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Food temperature maintenance apparatus

  • US 6,073,547 A
  • Filed: 09/13/1999
  • Issued: 06/13/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A food temperature maintenance apparatus for maintaining refrigerated food items placed on meal serving trays in a refrigerated state and for maintaining heated food items placed on the meal serving trays in a heated state, the apparatus comprising:

  • a cabinet having a front, a back, a top, and a bottom, said cabinet including;

    a first tray storage compartment for storing meal serving trays containing refrigerated and heated food items;

    a second tray storage compartment for storing meal serving trays containing refrigerated and heated food items, said second tray storage compartment separated from the first tray storage compartment by a refrigerated air delivery compartment;

    a first thermal barrier for thermally isolating refrigerated and heated food items on meal serving trays in the first tray storage compartment, said first thermal barrier dividing the first tray storage compartment into a first refrigerated compartment adjacent the refrigerated air delivery compartment for maintaining refrigerated food items on the meal serving trays in a refrigerated state and a first heated compartment for maintaining heated food items on the meal serving trays in a heated state;

    a second thermal barrier for thermally isolating refrigerated and heated food items on meal serving trays in the second tray storage compartment, said second thermal barrier dividing the second tray storage compartment into a second refrigerated compartment adjacent the refrigerated air delivery compartment for maintaining refrigerated food items on the meal serving trays in a refrigerated state and a second heated compartment for maintaining heated food items on the meal serving trays in a heated state;

    a first door adjacent the front of the cabinet for accessing the first tray storage compartment; and

    a second door adjacent the front of the cabinet for accessing the second tray storage compartment;

    a refrigerator for providing refrigerated air within the refrigerated air delivery compartment;

    said refrigerated air delivery compartment including;

    a first refrigeration supply plenum adjacent the first refrigerated compartment and including a plurality of through openings;

    a second refrigeration supply plenum adjacent the second refrigerated compartment and including a plurality of through openings;

    a refrigeration return plenum having an inlet adjacent the bottom of the cabinet for receiving air from the first and second refrigerated compartments;

    a refrigeration coil forming a part of said refrigerator and positioned in said refrigeration return plenum; and

    a refrigerator blower for producing and circulating refrigerated air through the first and second refrigerated compartments by causing air within the first and second refrigerated compartments to be passed across the refrigeration coil and provided to the first and second refrigeration supply plenums;

    wherein refrigerated air within the first refrigeration supply plenum is forced out of the plenum through the plurality of through openings and flows substantially laminarly across refrigerated food items on meal serving trays in the first refrigerated compartment, downwardly along a forward air return area between the front of the trays and the first door and a rearward air return area between the back of the trays and the back of the cabinet, and to the refrigeration return plenum inlet where the refrigerated air is cycled back across the refrigeration coil by the blower;

    wherein refrigerated air within the second refrigeration supply plenum is forced out of the plenum through the plurality of through openings and flows substantially laminarly across refrigerated food items on meal serving trays in the second refrigerated compartment, downwardly along a forward air return area between the front of the trays and the second door and a rearward air return area between the back of the trays and the back of the cabinet, and to the refrigeration return plenum inlet where the refrigerated air is cycled back across the refrigeration coil by the blower; and

    means for heating said first and second heated compartments.

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