Refrigerated food preparation table and method
AssigneeThe Delfield Company, LLC
InventorsEarl Moore, Thomas Frick, Wayne Smith, James Lyon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerated food preparation table having an evaporator cooling coil and heat transfer fins which are baffled to create two air flows which are cooled to different temperatures. One air flow passes through a laminar air screen and across an open top of a food container, and the other f low passes along the outer surfaces of the food container, thereby cooling the food container and a volume defined therein. This configuration preferably cools the entire volume within the food container to a temperature below 40' F., yet remaining above 32' F. The laminar air screen may be disassembled and separated for the purpose of cleaning.
Claims37
A heat transfer device for cooling a fluid, comprising:
- a) powered means for moving a fluid to create a fluid flow;
- b) a heat exchanger;
- and
- c) direction controlling means for directing said flow through said heat exchanger to change the temperature thereof, said direction controlling means including baffle means for causing one portion of said fluid f low to follow a more tortuous path through said heat exchanger than the remainder of said fluid flow, whereby said one portion of said fluid flow undergoes a greater temperature change than said remainder of said fluid flow.
A refrigerated apparatus for containing and cooling foods, comprising:
- a) a food container having an outer surface and an opening, said opening being open to air at an ambient temperature;
- b) powered means for creating an air flow;
- c) a heat exchanger for cooling said air flow;
- and
- d) direction controlling means for directing said flow through said heat exchanger to cool said flow, said direction controlling means including baffle means for causing one portion of said air flow to follow a more tortuous path through said heat exchanger than the remainder of said air f low, whereby said one portion of said air flow is cooled to a first temperature and said remainder of said air flow is cooled to a second temperature, said ambient temperature being greater than said second temperature, and said second temperature being greater than said first temperature.
A refrigerated food preparation table, comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) a food container supported within said housing and having an outer surface and an opening, said opening being open to air at an ambient temperature;
- c) powered means for generating an inlet air flow;
- d) a heat exchanger for cooling said air flow;
- and
- e) direction controlling means for directing said flow through said heat exchanger to cool said flow, said direction controlling means including baffle means for causing one portion of said flow to follow a more tortuous path through said heat exchanger than the remainder of said flow, whereby said one portion of said air flow is cooled to a first temperature and said remainder of said flow is cooled to a second temperature, said ambient temperature being greater than said second temperature, said second temperature being greater than said first temperature, said one portion of said flow flowing across said opening and said remainder of said flow flowing along said outer surface, said housing being configured so that said one portion and said remainder of said air flow combine subsequent to said flow across said opening and along said surface, and said housing being configured such that said air flow flows in a substantially cyclical path.
A heat transfer device, comprising:
- (a) a container having an opening, said opening being opened to air at an ambient temperature;
- (b) powered means for creating an air flow;
- (c) a heat exchanger for cooling said air flow;
- (d) direction controlling means including baffle means for causing one portion of said air flow to follow a more tortuous path through said heat exchanger than the remainder of said air flow, whereby said one portion of said air flow is cooled to a first temperature and said remainder of said air flow is cooled to a second temperature, said ambient temperature being greater than said second temperature, and said second temperature being greater than said first temperature;
- and
- (e) flow means for reducing turbulence of said one portion of said air flow said flow means being constructed of a series of similar corrugated flow elements aligned with a flow path of said one portion of said air flow, and being formed so as to be placed in adjacent relationship to define a series of parallel flow channels said flow elements may be removed from said heat transfer device and separated for the purpose of cleaning.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.