Refrigerated Point-of-Use Holding Cabinet Using Peltier Devices
AssigneePrince Castle LLC
InventorLoren Veltrop
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerated point-of-use food holding cabinet keeps food products cold in compartments having cross sections that are substantially U-shaped. Food products are kept refrigerated using heat-absorbing, Peltier devices thermally coupled to the U-shaped compartment. An optional cover helps prevent food flavor transfers between compartments. Semiconductor temperature sensors and a computer effectuate temperature control.
Claims16
A food holding cabinet comprising:
- a thermally-conductive, tray receiving member having a bottom and side walls, which define a cavity in which food or a food holding tray can be placed, the cavity having first and second opposing and open ends;
- and
- a Peltier device, thermally coupled to the thermally-conductive, tray receiving member, the Peltier device being configured to absorb heat energy from the tray-receiving member.
A food holding cabinet comprising:
- at least one tier;
- first and second tray-receiving members within the at least one tier of the cabinet, each of the tray-receiving members being generally U-shaped in cross-section but having a horizontal bottom and having side walls extending generally vertically from the horizontal bottom, each of the first and second tray-receiving members also having first and second opposing and open ends through which a food or tray can pass;
- and
- a first Peltier device in thermal communication with at least one of first and second tray-receiving members.
A food holding cabinet configured to absorb heat from food held in thermally-conductive food holding trays inside the food holding cabinet, the food holding trays being configured to have a bottom surface, side walls and end walls, both the side walls and end walls extending upwardly from the bottom surface to an upper rim and providing an upwardly opening interior for holding a food therein, the food holding cabinet, comprised of:
- a cabinet;
- a plurality of thermally-conductive, tray-receiving members in the cabinet, the tray-receiving members having a generally horizontal bottom and side walls extending generally vertically from the horizontal bottom to provide a generally U-shaped cross section, the tray-receiving members being open at, at least one of their ends, tray-receiving members being configured such that side walls of food holding trays placed within a tray-receiving member will be adjacent side walls of the tray-receiving members in which food holding trays are placed;
- and
- at least one Peltier device in thermal communication with at least one of the plurality of thermally-conductive tray-receiving members and removing heat energy there from.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.