Title: Food warming cabinet humidifier

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Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for warming and humidifying food held within a food warming cabinet. Cool dry air within the food warming cabinet is drawn into an air intake chamber and exhausted through an opening in the air intake chamber by a fan. Air leaving the air intake chamber is forced through a tunnel. A humidifier pan having a reservoir full of water and a heating element are situated in the path of air flowing through the air tunnel. The air flowing through the tunnel is heated by the heating element and humidified by water evaporated from the humidifier pan. A porous material such as a sponge is placed in the water in the humidifier pan to increase the available surface area for evaporation. The porous material such as a sponge also acts as a wick to bring up the water from the humidifier pan to the porous materials' surface replacing the water evaporated by the forced-air passing over its surface. In addition, the porous material such as a sponge holds the water in the humidifier pan when moving the pan or the food warming cabinet, resulting in a more sanitary condition by preventing spillage and/or splashing inside the food warming cabinet. As cabinet air continues to circulate, the temperature and humidity within the cabinet continues to increase until an equilibrium is reached at the desired food temperature. Thereafter water essentially ceases to evaporate from the humidifier pan and humidification stops.


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