Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
202 words
A unit for reheating packages containing cold pre-cooked meals, the unit being adapted to rapidly heat up the meals to a service temperature level and to thereafter hold the meals at this level, said unit comprising: A a case having an apertured partition mounted therein to form a compartment accessible from the front of the case for accommodating a stack of said food packages with air-flow spaces therebetween, the compartment being spaced from the rear of the case to define a plenum and the front to define an air curtain passage which communicates with upper and lower air passages leading to the plenum; and B heating means to heat air drawn from the upper passage and means to blow the heated air into the plenum to create a pressure differential between the plenum and the compartment, as a result of which the heated air is forced through the partition into the flow spaces between the packages to heat the food therein, the heated air also flowing from the plenum in a continuous recirculating loop into the lower air passage, from which the air goes through the air curtain passage and the upper passage back to the plenum to thermally isolate the compartment.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
202 words
A unit for reheating packages containing cold pre-cooked meals, the unit being adapted to rapidly heat up the meals to a service temperature level and to thereafter hold the meals at this level, said unit comprising: A a case having an apertured partition mounted therein to form a compartment accessible from the front of the case for accommodating a stack of said food packages with air-flow spaces therebetween, the compartment being spaced from the rear of the case to define a plenum and the front to define an air curtain passage which communicates with upper and lower air passages leading to the plenum; and B heating means to heat air drawn from the upper passage and means to blow the heated air into the plenum to create a pressure differential between the plenum and the compartment, as a result of which the heated air is forced through the partition into the flow spaces between the packages to heat the food therein, the heated air also flowing from the plenum in a continuous recirculating loop into the lower air passage, from which the air goes through the air curtain passage and the upper passage back to the plenum to thermally isolate the compartment.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
111 words
A unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said air is heated by low and high wattage heater elements, both of which are energized in a timed heat-up phase, only one of which is energized in a subsequent service phase, the energization of the high-wattage element in the heat-up phase being periodically interrupted to subject the packages to the hot air pulses whose temperature is above the service level separated by relatively low temperature intervals during which heat is transferred from the outer layer of the meals to the intermediate layers and core thereof, the resultant reduction in the temperature of the outer layer during these intervals preventing overheating thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said packages are sealed trays having a hexagonal form.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein said compartment is composed of three angled walls having holes therein, said walls corresponding to the three back sides of the trays.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein said compartment further includes spring-biased flaps hinged to the side walls of the compartment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A unit as set forth in claim 1, further including a rack for inclusion in said compartment having an array of wire shelves to receive said packages.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A unit as set forth in claim 1, further including a restriction in said lower passage constituted by a spillage pan spaced from a base pan.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the side walls of the case have tracks thereon to receive slidable shelves for supporting the packages in the compartment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A unit as set forth in claim 8, wherein said shelves are formed by a grid of metal rods.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A unit as set forth in claim 9, wherein said food packages are in pouch form.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A unit as set forth in claim 8, wherein said compartment is sub-divided into a stack of chambers, each adapted to receive at least one package, and further including means to heat the air flowing into each chamber independently of the other chambers.