Food holding apparatus

Abstract

A food holding apparatus and associated components and methods. The food holding apparatus includes multiple food receivers configured to be independently controlled to heat or cool food received therein. The food holding apparatus includes a refrigeration system. Components of the refrigeration system are mounted on a sled movable between stowed and access positions to facilitate access to the components. The food holding apparatus can include touch screen controls, serpentine-shaped bar heating elements, and/or other features.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A food holding apparatus comprising:
 a housing including an upper portion having at least three food receivers arranged in a row, each food receiver defining a cavity with an open top, the cavity being sized and shaped to receive a tray of food when the tray of food is inserted into the cavity from the open top, each food receiver having a cooling conduit configured to receive refrigerant to selectively cool the tray of food when the tray of food is disposed in the cavity, and each food receiver having a heating element configured to selectively heat the tray of food when the tray of food is disposed in the cavity, the housing defining an interior;   a sled supported by the housing, the sled being slideable relative to the housing between a stored position and an access position, the sled being configured to be disposed in the interior when the sled is in the stored position and to be disposed at least partially outside the interior when the sled is in the access position; and   a refrigeration system fluidly coupled to the cooling conduit of each food receiver to supply the cooling conduit with the refrigerant, the refrigeration system including:
 a compressor mounted on the sled and movable with the sled between the stored position and the access position; 
 a condenser mounted on the sled and movable with the sled between the stored position and the access position; 
 plumbing fluidly connecting the compressor, the condenser, and the cooling conduit, the plumbing including a first coiled flexible pipe fluidly coupled between the compressor and the cooling conduit to permit flow of refrigerant through the first coiled flexible pipe from the cooling conduit to the compressor, and the plumbing including a second coiled flexible pipe fluidly coupled between the condenser and the cooling conduit to permit flow of refrigerant through the second coiled flexible pipe from the condenser to the cooling conduit, the first and second coiled flexible pipes being configured to expand as the sled is moved from the stored position toward the access position and configured to contract as the sled is moved from the access position toward the stored position; and 
 a food holding apparatus temperature control system including at least one tangible storage medium, at least one user interface, and at least one temperature sensor, the food holding apparatus temperature control system being communicatively coupled to the refrigeration system and to the heating element of each food receiver, the food holding apparatus temperature control system being responsive to instructions stored in the at least one tangible storage medium to control a temperature of each food receiver, and the food holding apparatus temperature control system being responsive to instructions stored in the at least one tangible storage medium and to user input from the at least one user interface to control the refrigeration system and the heating elements to switch each food receiver between heating and cooling independently with respect to other food receivers of the at least three food receivers. 
   
     
     
         2 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first coiled flexible pipe comprises a first plurality of hoops that are configured to be closer together relative to one another when the sled is in the stored position than when the sled is in the access position, and wherein the second coiled flexible pipe comprises a second plurality of hoops that are configured to be closer together relative to one another when the sled is in the stored position than when the sled is in the access position. 
     
     
         3 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of hoops and the second plurality of hoops are connected together such that the hoops of the first and second coiled flexible pipes are configured to move with each other when the sled is moved between the stored and access positions. 
     
     
         4 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the first plurality of hoops includes at least three hoops, and the second plurality of hoops includes at least three hoops. 
     
     
         5 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of hoops includes a first rear hoop, and the second plurality of hoops includes a second rear hoop, the housing including a retainer connected to the first and second rear hoops, the retainer configured to retain the first and second rear hoops in position as the sled is moved toward the access position. 
     
     
         6 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing defines an opening in communication with the interior, wherein the sled is configured to move in the opening when the sled is moved toward the stored and access positions. 
     
     
         7 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the sled is configured such that the compressor and condenser are disposed in the interior when the sled is in the stored position. 
     
     
         8 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the sled is configured such that at least one of the condenser or the compressor is disposed outside of the interior when the sled is in the access position. 
     
     
         9 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the sled is configured such that both the compressor and condenser are disposed outside of the interior when the sled is in the access position. 
     
     
         10 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each food receiver includes a pan defining the cavity of said respective food receiver, an outer housing spaced apart from the pan, and insulation disposed between the pan and outer housing. 
     
     
         11 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a holder configured to hold the sled in the stored position. 
     
     
         12 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the holder includes a tapered surface configured to engage the sled when the support is moved toward the stored position to locate the sled in the stored position. 
     
     
         13 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the holder defines a receiving space sized, shaped, and arranged to receive the sled as the sled is moved toward the stored position. 
     
     
         14 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the holder includes a guide configured to guide the sled into the receiving space as the sled is moved toward the stored position. 
     
     
         15 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the holder is a first holder, the food holding apparatus further comprising a second holder configured to hold the sled in the stored position. 
     
     
         16 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a track along which the sled is slideable between the stored and access positions. 
     
     
         17 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each food receiver includes an aluminum heat distribution plate between the heating element and the cavity of said food receiver. 
     
     
         18 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein each heating element comprises an electric bar heater having a serpentine shape. 
     
     
         19 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least three user interfaces comprises at least three touch screens, each touch screen being associated with one of the at least three food receivers. 
     
     
         20 . The food holding apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration system includes at least three valves, each valve being associated with a cooling conduit of a respective food receiver, the food holding apparatus temperature control system being communicatively coupled to the at least three valves to control refrigeration of the food receivers.