operably associated with at least one food basket for stirring the food product while the food product is contained in at least one basket for food.

6. The air fryer according to claim 5, further characterized in that at least one food product agitator comprises: a rotating vane assembly. 7 '.- The air fryer according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises: means for supplying at least one food additive to the food product while the food product is in the cooking chamber. 8. The air fryer according to claim 7, further characterized in that the food additive is from the group consisting of: an oil; and a mixture of oil. 9. The air fryer according to claim 7, further characterized in that the food additive is from the group consisting of: a liquid; and a dry seasoning. 10. The air fryer according to claim 7, further characterized in that the food additive imparts a flavor, texture and a fried food sensation to the food product. 11. The air fryer according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises: an upper opening disposed on the upper part of the housing, the upper opening being configured to allow the food product to be placed in the cooking chamber from above . 12. The air fryer according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises: a lower opening disposed on the lower part of the housing, the lower opening being configured to allow the food product to be emptied from the cooking chamber . 13. The air fryer according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises: a storage unit of food operably associated with the cooking chamber to contain the food product before the food product is introduced into the cooking chamber. 14. The air fryer according to claim 13, further characterized in that the food storage unit comprises: an insulated chamber for maintaining the food product at a selected temperature. 15. The air fryer according to claim 13, further characterized in that the food storage unit comprises: a portion transparent to the microwaves in communication with the cooking chamber, so that the energy of microwaves can pass from the cooking chamber to the food storage unit for selectively heating the food product in the food storage unit. 16. The air fryer according to claim 15, further characterized in that the food product in the cooking chamber is cooked at least partially by microwave energy, while the food product in the food storage unit is thawed by the same energy of micoondas. 1

7. The air fryer according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises: a control system adapted to receive signals representing cooking instructions of a radio frequency identification system associated with a package associated with the food product. 1

8. A method of cooking a food product, comprising the steps of: providing an air fryer having a housing defining a cooking chamber, a conduit means for circulating gas to and from the cooking chamber, a flow medium for producing the gas flow, a means for heating the gas, a first gas direction means disposed above the food product, the first gas direction means being operably associated with the duct means; and a second gas direction means disposed above the food product, the second gas direction means also being operably associated with the conduit means; place a food product in the cooking chamber; cooking the food product by causing the gas of the first gas direction means to collide with the gas of the second gas direction means on the surface of the food product; supplying an oil on the food product to impart a flavor, a texture, and a feeling of fried food to the food product; and remove the cooked food product from the air fryer