Foods and beverages: apparatus – Non-cooking heat treatment of food
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-20
2002-10-08
Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Non-cooking heat treatment of food
C099S339000, C099S449000, C126S033000, C126S040000, C126S043000, C220S212500, C220S657000, C220S694000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06460453
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the covers and systems for actuating such covers. In particular, the present invention relates to covering systems which include a cover that rotates or pivots between a covering position and a non-covering position. More specifically, the present invention relates to food covering systems employing a roll top cover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Food covering systems are utilized to protect food from outside contaminants and to maintain the temperature or moisture characteristics of the food being covered. One common covering system utilizes a cover which pivots between opened and closed states. Such covering systems are commonly employed in food containers or dishes and in chafers. With such systems, it is frequently desirable to position the cover in a partially closed or intermediate state so as to partially cover and protect the food while still enabling the food to be viewed. Prior attempts to provide such covers for food have met with limited success. For example, many conventional chafers which enable the cover to move to the intermediate state require mechanical stoppers that have multiple parts. These stoppers not only increase the manufacturing complexity and cost of such chafers, but also make cleaning and sanitation a difficult task.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a mechanism that allows a cover to be rotated or pivoted to a closed position, a substantially opened position and at least one intermediate position, wherein the mechanism is simple, easy to assemble and easy to clean.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one exemplary embodiment, a covering system includes a frame, a cover pivotally coupled to the frame and a stop surface pivotally coupled to the frame. The cover pivots between a closed position, a substantially open position and at least one intermediate position. The stop surface pivots between a first position in which the stop surface engages the cover when the cover is in the at least one intermediate position to retain the cover in the at least one intermediate position and a second position permitting the cover to be pivoted to at least one of the substantially open position and the closed position. The stop surface is biased towards the first position by gravity.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a cover system includes a frame, a cover pivotally coupled to the frame and a stopper pivotally coupled to the frame. The cover includes a detent and pivots between a closed position, a substantially open position and at least one intermediate position. The stopper includes a stop surface that pivots between an engaged position so as to engage the detent of the cover when the cover is in the intermediate position to prevent the cover from further pivoting towards the open position and a disengaged position so as to permit the cover to rotate to the open position. The stopper provides a counterweight on a second side of the axis so that the stop surface is biased towards the engaged position by means of gravity.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, a roll top chafer includes a frame, a food pan coupled to the frame, a support coupled to the frame and adapted to support a heat source beneath the food pan, a cover and a stopper. The cover includes a detent and is pivotally coupled to the frame for rotation between a closed position, a substantially open position and an intermediate position. The stopper pivots about an axis and includes a stop surface that pivots between an engaged position so as to engage the detent of the cover when the cover is in the intermediate position to prevent the cover from further pivoting towards the open position and a disengaged position so as to permit the cover to rotate to the open position. The stopper provides a counterweight on a second side of the axis so that the stop surface is biased towards the engaged position by means of gravity.
REFERENCES:
patent: 76639 (1868-04-01), Lawrence
patent: 931497 (1909-08-01), Schille
patent: 1701989 (1929-02-01), Turner
patent: 2561118 (1951-07-01), Horvath
patent: D192900 (1962-05-01), Epstein
patent: 3283944 (1966-11-01), Richardson
patent: 3361126 (1968-01-01), Bloomfield
patent: 4320849 (1982-03-01), Yellin
patent: 4334629 (1982-06-01), Koch et al.
patent: D275643 (1984-09-01), Petteson
patent: 4832295 (1989-05-01), Wagner
patent: 4838446 (1989-06-01), Ali
patent: D305972 (1990-02-01), Pearce
patent: 4899722 (1990-02-01), Horewitch
patent: 4920873 (1990-05-01), Stevens
patent: 5012791 (1991-05-01), McCabe
patent: 5045672 (1991-09-01), Scott
patent: 5076429 (1991-12-01), Patrick et al.
patent: 5119800 (1992-06-01), Roberts et al.
patent: 5211157 (1993-05-01), Schwartz et al.
patent: 5307799 (1994-05-01), Scarnato et al.
patent: 5347979 (1994-09-01), Haber
patent: 5355558 (1994-10-01), Vertanen
patent: 5355869 (1994-10-01), Pickard et al.
patent: 5360132 (1994-11-01), Edelhoff
patent: 5467697 (1995-11-01), Hunziker
patent: D365724 (1996-01-01), Yu
patent: 5517903 (1996-05-01), Kaufman
patent: 5567146 (1996-10-01), Blankenship et al.
patent: 5584283 (1996-12-01), Messina
patent: 5711210 (1998-01-01), Kaufman
patent: 5788196 (1998-08-01), Forman
St. Andrew Buffetware, Chafers and Urns, WellSet website, printed on Mar. 25, 2002, 5 pages.
Simone Timothy F.
The Vollrath Company L.L.C.
LandOfFree
Cover system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cover system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cover system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2963940