Conveyor oven with improved air return and method

摘要

A conveyor oven in which a heated circulating air stream provides impingement air toward a conveyor, which is turned to flow horizontally along the conveyor toward an inlet and/or an outlet thereof. The conveyor oven includes a ductwork that provides a positive pressure airflow to form the impingement air as well as a positive pressure a second air flow that intersects with the horizontal air flow with a more positive pressure adjacent the inlet and/or outlet to redirect the horizontal airflow toward an air return plenum so as to substantially reduce the escape of heat to ambient.