Importance

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Abstract

A pizza warmer and oven system in which a plurality of pizza warmers containing a phase change material can be charged to their preferred temperatures by resistance heaters positioned in shelves above and below each warmer in an oven. One embodiment has top shelves biased in close proximity with the warmers. Moving a lever causes the upper shelves to be raised by cams, allowing removal or insertion of warmers. Insertion of warmers into the oven trips switches, starting timing circuits which energize the heater and charging indicator lights. At the end of the timing cycle, indicator lights signal the warmer's charged condition. In another embodiment, the top shelves are gravitationally biased down but are each free to move upward slightly for warmer insertion or removal. Turning on the oven energizes the heaters. A thermostat in the heater circuit turns off the heater at a pre-selected temperature. The warmers have a thermal switch connected to contacts on flats on the sides of the warmer which become part of the lighting circuit when the warmer is installed. When the charging temperature is reached the switch closes, turning on the indicator light. The warmers have handles defined near their perimeters which stay outside of the oven when the warmers are installed in the charging slots, allowing a charged warmer to be safely grasped. Charged warmers can be used as needed to keep pizza hot in an insulated container during delivery to the consumer.

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First Claim