Food service system

• US 3,908,749 A
• Filed: 03/07/1974
• Issued: 09/30/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leslie G. Williams
• Original Assignee: Leslie G. Williams
• Inventors: Williams, Leslie G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Jr., Albert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'Connor, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US05/449,034
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 165/2,30,64,61,48 312/236,250
• US Class Current: 165/61
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/026 having warm and cold compartments
• 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: F25D 15/00 Devices not covered by group F25D11/00 or F25D13/00, e.g. non-self-contained movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0655 through the top
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0665 from the top
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/38 Refrigerating devices characterised by wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/005 Combined cooling and heating devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/919 Wheeled

Abstract

A food service system comprising a cart that is movable from a central food preparation location to a remote food service location. The cart is insulated and has a rack for a plurality of individual meal service trays. Each tray carries cold foods in suitable dishes and a heat-retaining food service unit for food which may be either hot when placed therein or may be heated by connecting each unit to a source of electrical energy at the service location. The cart has conduit means which are connectable to a source of chilled air at the service location in order to keep the cold foods cold for a period of time while the food in the units is being heated to a desired serving temperature. If desired, instead of heating the food in the units at the service location, the heat-retaining units may be heated prior to departure from the food preparation location and will maintain the food therein at elevated temperature for a period of time, even while the cart is connected to the chilled air source for keeping the cold foods at a refrigerated temperature.

Claims

1. A food service system comprising, in combination, a. an insulated cabinet for transporting and storing a plurality of complete meals on individual trays, b. an individual heat-retaining hot food storage unit for each of the meals to be transported in said cabinet, each of said units having a heatable element capable of retaining heat for a substantial period of time, a jacket around said element, a food surface and a dome-shaped insulating cover, c. a plurality of individual meal service trays adapted to fit within said cabinet in a vertical spaced array, each of said food trays having a general arEa for cold foods and a specific area for one of said hot food storage units, d. a tray rack in said cabinet for supporting a plurality of said food trays with cold foods for an individual meal and one of said hot food storage units on each of said trays, e. input and exhaust air flow ducts on said cabinet, and f. a chilled air supply unit having output and return air ducts and means for coupling said output and input ducts and said exhaust and return ducts for circulating chilled air through said cabinet and exteriorly about said hot food storage units and said cold food areas in said individual trays.

2. A system according to claim 1 in which each of said hot food service units comprises a heat retaining body, a food plate adapted to lie adjacent thereto in heat transferral relationship and an insulating cover enclosing said body and plate and the food therein when said cover is in place thereover.

3. A system according to claim 2 in which each of said hot food service units has an electrical resistance heater in the body thereof and the enclosure has electrical energy delivery means for connection to said heaters for applying electrical energy to said heaters and heat to food in said units.

4. A system according to claim 3 in which said meal service trays and said heat-retaining hot food service units have cooperating location means for said units on said trays for connection to said energy delivery means.

5. Apparatus for transporting to and for serving meals comprising both hot and cold foods at a location remote from the location at which the food is prepared, said apparatus comprising, a. a plurality of identical individual meal service trays having areas thereon for cold foods, b. a plurality of identical individual meal heat retaining hot food storage and serving units placed on said trays, c. each of said units having a heatable element capable of retaining heat for a substantial period of time, a jacket around said element, a food surface and a dome-shaped insulating cover, d. an insulated cabinet having interior rack means for carrying a plurality of said trays with said units thereon from the food preparing location to the food serving location, e. input and exhaust air flow ducts on said cabinet, and f. a chilled air supply unit having output and return air ducts and means for coupling said output and input ducts and said exhaust and return ducts for circulating chilled air through said cabinet and exteriorly about said hot food storage units and said cold food areas in said individual trays.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which each of said heat-retaining hot food serving units also comprises an electrical heating element and contacts for said element protruding therefrom, the trays and said units having cooperating means for positioning said units on said trays and in which said cabinet has electrical contacts aligned with said rack means and said unit contacts when on said trays and in said cabinet.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 in which the device for supplying chilled air is located at the food serving location.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5 in which the cabinet is the body of a cart which can be rolled from place to place.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 in which the device for supplying chilled air has spaced output and return air ducts and said cart has similarly spaced input and exhaust air spouts which align with said ducts.

10. A method for delivery of meals comprising hot and cold foods at a meal service location remote from a food preparation center, said method comprising the steps of, a. placing each individual serving of foods to be served hot in an individual heat-retaining hot food storage unit, b. individually enclosing said individual serving against heat loss to ambient atmosphere, c. placing each of said hot food storage units in a predetermined location on an individual meal service tray having cold food areas therEon and placing cold foods on such cold food areas, d. enclosing a plurality of said service trays in an insulated cabinet against ambient temperatures, e. transporting said cabinet to a meal service location, f. supplying chilled air to the interior of said cabinet exteriorly about said hot food storage units and to the cold foods on said trays, g. providing heat to said heat-retaining food storage units during the carrying out of said method, and h. removing each of said trays from said cabinet and serving the meal thereon.

11. A method according to claim 10 in which the heat-retaining hot food storage units are heated before food to be served hot is placed therein.

12. A method according to claim 10 in which the food to be served hot is placed in said heat-retaining hot food storage units while said units are cold and heat is provided to said units and food to be served hot after said foods are conveyed to the serving location while chilled air is being supplied to said cabinet.