Merchandising – Customer service – Dining room service
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-20
2002-12-24
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Merchandising
Customer service
Dining room service
C062S381000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06497305
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to food conveyors and more particularly pertains to a new food service conveyor system for providing a space saving device for holding hot and cold food.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of food conveyors is known in the prior art. More specifically, food conveyors heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art food conveyors include U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,567, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,440; U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,479; U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,810; U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,620; U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,492; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,099, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,778.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new food service conveyor system. The inventive device includes a base for resting on a surface, and a plurality of rotatable levels mounted on the base. The plurality of rotatable levels comprises a first one of the rotatable levels being positioned adjacent to the base, a second one of the rotatable levels being mounted adjacent to and above the first rotatable level, and a third one of the rotatable levels being mounted adjacent to and above the second rotatable level. The first rotatable level has a first rotatable panel with an upper surface for supporting food containers and a first annular support located below the first rotatable panel. The first annular support includes cooling means for cooling the upper surface of the first rotatable panel. The second rotatable level has a second rotatable panel with an upper surface for supporting food containers and a second annular support located below the second rotatable panel. The second annular support includes a first heating means for heating the upper surface of the second rotatable panel. The third rotatable level comprises a third rotatable panel with an upper surface and a third circular support located below the third rotatable panel. The third circular support includes a second heating means for heating the upper surface of the third rotatable panel.
In these respects, the food service conveyor system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a space saving device for holding hot and cold food.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of food conveyors now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new food service conveyor system wherein the same can be utilized for providing a space saving device for holding hot and cold food.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new food service conveyor system which has many of the advantages of the food conveyors mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new food service conveyor system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art food conveyors, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a base for resting on a surface, and a plurality of rotatable levels mounted on the base. The plurality of rotatable levels comprises a first one of the rotatable levels being positioned adjacent to the base, a second one of the rotatable levels being mounted adjacent to and above the first rotatable level, and a third one of the rotatable levels being mounted adjacent to and above the second rotatable level. The first rotatable level has a first rotatable panel with an upper surface for supporting food containers and a first annular support located below the first rotatable panel. The first annular support includes cooling means for cooling the upper surface of the first rotatable panel. The second rotatable level has a second rotatable panel with an upper surface for supporting food containers and a second annular support located below the second rotatable panel. The second annular support includes a first heating means for heating the upper surface of the second rotatable panel. The third rotatable level comprises a third rotatable panel with an upper surface and a third circular support located below the third rotatable panel. The third circular support includes a second heating means for heating the upper surface of the third rotatable panel.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature an essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide ,a new food service conveyor system which has many of the advantages of the food conveyors mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new food service conveyor system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art food conveyors, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new food service conveyor system that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new food service conveyor system that is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new food service conveyor system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such food service conveyor system economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new food service conveyor system which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present inv
Beauchaine Mark J.
Walsh Donald P.
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