Modular food holding system

• US 10,271,689 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marmon Foodservice Technologies Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Prince Castle LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Veltrop, Loren J., Laub, Christine S., Larson, Eric William
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Jimmy
• Application Number:
  US14/850,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20170071408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 219385, 219394, 219402, 62443, 62447, 62441, 62252, 99451
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/006 for either storing and preparing or for preparing food on serving trays, e.g. heating, thawing, preserving

Abstract

A modular food holding system includes a plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers, each of the plurality of food holding chambers being physically and communicatively removably connected to one another. Each of the food holding chambers includes a food holding cavity and at least one of a heating element and/or a cooling element for heating or cooling the food holding cavity. A chamber base is physically and communicatively removably connected to one of the food holding chambers and operation of at least one food holding chamber is controlled by the chamber base.

Claims

1. A modular food holding system comprising:

a plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers, each of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers being physically and communicatively removably connected to one another by at least a communication connection, each of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers comprising a food holding cavity and at least one of a heating element or a cooling element for heating or cooling the food holding cavity;

a chamber base that is a distinct component of the modular food holding system and is separate from each of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers and is physically and communicatively removably connected to one of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers via a connector structure having a power connection and a communication connection; and

a control screen operatively coupled to the chamber base, the control screen providing at least one of a user interface for entering control instructions or an information display that displays information pertaining to one or more of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers, wherein the control screen is communicatively connected to the one or more of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers through the connector structure of the chamber base.

2. The modular food holding system of claim 1, wherein the control screen is removably attached to a port provided in the chamber base.

3. The modular food holding system of claim 1, wherein the control screen is attached to the chamber base with a tether.

4. The modular food holding system of claim 1, wherein the control screen is wirelessly connected to the chamber base.

5. The modular food holding system of claim 1, wherein the control screen includes control options for one or more of a temperature of a food holding chamber of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers, a humidity level of the food holding chamber of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers, or a configuration of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers.

6. The modular food holding system of claim 5, wherein the control screen displays a schematic representation of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers.

7. The modular food holding system of claim 6, wherein the control screen displays a symbolic illustration of a food type that is stored in one of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers.

8. The modular food holding system of claim 7, wherein an individual food holding chamber of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers is selectable on the control screen.

9. The modular food holding system of claim 8, wherein a location of a selected food holding chamber is displayed on the control screen.

10. The modular food holding system of claim 8, wherein, upon selection of the individual food holding chamber, the control screen is configured to present one or more selectable options to adjust a property of the individual food holding chamber.

11. The modular food holding system of claim 10, wherein:

upon selection of at least one of the one or more selectable options, the control screen causes a control command to be transmitted to the individual food holding chamber based upon the selection, and

the control command causes the individual food holding chamber to perform one or more of the following actions;

presenting an alert, illuminating an indicator light, displaying a countdown, controlling the temperature within the individual food holding chamber, or controlling the humidity within the individual food holding chamber.

12. The modular food holding system of claim 7, wherein the control screen displays a countdown timer for a selected food holding chamber of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers, the countdown timer representing the useful life of a food item stored in the selected food holding chamber.

13. The modular food holding system of claim 1, wherein the control screen is a touchscreen display configured to receive input from a user.

14. The modular food holding system of claim 1, wherein the chamber base is communicatively connected to an additional food holding chamber of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers through the one of the plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers.