Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5868195?dq=6981235
Timestamp: 2014-10-02 00:24:47
Document Index: 753692084

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n9', 'arts 22', 'art 22', 'arts 22', 'art 22', 'art 22']

Patent US5868195 - For rapidly rethermalizing refrigerated foods - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA rethermalization system for storage of prepared meals in a refrigerated state, rethermalization of the meals in accordance with a rethermalization program, and maintenance of the rethermalized meal at a desired serving temperature is disclosed. Refrigerated meals are placed within racks in a rethermalization...http://www.google.com/patents/US5868195?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5868195 - For rapidly rethermalizing refrigerated foodsAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5868195 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 07/980,376Publication dateFeb 9, 1999Filing dateNov 23, 1992Priority dateNov 23, 1992Fee statusLapsedAlso published asUS5454427Publication number07980376, 980376, US 5868195 A, US 5868195A, US-A-5868195, US5868195 A, US5868195AInventorsJohn Walker Westbrooks, Jr.Original AssigneeStandex International CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (28), Referenced by (11), Classifications (25), Legal Events (8) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetFor rapidly rethermalizing refrigerated foodsUS 5868195 AAbstract A rethermalization system for storage of prepared meals in a refrigerated state, rethermalization of the meals in accordance with a rethermalization program, and maintenance of the rethermalized meal at a desired serving temperature is disclosed. Refrigerated meals are placed within racks in a rethermalization cart that is retained in a refrigerated area. Beneath the trays are located heater shelves containing one or more heating elements to heat selected food items located on the tray. The carts incorporate controllers which, upon receiving a start signal, provide power to the heater shelves of the cart in accordance with a rethermalization program. The controllers are specially adapted to enable a user to provide various heater shelves on the same cart with different programs to compensate for temperature stratification and warm and cool areas within the refrigerated environment. In an embodiment, the rethermalization program is a three stage rethermalization cycle with the food first heated to a temperature greater than the desired cooking temperature, the food is then maintained at the desired cooking temperature for a period of time and finally, the temperature is reduced and maintained at a desired serving temperature until the tray is removed from the cart or the system is turned off.
I claim: 1. A rethermalization system for rapidly rethermalizing refrigerated foods, for maintaining the foods in refrigerated state until they are rethermalized, and heating certain foods to a desired temperature at a serving time while maintaining certain other foods in a chilled condition comprising:a plurality of trays for supporting food items thereon including food items to be rethermalized; a rethermalization cart for holding a plurality of trays; a plurality of heater shelves, including heaters, disposed in the cart under the trays for selectively rethermalizing desired foods located on the trays; a refrigerator adapted to receive said rethermalization cart for maintaining the food at a desired refrigerated temperature and containing a docking location; and control means and power supply for supplying power to at least one heater according to a rethermalization program such that said heater is maintained within a first temperature range for a first time interval, a second temperature range for a second time interval for cooking said food items at a desired temperature and a third temperature range for a third time interval for maintaining said food item at a desired serving temperature, wherein said first temperature range is higher than the second cooking temperature range of the food item to be rethermalized. 2. The rethermalization system of claim 1 wherein during said second time interval said second temperature range is hotter than the desired serving temperature.
3. The rethermalization system of claim 1 wherein said power supply and control means comprises:a supply of power; first control means for generating a start signal; and second control means connected between said supply of power and said heaters and being responsive to said start signal for supplying and controlling power to said heaters in accordance with said rethermalization program. 4. The rethermalization system of claim 1 wherein said power supply and control means compensates for temperature stratification within said refrigerator by controlling the power to said heaters so that heaters in relatively cooler areas of the refrigerator achieve a higher temperature during at least one of said predetermined time intervals than heaters in relatively warmer areas of the refrigerator.
5. The rethermalization system of claim 1 further comprising cart detection means located at said docking location within said refrigerator for sensing the presence or absence of a rethermalization cart and generating a detect signal when a cart is present, wherein said detect signal is provided to said power supply and control means and said power supply and control means is responsive to said detect signal such that said rethermalization program will not be initiated in the absence of said detect signal.
6. The rethermalization system of claim 1 further comprising outlet means within said refrigerator located at said docking location for providing power and signals to the rethermalization cart located in said docking location.
7. The rethermalization system of claim 1 further comprising said control means located in part on said rethermalization cart, said control means containing said rethermalization program.
8. The rethermalization system of claim 3 wherein said second control means is located on said rethermalization cart.
9. A rethermalization system for rapidly rethermalizing refrigerated foods, for maintaining the foods in a refrigerated state until they are rethermalized, and heating certain foods to a desired temperature at a serving time while maintaining certain other foods in a chilled condition comprising:a refrigerator for maintaining the food at a desired refrigerated temperature and containing a docking location; a rethermalization cart adapted to be received within said docking location of said refrigerator; a plurality of support means disposed within said rethermalization cart for supporting food items, said support means further comprising heater shelves, including heaters; a plurality of food service trays adapted to receive a plurality of food items thereon, including food items to be rethermalized, said food service trays further adapted to be supported within said rethermalization cart by said support means and position food items to be rethermalized over said heaters in conductive heat exchange relationship with said heater shelves of said support means; and control means and power supply for supplying power to at least one heater according to a rethermalization program, said rethermalization program defining at least two temperature ranges at which said heaters are maintained, the first of said two temperature ranges being maintained for a first time interval and the second of said temperature ranges being maintained for a second time interval, said second temperature range corresponding to a desired cooking temperature and said first temperature range being greater than said second temperature range. 10. The rethermalization system of claim 9 wherein said power supply and control means comprises:a supply of power; first control means for generating a start signal; and second control means connected between said supply of power, said first control means and said heaters and being responsive to said start signal for supplying and controlling power to said heaters in accordance with said rethermalization program. 11. The rethermalization system of claim 9 further comprising cart detection means located at said docking location within said refrigerator for sensing the presence or absence of a rethermalization cart and generating a detect signal when a cart is present, wherein said detect signal is provided to said power supply and control means and said power supply and control means is responsive to said detect signal such that said rethermalization program will not be initiated in the absence of said detect signal.
12. The rethermalization system of claim 9 wherein said food service trays further comprise segregated food storage areas, said food storage areas defining hot and cold food storage areas, said hot food storage areas corresponding to locations on said food service trays which coincide with said heaters of said heater shelves.
13. The rethermalization system of claim 9 further comprising said control means located in part on said rethermalization cart, said control means containing said rethermalization program.
14. The rethermalization system of claim 10 wherein said second control means is located on said rethermalization cart.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference now to FIGS. 1A and 1B there is shown a preferred embodiment of the rethermalization system of the present invention. The preferred rethermalization system utilizes a refrigerator 20 into which a desired number of rethermalization carts 22 may be placed; in the embodiment represent by FIGS. 1A and IB a single cart 22 may be placed in the refrigerator 20. Preferably, the carts 22 are located at docking locations within the refrigerator 20. In an alternate embodiment, the refrigerator 20 may be of an institutional type and well known in the art modified to incorporate the features of the present invention and may accommodate multiple rethermalization carts.
In the preferred embodiment, a master controller 34 (FIG. 1A) is provided on the refrigerator 20. This controller 34 is used to monitor the various sensing devices, such as the cart detector 28, the door open switch 30 and the temperature sensor 32 (FIG. 3) in the refrigerator and provide appropriate user feedback on the refrigerator display 36 and LEDs 39 (FIG. 1A). For example, the master controller would monitor the signals from these devices and would analyze the signals according to on-board instructions. These instructions could include provisions for sounding an alarm when the temperature signal from the temperature sensor indicated that the temperature within the refrigerator exceeded a preset limit. Also, the master controller could sound an alarm when the door switch indicates that the door had remained open longer than a preset time. Finally, the signals from the cart detector 28 (FIG.1A) could be used to determine if carts were in place and the control system could provide a display to indicate that status to a user.
Referring now to FIG. 4, the details of master controller 34 (FIG. 1A) may-be described. The primary feature of the master controller 34 is a microcontroller 82. Preferably, the microcontroller 82 is an 8 bit microcontroller such as an 80C31. The schematic of FIG. 4 shows the associated memory circuitry of microcontroller 82. Integrated circuit 84 is a 16 bit PROM chip which contains the necessary software for providing the control features of the master controller 34. Since the microcontroller 82 is an 8 bit device and the PROM 84 is a 16 bit device, a latch 86 allows for the proper communication between the microcontroller 82 and PROM 84. In operation, information from the microcontroller 82 is provided in 8-bit words to the PROM 84. The first 8 bit portion is provided to the latch 86 and the second 8-bit portion is provided directly to the PROM 84. In this manner, both 8 bit portions may be provided, from the latch 86 and microcontroller 82, as a 16-bit word to the PROM 84. The numbers from the electrical connections adjacent the integrated circuits represent the standard pin numbers from the various integrated circuits throughout the figures while the designations such as PO.O indicates the port number of the microcontroller before the decimal and the bit number following the decimal (for example, PO.O would indicate bit O of port O). Pin number 29 from the microcontroller 82 provides the appropriate logic to the PROM 84 to control the read/write functions of the PROM 84.
Pin 3 from the microcontroller 82 represents the display output from the microcontroller 82 to the display driver 90. The display driver 90 drives the various displays associated with the master controller 34 and located on the control panel 36 (FIG. 1A). The display driver 90 operates four discrete LEDs 92, 94, 96 and 98, and four digit displays 100, 102, 104 and 106, according to the signal from the microcontroller 82. Various clocks having on-board RAM, display drivers, discreet LED's and digit displays are readily available for use in the present invention and may be substituted freely by those skilled in the art.
Referring now to FIGS. 12 through 15, the heater control circuit may be described in detail. With respect to FIG. 12, the power control functions of the heater circuitry may be described. Initially, as indicated at the left of the drawings in FIGS. 12 through 15, the indication 236 represents a microcontroller located on the circuit board 170 (FIG. 11). The preferred microcontroller 236 for use in the heater control circuitry is an 8 bit, 68HC11 microcontroller which may be made by a variety of companies. With reference to FIG. 12, the circuitry 238 shown at the top of the sheet pertains primarily to providing power to the microcontroller 236 and the associated integrated circuits which require power to operate, from the power supply 154 located on the rethermalization cart 22 as shown in FIG. 9. The power from lines 164 and 166 provide 14 V DC rails which are processed through a voltage regulator 244 to provide 5 V DC power for the microcontroller 236. As was the case with respect to FIG'S. 4-6 the standard pin numbers are shown with respect to the various integrated circuits. The input power for the microcontroller 236 is input to the microcontroller at pins 48 and 23 as indicated in the drawing. Additionally, the zero crossing signal previously described with respect to the power supply located on the cart 22 is provided through line 168 to pin 41 of the microcontroller 236 which is the IRQ input for the microcontroller 236. As indicated at pin 40 of the microcontroller 236, the XIRQ input is tied high through a resistor.
The control logic is provided to triacs 254, 256, 258 and 260 which control the supply of power to the heaters, and the power in from the 208 Volt AC rails by lines 176 and 178 of FIG. 12, is supplied to the triacs. Power out to one heater (such as heater 184 of FIG. 11) is controlled by triac 254 and is output through line 190 to the heater. As was previously described with respect to the rethermalization cart, one line from the 208 Volt AC three line input would be provided at 178 while a neutral line would be provided to each of the heaters. With respect to the second heater (such as heater 186 of FIG. 11), triac 256 would supply power from the same 120 V rail previously described with respect to triac 254 to the second heater through line 188 according to the logic provided by the microcontroller 236. Movistors 262, 264, 266 and 268 serve to suppress transient voltages caused by variations in power to the heaters.
Referring now FIG. 15, the remaining features of the second control system may be described. Junctions 298, 300, 302, 304, 306, 308 and 310 represent inputs from the electronic switches located at the heater shelves previously described with respect to FIG. 11. The input at junction 300 would represent the common input which completes the circuit with all of the switches. The input at junction 298 would correspond to the input from a master switch on a particular shelf which would serve to disable or enable both heaters located on a given shelf. The input at junctions 302 and 304 would correspond to switches used to manually enable or disable the individual heaters of a given shelf. The inputs at junctions 306, 308 and 310 would represent the inputs from switches corresponding to the second heater shelf controlled by the second control system 170 (FIG. 11). For example, the input at junction 304 could correspond to the shelf switch which enables or disables the entire heater shelf, while the inputs at junctions 306 and 308 would represent the switches for the individual heaters located on that shelf. In the preferred embodiment, the shelf switches which would be input at junctions 298 and 304 are not included and thus, these inputs could be tied to a common line as indicated in FIG. 11.
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systemsUS20110030401 *Dec 11, 2007Feb 10, 2011Sang-Oh KimRefrigerator having wiring arrangement using integrated wiring modules* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification165/267, 99/468, 165/919, 165/64, 219/386, 99/470, 99/483, 165/11.1, 312/236, 165/48.1International ClassificationA47B31/02, A23L3/365, F25D23/12, A47J39/00Cooperative ClassificationY10S165/919, Y10S165/918, A47J39/006, A23L3/365, A47B2031/026, F25D23/12, A47B31/02European ClassificationF25D23/12, A47B31/02, A47J39/00B, A23L3/365Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionMar 29, 2011FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20110209Feb 9, 2011LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesSep 13, 2010REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedAug 7, 2006FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Feb 14, 2002FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jul 13, 1999CCCertificate of correctionJul 15, 1994ASAssignmentOwner name: STANDEX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, NEW HAMPSHIREFree format text: CONFIRMATION & CORRECTION OF PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENT;ASSIGNOR:WESTBROOKS, JOHN WALTER, JR.;REEL/FRAME:007054/0972Effective date: 19940624Nov 29, 1993ASAssignmentOwner name: USECO, TENNESSEEFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WESTBROOKS, JOHN W., JR.;SAHARIAN, ALEX;REEL/FRAME:006783/0695;SIGNING DATES FROM 19931102 TO 19931118RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google