JP7490268B1 - Steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart and its operating method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To enable efficient and safe steam heating and cooling preservation in a steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart. [Solution] A steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart 1 is provided with a steam generator 6 that supplies steam to a hot and cold compartment, and has an operation display input unit (5001) that inputs operation settings for the food distribution cart and displays operation settings, a heater control unit (5002) that controls the heater, a steam control unit (5003) that controls the steam generator 6, a cooling control unit (5004) that controls a cooling device, a temperature detection means (5008) that detects the temperature inside the food distribution cart, a time management unit (5006) that manages the operation time of the food distribution cart, an operation information storage unit (5007) that stores operation information for the food distribution cart, and an operation calculation processing unit (5005) that executes the operation of the food distribution cart. [Selected Figure] Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart used to provide meals in nursing facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes, and to a method for operating the same.

A known food serving cart of this type includes a storage compartment, a cooling unit that performs refrigeration operation to cool the storage compartment, an operation unit that can operate the cooling unit to start or stop the refrigeration operation, a warning unit that can warn the user to start the refrigeration operation, a control unit that controls the operation of the cooling unit based on the operation of the operation unit and controls the warning unit to issue a warning when the operation unit is operated to stop the refrigeration operation, and a display unit that has an input position detection function that detects the input position by the user, displays an operation screen that constitutes the operation unit, and can display a warning image that constitutes the warning unit. The operation screen includes at least a start button for starting the refrigeration operation at a specified time and a setting button for moving to a setting screen that can stop the refrigeration operation. The warning image includes a display that notifies the user that the refrigeration operation has been stopped and a display that prompts the user to operate the start button to resume the refrigeration operation. When the user stops the refrigeration operation on the setting screen, the control unit displays the warning image on the display unit.

JP 2018-4176 A

In the case of a refrigerated storage facility with the above-mentioned configuration, if circumstances arise such as changing the contents of a school lunch after starting chilling operation of cooked food to be served as a school lunch, it is necessary to temporarily stop chilling operation, replace the stored food, and then restart chilling operation. However, if the school lunch worker forgets to restart the chilled storage operation and does not perform it, a warning is issued to restart the operation.

However, the aforementioned operation warnings were merely intended to ensure the reliability of chilled operation and did not provide comprehensive operational control of heating and cooling within the food service cart.

The object of the present invention is to provide a steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart that can perform efficient and safe steam heating and cooling storage, and a method for operating the same.

The present invention as described in claim 1 comprises a food serving cart body having a cart storage compartment, and a cart that is stored in the cart storage compartment of the food serving cart body, the cart having a tray storage compartment that stores multiple trays on which rice bowls and tableware containing main dishes, side dishes, etc. are placed, and partition wall members are arranged in a row vertically within the tray storage compartment, one side of which is a hot/cold chamber that performs cooling and steam heating, and the other side is a cold chamber that performs cooling only, the food serving cart body is provided with a cooling device that supplies cold air to the cold chamber and hot/cold chamber of the cart, a heater that heats the hot/cold chamber of the cart, and a steam generating device that supplies steam to the hot/cold chamber, and the food serving cart is a steam heating type hot/cold food serving cart, the food serving cart further comprises an operation display input unit that inputs operation settings for the food serving cart and displays operation settings, a heater control unit that controls the heater, a steam control unit that controls the steam generating unit, a cooling control unit that controls the cooling unit, a temperature detection means that detects the temperature inside the food serving cart, a time management unit that manages the operation time of the food serving cart, and This steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart has an operation information storage unit that stores operation information of the food delivery cart, and an operation calculation processing unit that executes the operation of the food delivery cart, and the operation information stored in the operation information storage unit includes at least information regarding the heating temperature and heating time of the hot and cold compartment by the heater, and the steam supply start temperature and steam supply output of the hot and cold compartment by the steam generating device, and this information is input and stored in the operation information storage unit via the operation display input unit, and the rice, main dish, side dish, etc. are reheated via the operation calculation processing unit based on the input and stored operation information , and the operation information stored in the operation information storage unit includes a cold storage operation mode for cooling the hot and cold compartment, a heating operation mode for heating the hot and cold compartment, and a heat retention operation mode for keeping the hot and cold compartment warm, and in the cold storage operation mode, the hot and cold compartment is cooled, and in the heating operation mode, the hot and cold compartment is heated while supplying steam halfway through to finish it for a predetermined period of time, and in the heat retention operation mode, only the hot and cold compartment is kept warm .

The present invention as described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart as described in claim 1 , it further has a switching means between manual operation and automatic operation, and in manual operation stored in the operation information storage unit, the cold storage operation mode, the heating operation mode, and the heat retention operation mode are each executed individually, and in automatic operation stored in the operation information storage unit, the cold storage operation mode is automatically switched to the heating operation mode and then to the heat retention operation mode, and the cold storage operation mode is automatically switched to the heating operation mode for a predetermined time in accordance with the finishing end time previously inputted into the operation information storage unit.

The present invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart described in claim 2 , in manual operation stored in the operation information memory unit, the heating operation mode is automatically followed by the heat retention operation mode.

The present invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, for a steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart described in any one of claims 1 to 3 , the operating information stored in the operating information memory unit includes finishing time, finishing temperature, and warming temperature.

The present invention as set forth in claim 5 is a method for operating a steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart as set forth in claim 1 , characterized in that it includes a cold storage operation step in which the cold chamber and the hot and cold chamber of the tray storage chamber are each kept in the temperature range of 0 to 5°C by operating a cooling device, a heating operation step in which, for the hot and cold chamber, the cold storage by the cooling device is stopped and a heater is operated to raise the temperature to a range of 120 to 130°C, a finishing operation step in which a steam generator is operated halfway through the heating operation step to supply steam and the output of the heater and the output of the steam generator are gradually reduced, and a heat retention operation step in which the operation of the steam generator is stopped to maintain the inside of the hot and cold chamber in the range of 65 to 80°C.

The steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart of the present invention is composed of a food delivery cart main body having a cart storage compartment, and a cart that is stored in the cart storage compartment of the food delivery cart main body. The cart has a tray storage compartment that stores multiple trays on which rice bowls and tableware containing main dishes, side dishes, etc. are placed, and partition wall members are arranged in a row vertically within the tray storage compartment, with one side being a hot and cold chamber that performs cooling and steam heating, and the other side being a cold chamber that performs cooling only. The food delivery cart main body is provided with a cooling device that supplies cold air into the cold chamber and hot and cold chamber of the cart, a heater that heats the hot and cold chamber of the cart, and a steam generator that supplies steam to the hot and cold chamber, and in this steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart, efficient and appropriate steam heating can be performed for the hot and cold chamber. The steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart of the present invention is configured such that the operating information stored in the operating information storage unit includes at least the heating temperature and heating time of the hot and cold compartment by the heater, and the steam supply start temperature and steam supply output of the hot and cold compartment by the steam generating device, and this information is input and stored in the operating information storage unit via the operating display input unit, and the rice, main dish, side dish, etc. are reheated via the operating calculation processing unit based on the input and stored operating information, so that the food to be served is cooled and stored and reheated with steam simply, appropriately, and safely by the time of serving, which is a special effect. In particular, it has a cold storage operating mode, a heating operating mode, and a warming operating mode, and the heating operating mode, which supplies steam halfway through heating, can achieve delicious reheating of food.

Furthermore, the steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart of the present invention has a means for switching between manual and automatic operation, and in manual operation stored in the operation information storage unit, the cold storage operation mode, the heating operation mode, and the warming operation mode are each executed individually, and in automatic operation stored in the operation information storage unit, the cold storage operation mode is automatically switched to the heating operation mode and then to the warming operation mode, and the cold storage operation mode is automatically switched to the heating operation mode for a predetermined time according to the finishing time input in advance to the operation information storage unit. This provides the special practical advantage that, by simply setting the finishing time according to the serving time, the cold storage operation mode is automatically switched to the predetermined heating operation mode, and food is appropriately reheated according to the serving time.

In addition, according to the method of operating the steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart of the present invention, first, in a cold storage operation step at 0-5°C, food is cooled and stored in the cold and hot/cold compartments to prevent spoilage, then the hot/cold compartments are heated to a high temperature range of 120-130°C to sterilize and reheat the food, and then, in a finishing operation step, the food is appropriately steamed so that it does not become sticky and is appropriately moisturized, and the subsequent warming operation mode keeps the food warm in time for delivery, resulting in a delicious school lunch.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a steam heating hot and cold food distribution cart according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a front view of the food serving cart according to the embodiment, with both doors of the food serving cart body and the cart open. 3 is a front view of the food service cart body in a state where a cart has been removed from the food service cart in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the food serving cart according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the operating mechanism of a steam heating hot and cold food delivery cart according to an embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a front view of the operation display input unit on which the operation switch button of the food serving cart according to the embodiment is displayed. FIG. 4 is a front view of the operation display input unit on which operation mode buttons for manual operation are displayed. FIG. FIG. 13 is a front view of the operation display input unit on which an input table for heating settings is displayed. 1 is a flowchart showing the progress of driving. 13 is a front view of the operation display input unit on which each temperature setting table is displayed. FIG. 13 is a front view of the operation display input unit on which the finishing end time setting table is displayed. FIG. FIG. 13 is a front view of the operation display input unit on which the temperatures of the hot/cold compartment and the cold compartment are displayed.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. Also, in the present invention, "water vapor" may be saturated water vapor, unsaturated water vapor, or superheated water vapor (superheated steam) depending on the set temperature.

In addition, in the food serving cart of the present invention, front/rear, left/right, and up/down are based on Figure 2, with front referring to the front side of the drawing plane of Figure 2 and rear referring to the back side of the drawing plane of Figure 2. Furthermore, left referring to the left side of Figure 2 and right referring to the right side of the drawing plane of Figure 2. Furthermore, up referring to the top of Figure 2 and down referring to the bottom side of the drawing plane of Figure 2.

First, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the basic structure of the steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart of this embodiment will be described. The steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart 1 is composed of a food distribution cart main body 2 having a cart storage chamber 4, and a cart 3 that is stored in the cart storage chamber 4 of the food distribution cart main body 2. The cart 3 has a tray storage chamber 40 that stores trays T in multiple stages on which rice bowls RW containing rice and tableware MW containing main dishes, side dishes, etc. are placed. On either side of the partition wall members 15 arranged in a row vertically within the tray storage chamber 40, one side is a hot and cold chamber 40A that performs cooling and steam heating, and the other side is a cold chamber 40B that performs cooling only. The food distribution cart main body 2 is provided with a cooling device 5 that supplies cold air into the hot and cold chamber 40A and cold chamber 40B of the cart 3, a heater 35 that heats the hot and cold chamber 40A of the cart, and a steam generator 6 that supplies steam to the hot and cold chamber 40A. In addition, the operation display input unit (5001), which will be described later, is provided on the top of the food distribution cart body 2.

The cart storage room 4 of the food delivery cart main body 2 has upper and lower walls 7 and 8, left and right walls 9 and 11, a rear wall 12, and a cart entrance/exit section 10 formed on the front side, with a pair of left and right main body doors 13 attached to both side edges of the cart entrance/exit section 10. Casters 14 and legs 30 are attached to the four corners of the outer surface of the bottom wall 8 of the cart storage room 4, and caster entry openings 17 for the casters 16 of the cart 3 to enter are formed at a specified interval in the parts of the bottom wall 8 near the left and right walls 9 and 11.

In short, the cart-storage food delivery cart 1 of this embodiment stores the entire cart 3 with trays T arranged in multiple tiers in the cart storage chamber 4 of the food delivery cart main body 2, and when the main body door 13 of the cart entrance/exit section 10 is closed, the cooling device 5, heater 35, and steam generator 6 refrigerate, heat, and supply steam to the food in the dishes RW and MW placed on each tray T in the cart 3.

As described above, the cart 3 has an interior that is a tray storage chamber 40 and is equipped with upper and lower walls 3a and 3b, left and right walls 3c and 3d, a communication opening 3e through which cold air from the cooling device 5 of the food distribution cart main body 2 and water vapor from the steam generating device 6 flow in, a tray entrance/exit section 3f through which trays T are inserted and removed, and a pair of left and right cart doors (not shown) that open and close the tray entrance/exit section 3f and the communication opening 3e.

As shown in FIG. 2, a number of partition wall members 15 extending in the front-rear direction are arranged vertically in a row in the approximate center of the width of the cart 3, and the tray T is inserted into the tray passage between the partition wall members 15 adjacent to each other vertically, and the tray T is clamped between each partition wall member 15.

In the figure, 16 indicates the casters attached to the four corners of the outer surface of the bottom wall 3b of the cart 3, as mentioned above.

As shown in FIG. 3, on the left side of the rear wall 12 of the cart storage room 4 of the food distribution cart main body 2, a number of steam outlets 19 are arranged in a vertical row, and a circular steam intake port 21 is formed inward from the lowest steam outlet 19. Above the steam intake port 21 on the rear wall 12, a number of cold air outlets 22A and a number of cold air intake ports 23A are arranged in two vertical rows, and further to the right of these, a number of cold air outlets 22B and a number of cold air intake ports 23B are arranged in a vertical row.

The rear wall 12 of the cart storage room 4 of the food delivery cart body 2 is composed of two doors 52A and 52B.

And, as shown in FIG. 4, a separate duct 27 through which water vapor and cold air pass is provided on the rear side of the rear wall 12 of the cart storage room 4.

The heater 35, which is a heating coil for heating the water vapor, is disposed inside the duct 27, and the water vapor is heated by this. Air is blown by a fan 26 installed at the bottom of the duct 27.

As shown in FIG. 5, the steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart 1 according to this embodiment includes an operation display input unit (5001) for inputting operation settings for the food delivery cart 1 and displaying operation-related information, a heater control unit (5002) for controlling the heater 35, a steam control unit (5003) for controlling the steam generating device 6, a cooling control unit (5004) for controlling the cooling device 5, a temperature detection means (5008) for detecting the temperature inside the food delivery cart 1, a time management unit (5006) for managing the operation time of the food delivery cart 1, an operation information storage unit (5007) for storing operation information for the food delivery cart 1, and an operation calculation processing unit (50 05) and a means for switching between manual and automatic operation of the food serving cart 1 (5009), the operation information stored in the operation information storage unit (5007) includes at least information regarding the heating temperature and heating time of the hot/cold compartment 40A by the heater 35, and the steam supply start temperature, steam supply time, and steam supply output of the hot/cold compartment 40A by the steam generator 40, and this information is input and stored in the operation information storage unit (5007) via the operation display input unit (5001), and the rice, main dish, side dish, etc. are cooled and reheated via the operation calculation processing unit (5005) based on the input and stored operation information.

As shown in FIG. 10, the operation display input unit (5001) is, for example, a liquid crystal display touch panel, and as described later, displays and inputs various operation settings and operation statuses, etc., and has, for example, a numeric keypad (1001) for performing various input settings, a heating setting table (1002) for performing heating settings, and a cooling setting table (1003) for performing cooling settings. Operation settings are performed by touching the item to be set in the heating setting table (1002) or cooling setting table (1003) and inputting the setting value with the numeric keypad (1001). In addition, the operation display input unit (5001), as described later, switches between automatic and manual operation, sets the operation mode in manual operation, and displays the operation status, etc.

As shown in FIG. 6, the operation display input unit (5001) displays a manual operation button (6001) and an automatic operation button (6002) related to the operation switching means (5009), and pressing either of these buttons specifies manual operation or automatic operation.

The heater control unit (5002), steam control unit (5003), and cooling control unit (5004) are typically configured with electrical circuits, but may also be realized with software.

The operation calculation processing unit (5005) has the function of controlling the operation of the food distribution cart 1, and is usually realized by a CPU or MPU.

The time management unit (5006) has a function of managing the operating time of the food distribution cart 1, and has a clock function related to the start and end times of operation, etc., and a timer function for measuring elapsed time, and is usually realized by an electrical circuit or software.

The driving information storage unit (5007) is typically realized by a recording medium such as a hard disk and recording software.

The temperature detection means (5008) detects the temperatures of the hot/cold compartment 40A and the cold compartment 40B of the food serving cart 1 individually, and uses a temperature sensor.

The means for switching between manual and automatic operation (5009) is usually implemented using software, but may also be implemented using hardware such as a circuit.

As described above, the operation information stored in the operation information storage unit (5007) includes at least information regarding the heating temperature and heating time of the hot/cold chamber 40A by the heater 35, and the steam supply start temperature, steam supply time, and steam supply output of the hot/cold chamber 40A by the steam generator 6, and this information is input and stored in the operation information storage unit (5007) via the operation display input unit (5001), and the rice, main dish, side dish, etc. are reheated via the operation calculation processing unit based on the input and stored operation information.

In addition, the cooling operation of the hot/cold chamber 40A and the cold chamber 40B is performed at a predetermined temperature set in the cooling setting table (1003) of the operation display input unit (5001). In this embodiment, the cold chamber 40B is normally always cooled at a predetermined temperature while the food delivery cart 1 is in operation, and the hot/cold chamber 40A is cooled at a predetermined temperature until the heating operation described below is started. Normally, the food delivery cart 1 is turned on and the cooling operation of the hot/cold chamber 40A and the cold chamber 40B is started first, and then the hot/cold chamber 40A is operated in a predetermined heating operation mode.

In other words, in this embodiment, the operating information stored in the operating information storage unit includes a cold storage operating mode for cooling the hot/cold compartment, a heating operating mode for heating the hot/cold compartment, and a heat retention operating mode for keeping the hot/cold compartment warm, and in the cold storage operating mode, the hot/cold compartment is cooled, while in the heating operating mode, the hot/cold compartment is heated while steam is supplied midway through the heating to finish for a predetermined period of time, and in the heat retention operating mode, only the hot/cold compartment is kept warm.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the manual operation button (6001) is pressed in the display on the operation display input unit (5001) in FIG. 6, the aforementioned cold storage operation mode button (7001), the heating operation mode button (7002), and the warm storage operation mode button (7003) are displayed, and by pressing any of these buttons, the operation of the pressed button is executed individually.

That is, pressing the cold storage operation mode button (7001) executes cold storage operation, pressing the heating operation mode button (7002) executes heating operation, and pressing the heat retention operation mode button (7003) executes heat retention operation.

In addition, the cold storage operation mode button (7001), heating operation mode button (7002), and warm storage operation mode button (7003) may be pressed in sequence, or may be pressed individually. For example, if the heating operation mode button (7002) is pressed suddenly, cold storage operation is not performed and heating operation is executed, and if the warm storage operation mode button (7003) is pressed suddenly, cold storage operation and heating operation are not performed and only warm storage operation is executed.

In addition, in this embodiment, by pressing the heating operation mode button (7002), a preset heating operation is performed, and a mode may be set in which the heating operation is followed automatically by a keep-warm operation.

As shown in FIG. 8, when setting the heating operation mode in the operation display input section (5001), the heating setting table (1002) is touched, and the heating temperature, heating time, finishing temperature, finishing time, steam supply start temperature, steam output during heating, steam output during finishing, and, if necessary, the keeping warm temperature are also set using the numeric keypad (1001).

When the automatic operation button (6002) is pressed in the display on the operation display input section (5001) in FIG. 6, cooling to a specified temperature is performed in the cold storage operation mode first, and then the operation mode is switched to heating operation mode.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, by setting the finishing end times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day from Sunday to Saturday in advance using the numeric keypad (1001) in the finishing end time setting table (1101) displayed on the operation display input unit (5001) to match the serving time of each meal, the refrigerator will automatically switch from the cooling operation mode to the heating operation mode for a specified time in accordance with the finishing end times previously inputted into the operation information storage unit.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, an example of the operating method of the steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart 1 according to this embodiment is described. The cooling operation step (S9001) operates the cooling device 5 to set the temperature range of the cold room 40B and the hot and cold room 40A of the tray storage room 40 to 0 to 5°C, respectively. For the hot and cold room 40A, a heating operation step (S9002) stops the cooling by the cooling device 5 and operates the heater 35 to raise the temperature range to 120 to 130°C. A finishing operation step (S9003) operates the steam generator 6 to supply steam from the middle of the heating operation step (S9002) and gradually reduces the output of the heater 35 and the output of the steam generator. A heat-retaining operation step (S9004) stops the operation of the steam generator 6 to maintain the temperature inside the hot and cold room 40A in the range of 70 to 80°C.

As shown in FIG. 12, while the food delivery cart 1 is operating, the operation display input unit (5001) displays the above-mentioned operation modes (1201), hot and cold room temperatures (1202), and cold room temperature (1203).

The steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart of the present invention is capable of reheating and serving delicious rice, main dishes, side dishes, and other foods using steam, and is therefore expected to find wide-ranging applications in the field of food delivery carts.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Steam-heated hot/cold food delivery cart 2 Food delivery cart body 3 Cart 4 Cart storage chamber 5 Cooling device 6 Steam generating device 15 Partition wall member 35 Heater 40 Tray storage chamber 40A Hot/cold chamber 40B Cold chamber (5001) Operation display input unit (5002) Heater control unit (5003) Steam control unit (5004) Cooling control unit (5005) Operation calculation processing unit (5006) Time management unit (5007) Operation information storage unit (5008) Temperature detection means (5009) Operation switching means

Claims (5)

The steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart is comprised of a food distribution cart main body having a cart storage chamber, and a cart that is stored in the cart storage chamber of the food distribution cart main body, the cart having a tray storage chamber that stores multiple trays on which rice bowls and tableware containing main dishes, side dishes, etc. are placed, and partition wall members are arranged in a row vertically within the tray storage chamber, with one side being a hot and cold chamber that performs cooling and steam heating, and the other side being a cold chamber that performs cooling only, and the food distribution cart main body is provided with a cooling device that supplies cold air to the cold chamber and hot and cold chamber of the cart, a heater that heats the hot and cold chamber of the cart, and a steam generator that supplies steam to the hot and cold chamber,
An operation display input unit that inputs operation settings of the food distribution car and displays operation settings;
a heater control unit that controls the heater, a steam control unit that controls the steam generating device, and a cooling control unit that controls the cooling device;
A temperature detection means for detecting a temperature inside the food serving cart;
A time management unit that manages the operation time of the food delivery vehicle;
An operation information storage unit that stores operation information of the food delivery vehicle;
An operation calculation processing unit that executes operation of the food delivery cart;
having
a steam heating type hot and cold food delivery cart, characterized in that the operating information stored in the operating information storage unit includes at least the heating temperature and heating time of the hot and cold compartment by the heater, and information regarding the temperature at which steam supply to the hot and cold compartment by the steam generating device begins and the steam supply output, and this information is input and stored in the operating information storage unit via the operation display input unit, and the rice, main dish, side dish, etc. are reheated via the operation calculation processing unit based on the input and stored operating information, and the operating information stored in the operating information storage unit includes a cold storage operation mode for cooling the hot and cold compartment, a heating operation mode for heating the hot and cold compartment, and a heat retention operation mode for keeping the hot and cold compartment warm, and in the cold storage operation mode, the hot and cold compartment is cooled, in the heating operation mode, the hot and cold compartment is heated while steam is supplied halfway through to finish it for a predetermined period of time, and in the heat retention operation mode, only the hot and cold compartment is kept warm . The steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart according to claim 1 further comprises a switching means for switching between manual operation and automatic operation, and in manual operation stored in the operation information storage unit, the cold storage operation mode, the heating operation mode and the heat retention operation mode are each executed individually, and in automatic operation stored in the operation information storage unit, the cold storage operation mode is automatically switched to the heating operation mode and further to the heat retention operation mode, and the cold storage operation mode is automatically switched to the heating operation mode for a predetermined time in accordance with the finishing end time input in advance to the operation information storage unit. 3. The steam heating type hot and cold food distribution cart according to claim 2 , wherein in the manual operation stored in the operation information storage unit, the heat keeping operation mode is automatically executed following the heating operation mode. The steam-heated hot and cold food distribution cart according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the operating information stored in the operating information storage unit includes a finishing time, a finishing temperature, and a warming temperature. The method of operating a steam-heated hot and cold food delivery cart according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a cold-keeping operation step in which the cold and hot/cold compartments of the tray storage chamber are each kept in the temperature range of 0 to 5°C by operating a cooling device, a heating operation step in which the cooling device stops cooling the hot/cold compartment and the heater is operated to raise the temperature to a range of 120 to 130°C, a finishing operation step in which a steam generator is operated halfway through the heating operation step to supply steam and the output of the heater and the output of the steam generator are reduced, and a warming operation step in which the steam generator is stopped to maintain the inside of the hot/cold compartment in the range of 65 to 80°C.

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