HEATED AIR CURTAIN CONTAINER WITH MULTIPLE TEMPERATURE ZONES

1 . A heated food container having a first temperature zone and a second temperature zone, comprising:

an interior chamber sized to contain food items, the interior chamber having a first temperature zone and a second temperature zone;

an opening providing access to the interior chamber;

a fan configured to supply an air stream to a duct system;

a heater configured to heat the air stream;

wherein the duct system is configured to deliver a portion of the air stream across the opening, creating an air curtain;

a diverter disposed in the air curtain to divert a portion of the air stream out of the 11 air curtain and into the interior chamber, the diverter configured to cause the second temperature zone to maintain a second temperature different from the first temperature; and

a temperature control system comprising:

a user interface;

an input configured to receive a signal from the user interface, the signal representative of a first temperature; and

a processing circuit configured to control the heater to bring the first temperature zone to the first temperature.

2 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the opening comprises a top and a bottom and the diverter is located approximately halfway between the top and the bottom.

3 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the diverter is a baffle.

4 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the second temperature differs from the first temperature by at least 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

5 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the second temperature is in the range of 60-80% of the first temperature.

6 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit uses the signal representative of the first temperature as the only user input of temperature.

7 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a temperature display and at least one button for increasing or decreasing the temperature shown on the display, and wherein the temperature shown on the display is the first temperature.

8 . The container according to claim 7 , wherein the food container does not include an additional temperature display or user interface for receiving temperature input from a user.

9 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein the control system does not include a user interface for allowing direct user adjustment of the second temperature.

10 . A heated food container, comprising:

an interior chamber sized to contain food items;

an opening providing access to the interior chamber;

a fan configured to supply air to a duct system;

a heater configured to heat the air;

wherein the duct system is configured to deliver a portion of the air across the opening, creating an air curtain;

a sensor located in the interior chamber and configured to sense the temperature of the interior chamber at the location of the sensor; and

a diverter disposed in the air curtain to divert a portion of the air out of the air curtain and into the interior chamber.

11 . The container according to claim 10 , wherein the interior chamber comprises an first temperature zone and a second temperature zone and wherein the sensor is located in the first temperature zone.

12 . The container according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a second opening into the interior chamber, the duct system configured to deliver a second portion of the air across the second opening to create a second air curtain;

a second diverter disposed in the second air curtain to divert a portion of the air crossing the second opening out of the second air curtain and into the interior chamber.

13 . The container according to claim 10 , wherein the opening comprises a top and a bottom and the diverter is located approximately halfway between the top and the bottom.

14 . The container according to claim 10 , wherein the diverter comprises one or more baffles.

15 . The container according to claim 14 , wherein the angle of the baffle relative to the air curtain is adjustable.

16 . The container according to claim 14 , wherein the location of the baffle is adjustable.

17 . A food container comprising:

a user interface for receiving a first temperature from a user;

a first temperature zone and a second temperature zone;

at least one heating element; and

a processing circuit configured to receive a signal representative of the first temperature from the user;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to control the at least one heating element to maintain the first temperature zone at the first temperature;

wherein the container is configured to maintain the second temperature zone at a temperature at least thirty degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the first temperature;

wherein the container does not include a mechanism for allowing a user to select the second temperature directly.

18 . The container according to claim 17 , wherein the container further comprises:

a sensor for determining the temperature of the second temperature zone; and

a display for displaying the temperature of the second temperature zone.

19 . The container according to claim 18 , wherein the container does not include a control loop for maintaining the second temperature in the second temperature zone.

20 . The container according to claim 17 , further comprising a sensor located in the first temperature zone and configured to sense the temperature at the location of the sensor.