Multi-Zone Food Holding Bin
Patent No. US11771264 (titled "Multi-Zone Food Holding Bin") was filed by Marmon Foodservice Technologies Inc on Nov 4, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’264 is related to the field of food service, specifically to devices for holding cooked food at desired temperatures in restaurants. Maintaining food quality and minimizing waste are key concerns. Existing food holding bins often struggle to keep different food types at their optimal temperatures simultaneously, leading to either compromised quality or the need for multiple holding units.
The underlying idea behind ’264 is to create a food holding bin with independently controllable heating zones within each compartment. This allows different food items, each requiring a specific temperature, to be stored in close proximity without compromising their individual quality. The key is to have separate heating elements for each zone, enabling precise temperature control.
The claims of ’264 focus on a method of maintaining different temperatures within a multi-zone food holding bin. The bin has multiple compartments, each with multiple food holding zones. Each zone has independently controlled heating elements on the top and bottom surfaces. The method involves operating each zone at a different temperature setpoint by independently controlling its heating elements, allowing for independent temperature control of each zone.
In practice, the food holding bin uses a chassis with multiple compartments, each divided into zones. Each zone has dedicated heating elements positioned above and below the food. A controller, using temperature sensors, regulates the power to each heating element to maintain the desired temperature in each zone. This allows a restaurant to hold, for example, both crispy fried chicken and soft steamed buns in the same bin, each at its ideal temperature and humidity.
This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by providing granular temperature control within a single holding bin. Older designs typically heated the entire bin to a uniform temperature, which is suboptimal for diverse food items. By using independent heating elements and temperature sensors for each zone, the invention allows for precise temperature management, extending the palatability time of food and reducing waste, while also potentially saving energy compared to running multiple separate holding units.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the mid-2010s when ’264 was filed, food holding and warming devices were typically implemented using heating elements to maintain food at a desired temperature, at a time when precise temperature control and zoning within food holding bins was non-trivial. At this time, systems commonly relied on relatively simple heating mechanisms rather than complex feedback loops for maintaining food quality over extended holding periods.
Novelty and Inventive Step
Claims 28-47 were pending in the application. Claims 28-47 were rejected for nonstatutory double patenting. Claims 31-34 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite. The prosecution record does NOT describe the technical reasoning or specific claim changes that led to allowance.
Claims
This patent contains 20 claims, with claim 1 being the only independent claim. Independent claim 1 is directed to a method of maintaining different temperatures within a multi-zone food holding bin. The dependent claims generally elaborate on specific features, components, and operational aspects of the method and the food holding bin, such as shelves, additional compartments, tray handling, lid usage, and user input mechanisms.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
File Wrapper
The dossier documents provide a comprehensive record of the patent's prosecution history - including filings, correspondence, and decisions made by patent offices - and are crucial for understanding the patent's legal journey and any challenges it may have faced during examination.
Date
Description
Get instant alerts for new documents
US11771264
- Application Number
- US17089072
- Filing Date
- Nov 4, 2020
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Apr 3, 2037
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents