Food service system

Claim 1

In a food service apparatus for serving a plurality of consumers generally the same meal, said food service apparatus including a plurality of trays, each tray of said plurality of trays being arranged to receive one meal for one consumer, said tray including a plurality of locations, each location of said plurality of locations being such as to receive one dish containing a food item, at least one location of said plurality of locations being a heating location for heating a dish received thereon when said dish includes heating means, in combination therewith, said heating location including a first pair of electrical contacts exposed for engaging a dish received on said heating location, said tray including a pair of handles, one handle of said pair of handles being at each end of said tray for supporting said tray, a second pair of electrical contacts, one electrical contact of said second pair of electrical contacts being on a each of said handles on the lower surface thereof, first conductor means connecting one contact of said first pair of electrical contacts to one contact of said second pair of electrical contacts, and second conductor means connecting the other contact of said first pair of electrical contacts to the other contact of said second pair of electrical contacts, a carrier for receiving said plurality of trays, said carrier comprising a container including opposed side walls, a plurality of pairs of rails carried by said side walls and electrically insulated therefrom, each pair of rails of said plurality of pairs of rails including two rails spaced apart to receive opposite ends of one tray of said plurality of trays, a jack carried by said container, circuit means connecting said jack to said plurality of pairs of rails to place a voltage between the rails of each pair of rails, and ventilating means for passing ventilating air through said container, the arrangement being such that said second pair of electrical contacts can receive electrical power from said rails and provide power to a dish on said heating location, said dish on said heating location being heated only when said dish on said heating location includes heating means, said ventilating means serving to maintain unheated dishes cool while said heated dishes are heated.

Claim 6

A method for serving a plurality of meals to a plurality of consumers, wherein each meal of said plurality of meals includes the same food items and includes at least one heated food item and at least one unheated food item, said method including the steps of preparing all food items for said plurality of meals, placing said heated food items in dishes having heating means therein, assembling all meals of said plurality of meals by placing selected ones of said food items on a plurality of trays so that each tray of said plurality of trays holds one meal of said plurality of meals, the step of placing selected ones of said food items including the step of placing said at least one heated food item in the dish having heating means on one heating location of a plurality of heating locations of said tray and placing said unheated food item on another location of said tray, placing said plurality of trays in a carrier having power supply means and transporting said carrier to the location for serving said meals, providing power to said carrier for a predetermined length of time, ventilating said carrier during the step of providing power to said carrier so that said heated food item is heated and said unheated food item is kept cool by said ventilation, and distributing said plurality of trays to said plurality of consumers.

Claim 7

A method for serving a plurality of meals to a plurality of consumers, wherein each meal of said plurality of meals includes the same food items and includes at least one heated food item and at least one unheated food item, said method including the steps of preparing all food items for said plurality of meals, placing said heated food items in dishes having heating means therein, assembling all meals of said plurality of meals by placing selected ones of said food items on a plurality of trays so that each tray of said plurality of trays holds one meal of said plurality of meals, the step of placing selected ones of said food items including the step of placing said at least one heated food item in the dish having heating means on one heating location of a plurality of heating locations of said tray and placing said unheated food item on another location of said tray, placing said plurality of trays in a carrier having power supply means and transporting said carrier to the location for serving said meals, providing power to said carrier for a predetermined length of time, ventilating said carrier during the step of providing power to said carrier so that said heated food item is heated and said unheated food item is kept cool by said ventilation, and distributing said plurality of trays to said plurality of consumers.