Refrigerated Point-of-Use Holding Cabinet

• US 20110283714A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marmon Foodservice Technologies Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Prince Castle LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Veltrop, Loren
• Granted Patent: US 8,607,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/06 with movable or removable shelves or receptacles A47F3/0486 takes precedence; display racks with movable parts A47F5/0081
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 19/006 Thermal coupling structure or interface
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/003 for cooling refrigerating machinery
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/028 Cooled supporting means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/16 Sensors measuring the temperature of products

Abstract

A refrigerated point-of-use food holding cabinet keeps food products cold in compartments having cross sections that are substantially U-shaped. Food products are kept refrigerated using heat-absorbing, heat-exchangers thermally coupled to the U-shaped compartment. Refrigeration is provided by either a conventional reversed-Brayton cycle, one or more Peltier devices or a chilled, re-circulating liquid that does not change phase as it circulates but which is chilled by another refrigeration system, such as a conventional refrigeration system. An optional cover helps prevent food flavor transfers between compartments. Semiconductor temperature sensors and a computer effectuate temperature control.

Claims

1. A food holding cabinet comprising:

a thermally-conductive, tray receiving member having a bottom and side walls, which define a cavity in which food or a food holding tray can be placed, the cavity having ends, at least one of which is open; and

a heat-absorbing refrigeration element thermally coupled to the thermally-conductive, tray receiving member so that heat energy is transferred into the heat-absorbing refrigeration element.

2. The food holding cabinet of claim 1, further comprised of a cover over the cavity.

3. The food holding cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the cavity is open at both of its ends.

4. The food holding cabinet according to claim 2, wherein the cover is located between the side walls of the heat-absorbing refrigeration element.

5. The food holding cabinet according to claim 4, wherein the side walls of the tray receiving member have horizontal shoulders that support the cover.

6. The food holding cabinet according to claim 5, wherein the cover is capable of assuming first and second positions, the cover extending over the cavity in the both positions, but when in the first position, the cover extends over the cavity at an elevation less than when in the cover is in the second position.

7. The food holding cabinet according to claim 4, wherein the cover has generally vertical legs which lie on the shoulders and a generally horizontal web section that extends between the legs.

8. The food holding cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element includes a coil that extends along at least one of the side walls and the bottom of the tray receiving member.

9. The food holding cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element includes a circulating liquid that does not change its phase as it circulates.

10. The food holding cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element includes a Peltier device.

11. The food holding cabinet of claim 1, further comprised of a semiconductor temperature sensor, thermally coupled to a tray-receiving member.

12. A food holding cabinet comprising:

at least one tier;

first and second tray-receiving members within the at least one tier of the cabinet, each of the tray-receiving member being generally U-shaped in cross-section having a horizontal bottom and side walls extending generally vertically from the horizontal bottom; and

a heat-absorbing refrigeration element in thermal communication with at least one of first and second tray-receiving members.

13. The food holding cabinet of claim 12, further comprised of:

a first and second cover members, each cover member having a horizontal web section that extends generally horizontally between opposing side walls of the first and second tray-receiving members respectively, the horizontal web section being sized, shaped and arranged to enclose the first and second tray-receiving members in which food holding trays are located;

whereby food holding trays in the first and second tray-receiving members are covered by said cover members.

14. The food holding cabinet according to claim 13, wherein the first and second tray-receiving members have side walls that have shoulders configured to support the cover members.

15. The food holding cabinet of claim 12, wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of at least one, liquid-phase/vapor-phase refrigeration system.

16. The food holding cabinet of claim 12, wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element for the tray-receiving members is comprised of at least one Peltier device.

17. The food holding cabinet of claim 12, wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of a circulating liquid, which does not change phase as it circulates.

18. The food holding cabinet according to claim 12, further comprised of a compartment-separating wall between the first and second tray-receiving members.

19. The food holding cabinet of claim 18, wherein the compartment separating wall is thermally insulated.

20. The food holding cabinet of claim 12, further comprised of a semiconductor temperature sensor, operatively coupled to at least one thermally-conductive tray-receiving member.

21. The food holding cabinet of claim 20, further comprised of a controller, operatively coupled to the semiconductor temperature sensor and effectuating control of the heat-absorbing refrigeration element.

22. A food holding cabinet configured to absorb heat from food held in thermally-conductive food holding trays inside the food holding cabinet, the food holding trays being configured to have a bottom surface, side walls and end walls, both the side walls and end walls extending upwardly from the bottom surface to an upper rim and providing an upwardly opening interior for holding a food therein, the food holding cabinet, comprised of:

a cabinet;

a plurality of thermally-conductive, tray-receiving members (tray receiving members) in the cabinet, the tray-receiving members having a generally horizontal bottom and side walls extending generally vertically from the horizontal bottom to provide a generally U-shaped cross section, the tray-receiving members being open at, at least one of their ends, tray-receiving members being configured such that side walls of food holding trays placed within a tray-receiving member will be adjacent side walls of the tray-receiving members in which food holding trays are placed; and

a heat-absorbing refrigeration element in thermal communication with at least one of the plurality of thermally-conductive tray-receiving members and removing heat energy there from.

23. The refrigerated food holding cabinet of claim 22, wherein the tray-receiving members side walls are configured to isolate food holding trays in adjacent tray-receiving members from each other, in the cabinet.

24. The refrigerated food holding cabinet of claim 22, wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of at least one Peltier device.

25. The refrigerated food holding cabinet of claim 24, wherein the at least one Peltier device has a cold side thermally coupled to a tray-receiving member and a hot side, the refrigerated food holding cabinet further comprised of a fan configured to move air over the hot side of the at least one Peltier device.

26. The refrigerated food holding cabinet of claim 22, wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of an evaporator coil of a liquid-phase/vapor-phase refrigeration system, thermally coupled to a tray-receiving member.

27. The refrigerated food holding cabinet of claim 22, wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of a liquid-phase/vapor-phase refrigeration system.

28. The refrigerated food holding cabinet of claim 22, wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of a circulating liquid, which does not change phase as it circulates.

29. The refrigeration food holding cabinet of claim 28, wherein the circulating liquid is chilled by a liquid-phase/vapor-phase refrigeration system.

30. The refrigeration food holding cabinet of claim 28, wherein the circulating liquid is chilled by a Peltier device.

31. The food holding cabinet of claim 22, wherein side walls of tray-receiving members have horizontal shoulders, located upwardly from the horizontal bottom.

32. The food holding cabinet of claim 31, wherein the food holding cabinet further comprises a removable food holding tray cover located in the cabinet and resting on the horizontal shoulders.

33. The food holding cabinet of claim 22, wherein the food holding cabinet is comprised of first and second tiers, the first tier being stacked above the second tier, both tiers being comprised of first and second tray-receiving members, the first tier being thermally separated from the second tier, the first and second tray-receiving members in each tier being thermally separated from each other.

34. The food holding cabinet of claim 33, wherein the first and second tiers are defined by horizontal surfaces above and below each tier.

35. The food holding cabinet of claim 34, wherein tray-receiving members in each tier are attached to a horizontal surface above each tier.

36. The food holding cabinet of claim 34, wherein tray-receiving members in a tier are separated from each other by a vertical wall.

37. The food holding cabinet according to claim 22, wherein the heat-absorbing element is thermally coupled to the horizontal bottom of at least one of said plurality of thermally-conductive tray-receiving members.

38. The food holding cabinet according to claim 22, further comprising a heat-absorbing element thermally coupled to the bottom and side walls of a tray-receiving member.

39. The food holding cabinet according to claim 22, wherein the side walls of the tray-receiving members have upper and lower regions defined by horizontal shoulders in said side walls.

40. The food holding cabinet according to claim 39, further comprising a thermally-conductive food holding tray within a tray-receiving member, the food holding tray having a rim projecting laterally from side walls of the tray and which rests on the horizontal shoulders in said side walls.

41. The food holding cabinet of claim 22 further comprised of a semiconductor temperature sensor operatively coupled to at least one thermally-conductive tray-receiving member.

42. The food holding cabinet of claim 41 further comprised of a controller, operatively coupled to the semiconductor temperature sensor and effectuating control of the heat-absorbing refrigeration element.

43. A method of refrigerating food in a food holding cabinet comprised of at least one, tray-receiving members having a generally horizontal bottom and side walls extending generally vertically from the horizontal bottom to provide a generally U-shaped cross section to the at least one tray-receiving member, the at least one tray-receiving member being thermally coupled to a heat-absorbing refrigeration element, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing the temperature of the at least one tray-receiving member using a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the at least one tray-receiving member and which outputs an electrical signal, representative of the at least one tray-receiving member temperature; and

in response to the electrical signal performing at least one of;

actuating the heat-absorbing refrigeration element; and

de-actuating the heat-absorbing refrigeration element.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of sensing the temperature is comprised of sensing the temperature using a semiconductor device thermally coupled to the at least one tray-receiving member.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of actuating the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of actuating a conventional, liquid-phase/vapor-phase refrigeration system to lower the temperature of the heat absorbing refrigeration element.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of actuating the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of actuating a pump to circulate a chilled liquid through the heat absorbing refrigeration element.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is a Peltier device and wherein step of actuating the heat-absorbing refrigeration element is comprised of providing electrical energy to the Peltier device.