Abstrict
Disclosed herein is a hanging assembly for supporting an electric
heater below a chafing dish or chafing pan. The removable electric
chafing dish heater is supported by two identical hanging assemblies
each with an elastic component to provide a constant thermal interface
to the underside of a typical chafing dish. The hanging assembly
provides a bent and curved device for holding the hanging assembly
fast to a typical chafing frames that typically accompanies all
chafing dishes. The chafing dish heater includes an electric flat
plate element in a rectangular housing that is connected to a power
assembly. The power assembly has an on/off switch, a power cord,
and a visual indicator for representing the power is on/off.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired
to be secured by Letters Patent is:
1. A hanger assembly for supporting an electric heater below a
chafing dish and in thermal contact with a chafing dish; the chafing
dish being supported on an upper edge of a support frame; the hanger
assembly including a pair of spaced apart hangers; each hanger including
a pair of hanger bands, each having an upper and a lower end, the
upper end of the hanger bands being bent over, and said band upper
ends being slidedly received on the support frame; the lower ends
of the hanger bands being disposed approximately under and supporting
an electric heater; the lower ends of the hanger bands being connected
to a spanning elastic support, with the elastic support being arranged
in contact under an electric heater of the assembly; the hanger
bands being of a size such that the elastic members of the hanger
assembly hold the heater in positive contact with an underside of
the chafing dish.
2. The hanger assembly of claim 1 wherein the hanger bands extend
under the spanning elastic support; each hanger band at its lower
end being bent upwardly in its connection with spanning elastic
support to form a sloped surface for contacting the said spanning
elastic support to force it upward and the heater into positive
contact with an underside of a chafing dish.
3. The hanger assembly of claim 2 wherein the lower ends of the
hangers are crimped to their spanning elastic supports.
4. A hanger assembly for supporting an electric heater below a
chafing dish and in thermal contact with a chafing dish; the chafing
dish being supported on an upper edge of a support frame; the hanger
assembly including a least one hanger, each hanger including a pair
of hanger bands, each having an upper and a lower end, the upper
end of the hanger bands being bent over, and said band upper ends
being slidedly received on the support frame, the lower ends of
the hanger bands being disposed approximately under and supporting
an electric heater; the lower ends of the hanger bands being connected
to a spanning elastic support, with the elastic support being arranged
in contact under an electric heater of the assembly; the hanger
bands being of a size such that the elastic support of the hanger
assembly holds the heater in positive contact with an underside
of the chafing dish.
Electric heater descriptionSTATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED
RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to chafing dishes and the
means of heating such chafing dishes. Specifically, the present
invention relates to a removable electric heater that is suspended
by hanging assemblies on a typical frame of a chafing dish, and
provides thereby a contiguous heat transfer surface to the bottom
of a resting chafing dish, for food or beverage warming.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
A chafing dish, chafing pan, or chafing dish is a portable container
for warming, presenting, and serving a food or beverage. Chafing
dishes are widely used in food service establishments, restaurants,
hotels, dining halls, and in buffet service outlets. Chafing dishes
offer the benefit of keeping a food or beverage warm for prompt
and appetizing consumption, allow for attractive and immediate access
to prepared food or beverages, and allows for presentation or serving
of the food or beverage in remote or isolated areas not typically
set-up for food service.
Typically, a small metal can with a flammable chemical fuel heats
chafing dishes. A popular brand is the "Sterno" brand.
One (or two) metal cans are set in an aperture(s) in the shelf provided
and disposed below the chafing dish. Such means of heating chafing
dishes are typical and of long-standing manufacture by a number
of different manufacturers.
However, this method of heating with metal cans of flammable fuel
has several problems for the food preparer and the consumer. The
problems with this approach include: frequent odor from the burning
fuel is unappetizing; the fuel cans make it difficult to control
the temperature of the chafing dish; smoke and heat is generated;
it is difficult to know when the metal can is about to deplete fuel
and food becomes cold; the positioning of the heat source in two
fixed locations in the shelf apertures provided causes the concentration
of the heat in two places under the chafing dish, producing a discoloration
and distortion of the chafing dish; the heat transfer from the fuel
in the metal can to the chafing dish is uneven on the bottom of
the chafing dish; the metal cans with flammable fuel are expensive
to operate versus an electric source; and, the fuel in the cans
presents a fire hazard in many environments.
There have been attempts to address the drawbacks to the above-described
method of heating a chafing dish. For example, some chafing dish
manufacturers have designed into their chafing dish an electric
heating source that is integral and fixed to the bottom of a chafing
dish. This approach has the disadvantage of being costly to manufacture,
is not removable and thus is not universally applicable. It can
also present a problem when cleaning or submerging the chafing dish
in water for cleaning.
Another attempt to address the problem is with a removable electric
heater with power cord that must be held fast to the bottom of a
chafing dish by the addition of opposing welded shelf brackets to
the underside of a chafing dish that will accept a particular type
of electric chafing dish heater. A popular model of this type is
the "Stego" heater. The problem with this approachis the
chafing dish manufacturer must modify his chafing dishes with two
opposing welded brackets especially designed just to hold the "Stego"
heater. This increases costs and inventory, and chafing dishes made
with the two opposing welded brackets cannot use the heater, so
food service operators must maintain separate inventory of chafing
dishes to accommodate this type of electric heater.
Another attempt to overcome the drawbacks of metal fuel cans is
an electric heater that fits into the aperture of the shelf provided
for acceptance of metal fuel cans disposed below the chafing dish.
An example of this type of the model made by the Vollrath Company
of Wisconsin. This electric heater for chafing dishes has the disadvantage
of requiring two electric heaters to provide the heat transfer necessary
for attaining the food warming temperature desired, and such electric
heaters are positioned at two fixed location under the chafing dish
thereby promoting excessive heat at these locations and promoting
distortion of the chafing dish, and this approach does not apply
the heat required evenly across the bottom of the chafing dish,
and since this approach requires two heat sources, it can be more
expensive to purchase and operate.
Other similar attempts have been made to address the drawbacks
of metal fuel cans by various manufacturers in the U.S. and Japan,
but all such known methods use designs that rely on the shelf support
disposed below the chafing dish.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the invention is an electric heater for a chafing
dish that includes a chafing dish, a chafing pan, or a chafing dish,
with a circumscribed top flat band on edge for suspending the chafing
dish with a shelf disposed below, whereby the electric heater is
suspended by two hanging assemblies, each with an elastic component
for assuring the electric heater is contiguous against the bottom
of the heater.
Another embodiment of the invention is the two hanging assemblies
are held fast to the circumscribed top flat band on edge by a bent
and curving device that includes an elastic component. The hanging
assemblies are sized so as to maintain the electric heater for a
chafing dish next to and contiguous with the underside of the chafing
dish.
Another embodiment of the invention is the electric heater is manufactured
with an element in a conductive metal housing made of a refractory
pad with serpentine looped nichrome wire to provide a very uniform
and coherent heat distribution across the electric heater and for
effective and even heat transfer to the underside of the chafing
dish.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an end view of the electric heater for chafing dishes
supported below a chafing dish by a hanger assembly of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the electric heaters for chafing dishes
supported below the chafing dish by the hanger assembly; and
FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the hanger assembly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a chafing dish
10, which sits on a support 12. The support 12 includes a pair of
legs 14 separated by a shelf 16 at the bottom of the legs. A band
18 extends around the outside of the legs 14 and defines an opening
through which the chafing dish can slidably fit. The chafing dish
10 includes a flange 20 which sits on the upper edge of the band
18 to be supported above the shelf 16.
A heater unit 22 is suspended below the chafing dish by a hanger
assembly 24. The heater is preferably an electric heater having
a power supply and a power cord. The heater preferably includes
a refractory element with a close proximity filament wire in a serpentine
design, imbedded in a refractory pad, set inside and directly against
a thermal conducting metal housing with insulation behind, connected
to input power at a power assembly box. The filament wire is preferable
a nichrome filament wire stretched in a serpentine design to yield
a power wattage so as to provide thermal transfer to a chafing dish
at a predetermined and required temperature without further inputs
or controls. The use of such a heating element provides for an even
and coherent distribution of heat over the thermal conducting metal
housing and thereby against the underside of a chafing dish. This
substantially prevents and inhibits discoloration and distortion
of the chafing dish.
The hanger assembly 24, shown in FIG. 3, includes a pair of curved
metal bands 26 spaced apart at their bottoms by an elastic or resilient
support 28 that spans the distance between the ends of the two bands.
The spanning elastic support 28 can be formed of silicone rubber,
or any related material. The metal bands 26 are crimped to the support
28 and held in position by means of clamps 30, as can be seen, secured
to the lower ends of the bands 26. In the crimping, the ends of
the metal band are crimped upwardly, as at 32, to induce an upward
or sloped surface 34 of the elastic support 28, for support purposes,
and to facilitate a direct contact of the heater element 22 with
the underside of the chafing dish 10.
The upper ends of the bands 26 are bent, as at 36 to define an
inverted U-shaped upper end to the arms. This bent portion 36 of
the bands 26 is sized to slidably fit over the band 18 of the chafing
dish support 12.
The chafing dish 10 includes a generally flattened bottom 38, as
can be noted. At least one, perhaps two, electrical heaters 22 are
arranged in proximity with the chafing dish bottom 38, supported
fully by the hanger assembly 24. The electrical heaters 22 are connected
by a power supply or assembly 40, to provide for the conduct of
electrical charge to the heater. A power cord 42 extends from the
power supply 40 for connection into an electrical outlet.
In this embodiment, the electrical heater 22 is suspended by means
of one or more hanging assemblies 24, two of which are shown in
the shape and form of curved metal bands 26 that suspend the heater
22 beneath the chafing dish 10 to be in heating contact with the
chafing dish 10. The two hanging assemblies are identical, and,
as noted above, each includes an elastic support or tray 28, generally
at the vicinity underneath of the supported heater. The distance
between the elastic support 28 and the bottom 38 of the chafing
dish 10 is approximately equal to the height of the heater 22. Thus,
the resilient or elastic nature of the support 28 will positively
hold the heater positively against the underside of the chafing
dish 10, providing for a constant thermal interface with the underside
of the chafing dish, when in use. This provides for an even and
coherent distribution of the heat over the thermal conducting metal
housing, and thereby against the underside of the chafing dish,
during its usage and application.
Using the heaters 22 suspended in the manner as described and shown
herein, prevents the underside of the chafing dish from attaining
discoloration, even during constant usage. The curved bands 26 extend
upwardly along the sides of the chafing dish, to support it from
the upper edge of the support band 18. The hanger assembly bands
26 are formed of metal, and the elastic component 28 is generally
fabricated from silicone, and integrated into the structure of the
curved metal bands, as described above.
Thus, as shown and described herein, this invention depicts a chafing
dish/pan, or chafing dish 10, that may contain a food or beverage
to be warmed, and a frame support 12 with a shelf 16 disposed therebelow.
There is a removable electric heater 22 for the chafing dish, supported
by two hanging assemblies 24 which are suspended from the top of
the band 18 on the edge of the supporting frame. Thus, contiguous
heat is continuously transferred to the underside of the chafing
dish, when set within its frame, to provide for the heating and
warming of the chafing dish's contained food product.
Variations or modifications to the subject matter of this invention
may occur to those skilled in the art upon review of the invention
as described herein. Such variations, if within the spirit of this
development, are intended to be encompassed within the invention
as shown and described. The description of the preferred embodiment,
as also disclosed in the drawings, is set forth for illustrative
purposes only.
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