Food holding cabinet with removable tray covers
First Claim
1. A food holding cabinet having a heating chamber for holding a covered food tray therein, comprising:
- a housing that defines the heating chamber and a heating chamber opening for access to the heating chamber, the heating chamber including a front portion, a rear portion, and at least one tray location for receiving a food tray, anda pair of rigid support structures mounted to the housing for suspending a tray cover in the heating chamber in a position above the at least one tray location, the pair of support structures including a front support structure positioned adjacent to and extending across the front of the heating chamber opening, such that when a food tray is inserted into the food tray location and under a suspended tray cover, the food tray will engage a bottom portion of the tray cover and lift it upwardly off of the pair of support structures such that the tray cover is supported by the food tray, and such that as the underlying food tray is removed from the heating chamber, the front support structure engages and prevents the tray cover from being removed from the heating chamber along with the food tray, and the support structures resume suspension of the tray cover.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A food holding cabinet having a housing defining a heating chamber for holding a covered food tray in a tray location has a pair of elongated rigid rods mounted to the housing for suspending a food tray cover thereon in a position above the tray location. A front rod extends across the opening to the heating chamber and supports the front end of the tray cover and a rear rod supports the rear of the cover. When a food tray is inserted into the tray location, it lifts and supports the cover. When the tray is removed, the front rod prevents removal of the cover along with the underlying tray. The front rod is spring-loaded to be pulled away from the housing to facilitate removal of the cover. A tray cover is also provided.
70 Citations
43 Claims
-
1. A food holding cabinet having a heating chamber for holding a covered food tray therein, comprising:
-
a housing that defines the heating chamber and a heating chamber opening for access to the heating chamber, the heating chamber including a front portion, a rear portion, and at least one tray location for receiving a food tray, and a pair of rigid support structures mounted to the housing for suspending a tray cover in the heating chamber in a position above the at least one tray location, the pair of support structures including a front support structure positioned adjacent to and extending across the front of the heating chamber opening, such that when a food tray is inserted into the food tray location and under a suspended tray cover, the food tray will engage a bottom portion of the tray cover and lift it upwardly off of the pair of support structures such that the tray cover is supported by the food tray, and such that as the underlying food tray is removed from the heating chamber, the front support structure engages and prevents the tray cover from being removed from the heating chamber along with the food tray, and the support structures resume suspension of the tray cover. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A food tray cover for covering a food tray for use in a food holding cabinet, which comprises:
-
a recessed top central panel, said central panel being in communication with and being surrounded by a pair of opposed upstanding side walls, and by a pair of opposed upstanding front and rear walls, said pair of side walls communicating with said pair of front and rear walls, wherein said front wall extends up higher than said rear wall, and said front wall communicates with at least one forwardly extending front extension, and said rear wall communicates with at least one rearwardly extending rear extension. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
Specification