Belted food warming assembly

A belted food warmer assembly is disclosed that includes a housing containing a heated rotating drum, a belt roller, and a belt. The belt is draped over a portion of the heated rotating drum and is configured to hold a flexible food product against the heated drum as the food product rotates with the heated drum.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to food warming assemblies, and more particularly, to a belted food warming assembly with a rotating heated drum.

SUMMARY

A food warmer assembly with a housing, a cylindrically shaped heating drum rotatably mounted within the housing, the heating drum having an outer circumferential surface, a belt roller rotatably mounted within the housing and disposed substantially parallel to the heating drum, wherein the belt roller is movably spaced apart from the heating drum circumferential surface, and a belt looped around the belt roller, wherein the belt is disposed over a top portion of the heating drum circumferential surface and a back portion of the heating drum circumferential surface.

A method for warming a flexible food product including the steps of inserting the food product between a belt and a cylindrically shaped heating drum, wherein the belt is looped around a rotatable belt roller that is movable spaced apart from the heating drum; rotating the heating drum to pull the food product along a top exterior circumferential surface of the heating drum; moving the food product along the heating drum exterior circumferential surface as the heating drum rotates while the food product remains disposed between the heating drum exterior circumferential surface and an exterior surface of the belt; holding the food product against the heating drum exterior circumferential surface by the weight of the belt causing the exterior surface of the belt to maintain contact with the food product; heating an interior of the heating drum with a heater; and warming the food product as it contacts the heating drum exterior circumferential surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This application hereby incorporates by reference U.S. Pat. No. 9,516,883, entitled “Heating Assembly and Method for Tortilla Like Food.”

Referring now to the figures, a warming assembly100for thin bread-like food, such as tortilla, crepes, pita bread, flatbread, thin pancake, and like food, is shown inFIG.1. Such bread-like food is flexible and malleable, and may have a thickness of ¼ inch or less. Such food further has a first surface and an oppositely facing second surface. The surfaces can lie flat on a flat surface or bend to fit the contour of a surface against which it is pressed. For the sake of simplicity, during the following disclosure, this type of food is referred to as a “food product.”

The warming assembly100may be a stand-alone unit configured to be placed on a flat surface, such as a shelf or counter, or may be configured to be placed within an array of food preparation devices within a kitchen. Warming assembly100may include a housing102that may be substantially rectangular, as shown inFIG.1, or that may be any other shape suitable to enclose warming assembly100. Housing102may include a lid104that is removable to allow access to an interior portion of housing102. Lid104may be attached to housing102, such as through a hinge, that allows lid104to pivot away from housing102. Additionally or alternatively, lid104may be completely removed from housing102. Housing102may include a hinged or removable rear panel to allow access to the interior, such as for servicing. Housing102may include a removable side panel to allow access to the interior, such as for servicing the interior components.

Warming assembly100may include an infeed platform106located at a front of housing102. Infeed platform106may generally have a flat top surface108which is sized to allow a food product to be placed flat upon it, and acts as a table upon which the food product can be placed to slide upon as the food product is fed by hand into warming assembly100. Surface108may be dimpled and may be coated with a stick resistant coating such as PTFE or the like to prevent the food product sticking or otherwise textured to allow the food product to easily slide on surface108. Infeed platform106may have edges110to help contain the food product within infeed platform106. Infeed platform106may be angled downward with respect to housing102to aid the food products sliding into housing102. Infeed platform106may be detachable from housing102, such as to allow for cleaning of infeed platform106.

Warming assembly100may include an outfeed platform112located at the bottom of housing102. Outfeed platform112may generally have a flat top surface114which is sized for a food product. Surface114may be coated with a stick resistant coating such as PTFE or the like to prevent food product sticking to the surface and allow the food product to easily slide on surface144. Outfeed platform may be curved, as shown inFIG.1, to aid food products moving away from housing102. The curve may be oriented such that food products move away from the front of housing102. Outfeed platform112may have sides116to help contain the food product within outfeed platform112. Outfeed platform112may be detachable from housing102, such as to allow for cleaning of outfeed platform112.

FIG.2is an isometric view of warming assembly100with portions of the housing102and other internal components removed to allow for a clearer view of the interior of warming assembly100. Warming assembly includes heating drum120located within housing102. Heating drum120may be cylindrically shaped with a curved exterior circumferential surface122that extends along the length of heating drum120. Heating drum120may be metal, for example such as stainless steel, or may any other material that conducts heat. The exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120may be coated with a stick resistant coating such as PTFE or the like to prevent the food product sticking to exterior circumferential surface122. Heating drum120may be rotated by a motor (not shown), which may be a variable speed motor, located within housing102. Heating drum120may rotate counterclockwise, as viewed from the perspective ofFIG.2.

A heater124may be located within heating drum120. Heater124may include a generally U-shaped heating element that extends at least partially the length of heating drum120, or any other type of heating element that is capable of increasing the temperature of heating drum120. Heating drum120may rotate about heater124such that exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120is heated. Exterior circumferential surface122may then transmit heat to a food product that is in contact with exterior circumferential surface122.

Warming assembly100may include a belt126located within housing102. Belt126may be a looped belt that may have a width approximately the same as the horizontal length of heating drum120. Belt126may be looped around a belt roller128, as described below. Belt126may be made of a flexible material, such as fabric, rubber, or plastic, for example. Belt126may be coated with a stick resistant coating such as PTFE or the like to prevent the food product sticking to it.

Belt126may be of sufficient weight such that it will hold down a food product onto the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120. The weight of belt126may cause the food product to bend or flex and conform the shape of the food product to the shape of heating drum120. Conforming the shape of food product to the shape of heating drum120may increase the contact area between the food product and exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120, which may increase the amount of heat transmitted from heating drum120to the food product. Consequentially, the food product may be warmed faster or more thoroughly than if belt126did not hold the food product against heating drum120.

Belt126may serve to contact a food product should the food product separate from the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120and to direct the food product into contact with the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120. This may improve the continuous nature of the heating of the food product by the heating drum120. Belt126may act to maintain a food product in contact with the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120to provide more direct transmission of heat from the heating drum120to the food product.

The belt roller128may be located near an infeed opening130at the front of housing102. Belt roller128may be substantially parallel to heating drum120. Belt roller128may be a generally cylindrical shape. Belt roller128may have a length approximately the same as the horizontal length of heating drum120. Belt roller128may rotate through the rotating action of belt126on belt roller128, such as if the motion of a food product causes belt126to rotate, which in turn causes belt roller128to rotate.

Belt roller128may be located at approximately the two-o'clock position with respect to the end of heating drum120visible inFIG.2, as shown inFIG.2. Alternatively, belt roller128may be located anywhere from the twelve-o'clock position to the three-o'clock position with respect to the end of heating drum120visible inFIG.2.

Belt roller128may be constrained by belt roller side rails132located at the two ends of belt roller128. (Only one belt roller side rail132is shown inFIG.2for clarity.) Belt roller side rails132may allow belt roller128to rotate. Belt roller side rails130may be generally U-shaped brackets with a flat central portion and two short raised edges. Belt roller side rails132may form a channel that constrains the movement of belt roller128in a first direction and allows movement of belt roller128in a second perpendicular direction. Belt roller side rails132may be disposed at an angle within housing102such that the channel formed is perpendicular to the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120, as shown inFIG.2. Belt roller128may be free to float towards and away from the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120, in a generally perpendicular direction, while belt roller128is within belt roller side rails132. In this manner, gravity may cause belt roller128to rest against the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120, but belt roller128may be free to move away from heating drum120if a food product was placed between belt126(which is looped around belt roller128) and the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120. The food product may cause belt roller128to move away from heating drum120when the food product is fed into infeed opening130. The floating nature of belt roller128may accommodate varying thicknesses of food products, so that for thicker food products, the belt roller128(and belt126looped around belt roller128) can move away from the heating drum120. For thinner food products, the belt roller128(and belt126looped around belt roller128) can move toward from the heating drum120.

The weight of belt roller128may press the food product against heating drum120. The rotation of the heating drum120may pull the food product upwards along the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120in a counterclockwise direction. The belt126will separate from the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120as the food product is pulled between belt126and the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120.

The width of warming assembly100and its components, including housing102, heating drum120, belt126, and belt roller128, may vary from approximately 8 inches to about 24 inches. The width may be wide enough to accommodate two or three generally parallel lines of food products, such as tortillas, that are being fed into warming assembly100. The heating drum120diameter may vary from approximately four to nine inches. The diameter of belt roller128may vary from approximately one half to four inches.

FIG.3is a side view of warming assembly100with portions of the housing102and other internal components removed to allow for a clearer view of the interior of warming assembly100.FIG.3shows infeed platform106with edges110, outfeed platform112with sides116, heating drum120, belt126, belt roller128, and belt roller side rails132.

FIG.3shows that belt128may be in contact with the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120. Belt126may be of sufficient length, when it is looped as shown inFIG.3, such that belt126lays on, is draped on, or is in contact with approximately one half the circumference of exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120, as shown inFIG.3. Belt126may lay on the top and back portions of the circumference of exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120(where the back portion of heating drum120is in relation to the front infeed area of housing102and belt roller128). Belt126may also be a shorter length such that is in contact with less than approximately one half the circumference of exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120. The length of belt126may also affect the weight of belt126and the force belt126places on a food product located between belt126and heating drum120. A longer belt126may weigh more, which may apply more force to the food product than a shorter belt126.

FIG.3shows belt guides134. (Only one belt guide134is shown inFIG.3for clarity.) Belt guides134may help guide the travel belt126and ensure that belt126remains straight and centered on heating drum120. Belt guides134may be brackets positioned on the interior of housing102such that only a top half of the looped belt126travels through belt guides134, as shown inFIG.3.

In operation, warming assembly100may heat a food product that is fed into infeed opening130at the front of housing102. The food product may be placed on infeed platform106and slid into infeed opening130. The food product may contact the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120and be pulled into housing102by the counterclockwise rotation of heating drum120. The food product may be pulled between belt126and heating drum120as the food product travels along with the rotation of heating drum120. Belt126may rotate in a clockwise direction (as viewed inFIG.3) due to the friction with the top of the food product as the food product travels with the rotation of heating drum120. The weight of belt126may hold the food product down against the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120along the top and back portions of heating drum120where belt126is in contact with the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120, as shown inFIG.3. The food product may be heated by heating drum120as the food product is in contact with the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120. The food product may separate from the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120when the food product reaches the area where belt126is no longer in contact with the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120. The area where belt126is no longer in contact with the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120is approximately at an eight-o'clock position with respect to the end of heating drum120visible inFIG.3. After the food product separates from the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120, the food product may fall onto outfeed platform112and slide along curved surface114to be discharged from warming assembly100.

Accordingly, the food product travels along the circular path of the exterior circumferential surface122of heating drum120. The malleable and flexible composition of the food product heated by warming assembly100, allows the food product to bend along the curvature of the heating drum120and to travel with the heating drum120without sliding. Preferably the food product maintains the same area of contact against the heating drum120throughout its path from leaving the belt roller128. The pressure applied by belt126against the food product helps to keep the food product in the same position relative to the heating drum120as the heating drum120rotates.

Warming assembly100may include a control and display panel118located at the front of housing102, as shown inFIG.1, to control the operation of warming assembly100. Temperature sensors (not shown), such as high temperature switches, may be located at specific locations, such as in the back area of heating drum120.

While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, it should be understood that the inventions are not so limited, and modifications may be made without departing from the inventions herein. While each embodiment described herein may refer only to certain features and may not specifically refer to every feature described with respect to other embodiments, it should be recognized that the features described herein are interchangeable unless described otherwise, even where no reference is made to a specific feature. It should also be understood that the advantages described above are not necessarily the only advantages of the inventions, and it is not necessarily expected that all of the described advantages will be achieved with every embodiment of the inventions. The scope of the inventions is defined by the appended claims, and all devices and methods that come within the meaning of the claims, either literally or by equivalence, are intended to be embraced therein.