Universal Food Holding Cabinet with Buttoned-in Escutcheons

• US 20120261426A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marmon Foodservice Technologies Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Prince Castle LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tomczyk, Wieslaw, Schroeder, Jeff, Marchese, Thomas A., Chung, Terry Tae-Il, Mathews, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,339,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/592.01
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 95/04 Keyplates; Ornaments or the like rims specially adapted for table tops A47B13/08; keyplates in general E05B17/14
• 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: A47J 39/02 Dish-warmers; Devices to keep food hot

Abstract

Escutcheons for a temperature-controlled food holding cabinet are removable and field replaceable by the use of interlocking keys and keyholes that hold the escutcheon in place and align the escutcheon to electrical connectors. The escutcheons are provided with illuminated user interfaces. A key formed on either the escutcheon or chassis of the cabinet, engages a corresponding keyhole formed on either the cabinet chassis or the escutcheon.

Claims

1. An escutcheon for a food holding cabinet, the escutcheon comprised of:

a center portion having front and rear surfaces and first and second opposing ends, the rear surface having a key extending outwardly from the rear surface and configured to fit into a mating key hole;

said key being configured to attach the escutcheon by insertion of the key into a mating key hole.

2. The escutcheon of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second opposing ends is provided with a leg, which is substantially orthogonal to the center portion.

3. The escutcheon of claim 1, wherein the key is comprised of first and second parts, the first part being columnar with top and bottom ends, the columnar first part of the key having a first outside diameter extending away from the rear surface of the escutcheon, the bottom end of the columnar first part being coupled to the rear surface of the escutcheon, the second part of the key being bulbous and attached to the top end of the columnar first part of the key, the bulbous second part having a second outside diameter greater than the diameter of the columnar first part.

4. The escutcheon of claim 2, wherein the key is configured to fit into a key hole comprised of a substantially circular first part and a substantially rectangular second part, which is joined with the substantially circular first part, the substantially circular first part of the key hole having a diameter selected to accept the bulbous second part of the key, the substantially rectangular second part of the key hole having a length and a width, the width being selected to deny entry of the bulbous second part of the key into the rectangular second part and accept the outside diameter of the columnar first part of the key.

5. The escutcheon of claim 3, wherein the key hole is formed in a flange attached to a food warming cabinet and wherein the key and key hole are configured to urge the escutcheon and the flange together as the columnar first part of the key is moved away from the substantially circular part of the key hole, along the rectangular second part of the key hole.

6. The escutcheon of claim 1, further comprised of a user interface.

7. The escutcheon of claim 6, wherein the user interface is comprised of at least one switch.

8. The escutcheon of claim 6, wherein the user interface is comprised of an illuminated switch.

9. The escutcheon of claim 8, wherein the illuminated switch is comprised of an annulus around the switch, the annulus being around a plurality of light emitting diodes.

10. The escutcheon of claim 6, wherein the user interface is comprised of a switch, at least partially illuminated by a multi-colored, annular-shaped light source, which provides an illuminated annulus around the switch.

11. The escutcheon of claim 10, wherein the multi-colored annular-shaped light source is comprised of a plurality of light emitting diodes.

12. The escutcheon of claim 10, wherein the multi-colored light source is comprised of a substantially opaque cylinder having first and second ends and a light filter, the cylinder surrounding said plurality of light emitting diodes at said first end, the light filter being proximate the second end;

whereby light from the light emitting diodes is emitted from the light filter.

13. An escutcheon for a food holding cabinet having at least one temperature-controlled food holding compartment having an opening through which the interior of the compartment can be accessed, the opening into the compartment defined by at least one flange adjacent to the opening, the flange having a key that extends away from the flange, the escutcheon comprised of:

front and rear surfaces and first and second ends, the rear surface of the escutcheon having a hole, which is configured to accept the key that extends away from the flange, the engagement of the key with the hole removably attaching the escutcheon to the flange.

14. The escutcheon of claim 13, wherein the key is comprised of first and second parts, the first part being substantially columnar with top and bottom ends, the substantially columnar first part of the key having a first outside diameter and extending away from the flange, the bottom end of the substantially columnar first part being coupled to the flange, the second part of the key being bulbous with a second outside diameter that is greater than the first outside diameter, the bulbous second part being attached to the top end of the substantially columnar first part of the key.

15. The escutcheon of claim 14, wherein the hole is a key hole formed into the rear surface of the escutcheon, the key hole comprised of a substantially circular first part and a substantially rectangular second part, which is joined with the substantially circular first part, the substantially circular first part of the key hole having a diameter greater than the second outside diameter, the substantially rectangular second part of the key hole having a length and a width, the width being selected to be less than the second outside diameter and greater than the first outside diameter.

16. The escutcheon of claim 15, wherein the key and key hole are configured to urge the escutcheon and flange together as the columnar first part of the key travels away from the substantially circular part of the key hole, along the rectangular second part of the hole.

17. The escutcheon of claim 13, further comprised of a user interface, which is comprised of a display device.

18. The escutcheon of claim 17, wherein the user interface is comprised of at least one switch.

19. The escutcheon of claim 17, wherein the user interface is comprised of a switch surrounded by an illuminated annulus.

20. The escutcheon of claim 17, wherein the user interface is comprised of a switch, at least partially illuminated by a multi-colored light source.

21. The escutcheon of claim 20, wherein the multi-colored light source is comprised of a plurality of light emitting diodes.

22. The escutcheon of claim 21, wherein the multi-colored light source is comprised of a substantially opaque cylinder having first and second ends and a light filter, the cylinder surrounding said plurality of light emitting diodes at said first end, the light filter being proximate to the second end;

whereby light from the light emitting diodes is emitted from the light filter.

23. A temperature-controlled food holding cabinet (food holding cabinet) having at least one food holding compartment, the food holding cabinet comprised of:

a chassis having a flange adjacent to an opening into a temperature-controlled food holding compartment, the flange facing away from the cabinet and having a key hole formed therein, the key hole being configured to accept a key; and

an escutcheon, having a key configured to be inserted into the key hole, the key and key hole being configured to allow the key to be inserted into the key hole and after the key is inserted into the key hole, allow the escutcheon to be translated in a first direction to attach the escutcheon to the flange and translated in an opposite second direction to release the escutcheon from the flange.

24. The temperature-controlled food holding cabinet of claim 23, wherein the escutcheon has an electrical user interface, which is electrically connected to circuitry within the chassis through a connector attached to the escutcheon.

25. The food holding cabinet of claim 23, wherein the hole is comprised of a substantially circular part and an elongated slot part extending laterally away from the substantially circular part, the substantially circular part having a first diameter, the slot part having a length and a width, the length dimension being in a direction away from the substantially circular part, the first diameter of the substantially circular part being selected to receive a bulbous first part of the key, the bulbous first part of the key having a second diameter less than the first diameter, the width of the slot part being less than the first diameter and less than the second diameter.

26. A temperature-controlled food holding cabinet (food holding cabinet) having at least one food holding compartment, the food holding cabinet comprised of:

a chassis having a flange adjacent to an opening into a temperature-controlled food holding compartment, the flange facing away from the cabinet and having a key that extends away from the flange;

an escutcheon, having a key hole configured to receive the key, the key and key hole being configured to allow the key that extends from the flange to be inserted into the key hole and after the key is inserted into the key hole, allow the escutcheon to be translated in a first direction to attach the escutcheon to the flange and translated in an opposite second direction to release the escutcheon from the flange.

27. The temperature-controlled food holding cabinet of claim 26, wherein the escutcheon has an electrical user interface, which is electrically connected to circuitry within the chassis through a connector that is attached to the escutcheon.

28. The food holding cabinet of claim 26, wherein the key hole is comprised of a substantially circular part and an elongated slot part extending laterally away from the substantially circular part, the substantially circular part having a first diameter, the slot part having a length and a width, the length dimension being in a direction away from the substantially circular part, the first diameter of the substantially circular part being selected to receive a bulbous first part of the key, the bulbous first part of the key having a second diameter less than the first diameter, the width of the slot part being less than the first diameter and less than the second diameter.

29. A food holding cabinet comprised of:

an escutcheon having a user interface device at least partially surrounded by a multi-colored light source.