Device for storing food products at hot temperature

12075,942

16/835576

March 31, 2020

A device for storing food products at hot temperature, having an outer housing, an inner housing at least partially contained inside the outer housing, and a fan chamber defined within the inner housing, the fan chamber having at least one air inlet and outlet. A fan and a heating element are located inside the fan chamber. A food tray defines a space for holding the food products therein. A first air flow path for guiding a first air flow is defined from outside of the outer housing to the air inlet of the fan chamber, the first flow path extending between the outer housing and the inner housing, and a second air flow path for guiding a second air flow is defined from the air outlet of the fan chamber to the space inside the food tray, and the heating element is located in the second air flow path.

Franke Technology and Trademark Ltd (Hergiswil, CH)

Franke Technology and Trademark Ltd (Hergiswil, CH)

1. A device (1) for storing food products (2) at a hot temperature, comprising: an outer housing (3); an inner housing (4), said inner housing (4) is at least partially contained inside said outer housing (3); a fan chamber (5) defined within said inner housing (4), said fan chamber (5) having at least one air inlet (6) and one air outlet (7); a fan (5 a) located inside said fan chamber (5); at least one heating element (9) installed in a vicinity of said fan chamber (5); and at least one food tray (10) defining a space (11) that is configured to hold the food products (2) inside said food tray (10); wherein a first air flow path (15) for guiding a first air flow (AF 1) is defined via openings (3 a) in the outer housing (3) for a non-recirculating air flow from an outside of said outer housing (3) to the air inlet (6) of said fan chamber (5), said first flow path (15) extending between said outer housing (3) and said inner housing (4); a second air flow path (16) for guiding a second air flow (AF 2) is defined from the air outlet (7) of said fan chamber (5) to said space (11) inside said at least one food tray (10), the second air flow path (16) extending between said inner housing (4) and a leak-proof outer tray of the at least one food tray (10) to enter the space (11) from above; wherein the first air flow path (15) is parallel to and separated from the second air flow path (16) by the inner housing (4); and the at least one heating element (9) is located in said second air flow path (16).

2. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the food tray (10) has a length (L) and a width (W), said length (L) and said width (W) define a rectangular opening for accessing said space (11).

3. The device (1) according to claim 2 , wherein said heating element (9) has a length which corresponds to the length (L) of the food tray (10), said heating element (9) being arranged parallel to a length direction of said food tray (10).

4. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fan (5 a) or the fan chamber (5) is adapted to convey a majority of an air flow (AF 5) generated by the fan (5 a) toward the heating element (9).

5. The device (1) according to claim 4 , wherein the fan chamber (5) comprises at least one deflecting element (18) for conveying at least part of the air flow (AF 5) generated by the fan (5 a) toward the heating element (9).

6. The device (1) according to claim 5 , wherein said fan chamber (5) is rectangular in shape with corresponding side walls (8); and the deflecting element (18) has a shape and is located relative to said fan (5 a) so as to deflect the air flow (AF 5) generated by the fan (5 a) toward said air outlet (7) of the fan chamber (5), and said air outlet (7) is located in a side wall (8) of said fan chamber (5).

7. The device (1) according to claim 6 , wherein the air outlet (7) is located at a longer one of the side walls (8) of said fan chamber (5), and is formed of a plurality of air outlet openings extending over a majority of said longer side wall (8).

8. The device (1) according to claim 7 , wherein the fan (5 a) is located centered in said fan chamber (5).

9. The device (1) according to claim 6 , wherein there are two of the deflecting elements (18), each one of said deflecting elements (18) having an apex (18 a) situated in proximity to said fan and at least two deflectors (18 b) extending from said apex (18 a) toward a respective shorter side wall (5 b) of said fan chamber (5) in a direction toward opposite longer ones of the side walls (8) of said fan chamber (5).

10. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the outer housing (3) and the inner housing (4) have parallel side walls (8) and parallel bottom walls (13 a); and the air inlet (6) of said fan chamber (5) is located at a bottom wall (5 c) of the fan chamber (5) and below an entry point for ambient air into the outer housing (3).

11. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein an entry point for air into said food tray (10) is located above the air outlet (7) of said fan chamber (5).

12. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein respective first and second air flow directions (AF 1 , AF 2) in the respective first and second air flow paths (15 , 16) are antiparallel.

13. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the fan chamber (5) is located below said food tray (10), the first air flow (AF 1) enters from outside of said outer housing (3) via openings (3 a) through sides of the outer housing located along a width and length thereof, and flows between the outer housing and the inner housing to the air inlet of the fan chamber which faces a bottom of the outer housing.

14. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the food tray (10) comprises the leak-proof outer tray (12) and an inner tray (13), said inner tray (13) being suspended or suspendable within said outer tray (12) and having a number of openings (13 b) at least in a bottom wall (13 a) thereof.

15. The device (1) according to claim 14 , further comprising a third air flow path for guiding a third air flow (AF 4) is defined between at least one of a side wall or a bottom wall (13 a) of said inner tray (13) and at least one of a side wall or a bottom wall (12 c) of said outer tray (12), said third air flow (AF 4) is a continuation in part of said second air flow (AF 2), and said third air flow (AF 4) flows in an opposite direction to said second air flow (AF 2) on opposite sides of the side wall of the outer tray (12).

16. The device (1) according to claim 15 , wherein the outer tray (12) comprises, at the bottom wall (12 c) thereof a deflecting element (12 b) for forcing said third air flow (AF 4) upwards through said openings (13 b).

17. The device (1) according to claim 16 , wherein a first angle between the side walls and the bottom wall (13 a) of the inner tray (13) differs from a second angle between the side walls and the bottom wall (12 c) of the outer tray (12), said second angle being greater than said first angle.

18. The device (1) according to claim 17 , wherein at least one plate-shaped divider element (14) is provided for partitioning said inner tray (13).

19. The device (1) according to claim 18 , wherein at least the inner tray (13) is separated or separable into a plurality of individual tray units (13 . 1 , 13 . 2).

20. The device (1) according to claim 19 , wherein said second air flow path (16) opens to an environment of the device (1).

21. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the food tray (10) has series of openings (13 c , 13 d) along an upper edge thereof that are adapted to let one of the air flows (AF 2 , AF 3) pass into said space (11), a first series of said openings (13 c) being arranged below a second series of said openings (13 d), and said openings (13 c) in said first series of openings have a bigger dimension or opening surface than said openings (13 d) in said second series of openings.

22. The device (1) according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor (17) configured to control at least one of the heating element (9) or the fan (5 a) depending on a temperature in or near said space (11).

23. The device (1) according to claim 22 , wherein said temperature sensor (17) is located in a vicinity of the heating element within the second air flow.

24. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein the heating element (9) is a ribbed heating element (9).

25. The device (1) according to claim 1 , wherein at least the inner housing (4), the outer housing (3), the food tray (10) and the fan chamber (5) are of symmetrical form relative to a median vertical plane (MP) of the device (1).

26. The device (1) according to claim 1 , further comprising electronic or electric components (19) located outside at least one of said inner housing (4) or outside said outer housing (3).

27. A device (1) for storing food products (2) at a hot temperature, comprising: an outer housing (3); an inner housing (4), said inner housing (4) is at least partially contained inside said outer housing (3); a fan chamber (5) defined within said inner housing (4), said fan chamber (5) having at least one air inlet (6) and one air outlet (7); a fan (5 a) located inside said fan chamber (5); at least one heating element (9) installed in a vicinity of said fan chamber (5); and at least one food tray (10) defining a space (11) that is configured to hold the food products (2) inside said food tray (10); wherein a first air flow path (15) for guiding a first air flow (AF 1) is defined via openings (3 a) in the outer housing (3) for a non-recirculating air flow from an outside of said outer housing (3) to the air inlet (6) of said fan chamber (5), said first flow path (15) extending between said outer housing (3) and said inner housing (4); and a second air flow path (16) for guiding a second air flow (AF 2) is defined from the air outlet (7) of said fan chamber (5) to said space (11) inside said at least one food tray (10); the at least one heating element (9) is located in said second air flow path (16); the at least one food tray (10) comprises a leak-proof outer tray (12) and an inner tray (13), said inner tray (13) being suspended within said outer tray (12) and having a number of openings (13 b) at least in a bottom wall (13 a) thereof; the second air flow path extends between said inner housing and the leak-proof outer tray (12) of the at least one food tray (10) to enter the space (11) from above; and a third air flow path for guiding a third air flow (AF 4) is defined between at least one of a side wall or a bottom wall (13 a) of said inner tray (13) and at least one of a side wall or a bottom wall (12 c) of said outer tray (12), said third air flow (AF 4) is a continuation in part of said second air flow (AF 2), and said third air flow (AF 4) flows in an opposite direction to said second air flow (AF 2) on opposite sides of the side wall of the outer tray (12).

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