Temperature regulation device

Abstract

A method of arranging an induction coil in a food service well includes supporting, by supports in an extended position, the induction coil at a first height in the food service well, rotating the supports from the extended position to a retracted position, and supporting, with the supports in the retracted position, the induction coil at a second height in the food service well, the first height different than the second height.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of arranging an induction coil in a food service well, the method comprising:
 supporting, by supports in an extended position, the induction coil at a first height in the food service well;   rotating the supports from the extended position to a retracted position; and   supporting, with the supports in the retracted position, the induction coil at a second height in the food service well, the first height different than the second height.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a first pan in the food service well when the induction coil is supported at the first height; and   providing a second pan in the food service well when the induction coil is supported at the second height;   wherein the first pan has a first vertical dimension and the second pan has a second vertical dimension different than the first vertical dimension.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the food service well has a depth, and wherein the depth corresponds to both a sum of the first height and the first vertical dimension and a sum of the second height and the second vertical dimension. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first vertical dimension is 2½ inches and the second vertical dimension is 4 inches. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a food pan in the food service well; and   inducing heat generation in the food pan by operating the induction coil.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein rotating the supports from the extended position to the retracted position comprises moving the supports into an inset portion of a housing for the induction coil. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein supporting the induction coil at the second height in the food service well comprises contacting the food service well with a bottom surface of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein supporting, by the supports in the extended position, the induction coil at the first height in the food service well comprises contacting the food service well with contact surfaces of the supports. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein, in the extended position, the supports extend from a housing for the induction coil to the contact surfaces. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein rotating the supports from the extended position to the retracted position comprises rotating each support by more than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . A method of arranging a pod comprising an induction coil in a food service well, the method comprising:
 supporting, while supports for the pod are in a retracted position, the pod at a second height in the food service well;   rotating the supports from the retracted position to an extended position; and   supporting, by the supports in the extended position, the induction coil at a first height in the food service well, the first height different than the second height.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 providing a first pan in the food service well when the induction coil is supported at the first height; and   providing a second pan in the food service well when the induction coil is supported at the second height;   wherein the first pan has a first vertical dimension and the second pan has a second vertical dimension different than the first vertical dimension.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the food service well has a depth, and wherein the depth corresponds to both a sum of the first height and the first vertical dimension and a sum of the second height and the second vertical dimension. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein rotating the supports from the retracted position to the extended position comprises moving the supports out of an inset portion of a pod housing the induction coil. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein rotating the supports from the retracted position to the extended position comprises rotating each support more than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein supporting the pod at the second height in the food service well comprises contacting the food service well with a bottom surface of the pod. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein supporting the pod at the first height in the food service well comprises contacting the food service well with the supports. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 providing a first induction device and a second induction device in a food service well;   selectively rearranging the first induction device between a first height in the food service well and a second height in the food service well by rotating first supports of the first induction device between retracted and extended positions; and   selectively rearranging the second induction device between the first height in the food service well and the second height in the food service well by rotating second supports of the second induction device between the retracted and extended positions.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of selectively rearranging the first induction device between the first height in the food service well and the second height in the food service well is performed independently of the step of selectively rearranging the second induction device between the first height in the food service well and the second height in the food service well. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 providing a first pan in the food service well aligned with the first induction device and a second pan in the food service well aligned with the second induction device;   selecting between the first height and the second height for the first induction device based on a first dimension of the first pan; and   selecting between the first height and the second height based on a second dimension of the second pan.