Abstract:
An apparatus and method that maintains an optional heated environment in addition to a humid environment in an interior thereof such that one or more edible items may be stored therein with properties of the one or more edible items maintained in a desirable state.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/143,675, filed Jan. 9, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the invention 
     The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method to store one or more edible items, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method that maintains a humid environment in an interior of the apparatus such that the one or more edible items may be stored therein with properties of the edible item, such as moisture and temperature, maintained in a desirable state. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Currently available traditional devices are manufactured by Nestle™ and Pillsbury™. One type of traditional device may be found in commercial locations, such as airports and convenience stores, and maintains cellophane-packaged edible items, such as cookies, in a large, two-tiered warmer. The cellophane is provided in addition to the actual device itself and acts to retain any moisture in the edible items in attempt to prevent undesirable intense dryness of the edible items. 
     This type of traditional device is problematic at least for the reason that it is especially inconvenient for a consumer to attempt to maintain edible items in cellophane or sealable plastic bags. The consumer must have the forethought to purchase and have the cellophane or sealable plastic bags available, and then must individually wrap and seal each of the edible items in attempt to reproduce the environment necessary to maintain a preferred state of the edible item. 
     This type of traditional device is additionally problematic when attempting to use it in a noncommercial environment such as a home. While the device may be made smaller, the intense heat generated by the device in attempt to keep the edible items warm, causes the edible items to dry out sooner. Consequently, the traditional device is inappropriate for noncommercial and limited to high-use, commercial applications. 
     Accordingly, there is a demand being for an apparatus and method for moisturizing food that maintains and/or increases a warmth and/or moisture of edible items, such as cookies, without requiring cellophane, sealable plastic bags, or other wraps, and is appropriate for high and/or low usage applications and prevents drying out of edible items. 
     Moreover, there is also a demand for a heating apparatus and method for increasing and/or maintaining warmth and moisture of edible items, the apparatus and method being easy to use, economically priced, and non-obstructively sized and shaped for ideal use on a home counter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present general inventive concept provides an apparatus and method that maintains a humid environment in an interior thereof such that one or more edible items may be stored therein with properties of the one or more edible items maintained in a desirable state. 
     The present general inventive concept also provides an apparatus and method that maintains an optional heated environment in addition to a humid environment in an interior thereof such that one or more edible items may be stored therein with properties of the one or more edible items maintained in a desirable state. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing an apparatus with a water tray that combines three functions: serving, optional warming, and storage such that an edible item may be enclosed therein and heated in a humid environment via a water element and a heat element to maintain or improve moistness of edible items, such as bakery-type goods, placed within the present general inventive concept. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may further be achieved by providing an apparatus with an ability to serve warm edible items, such as cookies, on a counter out of an enclosed server for extended periods such that a user is not required to continually warm cookies in an oven or microwave to achieve the same results, but can dry out the cookies, which is prevented by the present general inventive concept. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may further be achieved by providing an apparatus that can display edible items under clear acrylic where the edge of the clear acrylic meets a ceramic or stoneware surface on an aluminum, heat-diffusing tray and forms a sealing gasket therebetween to keep food fresh. The present general inventive concept may also be used to keep rolls, pastries, biscuits, and the like for days or up to a week. Thus, if the user is not using the present general inventive concept to heat, they can simply store and display edible items within the present general inventive concept. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may further be achieved by providing an apparatus having a heat-diffusing tray of a plurality of layers including a first lower metal layer, e.g., aluminum, to diffuse heat received from below the tray, and a second upper ceramic or stone layer to conduct, retain, and distribute heat received from the first lower metal layer so that bakery-type goods sitting on the second upper ceramic layer may be maintained at a desirable temperature such as 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may further be achieved by providing an apparatus that is heated by one electrical coil below a ceramic tray to diffuse heat underneath to provide a more uniform heating. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may further be achieved by providing an apparatus with a concealed heating element to prevent contact of the heating element with the user or water contained within a water reservoir, thereby increasing the safety of the present general inventive concept. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may further be achieved by providing an enclosed, vented air space that is heated to provide a heated environment of approximately 100-115 degrees Fahrenheit with a water climate to humidify the good. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may further be achieved by providing a food-moisturizing apparatus including an enclosable space having (i) a lower support surface, (ii) side panels, and (iii) an upper removable panel that define the enclosable space, and a moisturizing element on the support surface to contain a substance therein having an evaporative characteristic such that the moisturizing element may increase moisture within the enclosable space of the apparatus. 
     The moisturizing element may be removable from the lower support surface and may be nestable on the lower support surface. 
     The moisturizing element may be securable on the lower support surface by a circumferential ridge. 
     The upper removable panel may be hinged to a rear panel. 
     The food-moisturizing apparatus may include a heating element located in another enclosable space beneath the enclosable space. 
     The lower support surface may include a tray with a removable heat diffusing element nested therein that diffuses heat received from the heating element. 
     The upper removable panel may include an exhaust vent to permit gas to escape from the enclosable space. 
     The heating element may include a controller to activate and deactivate the heating element and/or to permit a user to select one of a plurality of temperatures for operation of the heating element such as high heat, medium heat, and low heat, or a specific temperature within a temperature range. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may further be achieved by providing a method of maintain food moisture in an apparatus, the method including providing an apparatus having an enclosable space defined by (i) a lower support surface, (ii) side panels, and (iii) an upper removable panel, and providing a moist environment in the enclosable space using a moisturizing element oriented on the support surface with a substance therein having an evaporative characteristic such that moisture of food placed within the enclosable space may be maintained. 
     Additional aspect and advantages of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front elevational, exploded view of a food-moisturizing apparatus with a water tray warmed by a heat coil and a steam vent to exhaust steam produced from heated water. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front elevational, exploded view of a food-moisturizing apparatus with a water tray without a heat coil and a steam vent. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept. The present general inventive concept comprises a liner apparatus and method for faucets and the like. 
     The present general inventive concept generally comprises an apparatus  1  having a lower base element  10  and an upper lid element  30  to selectively completely enclose the apparatus  1 . 
     The base element  10  is substantially flat with a plurality of legs  12  and  13 . Although just two legs  12  and  13  are illustrated in  FIG. 1 , it is foreseen that the apparatus  1  may have at least three and preferable four legs, one at each of four corners of the apparatus  1 . 
     Also contained on the base  10  is a power OFF/ON switch  15  to control power supplied to a heat coil  50 . A standard temperature without such an adjustment setting is 100-115 degrees and preferably 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit. The power switch provides either AC or DC power to the apparatus  1 . 
     It is foreseen that the power switch  15  may have a temperature adjustment setting such as high, medium, and/or low to enable a user to control the amount of power supplied to the heat coil  50 , thereby controlling a temperature within an interior of the apparatus  1 . A high, medium, and or low temperature is respectively 100, 107.5, and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the heat coil  50  is a single coil that extends into and out of a rear wall of the base  10  via a plurality of apertures, i.e., two apertures  11 , to form a substantially elongated “O” shape to facilitate even distribution of heat within the interior of the apparatus  1 . The heat coil  50  is embedded into an inner cavity  16  of the base  10  such that a heat diffusing tray  70  may rest on and be supported by side walls  17 A,  17 B,  17 C, and  17 D of the base  10 . 
     Specifically, the tray  70  has a plurality of edges  77 A,  77 B,  77 C, and  77 D that are sized and shaped to nest on upper edges of side walls  17 A,  17 B,  17 C, and  17 D to securely support the tray  70  nested on and partially or entirely within base  10 . 
     Although the heat diffusing tray  70  is manufactured from aluminum in the preferred embodiment, it is foreseen that the tray  70  may be manufactured from a similar metal, plastic, or the like that enables heat to be diffused throughout an area of the tray  70 . 
     The tray  70  supports a ceramic element  80  that nests on and either substantially or entirely within the tray  70 . The ceramic element  80  has handles  72  and  73  situated on either side of the ceramic element  80 . 
     A water reservoir device  90  is situated adjacent to the ceramic element  80  such that a round ceramic dish  91  may be positioned on top of the ceramic element  80 . 
     The dish  91  to hold water abuts a raised area or ridge  92  molded in the ceramic element  80  situated around the dish  91  to securely hold the dish  91  in place. In the preferred embodiment, the dish  91  holds approximately 2-8 cups and preferably 5 cups of water and has an opening at a top of the dish  91  to facilitate refilling of the dish  91 . 
     The water in the dish  91  is heated by the heat coil  90  to produce steam such that, when the lid  30  is closed, the interior of the apparatus  1  may be maintained as a humid environment for any items, such as cookies, cake, bread, and/or the like. 
     The water in the dish  91  must be refilled after a certain amount of time, such as every 24 hours, depending on the temperature setting of the heat coil  50 . 
     It is foreseen that the dish  91  may be equipped with a sensor (not illustrated) to signal when the dish requires refilling of water, such as when a water level of the dish  91  reaches a certain level or when the dish  91  is completely empty. Such a signal could be a visual signal, such as a flashing/solid light on an exterior of the apparatus  1 , such as on the lid  30  and/or adjacent to switch  15 , or the signal may be an audible signal generated from an audible signal generation device. The apparatus  1  may be optional equipped with the light and/or audible signal together or separately. 
     Further, another indicator may be provided via the lid  30  of the present general inventive concept. Specifically, the lid  30  may be constructed from a transparent material, such as plastic, such that the user may observe a water level of the dish  91  by looking through the clear lid  30  to see whether all of the water has evaporated. 
     The preferred material for the ridge  92  is the same ceramic as the element  80  to enable the dish  91  to conduct heat and insulate the dish  91 . This conduction and insulation allows the dish  91  to maintain a heated state for a longer period of time than would be possible if the dish  91  were not surrounded by and nested within ridge  92 . 
     The placement of the water reservoir device  90  at the back of the element  80  is preferable such that the dish  91  may be refilled easily and does not obstruct any items on the element  80  that are being stored thereon. 
     In another embodiment, a water element (not illustrated) may be provided instead of the water reservoir device  90 . The water element may be a drawer in a back wall of apparatus  1 , such as in wall  17 C, that may be pulled out from an open grid above to serve as a humidity element. This would be an option if the surface was plastic rather than ceramic (perhaps for a second, cheaper product option). Both would be positioned away from any coil underneath. 
     The lid  30  encloses the tray  80  of the apparatus  1  and is attached to rear wall  17 C of the tray  80  by hinges  32  and  33 , which engage hinge attachment elements  18  and  19  located on the rear wall of  17 C. 
     The hinges  32  and  33  enable the lid  30  to be opened or closed via handle  35 . 
     Centrally located on the lid  30  is an exhaust vent  37  to allow steam to escape from the apparatus  1 , prevent water condensation, and facilitate circulation of air within the apparatus  1 . It is foreseen that the exhaust vent  37  may be selectively opened or closed to selectively permit steam to escape from the apparatus or be contained therein such that a user may create an ideal environment within the apparatus. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates another embodiment, apparatus  100  without a heat element and heat-related features such as an exhaust vent and power switch. 
     Similar to apparatus  1 , apparatus  100  functions to keep edible items moist and prevent drying out using water reservoir device  90  to contain water. However, instead of heating coil  50  of apparatus  1 , apparatus  100  functions using room temperature, which is approximately 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The room temperature causes water to evaporate, albeit at a slower rate of evaporation relative to heated apparatus  1 , and increase moisture within the apparatus  100  thereby maintaining moisture of edible items stored in apparatus  100 . 
     Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.