Heated merchandiser for bread and the like

Abstract

A merchandiser for elongate loaves of bread includes at least one rack having a rear wall, a front wall spaced apart from the rear wall, a pair of sidewalls disposed between the rear wall and the front wall along opposite sides thereof, and a bottom wall disposed between the rear wall, the sidewalls and the front wall along lower portions thereof. The walls support the bread loaves in a generally vertical, freestanding, side-by-side relationship. At least one heater is disposed along at least one of the rear wall or the front wall of the rack with the heater selectively heating the air disposed therein, such that air heated in the interior of the rack heats the vertically stacked bread loaves.

1 . A merchandiser for elongate loaves of fresh baked bread and the like, comprising: 
 at least one coverless rack having a generally vertically extending rear wall, a generally vertically extending front wall spaced apart a predetermined distance from said rear wall, a pair of generally vertically extending sidewalls disposed between said rear wall and said front wall along opposite sides thereof, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall disposed between said rear wall, said sidewalls and said front wall along lower portions thereof, and an open top; said bottom wall being configured to abuttingly support thereon ends of elongate bread loaves, such that a plurality of the bread loaves are removably retained between said rear wall, said front wall and said sidewalls in a generally vertical, freestanding, side-by-side relationship and are directly accessible for removal from said rack through said open top; and    a heater mounted in said merchandiser and selectively heating the air disposed within said rack and the vertically standing bread loaves retained therein to maintain the fresh baked smell and feel of the bread loaves.    
   
   
       2 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said heater is positioned along one of said rear wall and said front wall of said rack.    
   
   
       3 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 at least one of said rear wall and said front wall includes first and second plate members disposed opposite one another; and    said heater is disposed between said first and said second plate members, wherein at least one of said first or said second plate members is thermally conductive.    
   
   
       4 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said heater comprises an electrically resistant heater sized to heat the air within the interior of said rack to a temperature in the range of about 90-100° F. to alleviate premature drying of the bread loaves.    
   
   
       5 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said front wall has a height that is substantially less than the height of said rear wall to permit easy withdrawal of the bread loaves from an upper portion of said rack.    
   
   
       6 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 5 , further including: 
 a thermostat to regulate said heater.    
   
   
       7 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said sidewalls of said rack are constructed from wood.    
   
   
       8 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said heater is a flexible, generally flat heater.    
   
   
       9 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said merchandiser includes a base having a lower portion thereof shaped for abutting support on an associated floor surface; and    said base is box-shaped and includes a generally open bottom.    
   
   
       10 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said base includes a plurality of wheels to rollingly support the merchandiser.    
   
   
       11 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 1 , including: 
 at least two racks defined by at least one generally vertically extending intermediate wall spaced apart a predetermined distance from said rear wall and said front wall, and at least first and second generally horizontally extending bottom walls, said first bottom wall disposed generally horizontally between said rear wall and said intermediate wall and said second bottom wall disposed generally horizontally between said intermediate wall and said front wall, along lower portions thereof; and wherein    said at least one heater is disposed along at least one of said rear wall, said intermediate wall and said front wall for selectively heating the air disposed therein.    
   
   
       12 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein: 
 at least one of said rear wall, said front wall and said intermediate wall includes first and second plate members disposed opposite one another; and    said heater is disposed between said first and said second plate members, wherein at least one of said first or said second plate members is thermally conductive.    
   
   
       13 - 21 . (canceled)  
   
   
       22 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 1;  including: 
 a base having a lower portion thereof shaped for abutting support on an associated floor surface, an upper portion thereof supporting said rack, and a generally enclosed interior.    
   
   
       23 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said heater is disposed within said interior of said base; and    said bottom wall of said rack includes at least one opening to permit the flow of heated air from said base into said rack.    
   
   
       24 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said front wall has a height that is substantially less than the height of said rear wall to permit easy withdrawal of the bread loaves from an upper portion of said rack.    
   
   
       25 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said heater is a flexible, generally flat heater.    
   
   
       26 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said bottom wall of said rack is constructed from a plurality of laterally spaced apart slats which define said one opening therebetween.    
   
   
       27 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 26 , wherein: 
 said rear wall and said front wall of said rack are constructed from a plurality of spaced apart slats.    
   
   
       28 . A merchandiser as set forth in  claim 26 , wherein: 
 said heater is without a fan, such that heated air in said base flows through said rack solely through natural convection.