Patent ID: 7971523

Claim:
A food warming apparatus for maintaining previously cooked food portions contained in a plurality of trays in a ready-to-use condition, said plurality of trays including a first tray having a first rim extending outwardly from a first tray opening and a second tray having a second rim extending outwardly from a second tray opening, said food warming apparatus comprising: a cabinet having at least one heating compartment therein, said at least one heating compartment having an upper compartment surface, a lower compartment surface, a first side-wall and a second side-wall; at least one divider removably mounted in said at least one heating compartment, said at least one divider dividing said at least one heating compartment into at least a first sub-compartment and a second sub-compartment; a first support flange disposed on said at least one divider for supporting said first rim of said first tray in said first sub-compartment such that said first tray is suspended above said lower compartment surface, said first support flange including first and second first-flange protrusions that define a first-tray internal position in which said first rim rests on said first support flange between said first and second first-flange protrusions; and a second support flange disposed on said at least one divider for supporting said second rim of said second tray in said second sub-compartment such that said second tray is suspended above said lower compartment surface, said second support flange including first and second second-flange protrusions that define a second-tray internal position in which said second rim rests on said second support flange between said first and second second-flange protrusions.