Product server with breath guard

• US 20050061585A1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Duke Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Yingst, Thomas E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 186/38
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/06 for restaurant service systems table equipment A47G ; dirty crockery transport in association with crockery washing machines A47L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2010/065 Food shields; sneeze guards
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/007 Cases or cabinets of the counter type
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0469 Details, e.g. night covers

Abstract

A product server for holding and displaying products. The product server has a front customer side, a rear employee side and a breath guard. The breath guard comprises a panel attached to the product server and moveable between a lowered position preventing access to products held by the product server and a raised position allowing access to the products. The panel being sufficiently transparent to allow viewing of the products held in the product server.

Claims

1-16. -16. (cancelled)

17. A product server for holding and displaying products, the product server having a front customer side, a rear employee side, and a breath guard, said breath guard comprising:

a cover attached to the product server for pivotal movement between a lowered position covering said products held by the product server and a raised position in which the cover serves as a breath guard and allows access to said products; and

at least one power assist device connected to said product server and said cover for assisting pivotal movement of the cover between its lowered position and its raised position.

18. A product server as set forth in claim 17 wherein said at least one power assist device applies a lifting force to said cover.

19. A product server as set forth in claim 18 wherein said cover is pivotable from its lowered position to an intermediate position by the application of a manual lifting force and is pivotable from its intermediate position to its raised by position by a lifting force of the power assist device.

20. A product server as set forth in claim 17 wherein said cover is pivotably attached to the product server near the customer side of the server.

21. A product server as set forth in claim 20 wherein said cover is pivotable through approximately 60 degrees of angular motion from its lowered position to its raised position.

22. A product server as set forth in claim 17 wherein said at least one power assist device comprises a gas spring.

23. A product server as set forth in claim 17 wherein said cover is sufficiently transparent to allow viewing of the products held in the product server.

24. A product server as set forth in claim 17 wherein said raised position of the cover allows access to the products from the employee side of the server.

25. A product server for holding and displaying products, the product server having a front customer side and a rear employee side, and a breath guard, said breath guard comprising

a cover attached to the product server for pivotal movement between a lowered position covering said products held by the product server and a raised position in which the cover serves as a breath guard and allows access the products,

a first power assist device connected to said product server and said cover for applying an upward force on the cover to assist pivotal movement of the cover from its lowered position to its raised position, and

a second power assist device connected to said product server and said cover for resisting movement of the cover from its raised position to its lowered position thereby providing controlled downward movement of the cover.

26. A product server as set forth in claim 25 wherein said first power assist device comprises a gas spring.

27. A product server as set forth in claim 25 wherein said second power assist device comprises a damper.

28. A product server as set forth in claim 25 wherein said cover is pivotable from its lowered position to an intermediate position by the application of a manual lifting force and is pivotable from its intermediate position to its raised position by the upward force of the first power assist device.

29. A product server as set forth in claim 25 wherein said cover is sufficiently transparent to allow viewing of the products held in the product server.

30. A product server as set forth in claim 25 further comprising a seal on the cover for sealing against an upwardly facing surface on the product server to substantially enclose the products held by the server when the cover is in the lowered position.

31. A product server as set forth in claim 25 wherein said raised position of the cover allows access to the products from the employee side of the server.

32. A product server for holding and displaying products, the product server comprising a cabinet having a recess for supporting a plurality of food serving pans for holding said products, a heating or refrigeration system housed in the cabinet for regulating the temperature of the products held in the food serving pans, a front customer side, a rear employee side, and a breath guard, said breath guard comprising

a cover attached to the product server and moveable between a lowered position covering said food-serving pans and a raised position in which the cover serves as a breath guard and allows access to said food serving pans, and

at least one power assist device connected to said product server and said cover for assisting pivotal movement of the cover between its lowered position and its raised position.

33. The product server as set forth in claim 32 wherein said cover comprises a panel which in said raised position has an angle with respect to the product server between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 90 degrees.

34. The product server as set forth in claim 33 wherein said angle of the panel at the raised position is approximately 60 degrees.

35. A product server as set forth in claim 32 further comprising a support frame mounted on the product server and connected to said at least one power assist device.

36. A product server as set forth in claim 35 further comprising a second power assist device connected to said support frame and said cover.

37. A product server as set forth in claim 36 wherein said support frame comprises a pair of upright frame members extending up from the product server generally near opposite sides of the cover and generally adjacent the customer side of the product server.

38. A product server as set forth in claim 37 wherein said second power assist device is connected to one of said upright frame members of the support frame.

39. A product server as set forth in claim 38 wherein said first power assist device pivots around a fixed end attached to the product server, and wherein said second power assist device pivots around a fixed end attached to the upright frame member.