Food dehydrator

Abstract

Apparatus and related methods for adding increased functionality to a food dehydrator through the use of stackable drying trays that define a circulation plenum during operation and then nest within one another during disassembly so as to reduce an overall storage size of the food dehydrator. The food dehydrator can further include a base portion having a removable splash guard to prevent the introduction of liquids or solids into a mechanical space within the base portion.

1 . A food dehydrator, comprising:
 a base portion;   at least one tray;   and a cover,
 wherein the at least one tray is placed on the base portion and the cover is placed on the at least one tray to define a dehydrating configuration having a dehydrating height; and 
 wherein the at least one tray is placed on the base portion and the cover is placed on the at least one tray to define a storage configuration, wherein the at least one tray interfaces with the base portion to define a storage height that is less than the dehydrating height. 
   
     
     
         2 . The food dehydrator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tray is flipped upside down to nest within the base portion in the storage configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The food dehydrator of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one tray comprises at least one carrying tray and at least one second tray. 
     
     
         4 . The food dehydrator of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one carrying tray is flipped upside down in the storage configuration and wherein the at least one second tray nests within the at least one carrying tray in the storage configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The food dehydrator of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one carrying tray is flipped upside down in the storage configuration and wherein the at least one carrying tray nests within the at least one second ray in the storage configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The food dehydrator of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one carrying tray and the at least one second tray define an air supply plenum proximate a circular perimeter of a tray portion. 
     
     
         7 . The food dehydrator of  claim 6 , wherein a plurality of duct slots are defined along an inner wall of the air supply plenum, said duct slots defined at each level of interaction between the at least one carrying tray and the at least one second tray. 
     
     
         8 . The food dehydrator of  claim 1 , wherein the storage height is reduced by at least 36% with respect to the dehydrating height. 
     
     
         9 . The food dehydrator of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion includes an upper base surface having a central aperture and a guard member positioned above the central aperture. 
     
     
         10 . The food dehydrator of  claim 9 , wherein a removable splash guard is replaceably mounted over the guard member. 
     
     
         11 . The food dehydrator of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion defines a mechanical space enclosing a fan assembly, the fan assembly having a motor and a fan wheel, wherein the fan wheel includes a plurality of fan blades that extend upward from a top surface and downward from a bottom surface and wherein each of the fan blades is at least partially separated by an impeller opening. 
     
     
         12 . The food dehydrator of  claim 11 , wherein the fan wheel resides above the motor such that the fan wheel prevents ingression of solid and liquid material into the motor. 
     
     
         13 . The food dehydrator of  claim 11 , wherein a top blade height of the fan blades extending upward from the top surface exceeds a bottom blade height of the fan blades extending downward from the bottom surface. 
     
     
         14 . The food dehydrator of  claim 13 , wherein the top blade height exceeds the bottom blade height by a ratio of at least 3:1. 
     
     
         15 . A method for reducing a storage height of a food dehydrator, comprising:
 providing a food dehydrator including a base portion, at least one tray and a cover;   placing the at least one tray on base portion and the cover on the at least one tray to define a dehydrating configuration having a dehydrating height; and   placing the at least one tray on the base portion and the cover on the at least one tray to define a storage configuration, wherein the at least one tray interfaces with the base portion such that a storage height of the food dehydrator is less than the dehydrating height of the food dehydrator.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein placing the at least one tray on the base portion and the cover on the at least one tray to define a storage configuration, further comprises:
 flipping the at least one tray upside down such that the at least one tray nests within the base portion.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein providing at least one tray further comprises:
 providing at least one carrying tray and at least one second tray.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein placing the at least one tray on the base portion and the cover on the at least one tray to define a dehydrating configuration, further comprises:
 alternating stacking of the carrying tray and the second tray to define an air plenum at a perimeter wall of a tray portion.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein flipping the at least one tray upside down further comprises:
 flipping the at least one carrying tray upside down.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 nesting the at least one second tray within the at least one upside down carrying tray.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 nesting the at least one upside down carrying tray within the at least one second tray.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein storage height is reduced by at least 36% as compared to the dehydrating height.