Household food warmer for keeping foods and beverages warm

• US 6,849,835 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Miele & CIE KG
• Original Assignee: Miele & CIE KG
• Inventors: Renne, Johannes, Stemig, Peter, Empting, Michael, Wemhoener, Hartmut, Bollmers, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Robin O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, VINOD D
• Application Number:
  US10/740,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 219/520, 219/400, 219/413, 219/414, 219490-494, 219/710, 219/757, 219507-510, 219/519, 219/437, 219/500, 219/497
• US Class Current: 219/520
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/18 Arrangement of compartments additional to cooking compartments, e.g. for warming or for storing utensils or fuel containers; Arrangement of additional heating or cooking apparatus, e.g. grills
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat

Abstract

A household food warmer for keeping foods and beverages warm includes a housing, a drawer which can be inserted into the housing, an interior chamber which is bounded by the housing and the inserted drawer and which is used to accommodate foods placed on plates, a heating element, an electrical circuit in which is arranged a first electrical switch for switching on the heating element, and a temperature sensor for measuring the interior chamber temperature. A convection fan is provided. The convection fan can be switched on via a second electrical switch arranged in the electrical circuit and can be switched off via the second electrical switch upon the occurrence of a switching condition that is dependent on the temperature sensor.

Claims

1. A household food warmer for keeping foods and beverages warm, comprising:

a housing;

a drawer insertable into the housing;

an interior chamber bounded by the housing and the inserted drawer, the interior chamber being configured to receive foods placed on plates;

a heating element;

a convection fan; and

an electrical circuit including;

a first electrical switch configured to switch on the heating element;

a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the interior chamber;

a relay;

a second electrical switch configured to switch on the convection fan and to switch off the convection fan using the relay upon the occurrence of a switching condition dependent on the temperature sensor; and

a main electrical switch configured to switch on the convection fan and the heating element together when the household food warmer is set into operation, the main electrical switch being connected to a time selector at least one of mechanically, electromechanically and electrically, the main electrical switch being maintainable in a closed position depending on a keep-warm time settable using the time selector;

wherein the convection fan, after being switched on, can be switched on again only after the main electrical switch has been moved from the closed position to an open position.

2. The household food warmer as recited in claim 1 wherein the convection fan, after being switched on, can only be switched on again after the main electrical switch has been moved from the closed position into an open position by a disconnecting the relay from the electrical network.

3. The household food warmer as recited in claim 1 further comprising a temperature selector configured to select a predetermined temperature set point.

4. The household food warmer as recited in claim 1 wherein the heating element is an electric radiant beating element.

5. The household food warmer as recited in claim 1 wherein a top side of a bottom of the drawer is configured to receive the foods and beverages, and wherein at least one of the heating element and the convention fan is located in a region of the housing facing the top side.

6. The household food warmer as recited in claim 1 wherein at least a major portion of at least two of the electrical circuit, the heating element and the convection fan are a combined unit.

7. The household food warmer as recited in claim 1 wherein the electrical circuit includes an integrated electronic circuit.

8. A household food wanner for keeping foods and beverages warm, comprising:

a housing;

a drawer insertable into the housing;

an interior chamber bounded by the housing and the inserted drawer, the interior chamber being configured to receive foods placed on plates;

a heating element;

a convection fan; and

an electrical circuit including;

a first electrical switch configured to switch on the heating element;

a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the interior chamber;

a relay;

a second electrical switch configured to switch on the convection fan and to switch off the convection fan using the relay upon the occurrence of a switching condition dependent on the temperature sensor; and

a main electrical switch configured to switch on the convection fan and the heating element together when the household food warmer is set into operation, the main electrical switch being connected to a time selector at least one of mechanically, electromechanically and electrically, the main electrical switch being maintainable in a closed position depending on a keep-warm time settable using the time selector; and

a bridging device having a manually operable bridging switch;

wherein the convection fan, after being switched on, can be switched on again only after at least one of the following conditions are met;

the main electrical switch has been moved from the closed position to an open position;

a predetermined maximum interior temperature is reached; and

the bridging switch is in a closed position.

9. The household food warmer as recited in claim 8 wherein a meeting of at least one of the conditions causes the relay to be disconnected from the electrical network.

10. The household food warmer as recited in claim 8 further comprising a temperature selector configured to select a predetermined temperature set point.

11. The household food warmer as recited in claim 8 wherein the heating element is an electric radiant heating element.

12. The household food warmer as recited in claim 8 wherein a top side of a bottom of the drawer is configured to receive the foods and beverages, and wherein at least one of the heating element and the convention fan is located in a region of the housing facing the top side.

13. The household food warmer as recited in claim 8 wherein at least a major portion of at least two of the electrical circuit, the heating element and the convection fan are a combined unit.

14. The household food warmer as recited in claim 8 wherein the electrical circuit includes an integrated electronic circuit.

15. A household food wanner for keeping foods and beverages warm, comprising:

a housing;

a drawer insertable into the housing;

an interior chamber bounded by the housing and the inserted drawer, the interior chamber being configured to receive foods placed on plates;

a heating element;

a convection fan; and

an electrical circuit including;

a first electrical switch configured to switch on the heating element;

a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the interior chamber;

a relay;

a second electrical switch configured to switch on the convection fan and to switch off the convection fan using the relay upon the occurrence of a switching condition dependent on the temperature sensor; and

a main electrical switch configured to switch on the convection fan and the heating element together when the household food warmer is set into operation, the main electrical switch being connected to a time selector at least one of mechanically, electromechanically and electrically, the main electrical switch being maintainable in a closed position depending on a keep-warm time settable using the time selector; and

a bridging device having a manually operable bridging switch;

wherein the convection fan, after being switched on, can be switched on again only after the main electrical switch has been moved from the closed position to an open position or, independently of a switching condition of the temperature sensor, when the bridging switch is in a closed position.

16. The household food warmer as recited in claim 15 wherein moving the main electrical switch from the closed position to the open position or moving the bridging switch into the closed position causes the relay to be disconnected from the electrical network.

17. The household food warmer as recited in claim 15 further comprising a temperature selector configured to select a predetermined temperature set point.