Food warming system

An apparatus for heating a plurality of re-heatable elements used to maintain comestible goods at an elevated temperature comprising:

• a pair of side walls coupled to a base;
• a back portion coupled between to the pair of side walls;
• a top portion coupled across the top of the side walls and back portion;
• a plurality of shelves disposed between the side walls;
• a plurality of sockets coupled to the back portion, at least two sockets being coupled to the back portion at adjacent positions to each other for each of the plurality of shelves;
• a re-heatable body, the body comprising a circular top surface and a circular bottom surface;
• a plurality of power pins disposed in the body between the top surface and bottom surface;
• a plurality of loop pins disposed in the body adjacent to the power pins:
• a filament coupled to the power pins and thermally coupled to the too surface of the body;
• and
• a controller board coupled to the plurality of sockets, the controller board comprising means for regulating the amount of electric current that is delivered by each of the sockets,
• wherein each of the plurality of shelves comprise means for accommodating and supporting up to two re-heatable elements when they are coupled to their corresponding sockets,
• wherein the controller board and plurality of sockets comprise means for detecting when a re-heatable element has been inserted into the apparatus and electrically coupled to one of the plurality of sockets,
• wherein the controller board and plurality of sockets comprise means for supplying an electric current to the plurality of re-heatable elements only after the insertion of the corresponding socket into each of the re-heatable elements has been detected, and
• wherein the controller board comprises means for recording the operational history of each of the plurality of sockets and means for downloading the operational history of each of the plurality of sockets into an external computer.

A system for heating a plurality of re-heatable large or small pellets used to maintain comestible goods at an elevated temperature comprising:

• a charging unit;
• a plurality of shelves disposed within the charging unit;
• a plurality of sockets disposed within the charging unit, at least two sockets being disposed at the rear of each shelf disposed within the charging unit;
• and
• a controller board within the charging unit and electrically coupled to the plurality of sockets;
• wherein the plurality of shelves are reversible and comprise means for accommodating the large re-heatable pellets coupled to an underliner on one surface and means for accommodating the small re-heatable pellets in an inverted position on its opposing surface;
• and
• a tray and a dome for enveloping at least one small pellet after being heated by means of the charging unit,
• wherein each of the plurality of sockets comprise a plurality of guide plugs, each of the guide plugs comprising means for mechanically coupling to a corresponding plurality of guide pins disposed on the small or large pellets and a plurality of loop plugs and power plugs, each of the loop plugs and power plugs comprising means for electrically coupling to a corresponding plurality of loop pins and power pins disposed on the small or large pellets,
• wherein the plurality of power plugs further comprise means for establishing an electrical coupling with the corresponding power pins of the small or large pellet before the loop plugs are electrically coupled to the loop pins of the same small or large pellet, and
• wherein each of the plurality of sockets comprise a male component, the male component comprising means for being inserted into a corresponding notch defined within the small or large pellet.

A method for heating a pellet used for maintaining comestible goods at an elevated temperature comprising:

• inserting at least one pellet into a charging unit;
• coupling the at least one pellet to at least one socket disposed within the charging unit;
• detecting the presence of the at least one pellet at a specific location within the charging unit;
• supplying a flow of electric current to the at least one pellet through the at least one socket;
• heating the pellet;
• discontinuing the flow of electric current to the at least one pellet through the at least socket;
• and
• removing the at least one pellet from the charging unit,
• wherein coupling the at least one pellet to at least one socket disposed within the charging unit comprises:
• inserting a pair of power pins disposed on the at least one pellet into a corresponding pair of power plugs defined within the at least one socket;
• inserting a pair of loop pins adjacently disposed on the at least one pellet next to the power pins into a corresponding pair of loop plugs defined within the at least one socket;
• inserting a pair of guide pins disposed on the at least one pellet into a corresponding pair of guide plugs defined within the at least one socket;
• and
• electrically coupling the power pins to the power plugs before electrically coupling the loop pins to the loop plugs,
• wherein detecting the presence of the at least one pellet at a specific location within the charging unit comprises:
• completing a circuit with a detection shunt disposed within the at least one socket by insertion of the loop pins into the loop plugs;
• and
• sending a signal to a controller board within the charging unit that the at least one pellet has been detected at a specific socket location within the charging unit, and
• wherein removing the at least one pellet from the charging unit comprises electrically decoupling the loop pins from the loop plugs before electrically decoupling the power pins from the power plugs.