Food serving station and associated appliances and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12035846-B2
Application number	US-202016995152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Aug 10, 2015
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

Food preparation apparatus and associated appliance modules and methods. Appliances modules can be selectively docked at docks of an appliance interface of a base. An appliance module includes a food container support surface movable between cooking and holding positions. An appliance module includes a receptacle having a holding well that can be selectively configured in a generally horizontal position or an inclined position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance apparatus for preparing food, the appliance apparatus comprising:
a base having an appliance module interface, the appliance module interface including at least first and second appliance module docks, each appliance module dock defining an appliance module docking space and including an appliance module support surface and at least one dock utility connector,
a first appliance module docked at the first appliance module dock, the first appliance module including a housing, a food conditioning device, and at least one appliance module utility connector, the first appliance module being supported by the support surface of the first appliance module dock, the at least one appliance module utility connector of the first appliance module being connected to the at least one dock utility connector of the first appliance module dock; and
a second appliance module docked at the second appliance module dock, the second appliance module including a housing having generally the same size and shape as the housing of the first appliance module, a food conditioning device, and at least one food appliance utility connector, the second appliance module being supported by the support surface of the second appliance module dock, the at least one appliance module utility connector of the second appliance module being connected to the at least one dock utility connector of the second appliance module dock;
wherein the first appliance module is configured to be removed from the first appliance module dock, the at least one appliance module utility connector of the first appliance module configured to be disconnected from the at least one dock utility connector of the first appliance module dock, and
wherein the second appliance module is configured to be removed from the second appliance module dock, the at least one appliance module utility connector of the second appliance module configured to be disconnected from the at least one dock utility connector of the second appliance module dock.

2. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a cabinet and the housings of the first and second appliances docked at the first and second docks have upper surfaces positioned at about countertop height.

3. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the base has a rear employee side and a front customer side, the base including forward portions extending upward in front of the first and second appliance module docking spaces.

4. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 3 , further comprising a breath guard extending higher than the forward portions of the base for shielding the first and second appliance modules from the customer side.

5. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the base includes left and right side portions extending upward on left and rights sides of the appliance module interface.

6. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the at least one dock utility connector of the first appliance module dock is supported by the forward portion extending upward in front of the first appliance module docking space, and wherein the at least one dock utility connector of the second appliance module dock is supported by the forward portion extending upward in front of the second appliance module docking space.

7. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the at least one appliance module utility connector of the first appliance module is supported by a front wall of the housing of the first appliance module, and wherein the at least one appliance module utility connector of the second appliance module is supported by a front wall of the housing of the second appliance module.

8. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each appliance module docking space has an open top.

9. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the base has a rear employee side and a front customer side, and wherein each appliance module docking space has an open rear end.

10. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each dock utility connector comprises one of an electrical power connector or a temperature control fluid connector.

11. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each appliance module includes a plurality of dock utility connectors, each appliance module utility connector of said at least one appliance module utility connector of the first appliance module being connected to one of the plurality of dock utility connectors of the first appliance module dock and each appliance module utility connector of said at least one appliance module utility connector of the second appliance module being connected to one of the plurality of dock utility connectors of the second appliance module dock.

12. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first appliance module comprises one of a convertible cooking/holding appliance module, a griddle appliance module, or a convertible holding module.

13. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the second appliance module comprises one of a convertible cooking/holding appliance module, a griddle appliance module, or a convertible holding module.

14. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the base includes a temperature control fluid bank operatively connected to the at least one dock utility connector of the first and second appliance module docks and configured to supply a temperature fluid to the at least one dock utility connector of the first and second appliance module docks.

15. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the base includes a storage cavity configured to store food in at least one of a refrigerated, warmed, or ambient controlled environment.

16. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the appliance module interface includes a third appliance module dock defining an appliance module docking space and including an appliance module support surface and at least one dock utility connector, wherein the appliance apparatus further comprises:
a third appliance module docked at the third appliance module dock, the third appliance module including a housing having generally the same size and shape as the housing of the first appliance module, a food conditioning device, and at least one food appliance utility connector, the third appliance module being supported by the support surface of the first appliance module dock, the at least one appliance module utility connector of the third appliance module being connected to the at least one dock utility connector of the third appliance module dock.

17. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first appliance module is configured to be docked at the second appliance module dock, the at least one appliance module utility connector of the first appliance module configured to be connected to the at least one dock utility connector of the second appliance module dock, and
wherein the second appliance module is configured to be docked at the first appliance module dock, the at least one appliance module utility connector of the second appliance module configured to be connected to the at least one dock utility connector of the first appliance module dock.

18. The appliance apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first and second appliance modules are arranged to be interchangeable with one another at the respective first and second appliance module docks such that:
when the first appliance module is docked at the s

Assignees

• Duke Mfg Co

Inventors

• Jennings Brent
• Bigott James W
• Lines Randy
• Martin David

Classifications

• H05B3/76

  Plates with spirally-wound heating tubes · CPC title

• H05B6/12

  Cooking devices · CPC title

• A47J37/049

  Details of the food supports not specially adapted to one of the preceding types of food supports · CPC title

• A47J36/2483

  with electrical heating means · CPC title

• A47J39/006 Primary

  for either storing and preparing or for preparing food on serving trays, e.g. heating, thawing, preserving · CPC title