Claims
- 1. A food treating/holding apparatus comprising:
- a cabinet defining a storage space for food to be treated, said cabinet having an access opening to permit placement of food items in and removal of food items from said storage space and a door mounted for selective movement between a closed position wherein the access opening is covered and an opened position;
- means for sensing if the door is in the open position;
- a heater having a surface that can be heated to a sufficiently high temperature to vaporize water in said storage space;
- means for delivering water against the heater surface to provide water vapor in said storage space; and
- control means coupled to said sensing and said delivering means for causing said delivering means to deliver a preselected metered quantity of water to the heater surface according to an amount of time that said door is in said open position to compensate for humidity loss to the atmosphere upon said door being opened.
- 2. The food treating/holding apparatus according to the claim 1 further including temperature sensing means for preventing operation of said heater when said heater surface is above a preselected temperature.
- 3. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a heater element is provided to heat air in said food storage space.
- 4. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 1 further including temperature sensing means for preventing delivery of water against said heater surface by said water delivery means when said heater surface is below a preselected temperature.
- 5. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said control means includes first timer means for determining a time related to the length of time said door is in the open position, and second timer means for causing said delivering means to deliver water for a preselected time period according to the time measured by said first timer means.
- 6. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said first and second timer means provide four increments of humidity control.
- 7. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for inhibiting the delivering of water by said delivering means when said apparatus is first placed in an on state.
- 8. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said inhibiting means includes means for inhibiting operation for a preselected minimum period of time.
- 9. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means responsive to said door being in the closed position for intermittently delivering a metered amount of water at controlled intervals against the heater surface to produce water vapor in the food storage space.
- 10. A food treating/holding apparatus comprising:
- a cabinet defining a storage space for food to be treated, said cabinet having an access opening to permit placement of food items in and removal of food items from said storage space and a door mounted for selective movement between a closed position wherein the access opening is covered and an opened position;
- means for sensing if the door is in the open position, said sensing means including a switch which is actuated if said door is in the open position;
- a heater having a surface that can be heated to a sufficiently high temperature to vaporize water in said storage space;
- means for delivering water against the heater surface to provide water vapor in said storage space; and
- first timer means coupled to said sensing means for determining a door open time related to the length said switch is actuated;
- second timer means operatively associated with said first timer means for causing said delivering means to deliver a quantity of water to said heater surface for a length of time related to said door open time to compensate for humidity loss to the atmosphere upon said door being opened.
- 11. The food treating/holding apparatus according to the claim 10 further including temperature sensing means for preventing operation of said heater when said heater surface is above a preselected temperature.
- 12. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 10 wherein a heater element is provide to heat air in said food storage space.
- 13. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 10 further including temperature sensing means for preventing delivery of water against said heater surface by said water delivery means when said heater surface is below a preselected temperature.
- 14. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said first and second timer means provide four increments of humidity control.
- 15. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for inhibiting the delivering of water by said delivering means when said apparatus is first placed in an on state.
- 16. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said inhibiting means includes means for inhibiting operation for a preselected minimum period of time.
- 17. The food treating/holding apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means responsive to said door being in the closed position for intermittently delivering a metered amount of water at controlled intervals against the heater surface to produce water vapor in the food storage space.
- 18. A food treating/holding apparatus comprising:
- a cabinet defining a storage space for food to be treated, said cabinet having an access opening to permit placement of food items in and removal of food items from said storage space and a door mounted for selective movement between a closed position wherein the access opening is covered and an opened position;
- means for sensing if the door is in the open position, said sensing means including a switch which is actuated if said door is in the open position;
- a heater having a surface that can be heated to a sufficiently high temperature to vaporize water in said storage space;
- means for delivering water against the heater surface to provide water vapor in said storage space; and
- first timer means coupled to said sensing means and responsive to said switch being actuated any one of a plurality of preselected door open times for commanding delivery of water;
- second timer means operatively associated with said first timer means for causing said delivering means to deliver a quantity of water to said heater surface for any one of a plurality of humidity replenishment times related to said door open time to compensate for humidity loss to the atmosphere upon said door being opened.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Cross Reference
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending Fortmann et al. application, ser. no. 126,248, filed Nov. 27, 1987, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,368 owned by the assignee of the present invention, and the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
126248 |
Nov 1987 |
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