Convection cooking oven with enhanced temperature distribution uniformity

摘要

A gas fired convection cooking oven is provided with an improved air delivery and heat exchange structure for creating within the oven's cooking chamber a recirculating flow of heated air to cook food items supported therein. The structure includes a combustion box adapted to receive hot products of combustion from a gas burner, and extending into the cooking chamber through a lower portion of a vertical boundary wall thereof. Removably secured to the combustion box, and extending upwardly along the inner side of the boundary wall is a hollow baffle structure having a front mixing chamber communicating with the interior of the combustion box through spaced apart hollow legs with a discharge opening formed therebetween. Perforated skirt walls extending rearwardly from the mixing chamber define with the boundary wall a fan chamber which surrounds a motor-driven centrifugal fan impeller supported on the inner side of the boundary wall. During oven operation the recirculating air flow is drawn from the cooking chamber into the mixing chamber, mixed with burner combustion products and flowed into the fan. The flow is then ejected from the fan and forced into the cooking chamber through the skirt wall perforations and through the discharge opening between the mixing chamber leg portions. Removal of the baffle structure from the combustion box and the boundary wall conveniently exposes the fan impeller within the cooking chamber for inspection, cleaning and service purposes.