ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 10 -- United States Patent no. 12,292,201, issued on May 6.
"Air flow control technology for ovens" was invented by Robert Hanson (Hudson, Wis.), Noel Johnson (Stoughton, Wis.) and Michael Powis (Oak Grove, Mo.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A system and apparatus for controlling airflow in large industrial forced-convection ovens that are used for cooking, smoking, drying, and processing meat and food products. The system and apparatus reduce temperature, color, and yield variation within the ovens, and also reduce cooking times and power requirements. The system and apparatus use variable-width supply-air slots and dual, side-mounted return ducts to precisely control t...