Tortilla warmer assembly

• US 4,782,745 A
• Filed: 04/13/1984
• Issued: 11/08/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tivoli Industries, Inc. (3F Filippi SpA)
• Original Assignee: Tivoli Industries, Inc. (3F Filippi SpA)
• Inventors: George, Benjamin B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US06/599,920
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 99/467, 99/483, 99/516, 34/201, 34/233, 126/369, 126/348, 126/389, 126/386, 219/401
• US Class Current: 99/483
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/04 for cooking food in steam; Devices for extracting fruit juice by means of steam ; Vacuum cooking vessels steam-heated vessels for hotels, restaurants or canteens A47J27/16

Abstract

The open end of a cylindrical or dome shaped cover closed at the other end fits snugly within the raised outer rim of a flat base formed of a heat transmitting material such as metal. A holder structure, preferably of lightweight metal supportable on the base to be enclosed within the cover, has one or more lightweight plates that are the approximate size and shape of a standard tortilla disposed in a roughly horizontal attitude one above the other. The base beneath the plates has concentric shallow liquid retaining areas to hold small amounts of water that can be heated and turned to steam to warm the tortillas and keep them pliant. Heat insulating handles on the cover and base permit the entire assembly to be placed over the heating element on a stove.

Claims

1. An assembly for warming tortillas and the like comprising:

a substantially flat base means having a circular configuration with a continuous raiser outer rim at its periphery and an upper surface with an interior configuration defining shallow liquid reservoir areas consisting of concentric circular areas within raised circular ridges surrounding the center of said base means;

a cylindrical base cover means having a lower open end shaped to fit snugly within the raised outer rim of the base means and having vertically extending side portions and an upper closed end to form a cylindrically shaped sealed enclosure above the base; and

a holder structure defining at least one substantially horizontal plate on which tortillas may be stacked to be disposed substantially horizontal above said upper surface of said base means within said enclosure.

2. The tortilla warmer assembly of claim 1 wherein:

said holder structure consists of lightweight sheet metal and further comprises an upright tab attached along one edge of said holder structure;

a slot being formed in said tab; and

said holder structure further comprises at least one removable thin metal plate insertable in said slot;