Food tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11278157-B2
Application number	US-201916361562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A food holding tray and a system for holding prepared food items include a shell that defines at least one food receiving area internal to the shell. A plurality of sensors are arranged about the shell and directed into the food receiving area. A processor is communicatively connected to the plurality of sensors to receive signals from the sensors. The processor calculates holding data from the signals received from the sensors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A food holding tray for holding prepared food comprising:
a shell that defines at least one food receiving area internal to the shell;
a handle extending from the shell;
a plurality of sensors arranged about the shell and directed into the food receiving area; and
a processor communicatively connected to the plurality of sensors to receive signals from the sensors, the processor calculates holding data from the signals received from the sensors, and provides at least one indication of the holding data.

2. The food holding tray of claim 1 , wherein the holding data comprises a count of food items held within the at least one food receiving area.

3. The food holding tray of claim 2 , wherein the sensors comprise at least one emitter and at least one collector of light wavelength energy, and the processor calculates the count of food items from a monitored height of food items in the at least one food receiving area.

4. The food holding tray of claim 2 , wherein the at least one indication comprises a visual indication on the food holding tray and a transmission of the count of food items, the transmission broadcasted by a wireless communication device connected to the processor.

5. The food holding tray of claim 4 , further comprising at least one graphical display operable by the processor to present the visual indication.

6. The food holding tray of claim 5 , further comprising a user input device operable to receive an input of an identification of a type of food item within the at least one food receiving area.

7. The food holding tray of claim 2 , wherein the holding data comprises environmental data of an environment of the food receiving area.

8. The food holding tray of claim 7 further comprising a wireless communication device connected to the processor and operable by the processor to broadcast the holding data.

9. The food holding tray of claim 8 , further wherein the shell is an inner shell and further comprising an outer shell defining a space there between, wherein the plurality of sensors, the processor and the wireless communication device are disposed between the inner shell and the outer shell.

10. The food holding tray of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sensors, the processor and the wireless communication device are disposed interior the handle.

11. The food holding tray of claim 8 , further comprising a housing securable to the handle, wherein the plurality of sensors, the processor and the wireless communication device are disposed interior the housing.

12. A system for holding prepared food, the system comprising:
a food holding tray comprising:
a shell that defines at least one food receiving area internal to the shell;
a handle extending from the shell;
a plurality of sensors arranged about the shell and directed into the food receiving area;
a tray processor communicatively connected to the plurality of sensors to receive signals from the sensors, the tray processor calculates holding data from the signals received from the sensors, and provides at least one indication of the holding data; and
a tray wireless communication device connected to the tray processor and operable by the tray processor to broadcast the holding data; and

a food holding chamber comprising:
a food holding compartment configured to receive a plurality of food holding trays;
at least one heat source arranged relative to the food holding compartment;
a chamber wireless communication device, operable to receive the holding data broadcast from the tray wireless communication device; and
a chamber processor that receives the holding data from the chamber wireless communication device and controls an operation of the food holding chamber based upon the received holding data.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the holding data comprises environment data of the food receiving area and the chamber processor operates the at least one heat source based upon the received holding data.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the food holding chamber comprises a plurality of illumination devices arranged about the food holding compartment, and wherein the holding data comprises a count of food items in the food receiving area and the chamber processor operates the plurality of illumination devices to provide an indication of the count of food items.

15. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a kitchen management system (KMS) that operates on a KMS processor communicatively connected to the food holding tray and to the food holding chamber, wherein the KMS receives the holding data from the food holding tray or the food holding chamber.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising at least one graphical display in communication with the KMS and the graphical display operates to present the holding data.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein a location of the food holding tray is determined based upon data broadcast by the tray wireless communication device, and the KMS receives the location and tracks the location of the food holding tray.

18. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a loading dock arranged proximate to a cooking apparatus, the loading dock comprising a scale and a dock wireless communication device;
wherein the food holding tray rests on the loading dock while the food holding tray is filled with food items from the cooking apparatus, and the loading dock calculates a weight of the food items and provides the calculated weight to the holding tray by broadcasting the calculated weight from the dock wireless communication device to the tray wireless communication device and the tray processor uses the weight to calculate a count of food items as holding data.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the holding data comprises a count of food items in the food receiving area and environment data of the food receiving area.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the food holding tray comprises a user input device operable to receive an identification of a food type received in the food holding area, and wherein the chamber processor receives the identification from the food holding tray and operates the at least one heat source based upon the identification, the count of food items, and the environment data.

Assignees

• Marmon Foodservice Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Veltrop Loren

Classifications

• G01G19/52

  Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08) · CPC title

• A47J45/068 Primary

  Handles having indicating means, e.g. for temperature (A47J45/07 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47J43/28

  Other culinary hand implements, e.g. spatulas, pincers, forks or like food holders, ladles, skimming ladles, cooking spoons; Spoon-holders attached to cooking pots · CPC title