Product server with breath guard

• US 20050126858A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Duke Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Yingst, Thomas E., Deluca, Frederick A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,673 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 cover attached to the product server that is moveable between a lowered position covering the products held by the product server and a raised position in which the cover serves as a breath guard and allows access to the products. The cover is sufficiently transparent to allow viewing of the products from the customer side of the product server.

Claims

1. 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 and moveable 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,

the cover being sufficiently transparent to allow viewing of the products from the customer side of the product server.

2. A product server as set forth in claim 1 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.

3. A product server as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover is pivotably attached to a support frame near the customer side of the server.

4. A product server as set forth in claim 3 further comprising two hinge connections at opposite ends of the cover connecting the cover to the product server.

5. A product server as set forth in claim 3 wherein said cover is pivotable through approximately 60 degrees of angular motion from its lowered position to its raised position.

6. A product server as set forth in claim 1 wherein said raised position of the cover allows access to the products from the employee side of the product server.

7. The product server as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover comprises a panel which, in said raised position, is disposed at an angle of between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane.

8. The product server as set forth in claim 7 wherein said angle of the cover in said raised position is approximately 60 degrees.

9. The product server as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover comprises a panel which, in said lowered position, is disposed substantially parallel to a horizontal plane.

10. 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 and moveable between a lowered position covering said products held by the product server and a raised position allowing access to the products,

the breath guard in said raised position protecting against contamination of said products by customers at the customer side of the server.

11. The product server set forth in claim 10 wherein the cover is sufficiently transparent to allow viewing of the products from the customer side of the product server.

12. The product server as set forth in claim 10 wherein said cover comprises a panel which, in said raised position, is disposed at an angle of between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane.

13. The product server as set forth in claim 12 wherein said angle of the cover in said raised position is approximately 60 degrees.

14. A product server as set forth in claim 10 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 said lowered position.

15. A product server as set forth in claim 10 wherein said cover is pivotably attached to a support frame near the customer side of the server.

16. A product server as set forth in claim 15 further comprising two hinge connections at opposite ends of the cover, connecting the cover to the product server.

17. A product server as set forth in claim 15 wherein said cover is pivotable through approximately 60 degrees of angular motion from its lowered position to its raised position.

18. A product server as set forth in claim 10 wherein said raised position of the cover allows access to the products from the employee side of the product server.

19. 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,

the cover being sufficiently transparent to allow viewing of the products from the customer side of the product server.

20. A product server as set forth in claim 19 further comprising a seal on the cover for sealing against an upwardly facing surface of the cabinet to substantially enclose food serving pans when the cover is in the lowered position.

21. A product server as set forth in claim 19 wherein said raised position of the cover allows access to the food serving pans from the employee side of the product server.

22. The product server as set forth in claim 19 wherein said cover comprises a panel which, in a raised position, is disposed at an angle of between approximately 45 degrees and approximately 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane.

23. The product server as set forth in claim 19 wherein said cover comprises a panel which, in said lowered position, is disposed substantially parallel to a horizontal plane.