Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5144112?dq=patent:7076806
Timestamp: 2017-05-24 02:03:20
Document Index: 787375879

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100', 'art 100']

Patent US5144112 - Food service indication system - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA food service process including a hot food dish and an insulated dome. Hot food is served onto the dish, the dome set over the dish, and the dome covered hot food dish is delivered to the intended consumer. A thermochromic member disposed in a heat conductive sleeve is mounted in the lift knob of the...http://www.google.com/patents/US5144112?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5144112 - Food service indication systemAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS5144112 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 07/756,800Publication dateSep 1, 1992Filing dateSep 9, 1991Priority dateAug 15, 1989Fee statusLapsedPublication number07756800, 756800, US 5144112 A, US 5144112A, US-A-5144112, US5144112 A, US5144112AInventorsW. Burk Wyatt, Kevin B. Cundiff, Kenneth R. Little, Jr.Original AssigneeAladdin Synergetics, IncorporatedExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (25), Non-Patent Citations (12), Referenced by (46), Classifications (18), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetFood service indication system
US 5144112 AAbstract
A food service process including a hot food dish and an insulated dome. Hot food is served onto the dish, the dome set over the dish, and the dome covered hot food dish is delivered to the intended consumer. A thermochromic member disposed in a heat conductive sleeve is mounted in the lift knob of the dome. Thus, without lifting the dome, the server and/or the consumer can readily determine from the color of the member whether the covered food is still at a safe heating temperature. In an alternative process, the dome is first preheated and then placed over the plate of hot food. Then similarly, after the plated food is transported to a different location and delivered for consumption, the server and/or the consumer can determine from the color of the thermochromic member whether the food is still at a safe temperature for consumption.
1. A food service process, said process comprising the steps of:providing a plate of hot food; providing a dome having a solid core thermochromic member and a heat conductive sleeve surrounding the member embedded within a top surface of the dome; covering the plate of hot food with the dome; transporting the dome covered plate to a different location for consumption; at the different location, observing the color of the thermochromic member; and determining from the observed color whether the plated food is at a suitable hot temperature for consumption. 2. The process of claim 1 further comprising, before said observing step, heating the dome and placing the heated dome over the heated food.
3. The process of claim 1 further comprising, from the indicator color, deciding whether the heated food is in a safe heating zone.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein said determining step is by the server of the food.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein said determining step is by the intended consumer of the food.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein said observing step is at least fifteen minutes after said covering step.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein said observing step is at least twenty-five minutes after said covering step.
8. The process of claim 1 further comprising before said covering step, preheating the dome to approximately at least 130° F.
9. The process of claim 1 wherein said observing step comprises observing from directly above the dome the color of the thermochromic member.
10. A food service process comprising the steps of:providing a plate of hot food; providing a dome having a solid core thermochromic member and a heat conductive sleeve surrounding the member embedded within a top surface of the dome; heating the dome; covering the plate of hot food with the heated dome; transporting the dome covered plate to a different location; at the different location, observing the color of the thermochromic member; and determining from the observed color whether the plated food is at a suitable hot temperature for consumption. 11. The process of claim 10 wherein said determining step is performed by the server of the food.
12. The process of claim 10 wherein said determining step is performed by the intended consumer of the food.
13. The process of claim 10 wherein said observing step is at least fifteen minutes after said covering step.
14. The process of claim 10 wherein said observing step is at least twenty-five minutes after said covering step.
15. The process of claim 10 wherein said heating step heats the dome to approximately at least 130° F.
16. The process of claim 10 wherein said observing step comprises observing from directly above the dome the color of the thermochromic member.
This is a divisional of copending application Ser. No. 07/567,361, filed Aug. 15, 1990, which is a continuation-in-part of copending applications Ser. No. 07/394,204 ('204), filed Aug. 15, 1989, Ser. No. 07/471,483 ('483), filed Jan. 29, 1990, and Ser. No. 07/541,129, filed Jun. 20, 1990, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of the '204 and the '483 applications. These applications and any other applications, patents or other publications mentioned anywhere in this disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
A rethermalization system is a food service system wherein food is cooked or precooked and then chilled in bulk. The food is divided in individual portions and stored in a chilled state until it is reheated. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines specify that the chilled and stored temperature most be 40° F. or less. A short time before the food is served, the food which is to be served hot is brought to a safe reheated temperature; that is, it is rethermalized. FDA guidelines specify that a safe reheating temperature is 165° F. or greater.
Another very recent system is the Temp Rite II Excel System, also available from Aladdin Synergetics, Inc. and disclosed at least in part in the '204 application. It is basically a cafeteria pellet system which utilizes separate hot dishes having separate insulated covers or domes. This system includes a unique separate heating pad arrangement. Each pad is a modular unit and can be replaced if necessary without replacing the other pads on the same tray extrusion. Each pad further incorporates two circuits--a low wattage primary and a higher wattage secondary--which allow for the heating over a wide range and combination of different food densities. A dome sensing magnetic switch determines the presence or absence of the insulated dome over the pad. If the dome is present the pad will be activated to permit heating of the food at the desired time. If the operator wants to keep certain foods cold, the dome can be removed for preventing activation of the pad. Other examples of food service rethermalization systems wherein the heating elements are incorporated into shelves within the service carts are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,346,756 and 4,323,110.
The trays, after they have been plated up and covered in the passive system or rethermalized in the active system, are then transported to the location of the intended consumers and may wait twenty, thirty or more minutes before they are actually served or consumed. In satelliting operations the carts and thus trays may also be transported outside where their temperature can be affected by the hot or cold environment. Since the FDA requires that hot food to be edible and safe must be in a safe zone of at least 140° F., the nurse, hostess or other server must at least spot probe the food with some type of device, such as a thermocouple or a thermometer, to determine whether it is not enough. In other words, he or she must lift the cover and stick a food thermometer into the food to spot check to make sure that the meals are still hot. As can be appreciated, this is not only a time consuming and cumbersome process but has sanitation aspects to it as well.
Directed to achieving these objects two improved food service indicator systems are herein provided. Both include effective, convenient non-electrical temperature indicators which provide immediate indications of whether the food service system or one or more aspects thereof is at a proper temperature. The first is a unique adaptation of the Temp Rite II Excel rethermalization cart. Each of the heating pads thereof is constructed to have mounted therein, in the forward or nose portion thereof, a dowel of thermochromic material especially adapted, chosen and mounted within a metal heat conductive sleeve. When the heating unit has reached a certain temperature, such as 150° F., the dowel member changes color, such as from dark blue to bright orange. The sleeve provides an efficient heat conductive structure allowing the dowel to be more completely heated by the heating unit (or heated food). The dowel is hollow and open at both ends and is positioned so that the light bulb therein when lit shines through it. That is, the rethermalization cart has at each food tray positioned therein a pair of electrical heater pads positioned to controllably heat separate food servings on a food tray positioned in the cart. Mounted in each pad is a hollow dowel of thermochromic material and surrounded by a heat conductive sleeve. The color of the material is readily visible from outside of the cart to indicate whether the food associated with that pad is safely heated. A light bulb is connected to the electrical heating circuit of the pad so that when the circuit is "on" the bulb is lit. When lit, the bulb shines through the hollow dowel. The cart, when in position in the refrigerator unit, is plugged into an electrical receptacle in the unit. When the cart is moved in or out of the unit to access the trays, the cart becomes unplugged. Although the light bulb is thereby extinguished, if lit, the thermochromic dowel still indicates by its color the thermal condition of the food.
A rethermalization cart of the present invention is shown generally at 100 in FIG. 1, and represents a Temp Rite II Excel cart, modified with the heat indication system of the present invention. This cart includes a wheeled base shown generally at 102, a pair of side (or front) upright panels shown generally at 104 and 106, at least one having a handle 108, and a rounded dome top shown at 110. Both the front and back (or sides) are open providing access from both sides to the interior of the cart 100. A plurality of vertically spaced shelf locations are defined at both open sides of the cart 100 for insertion and removal of covered food service trays 112 (FIG. 2). Examples of trays 112 are usable in this cart are disclosed in the parent applications, and examples of food service dishes which can be used on the tray of this system are those disclosed in the '483 application.
One of the heater element assembly bars assemblies of this cart 100 is shown in isolation in FIG. 4 generally at 116. It includes a T-shaped heater element support bar 118 with electrical connections 120 at an end thereof and cantilevered heater modules or heating pads 122, 124, 126, 128 projecting in both directions out from the bar. The pads 122, 124, 126, 128 are essentially of the same construction on each side of the bar 118, one (122 and 126) being larger than the other (124 and 128) to accommodate a single large hot food plate and a smaller hot food plate on each tray. One of these heater pads 122 is shown in isolation and in perspective in FIG. 5 and a cross-section thereof is shown in FIG. 6. The pad 122 has a top heating element or metal heater plate 129 and electrical pins 130 at its rear end providing electrical connection with wiring in the support bar 118. While the plates 129 of the larger entree pads 122, 126 are heated to 220° to 240°, the plates of the smaller soup pads 124, 128 are heated to 240° to 280°.
Referring to FIGS. 4-6, despite the previously-discussed problems with the light bulb 132 it remains in the preferred heater pad design to give an instantaneous diagnostic determination of whether the heater is functioning properly. Mounted in the front nose 134 of each pad 122 and surrounding the bulb 132, however, is a dowel 136 of resin or plastic thermochromic material enclosed within a heat conductive sleeve 138. The dowel 136 is hollow and open at both ends, and the light bulb 132 is positioned therein to shine out the end 140 thereof. The dowel 136 is approximately 0.5 (or 0.87 or 0.75) inch long, has an inner diameter of 0.125 inch and an outer diameter of approximately 0.255 inch. A preferred dowel material is Type 47 MA-013-X Chromic AS, #2G (blue or orange), MA013X ABS material, which starts changing color at 111.2° F. and is completely orange at 136.4°. Examples of other thermochromic, visual temperature indicating materials and applications thereof are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,692,012, 2,710,274, 3,219,993, 3,701,344, 4,137,769, 4,270,039, 4,591,692, 4,620,941, 4,805,188 and 4,846,475. Further examples of known uses of thermochromic materials are those actuated by body heat such as the "mood rings" and those used in certain stress tests as on children's foreheads or which are held in the hand, and those used in some necklaces sold at theme parks. Another example is a known doll provided with these different materials in her face and an applicator which can be dipped in cold water and touched against the doll's face at various areas thereof to turn it various colors.
The sleeve 138 in turn has the same length dimensions as the dowel 136, a thickness of approximately 0.04 inch, an inside diameter of approximately 0.25 inch and is formed out of aluminum. The dimensions and construction of the sleeve 138 are important. The thicker the sleeve 138, the longer it takes to conduct the heat and thus the color indicated timing of the dowel 136 can be delayed. When the metal is thicker, however, it retains the heat longer thereby acting as a storage battery. The thickness(es) of the sleeve 138 will then be selected to match the desired temperature range for the rethermalization temperature indication system. The sleeve 138 efficiently conducts heat from the heating element of the pad(s) 122 to the dowel 136 and thereby provides for use over an increased heat range. The sleeve 138 can also preferably be provided with a small extension 139 so that it actually touches the heating element (129) of its pad and thereby provides an extra conductivity path. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, extension 139 is an aluminum or other metal piece formed separately or integrally with the sleeve 138 and making physical contact with the bottom edge of the metal heater plate. The plastic structure of the heater pads 122 acts as an insulator and does not efficiently conduct the heat to the dowel 136. For example, if the cart 100 (with dowels 136 and without the sleeves 138) is transported outside on a hot summer day or is otherwise in a hot environment the dowel can be heated to a temperature such as 90° or 95° which could cause it to assume a hot zone color thereby providing a false indication that the heater pad (122) had been heated. The sleeve 138 allows for a dowel 136 to have a higher temperature range and to still properly change its colors within the needed time period. The sleeve's primary function is to distribute the desired temperature evenly through the indicator dowel 136. For example, without the sleeve 138, the inside or back part of the dowel 136 (left end in FIG. 6) turns bright orange due to the heating of the plate but the visible or front part (right end in FIG. 6) remains black due to the ambient temperature of the refrigerator. With the sleeve, however, the entire dowel will be bright orange under the previous circumstances. The sleeve also allows the dowel to keep its orange color for a longer period of time.
A similar dowel 200 and sleeve 202 arrangement built into the knob 204 of the insulated dome 206 protectively covering the hot food plate 208, as shown in FIG. 7, provides a quick and reliable answer to that question. The server or intended consumer can quickly determine without lifting the dome 206 or sticking any instrument (not shown) into the food 210 whether the food is still at a proper hot temperature by noting the color of the indicator dowel. This dowel 200 is not hollow open like dowel 136 since there is no light (132), but rather preferably is a solid member. This dome indicator technology can also be adapted to indicated that the chilled food plates are still in a chilled condition, such as below 40° F.
Thus, after the meal has been heated, the cart 100 pulled out of the refrigerator and taken up the hall where it sits for twenty or thirty minutes, the nurse, server or hostess can pull the tray out, spot check the tops of the dome(s) 206 on the tray and immediately determine whether the meal is still hot or whether it has been sitting too long. If the dowel 200 in the dome 206 is black or dark blue then the food is below 140° and is not safe for eating. It has been sitting too long and is thus not delivered to the patient. The meal may also have been sitting in the patient's room for a while after having been delivered thereto before he eats it. The patient or consumer, once he has become aware of this new technology, can also by himself and without any equipment determine whether his meal is still safe to heat.
The rethermalization cart 100 design also provides for easy trouble shooting of a cart. The cart is first loaded with trays 112 with switch actuating covers, or the trays with the switches thereon actuated as shown in the '129 application. The carts are inserted into the refrigerator unit such as 150, the test switch is pushed and the test conducted for about five minutes. The cart 100 is then removed from the rethermalization unit and the nose 134 of each of the heater pads 122 is observed to determine quickly and without touching the heater elements whether the pads are good or bad (and what speed they are working at). The pads 122 need not be observed immediately since after removing the cart from the unit or after disconnecting it or after the completion of the cycle there will be sufficient residual heat in the pad for approximately twenty minutes to provide a visual temperature indication.
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KGThermally insulated vessel with a lidWO2002000920A2Jun 25, 2001Jan 3, 2002Segan Industries, Inc.Ingestibles possessing intrinsic color changeWO2002101345A1 *Jun 12, 2002Dec 19, 2002Sena Kim ATemperature-indicating disposable lid for beverage container* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification219/386, 374/162, 219/506International ClassificationA23L3/365, A47J39/00, B65D81/38, H05B3/68Cooperative ClassificationB65D81/3825, H05B2213/07, A47B2031/002, A47J39/006, H05B2213/04, A23L3/365, H05B3/68European ClassificationA47J39/00B, H05B3/68, A23L3/365, B65D81/38CLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionApr 9, 1996REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedSep 1, 1996LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesNov 12, 1996FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 19960904Jan 14, 1997ASAssignmentOwner name: HARRIS TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK, ILLINOISFree format text: PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:ALADDIN INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED;REEL/FRAME:008442/0540Effective date: 19961023Oct 7, 1998ASAssignmentOwner name: ALADDIN INDUSTRIES, INC., TENNESSEEFree format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT RELEASE;ASSIGNOR:HARRIS TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK;REEL/FRAME:009500/0800Effective date: 19961023RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services