GB2297147A - Food dispensing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile food dispensing system is characterised by a cabinet (11) having an interior volume (13) for the storage of perishable material (which can be in liquid or solid form) comprising at least one removable divider (14) freely locatable within the interior volume to provide for the division of the interior volume into two or more discrete regions (13A, 13B) at least one such region being adapted for the storage of perishable material at a predetermined temperature. The or each discrete region is adapted to receive one or more trays each bearing a portion of the perishable material. The removable divider forms a thermal insulation divider between a first and a second region. Region (13B) may be heated (as shown) by heating element (15) and fan (16). The divider (14) may be arranged horizontally in the cabinet with a heater element on its upper side and a cooler plate on its lower side. A removable temperature probe may be used for measuring the temperature in the cabinet.

Description

FOOD DISPENSING SYSTEM This invention relates to a food dispensing system. In particular it is concerned with a mobile system for dispensing food in discrete batches where a temperature above, at or below ambient temperature needs to be maintained for at least some if not all of the food in each batch.

In places like cafés, restaurant and other locations where food is prepared and dispensed the kitchens, preparation and eating areas involved are usually close together and food once prepared is to a greater or lesser extent readily provided to consumers. However in an establishment, such as a hospital, or in a system such as arise in passenger aircraft catering food prepared in one place has to be transferred and subsequently dispensed, typically on trays, to individuals or groups of individuals located at distance from the point of preparation and usually at some time after the main part of preparation and cooking has occurred. To ensure that food is effectively transferred in such circumstances a number of requirements must be met.The prepared food, whether hot or cold, needs to be moved from a kitchen or other food preparation area to the location of each consumer while being protected from contamination and deterioration and being maintained within a predetermined temperature range which can be either side of ambient temperature.

Once on location and prior to serving the temperature of the food is appropriately raised (or in some cases lowered) to the temperature at which it is to be consumed.

The prepared food must then be presented to the eater, typically on a tray, along with the necessary eating utensils.

Broadly food dispensing requires that regardless of the method of food preparation or storage for the purpose of serving food to a consumer at least some of the food on the tray will need to be above, at or below, ambient temperature. Meeting this requirement will be discussed hereafter.

Once each tray with its food has been dispensed and the food consumed the tray, along with utensils, and any waste food, need to be readily recovered from each consumer and returned to a service area or kitchen to enable any waste material to be disposed of and the hardware to be cleaned for re-use.

Any dispensing system that is used should be user friendly so as to enable food and utensils to be readily dispensed and recovered without the need to exercise time consuming manual or technical skills. Typically in a hospital nursing staff who frequently have to deal with the provision of meals should be able to use the system readily without significant intrusion into other more critical and specialised functions.

On aircraft relatively large numbers of people need to be supplied with food and thereafter the used trays are recovered by a relatively small number of cabin staff promptly and in a controlled manner.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a food dispensing system characterised by a cabinet having an interior volume for the storage of perishable material (which can be in liquid or solid form or a combination thereof) comprising at least one removable divider freely locatable within the interior volume to provide for the division of the interior volume into two or more discrete regions at least one such region being adapted for the storage of perishable material at a predetermined temperature. Typically the or each discrete region is adapted to receive one or more trays each bearing a portion of the perishable material.

According to a first preferred version of the first aspect of the present invention the removable divider forms a thermal insulation divider between a first and a second region.

According to a second preferred version of the first aspect of the present invention or the first preferred version thereof the first region is adapted to be kept at a higher temperature than ambient by means of heat exchange with a source of heat in the region or in good heat exchange relationship therewith. Typically the source of heat is: a powered heater from which heat is dispensed by heat transfer to a flow of air and subsequent heat transfer from the heated flow of air to the first region; or a powered microwave heater; or an unpowered source of heat such as previously heated material typically in pellet or block form and located in the cabinet in the vicinity of the first region of a tray.

According to a third preferred version of the first aspect of the present invention or any preceding preferred version thereof the second region is adapted to be kept at a lower temperature than ambient by means of heat exchange with a cooler in the vicinity of or otherwise in good heat exchange relationship therewith. Typically the cooler is a powered refrigerating unit adapted to cool a flow of air which is subsequently caused to pass into one or more second region and by subsequent heat transfer from the cooled air to the second region; or an unpowered source of cooling such as previously cooled material typically in block form located in the cabinet on the vicinity of one or more second regions.

According to a fourth preferred version of the first aspect of the present invention or any preceding preferred version thereof there is provided a controller to regulate control of any heating or cooling process for a region of the cabinet. Typically the controller regulates the amount of heating supplied to the first region or regions or the amount of cooling applied to the second region or regions, and/or the rate of change of such heating or cooling.

According to a fifth preferred version of the first aspect of the present invention or any preceding preferred version thereof the divider incorporating a heat exchanger.

According to a sixth preferred version of the first aspect of the present invention or any preceding preferred version thereof the cabinet is adapted for mobile operation.

According to a seventh preferred version of the first aspect of the present invention or any preceding version thereof the cabinet is equipped with means for coupling the cabinet to an external source of power.

According to an eighth preferred version of the first aspect of the present invention or any preceding preferred version thereof there is provided a probe adapted for insertion into perishable material within the cabinet and a display means visible from outside the cabinet representative of a parameter sensed by means of the probe.

Typically the probe is a temperature sensing device and the display means represents temperature.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of a mobile food dispensing trolley of which: Figures 1, 2 and 3 are sectional elevations of, respectively, a first, a second and a third embodiment.

OVEN CHAMBER Figure 1 shows a cabinet 11 having an outer shell 12 surrounding an interior volume 13 for perishable materials in the form of foodstuff in which is located a removable divider 14 to divide the volume 13 into first and second discrete regions 13A, 13B.

Divider 14 is of thermal insulating material and is located vertically within the volume 13. The divider 14 is provided with extending lips to enable the divider to be readily located in complementary slots in the cabinet walls. By means of this form of location the divider 14 can be displaced in the direction of the arrows for location at a pitch distance. The use of a modular pitch distance provides for the use of modular units such as trays of specific size to be loaded into the regions 13A, 13B to make efficient use of the capacity of the volume 13. The trays are located on runners mounted on the cabinet wall and the divider 14.

The volume 13, with or without divider 14 is heated by means of a forced convention heater H made up of heater element 15 past which air can be driven by means of a fan 16 powered by motor 17 so that a heated air flow H' can be set up to flow around discrete region 13B. The heater element 15 and the motor 16 are regulated by way of a controller 18. A control panel 19 located on the outside of the cabinet 11 provide for operation of the controller 18 and a display of parameters such as temperature and heating time. If necessary the controller 18 can be programmed to provide for heating cycles to be followed and regulated automatically when the cabinet is used for regenerative food preparation.

The divider 14 serves to regulate the size of the region 13B so that the region is virtually full when a given capacity for heated material is required so that the energy consumption of heater H is kept to a minimum. With divider 14 in use the volume 13A can be used to store perishables which are to be at or near ambient temperature.

Alternatively the region 13B can also be maintained at a temperature intermediate that of region 13A and ambient so that the region 13B serves as an intermediate warming volume at a temperature lower than that of region 31A but above ambient.

If necessary for this purpose a secondary heater can be provided for region 13B.

MDcED CHAMBER Figure 2 shows a cabinet 21 having an outer shell 22 surrounding an interior volume 23 for perishable materials in the form of foodstuff. Access to the interior of the cabinet 21 is by way of a hinged door D (partly shown). The volume 23 can be divided up by a removable divider 24 to divide the volume 23 into first and second discrete regions 23A, 23B. Divider 24 is of thermal insulating material and is located horizontally within the volume 23 with modular spacing so that trays of specific size can be loaded into the regions 23A, 23B to make efficient use of the capacity of the volume 23.

In this case the divider 24 is of an active type incorporating a heater element 25 in upper side 26 and a cooler plate 27 on its lower side 28. Power supply to the divider 24 is by means of a busbar arrangement so that regardless of the location of the divider it is connected to the busbar to provide for appropriate power supplies to the element 25 and the cooler 27. The disposal of the heater on the upper side of the divider and the cooler on the lower allows for the use of natural convection since hot air will rise from heater element 25 and cooled air will fall from cooler plate 27. The ability to locate the divider 24 at will ensures that the most suitable proportions for volumes 23A, 23B can be readily established depending on the proportions of the heated and cold material to be carried. A controller 29 serves to regulate operation of the heater element 25 and the cooler 27.The status of the contents of the regions 23A, 23B is displayed on a control panel 30 located for viewing outside the cabinet 21. If necessary the controller can be programmed to regulate the heating and/or cooling profiles with regard to time of the perishable material in the regions 23A, 23B independently.

TROLLEY MOUNTED PROBE Figure 3 shows a mobile cabinet 31 having an outer shell 32 surrounding a pair of interior volumes 33, 34 for storing perishable foodstuffs F on individual trays such as tray T. The volumes 33, 34 can be controlled independently of one another in dependence on the requirements for the foodstuffs contained in them as described earlier in connection with the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2.

To establish the temperature, rate of heating or whatever of an individual amount of food stuff in volume 33, 34 a temperature probe 35 with a working tip 36 has a lead 37 adapted for demountable attachment to a socket 38 on the cabinet. When required the working tip 36 is inserted in a perishable mass in the cabinet and the output of the probe is fed to a controller 39 which is connected to a control panel 40 on the outside of the cabinet 31. The probe 35 enables the temperature of the perishable mass to be established with accuracy and the temperature itself or a function thereof such as its rate of change can be used to ensure the food stuff is regenerated to optimum effect. The trolley is connected by lead 41 to an external mains power supply 42.

The three exemplary embodiments reveal a number of examples of the invention in use. The invention is particularly applicable to modern methods of food storage and regeneration as arise for catering in large and small applications typically in hospital and other residential locations and in transport applications particularly by rail, sea and air. The compact storage provided by the invention is readily adopted for different proportions of foodstuffs having to be kept at controlled and different temperatures. Apart from providing for readily adopted storage the quality of the product dispensed from a food dispensing system according to the present invention can be very high. Dispensing the loaded trays and recovering and storing the empty ones is readily undertaken without extensive training.

Claims (15)

1A food dispensing system characterised by a cabinet having an interior volume for the storage of perishable material (which can be in liquid or solid form or a combination thereof) comprising at least one removable divider freely locatable within the interior volume to provide for the division of the interior volume into two or more discrete regions at least one such region being adapted for the storage of perishable material at a predetermined temperature.

2 A food dispensing system as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the or each discrete region is adapted to receive one or more trays each bearing a portion of the perishable material.

3 A food dispensing system as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the removable divider forms a thermal insulation divider between a first and a second region.

4 A food dispensing system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the first region is adapted to be kept at a higher temperature than ambient by means of heat exchange with a source of heat in the region or in good heat exchange relationship therewith.

5 A food dispensing system as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the source of heat is: a powered heater from which heat is dispensed by heat transfer to a flow of air and subsequent heat transfer from the heated flow of air to the first region; or a powered microwave heater; or an unpowered source of heat such as previously heated material typically in pellet or block form and located in the cabinet in the vicinity of the first region of a tray.

6 A food dispensing systems as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second region is adapted to be kept at a lower temperature than ambient by means of heat exchange with a cooler in the vicinity of or otherwise in good heat exchange relationship therewith.

7 A food dispensing systems as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the cooler is: a powered refrigerating unit adapted to cool a flow of air which is subsequently caused to pass into one or more second region and by subsequent heat transfer from the cooled air to the second region; or an unpowered source of cooling such as previously cooled material typically in block form located in the cabinet on the vicinity of one or more second regions.

8 A food dispensing system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised by a controller to regulate control of any heating or cooling process for a region of the cabinet.

9 A food dispensing system as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the controller regulates the amount of heating supplied to the first region or regions or the amount of cooling applied to the second region or regions, and/or the rate of change of such heating or cooling.

10 A food dispensing system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised by the divider incorporating a heat exchanger.

11 A food dispensing system as claimed in any preceding claims wherein the cabinet is adapted for mobile operation.

12 A food dispensing system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cabinet is equipped with means for coupling the cabinet to an external source of power.

13 A food dispensing system as claimed in any preceding claim characterised by the provision of a probe adapted for insertion into perishable material within the cabinet and a display means visible from outside the cabinet representative of a parameter sensed by means of the probe.

14 A food dispensing system as claimed in Claim 13 wherein the probe is a temperature sensing device and the display means represents temperature.

15 A food dispensing system as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.