US4110587A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for heating food
Assignee: PATENTS LICENSING INTERNATIONAL Ltd
•
Filing: 1977-01-10
•
Granted: 1978-08-29
•
Expires: 1997-01-10
Abstract
Abstract Meals for institutional feeding are arranged on trays in a central commissary with hot and cold food portions in separate containers. The containers for the hot items have bases formed with metallic plates and thermally insulated covers with internal metallic heat radiators. The trays are arranged in stacks in a refrigerated transport cart having spaced shelves which extend between the trays and include induction heating coils which produce heat generating currents in the metallic elements of the bases and covers of the hot food containers, heating these food portions while the other items are refrigerated. The hot food containers are provided in a variety of configurations each of which is heated at a different rate by the coils so the serving temperature of the food is determined by the type of its container.
Inventors
- 👤 James J. Souder, Jr.
- 👤 Lindsey E. Waldorf
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 17:56
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B6/00; H05B6/02; H05B6/06; A; A47; A47J; A47J39/00; A47J39/006; H05B6/10; H05B6/12; H05B6/129; A47B; A47B31/00; A47B31/02; A47B2031/026; H03; H03B; H03B2200/00; H03B2200/0002; H03B2200/001
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
194 words
Apparatus for inductively heating a plurality of food portions to different temperatures comprising: a carrier having a plurality of food container receiving sections; a heating compartment with a planar surface adapted to be supported in alignment with the carrier and having a plurality of induction heating coils supported so as to be positioned in alignment with at least some of the plurality of food container receiving sections formed on the carrier; means for passing alternating electric currents through said induction heating coils; a plurality of food containers, each enclosing a food portion, the containers having surface configurations adapting them to be supported in the food container receiving sections of the carrier, each food container including an electrically conductive section whereby electric currents will be induced in the conducting sections to heat the food portions and means varying the heating response of at least some of said containers from one another to said alternating electric currents passed through said induction heating coils, whereby the amount of heat passed into a food portion within a particular food container when disposed on the carrier and in the compartment will vary between at least some of the containers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
194 words
Apparatus for inductively heating a plurality of food portions to different temperatures comprising: a carrier having a plurality of food container receiving sections; a heating compartment with a planar surface adapted to be supported in alignment with the carrier and having a plurality of induction heating coils supported so as to be positioned in alignment with at least some of the plurality of food container receiving sections formed on the carrier; means for passing alternating electric currents through said induction heating coils; a plurality of food containers, each enclosing a food portion, the containers having surface configurations adapting them to be supported in the food container receiving sections of the carrier, each food container including an electrically conductive section whereby electric currents will be induced in the conducting sections to heat the food portions and means varying the heating response of at least some of said containers from one another to said alternating electric currents passed through said induction heating coils, whereby the amount of heat passed into a food portion within a particular food container when disposed on the carrier and in the compartment will vary between at least some of the containers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
96 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least certain of the food containers are formed of electrically non-conductive material with bottom and top sections separable relative to one another, each section including an electrically conductive member so positioned that the members are electrically insulated from one another when the sections are joined together to form a closed container for food; and the heating compartment includes a pair of spaced walls adapted to receive the carrier between them, each including induction heating coils adapted to induce heat in the conductive members of the container bottoms or tops.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means varying the heating response of at least some of said containers from one another consists of at least certain of the containers having configurations which differ from one another by their metallic sheets having differing resistances.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means varying the heating response of at least some of said containers from one another consists of at least certain of the containers having configurations which differ from one another in the spacing of their metallic sheets from their surfaces adapted to be supported relative to said planar surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said induction heating coils and said food receiving sections of the carrier are so positioned that the carrier may be positioned on said planar surface in either a first disposition wherein the coils and food receiving sections are aligned and heating currents are induced in the conductive sections of the containers by the coils or a second disposition wherein the coils and food receiving sections are nonaligned and no substantial heating currents are induced in the conductive sections.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2625242A
Cited
US3079913A
Cited
US3294946A
Cited
US3608627A
Cited
US3777094A
Cited
US3790735A
Cited
US3781503A
Cited
US3745290A
Cited
US3786222A
Cited
US3843857A
Cited
US3887253A
Cited
US3908749A
Cited
US3924100A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-08-28 | 1982-02-27 | 1982-08-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-08-28 | 1986-02-27 | 1986-08-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-08-28 | 1990-02-27 | 1990-08-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |