US 4,802,340 AGranted

Refrigerated salad bar

AssigneeHobart Corporation

InventorThomas M. Johnson

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Abstract

A refrigerated appliance for use as a salad bar includes an enclosure having a refrigeration unit mounted therein and a cooled food storage compartment. An upper wall of the storage compartment is provided with openings for receiving a plurality of foodstuff containers having bottom wall surfaces which extend into the compartment. An air inlet opening from the refrigeration unit is disposed proximate to the upper wall of the compartment and cool air issuing therefrom is directed at the exposed wall surfaces of the containers. To concentrate the air flow at the containers a duct surrounds the air inlet opening and is spaced closely from the containers. A free end of the duct is open to the storage compartment for circulation of the air through the compartment. Proper sizing of the duct permits the air within the duct to be maintained at a temperature lower than the temperature of the compartment, whereupon perishable refill foodstuffs for the containers may be stored within the compartment while the containers may be chilled to much the same degree as in a conventional ice-type salad bar unit.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A refrigerated appliance for cooling foodstuffs or the like comprising an enclosure having a refrigeration unit mounted therein and an insulated storage compartment for storing foodstuffs, the improvement comprising;

said enclosure having a top wall provided with one or more openings therein communicating with said compartment,
said openings adapted for receiving foodstuff containers having heat transferring bottom wall surfaces,
a cool air inlet from said refrigeration unit for providing cool air to said storage compartment,
said inlet being disposed in proximity to said top wall of said enclosure and adapted to direct cool air across the bottom wall surfaces of said containers,
a duct having one end configured to receive cool air issuing from said inlet and having a second end open to said compartment,
said compartment having a return air opening providing for the return to the refrigeration unit of air issuing from said second end of said duct,
said duct disposed in closely spaced relation to the bottom wall surfaces of said foodstuff containers, and
a baffle within said duct for diverting cool air away from one of said foodstuff containers disposed proximate to said cool air inlet,
wherein said cool air is concentrated in said duct for maintaining the air within the duct at a temperature below the temperature of the compartment.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.