Food serving and pan system

• US 6,415,945 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vollrath Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Vollrath Company LLC
• Inventors: Boudreau, Cory R., Lindeman, William C., Zank, Jeffrey T., Schreiber-Pethan, Rebecca J., Mittmann, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/540,563
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 220/573.4, 220/573.5, 220/657, 220/670, 220/756, 220/759, 220/767, 220/768, 220/769, 220/770, 206/499, 206/514, 206/558, 206/518, 206/519, 994/26, 994/49, D 7/500, D 7/543, D 7/545, D 7/546, D 7/549, D 7/550.1, D 7/552.1, D 7/554.3, D 7/588, D 7/323, D 7/331
• US Class Current: 220/657
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/12 Multiple-unit cooking vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/13 Tier cooking-vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/18 heated by water-bath , e.g. pasta-cookers
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2405 for warming food contained in vessels immersed in a water bath, e.g. chafers or steam tables A47J36/2438 takes precedence

Abstract

A pan for use with a well for receiving the pan is disclosed herein. The pan includes a bottom panel, a plurality of walls, and a ramp. The plurality of walls extend upwardly from the bottom panel and define a cavity. The plurality of walls also have an upper end which defines a top opening. The upper end has an extension away from the cavity which defines a rim. The ramp is proximate the rim and exterior to the cavity, whereby the pan rides up on the ramp when the pan is drawn up against the well.

Claims

1. A pan for use with a well for receiving the pan, the well being surrounded by a platform, the pan comprising:

a bottom panel;

a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the bottom panel, the plurality of walls including a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall joined to the first and second walls at first and second corners, respectively; and

a rim outwardly extending from the third wall;

wherein the third wall includes;

a first lower portion proximate the bottom panel and extending at a first angle relative to the bottom panel; and

a ramp portion extending between the lower portion and the rim at a second angle oblique to the lower portion and between about 105 degrees and about 150 degrees relative to the bottom panel, the ramp portion extending across a midpoint of the third wall between the first and second corners.

2. The pan of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the rim extends generally parallel to the bottom panel.

3. The pan of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the rim extends downwardly and outwardly from the third wall such that the rim is adapted to engage the platform when the pan is positioned within the well.

4. The pan of claim 1, wherein the rim includes a first rim portion extending generally parallel to the bottom panel;

and

a second rim portion extending downwardly from the first portion, whereby the second portion is adapted to engage the platform when the pan is positioned within the well.

5. The pan of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion continuously extends from the first corner to the second corner.

6. The pan of claim 1, wherein the first lower portion extends in a plane oblique to the bottom panel.

7. The pan of claim 6, wherein the first lower portion extends in a plane extending at an angle of about 93 degrees with respect to the bottom panel.

8. The pan of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion of the third wall continuously extends through the first corner from the third wall to the first wall.

9. The pan of claim 8 including an inclined portion in the first corner extending at an angle oblique to the ramp portion from the ramp portion outwardly towards the rim.

10. The pan of claim 9, wherein the juncture of the ramp portion and the inclined portion extends along an arc between the first and third walls.

11. The pan of claim 10, wherein the arc has a minimum radius of at least about 30 millimeters and a maximum radius of at least about 80 millimeters.

12. The pan of claim 1, including a shoulder extending between the lower portion and the ramp portion.

13. The pan of claim 1, wherein the first wall includes:

a second lower portion extending generally at the first angle from the bottom panel; and

a first upper portion extending between the second lower portion and the rim, the first upper portion extending at a third angle less than the second angle with respect to the bottom panel.

14. The pan of claim 13, wherein the second wall includes:

a third lower portion extending generally at the first angle from the bottom panel; and

a second upper portion extending between the third lower portion and the rim, the second upper portion extending at a fourth angle less than the second angle with respect to the bottom panel.

15. The pan of claim 14, wherein the third angle and the fourth angle at which the first upper portion and the second upper portion extend relative to the bottom panel are equal.

16. The pan of claim 14, wherein the third angle at which the first upper portion extends relative to the bottom panel is between about 90 degrees and about 93 degrees.

17. The pan of claim 13 including a shoulder between the second lower portion and the upper portion.

18. The pan of claim 1 including a shoulder extending between the first lower portion and the ramp portion.

19. The pan of claim 1, wherein the pan is formed from stainless steel.

20. The pan of claim 16, wherein the pan is formed from a single sheet of twenty-two gauge to twenty-four gauge stainless steel.

21. The pan of claim 1, wherein the pan is formed from a polymer.

22. The pan of claim 1, wherein the rim provides a horizontal surface extending parallel to the bottom panel continuously from the first corner to the second corner, wherein the horizontal surface is bounded by an inner edge and an outer edge and wherein the inner edge and the outer edge extend parallel to one another from the first corner to the second corner.

23. The pan of claim 1, wherein the rim provides a horizontal surface extending from the first corner to the second corner, wherein the horizontal surface is bounded by an inner edge and wherein the inner edge linearly extends from the first corner to the second corner.

24. The pan of claim 1, wherein the rim terminates along a non-curled outer edge.

25. The pan of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the third wall has an inner surface facing the pan interior and wherein the inner surface extends in a single plane from the first corner to the second corner, whereby the inner surface lacks surface cavities.

26. The pan of claim 1, wherein the rim includes an engagement surface adapted to engage the platform when the pan is placed within the well and wherein the pan extends above the engagement surface less than 1.0 inches (25.4 mm).

27. The pan of claim 1, wherein the first corner has a lower arcuate portion having a first radius and an upper portion having a second smaller radius, whereby the first corner provides a pour spout for the pan.

28. The pan of claim 1, wherein the second angle at which the ramp portion extends between the lower portion and the rim is between about 120 degrees and about 135 degrees.

29. The pan of claim 1, wherein the rim has a support surface adapted to engage the platform to support the pan within the well and wherein the ramp portion includes an exterior sloped surface, at least a portion of which extends horizontally across from and below the support surface and also extends outwardly beyond an outermost surface of the third wall.

30. The pan of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion has a linear length such that the ramp portion has a vertical height of at least about 0.375 inches (9.5 mm).

31. The pan of claim 30, wherein the ramp portion extends outwardly at an angle of about 120 degrees relative to the bottom panel.

32. The pan of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion has a linear length such that the ramp portion has a vertical height of at least 0.625 inches (15.9 mm).

33. The pan of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion has a linear length of at least 1.0 inches (25.4 mm).

34. The pan of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion has a vertical height of at least 0.8 inches (20.3 mm).

35. The pan of claim 1, wherein the pan is formed from a polymer capable of withstanding temperatures up to 210 degrees Fahrenheit.

36. The pan of claim 1, wherein the pan is formed from a polymer capable of withstanding temperatures up to 310 degrees Fahrenheit.

37. The pan of claim 1, wherein the pan is formed from a rigid plastic selected from the group including:

polyetherimide or polycarbonate.

38. A pan system for serving food, the system comprising:

a plurality of identical pans, each pan adapted for use with a well for receiving the pan, the well being surrounded by a platform, each pan including;

a bottom panel;

a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the bottom panel, the plurality of walls including a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall joined to the first and second walls at first and second corners, respectively; and

a rim outwardly extending from the third wall;

wherein the third wall includes;

a first lower portion proximate the bottom panel and extending at a first angle relative to the bottom panel; and

a ramp portion extending between the lower portion and the rim at a second angle oblique to the lower portion, wherein the first angle at which the lower portion extends relative to the bottom panel is oblique to the bottom panel such that the plurality of pans are nestable within one another.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the plurality of pans includes a first pan, a second pan and a third pan, wherein each pan has a height of about 3.9 inches (99.1 mm) and wherein the first pan, the second pan and the third pan, when nested, have a maximum height of about 5.46 inches (138.7 mm).

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the second angle at which the ramp portion obliquely extends relative to the lower portion is between about 105 degrees and about 150 degrees relative to the bottom panel.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the ramp portion extends across a mid-point of the third wall between the first and second corners.

42. A food serving system comprising:

a series of pans, each pan including;

a bottom panel;

a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the bottom panel, the plurality of walls including a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall joined to the first and second walls at first and second corners, respectively; and

a rim outwardly extending from the third wall;

wherein the third wall includes;

a lower portion proximate the bottom panel and extending at a first angle relative to the bottom panel; and

a ramp portion extending between the lower portion and the rim at a second angle oblique to the lower portion;

wherein the series of pans includes a first rectangular pan having a width dimension X and a length dimension Y;

a second rectangular pan having a width dimension X and a length dimension one-half Y; and

a third rectangular pan having a width dimension one-half X and a length dimension one-half Y.

43. The system of claim 42 including a fourth rectangular pan having a width dimension of one-half X or one-third X and a length dimension of two-thirds Y or one-third Y.

44. A pan for use with a well for receiving the pan, the well being surrounded by a platform, the pan comprising:

a bottom panel;

a plurality of walls extending upwardly from the bottom panel, the plurality of walls including a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall joined to the first and second walls at first and second corners, respectively; and

a rim outwardly extending from the third wall;

wherein the third wall includes;

a lower portion proximate the bottom panel and extending at a first angle relative to the bottom panel; and

a ramp portion extending between the lower portion and the rim at a second angle oblique to the lower portion and between about 105 degrees and about 150 degrees relative to the bottom panel, wherein the ramp portion has a linear length such that the ramp portion has a vertical height of at least about 0.375 inches (9.5 mm).

45. The pan of claim 44, wherein the ramp portion has a linear length such that the ramp portion has a vertical height of at least about 0.625 inches (15.9 mm).

46. The pan of claim 44, wherein the ramp portion has a linear length of at least about 1.0 inches (25.4 mm).

47. The pan of claim 44, wherein the ramp portion has a vertical height of at least about 0.8 inches (20.3 mm).

48. The pan of claim 44, wherein the ramp portion outwardly extends at an angle of about 120 degrees relative to the bottom panel.