Heating assembly and method for tortilla like food

A warmer assembly for warming flexible bread food, the flexible bread food having a first lower surface and an oppositely facing second upper surface, the thickness of the bread food between the said first and second surfaces being approximately one-half inch or less, comprising:

• a housing;
• an infeed roller having an approximately cylindrical exterior surface and a diameter, said diameter extending through the infeed roller's center from opposite roller exterior surfaces points, the infeed roller being rotatably mounted with the housing to rotate in a first rotational direction;
• a heatable drum having a wall, said drum wall having an approximately cylindrical exterior surface and a diameter, said diameter generally extending through the drum's center from opposite drum wall exterior surfaces points, the ratio of the said drum diameter being at least four times greater than the said diameter of the infeed roller;
• said drum rotatably mounted with the housing to rotate in a rotational direction counter to the direction of rotation of the infeed roller;
• the drum at any point of its rotational position having, relative to a horizontal plane, an upper half cylindrical section and a lower half-cylindrical section, the drum rotational mounting defining a rotational path of the drum exterior surface;
• the housing, infeed roller and drum being configured, positioned and spaced relative to each other to form an infeed space having an interface between the drum exterior cylindrical surface and the infeed roller exterior cylindrical surface, the interface having a width configured for the drum exterior surface to contact the bread food first lower surface and for the infeed roller exterior surface to contact the bread food second upper surface, with the direction of the rotational path of the drum exterior surface at the interface and the rotational direction of the infeed roller at the interface both being in an upwardly direction;
• a radiant heater for radiating heat, said radiant heater being mounted with the housing and positioned relative to the rotational path to be beyond the infeed roller, and located to be spaced from the drum's exterior cylindrical surface to radiate heat in a direction toward a part of the upper half cylindrical exterior drum surface;
• a second heater for warming the drum, at least part of the second heater being positioned within the drum;
• a guide frame mounted to be stationary in relation to the housing and positioned outwardly from the drum surface in the upper hemi-cylindrical drum section, the guide frame positioned and configured for contacting a bread food that separates from the drum exterior surface to guide the bread food toward the drum exterior surface;
• and
• an infeed platform having a substantially flat infeeding surface that has a distal end and a proximal end, the said proximal end extending adjacent to, but spaced from, the exterior drum surface, the platform surface being sized and configured for bread food to lie upon it and slide upon it toward the infeed roller.

A method for warming flexible bread food, the flexible bread food having a first lower surface and an oppositely facing second upper surface, the thickness of the bread food between the said first and second surfaces being approximately one-half inch or less, comprising the steps of:

• the bread food passing between an infeed roller having a cylindrical exterior surface and a drum having a cylindrical exterior surface that is at least four times the diameter of the infeed roller diameter;
• simultaneously rotating the infeed roller in a first rotational direction, and the drum exterior cylindrical surface in a second rotational direction that is counter to the first rotational directional of the infeed roller, the drum at any point of its rotational position having an upper half cylindrical section and a lower half cylindrical section, the rotation of the drum exterior surface defining a rotational path;
• the bread food moving between the drum exterior surface and infeed roller exterior surface, then the bread food moving along the rotational path of the drum exterior surface while it lies on the part of the upper half cylindrical section of rotating drum surface;
• and
• warming the bread food with a heater positioned to the outside of the drums exterior cylindrical surface, the heat radiating from the heater in the direction of the bread food while the bread food is positioned on part of the upper half cylindrical drum section.

A method for warming flexible bread food, the flexible bread food having a first lower surface and an oppositely facing second upper surface, the thickness of the bread food between the said first and second surfaces being approximately one-half inch or less, comprising the steps of:

• the bread food passing between an infeed roller having a cylindrical exterior surface and a drum having a cylindrical exterior surface that is at least four times the diameter of the infeed roller diameter;
• simultaneously rotating the infeed roller in a first rotational direction, and the drum exterior cylindrical surface in a second rotational direction that is counter to the first rotational directional of the infeed roller, the drum at any point of its rotational position having an upper half cylindrical section and a lower half cylindrical section, the rotation of the drum exterior surface defining a rotational path;
• the bread food moving between the drum exterior surface and infeed roller exterior surface, then the bread food moving along the rotational path of the drum exterior surface while it lies on part of the upper half cylindrical section of rotating drum surface;
• warming the bread food with a heater radiating heat in a direction toward and generally normal to the second upper surface of the bread food while the bread food is positioned on part of the upper half cylindrical drum section with the bread food second upper surface facing outwardly from the drum;
• after the bread food has been radiated by the radiant heater, the step of the bread food separating from contact with the exterior cylindrical drum surface;
• the step of heating the interior of the drum wall by a second heater, to warm the bread food;
• and
• after the flexible bread food moves between the drum surface and the infeed roller surface and the flexible bread food first surface is facing outwardly from the drum, guiding the movement of the flexible bread food along the drum's surface with a guide frame that is distanced from the drum surface, the guide frame contacting the first surface of the flexible bread food that separates from the drum surface as it is moved by the drum surface and guiding the flexible breadfood in a direction towards the drum's surface as the flexible bread food is moved by the drum surface.