Thermal serving station for countertop
View Patent ↗A thermal serving station for a countertop is a device by which hot or cold locations are built into a countertop to keep food warm or cold. A temperature rated glass plate houses either a heating coil or a refrigerant based refrigeration system is provided and is operated by electric power. Additional components are located in the cabinets below the countertop. Certain areas may provide both heating and cooling depending on the user's needs. Insulation under the countertop protects nearby materials from excessive temperature variations. The device is bordered by a trim ring and provides integral LED lighting as well. The lighting will glow red for a hot area and blue for a cold area. The device is controlled by a digital touch screen or by wireless link to a smart phone thus providing a smooth countertop area.
1 . A thermal serving station comprising:
a serving area mounted within a countertop, the serving area having a plurality of heating stations and a plurality of cooling stations, each heating station and each cooling station including a heating and cooling area that is flush with an upper surface of the countertop and an associated heating and cooling control panel;
a heat producing mechanism and a cool producing mechanism disposed within an interior compartment below the countertop, each heating and cooling area being in thermal communication with the heat producing mechanism and the cool producing mechanism through a plurality of sealed and continuous heating and cooling delivery and return lines;
an electrical supply routed from a power source to the heat producing mechanism and the cool producing mechanism; and,
a main control circuit in electrical communication with the heat producing mechanism, the cool producing mechanism, and each heating and cooling control panel; and,
wherein each heating and cooling area comprises a temperature-rated glass plate bordered by an illuminated activation border that defines exterior physical limits of the heating and cooling area and selectively illuminates in a red color when the heating station is active and in a blue color when the cooling station is active;
wherein each heating and cooling control panel comprises a heat control area and a cool control area, the heat control area including a heat increase touch area and a heat decrease touch area, and the cool control area including a cool increase touch area and a cool decrease touch area, all of which are flush with the countertop surface; and,
wherein the main control circuit is further configured to receive wireless input commands via a communications technology selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or proprietary radio frequency, the wireless input commands being transmitted from a personal electronic device selected from the group consisting of a cellphone, a computer tablet, or a remote control.
2 . The thermal serving station of claim 1 , wherein the heat producing mechanism comprises an electrical resistance heating means and the cool producing mechanism comprises a refrigerant-based refrigeration system, and wherein the compartment further includes insulation surrounding the heat producing mechanism and the cool producing mechanism to protect adjacent structural materials from temperature variation.