Thermo-electric cooler

Abstract

One or more piezoelectric devices cool or heat a thermally-conductive basin. The basin is sized, shaped and arranged to receive two or more food serving trays. In a preferred embodiment, the food serving trays are sized, shaped and arranged to provide an air gap between the tray and the thermally-conductive basin so that the tray is cooled by convection and radiation but not conduction.

1 . A temperature controlled food storage unit (food storage unit) comprised of:
 a cabinet;   a thermally conductive basin (basin) within the cabinet, the basin having an open top, four sides and a bottom;   a refrigeration unit within the cabinet having a first side thermally coupled to the basin and having at least one second side thermally coupled to a heat sink, the basin being configured to receive a thermally conductive food storage container (container) comprised of an open top, at least first and second sides and a bottom, the container being sized, shaped and arranged to be suspended in the basin from at least one of the cabinet and the basin, and being sized, shaped and arranged to provide an air gap between a side of the container and a side of the basin.   
     
     
         2 . The food storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration unit is a Peltier device. 
     
     
         3 . The food storage unit of  claim 2 , further including an air gap between the bottom of the basin and the bottom of the container. 
     
     
         4 . The food storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the air gap between sides of the container and sides of the basin, is configured to transfer heat convectively between the basin and the container through air in the air gap. 
     
     
         5 . The food storage unit of  claim 2 , wherein the air gap between sides of the container and sides of the basin, is configured to transfer heat convectively between the basin and the container through air in the air gap. 
     
     
         6 . The food storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein air gaps between the basin and container are configured to allow heat transfer between the basin and container via air convection currents and infrared radiation but not via conduction. 
     
     
         7 . The food storage unit of  claim 5 , wherein the air gaps between basin and container are configured to allow heat transfer between the basin and container via air convection currents and infrared radiation but not via conduction. 
     
     
         8 . The food storage unit of  claim 1 , wherein the container sides are tapered inwardly from the open top of the container to the bottom of the container. 
     
     
         9 . The food storage unit of  claim 1 ,  6 ,  7  or  8 , further comprised of a thermally-insulated cover for the container, the thermally-insulated cover being hingedly attached to at least of the cabinet and the basin to rotate around a hinge between open and closed positions. 
     
     
         10 . The food storage unit of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprised of a plurality of containers in said basin and a corresponding number of thermally-insulated covers, each thermally-insulated cover being hingedly attached to at least of the cabinet and the basin to rotate around a hinge between open and closed positions for each container. 
     
     
         11 . The food storage unit of  claim 1  or  2 , further comprised of temperature sensor, thermally coupled to the basin, the temperature sensor effectuating temperature control of the basin. 
     
     
         12 . The food storage unit of  claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor. 
     
     
         13 . The food storage unit of  claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor is a transistor. 
     
     
         14 . The food storage unit of  claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor acts to control the electric power applied to the refrigeration unit. 
     
     
         15 . The food storage unit of  claim 11  wherein the temperature sensor acts to control air flow across the heat sink.