Food service cabinet

• US 5,240,320 A
• Filed: 10/11/1991
• Issued: 08/31/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Crescent Metal Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Crescent Metal Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Yerman, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Sakran, Victor N.
• Application Number:
  US07/776,089
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 312/236, 312/116, 312/290, 312/244, 312/351.11, 312/320, 312/313, 312/323, 312/322, 312/293.3
• US Class Current: 312/351.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/002 Catering trolleys
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/005 with movable trays
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/008 Outdoor serving carts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 57/52 the shelf supports being cantilever brackets
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/43 at cabinet side
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/34 using keyhole-shaped slots and pins

Abstract

A food service cabinet embodies a unique shelf support rail construction and mounting arrangement which provides for easy and quick removal of the shelf support rails for cleaning and/or adjustment, a unique construction of channel members employed in the cabinet as support posts and tray stops, for example, which construction coacts with catches on walls of the cabinet for providing quick and east removable attachment of the channel member to the wall, and a removable top unit for closing an open top of a cabinet enclosure, the top unit forming a continuation of the cabinet enclosure and having essentially full width hand grips integrally embodied in sheet metal side walls of the top unit.

Claims

1. In a food service cabinet, a wall having an interior surface;

a catch on said wall, said catch having a stem portion extending from said interior surface and a wider head portion spaced from said interior surface and forming a slot therebetween; and

an upright channel member of generally C-shape cross section having a pair of legs extending from a base to respective inturned flanges, said inturned flanges including a keyhole having a lower portion for passage of the head portion of said catch and a reduced width upper portion receiving said base, said inturned flanges having inner edges and said keyhole being formed by opposed notches in said inturned edges.

2. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 1, comprising a shelf support rail attached to said upright channel member for supporting a shelf along an edge of the shelf.

3. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 1, comprising a shelf support rail for supporting a shelf along an edge of the shelf, and wherein said upright channel member includes means cooperative with said shelf support rail for removably supporting said shelf support rail on said upright channel member.

4. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 3, wherein said means for removably supporting includes a slot in said upright channel member, and said rail is generally L-shaped in cross-section having a normally upright leg configured for interlocking engagement in said slot in said upright channel member.

5. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 1, wherein two said catches are vertically spaced apart on said wall, and said inturned flanges of said upright channel member include two said keyholes spaced apart along the length of said channel member by a distance equal the vertical spacing between said catches.

6. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 5, wherein said channel member is symmetrical about vertical and horizontal center lines for mounting in either one of oppositely inverted upright positions.

7. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wider head portion is formed by an annular flange extending circumferentially around said stem portion.

8. A food service cabinet comprising an enclosure having an open top, a removable top unit for closing said open top, said top unit including hand grips at opposite sheet metal side walls of said top unit, said hand grips extending substantially the full width of said sheet metal side walls, each said sheet metal side wall having a lower recessed wall portion from which a laterally extending rim projects to form said hand grip.

9. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 8, wherein said removable top unit includes a lower neck portion and an upper head portion projecting laterally beyond said lower neck portion about the perimeter of said top unit to form on its underside a shoulder that rests atop said enclosure.

10. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 9, wherein the sides of said head portion of said top unit are flush with respective sides of said enclosure.

11. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 9, wherein said enclosure has interior wall surfaces defining an opening in said open top, said neck portion being received in said opening and having respective sides thereof engaging said interior wall surfaces of said enclosure to prevent horizontal movement of said top unit relative to said enclosure.

12. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 8, wherein said laterally extending rim has at its outer edge a downwardly extending lip which functions as a finger catch.

13. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 8, wherein said top unit houses a heat transfer means for transferring heat with respect to the interior of said enclosure.

14. In a food service cabinet comprising an enclosure;

a pair of upright posts in said enclosure;

a shelf support rail for supporting a shelf along an edge of the shelf;

said shelf support extending horizontally between said upright posts and being removably supported at end portions thereof by said upright posts;

each said post being formed by angularly positioned upright walls including a front wall and a side wall, said front wall extending generally parallel to said shelf support rail and coplanar with the front wall of the other post, said side wall extending generally perpendicular to said shelf support rail;

each said post having a horizontal slot extending from an outer surface of said post through said front wall and into said side wall to a vertically extending slot in said side wall, said vertically extending slot at least extending vertically upwardly from the horizontal slot to define an inner surface of said post which extends upwardly from said horizontal slot; and

said shelf support rail at least at said end portions thereof being generally L-shape in cross-section and having a normally upright leg for interlocking engagement in the horizontal slots in said upright posts and a normally horizontal leg for supporting the edge of the shelf;

said normally upright leg being transversely stepped to form an upper upright portion for engaging said inner surface of said post above said horizontal slot, a lower upright portion for engaging said outer surface of said post below said horizontal slot, and an intermediate portion joining together said upper and lower upright portions;

said intermediate portion extending through said horizontal slot and being supported atop a bottom edge surface of said horizontal slot; and

wherein said horizontal slot is of sufficient height and sufficient clearance is provided inwardly of said inner surface of said post to allow rotation of said upper upright portion inwardly of said inner surface of said post to allow rotation of said upper upright portion away from said inner surface of said post about a horizontal axis to an angularly rotated position permitting withdrawal of said normally upright leg from said horizontal slot.

15. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 14, wherein said enclosure has upright wall panels to which said posts are removably mounted at first and second positions, said posts being identical and invertible for mounting at either one of said first and second positions, and said vertically extending slot in said side wall of each post extending both upwardly and downwardly from said horizontal slot to permit attachment of said shelf support rail to said posts in either one of the relatively inverted orientations of said posts.

16. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 14, wherein said posts are generally C-shape in cross-section having a pair of legs extending from a base to respective inturned flanges, and said base and one said leg form said front and side walls.

17. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 16, wherein said enclosure has a wall panel having an interior surface, and further comprising a catch on said wall panel, said catch having a stem portion extending from said interior surface and a wider head portion spaced from said interior surface and forming a slot therebetween, said inturned flanges including a keyhole having a lower portion for passage of the head portion of said catch and a reduced width upper portion receiving said base, and said inturned flanges having inner edges and said keyhole being formed by opposed notches in said inner edges.

18. A food service cabinet as set forth in claim 14, wherein said enclosure has an open top, and further comprising a removable top unit for closing said open top, said top unit including hand grips at opposite sheet metal side walls of said top unit, said hand grips extending substantially the full width of said sheet metal side walls, and each said sheet metal side wall having a lower recessed wall portion from which a laterally extending rim projects to form said hand grip.