U.S. patent number RE40,151 [Application Number 10/314,926] was granted by the patent office on 2008-03-18 for merchandiser for warm and cold foods.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Duke Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Clement J. Luebke, Steven M. Shei.
United States Patent |
RE40,151 |
Shei , et al. |
March 18, 2008 |
Merchandiser for warm and cold foods
Abstract
A merchandiser that is capable of holding and displaying both
cold foods and warm foods includes a cold pan which has walls that
are recessed into the top of a counter to provide a cold
compartment that opens out of the counter top. The cold foods
occupy the cold compartment. In addition, the merchandiser has a
closure assembly which rises upwardly form the cold pan and
includes side walls that support a shelf above the cold pan and
also housing above the shelf. Front and rear doors are attached to
the side walls to close the space between the shelf and housing at
the front and rear, respectively, of the closure assembly, so that
the doors, the side walls, and shelf and the housing enclose a warm
compartment that holds and displays warm foods. Both doors pivot
about horizontal axes to provide access to the warm compartment.
The housing contains a fan and heating element for circulating
heated air through the warm compartment. A refrigerator unit within
the counter includes an evaporator coil that lies along the walls
of the cold pan.
Inventors: |
Shei; Steven M. (Fort Wayne,
IN), Luebke; Clement J. (Hudson, FL) |
Assignee: |
Duke Manufacturing Company (St.
Louis, MO)
|
Family
ID: |
23661502 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/314,926 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
09419263 |
Oct 11, 1999 |
06257010 |
Jul 10, 2001 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/252; 165/48.1;
165/58; 62/249 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F
3/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47F
3/04 (20060101); F25B 29/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;62/252,249,258
;165/48.1,58,61,63,64 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
33 37 467 |
|
Apr 1985 |
|
DE |
|
0502574 |
|
Sep 1992 |
|
EP |
|
Primary Examiner: Ali; Mohammad M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Senniger Powers
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A merchandiser for holding food, said merchandiser having a
front and back and sides and comprising: first walls located around
a first compartment such that the first compartment is closed along
its front, back, sides, and bottom, but opens upwardly; second
walls completely enclosing a second compartment that is located
above and spaced from the open top of the first compartment, such
that the first compartment is accessible beneath the second
compartment at both the front and the back of the merchandiser, at
least one of the second walls being movable with respect to others
of the second walls to provide access to the second compartment, at
least one of the second walls being transparent to permit
observation of food in the second compartment; a refrigeration unit
for cooling the first compartment; and a heating unit for heating
the air that is in the second compartment.
2. A merchandiser for displaying foods, said merchandiser
comprising a cold pan having vertical walls that surround a cold
compartment and a bottom wall connected to the vertical walls and
extending across the bottom of the cold compartment; a closure
assembly located above the cold pan and including spaced apart side
walls rising upwardly from the cold pan, a shelf supported on the
side walls above the cold compartment and spaced from the cold pan,
a housing supported on the side walls above the shelf and enclosing
a plenum, the housing containing an inlet and an outlet opening, a
front wall and a back wall extending between the side walls and
between the shelf and housing, so that the front and back walls
together with the shelf, the housing and the side walls enclose a
warm compartment into which the openings in the housing open, at
least one of the front and back walls being movable to provide
access to the warm compartment; a heating unit including a fan
located in the plenum of the housing for withdrawing air from the
warm compartment through the inlet opening and discharging it back
into the warm compartment through the outlet opening, and a heating
element located in the plenum for heating the air as it passes
through the plenum; and a refrigeration unit having, conduits
located along at least some of the walls of the cold pan.
3. In combination with a counter having a countertop provided with
an opening, a merchandiser supported on the counter for displaying
foods, said merchandiser comprising a cold pan located generally
within the counter and opening upwardly out of the countertop at
the opening in the countertop; side walls rising upwardly above the
countertop; a shelf supported by the side walls above and spaced
from the cold pan, a housing supported by the side walls above the
shelf and enclosing a plenum, the housing having inlet and outlet
openings, front and back walls extending between the shelf and
housing and between the side walls so that the front and back walls
together with the housing, shelf and side walls enclose a warm
compartment; a heating element in the plenum of the housing for
elevating the temperature of air that passes into the plenum at the
inlet opening, thence through the plenum, and then out the plenum
at the outlet opening; and a conduit located along at least one
wall of the cold pan for containing a fluid at a temperature below
that of the cold pan.
4. A merchandiser for displaying foods, said merchandiser
comprising a cold pan having vertical walls that surround a cold
compartment and a bottom wall connected to the vertical walls and
extending across the bottom of the cold compartment; a closure
assembly located above the cold pan and including spaced apart side
walls rising upwardly from the cold pan; the side walls including
posts which extend upwardly from the cold pan and transparent
panels through which one can observe the cold compartment; a shelf
supported on the side walls above the cold compartment and spaced
from the cold pan, a housing attached to the posts of the side
walls and supported on the side walls above the shelf to enclose a
plenum, the housing containing an inlet and an outlet opening; a
transparent front wall and a back wall extending between the side
walls and between the shelf and housing, so that the front and back
walls together with the shelf, the housing and the side walls
enclose a warm compartment into which the openings in the housing
open, the front wall being movable to provide access to the warm
compartment and being hinged near its top, so that when moved, it
pivots upwardly; and a heating unit including a fan located in the
plenum of the housing for withdrawing air from the warm compartment
through the inlet opening and discharging it back into the warm
compartment through the outlet opening and a heating element
located in the plenum for heating the air as it passes through the
plenum.
5. In combination with a counter having a countertop provided with
an opening, a merchandiser supported on the counter for displaying
foods, said merchandiser comprising a cold pan located generally
within the counter and opening out of the countertop at the opening
in the countertop; side walls attached to the cold pan and rising
upwardly above the countertop, the side walls including transparent
panels and posts; a shelf supported by the side walls above the
cold pan; a housing attached to the posts of the side walls and
supported by the side walls above the shelf to enclose a plenum,
the housing having inlet and outlet openings; front and back walls
extending between the shelf and housing and between the side walls,
so that the front and back walls together with the housing, shelf
and side walls enclose a warm compartment, the front wall being
pivotal about an axis that is fixed with respect to the side walls;
and a heating element in the plenum of the housing for elevating
the temperature of air that passes into the plenum at the inlet
opening thence through the plenum, and then out the plenum at the
outlet opening.
6. A merchandiser according to claim 1 wherein one of the second
wall extends horizontally below the second compartment where it
serves as a shelf that isolates the second compartment from the
first compartment.
7. A merchandiser according to claim 1 wherein one of the second
walls extends across the top of the second compartment where it
forms a housing that encloses a plenum, the housing containing an
intake opening and at least one discharge opening spaced from the
intake opening; and wherein the heating unit includes a fan located
in the plenum to draw air from the second compartment into the
plenum through the intake opening and to direct it to the discharge
opening through which it is discharged into the second compartment,
and a heating element located in the plenum for heating the air in
the plenum.
8. A merchandiser according to claim 6 wherein among the second
walls are side walls which rise upwardly from walls of the first
compartment and close the sides of the second compartment.
9. A merchandiser according to claim 8 wherein the side walls that
are among the second walls included posts.
10. A merchandiser according to claim 8 wherein the side walls are
transparent, and further comprising lamps located along the
surfaces of the side walls that are presented away from the
compartments, whereby the lamps illuminate the compartments through
the side walls.
11. A merchandiser according to claim 9 wherein the side walls also
include transparent panels that rise from the first walls to the
second compartment and afford observation of the first and second
compartments through the panels.
12. A merchandiser according to claim 9 wherein the second walls
include a housing supported on the posts; and wherein the hearing
unit includes a fan located in the housing for withdrawing air from
the second compartment and discharging it back into the compartment
and a heating element located in the housing beyond the fan and in
the path of the air discharged from the fan.
13. A merchandiser according to claim 12 wherein the refrigeration
unit includes evaporator coils located at least along some of the
first walls.
14. A merchandiser according to claim 2 wherein the inlet opening
of the housing is located generally midway between the end of the
housing and opens downwardly into the warm compartment; wherein the
outlet openings are on both sides of the inlet opening and open
downwardly into the warm compartment; wherein two heating elements
are located in the housing on each side of the inlet opening; and
wherein the fan is located at the inlet opening.
15. A merchandiser according to claim 2 wherein the front wall of
the closure assembly is transparent.
16. A merchandiser according to claim 2 wherein the vertical walls
of the cold pan include side walls and front and back walls
extended between the side walls; and wherein the side walls of the
closure assembly are spaced apart a distance generally
corresponding to the spacing between the side walls of the cold
pan.
17. A merchandiser according to claim 2 having a front and a back;
and wherein the cold compartment is accessible from both the front
and the back of the merchandiser.
18. The combination according to claim 2 wherein the merchandiser
has front and a back; and wherein the cold compartment is
accessible from both the front and the back of the
merchandiser.
19. A merchandiser according to claim 15 wherein the side walls of
the closure assembly includes posts which extend upwardly from the
cold pan and are attached to the housing; and wherein the side
walls of the closure assembly further including transparent panels
through which one can observe the cold compartment.
20. A merchandiser according to claim 19 and further comprising
lamps located along the surfaces of the side walls that are
presented away from the compartments, whereby the lamps illuminate
the compartments through the side walls.
21. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the side walls are
attached to the cold pan and include transparent panels.
22. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the cold pan has
vertical walls and a bottom wall at the lower ends of the vertical
walls; and further comprising a refrigeration unit located within
the counter and including an evaporator coil located along at least
one of the walls of the cold pan, the evaporate coil forming the
conduit.
23. The combination according to claim 21 wherein the side walls
also include posts to which the housing is attached.
24. A merchandiser according to claim 4 wherein the back wall of
the closure assembly moves and is hinged with respect to the side
walls.
25. The combination according to claim 5 wherein the back wall
pivots about an axis that is fixed with respect to the side
walls.
.Iadd.26. A merchandiser for displaying foods, said merchandiser
comprising a cold pan having vertical walls that surround a cold
compartment and a bottom wall connected to the vertical walls and
extending across the bottom of the cold compartment; a closure
assembly located above the cold pan and including spaced apart side
walls rising upwardly from the cold pan, a shelf supported on the
side walls above the cold compartment and spaced from the bottom
wall of the cold pan, a housing supported on the side walls above
the shelf and enclosing a plenum, the housing containing an inlet
opening and an outlet opening, a front wall and a back wall
extending between the side walls and between the shelf and housing,
so that the front and back walls together with the shelf, the
housing and the side walls enclose a warm compartment into which
the openings in the housing open, at least one of the front and
back walls being movable to provide access to the warm compartment;
a heating unit including a fan located in the plenum of the housing
for withdrawing air from the warm compartment through the inlet
opening and discharging it back into the warm compartment through
the outlet opening, and a heating element located in the plenum for
heating the air as it passes through the plenum; and a
refrigeration unit comprising a conduit along at least the bottom
wall of the cold pan..Iaddend.
.Iadd.27. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 26 wherein said
merchandiser rests on a counter with the warm compartment elevated
above the counter..Iaddend.
.Iadd.28. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 26 wherein the
bottom wall of said cold pan is refrigerated and spaced below said
shelf..Iaddend.
.Iadd.29. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 28 wherein said
refrigeration unit comprises a compressor and condenser mounted
outside said cold compartment, and a refrigeration conduit for
cooling said bottom wall of the cold pan..Iaddend.
.Iadd.30. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 26 wherein the warm
compartment has a top closed by said housing..Iaddend.
.Iadd.31. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 26 wherein said
front wall is inclined..Iaddend.
.Iadd.32. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 26 wherein said side
walls comprise upright posts adjacent the rear of the
merchandiser..Iaddend.
.Iadd.33. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 32 wherein said
shelf comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, and thermal insulation
between the top and bottom panels..Iaddend.
.Iadd.34. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 26 wherein said
shelf comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, and thermal insulation
between the top and bottom panels..Iaddend.
.Iadd.35. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 26 wherein the
front, back and side walls defining said warm compartment are
transparent..Iaddend.
.Iadd.36. A merchandiser as set forth in cain 35 further comprising
at least one lamp located adjacent a side wall for illuminating
said warm compartment..Iaddend.
.Iadd.37. A merchandiser as set forth in claim 26 wherein said back
wall comprises a door providing access to the warm
compartment..Iaddend.
.Iadd.38. A method of merchandising food, said method comprising
the steps of: displaying warm and cold food in a merchandiser, said
merchandiser having front, back and sides, a cold compartment in
the merchandiser, a refrigeration unit for cooling food in the cold
compartment, a shelf above the cold compartment for displaying food
and defining, in part, a warm compartment above the cold
compartment, a heating unit for heating food in the warm
compartment, said merchandiser having front, back and side walls
defining said cold and warm compartments, at least some of said
walls being transparent for allowing food within the compartments
to be observed, and said back wall comprising a door movable to
provide access to said warm compartment, operating the
refrigeration unit to cool food in said cold compartment, operating
said heating unit to heat food in said warm compartment, and
wherein the food in said cold and warm compartments is displayed
through the transparent walls of the merchandiser as the food is
being cooled and heated..Iaddend.
.Iadd.39. A method as set forth in claim 38 wherein the front wall
of the merchandiser is transparent, and wherein said displaying
step comprises placing food in respective warm and cold
compartments such that the food is displayed through the
transparent front wall..Iaddend.
.Iadd.40. A method as set forth in claim 38 wherein said displaying
step comprises resting said merchandiser on a counter..Iaddend.
.Iadd.41. A method as set forth in claim 40 wherein said displaying
step further comprises fitting said merchandiser in a cutout in the
counter..Iaddend.
.Iadd.42. A method as set forth in claim 38 further comprising
removing food from the cold compartment through a doorless opening
in the back of the merchandiser..Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to the storage and presentation
of foods, and more particularly a merchandiser for displaying warm
and cold foods.
Traditional restaurants use menus to inform patrons of the foods
which are available for consumption on the premises of such
restaurants. Cafeterias, on the other hand, actually display the
foods for the patrons to observe and select. While cafeteria
displays may stimulate sales, cafeterias lines are not for all
restaurants. Not only do they occupy considerable space, but they
often detract from the ambience that a restaurateur may seek to
present. Yet the actual display of foods stimulates the sale of
such foods, and this holds particularly true for pies, salads and
confections--foods which might not otherwise be purchased with
traditional meal orders.
Merchandisers in the form of cabinets exist for displaying one type
of food or another, but rarely different types of foods. One never
finds warm and cold foods displayed together, obviously by reason
of the different temperatures at which they must be held.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention resides a merchandiser that has a cold
compartment and a warm compartment, with the latter being supported
on side walls where it is elevated above the cold compartment. The
warm compartment is enclosed and is heated by a heating unit
located within it.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification
and wherein like numerals and letters refer to like parts wherever
the occur.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a merchandiser constructed in
accordance with and embodying the present invention, with the
merchandiser being installed in a counter;
FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the merchandiser elevated
from the counter in which it is normally mounted; but with its wire
shelf and racks removed;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the housing that closes
the upper compartment for the merchandiser and of the heating unit
that is within the housing; and
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the shelf that closes the
bottom of the upper compartment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, a merchandiser A (FIGS. 1 and 2)
contains an upper or warm compartment 2 which holds warm foods and
a lower or cold compartment 4 which holds cold foods. Both
compartments 2 and 4 are fully visible from the front and sides of
the merchandiser A as are the foods that are within them. Thus, the
compartments 2 and 4 display the foods, and the display is enhanced
with illumination from within the merchandiser A. Moreover, each
compartment 2 and 4 is fully accessible from the exterior of the
merchandiser A so that individuals at the merchandiser A may
withdraw foods that are displayed within the two compartments 2 and
4. Actually, the merchandiser A rests on a counter B having a top 6
provided with a cutout 8. A portion of the merchandiser A is
recessed into the countertop 6 at the cutout 8, while the remainder
of it rises above the top 6.
The merchandiser A includes (FIGS. 1 and 2) a cold pan 12 which
fits into the cutout 8 in the countertop 6, and a closure assembly
14 which rises upwardly from the cold pan 12 and encloses the upper
compartment 2, spacing it from the lower compartment 4. In
addition, the merchandiser A has a heating unit 18 (FIG. 5) which
is supported in the closure assembly 14 along the upper region of
the upper compartment 2. It draws air from the upper compartment 2,
heats the air, and then recirculates the heated air through the
compartment 2. Finally, the merchandiser A has a refrigeration unit
20 which is located within the counter B where it is attached to
and supported on the cold pan 12. The refrigerator unit 20 cools
the cold pan 12 and maintains the lower compartment 4 at a
temperature less than ambient.
The cold pan 12 fits into the cutout 8 in the top 6 of the counter
B and lies within the counter B. It includes (FIGS. 3 and 4) spaced
apart front and back walls 24 and 26 which are vertical, side walls
28 which join the ends of the front and back walls 24 and 26 and
are likewise vertical, and a bottom wall 30 which is joined to the
lower margins of the front and back walls 24 and 26 and to the
lower margins of the side walls 28. The walls 24, 26, 28 surround
the lower comportment 4, while the bottom wall 30 closes the bottom
of the compartment 4. The top of the lower compartment 4 is open,
so that the compartment 4 opens upwardly into the closure assembly
14. Actually, each of the walls 24, 26, 28 and 30 consists of inner
and outer panels 32 and 34 which are spaced about 1.0 inches apart
and a thermal insulation 36 that is located between the panels 32
and 34. The inner panels 32 for each of the walls 24, 26, 28 and 30
are joined as are the outer panels 34, so the joined together inner
panels 32 form a liner, while the joined outer panels 34 form an
exterior shell. The insulation 36 is preferably polyurethane which
is formed in place. The bottom wall 30 contains a drain 38 through
which water may be released from the cold pan 12. Finally, the cold
pan 12 has a flange 40 to which the upper margins for the inner and
outer panels 32 and 34, for the front and back walls 24 and 26 and
for the side walls 28 are attached. The flange 40 overlies the top
6 of the counter B immediately around the cutout 8.
The cold pan 12 contains a shelf 42 (FIG. 3), in the form of a wire
grid which rests on angle brackets 44 that are secured to the inner
panels 32 of the side walls 28. The shelf 42 lies along the front
wall 24, from which it is inclined rearwardly and upwardly to the
mid-region of the pan 12. The bottom wall 30 supports racks 46,
likewise in the form of wire girds, and they separate the foods
that are placed on it from the cold inner panel 32 of the bottom
wall 30. The flange 40 along the front wall 24 has a menu bar 48
attached to it for presenting cards which display prices and other
information at a convenient angle for viewing by one standing in
front of the merchandiser A.
The closure assembly 14 rests on the cold pan 12 from which it
projects upwardly, it being the portion of the merchandiser A which
is exposed above the top 6 of the counter B. The closure assembly
14 includes (FIGS. 2 and 4) side walls 50 which are attached to the
segments of the flange 40 that overlie from the side walls 28, and
bottom wall 30 of the cold pan 12. The side walls 50 rise upwardly
from these segments. Each includes a side panel 52 which is
preferably formed from a sturdy transparent material, such as
plastic or glass: The panel 52 at its lower end is about as wide as
the cold pane 12, but its front and rear edges slope and converge
toward a horizontal top edge, the front edge being at a greater
inclination than the rear edge. The front edge merges with the top
edge along a generally arcuate edge. In addition, each side wall 50
has a tubular post 54 which extends upwardly along the outside face
of the panel 52, with its rearwardly presented face being along the
slightly inclined rear edge of the panel 52. The post 54, which is
fastened firmly to the flange 40 of the cold pan 12 and also to the
panel 52, extends from the flange 40 to near the horizontal top
edge of the panel 52. At its upper end, the post 54 is fitted with
a hinge bracket 56 which extends forwardly along the outside face
of the panel 52, its upper margin being flush with the horizontal
upper edge of the panel 52. Intermediate its ends the end post 54
is fitted with another hinge braket 58 which projects inwardly
across the rear edge of the adjacent panel 52. The posts 54
rigidify the panels 52 and further serve as a conduit for the
electrical wiring that leads to the heating unit 18. Apart from
that, each post 54 carries a thin fluorescent lamp 60 which extends
along its forwardly presented face and of course along the outside
face of the adjacent panel 52 as well. The lamp 60 illuminates the
two compartments 2 and 4 of the merchandiser A. Each lamp 60 is
enclosed in a lamp shield 62 that is attached to the post 54 along
which the lamp 60 extends, with the attachment being such that the
shield 62 may be removed to replace the lamp 60.
The closure assembly 14 also includes a housing 64 (FIGS. 2 and 5)
and a shelf 66, both of which extend between the two side walls 50,
the former above the latter. The housing 64 includes a main panel
68 in the form of an inverted channel and end caps 69 which close
the ends of the inverted channel. The end caps 69 are attached to
the hinge brackets 56 that are on the upper ends of the posts 54
for the two side walls 50. The top of the panel 68 is generally
planar and lies flush with upper edges of the panels 52 for the
side walls 50. But the main panel 68 along its front contains a
recess 70 (FIG. 5) which is somewhat depressed from the upper edge
of the panel 52. It opens both upwardly and forwardly, taking the
form of a rabbet.
In addition, the housing 64 includes a motor panel 72 that fits
within the main panel 68 and an intake panel 74 which is attached
to the main panel 68 and closes the bottom of the inverted channel
formed by the main panel 68. The intake panel 74 for the most part
is horizontal and within its horizontal region it contains a
circular intake opening 76 which is located midway between its ends
and discharge slots 78 which are located beyond the intake opening
76 on both sides of the opening 76. But the panel 74 has a beveled
segment 80 (FIGS. 3 and 4) which is presented forwardly and
contains more discharge slots 78 (FIG. 4). Preferably, all three
panels 68, 72 and 74 of the housing 64 are formed from metal sheet,
such as stainless steel, that will resist corrosion. Finally, the
housing 64 contains a thermal insulation 82 which rests on the
motor panel 72, yet is separated from the top of the main panel
68.
Whereas, the housing 64 closes the top of the upper compartment 2,
the shelf 66 closes the bottom of the compartment 2. It rests on
cross rails 84 (FIG. 3) that extend between the two side walls 50.
Actually, the ends of the rails 84 are attached firmly to the
panels 52 of the side walls 50 with machine screws which pass
through the panels 52 and thread into the ends of the rails 84. Not
only do the rails 84 support the shelf 66, but they also rigidify
the closure assembly 14.
The shelf 66 includes a top panel 86, a bottom panel 88 and thermal
insulation 90 located between the two panels 86 and 88. The top
panel 86 is turned downwardly along edges in the form of flanges
92, and the flanges 92 at the ends of the panel 86 contain arcuate
notches 94 which open downwardly and receive the cross rails 84,
thereby positioning the shelf 66 on the rails 84 so that is does
not slide forwardly or rearwardly. The lower panel 88 fits within
the flanges 92 of the top panel 86 and the insulation 90 is
captured between the two panels 86 and 88. The main panel 86 of the
shelf 66 supports a wire rack 96 which elevates foods slightly off
the shelf 66 and thereby allows warm air to circulate under the
foods.
The shelf 66 may also be formed in a single piece form a polymer,
either in an injection molding procedure or a vacuum forming
procedure. The polymer serves as thermal insulation, eliminating
the need for the separate insulation 90. In addition, the closure
assembly 14 has (FIG. 3) a front door 100 and a rear door 102, both
of which, when closed, isolate the upper comportment 2, but when
open afford access to the compartment 2. Both doors 100 and 102 are
formed from a transparent material such as plastic or glass. When
the front door 100 is closed, its upper end lies within the recess
70 of the main panel 68 for the housing 64, so that its exterior
surface is flush with the adjoining top surface of the main panel
68 and forms a continuation of that surface. From there, the front
door 70 curves downwardly, following the output of curved edges on
side panels 52, although lying inwardly from the panels 52. Beyond
the curvature the door 100 continues downwardly following the
straight, but inclined, front edges of the side panels 52. It
terminates at the shelf 66. At its upper end, the front door 100
has hinge brackets 104 (FIG. 2) which are connected to the hinge
brackets 56 on the posts 54 by pivot pins which form a pivot axis
that extends behind the recess 70. Along its bottom edge the front
door 100 has a handle 108. When one grasps the handle 108 and
lifts, the door 100 swings upwardly about the axis of the pivot
pins and exposes the upper compartment 2. In the alternative the
front door 100 may descend past the shelf 66 to the flange 40 on
the cold pan 12 and be secured, so that the compartments 2 and 4
are accessible only from the rear of the closure assembly 14.
The rear door 102 is flat and, when closed, lies between the two
side panels 52 at the slightly inclined rear edges of those panels
52 (FIG. 3). It closes the area between the housing 64 on the top
and the shelf 16 on the bottom. At its lower end the rear door 102
has hinge brackets 110 (FIG. 2) which are connected to the hinge
brackets 58 on the posts 54 through pivot pins which establish a
pivot axis that runs along the rear edge of the shelf 66. Along its
upper edge the rear door 102 has a handle 112. Normally, the rear
door 102 lies between the side panels 52 at the inclined rear edges
of those panels 52 with its upper end resting against the main
panel 68 of the housing 66. When one grasps the handle 112 and
pulls, the rear door 72 swings outwardly and downwardly and exposes
the upper compartment 2.
The main panel 68 and the intake panel 74 enclose a plenum 116
(FIGS. 3 and 4) within the housing 64, and the plenum 116 contains
the heating unit 18. The heating unit 18 includes (FIG. 5) a fan
motor 120 which rests on the motor panel 72 to which it is secured.
The motor 120 rotates an upper fan 121, which is located in the
space between the top of the main panel 86 and the insulation 90,
and a lower fan 122, which is located beneath the motor panel 72
and immediately behind the circular intake opening 76 in the intake
panel 74. The motor 120 also has a heat sink 123 projecting
laterally from it into the space between the top of the main panel
86 and the insulation 90. The upper fan 121 circulates air in this
space, and that air passes over the heat sink 123 to dissipate heat
from the heat sink 123 and motor 120. The lower fan 122 draws air
from the upper compartment 2 through the opening 76 into the plenum
116 where the air is directed laterally through the plenum 116 to
be discharged through the slots 78 back into the upper compartment
2. As the air moves laterally through the plenum 116 it passes over
a heating element 124 of the electrical resistance type which is
attached to the motor panel 72 on each side of the fan motor
120.
The motor panel 72 also carries a temperature sensor 126 (FIG. 4)
which is located next to the fan 122 so that the air discharged by
the fan 122 passes over the sensor 126 before encountering the
nearby heating element 124. In effect, the sensor 126 measures the
temperature of the air within the upper compartment 2. The panel 72
also carries a high limit sensor 127 which will effect an
interruption of the electrical circuit to the heating element 124
when the temperature of the panel 72 and the air around it exceeds
a prescribed maximum. Finally, the heating unit 18 contains a
control 128 (FIG. 2) for setting the temperature at which the
heating unit 18 maintains the temperature of the air within the
upper compartment 2, and the control 128 is accessible at the back
of the housing 64.
The refrigeration unit 20 includes (FIG. 4) a compressor 130 and a
condenser 132, both of which are located below the cold pan 12 on a
frame 134 that is suspended from the cold pan 12. In addition, the
refrigeration unit 20 has a refrigerator conduit in the form of an
evaporator coil 136 (FIGS. 3 & 4) which extends in a serpentine
configuration along the inner panels 32 for the front wall 24, back
wall 26, side walls 28 of the cold pan 12. The insulation 36 lies
behind the evaporator coil 136 so the inner panels 32 of the walls
24, 2628 and 30 exist at a temperature considerably less than the
outer panels 34. The compressor 130 of course, compresses a
refrigerant while it is in a gaseous state, and thus elevates the
temperature of the refrigerant. While at an elevated temperature,
the refrigerant enters the condenser 132 where it transforms into a
liquid, loosing heat as it does. The high pressure liquid passes
through an expansion valve where it expands and reverts to a
gaseous state. The gaseous refrigerant, having expanded, exists at
a temperature less than ambient. The low temperature refrigerant
flows through the evaporate or coil 136 and extracts heat from the
cold pan 12, thus reducing the temperature of the lower compartment
4 below ambient.
In use, the merchandiser A rests on the counter B with its upper
compartment 2 elevated somewhat above the countertop 6 and its
lower compartment 4 recessed into the counter B. The heating unit
18 elevates the temperature of the upper compartment 2, with the
heat being supplied by the heating elements 124 in the plenum 116
of the housing 64. The fan 122 continually circulates the heated
air through the compartment 2. The refrigeration unit 20, on the
other hand, maintains the temperature of the air within the lower
compartment 4 below ambient temperature.
The restaurant, or other establishment in which the merchandiser A
is used, displays both cold and hot foods in the merchandiser A.
The cold foods are arranged on the shelf 42 within the cold pan 12
and racks 46 at the bottom of the cold pan 12 as well. Indeed, the
racks 46 separate the foods at the bottom of the lower compartment
4 from the inner panel 32 of the bottom wall 30 and keep foods from
freezing against the panel 32. Hot foods, on the other hand, are
spread over the shelf 66 at the bottom of the upper compartment
2.
Typically, the foods on displays in the merchandiser A are desserts
and salads. Some, such as pies and pastries, are preferably served
warm, while others, such as confections and salads, are usually
served cold. Juices and water are also usually served cold. The
patron may actually remove a selected food time from the
merchandiser A or simply identify it and le an employee of the
restaurant remove it. One simply reaches into the cold compartment
4 to remove a refrigerated food item from it, in that the cold
compartment is unobstructed as its front and rear as well. To
remove a warm food item from the upper compartment 2 one must lift
the front door 100 which thereupon pivots upwardly at its hinge
brackets 56 and 104. Restaurant employees resupply the lower
compartment 4 by simply placing food items in it, usually from the
rear. After all, the lower compartment 4 is exposed between the
side walls 50 at both the front and rear of the merchandiser A.
Restaurant employees resupply the upper compartment 2 with food
items by lowering the rear door 72 which pivots downwardly at its
hinge brackets 58 and 110. In any event, the upper compartment 2 is
normally enclosed on its top by the housing 64, on its bottom by
the shelf 66, on its sides by the panels 52 of the side walls 50,
at its back by the rear door 102, and at its front by the front
door 100, all of which in a board sense constitute walls. However,
by extending the front door 100 downwardly to the flange 40 of the
cold pan 12 and securing it, access to both compartments 2 and 4
may be restricted to only employees. The panel 52 and front door
100 are transparent and the compartment 2 is illuminated with the
lamps 60, so that the heated foods within it are highly visible to
one standing in front of the cabinet A and even to the sides of the
cabinet A. The complete enclosure of the upper compartment 2
remains the heated air within that compartment 2, thus placing
minimum demands on the heating unit 18.
This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications
of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the
disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
* * * * *