The Vollrath Company, LLC

Anil N Mehta

Ralph M Francis, Jr

Gary L Friederichs

An electric chafer heater for a chafer is disclosed herein. The chafer heater is removably supported by a shelf disposed below a chafing dish. The chafer heater includes a base having a cylindrical bottom portion held within an aperture in the shelf sized for receiving a standard can heater. The chafer heater further includes a resilient member extending upward from the base, and an electric heating assembly coupled to the resilient member opposite the base. The heating assembly has a heating surface positionable above the base by the compression of the resilient member. The heating surface is biased against the chafing dish when the base is supported by the shelf to provide a thermal interface to transfer heat between the heating surface and the chafing dish. The heating assembly has variable (e.g., low and high) power settings selected by an input device (e.g., a switch). The heater includes a ballast at the bottom of the base, and a switch which cuts off the flow of electricity to the heating assembly in response to a sensed parameter (e.g., temperature; inclination). A visual indicator may provide an indication when the heating surface exceeds a predetermined temperature.

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Glendale, WI, United States of America

Anil N Mehta