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.
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0. 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.
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.
0. 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.
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.
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.
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.
0. 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.
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.
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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.
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.
In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and wherein like numerals and letters refer to like parts wherever the occur.
Referring now to the drawings, a merchandiser A (
The merchandiser A includes (
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 (
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 (
The closure assembly 14 also includes a housing 64 (
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 (
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 (
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 (
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 (
The main panel 68 and the intake panel 74 enclose a plenum 116 (
The motor panel 72 also carries a temperature sensor 126 (
The refrigeration unit 20 includes (
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.
Luebke, Clement J., Shei, Steven M.
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