Patent ID: 8869683

Claim:
A roller grill for heating a pre-cooked food product, comprising: a housing structure adapted to support the roller grill; a plurality of tubes having outer surfaces adapted to transfer heat to the pre-cooked food product; a plurality of rollers mounted in a row, each roller mounted on an end of a corresponding tube and comprising a plurality of detented projections extending from a circumferential surface of the roller; a drive assembly, comprising: a motor comprising a shaft, the motor adapted to generate rotational power through the shaft at a first rotational speed; and a fan coupled to the motor, the fan and motor mounted in a bottom portion of the housing structure that is positioned beneath the plurality of tubes; a chain coupled to the shaft and contactingly engaged with the detented projections of the plurality of rollers, the chain adapted to transfer the rotational power to the plurality of rollers at a second rotational speed; and an elongated chain guide mounted to the housing structure, the elongated chain guide formed as a continuous serpentine surface that extends across a side portion of this housing above the plurality of rollers, the continuous serpentine surface comprising alternating peaked portions and recessed portions arranged along a length of the elongated chain guide, the peaked portions extending from the housing structure at locations between consecutively mounted rollers in the row of the plurality of rollers and in contacting engagement with the chain to bias the chain in contacting engagement with at least two detented projections of each roller of the plurality of rollers mounted in the row, wherein the fan is positioned to circulate an airflow from an ambient space, through a vent in the bottom portion of the housing, and to the side portion of the housing to cool the chain.