Earl Robert Winkelmann

6359271, Mar 19, 2002

Oct 27, 2000

09/699120

John D. Gidner - Dallas TX
Earl R. Winkelmann - Garland TX
Richard N. Caron - Needham MA

TurboChef Technologies, Inc. - Dallas TX

H05B 680

219732, 219681, 219728, 219762, 99DIG 14, 426234, 426243

An apparatus for supporting foodstuffs in a hybrid oven for cooking by hot air impingement and by microwave energy having a predetermined free-space wavelength, comprising a metal ring having a pre-determined diameter and six primary spoke members formed of a metal and rigidly secured to the ring in substantially equally spaced circumferential intervals. The apparatus also includes a metal annular ring mounted to the primary spoke members. An opening is formed at the center of the apparatus by the inner diameter of the metal annular ring. In addition, the apparatus also includes six secondary spoke members formed of a metal and rigidly secured to the ring in substantially equally spaced circumferential intervals midway between the points at which the primary spoke members are secured thereto to cooperate with the primary spoke members to support the foodstuffs. The six primary spoke members and six secondary spoke members project centrally inwardly on a common plane with the ring and each has a length which is approximately an integral multiple of one-half of the free space wavelength and which is less than one-half of the diameter of the ring. By setting the length of the spoke members to approximately an integral multiple of one-half of the free space wavelength, the apparatus minimizes the disruption of the microwave energy pattern in the hybrid oven.

7435931, Oct 14, 2008

May 15, 2007

11/803787

Philip R. McKee - Frisco TX, US
Earl R. Winkelmann - Garland TX, US

Appliance Scientific, Inc. - Dallas TX

H05B 6/80
H05B 6/64

219683, 219480

The present invention is directed to improving the conventional high-speed cooking oven based on a combination of hot air impingement and microwave heating by providing a time-dependent spatial variation in the net air impingement and/or net microwave energy applied to the food product in the oven. This is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and microwave efficiencies in a high-speed cooking oven, thereby enabling the oven to deliver an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to the conventional high-speed cooking oven. In addition, under the present invention, the cooking efficiency may be further optimized by dimensioning the nozzles for hot air impingement to tighten impingement plumes, subject to the space constraint of the oven's cooking chamber, and dimensioning the cooking chamber of the oven in integer multiples of the wavelength of the microwave energy to match the microwave load. With the optimized cooking efficiency provided by the present invention, the high speed cooking technology may now be extended to ovens operating on a power supply based on a voltage less than 220 volts, preferably between 110 and 125 volts, with more productive results, so that the high-speed cooking technology may find a wider applicability and customer base.

7919737, Apr 5, 2011

Oct 31, 2007

11/981049

Philip R. McKee - Frisco TX, US
Earl R. Winkelmann - Garland TX, US

Appliance Scientific, Inc. - Dallas TX

H05B 6/68
H05B 6/80
H05B 6/64

219718, 219683, 219680

The present invention is directed to improving the conventional high-speed cooking oven based on a combination of hot air impingement and microwave heating by providing a time-dependent spatial variation in the net air impingement and/or net microwave energy applied to the food product in the oven. This is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and microwave efficiencies in a high-speed cooking oven, thereby enabling the oven to deliver an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to the conventional high-speed cooking oven. In addition, under the present invention, the cooking efficiency may be further optimized by dimensioning the nozzles for hot air impingement to tighten impingement plumes, subject to the space constraint of the oven's cooking chamber, and dimensioning the cooking chamber of the oven in integer multiples of the wavelength of the microwave energy to match the microwave load. With the optimized cooking efficiency provided by the present invention, the high speed cooking technology may now be extended to ovens operating on a power supply based on a voltage less than 220 volts, preferably between 110 and 125 volts, with more productive results, so that the high-speed cooking technology may find a wider applicability and customer base.

7921841, Apr 12, 2011

Oct 31, 2007

11/981317

Philip R. McKee - Frisco TX, US
Earl R. Winkelmann - Garland TX, US

Appliance Scientific, Inc. - Dallas TX

F24C 15/32
A21B 1/00

126 21A, 126 21 R

The present invention is directed to improving the conventional high-speed cooking oven based on a combination of hot air impingement and microwave heating by providing a time-dependent spatial variation in the net air impingement and/or net microwave energy applied to the food product in the oven. This is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and microwave efficiencies in a high-speed cooking oven, thereby enabling the oven to deliver an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to the conventional high-speed cooking oven. In addition, under the present invention, the cooking efficiency may be further optimized by dimensioning the nozzles for hot air impingement to tighten impingement plumes, subject to the space constraint of the oven's cooking chamber, and dimensioning the cooking chamber of the oven in integer multiples of the wavelength of the microwave energy to match the microwave load. With the optimized cooking efficiency provided by the present invention, the high speed cooking technology may now be extended to ovens operating on a power supply based on a voltage less than 220 volts, preferably between 110 and 125 volts, with more productive results, so that the high-speed cooking technology may find a wider applicability and customer base.

8022341, Sep 20, 2011

Nov 6, 2008

12/266251

Philip R. McKee - Frisco TX, US
Earl R. Winkelmann - Garland TX, US
Scott Stuart Smith - Richardson TX, US
Lee Thomas VanLanen - McKinney TX, US

Appliance Scientific, Inc. - Dallas TX

H05B 6/64

219680, 219678

An improved oven is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and delivering an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to conventional high-speed cooking ovens. The oven includes tubes that generate plume arrays of a heated gas and introduce them into a cooking chamber of the oven. The tubes may be removably located at the bottom of the cooking chamber of the oven. The tubes are dimensioned for hot air impingement to tighten impingement plume arrays, subject to the space constraints of the oven's cooking chamber. With the optimized cooking efficiency provided by the present invention, high-speed cooking technology may now be extended to ovens operating on a power supply based on a voltage less than 220 volts, preferably between 110 and 125 volts, with more productive results, so that the high-speed cooking technology may find wider applicability and a broader customer base.

8026463, Sep 27, 2011

May 14, 2008

12/120497

Philip R. McKee - Frisco TX, US
Earl R. Winkelmann - Garland TX, US
Kara Louise McKee - Fisco TX, US

Appliance Scientific, Inc. - Dallas TX

H05B 6/64

219680, 219678

The present invention is directed to improving the conventional high-speed cooking oven based on a combination of hot air impingement and microwave heating by providing a time-dependent spatial variation in the net air impingement and/or net microwave energy applied to the food product in the oven. This is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and microwave efficiencies in a high-speed cooking oven, thereby enabling the oven to deliver an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to the conventional high-speed cooking oven. In addition, under the present invention, the cooking efficiency may be further optimized by dimensioning the nozzles for hot air impingement to tighten impingement plumes, subject to the space constraint of the oven's cooking chamber, and dimensioning the cooking chamber of the oven in integer multiples of the wavelength of the microwave energy to match the microwave load. With the optimized cooking efficiency provided by the present invention, the high speed cooking technology may now be extended to ovens operating on a power supply based on a voltage less than 220 volts, preferably between 110 and 125 volts, with more productive results, so that the high-speed cooking technology may find a wider applicability and customer base.

8129665, Mar 6, 2012

Dec 31, 2008

12/347303

Philip R. McKee - Frisco TX, US
Earl R. Winkelmann - Garland TX, US

Appliance Scientific, Inc. - Dallas TX

H05B 6/80
H05B 6/68

219680, 219678

An improved heating apparatus is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and delivering an optimal heating efficiency in comparison to conventional heating apparatus. The improved heating apparatus includes tubes that generate plume arrays of a fluid (e. g. , a gas, such as air) that is heated in a conduit. The tubes introduce the heated fluid into a chamber of the heating apparatus. The fluid is returned to the conduit through a return opening in the chamber. The path that the fluid travels in the chamber, from the tubes to the return air opening, is provided such that optimized heat transfer and optimal heating efficiency are facilitated.

8455797, Jun 4, 2013

Apr 15, 2009

12/424260

Philip R. McKee - Frisco TX, US
Earl R. Winkelmann - Garland TX, US
Lee T. VanLanen - McKinney TX, US

Appliance Scientific, Inc. - Dallas TX

F27D 7/04
F24C 15/32

219400, 219681, 126 21 A

The present invention is directed to improving the conventional high-speed cooking oven based on a combination of hot air impingement and microwave heating by providing a time-dependent spatial variation in the net air impingement and/or net microwave energy applied to the food product in the oven. This is aimed at optimizing heat transfer and microwave efficiencies in a high-speed cooking oven, thereby enabling the oven to deliver an optimal cooking efficiency in comparison to the conventional high-speed cooking oven. In addition, under the embodiments of the present invention, the cooking efficiency may be further optimized by providing a plenum between each wall of the cooking chamber and the housing of the oven.