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US 6,953,913 B1Granted
Hot pan
AssigneePremier Restaurant Equipment Co.
InventorsJames Richard Hara, Larry Edmond Drake, Alfred Walter Huf, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pan warmer and controller for the pan warmer allows a user to preset operating conditions of the pan warmer using a digital controller, and to lock out changes to the operation of the pan warmer unless a code has been entered. The pan warmer monitors water level and temperature, and automatically adjusts water levels and water temperature.
Claims22
A pan warmer, comprising:
- a pan body having an opening for a drop in pan;
- a drop in pan having a drain and a fill valve;
- a sensor for determining temperature of water in the pan;
- heating elements for heating water in the pan;
- and
- a controller connected to the sensor to receive signals from the sensor and to the heating elements to operate the heating elements, the automatic control comprising:
- a digital control to set a desired water temperature;
- and
- a lockout to prevent changing of the set desired water temperature without authorization.
6 more elements
A pan warmer, comprising:
- a pan body having an opening for a drop in pan;
- a drop in pan having a drain and a fill valve, the fill valve connectable to a water supply;
- a plurality of heating elements disposed within the pan;
- a temperature sensor disposed to measure temperature of water in the pan;
- a plurality of level sensors to measure the level of water in the pan;
- a controller connected to receive signals from the sensors, and connected to operate the heating elements and the fill valve in response to received temperature and level sensor measurements.
3 more elements
A pan warmer system, comprising:
- a pan warmer comprising:
- a pan body having an opening for a drop in pan;
- a drop in pan having a drain and a fill valve, the fill valve connectable to a water supply;
- a plurality of heating elements disposed within the pan;
- a temperature sensor disposed to measure temperature of water in the pan;
- a plurality of level sensors to measure the level of water in the pan;
- and
- a controller connected to receive signals from the sensors, and connected to operate the heating elements and the fill valve in response to received temperature and level sensor measurements;
- and
- a computer connectable to the controller to allow adjustment of the operating conditions by the computer.
7 more elements
A controller for a pan warmer, comprising:
- a digital temperature control to set a desired temperature for water in the pan warmer;
- a keypad for entering a lockout code to lock operation of the controller out unless the lockout code is entered;
- the controller connectable to a plurality of pan warmer sensors and elements to receive signals from the sensors and to operate the elements in response to received sensor measurements.
A method of operating a pan warmer, comprising:
- setting a controller with a desired pan water temperature;
- and
- locking out further adjustments of the temperature without a predetermined authorization.
A method of operating a pan warmer, comprising:
- monitoring temperature in a pan of the pan warmer;
- heating water in the pan with a heating element when the temperature is lower than a predetermined desired water temperature;
- monitoring water level in the pan;
- adding water to the pan when the water level falls below a predetermined water level;
- controlling the operation of the pan warmer using a controller connected to monitor the temperature and level, the controller programmable to set operating conditions once and then lock out changes in operation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.