Patent ID: 7488919

Claim:
A warmer drawer, comprising: an enclosure defining a chamber and having an opening; a movable portion configured to be reciprocally moved within the chamber; a heating element configured to provide heat to the chamber; a user interface configured to receive input from a user for controlling operation of the warmer drawer; an IR scanning sensor to provide a signal representative of a temperature of an object in the chamber; and an electronic control system interfacing with the heating element, and the user interface and the sensor and operable to control a supply of electrical power in a continuous and regulated manner to the heating element during operation of the warmer drawer; wherein the IR scanning sensor collects energy radiated from the object and generates an electrical signal, and wherein the electronic control system receives the signal from the IR scanning sensor and adjusts the heat from the heating element, and wherein the electronic control system receives the signal from the IR scanning sensor and compensates for the ambient temperature and emissivity within a fraction of a second after a user places the object into the chamber.