MODULAR FOOD HOLDING SYSTEM

• US 20170071408A1
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Active Application

• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 food holding chambers being physically and communicatively removably connected to one another, each of the 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 physically and communicatively removably connected to one of the food holding chambers in the plurality of food holding chambers; and

a modular 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 food holding chambers, wherein the control screen is communicatively connected to the one or more of the food holding chambers through the chamber base.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. The 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 food holding chamber.

11. The 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 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 food holding chamber, or controlling the humidity within the food holding chamber.

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

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