STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

Chafing have an outer pan holding water and supporting one or more food trays inside the outer pan. A metal support frame holds the outer pan and food tray(s) and also supports at least one methanol-based or ethanol-based burner. The food trays, reusable, heavy gauge metal pans or thin walled disposable trays made of aluminum, are held by the support frames above the water level in the chafing dish. The burners heat the outer pan sufficiently to boil water inside the outer pan and to generate steam for cooking food in the food tray(s) or to maintain pre-cooked food in the food tray(s) at a suitable temperature. Depending on the heating time and desired temperature, more than one methanol burner may be used simultaneously or sequentially. The methanol fuel is used because it cannot be consumed by humans, and if ethanol-based fuel is used it is treated chemically so it is not drinkable.

But these frames and chafing dishes are bulky to store and expensive for those using them only one or two times a year. There is thus a need for more convenient and less expensive way of maintaining food at desired temperatures.

The metal support frames are often collapsible to form a less bulky assembly for storage between uses and such collapsible support frames require more expensive rotating joints, and heavy frames, leading to degradation of the rotting joints over time and storage issues. Sometimes the support frames come unassembled and multiple parts must be correctly joined to support the food trays and heated suspension tray. There is thus a need for food heating devices that avoid collapsible frames, that multi-part frames requiring assembly, and that avoid expensive frames.

In order to provide room for inserting and removing the methanol burners while avoiding scorching or burning the support table, the support frames for the water-containing chafing dish typically support the bottom of the burners away from the bottom of the support table, and having the top of the burners below the bottom of the chafing dish and have the food trays above the bottom of the water level in the chafing dish, with the result that the top of the food trays and support frames and chafing dish are high off the support table—making them unstable and wobbly if they are pushed or bumped laterally. There is thus a need for a food service system that is not so high and can place the top of the food tray closer to the support surface.

The methanol and ethanol burners provide very hot flames which can cause food in the food trays to burn if the burners are too close to the foot tray bottom or which can make the chafing dishes uncomfortably hot to handle. For example, methanol burns at 1,910° C. or about 3470° F. There is thus a need for an improved food heating system that maintains the food temperature at a more uniform temperature and avoids hot temperatures that burn the food or that make the metal pans too hot to handle.

The methanol or ethanol-based burners can heat the heating pan to very hot temperatures well above the boiling temperature of water (100° C.), especially if the burner is close to an edge of the chafing dish or if the water in the dish boils off. There is thus a need for an improved food heating system that avoids excessive temperatures of the heating pans.

The methanol burners have various mechanisms for controlling the heat and that requires access to the burners under the heating pan which increases the height of the support frame and food trays. The adjustable burners also result in burners containing unburned fuel when the food service is completed. The methanol in the burners may evaporate between uses and provides an uncertain amount of fuel for the next use, leading to the discarding of partially-used fuel burners, environmental pollution and waste. There is thus a need for an improved food heating system that is more efficient and reduces waste and pollution.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A (preferably) rectangular, support pan of disposable, thin-walled aluminum or plastic construction has a sidewall with an outwardly extending top sidewall lip that supports outward extending food tray lips of one or a few (preferably) rectangular food trays at a location above a support surface. An inner suspension tray of disposable, thin-walled aluminum or plastic construction is inside the support pan and has an outwardly extending, suspension tray flange resting on an outwardly extending shoulder of the support pan so that the bottoms of one or a few pockets in the suspension tray are between the support surface and the bottom of the food trays. Water in each pocket reacts with a calcium-oxide packet in each pocket to boil the water and generate steam that heats the food trays without having the packets contact the food trays. The pockets are deep enough to keep the expanded calcium-oxide packet from contacting the food trays and burning the food, while also containing enough water to optimally catalyze the calcium-oxide and generate the desired amount of steam.

The disposable construction allows less expensive manufacturing costs, easier cleanup than foldable support frames and heavy metal water trays. The disposable tray provides a bottom and a layer of air insulation between the chemical heat source to keep the support table cool. The chemical heating avoids wasting methanol fuel while generating a predetermined amount of steam to provide uniform steam heating of the food trays while avoiding burning of food. The calcium oxide packets and the water in the pockets are sized to maintain the temperature in the food trays for about 30 minutes, as it is believed a high percentage of uses are completed within that time. The lightweight, disposable setup provides a single-use system suitable and desirable for holiday use where limited cleanup is desired at a lower cost than conventional chafing dishes and methanol burners.

In more detail, a chafing dish assembly is provided having a rectangular support pan with a stepped sidewall formed by upper and lower, continuous sidewalls with a closed bottom joining a bottom edge of the lower sidewall to form an enclosed container with an open top opposite the closed bottom. The open top is surrounded by an upper edge of the upper sidewall of the support pan. The support pan has a ledge extending outward from an upper edge of the lower sidewall to join a lower edge of the upper sidewall and forming a shoulder on the support pan between the upper and lower sidewalls. The top of the ledge is located a distance above the support pan's bottom and that distance D is advantageously between three and five inches. The chafing dish assembly also includes a suspension tray having a rectangular top with an outer periphery that fits inside the support pan and rests on the shoulder. The suspension tray has a pocket depending from the suspension tray's rectangular top toward the support pan's bottom. The pocket has a continuous pocket sidewall joining a pocket bottom to form a watertight pocket that opens onto the suspension tray's top. the pocket bottom spaced apart from the bottom of the support pan. The support pan and suspension tray may form a kit, especially when additional parts are included such as the exothermic packs, or when the pan and tray are separated.

In further variations, the chafing dish assembly may include a lip extending outward from the upper edge of the support pan and extending around a periphery of that upper edge. The support pan may have upper and lower sidewalls that are slightly inclined outward at an angle of about 2 to 15° so the pan and tray may be formed of very thin walled material and so the pan and tray may be stacked in a nested manner for shipping. Advantageously, least one of the support pan and suspension tray is made of plastic, advantageously thin-walled, single use, disposable plastic. One or both of the pan and tray may be made of thin-walled, single use, disposable aluminum, advantageously with a wall thickness of about 0.04 to 0.06 inches. Advantageously, the pocket bottom is located a distance of 0.5 inch to 2 inches from the support pan's bottom. Preferably, there are two separate pockets in the water tray, each having a pocket bottom located about 0.5 to 2 inches from the support pan's bottom.

In still further variations, a water permeable, packet of material that reacts exothermically with water to produce steam suitable for use in heating food, is placed in each pocket. Advantageously, water is placed into the pocket before or after the packet. Further, one or more food trays may be supported on the top of the support pan, preferably supported on an outward extending lip on the upper edge of the upper sidewall. Advantageously, the pocket bottom of the first and second pockets are located so each permeable packet does not contact a food tray when the packet expands to its maximum size during use. Advantageously, the pocket bottom of the first and second pockets is located about 0.5 to 2 inches from the support pan's bottom, and the top surface of the water tray is about that same distance from the bottom of the food tray. Advantageously, the pockets have a rectangular shape, with the packets having a corresponding shape, but smaller in size so the packets do not contact the pocket sidewalls when the packets expand during use.

Each of these features of the chafing dish assembly may be included in a kit. Such a kit may include a rectangular support pan having a stepped sidewall formed by upper and lower, continuous sidewalls with a closed bottom joining a bottom edge of the lower sidewall to form an enclosed container with an open top opposite the closed bottom. The open top is surrounded by a top edge of the upper sidewall of the support pan. The support pan has a ledge extending outward from an upper portion of the lower sidewall to join a lower edge of the upper sidewall and form a shoulder on the support pan between the upper and lower sidewalls. The top of the ledge is located a distance D above the support pan's bottom. The kit includes a separable suspension tray having a generally flat, rectangular top with an outer periphery sized and configured to fit inside the support pan and rest on the shoulder during use. The suspension tray has a pocket depending from the suspension tray's rectangular top toward the support pan's bottom during use. The pocket has a continuous pocket sidewall joining a pocket bottom to form a watertight pocket that opens onto the suspension tray's top. The pocket bottom has a depth less than D, so the pocket's bottom is spaced apart from the bottom of the support pan when the suspension tray rests on the shoulder. The kit may also include a water permeable packet of material that reacts exothermically with water to produce steam suitable for use in heating food.

In further variations, the kit may include a support pan with a lip extending outward from the top edge of the upper sidewall. Advantageously, the suspension tray has a second pocket constructed like the first pocket but spaced part from the first pocket along a length of the suspension tray. Moreover, each pocket is advantageously about 0.5 to 2 inches from the bottom of the support pan when the suspension tray rests on the shoulder during use. Also, the kit may include a second water permeable packet of material that reacts exothermically with water to produce steam suitable for use in heating food. Advantageously, one or both of the support pan and suspension tray are each made of disposable, thin-walled plastic, or made of disposable, single use, thin-walled aluminum.

There is also provided a chafing dish having a support pan and a suspension tray that may fit together during use. The support pan has a continuous sidewall extending between a closed bottom and an open top that is opposite to and larger than the bottom. The sidewall is stepped outward from the bottom to form an outwardly extending shoulder on an inside of the support pan at a location spaced a distance D from the bottom of the support pan and toward the open top of the sidewall. The suspension tray is configured to removably fit inside the support pan and rest on the shoulder around a periphery of the suspension tray. The suspension tray has a first waterproof pocket depending toward the pan's bottom during use and located on the suspension tray and configured so the pocket is about 0.5 to 2 inches from the bottom of the support pan when the suspension tray rests on the shoulder during use. The pocket is also preferably at least that far from the sidewall. The support pan and suspension tray may each be made of single use, disposable, thin-walled plastic or aluminum.

In further variations, the support pan and suspension tray are rectangular in shape. The suspension tray may further include a second waterproof pocket spaced apart from the first waterproof pocket along a length of the suspension tray. Advantageously, the first and second waterproof pockets are rectangular in shape. The chafing dish assembly may include first and second water permeable packets each containing material that reacts exothermically with water to generate steam suitable for use with heating food. Each packet being placed in a different one of the waterproof pockets during use. The top edge of the support pan sidewall advantageously has an outward extending lip around the open top to help support food trays. A single, rectangular shaped food tray having an outwardly extending top flange may rest on the lip on at least two opposing sides of the support pan to support the food tray on the support pan. Advantageously, a bottom of the food tray is located about 0.5 to 2 inches from the water tray over the entire bottom of the food tray. Similarly, a half-food tray, also rectangular in shape, may have an outwardly extending top flange resting on the lip on at least two opposing sides of the support pan to support the half tray on the support pan, advantageously with the same 0.5 to 2 inch spacing between the bottom of the half food tray and the top of suspension tray. There are preferably two half-food trays supported on the lip of the support pan, and advantageously the flanges on three sides of each food tray rest on the lips extending along three sides of the rectangular support pan. The support pan and water tray are preferably each made of single use, disposable, thin-walled plastic or aluminum.

Advantageously, a shipping assembly is formed using a shipping unit that includes a support pan containing a suspension tray resting on a shoulder of the support pan, with a plurality of X such shipping units stacked in a nested manner. Advantageously the shipping assembly has about 12 shipping units, with about 24 water permeable packets of exothermic material placed inside the top support pan in the stack of nested support pans. Alternatively, a stack of a plurality of food trays suitable to cover the open top of each support pan in the stack of X such shipping units, is placed at least partially in the top support pan of the stack of shipping units, with a water permeable packet of exothermic material for each of the pockets of the suspension tray in the stack of X such shipping units placed in the top food tray in the stack of food trays. Advantageously, the support pan and suspension tray may include the above described variations, and all other variations described herein or defined in the claims submitted herewith.

Advantageously, a shipping assembly is formed using a shipping unit that includes a support pan containing a suspension tray resting on a shoulder of the support pan, and a packet of exothermal material in each pocket of the support tray, with a plurality of X such shipping units stacked in a nested manner, with each support pan and suspension tray including the variations described above and herein. Advantageously the shipping assembly has about 12 shipping units, with about 24 half food trays or 12 full food trays at least partially in the top support pan of the stack of nested shipping units. Advantageously, the support pan and suspension tray may include the above described variations, and all other variations described herein.

In further variations of each of the above embodiments described above, the support pan may include a tray support at the middle of two opposing upper sidewalls and with each tray support extending from the support shoulder support ledge to the upper support lip, each tray support extending inward and having a length with a curved cross-sectional shape extending along its length, and wherein the suspension tray has a curved recess at the middle of each of two opposing sides, the recess fitting around the tray support during use. The centrally located tray support on each upper sidewall helps support a corner of a food tray during use and to seal steam from escaping past the tray support at the top support lip of the support pan. The shape of the recesses and tray support cooperate to prevent steam from passing below the suspension tray at the location of the support and recess.

In still further variations, the support pan includes two curved tray supports equally spaced along each of two opposing upper sidewalls, each tray support extending from the shoulder to the upper lip. Each tray support also extends inward and has a length with a curved cross-sectional shape extending along its length. The suspension tray has a curved recess at the middle of each of two opposing sides so that the recess mate with and fit around the tray support during use. The shape of the recesses and tray support cooperate to prevent steam from passing below the suspension tray at the location of the support and recess.

There is also provided a chafing dish assembly that includes a support pan having a continuous sidewall extending between a closed bottom and an open top opposite to and larger than the bottom and shaped, so the support pans can nest together in a stacked configuration. The sidewall is stepped outward from the bottom to form an outwardly extending shoulder on an inside of the support pan at a location spaced a distance from the bottom of the support pan and toward the open top of the sidewall. A suspension tray is configured to fit inside the support pan and rest on the shoulder around an inner periphery of the suspension tray at the location of the shoulder. The suspension tray has a first waterproof pocket depending toward the pan's bottom during use and located on the suspension tray and configured so a bottom of the pocket is 0.5 to 2 inches from the bottom of the support pan when the suspension tray rests on the shoulder during use. The pocket is advantageously at least that far from the sidewall. The support pan and suspension tray are each made of disposable, thin-walled plastic or aluminum.

In further variations of this chafing dish assembly, the support pan and suspension tray are rectangular in shape and the suspension tray further comprises a second waterproof pocket spaced apart from the first waterproof pocket along a length of the suspension tray. The first and second waterproof pockets are rectangular in shape and the sidewall has an outward extending lip around the open top. The assembly may also include first and second water permeable packets containing material that reacts exothermically with water to generate steam, suitable for use with heating food, each packet being in a different one of the waterproof pockets. The assembly may also include at least one, rectangular shaped food tray having an outwardly extending top flange contacting the lip on at least two opposing sides of the support pan to support the food tray on the support pan, with the parts sized so that a bottom of a food tray supported on the support pan's lip is located 0.5 to 2 inches from the suspension tray over the entire bottom of the food tray.

In additional variations, the above chafing dish assembly advantageously includes a support pan and suspension tray made of plastic or aluminum, with at least one of the support pan and suspension tray having a thickness of 0.04 to 0.06 inches, especially for disposable pans and trays. The support pan and suspension tray may be of thicker plastic or aluminum, having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.13 inches for reusable pans and trays. The reusable support pans may be used with disposable suspension trays, and reusable trays may be used with disposable support pans. Advantageously, the sidewall of the support pan has upper and lower sidewalls that are slightly inclined outward at an angle of 2 to 15° so the sidewalls can nest together in a stacked configuration.

In further variations, the support pan has an outward extending top flange around the open top of the pan and a tray support extending between the shoulder and the top flange at the middle of two opposing sidewalls. The tray support has a curved cross-section extending inward toward the tray support on the opposing sidewall. The suspension tray has a curved recess on two opposing sides with the recess located and configured to engage the tray support during use.

In still further variations, the support pan has an outward extending top flange around the open top of the pan and two tray supports extend between the shoulder and the top flange on each of two opposing sidewalls. The two tray supports on each sidewall are equally spaced along the top flange of the sidewall to divide the top flange into three equal length segments, so the support pan can support three, equally sized, rectangular food trays. Each tray support has a curved cross-section extending inward toward the support on the opposing sidewall. Each suspension tray has two curved recesses on two opposing sides with the each located and configured to engage a different one of the tray supports during use. Thus, the two, curved recess on each side of the suspension tray are equally spaced along each side of the tray.

There is also provided a chafing dish for preferred use with a single, half-food tray on a top periphery of the chaffing dish when the chaffing dish rests on a support surface. The chafing dish has a pocket configured for use with a water reactive, exothermic material to heat the food tray. The chaffing dish, includes a support pan having an open top, two hollow legs with closed bottoms for resting on the support surface during use. Each of the legs opens toward the open top and extends along opposing sides of the open top with an outward facing side of each leg inclined outward and extending upward to form an opposing side of the support pan's top periphery. Each leg has an inward facing side extending inward and upward to connect to an opposing side of a pocket configured to hold the water reactive, exothermic material during use. The pocket having a depth less than a height of the inward facing legs, so a bottom of the pocket is spaced apart from the support surface during use. The support pan has a top support lip extending outward around the top periphery and connected to the outward facing sidewalls and further connected to end walls which in turn connect to the legs and pocket, so the end walls and the outward facing side of the legs cooperate to enclose the chafing dish below the top support lip so the entire support pan is formed of a continuous sheet of material. This chaffing dish has not suspension tray and is advantageously molded of plastic by an injection molding process, so the entire chafing dish is molded at the same time, or stamped or formed from a sheet of metal foil so the entire chaffing dish is formed at the same time.

In further variations of this last chaffing dish, the support pan is advantageously rectangular in shape with the legs extending along a majority of a length of two opposing sides of the support pan. The inward and outward facing sides of each leg form a cross-section having a V-shape to facilitate stacking of the chaffing dishes for shipment or storage. The support pan is advantageously made of thin plastic or thin aluminum having a thickness of 0.04 to 0.06 inches.

