Refrigeration compartment for use with preparation table

Food storage and preparation equipment comprising:

• a table having a work surface at the front and an open-top refrigerated rail at the rear,
• said refrigerated rail having a housing containing a refrigerated food compartment,
• said compartment being generally rectangular and extending laterally across the table and having an access opening at the top which allows exposure of the compartment to ambient room air,
• said compartment having a lower section comprising a cold wall pan defining a lower cooling zone, said cold wall pan including a pan member having oppositely disposed front and rear walls and oppositely disposed end walls and including a refrigerant tube mounted on the exterior of the pan member in heat exchange relation therewith,
• said compartment having an upper section comprising a pair of oppositely disposed front and rear heat sink walls defining an upper cooling zone, each said heat sink wall being constructed of extruded metal and having a wall thickness and thermal inertia greater than said pan member and having a refrigerant tube mounted on the exterior thereof in heat exchange relation therewith, said upper section further comprising oppositely disposed end walls of insulating material,
• and a plurality of open-top food pans removably supported side-by-side in said compartment, said pans having front, rear and lateral sides, with said sides of said pans being disposed in said lower cooling zone and the top of said pans being disposed at the bottom of said upper cooling zone and with said front and rear sides of said pans being separated by unobstructed air space, respectively, from said front rear walls of said cold wall pan.