Hatco Corporation

Allan E Witt

John Quella

Gerhard H Wenzel

David Rolston

John P Scanlon

Mark Gilpatric

Louis S Anich, Jr

Kenneth Hays

Mike Majchrzak

William Citti

An induction heating system includes a first heating surface and an induction coil located adjacent the first heating surface. The induction heating system also includes food packaging configured to be placed on the first heating surface. The food packaging contains a current conducting material such that the food packaging is inductively heated to a temperature sufficient to heat food when the induction coil is energized.

Induction heating system

An exemplary embodiment includes a booster water heater for fluids, e.g., water, that has a reservoir for the fluids, at least one electrical heating element extending into the reservoir and a control system for applying an overload voltage to the heating element. In a more preferred embodiment, the booster water heater is used to preheat water in commercial dishwashing applications.

Method and system for reducing response time in booster water heating applications

Food packaging is described herein that is capable of being heated inductively to thereby heat one or more food products.

Food packaging

The present description relates to a food container which comprises at least one opening through which food is moved and a humidity source in fluid contact with an air stream providing humidity to the air stream. The air stream is directed across the opening to form a barrier between the interior of the container and the exterior environment.

Food container

The present invention relates to a system comprising at least one serving dish configured to support food and a power source which comprises at least one portable electrical power generating device. The power source provides power to heat the food.

System and method for warming food

A control system is disclosed for controlling the speed at which an electric motor drives a conveyor to move products through a conveyor oven. The system includes a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of the conveyor oven and a speed adjustment input for selecting a speed setting corresponding to a desired amount of heat to be transferred to the products that move through the conveyor oven. The system also includes a controller having temperature data storage capacity and programmable logic capability. The controller receives input signals from the temperature sensor and the speed adjustment input to perform operations on the stored temperature data and the input signals to provide an output signal to control the speed of the motor according to changes in the temperature of the conveyor oven

Conveyor speed control system for a conveyor oven

A flow heater for a sink heater or rethermalizing system is disclosed. The flow heater includes a flow tube in fluid communication with a fluid receptacle. The flow tube has a heating element that is in conductive communication with the flow tube and helically encircles the flow tube. Fluid flowing through the flow tube is caused by thermal siphoning affects. The flow heater system may be used for sanitizing dishware in a sink or for rethermalizing packaged foods.

Flow heater

An oven device for final finishing of a food item includes an oven housing defining a heating cavity configured to receive at least one food item to be heated, and an upper heating unit within the oven housing above the heating cavity. The upper heating unit includes a heating element that generates radiant heat directed onto the food item in the heating cavity. The oven housing includes at least one reflective panel for distributing radiant heat within the heating cavity. The upper heating element includes a rapidly-heating, high-intensity heating element capable of being cycled on for final finishing of the food item when the food item is received in the heating cavity, and capable of being cycled off when final finishing is not being performed. The final finishing typically includes browning a top surface of the food item, or melting a topping onto the top surface of the food item.

Oven device for rapid heating of food items

An oven device for final finishing of a food item includes an oven housing defining a heating cavity, and an upper heating unit disposed within the oven housing above the heating cavity. The heating cavity is configured to receive at least one food item to be heated by the oven device. The upper heating unit includes an upper heating element. The upper heating unit generates radiant heat which is directed onto the at least one food item when the at least one food item is received in the heating cavity. The upper heating element includes a rapidly-heating, high-intensity heating element capable of being cycled on for final finishing of the at least one food item when the at least one food item is received in the heating cavity, and capable of being cycled off when such final finishing is not being performed. The final finishing typically includes browning a top surface of the food item, or melting a topping onto the top surface of the food item.

A food warming oven for holding and warming food items includes a base, a frame extending upward from the base, and at least one generally transparent heating shelf disposed above the base by the frame. Each shelf is configured to support food items, and each shelf includes a transparent substrate and a transparent resistive coating deposited on the substrate. The food warming oven also includes a power feed electrically coupled to the resistive coating of each transparent heating shelf to heat that shelf and the food items supported by that shelf. Due to the generally transparent nature of each heating shelf, the food items disposed below the heating shelf are viewable from overhead the heating shelf.

Food warming oven with transparent heating shelves

A topless bin for holding and warming food items such as wrapped sandwiches, fries, or breakfast meals, is disclosed herein. The bin includes a base, a base heating element, a pair of side walls and a pair of side heating elements. The base has a horizontal holding surface for supporting the food items being held. The base heating element is thermally coupled to the holding surface such that the food items are warmed thereby. Each side wall has a first portion extending upwardly perpendicular to and at opposite sides of the base, and a second portion extending upwardly at an inclined angle from the first portion. Each side heating element is supported by the second portion of one of the side walls. The inclination is selected to direct heat at an angle from the respective side heating element toward the holding surface such that the food items are also warmed thereby. Thus, the food items are warmed without either an overhead heat source or convected heat from an air stream. The heat sources can also be implemented as infrared heating elements.

Topless holding bin with side heat source

A method and apparatus for controlling the speed at which an AC electric motor drives a conveyor to move food products through a conveyor oven are disclosed herein. The oven includes a housing, electric heating elements mounted within the housing, and a conveyor to move food-carrying baskets adjacent the heating elements. A motor controlled by a speed control circuit moves the conveyor. The speed control circuit includes a rectifier to provide rectified current to the motor, a shunt circuit to bypass the rectifier with a rheostat to set the conveyor speed, a thermostat to monitor oven temperature, and a speed-reducing circuit to introduce additional resistance into the shunt circuit when the oven temperature drops. The thermostat also controls additional heating elements to provide additional heat during high load conditions. If an increase in oven load causes a drop in temperature, the additional heating elements are turned on and the conveyor speed is reduced as the additional resistance is introduced into the shunt circuit. The slower speed gives additional heating time at low oven temperatures. The method and apparatus disclosed herein may also be used with conveyor ovens for non-food products.

Growing community of inventors

Brown Deer, WI, United States of America

Allan E Witt