Food heaters, such as for use in heating hot dogs
AssigneeC. Cretors & Company
InventorCharles D. Cretors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Food heaters for heating food such as hot dogs, sausage links, bratwurst, and the like, and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a food heater can include a roller assembly pivotally coupled to a base. The roller assembly can include a drive unit, a plurality of elongate heaters extending outwardly therefrom and generally parallel to one another, and a plurality of rollers removably positioned over corresponding ones of the heaters. The drive unit can include a drive system configured to rotate the rollers to rotate food placed thereon, while the heaters heat the rollers to heat the food. The roller assembly can be rotated away from the base to facilitate removal and cleaning of the rollers.
Claims20
A food heater, comprising:
- a base;
- a drive unit pivotally coupled to the base, the drive unit including a motor operably coupled to a drive member;
- a plurality of heaters coupled to the drive unit and projecting outwardly therefrom;
- a plurality of rollers configured to be individually positioned over corresponding ones of the heaters such that each of the heaters is positioned within a corresponding roller;
- and
- a plurality of sprockets configured to be coupled to corresponding ones of the rollers, wherein each of the sprockets is configured to operably engage the drive member when the rollers are positioned over the corresponding ones of the heaters, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the drive member to thereby rotate the rollers, and wherein the drive unit is rotatable from a first position in which the rollers extend generally parallel to the base to a second position in which the rollers extend at an angle to the base.
A food heater, comprising:
- a base;
- a drive unit mounted to the base;
- a plurality of rollers releasably coupled to the drive unit, wherein the rollers are pivotable between a first position relative to the base and a second position relative to the base;
- and
- a plurality of heaters positioned within corresponding ones of the rollers, wherein the drive unit is configured to rotate the rollers when the rollers are in the first position, and wherein the rollers are configured to be manually removed from over the corresponding ones of the heaters when the rollers are in the second position.
A heater for heating one or more food products, comprising:
- a base;
- a drive unit pivotally coupled to the base, wherein the drive unit is pivotable between a cooking position and a cleaning position;
- a plurality of heaters mounted in parallel to the drive unit;
- a plurality of rollers configured to be positioned over corresponding ones of the heaters,
- wherein, in the cooking position with the rollers positioned over the corresponding ones of the heaters—
- the rollers are spaced apart from another and configured to support the one or more food products between adjacent pairs thereof,
- the drive unit is configured rotate the rollers to rotate the one or more food products, and
- the heaters are configured to heat the corresponding ones of the rollers to heat the one or more food products;
- and
- wherein, in the cleaning position, the rollers are configured to be removed from over the corresponding ones of the heaters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.