Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1054388
The invention relates to a free standing fryer unit,
such as is used for deep-frying items of food in a retail store
or fast food counter where ducting facilities cannot be made
available.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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Fryers for the deep frying of food articles such as
potatoe chips and the like customarily develop a substantial quan
tity of f~nes ~rom the heated fat, and are usually provided with
some form of permanent air ducting and an exhaust fan whereby the
fumes are ducted away from the cooking area. Elowever, in many -i-
commercial locations it is impractical to provide permanent air
duct work. For example, in supermarkets or large chain stores,
fast food counters are installed in a variety of locations such ¦~
that it is not~always convenient to provide air duct work. Gener- ¦
ally speaking, the absence of such air duct work would render it
undesireable to install a deep fat fryer due to the release of
unwholesoms odours from the heated fat. However, modern eating
habits demand to an increasing extent the availability of cooked
food snacks at a variety of locations, and accordingly, various
attempts have been made in the past to provide free standing fryers
which incorporated a deep fat fryer and some form of air exhaust
system incorporating a filter to remove such odours. However,
such systems as have been available in the past have been rela-
tively inefficient and either the filter has broken down after a
very short space of time or it was altogether ineffective, or the ~
servicing of the filters was time cons~ning and troublesome such ~;
that the unit would have to be shut off for substantial length~
of time.
In addition, such free standing fryer units as were
available in the past created ~omething of a fire hazard since
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1054388
they did not generally speaking incorporate any automatic fire
extinguishing apparatus, such as is customary on permanent com-
mercial cooking installations-
In addition, the design and appearance of such freestanding fryers as were previously available was somewhat cumber-
some and unattractive and did not create favourable customer re- ~
action in all cases. ~ -
13RIEF SUMM~RY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore seeks to provide a free standing
fryer for use in commercial installations which includes a cabinet E
adapted to be supported at a suitable working height, and having
glass panels on some o its sides and at least one open side for
access to the interior, and having a fat fryer locatea within the
interior of said cabinet and having in the roof of the cabinet out-
let means for fumes from the fat fryer, fan means for extracting
;; air and fumes from said cabinet and through said outlet, a plenum
,; chamber located to one side of said fan means, and opening means
-~ communicating from said fan means to said plenum chamber, porous
tray means located above said plenum chamber and closing the same,
said tray means being adapted to support a predetermined depth of
filter media thereon, said filter media being porous to air, and
being absorptive with respect to said odours and fumes from said
fryer.
More particularly, it is an ob~ective of the invention
to provide a fat fryer having the foregoing advantages in which
the exhaust opening in the cabine~ roof is located to one side of
said cabinet, and in which said fan incorporates a motor, and is
disposed immediately above said exhaust opening, and is enclosed
within a fan chamber and in which said opening means communicating
with said plenum is located in a side wall of said fan chamber.
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1~5~381~
More particularly, it is an objective of the invantion
to provide a free standing fryer having the foregoing advantages
in which said cabi~Pt side walls continue upwardly above said
cabinet roof, with said fan and motor and fan chamber located i~
one corner of said upward extension of said cabinet, and in which
said plenum lies between said fan chamber and at least three side
walls of said upward extension of said cabinet, with said tray
means lying horizontally over said plenum chamber and being re-
movable therefrom for cleaning and access.
More par~icularly, it is an objective of the invention ~ ~;
to provide a free standing fryer having the foregoing advantages ;
incorporating automatic fire extinguishing means provided with
jet nozzle means for directing a fire extinguishiny medium down-
wardly into said cabinet, and further jet nozzle means directed -~
upwardly within said plenum chamber for directing a fire extin-
guishing medium upwardly into said filter media on said tray,
and including heat sensitive means in said cabinet responsive -
~; to a predetermined elevated temperature in said cabinet to dis~
charge said fire extenguishing medium.
The various features of novelty which characteri~e the
invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed
to and fon~ng a part of this disclosure. For a better understand-
ing of the invention, its operating advantages and specific ob~
jectives attained by its use, reference should be had to the aco-
ompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are
illustrated and described preferred embodiments of ~he inve~tion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIO~ OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a upper perspective illustration of a free
standing f~yer according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a section along the side 2 2 of Figure 1
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1054388
showing the upper portion of the free standing fryer;
Figure 3 is a partial upper perspective illustration
showing part of the top portion of the fryer as shown in Figure
1 with the tray removed and partially cut away;
Figure 4 is an exploded upper perspective view of the
top portion of the fryer according to the invention, showing the
layout of the fire extinguishing system; ~ :
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the top portion of
the fryex as shown in Figures 1 and 2; ~;~
: 10 Figure 6 is a schematic top plan view of the fryer of
Figure 1, showing the layout of the fire extinguishing system; ~ ,
Figure 7 is a cut-away end elevation of the top portion
of the ryer of Figure 1 showing the fire extinguishing system,
: and, ~ .
. Figure 8 is a partial cut-away ~ide elevational view
~` showing further details of the fire extinguishing system.
DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT
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Referring initially to Figure 1, it will be seen that :-
this preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a cabinet
chamber indicated generally as 10 and an upper filter portion in-
dicated generally as 12 located immediately above the cabinet 10.
The cabinet 10 will normally be supported in a counter, or other
installation which may be erected at a suitable location in a
store. Alternatively, it may be provided with any suitable stand
(not shown) with shelving for storage of supplies. In any event,
the cabinet 10 will be supported at essentially waist height or ~ ~ -
somewhat higher so that a person serving food may stand up and ~ :
work in comfort at the cabinet 10. Normally, the upper filter-.
portion 12 of the unit will be located at or above the height of
the noxmal indi~idual so that the top o the filter portion 1
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i4L381~ : ~
will be above the line o sight of the average individual.
The cabinet 10 will be seen to be comprised of a bottom :
panel 14, and a top panel 16 made of stainless steel, and three
vertical window panels 18 made of glass or other suitable txans-
parent material. Four corner columns 20 extend between the bot-
tom 14 and the top 16, and ars formed of essentially L-shaped
cross-section, preferably of stainless steel, and a lower hori-
zontal frame member 22 extends around three sides of the bottom ~
panel 14 between respective corner columns 20, on three sides of ~ -
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the cabinet.
The fourth side of the cabinet 10 is of course open for ¦
access to the interior and for entry of air.
Within the interior, there is located a deep fat fryer -
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indicated generally as 24, and defining a recessed chamber or ~
well 26, extending downwardly beneath the level of the bottom ~ i
panel 14 of the cabinet 10, and surrounded by upstanding walls 28.
A~ly suitable heater element 30 is located within the chamber 26
and thermosta ic control elements 32 also extend downwardly into
the chamber 26 for sensing the temperature of the fat therein. A
~ control knob 34 is connected to any suitable heating element con-
trol system located within the raised back portion 36 of the fat
fryer 24. According to well known practice, the raised back por-
tion 36 may also contain any suitable form of electrical relays
for disconneating the h~ating element 30 if the temperature of
the fat in the ch~ber 26 rises above a predetermined level.
Cooked food products will normally be retained within
the cabinet 10 until sold, and may be placed on the bottom panel
14 beside the fat fryer 24 so that thay are displayed for sale.
In this location they may be kept warm by means of the hea~ing
lamp 38 mounted on the underside of the top panel 16 of the oabinet
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105~38~3 ~
10 (Figure 2)~
selow the bottom panel 14 of the cabinet 10, a down-
wardly dependent inwardly offset wall portion 40 may be provided
~or interlocking with a suitable stand or table (not shown), or
for locating the entire cabinet 10 on any suit~ble countertop
(not shown) so that the bottom panel 14 of the cabinet 10 may
be located at or slightly above waist height. Any suitable
electrical cable 42 may be provided for connecting the entire
cabinet 10 to a suitable source of electrical supply.
As best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the upper filter
portion 12 of the cabinet 10 will be seen to comprise four up-
standing side walls 44 formed of stainless steel, and preferably ` ~ `
formed integrally with the four side support columns 20. The
ide walls 44 are closed at the bottom thereof by the top panel
16 of ~he cabinet 10, but at their upper ends are open to the ;
atmosphereO and thus define an essentially ractangular open
topped chamber.
~ vertical partition wall 45 extends between the front
and back side walls 44 offset to the right hand thexeof, dividing
~0 the upper portion 12 into a larger space 46 on the left and a
smaller space 47 on the right.
Approximately, half way down the walls 44 and 45, lo-
cated in the larger space 46 there is a continuous L shaped sup
'~, port shelf 48, which is designed to support a removable filter
tray 43. The tray 49 has a wire mesh portion 50, supported by
a rectangular frame 52, which is designed to seat on the shelf
48, thereby supporting the mesh portion 50 essentially horizon-
tally within the space 46 as shown. A pair of handles 54 may
be provided on the frame 52 for raising the tray 49 out of the
space 46. An air seal 55 is located around the shelf 4B. -
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~05438~ ~
he tray 49 is designed to hold a substantial quantity
of filter media, such as charcoal C or the like which may be
stacked on the tray 49 to a depth of four to six inche~ or more -
so as to essentially fill the upper half of the space 46.
The lower portion of the space 46 ie. that space below
the tray 49 is designated as the filter plenum 56, which clearly
consists of an essentially rectangular space enclosed on four
sides by the walls 44 and 45, and on the lower side by the top
panel 16 of the cabinet 10, and on its upper side by the tray 49.
Air or fumes entering the plenum 56 will thus have to pass up- ~;
wardly through the wire mesh screen 50 and through the charcoal
or other filter media lying on the tray 49. As shown, the plenum ~-
56 occupies approximately three-quarters of the area of the top
panel 16 of the cabinet lO, and the filter area thus provided for
filtering the fumes and air entering the plenum 56 is very sub
stantial, and provides for efficient filtering out of undesireable
.
odours and fumes in he air passing therethrough.
Air and fumes enter the filter plenum 56-by means of an
opening 58 formed in the lower portion of the partition wall 45.
Within the space 47, defined by the partition 45, a fan chamber
is provided by means of an upper wall 60 and back panel 62 which,
toge~her with the adjacent portions of the side wall 44 provide ~ ~
an essentially rectangular enclosure or fan chamber. Within the ~ -
fan chamber, there is located any suitable form of fan means such
as the centrifugal fan 64, driven by the motor 66 mounted above
upper wall 60. Preferably, the fan 64 will have a airly sub-
stantial air flow capacity in relation to the overall size of
the cabinet lO so as to cause a substantial air flow therethrough
during use.
Air enters the fan chamber through the opening 68 formed
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in the top wall 16 of the cabinet in registration with the fan 64.
The opening 68 is preferably located as nearly as possible direct~
. ~
ly over the fat fryer unit 64.
If desired, additional filtering may be provided by
means of a rectangular filter element 70, which may be slidably
retained by means of the brackets 72 in registration with the ~i
opening 68.
In this way, when the fan 64 is operating, air will be
drawn inwardly through the opening 68 as shown by the arrows A
and be expelled through the opening 58 in the partition 45,
thereby entering ~he plenum 56. The air will of course then be
forced through the tray 50 and through the charcoal lying on the
tray and be vented to atmosphere. Such air will enter the cabinet
10 through its open side
As the filter media such as charcoal on the tray 49 ~
becomes plugged, it can simply be emptied out, and the tray 49 `~ -
can be lifted out and cleaned, and fresh filter media can be
added. -
~n this way, a sufficient volume of filter media can
be employed which is sufficiently great, in relation to the air
flow, and the volume of fumes to be extracted, that it will be
substantially completely effective in removing odours and fumes
from the air so that the air can be safely vented within the space
such as a retail store without fear that there will be any notice- ¦
able odours. Such a filter system can operate over quite extended ¦
periods of time without requiring cleaning or replacement, and
servicing is relatively inexpensive.
The invention provides further features directed towards
the safety of operation of the appaxatus. Such features comprise
means for extinguishing fires both within the cabinet lO,and also
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105a~388
within the upper portion 12 of the unit, if for example the char~
coal or other filter media should catch fire due to some malfunc-
tion of the apparatus.
Such fire extinguishing systPms are shown more clearly
in Figures 4 to 8 and comprise the two fire extinguisher pressure
flasks 80, 82 which are preferably located in the smaller right
hand space 47 of the upper portion 12 of the unit. Such flasks ¦
may be of any conventional design containing any suitable form of
fire extinguishing medium which is well known in the art. Flask
80 will be seen to be connected by means of a pipe 84 which ex~
tends through the partition 45 and along the bottom of the filter ¦ ~ -
plenum 56. At the free end of the pipe 84, more or less in the
center of the filter plenum 56, there is an upwardly directed
outlet nozzle 86, preferably being provided with a plurality of
fine jet openings, whereby the fire extinguishing medium may be
directed outwardly into all areas of the filter plenum a~d up-
;~ wardly into the charcoal lying in the tray 49.
The flask 82 is de$igned to provide a fire extinguishingmedium for the cabinet 10. For this purpose, it is necessary that
it be allowed to build up sufficient pressure in the system, when
it is called upon to operate, so as to provide effective jets in
a downward direction. For this purpose, it is necessary that it
is connected by means such as a pipe 88 which must be of a certain
minimurn length to provide suitable pressure build-up for~the type
of fire extinguishing medium being used. With this purpose in
mind, the pipe 88 extends around the top of the larger space 46
in an essentially rectangular manner, and then extends downwardly
against one of the side walls 44, and along the upper surface of
the top wall 16 of the cabinet 10 until it meets the branch pipe
90. The branch pipe 90 is connectecl at each end to downwardly
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3~8
directed nozzles 92 which are provided with suitable jet orifices
(not shown) for directing streams of fire extinguishing medium
downwardly within the cabinet 10.
The flasks 80 and 82 are sealed in any conventional man-
nerJ and may be activated for example manually, by means of the
manual release system consisting of a tube 94 on the exterior of
the upper portion 12 containing suitable wires or cables 92 con~
nected to the release triggers 98 and operated by handle 99. These
triggers may be of any well known design, and are designed to
release the spring plungers 100 which will then strike the strik~rs
lOZ, thereby discharging the contents of the flasks 80 and 82. :~ -
In order to provide for automatic discharge of tne fire
extinguishing system, any suitable heat sensitive means may be j
provided. In this case it will be seen (Figures 2 and 5) to com~
prise the pair of heat fusible links 104 connected by means of
wires 106 to a tang 108 at one end. r.
The other end of the wire 106 extends around a slide
member 110 and then passes upwardly through the noz~le 92, and up i
through the branch pipe 90 and into the pipe 88. The wire 106
is then lead out of the pipe 88 and up through guide 112 (Figure 8) ,~ ..
and is connected with one of the triggers 98. A further wire 114 ~ ;:
connects with the other trigger 98, for the flask 80 so that upon
~he operation of the trigger 98 for the flask 82, by the wire 106,
the other trigger 98 will simultaneously be opera~ed by the wire
114.
In this way~ if a fire should develop in the cabinet 10,
one or other of the heat fusible links 104 will melt therefor ,~
releasing the wire 106 which will then release the trigger 98 for
the flask 82 and at the same time operate the trigger 98 for the
flask 80, and in ~his way both flasks will be released thereby
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discharging their contents through the various nozzles a~ described.
rn order to provide an at-tractive clean appearance, and
to conceal the flasks 80 and 82 and the associated system of pipes
from view, a generally rectangular upper housing 116 is provided
which consists essentially of an upward extension of the side walls
44 of the upper portion 12, and of the partition 45 to provide a
rectangular shaped box-like enclosure.
Pressure gauges 118 conn0cted to each of the flasks 80
and 82 may be provided on the side walls 44 so that the system may
be checked from time to time.-
Having described what is believ~d to be the best mode
by which the invPntion may be performed, it will be seen that
the invention may be particularly defined as follows~
A free standing fryer unit adapted for use in an
enclosed space without connection to a ventilation system,
said unit comprising~
a cabinet adapted to be supportecl at a suitable working
height and having a floor, a roof and sides, at least one of
said sides being open for access to the interior;
a cooking receptacle located in said cabinet in a
predetermined location and aclapted to be connected to a source
of heating power;
outlet means located in said roof above said receptacle
for passage of fumes from said cabinet and incorporating exhaust
fan means;
wall mean~ defining a chamber having an open side ,
located above said roof;
opening means in said wall means for passage of fumes
from said exhaust fan means into said chamber; and
filter means removably positionab]e in said open side
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1~543~
of said chamber whereby said fumes may pass therethrouyh, said
filter means being absorptive c)E the odour of said fum~s and in
a sufficient quanti-ty to eEfectively deodorize the same for a
r~asonable working period.
The inventlon further comprises a free standing
fryer unit having the foregoin~ features wherein said wall means
defining said chamber comprise four side walls defining a
yenerally rectangular upward extension of said cabinet~ and
a vertical partition wall extending across said extension
dividing said upward extension into a larger extension portion,
comprising said chamber and a smaller extension portion located
over said cooking receptacle.
The invention further comprises a free standing fryer
unit having the foregoing features wherein said openiny means
is located in said partition wall, and wherein said outlet means
communicates between said cabinet and said smaller extension `
portion, and wherein said exhaust fan means is located in
said smaller extension portion.
The invention further comprises a free standing fryer
unit having the foregoing features including supporting ledge
means defining said open side of said chamber and attached
` around the interior of said wall means and saicl partition wall,
defining said larger portion of said upward extension, and
filter tray means adapted to be received on said ledge means,
said filter tray means carryiny suitable filter media thereon.
The foregoing is a de~cription of a preferred embodiment
of the invention which is given here by way of example only. The
invention is not to be taken as limited to any of the specific
features as described, but comprehends all such variations
thereof as come within the scope of the appended claims.
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