US 12,465,171 B2
Three dimensional induction rethermalizing stations and control systems
Peter Roever, West Bend, WI (US); Yang Wang, Grafton, WI (US); and John Wojcik, Sheboygan, WI (US)
Assigned to The Vollrath Company, L.L.C., Sheboygan, WI (US)
Filed by The Vollrath Company, L.L.C., Sheboygan, WI (US)
Filed on Dec. 31, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/139,634.
Application 17/139,634 is a continuation of application No. 14/737,190, filed on Jun. 11, 2015, granted, now 10,973,368.
Application 14/737,190 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2013/074368, filed on Dec. 11, 2013.
Application PCT/US2013/074368 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/712,792, filed on Dec. 12, 2012, granted, now 9,307,862.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/818,711, filed on May 2, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0121003 A1, Apr. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. A47J 36/24 (2006.01); A47J 39/02 (2006.01); H05B 6/06 (2006.01); H05B 6/12 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 36/2483 (2013.01) [A47J 39/02 (2013.01); H05B 6/06 (2013.01); H05B 6/12 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
10. A rethermalizing station comprising:
a well;
a plurality of food pans configured to be positioned in the well;
an induction coil, wherein the induction coil is a side induction coil extending around a perimeter of the well;
a plurality of moveable bottom induction coils configured to be repositioned in the well for alignment with the plurality of food pans; and
processing circuitry configured to perform operations comprising controlling the induction coil without using an on/off duty cycle by:
responsive to a determination that a food pan acceptable for use with the induction coil is positioned at the rethermalizing station, comparing a measured temperature of the food pan to an upper temperature limit defined as a function of a selected temperature; and
if the measured temperature of the food pan is greater than the upper temperature limit, controlling a power output of the induction coil to a non-zero value configured to allow the measured temperature to decrease toward the selected temperature.