Passive thermal insert for temperature-controlled trays and food service counters
AssigneePrince Castle LLC
InventorsKOREY V. KOHL, ROBERT A. IVERSON, LOREN VELTROP, CHRISTOPHER B. LYONS, JR., DONALD VAN ERDEN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Temperature control is provided to food dispensing vessels like condiment dispensers that are too tall to be stored in a shallow, temperature-controlled tray or basin by using inclined or tilted, thermally-conductive tubes placed inside a temperature-controlled tray. Thermal insulating covers improve the thermal efficiency of the tubes.
Claims25
A thermal insert for providing temperature control to a vessel for dispensing food products, the drop-in thermal insert configured for use in a temperature-controlled tray, the temperature-controlled tray having a bottom, an open top, and at least one side wall surface that extends between the open top and bottom, the drop-in thermal insert comprised of:
- a thermally-conductive tube (tube) configured to receive a vessel for dispensing food products (vessel), the tube having a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end having at least one bevel, a surface edge of which is in thermal contact with at least one of the side wall surface and the bottom of the temperature-controlled tray, the thermally-conductive tube being sized, shaped and arranged to conduct thermal energy between a wall of the vessel and to conduct thermal energy between the temperature-controlled tray (tray).
A thermal insert providing temperature control to a food-dispensing vessel having a height greater than the depth of a temperature-controlled tray, the tray having a bottom, an open top, and at least one side wall surface that extends between the open top and bottom, the tray depth defined by the height of the at least one side wall surface, the drop-in thermal insert being comprised of:
- a thermally-conductive tube having a top end and a bottom end and an interior volume between the top and bottom ends that receives the vessel, said tube having a length greater than the depth of a temperature-controlled tray and less than the height of the food-dispensing vessel, said bottom end being formed with first and second bevels.
A food service counter comprised of:
- a temperature-controlled tray having a depth and an open top;
- a thermal insert located inside the temperature controlled tray, the thermal insert having a top and bottom, the bottom being formed to have at least one beveled edge, the beveled edge being in thermal contact with a surface of the temperature-controlled tray.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.