초록 ▼

An apparatus and method are disclosed for penetrating convenience store food markets with a customer-engaging food merchandising module. The customer-engaging food merchandising module comprises three units: a food storage and display unit attached to a food preparation and display unit, and a shell

An apparatus and method are disclosed for penetrating convenience store food markets with a customer-engaging food merchandising module. The customer-engaging food merchandising module comprises three units: a food storage and display unit attached to a food preparation and display unit, and a shell unit attached to at least one of the other two units. One embodiment of the apparatus comprises: a glass-door freezer for storing and displaying at least one type of frozen food, a microwave oven attached to the freezer, and a shell attached to the freezer. The shell is used to support advertising and instructional graphics and also to give the apparatus a unitary appearance. The microwave oven has pre-programmed buttons corresponding to each of the types of food displayed in the freezer, each button activating the microwave oven to correctly heat a corresponding type of frozen food. The shell may extend above the freezer/microwave combination. The apparatus may be completely assembled in a factory and shipped ready-to-use. Maintenance may be by replacement of defective or outdated units. The entire apparatus plugs into one ordinary wall outlet for electrical power.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for use in a retail space in a marketplace, the apparatus comprising:a freezer sized to contain a plurality of packaged food items;a microwave oven removably attached to the freezer; anda modular shell removably attached to at least one of the freezer and the microwave oven and exten

1. An apparatus for use in a retail space in a marketplace, the apparatus comprising:a freezer sized to contain a plurality of packaged food items;a microwave oven removably attached to the freezer; anda modular shell removably attached to at least one of the freezer and the microwave oven and extending above the top of the freezer, the shell removably extending around at least a portion of the microwave oven, enclosing at least a majority of the top and sides of the microwave oven, and having a width substantially coextensive with a width of the freezer. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one outer surface comprising a graphic, at least a first portion of which is on the modular shell and at least a second portion of which is on the freezer. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the freezer and the microwave oven comprises at least one bracket, the bracket configured to receive and retain at least a portion of the shell. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the bracket comprises an elongated member with an L-shaped cross section, a horizontal portion of the member attached to the top of the freezer and a vertical portion of the member comprising a clamp. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the freezer and the microwave are selected to have combined power requirements less than or equal to that supplied by a twelve ampere, 120-volt power outlet. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a power distribution system having a power receptacle mounted on the freezer, a first power cord extending from the microwave oven to the power receptacle, and a second power cord extending from the power receptacle. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microwave oven comprises at least one button pre-programmed to activate the microwave oven to heat a corresponding frozen food item from the freezer for a predetermined appropriate time for that frozen food item. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the microwave oven comprises at least two buttons, each button corresponding to a different frozen food item from the freezer, each button being pre-programmed to activate the microwave oven to heat the corresponding food item from the freezer for a predetermined time different from the other pre-programmed button. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each of the at least two buttons indicates its correspondence to the corresponding frozen food by at least one of name, number, color, shape, texture, and pattern. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microwave oven comprises an electronic menu of at least one type of frozen food item, wherein selection of the frozen food item from the menu activates the oven to heat the frozen food item selected. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microwave oven is attached to the freezer through one of a hook and loop attachment and a rail attachment. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modular shell comprises foam board. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the shell comprises a lower edge, the lower edge adapted to be received into a resilient bar clamp attached to at least one of the freezer and the microwave oven. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for accepting input as to a food item to be prepared by the microwave oven from the freezer, wherein the mechanism is configured to accept at least one of a manual input, an audible input, and an optical input. 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is assembled prior to shipping and is shipped to the marketplace as a single unit. 16. An apparatus comprising:a food storage unit sized to contain a plurality of packaged food items;a microwave oven removably attached to the food storage unit; anda modular shell removably attached to at least one of the food storage unit and the microwave oven, the modular shell removably extending above the top of the food storage unit and enclosing at least a majority of the top and sides of the microwave oven, the shell having a wi dth at least substantially coextensive with a width of the food storage unit. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising at least one outer surface comprising a graphic, at least a first portion of which is on the modular shell and at least a second portion of which is on the food storage unit. 18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the food storage unit and the microwave oven comprises at least one bracket, the bracket configured to receive and retain at least a portion of the modular shell. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the bracket comprises an elongated member with an L-shaped cross section, a horizontal portion of the member attached to the top of the food storage unit and a vertical portion of the member comprising a clamp. 20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a power distribution system having a power receptacle mounted on the food storage unit, a first power cord extending from the microwave oven to the power receptacle, and a second power cord extending from the power receptacle. 21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the microwave oven comprises at least one button pre-programmed to activate the microwave oven to heat a corresponding food item from the food storage unit for a predetermined appropriate time for that food item. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the microwave oven comprises at least two buttons, each button corresponding to a different food item from the food storage unit, each button being pre-programmed to activate the microwave oven to heat the corresponding food item from the food storage unit for a predetermined time different from the other pre-programmed button. 23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the modular shell comprises foam board. 24. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a mechanism for accepting input as to a food item to be prepared by the microwave oven from the food storage unit, wherein the mechanism is configured to accept at least one of a manual input, an audible input, and an optical input. 25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is assembled prior to shipping and is shipped to the marketplace as a single unit.