Heat retentive server with phase change core
First Claim
1. A server base for use in a heat retentive server to maintain food or beverage in a desired temperature range for a period of time, said server base comprising:
- an upper shell and a lower shell, said shells sealing a cavity formed therebetween; and
a heat retention member disposed in said cavity, said heat retention member comprising an encapsulated heat retention medium, said medium being meltable to store heat therein when heated toward and above its melting point, and to release heat through said upper shell to maintain food or beverage supported above said upper shell warm as said melted heat retention material solidifies.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A heat retentive server, in particular a server base, for maintaining food or beverage in a desired temperature range for a period of time includes a non-metallic upper shell and lower shell which sealingly form a cavity between their inwardly facing surfaces. A heat storage member including an encapsulated core of phase change material is disposed in the cavity. As the server base is heated, the phase change material melts and stores heat as heat of fusion. When the core later cools, it undergoes a phase change from the liquid state to the solid state an imparts the stored heat to the server base.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A server base for use in a heat retentive server to maintain food or beverage in a desired temperature range for a period of time, said server base comprising:
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an upper shell and a lower shell, said shells sealing a cavity formed therebetween; and a heat retention member disposed in said cavity, said heat retention member comprising an encapsulated heat retention medium, said medium being meltable to store heat therein when heated toward and above its melting point, and to release heat through said upper shell to maintain food or beverage supported above said upper shell warm as said melted heat retention material solidifies. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A heat retentive server comprising:
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a server base comprising; an upper shell and a lower shell, said shells sealing a cavity formed therebetween and forming a side wall having a ledge for receiving a mating dome; and a heat retention member disposed in said cavity, said heat retention member comprising an encapsulated heat retention medium, said medium being meltable to store heat therein when heated toward and above its melting point, and to release heat through said upper shell to maintain food or beverage supported above said upper shell warm as said melted heat retention material solidifies; and a dome adapted to be removably seated on said ledge. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A dome for use in a heat retentive server to maintain food or beverage in a desired temperature range for a period of time, said dome comprising:
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an upper shell and a lower shell, said shells sealing a cavity formed therebetween; and a heat retention member disposed in said cavity, said heat retention member comprising an encapsulated heat retention medium, said medium being meltable to store heat therein when heated toward and above its melting point, and to release heat through said lower shell to maintain food or beverage supported below said lower shell warm as said melted heat retention material solidifies. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 35, 36)
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26. A server base for use in a heat retentive server to maintain food or beverage in a desired temperature range for a period of time, said server base comprising:
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a molded plastic upper shell and lower shell, said shells hermetically sealing a cavity formed therebetween; and a heat retention member disposed in said cavity, said heat retention member comprising wax encapsulated in a casing. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A server base for use in a heat retentive server to maintain food or beverage in a desired temperature range for a period of time, said server base comprising:
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a molded plastic upper shell and lower shell, said shells hermetically sealing a cavity formed therebetween; and a disc shaped heat retention member disposed in said cavity, said heat retention member comprising a wax-filled casing wherein said casing encapsulates the wax. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A pellet meal delivery system for keeping food serving dishware warm for a period of time, said system including at least two pellet bases wherein each pellet base comprises:
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a non-metallic upper shell and lower shell sealing a cavity formed therebetween, a heat retention member disposed in said cavity, and means extending radially outwardly from the periphery of each base for spacing said bases from one another when stacked to permit convective and conductive heat transfer to said heat retention member when heating said base. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A server base for use in a heat retentive server to maintain food or beverage in a desired temperature range for a period of time, said server base comprising:
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an upper shell and a lower shell, said shells being formed of a glass filled plastic material, said shells being joined to one another along a welded seam to define a sealed cavity therebetween, said seam including an annular groove formed in said upper shell and an annular ridge formed in said bottom shell and received in said annular groove; and a heat retention member disposed in said cavity, said heat retention member comprising an encapsulated heat retention medium, said medium being meltable to store heat therein when heated toward and above its melting point, and to release heat through said upper shell to maintain food or beverage supported above said upper shell warm as said melted heat retention material solidifies. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for making a server base having a cavity and a discrete phase change sealed core disposed therein comprising the steps of:
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forming a casing with an inlet port; supporting the casing with the inlet port directed upwardly; filling the casing by flowing phase change material in its liquid state downwardly through the inlet port; sealing off the inlet port so that said casing forms an encapsulation for said phase change material; placing the encapsulated phase change material in a recess formed in a first shell; assembling a second shell over the encapsulated phase change material; and joining said first and second shells. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method for making a plurality of server bases each having a cavity and a discrete phase change sealed core disposed therein comprising the steps of:
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forming a plurality of casings while providing each with an inlet port; disposing each casing between plates removably supported in a fixture; heating the casing to allow the casing to expand; filling each heated and expanded casing by flowing phase change material in its liquid state downwardly through the inlet port with a sufficient amount of phase change material so that in its solidified state the phase change material fills at least 97.5 percent of the volume of the casing at ambient temperature; sealing off the inlet port; placing each filled and sealed casing in a recess formed in a first shell; assembling a second shell over each casing in each first shell; and joining said first and second shells. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59)
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Specification