A cubby unit includes a unit housing, a plurality of cubbies disposed within the unit housing, and an interface positioned along the unit housing. Each of the plurality of cubbies includes a cubby housing defining an internal compartment and a door coupled to the cubby housing. The door facilitates accessing the internal compartment of the cubby housing. The interface provides a cubby selection interface that facilitates manual assignment of a respective cubby to a respective order by an employee.

A hot food storage assembly includes a box that may be positioned on a support surface. A cover is removably positioned on the box and the cover has a plurality of openings. A plurality of cans is provided and each of the cans may contain a food item. Each of the cans is comprised of a thermally insulating material. Thus, each of the cans may retain the food item at a pre-determined temperature. Each of the cans is slidably inserted through an associated one of the openings. A plurality of lids is provided and each of the lids is removably coupled to an associated one of the cans. Each of the lids forms a fluid impermeable seal with the associated can. Thus, each of the lids inhibits heat transfer between the food item and air.

A heating, ventilation, and/or air condition (HVAC) controller assembly to reduce undesired air currents includes a front cover, a back plate configured to be removably secured to the front cover, HVAC controller circuitry, a plurality of wire openings, and an air intrusion barrier configured to extend across the wire openings. The HVAC controller circuitry is configured to be electrically coupled to a plurality of wires extending through a hole in the wall to adjust an environmental characteristic of in a controlled space. Each wire opening is configured to receive only a single wire and each wire is configured to extend through a different one of the wire openings. The air intrusion barrier is configured to receive the wires to generally form a plurality of seals against the wires. The wire openings are configured to substantially support the wires to reduce movement of the wires relative to the air intrusion barrier.

A vending machine system for loading and dispensing pre-baked unpackaged food including a fixed cartridge disposed in a refrigerator of a vending machine, and a transport cartridge adapted to removably attach to the fixed cartridge, the transport cartridge operable for holding trays of unpackaged food and loading the trays of unpackaged food from the transport cartridge into the fixed cartridge, wherein, when the transport cartridge is removably attached to the fixed cartridge, a front opening of the transport cartridge aligns with a front opening of the fixed cartridge, and wherein the rack of the transport cartridge aligns with the conveyor system of the fixed cartridge such that trays of unpackaged food within the transport cartridge can simultaneously be transitioned from the rack to the conveyor system.

A modular food holding system includes a plurality of individual modularized food holding chambers, each of the plurality of food holding chambers being physically and communicatively removably connected to one another. Each of the food holding chambers includes a food holding cavity and at least one of a heating element and/or a cooling element for heating or cooling the food holding cavity. A chamber base is physically and communicatively removably connected to one of the food holding chambers and operation of at least one food holding chamber is controlled by the chamber base.

A method of displaying a battery life for a warming cart battery is provided. The method includes the steps of detecting with a processor that a warming cart battery voltage is out of range of a predetermined threshold, determining with a processor an operation state of each of a plurality of periphery warming cart devices, and automatically setting a battery scale of a warming cart battery based on which of the plurality of periphery warming cart devices are in an active operation state.

The present invention relates to a device that can be used for heating and/or refrigerating and/or maintaining the temperature of a receptacle. According to the invention, characteristically it comprises a base module which comprises: heat-producing means (5) and cold-producing means (7), said cold producing means comprising a reservoir (7) containing a fluid and possibly connected to an evaporator, said heat-producing means comprise a thermochemical reactor (5) connected to said reservoir (7) and containing a reagent able to react reversibly with said fluid during an exothermal reaction:—means forming a valve that allows said reservoir (7) or said evaporator to be connected to said thermochemical reactor (5) to produce heat in said reactor (5) as a result of said aforementioned exothermal reaction and simultaneously to produce cold in said reservoir (7), as the result of the expansion and/or evaporation of said fluid;—at least one receptacle (3) made of a thermally conducting material which has a first face able to house the foodstuff that is to be heated/refrigerated and a second face, opposite to said first face and arranged in contact with said heat-producing means (5) or said cold-producing, means (7);—an insulating element (15) which thermally insulates said heat-producing means (5) from said cold-producing means (7); and said reactor (5) and/or said receptacle (3) are removably mounted on said base module.

A food pan is for use with food service equipment having a well. The food pan includes a receptacle and an outer rim surrounding the receptacle. The receptacle is designed to receive food, and has a periphery of a first shape. The outer rim has a periphery of a second shape, and supports the food pan on food service equipment. The receptacle extends into the well of the food service equipment.

An insulating device can include an aperture having a waterproof closure which allows access to the chamber within the insulating device. The closure can help prevent any fluid leakage into and out of the insulating device if the insulating device is overturned or in any configuration other than upright. The closure also prevents any fluid from permeating into the chamber if the insulating device is exposed to precipitation, other fluid, or submersed under water. This construction results in an insulating chamber impervious to water and other liquids when the closure is sealed.

A heat insulating container is described which can keep a heat insulating state (including cold insulating state) of an inside container stored in an outside container for a long period of time, and improve safety and usability. The heat insulating container may include the outside container having a heat insulating structure; the inside container having a cold insulating structure or a heat insulating structure; and a cover member which is attached to the inside container in a state in which the inside container is stored in the cover member; in which the inside container is stored in the outside container in a non-contact state through the cover member.