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A bedside rethermalization unit maintains food items placed on meal serving trays, including hot food items to be served at an elevated temperature, in a refrigerated state and rethermalizes hot food items at a desired time prior to meal serving. The unit is preferably in the form of a cart with cas

A bedside rethermalization unit maintains food items placed on meal serving trays, including hot food items to be served at an elevated temperature, in a refrigerated state and rethermalizes hot food items at a desired time prior to meal serving. The unit is preferably in the form of a cart with castered wheels to enhance mobility. The cart includes a cabinet having an upper tray storage compartment for storing and rethermalizing a single day's worth of meals for a single individual, and a lower tray storage compartment for storage of soiled trays and eating utensils. Both compartments are refrigerated. A divider physically and atmospherically isolates the upper and lower tray storage compartments to inhibit contamination of uneaten meals in the upper compartment by soiled trays placed in the lower compartment. Rethermalization of hot food items in the upper compartment may be achieved by convection, conduction, induction, radiant heating, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the upper tray storage compartment is further divided into a rethermalization compartment, defined by a thermal barrier, with one or more heating elements for rethermalizing hot food items positioned on the meal serving trays. A control panel positioned at the front of the cart provides an indication when the meal is ready to be served.

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[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A refrigeration and rethermalization apparatus for maintaining food items placed on meal serving trays, including hot food items to be served at an elevated temperature, in a refrigerated state and rethermalizing the hot food items at a desired time prior to meal servin

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A refrigeration and rethermalization apparatus for maintaining food items placed on meal serving trays, including hot food items to be served at an elevated temperature, in a refrigerated state and rethermalizing the hot food items at a desired time prior to meal serving, the apparatus comprising:a cabinet having a front, a back, a top, and a bottom, said cabinet including:an upper tray storage compartment for storing meal serving trays containing hot and cold food items in a refrigerated state;a lower tray storage compartment for storing soiled meal serving trays in a refrigerated state to inhibit spoilage of soiled food items left thereon; anda divider for physically and atmospherically isolating the upper tray storage compartment from the lower tray storage compartment and inhibiting contamination of food items stored in the upper tray storage compartment by soiled trays stored in the lower tray storage compartment;at least one door adjacent the front of the cabinet for accessing the upper and lower tray storage compartments;a refrigerator for refrigerating the upper and lower tray storage compartments; andmeans for heating a hot food item positioned on a tray in the upper tray storage compartment. [18.]18. An apparatus for the cold storage and rethermalization of a day's worth of meals for an individual with each meal being placed on a meal serving tray and including hot food items to be served at an elevated temperature and cold food items to be served at a refrigerated temperature, said apparatus including:a refrigeration-rethermalization cart including:an upper tray storage compartment for storing no more than three meal serving trays containing hot and cold food items in a refrigerated state;a lower tray storage compartment for storing no more than three soiled meal serving trays in a refrigerated state to inhibit spoilage of soiled food items left thereon;a divider for physically and atmospherically isolating the upper tray storage compartment from the lower tray storage compartment and inhibiting contamination of food items stored in the upper tray storage compartment by soiled trays stored in the lower tray storage compartment;at least one door for accessing the upper and lower tray storage compartments;a refrigerator for refrigerating the upper and lower tray storage compartments;means for heating a hot food item positioned on a tray in the upper tray storage compartment; anda microcomputer control system for controlling operation of the apparatus, including said means for heating.19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said refrigerator includes:a compressor-condensing unit for producing compressed refrigerant; andan evaporator plate for expanding compressed refrigerant produced by the compressor-condensing unit and refrigerating the upper and lower tray storage compartments.