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EP-4740804-A1 - TEMPERATURE CONTROL CABINET

EP4740804A1EP 4740804 A1EP4740804 A1EP 4740804A1EP-4740804-A1

Abstract

Temperature control cabinet (1) for keeping dishes warm, with an interior space (2), wherein the interior space (2) in an operating position of the temperature control cabinet (1) is bounded on all sides by at least two vertical walls (3), and wherein at least two horizontal planes (4) extend between the vertical walls (3) and are detachably connected to the vertical walls (3), wherein the vertical walls (3) and the horizontal planes (4) are formed with a double wall, wherein at least one heating element (6) is arranged on at least one of the at least two horizontal planes (4), wherein the at least one heating element (6) is glued to the respective horizontal plane (4).

Inventors

  • SIEDLER, Thomas

Assignees

  • ALPINA COFFEE SYSTEMS GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241106

Claims (15)

  1. Temperature control cabinet (1) for keeping dishes warm, with an interior space (2), wherein the interior space (2) in an operating position of the temperature control cabinet (1) is bounded on all sides by at least two vertical walls (3), and wherein at least two horizontal planes (4) extend between the vertical walls (3) and are detachably connected to the vertical walls (3), wherein the vertical walls (3) and the horizontal planes (4) are formed with a double wall, wherein at least one heating element (6) is arranged on at least one of the at least two horizontal planes (4), characterized in that the at least one heating element (6) is glued to the respective horizontal plane (4).
  2. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heating element (6) is a foil heating element.
  3. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two vertical walls (3) are at least two side walls (7) parallel to each other and preferably a rear wall (8) defining the interior space, which is connected to the two side walls (7), preferably at right angles.
  4. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one horizontal plane (4) of the at least two horizontal planes (4) is a bottom plane (9) that bounds the interior space (2) at the bottom in the operating position of the temperature control cabinet (1) and/or wherein one horizontal plane (4) of the at least two horizontal planes (4) is a roof plane (10) which, in the operating position of the temperature control cabinet (1), defines the interior space (2) at the top.
  5. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one stiffening profile (5) extending vertically in the operating position of the temperature control cabinet (1) is arranged on each vertical wall (3) for load transfer, preferably wherein the at least one stiffening profile (5) is exactly four stiffening profiles (5) and/or is arranged within the double wall of the vertical walls (3), in particular the side walls (7).
  6. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one stiffening profile (5) - has an omega-shaped and/or U-shaped cross-section and/or - CNC laser cut and/or - extends over the total height of at least one vertical wall (3).
  7. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the double wall of the vertical walls (3) and horizontal planes (4) is formed from two spaced-apart sheets (11), wherein the sheets (11) and preferably the at least one stiffening profile (5) are made of stainless steel.
  8. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two horizontal planes (4) are height-adjustable in the vertical direction (14) in the operating position, in particular wherein the Vertical walls (3), preferably the side walls (7), have a height adjustment device (12) with which the horizontal planes (4) can be detachably connected.
  9. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the interior (2) has a heating area (13) which in the operating position is limited in the vertical direction (14) above and below by a horizontal plane (4) and is optionally subdivided or subdividable into partial heating areas by at least one further horizontal plane (4), wherein at least one heating element (6) is attached to at least one of the horizontal planes (4).
  10. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the interior (2) has at least one cooling area (15), in particular different from the heating area (13), which is bounded in the vertical direction (14) in the operating position above and below by a horizontal plane (4), wherein the cooling area (15) is designed to accommodate at least one refrigerator and/or contains at least one refrigerator.
  11. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the temperature control cabinet (1) is designed to maintain a surface temperature of the at least two horizontal planes (4) at between 60 and 80°C, preferably between 66 and 70°C, particularly preferably at 68°C.
  12. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the interior (2) has four walls bounding in the vertical direction (14) in the operating position has vertical outer sides, wherein exactly three of the four vertical outer sides are bounded by vertical walls (3).
  13. Temperature control cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the interior (2) has at least one lighting (16), in particular at least one LED light strip, preferably which is attached to the at least one stiffening profile (5), particularly preferably glued in the longitudinal direction of the stiffening profile (5) within a three-sided enclosed area of the omega and/or U-shaped cross-section.
  14. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the interior (2) has a door at least in a partial area of a vertical outer surface which is not limited by vertical walls (3).
  15. Temperature control cabinet (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the temperature control cabinet (1) has a control or regulating unit or is connectable to a control or regulating unit, wherein the control or regulating unit is configured to control or regulate the at least one heating element (6), in particular depending on a volume and/or a content of the interior (2) and/or at least a partial area of the interior (2), and preferably the lighting (16).

Description

The present invention relates to a temperature control cabinet for keeping dishes warm, with an interior space, wherein the interior space in an operating position of the temperature control cabinet is bounded on all sides by at least two vertical walls, and wherein at least two horizontal planes extend between the vertical walls and are detachably connected to the vertical walls, wherein the vertical walls and the horizontal planes are formed with a double wall, wherein at least one heating element is arranged on at least one of the at least two horizontal planes. Temperature control cabinets of this type are, for example, from the GB 399835 A and the CH 698735 B1 known. At the warming cabinet of the GB 399835 A A complex water heating system with water-carrying water channels is provided, with the water channels integrated into the vertical walls and horizontal planes. And in the combined heating and cooling device of the CH 698735 B1 Thermoelectric Peltier modules with a cooling top and an opposing heating top are provided, whereby the modules necessarily divide the device into a cool area and a warm area. The aforementioned known temperature control cabinets are therefore unfortunately characterized by a complex design or limited functionality. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a temperature control cabinet that is improved compared to the prior art, in particular one that is particularly simple in design and manufacture. This problem is solved by the features of claim 1, namely by a temperature control cabinet of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the at least one heating element is glued to the respective horizontal plane. A first major advantage of the invention is that at least one heating element can be attached quickly and easily to the respective horizontal plane and does not require any complicated constructions or fastening mechanisms. Another advantage is that the adhesive allows for low-loss heat transfer from at least one heating element to the respective horizontal plane and consequently to any dishes or other items placed on it. Such heat transfer by conduction is particularly beneficial when storing coffee cups, as coffee can develop its optimal aroma in pre-warmed cups. The heat transfer or heat conduction preferably takes place directly or immediately from at least one heating element to the respective horizontal plane and to the dishes, etc. Heat transfer can also occur indirectly via other components located between at least one heating element and the respective horizontal plane and/or the dishes, etc. In addition to indirect and/or direct heat conduction, the dishes etc. in the interior can also be tempered, especially heated, by heat convection. The temperature control cabinet is primarily intended for keeping dishes warm, such as cups, plates, cutlery or the like, but can also be used to keep other goods and/or food warm, such as meals and/or drinks. The interior of the temperature control cabinet is to be understood in particular as a volume of the temperature control cabinet, preferably cube- or cuboid-shaped, bounded by outer sides. The horizontal planes serve in particular to demarcate the interior of the temperature control cabinet and/or to support goods such as cups. The horizontal planes are preferably arranged horizontally in the operating position of the temperature control cabinet. However, at least one horizontal plane may also be slightly inclined, especially due to manufacturing tolerances and/or if an item placed on the horizontal plane is intended to slide in a predetermined direction, for example against a back wall and/or a side wall. The double wall of the horizontal planes consists in particular of a sheet metal facing downwards in the operating position and a sheet metal facing upwards spaced apart from it. The double wall of the vertical walls consists in particular of an inward-facing sheet metal, i.e., facing the interior, and a spaced-apart, outward-facing sheet metal. The horizontal planes are connected to the vertical walls, in particular at their inward-facing sheets and/or preferably by hooking and/or snapping them into place. In particularly preferred embodiments, the at least one heating element is glued inside the double wall, preferably to the upward-facing sheet metal, to at least one horizontal plane. Preferably, at least one heating element is glued to a downward-facing surface of the upward-facing sheet of the double wall of at least one of the horizontal planes in the operating position. In some embodiments, at least one heating element is glued to the underside of at least one horizontal plane, which is facing downwards in the operating position. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. It may be designed so that at least one heating element has a maximum power output of 43 watts. This results in lower energy consumption compared to heating elements with a higher