Heated display cabinet
AssigneeCarter-Hoffmann LLC
InventorsGabriel PALMISCIANO, Sreekanth PUSHPALA, Kelly MICHALKO, Gwen BIALAS, Manjunath GOVINDAPPA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cabinet (10) to hold and display a plurality of food items is provided. The cabinet includes a plurality of shelves (52) that each include holding volumes that are accessible via an open front of the cabinet. The cabinet establishes a separate and dedicated air curtain across the opening into each holding volume and the temperature of the air forming each holding volume is separately controlled. Each shelf includes a digital display (57) that can be controlled to display various parameters of the contents of the specific shelves or other material.
Claims20
1-24. (canceled)
A cabinet comprising:
- a housing with a top wall, right and left side walls that are collectively arranged to define an internal volume therein, wherein the housing includes an open front to allow access into the internal volume;
- a plurality of shelves that extend within the internal volume, wherein each of the plurality of shelves establish a storage volume disposed above the respective shelf, wherein each storage volume is a part of the internal volume,
- wherein each of the plurality of shelves comprises a heating assembly that is fixed with respect to the respective plurality of shelves;
- wherein each of the plurality of storage volumes is partially enclosed by a roof within the internal volume and above the respective storage volume and the respective shelf, each storage volume is further enclosed by the right and left walls;
- wherein the housing pivotably supports a plurality of mechanical compartments, with one of the plurality of mechanical compartments disposed with respect to each shelf, each mechanical compartment is pivotably mounted to the housing and pivotable between a closed position where a first wall of the mechanical compartment forms a rear wall of the storage volume, and between an open position wherein the storage volume is accessible above the mechanical compartment and from a direction opposite from the open front of the housing;
- wherein the heating assembly is provided in conjunction with each shelf and each mechanical compartment, wherein each mechanical compartment comprises a fan, and wherein an air flow path with respect to each shelf and mechanical compartment includes a heating element, and at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor monitors a temperature within one of the mechanical compartment or the shelf;
- further comprising a controller, the controller is configured to control operation of the respective fan and the respective heating assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.