초록 ▼

A warming drawer for mounting within a cabinet capable of maintaining the temperature in the warming drawer at one of a proofing temperature, a warming temperature, and a slow cooking temperature. The warming drawer can also include a housing having opposing side walls and at least one spacer extend

A warming drawer for mounting within a cabinet capable of maintaining the temperature in the warming drawer at one of a proofing temperature, a warming temperature, and a slow cooking temperature. The warming drawer can also include a housing having opposing side walls and at least one spacer extending from each of the side walls to space the side walls from the cabinet when the warming drawer is mounted within the cabinet to form dead air spaces between the side walls and the cabinet.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A warming drawer for mounting within a cabinet having a recess in which the warming drawer is received, the warming drawer comprising: a housing defining a chamber with an open face and having opposing side walls that define at least a portion of the chamber and a portion of

What is claimed is: 1. A warming drawer for mounting within a cabinet having a recess in which the warming drawer is received, the warming drawer comprising: a housing defining a chamber with an open face and having opposing side walls that define at least a portion of the chamber and a portion of an outer periphery of the housing; a drawer moveably mounted to the housing for movement into and out of the chamber through the open face, and at least one spacer that projects laterally from the housing and defining a flange that abuts with the cabinet when the warming drawer is mounted within the recess of the cabinet to space the outer periphery formed by the side walls from the cabinet and form dead air spaces between the outer periphery of the housing and the cabinet. 2. The warming drawer according to claim 1, wherein the spacers form the only path along the side walls for heat emanating from the warming drawer to transfer by conduction from the side walls to the cabinet. 3. The warming drawer according to claim 2, wherein the heat emanating from the side walls at locations other than the spacers is transferred to the cabinet by convection. 4. The warming drawer according to claim 1, and further comprising a heating element located in the housing such that the heating element is beneath the drawer when the drawer is in the closed position. 5. The warming drawer according to claim 4, wherein the drawer comprises a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall to define a heating chamber. 6. The warming drawer according to claim 5, wherein the heating element is configured such that a portion of the heating element is nominally located beneath the peripheral wall. 7. The warming drawer according to claim 6, wherein the heating element comprises two terminals that are spaced relative to each other and which pass through the housing, and further comprising a temperature sensor located between the two terminals. 8. The warming drawer according to claim 7, wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element and a portion of the resistive heating element adjacent each of the terminals is substantially non-resistive and the temperature sensor is located between the non-resistive portions. 9. The warming drawer according to claim 7, wherein the two terminals define a plane and the temperature sensor lies in the plane. 10. The warming drawer according to claim 5, and further comprising a controller operably coupled to the heating element to selectively actuate the heating element and configured to selectively actuate the heating element to maintain the temperature in the heating chamber at one of a proofing temperature, a warming temperature, and a slow cooking temperature. 11. The warming drawer according to claim 10, and further comprising an active closer urging the drawer into the closed position. 12. The warming drawer according to claim 11, wherein the active closer comprises a force generator that generates a closing force tending to hold the drawer in a closed position. 13. The warming drawer according to claim 12, wherein the force generator generates a magnetic force as the closing force. 14. A warming drawer for mounting within a cabinet having a recess in which the warming drawer is received, the warming drawer comprising: a housing defining a chamber with an open face and having opposing side walls that define at least a portion of the chamber and an outer periphery of the housing; a drawer moveably mounted to the housing for movement into and out of the chamber through the open face; and at least one spacer that projects laterally from an exterior surface of each of the, side walls of the housing and defining a flange that abuts with the cabinet when the warming drawer is mounted within the recess of the cabinet to space the side walls from the cabinet and form dead air spaces between the exterior surfaces of the side walls of the housing and the cabinet wherein the edge of the spacers forms the only path for heat emanating from the warming drawer to transfer by conduction from the housing to the cabinet. 15. A warming drawer for mounting within a cabinet having a recess in which the warming drawer is received, the warming drawer comprising: a housing defining a chamber with an open face and having opposing side walls that define at least a portion of the chamber and an outer periphery of the housing; a drawer moveably mounted to the housing for movement into and out of the chamber through the open face; at least one spacer extending from an exterior surface of each of the side walls of the housing to space the side walls from the cabinet when the warming drawer is mounted within the recess of the cabinet to form dead air spaces between the exterior surfaces of the side walls of the housing and the cabinet; a heating element comprising two terminals that are spaced relative to each other and which pass through the housing and located in the housing such that the heating element is beneath the drawer when the drawer is in the closed position; and a temperature sensor located between the two terminals wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element and a portion of the resistive heating element adjacent each of the two terminals is substantially non-resistive and the temperature sensor is located between the non-resistive portions. 16. A warming drawer for mounting within a cabinet having a recess in which the warming drawer is received, the warming drawer comprising: a housing defining a chamber with an open face providing access to the chamber; a drawer moveably mounted to the housing for movement into and out of the chamber through the open face between a closed and open position; a heating element comprising two terminals that are spaced relative to each other and which pass through the housing and are located in the housing such that the heating element is beneath the drawer when the drawer is in the closed position; and a temperature sensor located between the two terminals wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element and a portion of the resistive heating element adjacent each of the terminals is substantially non-resistive and the temperature sensor is located between the non-resistive portions. 17. The warming drawer according to claim 16, further comprising a seal provided on one of the housing and drawer and extending the periphery of the open face of the chamber forming a seal between the housing and drawer when the drawer is in the closed position and an active closer comprising a force generator that generates a magnetic closing force tending to hold the drawer in the closed position for urging the drawer into the closed position. 18. The warming drawer according to claim 17, wherein the active closure positively maintains the drawer in the closed position. 19. The warming drawer according to claim 17, wherein the active closer presses the seal against the other of the housing and drawer. 20. The warming drawer according to claim 17, wherein the seal is compressible and the active closer compresses the seal between the housing and drawer. 21. The warming drawer according to claim 17, wherein the force generator comprises a first magnet located on at least one of the housing and drawer. 22. The warming drawer according to claim 21, wherein the magnet is located in the seal. 23. The warming drawer according to claim 21, wherein the force generator further comprises a second magnet located on the other of the housing and drawer such that the first and second magnets are magnetically attracted to each other to generate the closing force. 24. The warming drawer according to claim 23, wherein the force generator further comprises the other of the housing and drawer being made of metal such that the magnet is magnetically attracted to the other of the housing and drawer to generate the closing force. 25. The warming drawer according to claim 17, wherein the housing comprises a peripheral lip defining the open face, the drawer comprises a peripheral flange located adjacent the peripheral lip when the drawer is in the closed position, and the seal is provided on one of the lip and flange. 26. The warming drawer according to claim 16, and further comprising a heating element located in the housing such that the heating element is beneath the drawer when the drawer is in the closed position. 27. The warming drawer according to claim 26, wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element. 28. The warming drawer according to claim 27, wherein the drawer comprises a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall to define a heating chamber. 29. The warming drawer according to claim 28, wherein the resistive heating element is shaped such that a portion of the resistive heating element generally follows the shape of the peripheral wall. 30. The warming drawer according to claim 29, wherein the resistive heating element is shaped such that no portion of the resistive heating element is located beneath a central portion of the bottom wall when the drawer is in the closed position. 31. The warming drawer according to claim 27, wherein the resistive heating element comprises two terminals that are spaced relative to each other and which pass through the housing. 32. The warming drawer according to claim 31, and further comprising a temperature sensor located between the two terminals. 33. The warming drawer according to claim 32, wherein a portion of the resistive heating element adjacent each of the terminals is substantially non-resistive and the temperature sensor is located between the non-resistive portions. 34. The warming drawer according to claim 33, wherein the resistive heating element defines a plane and the temperature sensor lies in the plane.