초록 ▼

A cabinet type enclosure, preferably in the form of a cart, which is adapted to be connected to a source of refrigeration for refrigerating a plurality of food items on a plurality of meal trays positioned in the enclosure has a plurality of thin, generally horizontal fixedly mounted heater shelf me

A cabinet type enclosure, preferably in the form of a cart, which is adapted to be connected to a source of refrigeration for refrigerating a plurality of food items on a plurality of meal trays positioned in the enclosure has a plurality of thin, generally horizontal fixedly mounted heater shelf members extending into the enclosed space from one side wall thereof. The heater shelf members are adapted to be moved relative to and under hot food containers positioned on the trays to heat same. The enclosure also has pairs of tray guides on its opposing side walls. The meal trays have integral transverse abutment means which extend over a portion of the tray surface at a location above the surface. The transverse abutments cooperate with a container for hot food placed on the tray between the abutment means for preventing movement of the hot food container past the transverse abutment means by frictional contact with the heater shelf as the tray is moved into or out of the enclosure and relative to the heater shelf along the tray guides. The heater shelf members are positioned so that they will pass between the tray surface and the bottom of the abutment means. A ramp-like end on the heater shelf will engage and lift the chamfered bottom of a container to be heated so that the container will be gently lifted upwardly onto the heater shelf as the tray is moved to a position overlying a heating element on the heater shelf. The apparatus is particularly useful for inflight feeding as well as for institutional feeding.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for heating at least one covered container on a meal service tray while other items on the tray are refrigerated comprising an enclosed housing having a plurality of cooperative pairs of guide rails therein for supporting a first pair of opposed side edges of a plurality of trays; means

An apparatus for heating at least one covered container on a meal service tray while other items on the tray are refrigerated comprising an enclosed housing having a plurality of cooperative pairs of guide rails therein for supporting a first pair of opposed side edges of a plurality of trays; means for supplying a refrigerated atmosphere within said enclosure; a plurality of generally horizontal, thin, heater shelves extending from a side wall of said housing for less than one-half the width of the trays; a ramp surface on at least one end of each of said heater shelves; a plurality of trays, each of said trays having at least one pair of abutment portions integrally supported by said trays and extending transversely over a portion thereof relative to said first opposed pair of side edges, said abutment portions being located sufficiently far above the serving surface of the trays to permit end contact with said at least one covered container while allowing the trays to be slid along said cooperating pairs of guide rails so that said thin heater shelves will pass above the tray surfaces and [beneath the]under said container contacted by said abutment portions, the ramp surface on each of said heater shelves being adapted to lift a covered container located on said tray between said at least one pair of abutments, [and]whereby to permit said heater shelf with which said container is frictionally engaged to pass under it as said container is restrained by one of said at least one pair of abutment portions.