Food preparation unit and associated cooling system

Abstract

A food preparation unit includes a food product storage and display section with a plurality of pans and an associated pan cooling arrangement.

1 . A food preparation unit comprising:
 a cabinet structure;   a food preparation surface toward a front side of the cabinet structure;   a food product storage and display section located rearward of the food preparation surface and including a pan receiving space with a bottom wall, an upwardly extending front wall and an upwardly extending rear wall, at least one region of the pan receiving space holding open-top pans arranged in multiple rows and columns, the open-top pans including downwardly extending sidewalls resulting in a grid-like spacing between lower pan portions, the bottom wall spaced below bottoms of the open-top pans, the bottom wall having at least one linear arrangement of openings in the region and aligned with a linear segment of the grid-like spacing;   a cooling system located within the cabinet structure and including at least one blower;   a first delivery flow path within the cabinet structure for delivering cooled air from the cooling system to an outlet location above the pans toward one of a front and rear side of the region so as to direct a sheet-like air flow over the open-top pans;   a second delivery flow path within the cabinet structure for delivering cooled air from the cooling system to the linear arrangement of openings such that cooled air is directed upward into the linear segment of the grid-like spacing.   
     
     
         2 . The food preparation unit of  claim 1  wherein the open-top pans are supported in an inclined manner from front to back. 
     
     
         3 . The food preparation unit of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first return flow path extending from an intake location toward the other of the front and rear side of the region so as to draw in air from the sheet-like air flow and deliver the air back to the cooling system;   a second return flow path in communication with an intake location on one of the front wall and rear wall of the pan-receiving space so as to draw in air delivered to the pan-receiving space via the linear arrangement of openings.   
     
     
         4 . The food preparation unit of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a third delivery flow path for delivering cooled air from the cooling system to an outlet location on the other of the front wall and the rear wall of the pan receiving space at a height proximate to, but below lips of the pans.   
     
     
         5 . The food preparation unit of  claim 4  wherein the first, second and third delivery flow paths partially overlap. 
     
     
         6 . The food preparation unit of  claim 5  wherein the first and second return flow paths partially overlap. 
     
     
         7 . The food preparation unit of  claim 6  wherein the cabinet structure includes a storage space below the food product storage and display section, air flowing along the first and second return flow paths is delivered into the storage space prior to returning to the cooling system. 
     
     
         8 . The food preparation unit of  claim 1  wherein the linear arrangement of openings extends from a left side to a right side of the region. 
     
     
         9 . The food preparation unit of  claim 1  wherein the region includes front, middle and rear pan rows, first and second linear arrangements of openings are provided in alignment with first and second linear segments of the grid-like spacing, the first linear segment is between the front pan row and the middle pan row, the second linear segment is between the middle pan row and the rear pan row. 
     
     
         10 . A method of cooling food product at a food preparation location, the method comprising:
 providing a cabinet structure with a food preparation surface and a food product storage and display section rearward of the food preparation surface;   supporting a plurality of open-top pans in a pan receiving space of the food product storage and display section, the pan receiving space including a bottom wall, an upwardly extending front wall and an upwardly extending rear wall, the plurality of pans including at least three rows of open-top pans, the open-top pans including downwardly extending sidewalls resulting in a grid-like spacing between lower pan portions;   operating a cooling unit and moving air through the cooling unit to be cooled;   directing air from the cooling unit through openings in the bottom wall to produce a first flow upward into a first linear segment of the grid-like spacing and a second flow upward into a second linear segment of the grid-like spacing, the first linear spacing spaced apart from and parallel to the second linear segment.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 directing air from the cooling unit in a sheet-like manner from one of the front wall and the rear wall over the open-top pans.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising
 providing a first return flow path extending from an intake location at the other of the front and rear side of the region for drawing in air from the sheet-like air flow and delivering the air back to the cooling system;   providing a second return flow path in communication with an intake location on one of the front wall and rear wall of the pan-receiving space for drawing in air directed from the cooling unit through the openings in the bottom wall.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 providing a third flow delivering cooled air from the cooling system to an outlet location on the other of the front wall and the rear wall of the pan receiving space at a height proximate to, but below lips of the pans.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the first, second and third flows partially overlap. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the first and second return flow paths partially overlap. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the cabinet structure includes a storage space below the food product storage and display section, air flowing along the first and second return flow paths is delivered into the storage space prior to returning to the cooling system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising supporting the open-top pans in an inclined manner from front to back.