US20010007322A1 - Holding or cooking oven - Google Patents
Holding or cooking oven Download PDFInfo
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- US20010007322A1 US20010007322A1 US09/756,941 US75694101A US2001007322A1 US 20010007322 A1 US20010007322 A1 US 20010007322A1 US 75694101 A US75694101 A US 75694101A US 2001007322 A1 US2001007322 A1 US 2001007322A1
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- tray
- side walls
- trays
- heat sink
- wall
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J39/00—Heat-insulated warming chambers; Cupboards with heating arrangements for warming kitchen utensils
- A47J39/006—Heat-insulated warming chambers; Cupboards with heating arrangements for warming kitchen utensils for either storing and preparing or for preparing food on serving trays, e.g. heating, thawing, preserving
Definitions
- This invention relates in general to ovens and more particularly to an oven for maintaining foods at temperatures suitable for serving or for even cooking foods.
- Some cooked foods such as hamburger patties, should be held at elevated temperatures only in a moist environment, since these foods, when depleted of their moisture content have poor taste and texture.
- Other cooked foods such as breaded chicken or fish fillets, should be stored such that moisture may escape, so that they remain crisp. While it is convenient to store different foods at the same location, the flavor of one food should not transfer to another food.
- the temperature at which it is stored must remain high enough to prevent bacterial contamination, and this generally requires holding the food at temperatures in excess of about 150° F. Holding ovens that are currently in use in fast food restaurants do not fully satisfy these requirements.
- the holding ovens of current manufacture accept trays containing the cooked foods.
- the typical oven has a cabinet containing storage spaces which are accessible from both the front and rear of the cabinet, so that a tray containing cooked food may be placed into a storage space at one face of the cabinet and withdrawn at the other face.
- Each storage space has a heated platen along its top and also preferably at its bottom, and these platens transfer heat to the trays.
- the cabinet also contains a mechanism for closing the upper ends of the trays to prevent moisture from escaping.
- this mechanism resides in making the spacing between a heated platen on which the tray rests and the heated platen which overlies the tray about equal to the height of the tray, so that the upper margin of the tray lies along and essentially against the overlying platen, thus in effect closing the tray.
- Another type of holding oven supports the tray on a resilient grate which urges a tray upwardly against an overlying heated platen, thereby effecting a seal with the overlying platen.
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,803 These ovens are difficult to clean and do not efficiently concentrate the heat at the trays where it is needed. As a consequence, the food is often held at a temperature less than optimum. Sometimes, the spaces in these ovens hold trays with their tops open and this leads to a transfer of flavors between multiple trays in any one space. In any event, ovens of current manufacture have the capacity to store foods for only very limited periods of time.
- the present invention resides in an oven having a channel-shaped heat sink which is heated by a heater.
- the heat sink has a storage cavity which generally conforms to the shape of a tray or other food container received in the cavity. As such, the heat sink concentrates the heat generated by the heater at the tray so as to efficiently maintain the food in the tray at a temperature suitable for serving.
- the heat sink may have a cover for closing the top of the tray within it. Where the oven contains multiple heat sinks, these heat sinks are isolated from each other to prevent the flavor of the food in one from transferring to food in another.
- FIG. 1 is a front and top perspective view of a holding oven constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, with one of the covers and one of its trays shown removed;
- FIG. 2 is a top and rear perspective view of the oven
- FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of two heat sinks, one having its cover in its sealing position and the other having its cover in the venting position;
- FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a heat sink, the cover for the heat sink, and a tray;
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified cover.
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the heat sink, a modified cover for the heat sink, and a modified tray;
- FIG. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the modified tray of FIG. 7 fitted beneath the modified cover of FIG. 7.
- an oven A holds multiple trays B in which precooked food is placed and held for limited times, indeed, several hours in the case of some foods.
- the oven A and the trays B which are used with it, will accommodate a variety of foods typical of those served in fast food restaurants. Among those foods are cooked hamburger patties, ham, bacon, sausage, onion rings, French toast, fish fillets, chicken fillets and biscuits.
- the trays B constitute food containers.
- the oven A heats the trays B from their bottoms as well as their sides.
- one who places a tray B in the oven A has the option of closing the top of the tray B so as to retain moisture in the tray B or leaving the top open so that moisture may escape from the tray B.
- trays B are preferably molded from a polymer that is capable of withstanding the temperatures maintained in the oven A, although trays B of stamped metal will suffice as well.
- a tray B has (FIGS. 3 - 5 ) a flat bottom wall 2 and also side walls 4 and end walls 6 that merge with the bottom wall 2 at corners 8 of generous radius.
- the side walls 4 and end walls 6 flare outwardly slightly and each has an offset portion 10 near its upper end.
- the offset portions 10 of the walls 4 and 6 along their upper margins, merge into a rim in the form of a peripheral lip 14 which projects laterally outwardly and, beyond the side walls 4 , turns slightly downwardly at a depressed edge 16 (FIG. 3).
- the lip 14 has a flat upper surface 18 that lies in a common plane along the entirety of the lip 14 . At the end walls 6 the lip 14 merges into handles 20 which lie below the plane of the upper surface 18 . Similar trays see widespread use in fast food restaurants.
- the oven A includes (FIGS. 1&2) a cabinet 26 having a front panel 28 , a rear panel 30 , end panels 32 , and a top panel 34 .
- the front panel 28 and rear panel 30 contain openings 36 which conform generally to the cross-sectional configuration of the trays B, but are slightly wider and somewhat taller.
- the openings 36 are arranged in several tiers, and for every opening 36 in the front panel 28 an opening 36 in the rear panel 30 aligns with it.
- the cabinet 26 at each tier of openings 36 also has (FIGS. 3 and 4), an upper pan 38 that extends through it above the openings 36 and a lower pan 40 that extends through it below the openings 36 .
- the upper pan 38 has a peripheral lip 41 which projects upwardly and imparts rigidity to the pan 38 .
- the pan 38 carries channels 42 which extend between the front and rear panels 28 and 30 in the regions between the openings 36 . More channels 42 lie beyond the two endmost openings 36 as well.
- the channels 42 are attached firmly to the pan 38 and open downwardly.
- the lower pan 40 for each tier has lips 43 that project upwardly and turn inwardly and, beneath the inwardly turned portions, has rigidifying members 44 .
- the space between the upper and lower pans 38 and 40 for each tier of openings 36 is occupied by several heat sinks 46 —one for each pair of aligned openings 36 in the tier.
- Each heat sink 46 is formed from a substance that conducts heat well, aluminum being preferred. When formed from aluminum, the heat sinks 46 may be produced as extrusions or castings or they may even be produced by machining. Irrespective of how it is produced, each heat sink 46 possesses (FIG. 5) a channel-like configuration in that it is open at both ends and at its top and closed along its two sides and bottom. This leaves the heat sink 46 with a cavity 48 that extends the full length of the heat sink 46 . The open ends of the cavity 48 align with openings 36 in the front and rear panels 28 and 30 of the cabinet 26 , so that the cavity 48 of the heat sink 46 is easily accessible from the exterior of the oven A. The cavity 48 generally conforms to the exterior cross-sectional configuration of any tray B.
- each heat sink 46 includes (FIGS. 3&5) a bottom wall 50 and side walls 52 which are formed integral with the bottom wall 50 and project upwardly from it.
- the bottom wall 50 is of uniform thickness, it being about ⁇ fraction (3/16) ⁇ in. thick, and has a flat bottom surface 54 and a flat top surface 56 .
- the two side walls 52 while being mirror images of each other, have somewhat varied thickness.
- Each side wall 52 has a lower region 58 that generally corresponds in height to the height of a tray B.
- the lower region 58 has a flat outside surface 60 and a contoured inside surface 62 that merges with the flat top surface 56 of the bottom wall 50 at a curved corner 64 .
- the inside surface 62 flares outwardly slightly, then after undergoing a more abrupt change in direction, extends vertically for a lesser distance.
- the spacing between the inside surfaces 62 for the side walls 52 of the heat sink 46 is slightly greater than the width of the tray B measured across of the outside surfaces of its side walls 4 .
- the inside surfaces 62 of the side walls 52 on the heat sink 46 generally conform in configuration to the outside surfaces for the side walls 4 of the tray B.
- the side walls 4 of the tray B When the tray B is inserted into the heat sink 46 with the bottom wall 2 of the tray B resting in the flat top surface 56 of the bottom wall 50 for the heat sink 46 , the side walls 4 of the tray B, despite their contoured configuration, are close to the inside surfaces 62 on the side walls 52 of the heat sink 46 .
- the spacing at any elevation between the inside surfaces 56 on side walls 52 of the heat sink 46 should be no more than about 1.0 in. larger than the spacing between the side walls 4 of the tray B at the outside surfaces of those side walls 4 .
- the clearance is about 0.015 in.
- the curved corners 64 where the flat bottom surface 54 and contoured inside surfaces 62 of the heat sink 46 merge, lie opposite, yet close to, the comers 8 of the tray B.
- each side wall 52 for the heat sink 46 merges into an upper region 66 at an offset 68 .
- the upper regions 66 extend vertically and by reason of the offsets 68 , the spacing between the upper regions 66 exceeds the spacing between the lower regions 58 . Indeed, that spacing exceeds the width of the tray B at its peripheral lip 14 .
- the contoured inside surfaces 62 on the lower regions 58 of the side walls 52 rise to flat horizontal shoulders 70 which extend over the offsets 68 and out to the upper regions 66 .
- the shoulders 70 lie in a plane that is parallel to the top surface 56 of the bottom wall 52 , and the distance between the shoulders 70 and the top surface 56 is slightly less than the distance between the lower surface of the bottom wall 2 for the tray B and the undersurface of the lip 14 at the side walls 4 which undersurface is at the depressed edge 16 .
- the depressed edge 16 of the lip 14 beyond each side wall 4 lies slightly above the shoulders 70 .
- the lip 14 remains well below the upper edges of side walls 52 for the heat sink 46 .
- Each heat sink 46 is fitted with a heater which may take the form of a flexible heating element 76 of the electrical resistance type. It extends almost the full length of the heat sink 44 , covering the flat bottom surface 54 of the bottom wall 50 , the corners between the bottom wall 50 and side walls 52 , and the flat outside surfaces 60 on the lower regions 58 of the side walls 52 . It even curves outwardly along the bottom surfaces of the offsets 68 in the side walls 52 . To these surfaces the heating element 76 , which is preferably film-etched, is bonded, preferably with a silicone adhesive capable of withstanding the elevated temperatures produced by the heating element 76 .
- the heating element 76 should produce enough heat and reach a temperature high enough to elevate the temperature of the heat sink 46 along the top surface 56 of its bottom wall 50 and along the contoured inside surfaces 62 of its side walls 52 to a temperature suitable for maintaining food within the tray B that occupies that heat sink 46 at any desired temperature.
- the oven A serves as a holding oven, that temperature keeps the food warm enough for serving and warm enough to prevent bacterial contamination.
- the oven A functions as a cooking oven, that temperature is hot enough to actually cook the food.
- the heater may take the form of resistance type heating rods embedded in the bottom wall 50 and in the lower regions 58 of the side walls 52 .
- Steam or hot water may be circulated through channels in the bottom wall 50 and lower regions 58 of the side walls 52 to maintain the heat sink 46 at an elevated temperature, in which case the channels and the fluid that flows within them become the heater.
- an induction heating device may be used to elevate the temperature.
- each heat sink 46 Behind the side walls 52 of each heat sink 46 and beneath its bottom wall 50 , as well, the cabinet 26 is packed thermal insulation 78 .
- the lower pans 40 in the cabinet 26 support the insulation 78 and prevent the insulation 78 for any one tier of heat sinks 46 from dropping into the heat sinks 46 of the tier below.
- each heat sink 46 is equipped with a cover 80 that rests on the shoulders 70 of its offsets 68 and generally occupies the space between the upper regions 66 of its side walls 52 .
- the cover 80 includes a pair of vertical legs 82 and a cross wall 84 that extends between and is attached to the vertical legs 82 .
- the cross wall 84 is joined to the vertical legs 82 between the longitudinal edges of the legs 82 , it being offset closer to one longitudinal edge of each leg 82 than the other.
- the cross wall 84 flares away from the edges to which it is closest.
- the width of the cross wall 84 slightly exceeds the width of the tray B at its lip 14 .
- the height of the vertical legs 82 is slightly less that the height of the upper regions 66 of the two side walls 52 for the heat sink 44 .
- the configuration of the cover 80 is such that it may assume two positions within the space between the upper regions 66 of the side walls 52 for the heat sink 44 —a closing position (FIG. 3-left) and a venting position (FIG. 3-right).
- a closing position (FIG. 3-left)
- a venting position (FIG. 3-right)
- the cross wall 84 of the cover 80 rests on the upper surface 18 of the lip 14 of the tray B, or else lies slightly above the upper surface 18 of the lip 14 .
- the cross wall 84 serves as a closure for the tray B.
- the legs 82 project downwardly almost to the flat horizontal shoulders 70 of the heat sink 46 , but do not contact the shoulders 70 .
- the lower margins of the legs 82 lie between the lips 14 on the tray B and the upper regions 66 of the side walls 52 for the heat sink 46 .
- the legs 82 of the cover 80 drop downwardly and rest on the shoulders 70 of the heat sink 46 .
- the ends of the cross wall 84 flare upwardly, leaving enough space between the shoulders 70 and those flared ends to accommodate the handles 20 of a tray B.
- the cross wall 84 lies slightly above the upper surface 18 on the lip 14
- the legs 82 project downwardly to and actually rest on the flat horizontal shoulders 70 of the heat sink 46 with the lip 14 on the tray B being between the regions of contact.
- a clearance ranging up to 0.375 in.
- each triangular stop 88 serves two openings 36 . It pivots at one of its apices, with the pivot axis being slightly above, but otherwise between, the two openings 36 that the stop 88 serves. The other two apices project beyond the upper regions 66 of the nearby side walls 52 for the heat sinks 46 at those openings 35 . As such, those other apices project past the ends of the openings 36 , but not across, the openings 36 .
- the cabinet 26 contains electrical controls 92 which control the temperature at which the heating elements 78 of the sinks 46 operate.
- a separate control 92 exists for each tier of heat sinks 44 .
- the controls 92 may be such that each heat sink 46 is controlled individually.
- the oven A normally awaits use in a restaurant with some of its covers 80 in the sealing position and the remainder of its covers 80 in the venting position.
- the employees of the restaurant cook various foods for which the restaurant expects to receive orders during the meal time.
- they are placed in the trays B, each food being assigned to a different tray B.
- Some of these foods such as hamburger patties, loose their taste and texture with loss of moisture.
- Others such as fried chicken fillets, biscuits, and eggs become soggy if stored in an abundance of moisture.
- the trays B which contain foods that must remain moist are placed in heat sinks 44 having their covers 80 in the closing position (FIG. 3-left).
- the trays B containing foods which must remain crisp are placed in heat sinks 44 in which the covers 80 are in the venting position (FIG. 3-right).
- Each heat sink 44 directs heat through the bottom wall 2 and side walls 4 of the tray B that is within it, and the heat keeps the food in the tray B warm—indeed, warm enough to prevent bacterial contamination and warm enough to serve to patrons of the restaurant when the demand arises, all with the flavor and texture preserved.
- the restaurant employee To insert a tray B into a heat sink 44 having its cover 80 in the closing position, the restaurant employee brings the tray B to the rear panel 30 of the cabinet 26 and aligns it with one of the openings 36 at a heat sink 46 , the cover 80 for which is in its closing position. The employee inserts the handle 20 of the tray B beneath the upwardly flared end on the cross wall 84 for the cover 80 in that heat sink 46 . Thereupon, the employee advances the tray B into the heat sink 46 , with the lip 14 of the tray B passing beneath the cross wall 84 of the cover 80 .
- the cross wall 84 of the cover 80 establishes a closure over the open top of the tray B and that wall 84 lies over the entire lip 14 along the periphery of the tray B. Moisture remains trapped within the tray B, even though the heat which is supplied by the heat sink 46 has the capacity to drive moisture from the food. As a consequence, the food in the tray B retains its taste and texture.
- the employee selects a heat sink 46 which has its cover 80 in the venting position.
- the tray B when aligned with the opening 36 for this heat sink 46 passes easily into the cavity 48 of the heat sink 46 with little manipulation, its lip 14 passing over the shoulders 70 of the heat sink 46 and its bottom wall 2 over the top surface 56 for the bottom wall 50 of the heat sink 46 .
- the cross wall 84 for the cover 80 remains well above the lip 14 on the tray B, so that moisture from the food within the tray B may escape at the open ends of the cover 80 , that is to say over the end walls 6 of the tray B and beneath the cross wall 84 of the cover 80 .
- Any cover 80 is easily withdrawn from its heat sink 46 by pivoting the stop 88 at the one end of the heat sink 46 away from the opening 36 at the end of that heat sink 46 . This leaves the cavity 48 of the heat sink 46 unobstructed, and it is easily cleaned, owing to its continuous and smooth surfaces. It also enables an employee to easily clean the cover 80 . And, of course, it permits the employee to reverse the position of the cover 80 .
- the heat sink 46 efficiently transfers heat from its heating element 76 to the tray B, thereby keeping the contents of the tray B at a desired temperature with minimum expenditure of electrical energy.
- a modified cover 100 (FIG. 6) has side legs 82 and a cross wall 84 of essentially the same configuration as their counterparts in the cover 80 .
- the cross wall 84 contains openings 102 arranged in a row between the legs 82 .
- It also carries a slide 104 which likewise contains openings 106 .
- the slide 104 is captured on the cross wall 84 such that it cannot be lifted from the cross wall 84 , yet it can slide longitudinally over the wall 84 .
- the slide 104 projects beyond the ends of the cross wall 84 , so that it can be manipulated from the exterior of the oven A to assume various positions on the cross wall 84 .
- the slide In one position, the slide completely covers the openings 102 in the wall 84 , and in this position the tray B is sealed. In other positions the slide 104 exposes the openings 102 in the wall 84 through its own openings 106 , with the amount of exposure being dependent in the position of the slide 104 . In these positions the tray B is vented.
- a modified tray C may be used in the heat sinks 46 to keep foods warm, and it is similar to the tray B in all respects, except the provision for removing it from and inserting it into the heat sink 46 .
- the tray B has handles 20 that are generally flat and extend the full width of the tray B
- the tray C has handles 108 that are narrow and resemble the handles on household frying or sauce pans.
- the handles 108 project from the end walls 6 of the tray C where they are located near the peripheral lip 14 , but are otherwise centered between the side walls 4 .
- FIG. 7 & 8 Another modified cover 110 (FIGS. 7 & 8) works well with the tray C, but is also suitable for use with the tray B.
- the cover 110 has legs 112 and a cross wall 114 extending horizontally between the legs 112 to which it is attached.
- the legs 112 do not differ from the legs 82 of the cover 80 , and they rest on the horizontal shoulders 70 of the heat sink 46 , even when the tray C is in the cavity 48 of the heat sink 46 .
- They extend up to and nearly contact the pan 38 that overlies the heat sink 46 in the cabinet 36 .
- the cross wall 114 has an elevated region 116 where it is joined to the legs 112 and a depressed region 118 located within and being joined to the elevated region 116 .
- the depressed region 118 has a peripheral wall 120 that is generally vertical and a bottom wall 122 which lies below, yet parallel to, the surrounding elevated region 116 .
- the bottom surface of the elevated region 116 in the cross wall 114 lies directly above the upper surface 18 on the tray B, there being a gap of about 0.375 in. between the two surfaces.
- the peripheral wall 120 is set inwardly from the upper surface 18 of the tray C and inwardly from the upper ends of the side walls 4 and end walls 6 as well, with the gap being about 0.375 in.
- the lower surface of the bottom wall 122 lies in a horizontal plane that is slightly above the plane defined by the upper surface 18 on the tray C, with the spacing between the two planes being about 0.01 in. This spacing allows the tray C to be inserted into and removed from the cavity 48 of the heat sink 46 without interference from the cover 110 .
- the elevated region 116 of the cross wall 114 turns downwardly in the form of a vertical lip 124 , the lower edge of which lies in the plane of the lower surface on the bottom wall 122 .
- the lips 124 lie slightly beyond the upper surfaces 18 at the ends of the tray C, yet over or slightly beyond the depressed edges 16 at those ends.
- the lips 124 and the nearby segments of the peripheral wall 120 for the depressed region 118 create labyrinths which retard moisture from escaping from the tray C.
- the lips 124 may be fitted with elastomeric seal elements which bear against the end edges of the laterally directed lip 14 of the tray C beyond the two end walls 6 of the tray C.
- elastomeric lip seals may also be fitted to the ends of the cross wall for the cover 80 to contact the lip 14 at the ends of the tray C and thereby enhance the sealing capabilities of the cover 80 .
- the rear panel 30 of the cabinet 26 in lieu of having openings 36 , may be solid. In such an arrangement the rear panel 30 would block one end of the cavity 48 for each heat sink 46 , and the heat sink 46 itself could wrap around the end of the cavity to close it and thus, transfer heat to that end wall 6 of the tray B which is presented toward the closed end. The other end of the heat sink 46 would remain open and indeed would open out of the cabinet 36 through the aligned opening 36 in the front panel 28 . Of course, the handle 20 on that end of the tray B which faces the closed end of the heat sink 46 would have to be removed or reconfigured, so that it will not interfere with the solid rear panel 30 .
- any tray B or C which must retain moisture may be fitted with a separate cover, and that would eliminate the need for the covers 80 or 110 .
- covers are available on the market for the traditional trays that resemble the trays B and C.
Abstract
Description
- This application is a division of application Ser. No. 09/538,761, filed Mar. 30, 2000, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/282,313 filed Mar. 31, 1999, now abandoned.
- This invention relates in general to ovens and more particularly to an oven for maintaining foods at temperatures suitable for serving or for even cooking foods.
- Most restaurants which specialize in serving cooked food rapidly—indeed, essentially with the placement of an order—do not have the capacity to prepare large quantities of food on demand. Thus, traditional meal times, particularly the noon hour, place severe demands on these restaurants. Typically, the so-called “fast food” restaurant will prepare some cooked food in advance of a meal time and keep that food warm in a holding oven. Then, during a meal time when the demand is greatest, it will use the food previously cooked.
- Some cooked foods, such as hamburger patties, should be held at elevated temperatures only in a moist environment, since these foods, when depleted of their moisture content have poor taste and texture. Other cooked foods, such as breaded chicken or fish fillets, should be stored such that moisture may escape, so that they remain crisp. While it is convenient to store different foods at the same location, the flavor of one food should not transfer to another food. Moreover, irrespective of the food, the temperature at which it is stored must remain high enough to prevent bacterial contamination, and this generally requires holding the food at temperatures in excess of about 150° F. Holding ovens that are currently in use in fast food restaurants do not fully satisfy these requirements.
- The holding ovens of current manufacture accept trays containing the cooked foods. The typical oven has a cabinet containing storage spaces which are accessible from both the front and rear of the cabinet, so that a tray containing cooked food may be placed into a storage space at one face of the cabinet and withdrawn at the other face. Each storage space has a heated platen along its top and also preferably at its bottom, and these platens transfer heat to the trays. The cabinet also contains a mechanism for closing the upper ends of the trays to prevent moisture from escaping. In one type of holding oven this mechanism resides in making the spacing between a heated platen on which the tray rests and the heated platen which overlies the tray about equal to the height of the tray, so that the upper margin of the tray lies along and essentially against the overlying platen, thus in effect closing the tray. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,886. Another type of holding oven supports the tray on a resilient grate which urges a tray upwardly against an overlying heated platen, thereby effecting a seal with the overlying platen. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,803. These ovens are difficult to clean and do not efficiently concentrate the heat at the trays where it is needed. As a consequence, the food is often held at a temperature less than optimum. Sometimes, the spaces in these ovens hold trays with their tops open and this leads to a transfer of flavors between multiple trays in any one space. In any event, ovens of current manufacture have the capacity to store foods for only very limited periods of time.
- The present invention resides in an oven having a channel-shaped heat sink which is heated by a heater. The heat sink has a storage cavity which generally conforms to the shape of a tray or other food container received in the cavity. As such, the heat sink concentrates the heat generated by the heater at the tray so as to efficiently maintain the food in the tray at a temperature suitable for serving. The heat sink may have a cover for closing the top of the tray within it. Where the oven contains multiple heat sinks, these heat sinks are isolated from each other to prevent the flavor of the food in one from transferring to food in another.
- In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and wherein like numerals and letters refer to like parts wherever they occur:
- FIG. 1 is a front and top perspective view of a holding oven constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, with one of the covers and one of its trays shown removed;
- FIG. 2 is a top and rear perspective view of the oven;
- FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of two heat sinks, one having its cover in its sealing position and the other having its cover in the venting position;
- FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line4-4 of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a heat sink, the cover for the heat sink, and a tray;
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified cover.
- FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the heat sink, a modified cover for the heat sink, and a modified tray; and
- FIG. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the modified tray of FIG. 7 fitted beneath the modified cover of FIG. 7.
- Corresponding reference numerals will be used throughout the several figures of the drawings.
- Referring now to the drawings, an oven A (FIGS. 1&2) holds multiple trays B in which precooked food is placed and held for limited times, indeed, several hours in the case of some foods. The oven A and the trays B, which are used with it, will accommodate a variety of foods typical of those served in fast food restaurants. Among those foods are cooked hamburger patties, ham, bacon, sausage, onion rings, French toast, fish fillets, chicken fillets and biscuits. Thus, the trays B constitute food containers. The oven A heats the trays B from their bottoms as well as their sides. Moreover, one who places a tray B in the oven A has the option of closing the top of the tray B so as to retain moisture in the tray B or leaving the top open so that moisture may escape from the tray B.
- Considering the trays B first, they are preferably molded from a polymer that is capable of withstanding the temperatures maintained in the oven A, although trays B of stamped metal will suffice as well. In any event, such a tray B has (FIGS.3-5) a
flat bottom wall 2 and alsoside walls 4 andend walls 6 that merge with thebottom wall 2 atcorners 8 of generous radius. Theside walls 4 andend walls 6 flare outwardly slightly and each has anoffset portion 10 near its upper end. Theoffset portions 10 of thewalls peripheral lip 14 which projects laterally outwardly and, beyond theside walls 4, turns slightly downwardly at a depressed edge 16 (FIG. 3). Thelip 14 has a flatupper surface 18 that lies in a common plane along the entirety of thelip 14. At theend walls 6 thelip 14 merges intohandles 20 which lie below the plane of theupper surface 18. Similar trays see widespread use in fast food restaurants. - The oven A includes (FIGS. 1&2) a
cabinet 26 having afront panel 28, arear panel 30,end panels 32, and atop panel 34. Thefront panel 28 andrear panel 30 containopenings 36 which conform generally to the cross-sectional configuration of the trays B, but are slightly wider and somewhat taller. Theopenings 36 are arranged in several tiers, and for everyopening 36 in thefront panel 28 anopening 36 in therear panel 30 aligns with it. Thecabinet 26 at each tier ofopenings 36 also has (FIGS. 3 and 4), anupper pan 38 that extends through it above theopenings 36 and alower pan 40 that extends through it below theopenings 36. Theupper pan 38 has aperipheral lip 41 which projects upwardly and imparts rigidity to thepan 38. Thepan 38 carrieschannels 42 which extend between the front andrear panels openings 36.More channels 42 lie beyond the twoendmost openings 36 as well. Thechannels 42 are attached firmly to thepan 38 and open downwardly. Thelower pan 40 for each tier haslips 43 that project upwardly and turn inwardly and, beneath the inwardly turned portions, has rigidifyingmembers 44. The space between the upper andlower pans openings 36 is occupied byseveral heat sinks 46—one for each pair of alignedopenings 36 in the tier. - Each
heat sink 46 is formed from a substance that conducts heat well, aluminum being preferred. When formed from aluminum, the heat sinks 46 may be produced as extrusions or castings or they may even be produced by machining. Irrespective of how it is produced, eachheat sink 46 possesses (FIG. 5) a channel-like configuration in that it is open at both ends and at its top and closed along its two sides and bottom. This leaves theheat sink 46 with acavity 48 that extends the full length of theheat sink 46. The open ends of thecavity 48 align withopenings 36 in the front andrear panels cabinet 26, so that thecavity 48 of theheat sink 46 is easily accessible from the exterior of the oven A. Thecavity 48 generally conforms to the exterior cross-sectional configuration of any tray B. - More specifically, each
heat sink 46 includes (FIGS. 3&5) abottom wall 50 andside walls 52 which are formed integral with thebottom wall 50 and project upwardly from it. Thebottom wall 50 is of uniform thickness, it being about {fraction (3/16)}in. thick, and has aflat bottom surface 54 and a flattop surface 56. In contrast, the twoside walls 52, while being mirror images of each other, have somewhat varied thickness. Eachside wall 52 has alower region 58 that generally corresponds in height to the height of a tray B. Thelower region 58 has a flatoutside surface 60 and a contoured insidesurface 62 that merges with the flattop surface 56 of thebottom wall 50 at acurved corner 64. Immediately above thecorner 64, theinside surface 62 flares outwardly slightly, then after undergoing a more abrupt change in direction, extends vertically for a lesser distance. The spacing between theinside surfaces 62 for theside walls 52 of theheat sink 46 is slightly greater than the width of the tray B measured across of the outside surfaces of itsside walls 4. Moreover, the inside surfaces 62 of theside walls 52 on theheat sink 46 generally conform in configuration to the outside surfaces for theside walls 4 of the tray B. When the tray B is inserted into theheat sink 46 with thebottom wall 2 of the tray B resting in the flattop surface 56 of thebottom wall 50 for theheat sink 46, theside walls 4 of the tray B, despite their contoured configuration, are close to the inside surfaces 62 on theside walls 52 of theheat sink 46. Generally, the spacing at any elevation between the inside surfaces 56 onside walls 52 of theheat sink 46 should be no more than about 1.0 in. larger than the spacing between theside walls 4 of the tray B at the outside surfaces of thoseside walls 4. Thus, when the tray B is centered in thecavity 48 of theheat sink 46, a clearance of no more than about 0.5 in. exists between the inside surfaces 62 of theside walls 52 for theheat sink 46 and the outside surfaces in theside walls 4 of the tray B. Preferably, when the tray B is centered, the clearance is about 0.015 in. Thecurved corners 64, where theflat bottom surface 54 and contoured inside surfaces 62 of theheat sink 46 merge, lie opposite, yet close to, thecomers 8 of the tray B. - The
lower region 58 of eachside wall 52 for theheat sink 46 merges into anupper region 66 at an offset 68. Theupper regions 66 extend vertically and by reason of theoffsets 68, the spacing between theupper regions 66 exceeds the spacing between thelower regions 58. Indeed, that spacing exceeds the width of the tray B at itsperipheral lip 14. The contoured inside surfaces 62 on thelower regions 58 of theside walls 52 rise to flathorizontal shoulders 70 which extend over theoffsets 68 and out to theupper regions 66. Theshoulders 70 lie in a plane that is parallel to thetop surface 56 of thebottom wall 52, and the distance between theshoulders 70 and thetop surface 56 is slightly less than the distance between the lower surface of thebottom wall 2 for the tray B and the undersurface of thelip 14 at theside walls 4 which undersurface is at thedepressed edge 16. Thus, when the tray B rests on thebottom wall 2 of theheat sink 44, thedepressed edge 16 of thelip 14 beyond eachside wall 4 lies slightly above theshoulders 70. Thelip 14 remains well below the upper edges ofside walls 52 for theheat sink 46. - Those upper edges lie along the
upper regions 66 of theside walls 52 for theheat sink 46, and here theupper regions 66 are enlarged slightly and received in thechannels 42 that are attached to theupper pan 38 for the tier in which theheat sink 46 lies (FIG. 3). Thebottom wall 50 of theheat sink 46 at its ends rests on the inwardly turned portions of thelips 43 for thelower pan 40. (FIG. 4) to which it is fastened. Thus, the heat sinks 46 for any tier are captured between the upper andlower pans channels 42 confine the heat sinks 46 of the tier laterally, whereas the front andrear panels cabinet 26. - Each
heat sink 46 is fitted with a heater which may take the form of aflexible heating element 76 of the electrical resistance type. It extends almost the full length of theheat sink 44, covering theflat bottom surface 54 of thebottom wall 50, the corners between thebottom wall 50 andside walls 52, and the flat outside surfaces 60 on thelower regions 58 of theside walls 52. It even curves outwardly along the bottom surfaces of theoffsets 68 in theside walls 52. To these surfaces theheating element 76, which is preferably film-etched, is bonded, preferably with a silicone adhesive capable of withstanding the elevated temperatures produced by theheating element 76. In this regard, theheating element 76 should produce enough heat and reach a temperature high enough to elevate the temperature of theheat sink 46 along thetop surface 56 of itsbottom wall 50 and along the contoured inside surfaces 62 of itsside walls 52 to a temperature suitable for maintaining food within the tray B that occupies thatheat sink 46 at any desired temperature. Where the oven A serves as a holding oven, that temperature keeps the food warm enough for serving and warm enough to prevent bacterial contamination. Where the oven A functions as a cooking oven, that temperature is hot enough to actually cook the food. - Other types of heaters may be used as well. For example, the heater may take the form of resistance type heating rods embedded in the
bottom wall 50 and in thelower regions 58 of theside walls 52. Steam or hot water may be circulated through channels in thebottom wall 50 andlower regions 58 of theside walls 52 to maintain theheat sink 46 at an elevated temperature, in which case the channels and the fluid that flows within them become the heater. On the other hand, if theheat sink 46 is formed from a ferrous material, an induction heating device may be used to elevate the temperature. - Behind the
side walls 52 of eachheat sink 46 and beneath itsbottom wall 50, as well, thecabinet 26 is packedthermal insulation 78. The lower pans 40 in thecabinet 26 support theinsulation 78 and prevent theinsulation 78 for any one tier ofheat sinks 46 from dropping into the heat sinks 46 of the tier below. - In addition to its
heating element 78, eachheat sink 46 is equipped with acover 80 that rests on theshoulders 70 of itsoffsets 68 and generally occupies the space between theupper regions 66 of itsside walls 52. Thecover 80 includes a pair ofvertical legs 82 and across wall 84 that extends between and is attached to thevertical legs 82. Indeed, thecross wall 84 is joined to thevertical legs 82 between the longitudinal edges of thelegs 82, it being offset closer to one longitudinal edge of eachleg 82 than the other. However, near its ends thecross wall 84 flares away from the edges to which it is closest. The width of thecross wall 84 slightly exceeds the width of the tray B at itslip 14. The height of thevertical legs 82 is slightly less that the height of theupper regions 66 of the twoside walls 52 for theheat sink 44. These dimensions enable one to easily slide thecover 80 into and out of the upper region of itsheat sink 44. - The configuration of the
cover 80 is such that it may assume two positions within the space between theupper regions 66 of theside walls 52 for theheat sink 44—a closing position (FIG. 3-left) and a venting position (FIG. 3-right). In the closing position thecross wall 84 of thecover 80 rests on theupper surface 18 of thelip 14 of the tray B, or else lies slightly above theupper surface 18 of thelip 14. In either arrangement thecross wall 84 serves as a closure for the tray B. Where thecross wall 84 actually rests on thelip 14 thelegs 82 project downwardly almost to the flathorizontal shoulders 70 of theheat sink 46, but do not contact theshoulders 70. The lower margins of thelegs 82 lie between thelips 14 on the tray B and theupper regions 66 of theside walls 52 for theheat sink 46. When the tray B is removed from theheat sink 46, thelegs 82 of thecover 80 drop downwardly and rest on theshoulders 70 of theheat sink 46. But the ends of thecross wall 84 flare upwardly, leaving enough space between theshoulders 70 and those flared ends to accommodate thehandles 20 of a tray B. On the other hand, where thecross wall 84 lies slightly above theupper surface 18 on thelip 14, thelegs 82 project downwardly to and actually rest on the flathorizontal shoulders 70 of theheat sink 46 with thelip 14 on the tray B being between the regions of contact. A clearance ranging up to 0.375 in. exists between the bottom of thecross wall 84 and theupper surface 18 on thelip 14. Thelegs 82 extend up to and nearly contact the overlyingupper pan 38 of thecabinet 26. In the venting position thecover 80 is reversed. Itslegs 82 rest on theshoulder 70 of theheat sink 46 outwardly from theperipheral lip 14 of the tray B, but thecross wall 84 lies well above theperipheral lip 14 and thehandles 20. This leaves an open space of at least 0.375 in. between thecross wall 84 of thecover 80 andupper surface 18 on thelip 14 of the tray B at eachend wall 6 of the tray B, and moisture from the tray B may escape through these spaces. - At the sides of the
openings 36 in thefront panel 28 andrear panel 30, thecabinet 26 is fitted withpivotal stops 88 of the triangular configuration. Eachtriangular stop 88 serves twoopenings 36. It pivots at one of its apices, with the pivot axis being slightly above, but otherwise between, the twoopenings 36 that thestop 88 serves. The other two apices project beyond theupper regions 66 of thenearby side walls 52 for the heat sinks 46 at those openings 35. As such, those other apices project past the ends of theopenings 36, but not across, theopenings 36. - The free apices of the
stops 88 lie beyond the ends of thevertical legs 82 for thecovers 80 and retain thecovers 80 in the upper regions of the heat sinks 46. However, to reverse acover 80 and thereby change its position, thestop 88 at theheat sink 46 in which thecover 80 fits, is pivoted away from theopening 36 at thatheat sink 46 so as to no longer block theopening 36. While thestop 88 is held away from theopening 36, thecover 80 is removed and reversed. Then thecover 80 is inserted back through theopening 36 in the reversed position. Once thecover 80 is fully within theheat sink 44, thestop 88 is released, and it assumes its normal position, blocking the end of theopening 36 and thereby retaining thecover 80 in theheat sink 46. - Finally, the
cabinet 26 containselectrical controls 92 which control the temperature at which theheating elements 78 of thesinks 46 operate. Aseparate control 92 exists for each tier of heat sinks 44. However, thecontrols 92 may be such that eachheat sink 46 is controlled individually. - The oven A normally awaits use in a restaurant with some of its
covers 80 in the sealing position and the remainder of itscovers 80 in the venting position. As a meal time approaches, the employees of the restaurant cook various foods for which the restaurant expects to receive orders during the meal time. Immediately after these foods are prepared, they are placed in the trays B, each food being assigned to a different tray B. Some of these foods, such as hamburger patties, loose their taste and texture with loss of moisture. Others, such as fried chicken fillets, biscuits, and eggs become soggy if stored in an abundance of moisture. The trays B which contain foods that must remain moist are placed inheat sinks 44 having theircovers 80 in the closing position (FIG. 3-left). The trays B containing foods which must remain crisp are placed inheat sinks 44 in which thecovers 80 are in the venting position (FIG. 3-right). Eachheat sink 44 directs heat through thebottom wall 2 andside walls 4 of the tray B that is within it, and the heat keeps the food in the tray B warm—indeed, warm enough to prevent bacterial contamination and warm enough to serve to patrons of the restaurant when the demand arises, all with the flavor and texture preserved. - To insert a tray B into a
heat sink 44 having itscover 80 in the closing position, the restaurant employee brings the tray B to therear panel 30 of thecabinet 26 and aligns it with one of theopenings 36 at aheat sink 46, thecover 80 for which is in its closing position. The employee inserts thehandle 20 of the tray B beneath the upwardly flared end on thecross wall 84 for thecover 80 in thatheat sink 46. Thereupon, the employee advances the tray B into theheat sink 46, with thelip 14 of the tray B passing beneath thecross wall 84 of thecover 80. When the tray B is fully within theheat sink 46, thecross wall 84 of thecover 80 establishes a closure over the open top of the tray B and thatwall 84 lies over theentire lip 14 along the periphery of the tray B. Moisture remains trapped within the tray B, even though the heat which is supplied by theheat sink 46 has the capacity to drive moisture from the food. As a consequence, the food in the tray B retains its taste and texture. - On the other hand, if the tray B contains a food which must remain crisp, the employee selects a
heat sink 46 which has itscover 80 in the venting position. The tray B when aligned with theopening 36 for thisheat sink 46 passes easily into thecavity 48 of theheat sink 46 with little manipulation, itslip 14 passing over theshoulders 70 of theheat sink 46 and itsbottom wall 2 over thetop surface 56 for thebottom wall 50 of theheat sink 46. Thecross wall 84 for thecover 80 remains well above thelip 14 on the tray B, so that moisture from the food within the tray B may escape at the open ends of thecover 80, that is to say over theend walls 6 of the tray B and beneath thecross wall 84 of thecover 80. - When the demand for a particular food arises within the restaurant, other employees remove the tray B containing that food from the oven A. This simply involves grasping the tray B by one of its
handles 20 and withdrawing it from itsheat sink 46. In this regard, thehandles 20 project beyond the front andrear panels cabinet 26 and are easily accessible. - Any
cover 80 is easily withdrawn from itsheat sink 46 by pivoting thestop 88 at the one end of theheat sink 46 away from theopening 36 at the end of thatheat sink 46. This leaves thecavity 48 of theheat sink 46 unobstructed, and it is easily cleaned, owing to its continuous and smooth surfaces. It also enables an employee to easily clean thecover 80. And, of course, it permits the employee to reverse the position of thecover 80. - The
heat sink 46 efficiently transfers heat from itsheating element 76 to the tray B, thereby keeping the contents of the tray B at a desired temperature with minimum expenditure of electrical energy. The foods in the tray B that are withdrawn, even as long as several hours after being inserted into the oven A, have essentially the taste and texture that they possessed immediately after being cooked. Since the trays B are totally isolated from each other in thecabinet 26, even when thecovers 80 over those trays are in their venting positions, flavors are not transferred between the foods in different trays B. - A modified cover100 (FIG. 6) has
side legs 82 and across wall 84 of essentially the same configuration as their counterparts in thecover 80. However, thecross wall 84 containsopenings 102 arranged in a row between thelegs 82. It also carries aslide 104 which likewise containsopenings 106. Theslide 104 is captured on thecross wall 84 such that it cannot be lifted from thecross wall 84, yet it can slide longitudinally over thewall 84. Indeed, theslide 104 projects beyond the ends of thecross wall 84, so that it can be manipulated from the exterior of the oven A to assume various positions on thecross wall 84. In one position, the slide completely covers theopenings 102 in thewall 84, and in this position the tray B is sealed. In other positions theslide 104 exposes theopenings 102 in thewall 84 through itsown openings 106, with the amount of exposure being dependent in the position of theslide 104. In these positions the tray B is vented. - A modified tray C (FIG. 7) may be used in the heat sinks46 to keep foods warm, and it is similar to the tray B in all respects, except the provision for removing it from and inserting it into the
heat sink 46. Whereas the tray B has handles 20 that are generally flat and extend the full width of the tray B, the tray C hashandles 108 that are narrow and resemble the handles on household frying or sauce pans. Thehandles 108 project from theend walls 6 of the tray C where they are located near theperipheral lip 14, but are otherwise centered between theside walls 4. - Another modified cover110 (FIGS. 7 & 8) works well with the tray C, but is also suitable for use with the tray B. The
cover 110 haslegs 112 and across wall 114 extending horizontally between thelegs 112 to which it is attached. Thelegs 112 do not differ from thelegs 82 of thecover 80, and they rest on thehorizontal shoulders 70 of theheat sink 46, even when the tray C is in thecavity 48 of theheat sink 46. Moreover, they extend up to and nearly contact thepan 38 that overlies theheat sink 46 in thecabinet 36. Thecross wall 114 has anelevated region 116 where it is joined to thelegs 112 and adepressed region 118 located within and being joined to theelevated region 116. Thedepressed region 118 has aperipheral wall 120 that is generally vertical and abottom wall 122 which lies below, yet parallel to, the surroundingelevated region 116. - When the tray C is in the
cavity 48 of the heat sink 46 (FIG. 8), the bottom surface of theelevated region 116 in thecross wall 114 lies directly above theupper surface 18 on the tray B, there being a gap of about 0.375 in. between the two surfaces. Theperipheral wall 120, on the other hand, is set inwardly from theupper surface 18 of the tray C and inwardly from the upper ends of theside walls 4 and endwalls 6 as well, with the gap being about 0.375 in. The lower surface of thebottom wall 122 lies in a horizontal plane that is slightly above the plane defined by theupper surface 18 on the tray C, with the spacing between the two planes being about 0.01 in. This spacing allows the tray C to be inserted into and removed from thecavity 48 of theheat sink 46 without interference from thecover 110. - At the ends of the
cover 110 theelevated region 116 of thecross wall 114 turns downwardly in the form of avertical lip 124, the lower edge of which lies in the plane of the lower surface on thebottom wall 122. When the tray C is in theheat sink 46, thelips 124 lie slightly beyond theupper surfaces 18 at the ends of the tray C, yet over or slightly beyond thedepressed edges 16 at those ends. Thelips 124 and the nearby segments of theperipheral wall 120 for thedepressed region 118 create labyrinths which retard moisture from escaping from the tray C. - To enhance the seal established by the
lips 124 and thedepressed region 118 of thecover 110, thelips 124 may be fitted with elastomeric seal elements which bear against the end edges of the laterally directedlip 14 of the tray C beyond the twoend walls 6 of the tray C. Likewise, elastomeric lip seals may also be fitted to the ends of the cross wall for thecover 80 to contact thelip 14 at the ends of the tray C and thereby enhance the sealing capabilities of thecover 80. - The
rear panel 30 of thecabinet 26, in lieu of havingopenings 36, may be solid. In such an arrangement therear panel 30 would block one end of thecavity 48 for eachheat sink 46, and theheat sink 46 itself could wrap around the end of the cavity to close it and thus, transfer heat to thatend wall 6 of the tray B which is presented toward the closed end. The other end of theheat sink 46 would remain open and indeed would open out of thecabinet 36 through the alignedopening 36 in thefront panel 28. Of course, thehandle 20 on that end of the tray B which faces the closed end of theheat sink 46 would have to be removed or reconfigured, so that it will not interfere with the solidrear panel 30. - Also, any tray B or C which must retain moisture may be fitted with a separate cover, and that would eliminate the need for the
covers - 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.
Duke Manufacturing Company Re: HOLDING OR COOKING OVEN A oven B trays C tray 50 bottom wall 2 bottom wall 52 side walls 4 side walls 54 flat bottom surface 6 end walls 56 flat top surface 8 corners 58 lower region 10 offset portion 60 flat outside surface 62 contoured inside surface 14 lip 64 curved corner 16 depressed edge 66 upper regions 18 upper surface 68 offsets 20 handles 70 flat horizontal shoulders 22 24 26 cabinet 76 heating element 28 front panel 78 thermal insulation 30 rear panel 80 cover 32 end panels 82 legs 34 top panel 84 cross wall 36 opening 38 upper pan 88 stops 40 lower pans 90 41 lips 92 electrical controls 42 channels 43 lips 44 rigidifying members 46 heat sink 100 modified cover 48 cavity 102 openings 104 slide 106 openings 108 handles 110 modified cover 112 legs 114 cross wall 116 elevated region 118 depressed region 120 peripheral wall 122 bottom wall 124 vertical lip
Claims (15)
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/756,941 US6262394B1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2001-01-09 | Holding or cooking oven |
US09/906,866 US6541739B2 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2001-07-17 | Holding or cooking oven |
US10/732,889 USRE40290E1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2003-12-10 | Holding or cooking oven |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US28231399A | 1999-03-31 | 1999-03-31 | |
US09/538,761 US6175099B1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2000-03-30 | Holding or cooking oven |
US09/756,941 US6262394B1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2001-01-09 | Holding or cooking oven |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/538,761 Division US6175099B1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2000-03-30 | Holding or cooking oven |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/906,866 Continuation US6541739B2 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2001-07-17 | Holding or cooking oven |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20010007322A1 true US20010007322A1 (en) | 2001-07-12 |
US6262394B1 US6262394B1 (en) | 2001-07-17 |
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US09/756,941 Expired - Lifetime US6262394B1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2001-01-09 | Holding or cooking oven |
US09/906,866 Ceased US6541739B2 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2001-07-17 | Holding or cooking oven |
US10/732,889 Expired - Lifetime USRE40290E1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2003-12-10 | Holding or cooking oven |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US09/906,866 Ceased US6541739B2 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2001-07-17 | Holding or cooking oven |
US10/732,889 Expired - Lifetime USRE40290E1 (en) | 1999-03-31 | 2003-12-10 | Holding or cooking oven |
Country Status (9)
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US (3) | US6262394B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1164852B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2002539873A (en) |
CN (2) | CN1606913B (en) |
AT (1) | ATE311578T1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2367679C (en) |
DE (1) | DE60024422T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2254162T3 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2000057709A1 (en) |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US6262394B1 (en) | 2001-07-17 |
EP1164852B1 (en) | 2005-11-30 |
JP2002539873A (en) | 2002-11-26 |
EP1164852A4 (en) | 2003-04-16 |
DE60024422T2 (en) | 2006-08-17 |
CN1177537C (en) | 2004-12-01 |
US6541739B2 (en) | 2003-04-01 |
WO2000057709A8 (en) | 2001-03-22 |
CA2367679A1 (en) | 2000-10-05 |
DE60024422D1 (en) | 2006-01-05 |
CN1346237A (en) | 2002-04-24 |
CN1606913B (en) | 2011-02-02 |
CA2367679C (en) | 2007-01-23 |
US20020121509A1 (en) | 2002-09-05 |
ATE311578T1 (en) | 2005-12-15 |
WO2000057709A1 (en) | 2000-10-05 |
ES2254162T3 (en) | 2006-06-16 |
EP1164852A2 (en) | 2002-01-02 |
CN1606913A (en) | 2005-04-20 |
USRE40290E1 (en) | 2008-05-06 |
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