阅读说明：本技术 用于在高温下存储食品的设备 (Apparatus for storing food at high temperature ) 是由 I·曹普 A·图斯克 M·奥尔马宁 A·马若雷克 K·拉丘巴 于 2020-04-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于在高温下存储食品的设备,包括：外壳体；内壳体,内壳体至少部分地包含在外壳体中；限定于内壳体内的风扇腔室,风扇腔室包括至少一个进气口和一个出气口；位于风扇腔室内的风扇；至少一个被安装在风扇腔室附近的加热元件；至少一个食品托盘,食品托盘内部限定了一个用于存储食品托盘内的食品的空间；其中,用于引导第一气流的第一气流通路被限定为从外壳体到风扇腔室的进风口,第一气流通路在外壳体和内壳体之间延伸；以及用于引导第二气流的第二气流通路,第二气流通路被限定为从风扇腔室的出风口到至少一个食品托盘的空间；以及至少一个位于第二气流通路的加热元件。(An apparatus for storing food at elevated temperatures, comprising: an outer housing; an inner housing at least partially contained within an outer housing; a fan chamber defined within the inner housing, the fan chamber including at least one air inlet and one air outlet; a fan located within the fan chamber; at least one heating element mounted adjacent the fan chamber; at least one food tray defining a space therein for storing food items within the food tray; wherein a first airflow path for directing a first airflow is defined from the outer casing to the air inlet of the fan chamber, the first airflow path extending between the outer casing and the inner casing; and a second airflow path for directing a second airflow, the second airflow path being defined as a space from the air outlet of the fan chamber to the at least one food tray; and at least one heating element located in the second airflow path.)

1. An apparatus (1) for storing food products (2) at elevated temperature, comprising:

an outer shell (3);

an inner housing (4), the inner housing (4) being at least partially contained within the outer housing (3);

a fan chamber (5) defined within said inner housing (4), said fan chamber (5) comprising at least one air inlet (6) and one air outlet (7);

a fan (5a) located within the fan chamber (5);

at least one heating element (9) mounted in the vicinity of the fan chamber (5);

and

-at least one food tray (10), said food tray (10) defining internally a space (11) for storing said food product (2); wherein

A first air flow passage (15) for guiding a first air flow (AF1) is defined as an air inlet (6) from the outer housing (3) to the fan chamber (5), the first air flow passage (15) extending between the outer housing (3) and the inner housing (4); and

a second air flow path (16) for guiding a second air flow (AF2), the second air flow path (16) being defined from an air outlet (7) of the fan chamber (5) to the space (11) of the at least one food tray (5); and the at least one heating element (9) is located in the second air flow path (16).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein

The food tray (10) comprises a length (L) and a width (W), wherein the length (L) and the width (W) define a substantially rectangular opening for accessing the space (11).

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the heating element (9) has a length (L) substantially corresponding to the food tray (10), the heating element (9) being arranged parallel to the length direction of the food tray (10).

4. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fan (5a) and/or the fan chamber (5) is/are adapted to convey a major part of the airflow (AF5) generated by the fan (5a) towards the heating element (9).

5. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fan chamber (5) comprises at least one deflecting element (18), the deflecting element (18) being intended to convey at least a portion of the airflow (AF5) generated by the fan (5a) to the heating element (9).

6. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said fan (5a) is a centrifugal fan.

7. Device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein

The fan chamber (5) is substantially rectangular and corresponds to a side wall (9); and

the deflecting element (18) has a shape and is arranged with respect to the fan (5a) to deflect the airflow (AF5) generated by the fan (5a) towards the air outlet (7) of the fan chamber (5), wherein the air outlet (7) is located on a side wall (8) of the fan chamber (5).

8. Device (1) according to claim 7, wherein

The air outlet (7) is located on one longer side wall (8) of the fan chamber (5),

and preferably in the form of a plurality of air outlets extending over a major portion of said longer side walls (8).

9. Device (1) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein

The fan (5a) is located substantially in the centre of the fan chamber (5).

10. Device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein

Comprising two, preferably identical, deflector elements (18), each deflector element (18) comprising an apex (18a) located in the vicinity of the fan, and at least two deflectors (18b) extending from the apex (18a) each towards the shorter side wall (5b) of the fan chamber (5), and the deflectors (18b) being directed towards the longer side wall (8) of the fan chamber (5), the two deflectors (18b) preferably forming two sides of a triangle.

11. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the outer (3) and inner (4) housings comprise substantially parallel side walls (9) and substantially parallel bottom walls (13 a); and

the air inlet (6) of the fan chamber (5) is located on the bottom wall (5c) of the fan chamber (5) and below the air entry point of ambient air into the housing (3).

12. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein

The air entry point of the food tray (10) is located above the air outlet (7) of the fan chamber (5).

13. The device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first air flow passage (15) and the second air flow passage (16) are substantially parallel, and the direction of the respective first air flow is substantially anti-parallel to the direction of the second air flow (AF1, AF 2).

14. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the fan chamber (5) is located below the food tray (10).

15. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein

The food tray (10) comprises a substantially leak-proof outer tray (12) and an inner tray (13), said inner tray (13) being suspended or suspendable within said outer tray (12) and having a plurality of openings (13b) at least on a bottom wall (13a) of said inner tray (13).

16. Device (1) according to claim 15, wherein

A third air flow path for guiding a third air flow (AF4) defined between a side and/or bottom wall (13a) of the inner tray (13) and a side and/or bottom wall (12c) of the outer tray (12), wherein the third air flow (AF4) is a continuation of a portion of the second air flow (AF2), wherein the third air flow (AF4) is preferably anti-parallel to the second air flow (AF2) portion.

17. Device (1) according to any one of claims 15 to 16, wherein

The outer tray (12) comprises a deflecting element (12b) at its lower wall (12c), the deflecting element (12b) causing the third air flow (AF4) to pass upwards through the opening (13 b).

18. Device (1) according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein

A first angle between the side wall and the bottom wall (13a) of the inner tray (13) is different from a second angle between the side wall and the bottom wall (12c) of the outer tray (12), the second angle preferably being greater than the first angle.

19. Apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein it comprises at least one plate-like dividing element (14) for dividing said inner tray (13).

20. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the food tray (10) has a series of openings (13c, 13d) along its upper edge for letting in an air flow (AF2, AF3) into the space (11), the first series of openings (13c) being arranged below the second series of openings (13d),

wherein preferably the size or opening surface of the openings of the first series of openings (13c) is larger than the size or opening surface of the openings of the second series of openings (13d), said openings (13c, 13d) most preferably extending over the entire length (L) of the food tray (10).

21. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein

The food tray (10), at least the inner tray (13) according to claims 15 to 19, being separate or separable into a plurality of individual tray units (13.1, 13.2).

22. The device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 21, wherein the second air flow path (16) opens into the environment of the device (1).

23. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising a temperature sensor (17), such as a thermostat, said temperature sensor (17) being adapted to control said heating element (9) and/or said fan (5a) depending on a temperature in or near said space (11).

24. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein

The temperature sensor (17) is located in the vicinity of the heating element (9), preferably in the second air stream.

25. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the heating element (9) is a rib-like heating element (9).

26. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein at least the inner housing (4), the outer housing (3), the food tray (10) and the fan chamber (5) are symmetrical with respect to a vertical Middle Plane (MP) of the device (1).

27. The device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 26, wherein electronic or electrical components (19) in the device (1) are located outside the inner housing (4) and/or outside the outer housing (3).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus for storing food products at high temperatures, in particular comprising a fan and at least one heating element mounted in the vicinity of said fan, according to the preamble of claim 1. Wherein the fan is adapted to deliver heated air provided by the heating element to at least one food tray containing a volume defining said food product.

Background

Such devices are known in the art, for example for storing french fries or the like in (fast food) restaurants. Known devices use an electric heater to generate heat, which is then provided to the food.

The known appliance is subject to a relatively high energy consumption by the heater, so that the outer casing of the appliance may overheat, which may be dangerous for the user, and the quality of certain foods may be degraded by excessive moisture or excessive humidity.

Furthermore, the known apparatus can save energy by circulating air. This can lead to food particles being sucked into the fan, which in turn leads to a reliability risk (sometimes leading to a risk of the heating element getting on fire).

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to propose a device which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks and which allows to reduce the energy consumption, to increase the user safety and to improve the food storage quality.

This object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

According to the present invention, an apparatus for storing food at high temperature comprises: an outer housing; an inner housing at least partially housed within the outer housing; a fan chamber defined within the inner housing, the fan chamber having at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet; a fan located within the fan chamber; at least one heating element mounted adjacent to the fan chamber; and at least one food tray defining a space therein for storing the food item; wherein a first air flow passage for directing a first air flow is defined from an outside of the outer housing to an air inlet of the fan chamber, the first air flow passage extending between the outer housing and the inner housing; and a second airflow pathway for directing a second airflow, the second airflow pathway being defined from the air outlet of the fan chamber to the space within the at least one food tray; and at least one heating element located in the second airflow path. The housing and food tray are preferably made of stainless steel or similar material.

Blowing hot air heated by the heating element into the space (for storing food) can maintain the food or food at an elevated temperature while moisture from the food is convectively transferred or vented to the exterior, which is highly valuable for some food products, such as, but not limited to, french fries. The first and second air flow paths, the second air flow path having been heated by the heating element, can be supplied with preheated (cold) ambient air to the fan, thereby enabling a lower energy consumption heating element. Furthermore, providing said first and second air flow passages may result in a cooling effect of the outer housing, thus increasing the safety of the user.

According to one embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the food tray has a length and a width, the length and the width defining a substantially rectangular opening for accessing said space. This allows the food to be easily removed from the space, for example, for holding french fries.

According to an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the heating element has a length substantially corresponding to a food tray, the heating element being arranged parallel to the length direction of the food tray. This allows uniform heating throughout the food storage space.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the fan and/or the fan chamber is/are adapted to convey a major part of the air flow generated by the fan towards the heating element. In this way, any energy used to drive the fan and/or heating element is efficiently utilized.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the fan chamber comprises at least one deflecting element for conveying at least a part of the air flow generated by the fan to the heating element. This may further improve efficiency, as described above.

In another embodiment, the fan chamber includes a top guard (e.g., a top above the heater and fan chamber) that prevents food pieces from falling onto the heating element.

According to an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the fan is a centrifugal fan. The applicant has found that the use of this type of fan achieves the best results in terms of energy consumption and reliability and space required for construction. This type of fan can achieve good pressure-to-volume ratio characteristics. The higher pressure-to-volume ratio balances the airflow in the fan chamber. In addition, such fans provide low but steady (not easily attenuated) airflow, making them more reliable during product assembly or when the parts are dirty. In most other applications on the market, tangential or axial blowers are used, which can achieve a larger airflow at lower pressures.

According to one embodiment of the device according to the invention, the fan chamber is rectangular and corresponds to a side wall; and a deflecting member having a shape and disposed with respect to the fan to deflect the airflow generated by the fan toward an air outlet of the fan chamber, the air outlet being located on a sidewall of the fan chamber. In this way, the fan chamber can be shaped to correspond to the food tray, thereby enabling uniform heating (food storage) of the space.

According to one embodiment of the device according to the invention the air outlet is located on one longer side wall of the fan chamber and is preferably designed in the form of a plurality of air outlets or slits extending over a major part of said longer side wall. This may further increase the uniformity of the thermal effect.

According to a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the food tray has a series of openings along its upper edge for letting in the air flow into said space, a first series of said openings being arranged below a second series of said openings, wherein preferably the size or opening surface of said openings in said first series of openings is larger than the size or opening surface of said openings in said second series of openings, said openings most preferably extending over the entire length of said food tray. The openings may overlap between the two series of openings, which means that an opening of a first series of openings is located in a gap between two adjacent openings of a second series of openings, and vice versa. By this particular design, the applicant has achieved an efficient separation of (cold) ambient air above the food tray from (hot) air inside the food tray. In fact, the ambient air effectively stays on top of the hot air in the food tray without mixing. In the center of the apparatus, the hot air rises, thereby lifting the layer of cold air above the food tray.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the fan is located substantially in the centre of the fan chamber. This feature may be particularly advantageous when heated air is delivered to more than one side wall of the apparatus, for example to the opposite side wall.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention comprises two, preferably identical, said deflector elements, each comprising an apex located in the vicinity of the fan, and at least two deflectors each extending from the apex towards a shorter side wall of the fan chamber and towards an opposite longer side wall of the fan chamber, the two deflectors preferably forming two sides of a triangle. This configuration can be used to deliver air heated in a symmetrical manner to both sides of the device to achieve a particularly uniform heating effect.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the outer housing and the inner housing comprise substantially parallel side walls and substantially parallel bottom walls; and the air inlet of the fan chamber is located in the bottom wall of the fan chamber below the entry point of ambient air into the outer casing. By this construction, cold air can be guided along a large part of the outer casing by means of the first air flow duct, so that the cooling effect can be optimized and a lower-powered heating element can be used.

According to an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the entry point for air into the food tray is located above the air outlet of the fan chamber. This may further increase the thermal interaction area between the first and second air flows, which may have a positive effect on the cooling effect and the energy consumption of the heating element.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the first air flow path and the second air flow path are substantially parallel, and the directions of the first and second air flows are substantially anti-parallel. This may further enhance the beneficial effects described above.

According to one embodiment of the inventive device, the fan chamber is located below the food tray. This has proven to be practical in terms of the required installation space and airflow configuration. Furthermore, serviceability is improved since all available components are accessible from the top.

According to one embodiment of the inventive device, the food tray comprises a substantially leak-proof outer tray and an inner tray, which inner tray is suspended or suspendable within the outer tray and has a plurality of openings at least in the bottom wall of the inner tray. The outer tray may be used as a crumb tray for collecting food crumbs and the inner tray may be used as a salting tray, for example for salting stored food. Food items may be placed on the inner tray and heated by the airflow through the openings.

In order to enhance the latter effect, according to one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, a third air flow path is used for guiding a third air flow, said third air flow path being defined between the side and/or bottom wall of the inner tray and the side and/or bottom wall of the outer tray, said third air flow being a continuation of a portion of the second air flow, wherein said third air flow is preferably partially anti-parallel to said second air flow.

The second air flow, when entering the salting tray (outer tray), may be horizontal and the air velocity may be between 0.5m/s and 2m/s (for one embodiment of the invention, the corresponding air flow volume may be 60-120 m/s³/h)。

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the second air flow path is open to the environment of the device. In this case, a portion of the third air stream may be used to heat the food and/or to effectively expel moisture, as described above. This also avoids the risk of the heating element getting on fire, since there is no recirculation.

According to one embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the outer tray comprises a deflector element at its lower wall, which deflector element causes the third air flow to pass upwardly through the opening. This further enhances the heating effect of the food.

During the air flow simulation test of an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the applicant reached the additional conclusion about the air flow to the food storage space that 1) the top air flow to the food storage space should be as parallel as possible to the bottom surface of the salting tray. 2) The upward airflow from the bottom wall of the salting tray should be high enough (enough to prevent the overhead airflow from drawing in cold ambient air). This may be achieved by gradually increasing the size and/or number of openings in the bottom wall of the tray as one moves towards the center of the tray.

According to one embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, a first angle between the side wall and the bottom wall of the inner tray is different from a second angle between the side wall and the bottom wall of the outer tray, said second angle being preferably greater than said first angle. This feature may make the stored food more accessible, for example, for holding french fries.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention comprises at least one plate-like separating element for separating the inner trays. This allows storing different kinds of food and prevents the food from being too scattered.

According to one embodiment of the inventive device, the inner tray has a structured upper edge for fixing the separating element. This makes the installation of the separating element easy, reliable and repeatable.

According to one embodiment of the inventive device, the food tray, at least the inner tray, is separate or separable into a plurality of individual tray units. This makes handling and/or cleaning easier.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention comprises a temperature sensor, e.g. a thermostat, for controlling the heating element and/or the fan in dependence of the temperature in or near the space. In this case, the food may be stored at a suitable temperature. Preferably, the temperature is adjustable by a user. Fan control is not limited to simple on/off commands.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the temperature sensor is located in the vicinity of the heating element within the second air flow. This provides the best results.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, the heating element is a rib-like heating element. The applicant has found that such a design can produce an optimum heating effect at a lower energy consumption. Furthermore, this type of heating element has excellent stability. It is very stable and can withstand mechanical damage better than other types of heaters.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, at least the inner casing, the outer casing, the food tray and the fan chamber are symmetrical with respect to a vertical median plane of the device. This allows the apparatus to be operated on both sides and is particularly suitable for holding french fries.

According to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, any electronic or electrical components on the device are located outside said inner housing and/or said outer housing. In this way, the elements are accessible for contact and do not withstand any excess heat. In one embodiment, the only elements located inside the device are the (temperature) sensor, the heating element, the Solid State Relay (SSR), the fan, the high limit switch and the connector module. The solid state relay and connector module may be located on an aluminum plate that may be partially located within the first airflow to provide a cooling effect for the solid state relay.

In a particular embodiment of the device, air is sucked in through an opening in the upper part of the side wall of the outer casing, whereafter the air is pressed radially into the fan chamber. A particular type of holes is selected on the side walls of the fan chamber to distribute the air evenly over the entire crumb and salt tray, such as a food tray. The debris tray serves a dual function of both collecting food residue and providing proper air channeling as part of the air duct. After leaving the fan chamber, the air is preferably passed through a ribbed heating element. All other electrical components may be mounted in the cold area, for example outside the (inner or outer) housing. The air drawn into the fan may have a cooling effect on the outer casing and this cooling capacity consumes less power than the heating element. By perforating the upper part of the front and rear sides of the salting tray and further perforating the horizontal part, an air flow through the salting tray can be achieved.

The debris tray can be separated as this is easier to handle and clean. Maintenance of components located below the debris tray, such as the heating element, the fan and the electronic components, from above is possible. The control of the air temperature is preferably effected by means of a thermostat. All the housings and channel elements may be symmetrical, thus allowing operation from both sides (e.g. holding french fries).

Drawings

The details and advantages of the invention will be described in further detail below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the bottom of the apparatus of FIG. 1, in particular its fan chamber; and

fig. 3 shows an overall schematic view of the device shown in fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an apparatus for storing food at elevated temperature, the apparatus being designated in its entirety by reference numeral 1. Reference numeral 2 denotes a food product stored in the apparatus 1. The device 1 comprises an outer housing 3 and an inner housing 4. The inner housing 4 is contained within the outer housing 3. A fan chamber 5 is defined within the inner housing 4, the fan chamber 5 comprising an air inlet 6 and an air outlet 7. The air inlet 6 is located in the bottom wall 5c of the fan chamber 5 and the air outlet 7 is located in the opposite side wall 8 of the fan chamber 5. Located in the fan chamber 5 is a fan 5a designed as a centrifugal fan. In the vicinity of the fan chamber 5, for example on both sides, heating elements 9 are mounted, which heating elements 9 are designed in the form of tear-off resistance heating elements which generate heat under the effect of an electric current passing through them. The heating elements 9 are located in front of said air outlets 7 of the fan chamber 5, respectively.

The apparatus 1 includes a food tray, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, above the fan chamber 5. The food tray 10 defines a space 11 for storing the food items 2 in the food tray 10. The food tray 10 comprises two separate units, for example a substantially leak-proof outer chip tray 12 and at least one inner salting tray 13 having openings in its bottom wall 13a and suspended in the chip tray 12, these openings not being visible in fig. 1. Reference numeral 14 denotes a plate-shaped partition member for dividing the salting tray 13 into several compartments. A plurality of separating elements 14 may be used. The separation element 14 comprises a handle 14a for inserting and removing said separation element 14.

A first air flow passage 15 (indicated by arrow AF1) for directing a first air flow is defined between the outside of the outer casing 3 and the air inlet 6 of the fan chamber 5, said first air flow passage 15 extending between the outer casing 3 and the inner casing 4. A second air flow path 16 for guiding a second air flow AF2 is defined between the air outlet hole 7 of the fan chamber 5 and the inner space 11 of the food tray 10. The heating element 9 is located in the second air flow path 16, for example under the influence of a second air flow AF 2.

The second air flow path 16 extends upwardly from the air outlet 7 of the fan chamber 5 between the inner housing 4 and the food tray 10 (chip tray 12) and then passes over the edge 12a of the chip tray 12 into the space 11 from above. After passing the edge 12a of the debris tray 12, the airflow AF2 is divided into two separate airflows, one of which (designated AF3) enters directly into the space 11 and the other (designated AF4) passes through the debris tray 12 and the salt tray 13 through the openings in the bottom wall 13a of the salt tray 13 and into the space 11. Reference numeral 17 denotes a temperature sensor or thermostat, which can be used to control the fan 5a and the heating element 9 in a suitable control circuit, not shown. The bottom wall 12c of the debris tray 12 has a projection at 12b, wherein the projection 12b acts as a deflector to divert the airflow AF4 upwardly towards the space 11. Further, the device 1 in fig. 1, wherein at least the inner housing 4, the outer housing 3, the food tray 10 and said fan chamber 5 are symmetrical with respect to a vertical Middle Plane (MP) of said device 1.

The arrow AF5 in fig. 1 shows the air flow from the fan 5a through the fan chamber 5 in the direction of the air outlet 7 outwards and towards the heating element 9. The arrow AF6 indicates the flow of air from the space 11 to the outside. Although the air flow AF1 is relatively low in temperature, the air flow AF2 is relatively high in temperature due to the adverse effect of the heating element 9. This has a cooling effect on the outer housing 3, whereas the air flow AF2 has a preheating effect on the air flow AF1, so that the blowing heating element 9 can be used. The air flow AF6 effectively removes moisture from the space 11, which may have a positive effect on the taste and/or quality of the food product 2.

The food tray 10 includes a length and a width, only the latter of which can be seen in fig. 1. At the same time, said length and said width define a substantially rectangular opening for access to the space 11 from above.

As can further be taken from fig. 1, the angle between the side wall (not shown) and the bottom wall of the salting tray 13 is different from the angle between the side wall (not shown) and the bottom wall 12c, wherein the angle of the second corner is larger than the angle of the other corner. Within the scope of the invention, the salting tray 12 may be referred to as an outer tray and the debris tray 13 may be referred to as an inner tray.

Referring now to fig. 2, the figure shows the bottom of the device 1 in fig. 1, e.g. the bottom of the outer housing 3, the inner housing 4 and the fan chamber 5. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to define the respective features of the device 1.

As shown in fig. 2, the fan chamber 5 extends over the entire length L of the apparatus, wherein the length L corresponds to the length mentioned in fig. 1. The fan chamber 5 is rectangular in its entirety and the air outlet 7 in the above-mentioned side wall 8 is designed in the form of a plurality of openings or slots which extend over substantially the entire length L. The heating element 9 is designed in an elongated form and extends substantially the entire length L of the fan chamber 5. In this way, the air flow AF2 can be heated continuously and can be used to heat evenly over the entire length of the space 11 (see fig. 1). The fan 5a is located substantially in the centre of the fan chamber 5. The fan chamber 5 further comprises two identical deflecting elements 18, generally triangular in shape with an apex 18a, close to the fan 5 a. The two deflectors 18b extend from said apex 18a to the shorter side walls 5b of the fan chamber 5, respectively, and in the opposite direction to the longer side walls 8 of the fan chamber 5. Said longer side wall 8 of the fan chamber 5 is identical to the side wall of the aforementioned air outlet 7. As is known to the person skilled in the art, the deflecting element 18 is in no way limited to the particular arrangement shown in fig. 2, as long as the deflecting element 18 effectively directs the air flow AF5 generated by the fan 5a towards the side wall 8 of the fan chamber 5, which air flow can uniformly influence the heating element 9 through the air outlet 7, as shown in fig. 2.

Reference numeral 19' in fig. 2 denotes electronic components such as a Solid State Relay (SSR), a high limit switch, and a connector module. The Solid State Relay (SSR) and connector module are preferably located on an aluminium plate 19 ", which may be partially located in said first air flow, thereby providing a cooling effect for the SSR.

Fig. 3 is an overall schematic view of the apparatus 1. In fig. 3, both the width W and the length L of the food tray 10 are visible. Furthermore, the aforementioned opening 13b in the bottom wall 13a of the salting tray (inner tray) 13 is also visible, which is designed for the passage of the air flow AF4 (see fig. 1). The openings 13b are substantially evenly or correspondingly distributed throughout the food tray 10.

As can be further taken from fig. 3, the food tray 10, for example at least the inner tray 13, can be divided into two separate tray units 13.1 and 13.2, as indicated by the dividing line SL.

The inner tray 13 may include a top edge structure (not shown) for securing the divider member 14. For example, the structural upper edge 13c may have a saw tooth pattern.

As shown, the salting tray (inner tray) 13 includes openings 13c, 13d at an upper edge, which are arranged in parallel to pass the air flow AF3 (fig. 1). The lower opening 13c is larger in size (opening surface) than the upper opening 13 d. Due to this property, the applicant has achieved a separation of (cold) ambient air above the food tray (10) from (hot) air in the air flow AF 3. In fact, the ambient air is effectively maintained above the hot air inside the food tray 10, without mixing the two. In the centre of the apparatus 1, for example in the vicinity of the line MP in fig. 1, the air flow AF6 rises, thereby raising the layer of cold air above the food tray 10. Said openings 13c, 13d will overlap between the two series, which means that the openings in the first series consisting of the lower openings 13c are located in the gaps between two adjacent openings of the second series consisting of the upper openings 13d, and vice versa.

As can be taken from fig. 3, the outer casing 3 has a plurality of openings 3a in its longer side walls, wherein the openings 3a cover substantially the entire length of the device 1 (e.g. the food tray 11 or the space 11). The first air flow (AF1, shown in fig. 1) enters the device 1 through these openings 3 a.

Finally, as shown in fig. 3, further electronic or electrical components 19 in the device 1, such as a control unit, a user interface or the like, are located outside the inner housing 4 (as shown in fig. 1) and/or outside the outer housing 3.