WO2002026042A1

WO2002026042A1 - Rotating oven with inlet door having shutters

Info

Publication number: WO2002026042A1
Application number: PCT/IT2001/000490
Authority: WO
Inventors: Piero Laghetti
Original assignee: Rega International S.R.L.; Dalmed S.P.A.
Priority date: 2000-09-29
Filing date: 2001-09-25
Publication date: 2002-04-04
Also published as: ITRM20000524A1; ITRM20000524A0; IT1316225B1; AU2001295883A1

Abstract

The present invention concerns an aerothermic rotating oven with baking planes turning about a central axis, for the baking of bakery products moulded in various shapes and sizes, wherein the inlet door for the loading and the unloading of the products is partitioned into multiple rectangular shutters independent thereamong and in a number analogous to the number of the baking planes installed onto the trolleys which rotate inside the baking oven.

Description

ROTATING OVEN WITH INLET DOOR HAVING SHUTTERS

DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to an aerothermic rotating oven, with baking planes turning about a central axis and with an inlet door for the loading and the unloading of the bakery products, partitioned into multiple rectangular shutters independent thereamong and in a number analogous to the number of the baking planes installed onto the trolley which rotates inside of the baking oven.

As it is known to those skilled in the art, the baking process of dough pieces, of biscuits, or of pastry involves a series of physical, chemical and biological transformations, finally yielding an edible product having excellent organoleptic and nutritive characteristics. Likewise, as it is already known, the rise and the aspect of the bread depend on various factors and are the final indication of a faultlessly balanced setting-up of the technological parameters . In fact, the most relevant technological parameters like the temperature and the length of the baking and of the processing cycle are important in the attainment of a choice product.

The utmost importance of attaining a right and precise oven temperature over the entire baking cycle should be borne in mind. The attainment of a choice product is related to the need to have a gradual and constant thermal diagram, without sudden changes in temperature along the baking chamber. The steps of loading and of unloading the products onto and from the baking planes entail remarkable inconveniences due to the delicacy of holding a suitable in-oven temperature. The traditional system, as it is well-known to those skilled in the art, entails remarkable drawbacks, both due to the frequent opening of the single inlet door of the oven, an action unavoidably causing a sudden drop in temperature therein, and to the fact that since batches identical in size and shapes are unlikely to be baked, the loading- unloading plane forces the baker to carry out repeated openings of the single inlet door, enhancing the thermal dishomogeneity of the oven itself. It should be stressed that all of this hinders the success of the product since the sudden changes in temperature, in particular, disrupt the film formed, during the rising, onto the surface of the product, with the entailed subsequent downgrading of the latter. These drawbacks are partially overcome by the use of a known endless belt, depositing rationally and with no manual intervention the pieces of dough onto the baking planes, shortening the operative times and, therefore, the opening times of the single inlet door of the oven front.

Understandably, even said loading/unloading mechanical system does not overcome the sensible drops in temperature, as there subsists the need of opening the inlet door of the entire oven front. In light of the above, apparently the rotating ovens presently used in the field of baking require improvements in order to attain constant and appropriately gradual thermal cycles, without sudden changes in the in-oven temperature; moreover, the compromise between flexibility in the product sizes and improved quality of the end-product is insufficient .

Hence, the applicants have considered the problem in its entirety, with the precise aim of devising a rotating oven capable of having functional and structural features apt to overcome the drawbacks mentioned with reference to the known art .

The solution underlying the present invention is to set up a structure for loading the products into the rotating oven according to which sensible changes in temperature due to the carrying out of the loading and the unloading steps of the products baking therein be prevented. In fact, the structure of the rotating oven hereto advanced, by means of an original solution, advantageously provides remarkable economic benefits to the baker, as well as bakery products of high sensory and visual quality to the consumers.

Therefore, the task underlying the invention is to implement an inlet door to the rotating oven which generally overcomes the drawbacks and the disadvantages related to the actual provisions of the state of the art. Accordingly, the present invention concerns a rotating oven, preferably aerothermic, with baking planes turning about a central axis for the baking of bakery products moulded in various shapes and sizes, said rotating oven comprising an inlet door partitioned into multiple substantially rectangular shutters, independent thereamong in the loading and in the unloading of the product and in a number analogous to the number of the planes installed onto the trolley inside the baking oven. Said substantially rectangular shutters are transparent plates, made of crystal or of sufficiently thick glass, and, likewise, are positioned slant inwards the oven and with opening and closing rotations with hinges or likewise means positioned at the horizontal top edge of the former. Incidentally, the slant inwards the oven raises a weight component which actuates a pressure contact between the edges of the crystal itself and the felt strip made integral to the metallic sash of the inlet door, in order to ensure, with the cooperation of elastic tie rods, the sealing of the same rectangular shutters over the entire baking cycle of the bakery products.

According to an embodiment, the shutters are sealed by adjustable elastic tie rods, preferably with screw members which are advantageously positioned at the ends of the sash of the inlet door.

Operationally and advantageously, the rectangular shutters forming the mirroring of the inlet door are individually opened by a dedicated sash, by a known endless belt, animated by a translatory motion in both directions for the automated loading of the products onto the baking planes of the oven. The invention will hereinafter be detailed according to the embodiment schematically disclosed in the drawings of the attached tables, which summarily depict the features of the invention. It has to be pointed out that all of the attached drawings, as well as the description thereof which will hereinafter be provided, relate to a preferred embodiment given in order to make apparent the operation mode thereof. Nevertheless, optional variations in the reciprocal positions of the members, as well as any entailed simplification possibly ensuing therefrom, and all of the variant embodiments which are encompassed in the general inventive idea, which is disclosed in the attached drawings, should be construed as falling within the protective scope which is being sought. In the drawings : - figure 1 is a schematic isometric perspective view showing the rotating oven with the inlet door opened which is assembled in the mirroring thereof with multiple rectangular shutters independent thereamong and of a transparent material for the visual inspection of the product which is being baked; figure 2 is a schematic isometric perspective view showing multiple rectangular shutters, upperly hinged and contained between the posts of the sash of the inlet door; - figure 3 is a schematic side view of the rectangular shutters in an opening and closing rotation during the loading or the unloading of the products. For simplicity's sake, in the figures parts corresponding or having the same functions are indicated by the same reference numbers.

Likewise, for overall clarity, in the figures the devices and the apparatuses operating in mutual cooperation with the rotating oven at issue are not shown nor described in the operation thereof, as already known and superfluous to an understanding of the present invention. Thus, e.g., the trolley with the baking planes inside the rotating oven, the kinematic motion required for the rotation of the former during the baking cycle of the bakery products, the structure of the endless belt for the automatic loading and unloading of the products onto the baking planes of the trolley inserted in the oven, as well as the features of the elastic tie rods and the circuitry of such oven and of such structure having multiple shutters are not shown nor described, as implementable in different manners, all known to the art. In the attached tables: 1 is the inlet door partitioned into multiple shutters 3 substantially rectangular and independent thereamong in the opening and closing angular rotations thereof (see figure 3) by means of the hinges 7 anchored and fastened to the structure 11 of the top edge of the shutter 3 itself, the latter steadily adhering by contact pressure to the felt strip 12 by means of known elastic tie rods 5.

The closing slant bearing of the shutter 3 is actuated by the underlying structural members 8, which are integrally fastened to the sash 2 and 14 of the inlet door 1 of the oven 6 of the base 10.

Advantageously, the preferably aerodynamic baking rotating oven 6 has a control panel 9 with a display and push buttons for setting and presetting both the temperature thermal cycles and the baking time, as well as the other technological parameters of the operation schedule suitable to the attainment of an optimum volume of bread. The operation of the rotating oven 6 with the inlet door 1 partitioned into multiple shutters 3 of the present invention, highlighted in the figures of the attached tables, is easy to guess, as the inlet door 1 is extremely simple and, moreover, easily implementable, applicable and usable.

The aerother ic rotating oven 6 is initialized. Then, the trolley with the baking planes is inserted and the inlet door 1 is closed. At any loading or unloading, the baker opens, manually with a shovel, or automatically with an endless belt device, an individual shutter 3 related to the facing baking plane of the trolley turning inside the oven 6.

All this, by virtue of the minimum opening of the inlet door 1, ensures uniformity of baking under a controlled atmosphere, allowing the attainment of a choice product since the innovation of the shutters 3 allows to have a preset thermal diagram, without sudden changes in temperature along the baking chamber. Of course, the invention, hereto advanced by means of an original solution is not restricted to the mere embodiment of this inlet door 1, which was hereto disclosed by way of example; on the contrary, it encompasses all the variants deriving from the same principle which may differ in various construction shapes, and it is apparent that all the technically equivalent solutions, in particular those for implementing the sealing means of the shutters 3, fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotating oven with multiple baking planes turning about a metallic central axis for the baking of bread, or of bakery products moulded in the various shapes and sizes thereof, comprising a inlet door for the loading and the unloading of the product vertically hinged and provided with a glass and/or a crystal mirroring for the visual inspection of the product which is being baked, said oven being characterised in that the inlet door is partitioned into multiple rectangular shutters, independent thereamong in the loading and in the unloading of the product and in a number analogous to the number of the planes installed onto the trolleys which rotate inside the baking oven.

2. The rotating oven with multiple baking planes turning about a metallic central axis for the baking of bread according to claim 1, characterised in that the rectangular shutters independent thereamong in the loading and in the unloading of the product are transparent rectangular plates of crystal, or of sufficiently thick glass, and in that said plates are positioned sufficiently slant inwards the oven, for having a weight component which actuates a pressure contact between the edges of the crystal itself and the felt strip made integral to the metallic sash of the inlet door, in order to ensure, with the cooperation of elastic tie rods, the sealing of the same rectangular shutters over the entire baking cycle of the bakery products.

3. Rotating oven with multiple baking planes turning about a metallic central axis for the baking of bread according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the rectangular shutters are rotatable onto pins, or onto hinges, inwards the baking oven for allowing the loading and the unloading of the products from the baking planes installed onto the trolley located and maintained in a preset fixed position.

4. A rotating oven with multiple baking planes turning about a metallic central axis for the baking of bread according to claims 2 and 3, characterised in that the rectangular shutters are sealed by adjustable elastic pull ties, preferably with screw members, and advantageously positioned at the ends thereof in the sash of the inlet door.

5. The rotating oven with multiple baking planes turning about a metallic central axis for the baking of bread according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rectangular shutters are individually opened by a dedicated frame of the endless belt which is animated by a translatory motion in both directions for the loading and for the automated unloading of the products onto the baking planes thereof.

6. The rotating oven with inlet door partitioned into multiple shutters characterised, in that it is manufactured according to what set forth in any one of the claims 1 to 5.