Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates generally to a condiment holder and, more
particularly, to condiment holders which are commonly known afi frost top
units which give the appearance that the individual condiments are resting
in lce.
Specifically, the present invention relates to improvements over
prior art frost top condiment holders used extensively for displaying con-
diments or other foods for self-service of such foods in many restaurants.
For the past few years, the addition of self-service salad bars
in restaurants of all types have shown a tremendous increa~e. One of the
attractive features of many salad bars is produced by what is commonly
known as a frost top unit which is basically a refrigerated plate which
frosts so as to g;ve the appearance of the salad aæ well as the additional
condiments, vegetables and dressing and the like resting in ice. However,
while such frost top units have been successful in providing salad bar dis-
plays with a pleasing appearance, among the disadvantages or problems of
these presently used food holding and displaying devices includes the manu-
facture of the frost top plate as a flat solid tray which cannot effectively
hold the individual foods in one place thereby allowing the individual food
items to be moved around to a position other than one which allows convenient
self-service or a visually pleasing display. Similarly, condiments which are
supported in small containers resting on such frost top trays are not refrig-
erated throughout as only the bottom of such containers are in contact with
the re~rigerated plate. Still another disadvantage feature resides in the
difficulty involved in cleaning such prior art frost top units.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,248,467, issued July 8, 1941 to Scilken, discloses
a refrigerated display fixture for perishable foods comprising a top section
formed from a plurality of plates each having a refrigerant passage there-
through, the top section also containing therein tray openings formed by the
arrangement of the spaced plates for allowing the placement of food-holding
trays. The tray openings can further include tubular connecting elements
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connecting the refrigerant passages of the various spaced plates and may
further be arranged below the top to come in contact with trays disposed
within the tray openings. V.S. Pat. No. 2,962,874, issued December 6, 1960
to Fitzgerald, discloses a cooling tray for food products and beverages for
self-service in which the cooling tray includes a stepped base member for
supporting containers holding said food or beverage and furthe~ including
raised sidewalls to form a cooling box and a top plate member arranged to
receive the containers through a plurality of apertures therein and to sup-
port these containers at points spaced above the base member, the base member
being arranged to be seated in the proximity of laterally spaced portions of
a continuous cooling coil in which the cooling coil is supplied with a refrig-
erant from a compressor-pump combination. A similar device is disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,848, issued January 19, 1971 to Johnson, which discloses
a self-contained portable cooler for food receptacles in which the cooler
houses a complete small mechanical refrigeration unit, the evaporator of which
is arranged to support a food receptacle which is placed on a cooled plate
contacting the evaporator unit. U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,309, patented July 10,
1951 to Stebbins, also discloses a refrigerator system for produce stands
which are of the open top variety and in which the refrigerating units and
supports therefor form the partitions by which the rack is divided into a
plurality of independent generally rectangular open top bins or food display
compartments. V.S. Pat. No. 2,759,339, issued August 21, 1956 to Kundert,
discloses an ;mprovement for refrigerating or frost top plates described above
in which the frosted top is placed in heat conducting contact with refrigerant
conduits while the frame for the frost top plate is placed in heat conducting
contact with warmed fluid to prevent frost from forming on the frameO U.S.
Pat. No. 3,320,964, issued May 23, 1967 to Tripp, discloses a chemical flush
system for use in cleaning and maintaining refrigeration equipment such as
refrigerated cases used commercially in retail food stores. None of the
above patents, however, recognizes the advantages of providing a condiment
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holder or refrigerated food display device, in general, with both a frosted
top to provide cooling and a pleasing appearance as well as storage area below
the frosted top which is also refrigerated to maintain the displayed foods
fresh. Likewise, there is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art of
combining such Erost top condiment holders with a self-draining cleaning
~luid flush system. While the Tripp patent adds a chemical flush system to
a refrigerated display case, the display case of Tripp is unlike the frost
top condiment holder of the present invention.
Briefly, the present invention is an improvement over prior art
frosted top plates used for displaying salads and associated condiments and
the like. In accordance with the present invention, a refrigerated condi-
ment holder is provided, the condiment holder including a top plate which is
covered with a layer of frost due to the placement of refrigerant conduits
in heat exchange contact with the bottom surface of the plate, the top plate
being provided with a plurality of container openings through which containers
carrying foods may be placed. The condiment holder of the present invention
includes a cooled storage area below the frosted top plate which maintains the
foods in a fresh condition. The storage area is provided with a self-drain-
ing cleaning system which flushes the storage area of any food contaminants.
The cleaning system comprises a pair of nozzles which direct cleaning fluid
along the bottom and sides of the storage area within the condiment holder,
the bottom of the storage area including a drain through which the cleaning
fluid and separated contaminants are discharged. Accordingly, a condiment
holder is provided which will maintain the individual foods in the position
at which they are placed, is capable of holding different types of condiments
or foods depending upon the sizes of openings within the frost top plate, will
produce a frost or ice appearance to exist around the tray openings and on the
cover of the individual condiment containers presenting a uDique appearance of
mounded ice around the individual containers placed in the tray openings and
which cools those containers placed within the tray openings not only from the
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top of the container but from the cooled storage area existing below the frost
top plate unit by the placement of the refrigerant conduits underneath the
frost top and adjacent each of the tray openings.
A primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to pro-
vide an improved refrigerated condiment holder which contains none of the
disadvantageous features of prior art devices of similar type.
In accordance with the foregoing object, another object of the
invention is to provide a refrigerated condiment holder which includes a
frosted top to provide the appearance of the condiments resting in ice and
in which the top comprises a plurality of tray openings for the holding of
individual food or condiment containers, the holder further including a
refrigerated storage area positioned below the frosted top and which pro-
videg cooling of the bulk of the indivîdual containers passing through the
frosted top.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
conduit holder of the above type which further contains a self-draining
fluid cleaning system for maintaining the storage area free from contami-
nants.
Still yet another object of the present ;nvention is to provide
a refrigerated condiment holder provided with a decorative frost top unit
which is capable of holding and maintaining in position a plurality of foods
and condiments and maintain the foods and condiments cool and fresh and is
~urther provided with a self-draining cleaning system which allows the simple
and efficient cleaning of the device thus maintaining the necessary sanitary
conditions.
Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the refrigerated con-
diment holder of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the frosted condiment holder partly
broken away to illustrate the placement of the refrigerant conduits utilized
to form the frosted top plate and to maintain the refrigerated storage area
there below.
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Figure 3 is a top elevational view of the condiment holder of the
present invention with the frosted top unit and associated refrigerant con-
duits removed and thus illustrates the self-draining flu;d cleaning system.
Figure 4 îs a longi~udinal sectional view of the frosted condiment
holder taken generally along the line 4--4 of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the frosted condiment
holder taken generally along the line 5--5 of Figure 4.
Referring to Figures 1 through 3, it can be seen that the refrig-
erated condiment holder of the present invention generally indicated by
reference numeral 10 comprises a generally rectangular shaped base 12 formed
by sidewalls 14 and 16 and end walls 18 and 20. Base 12, if desired, can be
supported by four support legs 22. Obviously, base 12 may take many forms
and shapes in order to accommodate the numerous variety of sites and situa-
tions in which condiment holder 10 may be utilized. Positioned over base 12
is frost top unit 24 which is a plate containing a plurality of container
openings 26 which may be of varying size, although for the purposes of illus-
tration only, all of openings 26 are shown of the same diameter. Openings
26 support a plurality of condiment containers 28 which usually include an
outer rim or lip which extends over the surface of frost top unit 24. As
20 best seen in Figures 1, 4 and 5, frost top unit 24 includes a perimeter
gutter 30 which collects condensate formed from the melting of the frost
layer which is formed over the surface of frost top unit 24. Frost top
unit 24 further includes an outer perimeter lip 32 which secures frost top
unit 24 onto base 12.
Positioned underneath frost top unit 24 and attached to the bottom
surface thereof is refrigerant conduit 34 which can be seen in Figure 2 as
following a path which travels adjacent each of container openings 26 such
that each opening 26 is virtually surrounded by refrigerant conduit 34. As
can be seen, refrigerant conduit 34 travels between each row of openings 26
as well as between each column thereof and between the outermost openings 26
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and the outer perimeter of frost ~op unit 24 adjacent gutter 30. In this
manner, a layer oE frost or ice forms on the top of frost top unit Z4 and
maintains the individual condiment containers 28 and their contents refrig-
erated. Refrigerant conduit 34 i9 essentially the evaporator of a conven-
tional refrigeration system which includes a refrigerant vapor compressor
and compressed vapor refrigerant condenser (not shown). Re~rigerant conduit
34 is linked to the conventional refrigeration system by means of holder 36
which holds conduit inlet 38 and refrigerant return 40 which returns the
evaporated refrigerant that travelled the total path along the bottom surface
of frost top unit 24 by means of refrigerant conduit 34.
Positioned underneath and spaced from frost top unit 24 is water
or cleaning fluid flush system 42 which comprises pan 44 which is shaped
so as to direct all water or cleaning fluid dispensed from nozzles 46 and
48 to drain 50. Nozzles 46 and 48 direct water or chemical cleaning fluid
onto the top surface of pan 44 thus cleaning or flushing any contaminants
thereon into drain 50. As can be seen, nozzles 46 and 48 are spaced so as
to disperse cleaning fluid substantially over the entire surface of pan 44.
The self-draining feature of pan 44 is provided by the inwardly slanting
sidewalls 52 and 54 which direct the fluid onto downwardly slanted surface
53 which provides for movement of the cleaning fluid by gravity into drain
50. Pan 44 also collects condensate passing into gutter 30 by means of
drains 56, four in number, which are placed in gutter 30 adjacent each end
and sidewall of condiment holder 10. Condensate discharge through drains
56 contact pan 44 and flows by gravity tG drain 50 where all condensate is
removed from condiment holder 10.
A detailed arrangement of the components which form condiment
holder lO can be seen in Figures 4 and 5. As can be seen, base 12 further
includes a bottom wall 58 which has welded or otherwise attached thereto
cabinet 60 which holds the typical refrigeration equipment including com-
pressor and condenser units. Placed adjacent each end and sidewall of base
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12 is a layer of thermal insulation 62 which maintains wha~ can be charac-
terized as storage area 64 cold so as to provide refrigeration of the
contents placed in container 28, the major portion o~ which extends into
~torage area 6~. Storage area 64 is formed by the space existing between
frost top unit 24 and pan 44 and is further bounded by end walls 66 and 68
and sidewalls 70 and 72 of water flush system 42.
Refrigerant conduit 34 is preferably welded to bottom surface 74
of frost top unit 24. Refrigerant conduit 34 is positioned to pass the
refrigerant along each side of container openings 26 as illustrated in
Figures 2 and 4. Refrigerant conduit 34 receives the expanding refrigerant
via connector 76 connecting a conventional e~pansion valve (not shown) to
holder 36 while conduit 78 returns evaporated and warmed refrigerant from
holder 36 to the compressor unit held within refrigeration cabinet 60.
The spray nozzles 46 and 48 can be supplied from a supply conduit
80 which is linked to a source (not shown) of water or cleaning fluid. A
common T-connector can be used to supply both spray nozzles 46 and 48 from
supply conduit 80. Likewise, a separate supply conduit may be utilized to
supply each of the respective spray nozzles. The downward slanting floor of
center section 53 of pan 44 allows all wash water or fluid to enter drain 50
which is fastened to drain pipe 82 for removal of spent fluid from condiment
holder 10.
In operation, a conventional refrigeration system supplies refrig-
erant to refrigerant conduit 34 which is placed in heat conducting contact ~ ;
with frost-top unit 24 so as to form a layer of frost or ice thereon due to
conden~ate from the atmosphere. Refrigerant is passed throughout the total -
area of frost top unit 24 so as to cool the tops of each of containers 28
placed in openings 26. Further, storage area 64 being insulated from the
atmosphere by means of insulation layer 62 is also cooled by means of the
expanding refrigerant through reErigerant conduit 34 and thus refrigerates
the contents contained within containers 28. By forming storage area 64
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within condiment holder 10, relatively larger containers 28 can be utilized
and thus hold a relatively larger quantity of salad dressings and other con-
diments and yet remain refrigerated and thus fresh. Further, the tops of
containers 28 remain substantially flush with frost top unit 24 enhancing
the appearance of the food display by giving the appearance of the containers
resting in ice due to the formation of the frost layer on the surface of
frost top unit 24. Once refrigerant has passed throughout the full circuit
laid down by refrigerant conduit 34, warmed refrigerant i9 returned to the
refrigeration unit via conduit 78. Periodic cleaning of condiment holder 10
is accomplished by simply opening nozzles 46 and 48-which dispense the stream
of cleaning fluid along the sides and bottom surface of pan 44 thus removing
any contaminants which may be adhered. The cleaning fluid and contaminants
are removed by gravity flow through drain 50 and out of condiment holder 10
via conduit 82. In this manner, condiment holder 10 does not have to to be
disassembled for each cleaning and thus is much simpler and more economical
to operate than prior art frost top units.
Materials for the construction of condiment holder 10 can vary,
although metal seems to be the most preferred material, especially for frost
top unit 24. Metal has the proper heat conducting properties which would
allow the formation of the layer of frost or ice on the top surface of frost
top unit 24. The materials chosen should be rust and corrosion resistant and
should greatly resist the growth of mold, fungus and bacteria so as to maintain
condiment holder 10 as sanitary as possible.
