Heated and heating serving plate

Abstract

A warming tray includes an upper plate, on which food or a dish containing the food can be placed, and which is adapted to be coupled with a lower plate that includes an upper side adapted to accommodate the upper plate and a lower plate, the upper and lower sides being joined by a perimeter wall. The lower plate includes one or more heating resistances, a thermostat, one or more electric energy accumulators, a charge regulator, a discharge regulator, an on/off switch, and a recharge connector. Turning the switch on or off supplies power to the thermostat and to the heating resistances, which provide for heating the upper side of the lower plate and the upper plate.

Claims

1. A warming tray comprising: at least one upper plate (V), adapted to receive food or a dish containing the food to be heated, and to be coupled with a lower plate (P), wherein said lower plate (P) comprises an upper side (P1a, P1b) adapted to accommodate said upper plate (V) and a lower side (P2), said upper and lower sides being joined by a perimeter wall (P3), wherein said lower plate (P) is adapted to house: at least one heating resistance (R) fixed to or in contact with said upper side (P1a, P1b); at least one thermostat (T) electrically connected to said heating resistance (R) and placed in contact with said upper side (P1a, P1b); at least one accumulator of electric energy (A); at least one recharge connector (Y) directly or indirectly connected to said accumulator of electric energy (A); at least one on/off switch (O) interposed between said thermostat (T) and said accumulator of electric energy (A), wherein operation of said on/off switch (O) provides power to said heating resistance (R) through said thermostat (T), and wherein said thermostat (T) interrupts power supply to said heating resistance (T) when a temperature set on the thermostat (T) has been reached.

2. The warming tray according to claim 1, wherein said upper side (P1a, P1b) of said lower plate (P) comprises a first external part (P1a) adapted to delimit and contain a second central part (P1b), wherein said first part (P1a) of said upper side (P1a, P1b) is made of an insulating material, and wherein said second central part (P1b) is made of a thermally conductive material.

3. The warming tray according to claim 1, wherein said lower plate (P) comprises a recharge connector (Y) directly or indirectly connected to said electric accumulator (A).

4. The warming tray according to claim 1, wherein said lower plate (P) comprises a first indicator light (L3) that indicates a state of the on/off switch (O) and a second indicator light (L4) that signals whether the heating resistance (R) is being powered/heated or not.

5. The warming tray according to claim 1, wherein said lower plate (P) comprises a charge regulator (M1) interposed between said accumulator of electric energy (A) and said recharge connector (Y), a first indicator light (L1) that signals that the accumulator (A) is being recharged and a second indicator light (L2) that signals that a recharge of said accumulator (A) has been completed, and wherein said charge regulator (M1) is adapted to regulate a recharge power supply of said accumulator (A).

6. The warming tray according to claim 1, wherein said lower plate (P) comprises a discharge regulator (M2) interposed between said on/off switch (O) and said heating resistance (R) and thermostat (T), adapted to interrupt the power supply to said heating resistance (R) and thermostat (T) when a charge of the accumulator (A) falls below a minimum level.

7. The warming tray according to claim 1, wherein said lower plate (P) comprises a partition (Ps) placed under and parallel to said upper side (P1a, P1b) of said lower plate (P) and providing an air space (Pi) between said upper side (P1a, P1b) and an inside of the lower plate (P), and wherein said perimeter wall (P3) of said lower plate (P) comprises ventilation slits or openings (Pf) at a level of said air space (Pi) between said upper side (P1) and the inside of said lower plate (P).

8. The warming tray according to claim 1, wherein said upper plate (V) and said lower plate (P) are provided with first coupling and connection elements (G1a, G1b; G2a, G2b) suited to maintain said upper plate (V) and said lower plate (P) joined together in a correct position.

9. The warming tray according to claim 8, wherein said upper plate (V) and said lower plate (P) are provided, on their respective top and bottom, with first pairs of contacts (W1a, W1b; W2a, W2b) that electrically connect identical serving plates placed over or respectively thereunder, and wherein said first pairs of contacts (W1a, W1b) of said lower plate (P) are connected with the recharge connector (Y).

10. The warming tray according to claim 9, further comprising relays (E1, E2) or other equivalent devices adapted to supply the power directly from the recharge connector (Y) or from the pairs of contacts (W1a, W1b) to the on/off switch (O), the thermostat (T) and the heating resistance (R) when the warming tray is connected to electricity mains or is stacked on another warming tray connected to the electricity mains.

11. The warming tray according to the claim 9, further comprising a lid (U) adapted to be placed on and coupled with the upper plate (V) or directly with the upper side (P1a, P1b) of the lower plate (P), wherein said lid (U) is provided with second coupling and connection elements (G3a, G3b) adapted to maintain said lid (U) joined to one or both of said upper plate (V) or said lower plate (P) in a correct position.

12. The warming tray according to claim 11, wherein said lid (U) is provided, on its top and its bottom, with second pairs of contacts (W3a, W3b) for an electric connection with identical serving plates and provided or not provided with a corresponding lid (U).

13. The warming tray according to the preceding claim 12, wherein said pairs of contacts (W1a, W1b; W2a, W2b; W3a, W3b) of said lower plate (P), upper plate (V), and lid (U) are included, built-in, or integrated in one or both of said first and second coupling and connection elements (G1a, G1b; G2a, G2b; G3a, G3b) for connection with identical warming trays placed over or under the warming tray.

Description

[0050] In the attached drawing, by way of a non-limiting example, a practical embodiment of the invention is presented.

[0051] FIGS. 1 and 2 show respectively a top view and a vertical section of the new warming tray comprising an upper plate (V), a lower plate (P), one or more heating resistances (R), a thermostat (T), one or more batteries (A), a charge regulator (M1), a discharge regulator (M2), and a switch (O).

[0052] The upper plate (V) comprises at least one first external ring-shaped part (Va), made of heat insulating and electrically insulating material, suited to delimit and contain a second central part (Vb) made of heat conducting material.

[0053] The lower plate (P) comprises a generally circular upper side (P1a, P1b) and lower side (P2) joined by a cylindrical perimeter wall (P3), and constitutes a box-shaped casing suited to contain and enclose the other parts of the new warming tray.

[0054] In particular, the upper side (P1a, P1b) of the lower plate (P) is suited to accommodate the upper plate (V) and comprises a heat-insulating peripheral edge (P1a) and a central heat conductive part (P1b).

[0055] The heating resistances (R) are fastened and adhere to the lower surface of the central part (P1b) of the upper side (P1a, P1b) of the lower plate (P).

[0056] The thermostat (T) is located on the same lower surface of the upper side (P1a) and has a lever or control knob (Tm) accessible through an opening or hole present in the lower side (P2) of the lower plate (P).

[0057] Inside the lower plate (P) there is a partition (Ps), located below and parallel to the upper side (P1a, P1b) of the lower plate (P), so as to obtain an air space (Pi) between the upper side (P1a, P1b) and the inside of the lower plate (P).

[0058] Ventilation slits or openings (Pf) are located on the cylindrical perimeter wall (P3) of the lower plate (P) in correspondence with the air space (Pi) between the upper side (P1a, P1b) and the inside of the lower plate (P).

[0059] The charging connector (Y) is located on the cylindrical perimeter wall (P3) of the lower plate.

[0060] The on/off switch (O) and the four indicator lights or LEDs (L1, L2, L3, L4) are located on the outer heat-insulating perimeter edge (P1a) of the upper side (P1a, P1b) of the lower plate and indicate that the accumulator is currently charging (L1), the full charge state (L2) of the accumulator, the operation status (L3), and the status of the heating (L3) in progress.

[0061] In particular, the portion of the heat-insulating perimeter edge (P1a) of the upper side (P1a, P1b) in which the on/off switch (O) and the four indicator lights or LEDs (L1, L2, L3, L4) are located is laterally inclined so as to facilitate access to the on/off switch (O) and increase the visibility of the indicator lights (L1, L2, L3, L4).

[0062] The lower plate (P) contains the accumulator (A), the charge regulator (M1), and the discharge regulator (M2).

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the electrical connection between the charging connector (Y), the charge regulator (M1), the batteries (A), the on/off switch (O), the discharge regulator (M2), the indicator lights or LED lamps (L1, L2, L3, L4), the thermal resistance (R), and the thermostat (T).

[0064] FIG. 2 shows the lid (U), attachable and connectable to the upper plate (V) or directly to the upper side (P1) of the lower plate (P) so as to create a thermal chamber suited to keep food warm or prevent it from cooling when placed on the upper plate (V) or the upper side (P1) of the lower plate (P).

[0065] The upper plate (V), the lower plate (P), and the lid (U) have coupling and connection elements (G1a, G1b, G2a, G2b, G3a, G3b) suited to keep the upper plates (V), lower plate (P), and lid (U) together in the correct position.

[0066] In the example shown in the figures, the coupling and connection elements (G1a, G1b; G2a, G2b, G3a, G3b) comprise contacts (W1A, W1b; W2a, W2b, W3a, W3b) connected to the charging connector (Y) so as to allow additional warming trays to be stacked, with or without a lid (U), and the batteries (A) of the new stacked warming trays to be recharged by connecting only one to the mains.

[0067] In the diagram in FIG. 3 there are two relays (E1, E2) suited to supply electric power directly from the charging connector (Y) or from the contacts (W1A, W1b) to the switch (O), the thermostat (T), and the thermal resistance (R) when the new warming tray is connected to the mains or is stacked with another warming tray connected to the mains so as not to draw energy from the accumulator (A), whether charged or charging.

[0068] Therefore, with reference to the preceding description and the attached drawings the following claims are made.