Holding Cabinet for Separately Heating Food Trays
First Claim
1. A food holding cabinet for holding one or more foods in the same compartment, at different first and second different temperatures, in the same compartment, the food holding cabinet comprising:
- at least one open food holding compartment having a plurality of individually controlled, laterally-adjacent heating areas, a heating area being comprised of at least one heating element, which provides heat energy into the corresponding heating area, heating elements of the plurality of heating areas being thermally separated from each other.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A food holding cabinet having one or more food-holding compartments has two or more zones in a compartment, wherein holding temperatures can be different from each other. A shelf made of glass-ceramic passes infrared energy from two or more heating elements attached to the glass-ceramic shelf. Energy emitted from the different heating elements effectuate different temperatures of localized regions of the glass-ceramic and impart different amounts of heat energy into a food item or food holding trays above the heating elements.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A food holding cabinet for holding one or more foods in the same compartment, at different first and second different temperatures, in the same compartment, the food holding cabinet comprising:
at least one open food holding compartment having a plurality of individually controlled, laterally-adjacent heating areas, a heating area being comprised of at least one heating element, which provides heat energy into the corresponding heating area, heating elements of the plurality of heating areas being thermally separated from each other. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A food holding cabinet comprising:
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a chassis having a top, a bottom, first and second sides and front and rear panels, at least one of the front and rear panels having an opening through which a food product or food holding tray can be passed into the chassis; a food holding compartment within the chassis; a first plate fixed in the chassis and having first and second opposing surfaces, the second surface of the first plate facing into the compartment, the first surface facing away from the compartment; a first heating element attached to a first area of the first surface of the first plate; a second heating element attached to a second area of the first surface of the first plate, the second area being laterally separated from the first area, the first and second heating elements being electrically and spatially separated from each other, the first heating element configured to emit a first amount of infrared heat energy through the first area of the first plate, the second element configured to emit a second amount of infrared heat energy through the second area of the first plate. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A food holding cabinet comprising:
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a chassis having a top, a bottom, first and second sides and front and rear panels, at least one of the front and rear panels having an opening through which a food product holding tray can be passed into the chassis; first and second, glass-ceramic panels, each panel having first and second opposing surfaces, the first panel being fixed in the chassis between the top and bottom of the chassis, the second panel being fixed in the chassis below the first panel such that the second panel is between the second surface of the first panel and the bottom of the chassis, the first surface of the first panel facing the top of the chassis, the first surface of the second shelf facing the bottom of the chassis; first and second electrically-resistive heating elements attached to corresponding first and second separate areas of the second surface of the first shelf, the first and second heating elements being electrically separated from each other, physically separated from each other on the second surface of the first shelf and heating the first and second separate areas; third and fourth electrically-resistive heating elements attached to first and second separate areas of the second surface of the second shelf, the third and fourth heating elements being electrically separated from each other, physically separated from each other on the second surface of the second shelf and heating the third and fourth separate areas. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. In a food holding cabinet having a shelf that is thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive and which is configured to maintain first and second food product holding trays (trays) in first and second areas, at first and second temperatures, a method of maintaining the first and second trays at first and second temperatures comprising the steps of:
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providing infrared energy to the first area of the shelf at a first rate; providing infrared energy to the second area of the shelf at a second rate; measuring a temperature of the first area; measuring a temperature of the second area; and adjusting the thermal energy provided to at least one of the first and second areas responsive to the measured temperatures of the first and second areas.
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Specification