Programmable device and method for storing food

• US 20110083564A1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dorsten, Ronald J., Rivera-Pierola, Peter, Bridgman, Edward P., Kirby, David W., Turcich, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,997,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/468
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/006 for either storing and preparing or for preparing food on serving trays, e.g. heating, thawing, preserving
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/082 on ranges, e.g. control panels, illumination

Abstract

An improved food storage device for holding food items in a controlled environment, typically heated, is disclosed. The device can hold different foods under different conditions for different amounts of time. Among the improvements is an intuitive programming interface. The device may be programmed by selecting different options displayed on different displays associated with different specific food storage positions by pressing a button associated with the display displaying the option. The device may have synchronized displays allowing users to more quickly assimilate displayed information.

Claims

1. A food storage device for holding food items in a controlled environment comprising:

a plurality of discrete food storage cavities, each storage cavity defining a food storage volume and having an associated control element for controlling the environment in the food storage volume in which food items can be held, each storage cavity having an associated secondary input interface for programming the device, and a secondary human-readable display for displaying programming menu options and for displaying a status of the storage cavity; and

a primary input interface, discrete from the secondary input interfaces, for permitting a user to program the plurality of cavities in cooperation with the secondary input interfaces,

the device being programmable by a hierarchy of menus comprising a plurality of the programming menu options.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the control element comprises a control element selected from the group consisting of a heater element, a cooling element, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, and combinations thereof.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a cabinet, the cabinet enclosing the plurality of food storage cavities and the primary input interface.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of removable food storage trays, the removable trays each configured to contain an amount of food that can be placed and contained within one of the plurality of food storage cavities.

5. The device of claim 3, each cavity having a plurality of storage positions and a cavity control button for changing a mode of the cavity.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the primary input interface comprises a control panel having a keypad.

7. The device of claim 5 further comprising a master query button, wherein pressing the master query button causes the secondary displays to display a status for each corresponding storage position.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the status caused to be displayed is selected from the group consisting of time remaining for food in the storage positions, time lapsed for food in the storage positions, the setting for the environmental control element and the environmental condition controlled by the environmental control element.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is programmable by programming comprising selecting one of the menu options, the different secondary displays displaying different menu options.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein selecting one of the menu options comprises making an input via the secondary input interface corresponding to the secondary display displaying the selected menu option.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein each of the secondary input interfaces comprises a control button and making an input via the secondary input interface comprises pressing the button.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the different storage cavities have an associated light adjacent the control button and the light can be illuminated responsive to the display of the menu option by the corresponding secondary display.

13. The device of claim 9 wherein the hierarchy of menus comprises a first menu having a first meal mode menu option and a second meal mode menu option, the first and second meal modes being selected from the group consisting of breakfast, lunch, dinner and combinations thereof.

14. The device of claim 9 further comprising a countdown timer and wherein the hierarchy of menus comprises a second menu, the second menu comprising a name for an item, an environmental control element setting for the item, and an initial time for the countdown timer.

15. The device of claim 9 wherein the primary input interface comprises a first key, the hierarchy of menus comprise a third menu having a number of menu options exceeding the number of storage positions, the system configured so that when displaying the third menu the first key is illuminated in response to the display and pressing the first key causes the display of a previously non-displayed option from the third menu.

16. The device of claim 9 further comprising a primary display adjacent the primary input interface, the primary input interface displaying a status of the device.

17. A method for programming a food storage device having a plurality of food storage cavities, each cavity having at least one food storage position, an associated environmental control element for controlling the environment in the cavity, a primary input interface having a first key, a secondary display, and a secondary key, the method comprising

displaying different menu options from a hierarchy of programming menus on different secondary displays, and

selecting a menu option by pressing the secondary key associated with the cavity having the secondary display displaying the menu option.

18. The method of programming of claim 17 further comprising illuminating the secondary key of the associated cavity having secondary displays displaying menu options responsive to the display of the menu options.

19. The method of programming of claim 17 further comprising providing a second menu for programming a cavity to hold a food item under a specified environment for a specified period of time, the hierarchy of menus having the second menu, the second menu comprising the following menu options:

an identifier for the item to be held, a condition control element setting for the item, and a time for a timer for a food storage position and selecting the first or second menu by pressing the primary key.

20. The method of programming of claim 17 further comprising

providing a third menu having more menu options than secondary displays, the hierarchy of menus having the third menu,

wherein displaying different menu options from a hierarchy of programming menus on different secondary displays comprises displaying different menu options of the third menu and illuminating the first key in response to displaying the third menu,

pressing the first key, and

displaying a previously non-displayed option from the third menu on one of the secondary displays in response to pressing the first key.

21. A food storage device for holding food items in a heated environment comprising:

a plurality of discrete food storage cavities, each storage cavity defining a food storage volume and having a heating element for heating the environment in the food storage volume in which food items can be held, each storage cavity having an associated secondary input interface for programming the device, and a secondary human-readable display for displaying a programming menu option and for displaying a status of the storage cavity; and

a primary input interface, discrete from the secondary input interfaces, for permitting a user to program the plurality of cavities in cooperation with the secondary input interfaces,

the device being programmable by a hierarchy of menus comprising a plurality of the programming menu options.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the device is programmable by programming comprising selecting one of the menu options, the different secondary displays displaying different menu options.

23. The device of claim 21 wherein each of the secondary input interfaces comprises a control button and selecting one of the menu options comprises pressing the control button.

24. The device of claim 21 wherein the device is capable of indicating the need to cook more food items when food items have been held in the device for a time approaching a maximum hold time for the food items.

25. The device of claim 21 wherein each cavity further comprises at least one storage position, the device programmable to hold a specific food item type for a specific time duration for each storage position, the device capable of indicating the need to cook more of the food item type upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the device is capable of indicating the need to cook more of the food item type upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time by displaying a need to cook more message on the secondary human-readable display associated with the storage position holding the food item type for which there is a need to cook more.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the device is capable of displaying the need to cook more message on a plurality of the secondary human-readable displays and the cook more messages are flashed in synchronicity.

28. The device of claim 21 wherein each cavity further comprises at least one storage position, the device programmable to hold a specific food item type for a specific time duration for each storage position, and when a plurality of food storage positions hold the same type of food, the device is capable of indicating on a first-in-first-out basis from which storage position that type of food should be removed.

29. The device of claim 21 wherein the device is capable of indicating an expired status for expired food items that have been held in the device for longer than a maximum hold time by displaying an expired message on the secondary human-readable display associated with the storage cavity holding the expired food item.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein the device is capable of indicating the expired status for a plurality of expired food items and the expired status messages are flashed in synchronicity.