EP0040528A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Radiant heat cooking apparatus
Assignee: United Biscuits Ltd
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Filing: 1981-05-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-05-15
Abstract
Abstract Food articles are heated by radiation in the near infrared wavelength range of 0.72 µm to 2.5 µm. Food articles can be thawed, heated or fully cooked direct from the frozen condition in this way. Hamburger patties are cooked in a conveyor cooker between rows of sources (20) of such radiation. The sources are energized at half voltage during standby periods so that the conveyor is held at a temperature such that it has a searing effect on patties cooked by exposure to the radiation. Full energization is effected by operation of a switch (44) in response to placement of a patty on the conveyor through a flap (45) connected with the switch. A separate conveyor (25) carries hamburger bun halves beneath a third row of the sources. In a static area employing sources of the radiation, reflector and screening arrangements provide even diffuse radiation in the heating zone and control of the heating effect is obtained by selective energization of the sources for selectively variable periods.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeffery Edward Munden
- 👤 Adrian Guy Masters
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 20:26
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47J; A47J37/00; A47J37/06; A47J37/0623; A47J37/0629; A47J37/0635; A21; A21B; A21B2/00; A47J37/04; A47J37/044
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
42 words
A method of heating a food article, the method comprising the step of exposing the food article to radiation from a radiation source, characterized in that the radiation is of maximum intensity in the wavelength range of 0.72 µm to 2.5 pm.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
42 words
A method of heating a food article, the method comprising the step of exposing the food article to radiation from a radiation source, characterized in that the radiation is of maximum intensity in the wavelength range of 0.72 µm to 2.5 pm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a heating zone is maintained in the absence of the food article therefrom, at a temperature greater than ambient temperature by energisation of the radiation source so as to cause the source to emit radiation of maximum intensity at a wavelength greater than 2.5 µm, the energisation of the radiation source being increased when the article is placed in the zone to cause the source to emit the radiation of maximum intensity in the wavelength range of 0.72 µm to 2.5 µm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the food article is exposed to the radiation directly after removal of the article from storage in a frozen condition.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
57 words
An apparatus for heating a food article, the apparatus comprising radiation source means (20;58) and support means (5,6,25;55) positioned to support the food article so as to be exposed to the radiation, characterised in that the source means is arranged to emit the radiation with maximum intensity in the wavelength range of 0.72 µm to 2.5 µm.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
57 words
An apparatus for heating a food article, the apparatus comprising radiation source means (20;58) and support means (5,6,25;55) positioned to support the food article so as to be exposed to the radiation, characterised in that the source means is arranged to emit the radiation with maximum intensity in the wavelength range of 0.72 µm to 2.5 µm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 having reflector means (24;59,61) for directing the radiation onto the food article and screening means (62) preventing the radiation from reaching the food article other than by reflection.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the support means (5,6,25) comprises a conveyor operable to carry at least one food article from a loading position for the article, through a heating zone in which the article is exposed to the radiation, to a discharge position for the article.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the source means comprises at least two groups of radiation sources (20) in side by side relationship relative to the direction of conveyor movement, and wherein means is provided for separate energization of the groups, whereby less than all the groups can be energised when less than the full width of the conveyor (5,6,25) is occupied by food articles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
113 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein the conveyor (5,6) comprises an open grid of heat retaining material and wherein control means (44,33) is provided for energising the source means (20) selectively either at a first level for producing the said radiation or at a second level for producing radiation having maximum intensity at a wavelength longer than 2.5 um, the control means being arranged to maintain the source means energisation at the second level during absence of a food article from the conveyor (5,6) and to change the energisation to the first level for a predetermined period in response to the presence of a food article on the conveyor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 having means (44,45) for sensing the presence of a food article on the conveyor (5,6), the control means being responsive to the sensing of an article on the conveyor by the sensing means to start the predetermined period.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, 5, 6 or 7 having control means for effecting energisation of the source means for a selected one of a plurality of periods or for a selectively variable period.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 10 having a door (45,54) permitting access to the support means (5,6;55), the control means being arranged to cause the source means (20.58) to emit the said radiation response to operation of the door.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
89 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, 7, 8 or 9 having a second conveyor (25), second radiation source means (20) providing radiation having maximum intensity at a wavelength range from 0.7 pm to 2.5 pm, the second conveyor extending from a loading position, beneath the second radiation source means, to a discharge position, whereby when a manufactured meat product is being cooked on the first-mentioned conveyor (5,6), at least one dough product can be heated on the second conveyor (25) for subsequent association with the cooked meat product.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 having guide means (15,16) associated with the conveyor (5,6) with at least one of the conveyors (5,6;25), the guide means being arranged to guide a heated food article leaving the conveyor at the discharge position to the vicinity of the loading position.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
82 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 13 having a housing constituted at least in part by panel means having spaced inner and outer walls, and means (39,44) for promoting air flow in the space (36,38) between the inner and outer walls, and the source means (20) comprising at least one elongate radiation source having the ends thereof extending into the space (36) between the inner and outer walls, so as to be cooled by the air flow.
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