US4233495A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Food warming cabinet
Assignee: GALLEY Inc
•
Filing: 1978-12-15
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Granted: 1980-11-11
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Expires: 1998-12-15
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to a cabinet in which food packages, such as prepared school lunch packages, can be heated prior to serving, and maintained at a desired temperature before and during serving. The cabinet comprises an upwardly opening well closed by removable lids, a housing connected to and surrounding the well on the sides and bottom thereof and being spaced from the well so as to form a substantially enclosed air circulation chamber adjacent the sides and bottom, and a plurality of louvers in the side walls defining air inlets and outlets between the well and air chamber. Electrical heating elements are mounted within the air chamber directly below the bottom of the well so that heat generated thereby will radiate upwardly thereby heating the well bottom and, to a lesser extent, the well side walls. A thermally conductive baffle plate is disposed within the air chamber beneath the bottom of the well and functions as a heat sink to disperse and even out the radiant heat. An air circulation system comprising a pair of blowers for circulating the air over the heating elements and through the air chamber into the interior of the well through the side wall louvers.
Inventors
- 👤 John R. Scoville
- 👤 Richard W. Gigandet
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 07:36
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47J; A47J39/00; A47J39/003
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
A food warming cabinet comprising: an upwardly opening well having a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom, a housing connected to said well and surrounding the well on the sides, ends and bottom thereof and being spaced from the well so as to form a substantially enclosed air chamber immediately adjacent the side and end walls and the bottom of said well, a plurality of inlet louvers in one of said pair of walls and a plurality of outlet louvers in the other of said pair of walls providing communication between said air chamber and the interior of said well, heating element means within said air chamber positioned beneath said well bottom so as to radiate heat upwardly to said well bottom, a thermally conductive baffle plate positioned between said heating element means and said well bottom, and a pair of blower means located at opposite ends of said air chamber for drawing air from the interior of said well through said outlet louvers and blowing the air across said heating element means in respective streams inpinging on each other in said air chamber beneath said well bottom, and causing the air heated by the heating element means to flow through the portion of the air chamber laterally adjacent said well and through said inlet louvers into the interior of said well.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
A food warming cabinet comprising: an upwardly opening well having a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a bottom, a housing connected to said well and surrounding the well on the sides, ends and bottom thereof and being spaced from the well so as to form a substantially enclosed air chamber immediately adjacent the side and end walls and the bottom of said well, a plurality of inlet louvers in one of said pair of walls and a plurality of outlet louvers in the other of said pair of walls providing communication between said air chamber and the interior of said well, heating element means within said air chamber positioned beneath said well bottom so as to radiate heat upwardly to said well bottom, a thermally conductive baffle plate positioned between said heating element means and said well bottom, and a pair of blower means located at opposite ends of said air chamber for drawing air from the interior of said well through said outlet louvers and blowing the air across said heating element means in respective streams inpinging on each other in said air chamber beneath said well bottom, and causing the air heated by the heating element means to flow through the portion of the air chamber laterally adjacent said well and through said inlet louvers into the interior of said well.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The food warming cabinet of claim 1 wherein said heating element means comprises two heating elements disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and spaced outwardly from the center of said air chamber beneath said well bottom in directions toward said blower means, respectively.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The cabinet of claim 1 including thermostat means positioned in said air chamber beneath said well bottom and connected to said heating element means for controlling said heating element means in response to the air temperature in said air chamber beneath said well bottom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The cabinet of claim 3 wherein said thermostat means is located generally in the center of said air chamber beneath said well bottom.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said baffle plate is constructed of aluminum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said baffle plate is spaced from said well bottom and said blower means directs at least the major portion of the air circulated thereby below said baffle plate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The cabinet of claim 6 wherein all of the air circulated by said blower means is directed below said baffle plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
213 words
A food warming cabinet comprising: an upwardly opening well having side walls, end walls and a bottom, a housing connected to said well and surrounding said well on the sides, ends and bottom thereof and being spaced from said well so as to form a substantially enclosed air chamber immediately adjacent the side and end walls and the bottom of said well, a plurality of louvers in said side and end walls defining inlets and outlets, respectively, providing fluid communication between said air chamber and the interior of said well, heating element means within said air chamber positioned beneath said well bottom so as to radiate heat upwardly to said well bottom, a thermally conductive baffle plate positioned between said heating element means and said well bottom, and a pair of blower means located at opposite ends of said air chamber for drawing air from the interior of said well through said end wall louvers and blowing the air across said heating element in respective streams inpinging on each other in said air chamber beneath said well bottom, and causing the air heated by the heating element means to flow through the portion of the air chamber adjacent said well sides and through said side wall louvers into the interior of said well.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
213 words
A food warming cabinet comprising: an upwardly opening well having side walls, end walls and a bottom, a housing connected to said well and surrounding said well on the sides, ends and bottom thereof and being spaced from said well so as to form a substantially enclosed air chamber immediately adjacent the side and end walls and the bottom of said well, a plurality of louvers in said side and end walls defining inlets and outlets, respectively, providing fluid communication between said air chamber and the interior of said well, heating element means within said air chamber positioned beneath said well bottom so as to radiate heat upwardly to said well bottom, a thermally conductive baffle plate positioned between said heating element means and said well bottom, and a pair of blower means located at opposite ends of said air chamber for drawing air from the interior of said well through said end wall louvers and blowing the air across said heating element in respective streams inpinging on each other in said air chamber beneath said well bottom, and causing the air heated by the heating element means to flow through the portion of the air chamber adjacent said well sides and through said side wall louvers into the interior of said well.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The cabinet of claim 8 wherein said baffle plate is generally coextensive with said well bottom and parallel thereto.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The cabinet of claim 8 wherein said louvers are positioned in the upper portion of said well and are downwardly directed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The cabinet of claim 8 wherein the portions of said air chamber adjacent the side walls and the portion of said chamber adjacent the bottom of said well are in open communication.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-11-11 | 1984-05-12 | 1984-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-11-11 | 1988-05-12 | 1988-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-11-11 | 1992-05-12 | 1992-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |