Land vehicles – Wheeled – Body with bracketed-type or nonsuspended axles
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-18
2001-03-20
Mar, Michael (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Body with bracketed-type or nonsuspended axles
C280S079200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203036
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to busing carts, and more specifically, to busing carts which allow glasses, dishes and other eating utensils (e.g., forks, knives and spoons) to be bused between a kitchen and an eating area.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of tubs, dishpans, glass racks and dollies are typically used for transporting glasses, dishes and other eating utensils between a kitchen and an eating area.
These means are ineffective in that they all require numerous trips to be made between a kitchen and eating area during the eating area's clearing and/or setup (these activities being collectively referred to herein as “busing”) . This is particularly true when the eating area is a large banquet facility. For example, tubs and dishpans provide no means of separating the variety of dishes that need to be transported. A limitation on tubs, dishpans and glass racks is that one may only transport what one can carry. Dollies are limited as to the number of glass racks which may be safely transported in a single stack (due to tipping concerns), and dish racks loaded with plate and/or flatware containers are not amenable to stacking.
The above recited busing means are also ineffective in that they require excessive handling of dishes. For example, when an eating area is being cleared, dishes and glasses are often placed in the same tub for transport back to the kitchen. It is inevitable that the glasses will bump against one another, and against the dishes—leading to a high risk of breakage (especially for the glasses). Once the tub is brought to the kitchen, the items in the tub must be transferred to dishwasher racks. This extra handling step further increases the risk of breakage. Even when glasses are cleared from a table via a glass rack, there is a high risk of breakage. This is due to the fact that glasses must be placed in a glass rack “open end up” for transport to the kitchen without spillage. Once the glasses are returned to the kitchen, they are emptied, and then returned to the glass rack “open end down”. In this manner, they do not collect wastewater when processed through a dishwasher. Once again, the extra handling leads to a high risk of breakage.
Conventional busing means are also ill-suited for setup purposes. For example, water glasses are often brought to an eating area unfilled, or are brought filled in small quantities (carried on a serving round or the like). Serving rounds are obviously limited in the quantity of glasses they can transport. However, when glasses are brought to an eating area unfilled, it is a time consuming task to fill the glasses utilizing pitchers or the like. If filled glasses could be transported to an eating area more efficiently, it would be much easier to fill the glasses in the kitchen.
A need therefore exists for a busing cart which can 1) transport a large number and variety of glasses, dishes and/or other eating utensils, 2) reduce the number of times dishes (especially glasses) are handled, and 3) function as a universal busing means (i.e., function equally as well in clearing and setup operations). A busing cart which is both safe to use and easy to clean is also desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attempt to fill the foregoing need, and/or other needs, the inventors have devised a new busing cart and method of using same.
The new busing cart comprises a reservoir and trash receptacle carried by a wheeled frame. A strainer is positioned over an opening in the reservoir so that glasses containing matter other than liquid and/or ice may be emptied into the strainer. Solid waste is captured by the strainer, while liquids flow into the reservoir. When the strainer is full, or after ice therein has melted, the strainer may be detached from the reservoir and emptied into the trash receptacle.
The trash receptacle preferably comprises a detachable chute. The chute and strainer are adapted to have adjacent walls. Their adjacent walls form an acute angle with respect to horizontal so as to 1) provide the chute with a larger opening for receiving dishes to be cleared, and 2) provide the strainer with a larger straining surface.
It is also preferred that a sink, large enough to support a glass rack, be mounted on the wheeled frame. The sink's drain may be connected to the reservoir via a drain pipe. When a glass rack is placed on the sink, glasses containing only liquid and/or ice may be placed directly therein in an “open end down” position. Other glasses may be emptied into the strainer, and then also placed in the glass rack “open end down”. In this manner, the glasses need only be handled once prior to washing.
The busing cart disclosed herein may also comprise a number of platforms for supporting dishes, glasses, and other eating utensils. For example, a first platform may be provided for supporting glass racks. Glass racks may be stacked on this platform, or alternatively, may be stacked on the sink. A second platform may be provided for supporting stacked plates. If this platform is divided (e.g., by a dividing wall), plates may be stacked on two or more sides of the platform. The dividing wall may be fitted on each side with slidable vertical dividers so as to better support plates of varying diameter. For example, a stack of 12″ plates and a stack of 5″ plates could be supported on one side of the dividing wall. At the same time, a stack of 9″ plates and a stack of 6″ plates could be supported on the other side of the dividing wall. A third platform may be provided for supporting a flatware rack.
The busing cart may also be fitted with removable drip pans. In this manner, fluids dripping from the stacked plates and/or glass racks may be caught.
Such a busing cart has many advantages. First, all of the dishes, glasses, eating utensils and trash may be bused from an eating area in a single operation. Second, glasses bused from an eating area may be placed in glass racks “open end down” so that repetitive handling of glasses is avoided. Third, dishes, glasses and eating utensils may be bused to an eating area in a single operation. Since the busing cart supports a plurality of glass racks, and has various means for catching spills, numerous filled glasses may be transported to an eating area. Fourth, the wheeled nature of the cart eliminates the need to carry heavy dishes, glasses and the like.
These and other important advantages and objectives of the present invention will be further explained in, or will become apparent from, the accompanying description, drawings and claims.
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Busing Cart invented by Peter A. LaVaute and Sydney W. Baumgartner—displayed at a tradeshow and offered for sale on Oct. 7, 1996.
Baumgartner Sydney W.
LaVaute Peter A.
Dahl & Osterloth LLP
Mar Michael
Osterloth Gregory W.
Phan Hau
Sneezeguard Solutions, Inc.
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