Hot and cold food storage and display apparatus and method of manufacture

摘要

A food storage and display apparatus (10) includes cooling coils (32) sealably carried within a refrigeration coil chamber (34) formed around a food pan (18). The coil chamber (34) is filled with a thermally conductive epoxy (38) for fully engulfing the cooling coils (32), which epoxy flows within the refrigeration coil chamber (34) to contact sidewalls (20) and a flange (28) top wall of the pan (18). Thermal insulation (40) is carried within a channel (42) formed by an outside wall (44) carried in a spaced relation to the refrigeration coil chamber (34). Such an arrangement permits the use of a shallow pan (18) that is effectively and efficiently frosted on its sidewalls (20) and top surface (30) for storage and display of cold foods. A heating coil (78) is carried within the pan (18) for heating water during use of the food storage and display apparatus (10) in a food heating and display mode. A controller (80) is operable with temperature and fluid level sensors (82, 84) for controlling refrigerant flow to the cooling coils (32) and heater (78) control when in either the cold or hot mode of operation.