Multi-zone food holding bin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976750-B1
Application number	US-201615134380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A multi-zone food holding bin has a continuous food supporting surface with multiple food holding zones. Each food holding zone is independently controllable so that different food temperatures may be maintained in adjacent food holding zones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-zone food holding bin comprising:
a chassis having a front face and an opposing rear face;
a first food holding compartment within the chassis, the first food holding compartment having at least a first opening, the first opening being open, uncovered and located at the front face of the chassis, the first opening being configured to allow food items to be placed into and removed from the food holding compartment;
a continuous and planar surface forming a bottom of the food holding compartment, the continuous and planar surface extending completely to the front face of the chassis, the continuous and planar surface comprising Aluminum;
a first food holding zone formed in the first food holding compartment, the first food holding zone having an independently controllable radiant first heating element disposed at a top portion of the first food holding compartment, and an independently controllable conductive second heating element disposed at a bottom portion of the first food holding compartment, the first food holding zone including a first food holding bay and a second food holding bay, each of the first and second food holding bays being configured to receive a food holding tray;
a second food holding zone formed in the first food holding compartment, the second food holding zone having an independently controllable radiant third heating element disposed at the top portion of the first food holding compartment and an independently controllable conductive fourth heating element disposed at the bottom portion of the first food holding compartment, the second food holding zone including a third food holding bay and a fourth food holding bay, each of the third and fourth food holding bays being configured to receive a food holding tray; and
a food holding tray disposed in the first food holding compartment, and in the first food holding bay, the food holding tray resting on the continuous and planar surface,
wherein the first food holding zone and the second food holding zone are adjacent one another across the continuous planar surface and the first food holding zone is configured to maintain a first temperature and the second food holding zone is configured to maintain a second temperature, the first temperature and the second temperature capable of being different than one another, and
wherein the first independently controllable heating element heats the food holding tray radiantly from above and the second independently controllable heating element heats the food holding tray conductively from below.

2. The food holding bin of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second food holding compartment disposed below the first food holding compartment within the chassis, the second food holding compartment having at least a first opening, the first opening being open, uncovered and located at the front face of the chassis, the first opening being configured to allow food items to be placed into and removed from the food holding compartment; and
a shelf located between the first and second food holding compartments, the shelf comprising a first side and a second side, the first side facing into the first food holding compartment, the second side facing into the second food holding compartment, the second and fourth heating elements being disposed in the shelf and in thermal communication with the first side, the second and fourth heating elements being capable of providing different amounts of heat energy into the first and second food holding zones of the first food holding compartment; and
a controller operatively coupled to the second heating element and to the fourth heating element, the controller being configured to independently operate the second heating element and the fourth heating element.

3. The food holding bin of claim 1 , wherein the first and second food holding compartments each have a second opening, uncovered and located at the rear face of the chassis.

4. The food holding bin of claim 1 , wherein the first heating element is adapted to output more heat energy than the second heating element.

5. The food handling bin of claim 1 , the first and second food holding bays being further configured to receive a lid, the bin further comprising a lid located in a top portion of the first food holding compartment, the lid capable of being inserted into a first shelf in the first food holding bay above the continuous and planar bottom surface or into a second shelf in the second food holding bay above the continuous and planar bottom surface.

6. The food holding bin of claim 5 , further comprising a latch located in the first food holding zone, the latch having a body including an open center portion, the latch being rotatable or translatable relative to the chassis between a locked position and an unlocked position, the latch blocking access to the first shelf and the second shelf in the locked position and allowing access to the first shelf and the second shelf in the unlocked position.

7. The food holding bin of claim 1 , further comprising a lid on the food holding tray disposed in the first food holding compartment.

8. The food holding bin of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first heating element and the second heating element is an electrically resistive heating wire.

9. A method of maintaining different temperatures in a food holding compartment of a food holding bin, the method comprising:
providing a food holding compartment with a first food holding zone and a second food holding zone adjacent to one another, each of the first food holding zone and the second food holding zone including at least two food holding bays, the first and second food holding zones sharing an uninterrupted continuous planar bottom surface comprising Aluminum, the uninterrupted continuous planar bottom surface extending to a front face of a chassis forming the food holding compartment, and a food holding tray disposed in the food holding compartment, the food holding tray resting on the uninterrupted continuous planar bottom surface, the first food holding zone including a first independently controllable radiant heating element that heats radiantly from above and also includes a second independently controllable conductive heating element that heats conductively from below, and the second food holding zone includes a third independently controllable radiant heating element that heats radiantly from above and also includes a fourth independently controllable conductive heating element that heats conductively from below;
independently setting a first temperature in the first food holding zone by operating the first independently controllable heating element and by operating the second independently controllable heating element;
independently setting a second temperature in the second food holding zone bar operating the third independently controllable heating element and by operating the fourth independently controllable heating element,
wherein the first temperature is different from the second temperature.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing more heat energy from the first heating element than from the second heating element.

Assignees

• Prince Castle LLC

Inventors

• Kestner Kyle Thomas
• Lyons Jr Christopher B
• Hartfelder Charles B
• Mccoy Zachary N

Classifications

• A47J39/006 Primary

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

• A47J36/2483

  with electrical heating means · CPC title

• A47J36/2488

  having infrared radiating elements · CPC title

• F24C15/18

  Arrangement of compartments additional to cooking compartments, e.g. for warming or for storing utensils or fuel containers; Arrangement of additional heating or cooking apparatus, e.g. grills · CPC title

• F24C7/043 Primary

  Stoves · CPC title