Patent Application
20060201959
This invention is generally directed to a closure for a food container. Particularly, it relates to a removable lid for a pan. More particularly, the invention is directed to a removable lid and hinge cover apparatus for covering and maintaining food in a safe, fresh, and clean environment in a food pan, wherein the lid may be hinged open for food service or removed in whole or in part for exposing the interior of the pan for food service and/or cleaning.
Food serving pans used in food servers such as steam tables, chill tables, salad bars or the like for containing various food items in a cold or hot state and allowing the food to be served in portions have been used for many years in commercial and non-commercial food service establishments. Many pans are typically rectangular or square topped stainless steel pans with an open top and having the capability to store various capacities of food. A flange usually extends around the circumference of the pan to provide a steam seal around a steam table or to aid in removal of the pan from its resting location in the table.
Lids or covers are typically provided for such pans to keep the food hot or cold, to prevent food drying, as well as to reduce contamination by servers, insects, or other sources. The most common lids/covers are substantially flat metal sheets with a handle disposed on top to allow for removal of the lid/cover when serving food or for cleaning. This presents problems to the server. One problem is that the lid must be completely lifted and removed by one hand to serve the food, thereby allowing only one hand to serve the food.
Another problem is that sometimes it is desirable to leave a serving utensil in the pan while keeping the lid closed to keep the food warm and/or to prevent contamination from outside sources. In such situations, if the utensil is left in the pan with the lid in place, a majority of the lid is caused to be partially propped open by the remaining utensil. Complicating the problem is the risk of contamination if the covers are left with the serving utensil still in the pan. In addition, if the utensil is completely removed to allow for full closure of the lid and then placed on an unclean surface and then replaced into the food serving pans, the utensil may contaminate the remaining food within the pan upon reinsertion.
One solution has been to provide pans with a two-piece lid or cover. One problem with this design is that generally most two-piece lids are typically joined together by a piano style hinge or similar pin. This type of hinge allows for a first part of the lid to hinge or rotate about a pin within the piano style hinge which serves to connect a generally stationary second part of the hinge to the first part. This hinge design disadvantageously allows food product and other contaminates to accumulate on and in the hinge and occasionally allows the contaminates to simply pass through the hinge and into the pan containing the food. Moreover, because this type of hinge tends to permanently attach the first and second part of the lid or cover together, it does not permit easy disassembling for cleaning purposes. Therefore, this design does not meet current UL sanitation or NSF/ANSI standards.
Yet another problem exists in current lid and cover designs. Specifically, ledges and slots are formed on and in many hinge designs that allow contaminates to accumulate on the ledge or slot when the lid or cover is in the open and/or closed position. When the contaminate (e.g., food product) dries out or cools down below acceptable limit standards and the lid is then closed, the contaminate is essentially “pushed” back down and into the pan with the usable product.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved means for covering a food serving pan or the like. In particular, there is a need for a lid and/or cover and hinge apparatus that permits a utensil to remain in the pan while the lid is closed. In addition, there is a need for an improved lid/cover and hinge apparatus that is easy to disassemble, clean and sanitize. Furthermore, there is a need for an improved lid and/or cover and hinge apparatus that eliminates the common ledges or grooves found in current lids and provides for an improved hinge that when hinged open will direct contaminates down the hinge and over the sides of the pan instead of into the pan containing a useable food product.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
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 and 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.
The present invention discloses a lid/cover and hinge apparatus for food serving pans that is intended to address to the needs and problems discussed above.
In summation, the present invention comprises a lid/cover and hinge apparatus having a first lid member and second lid member each having a top and bottom surface, wherein the first lid member further includes a geometric serving utensil aperture, a plurality of perimeter flanges, wherein one portion of a perimeter flange is formed to function as a handle, and wherein one perimeter flange includes a first generally vertically extending hinge flange portion having a slotted receiving cavity, wherein the cavity is generally horizontal and parallel to the top surface of the first member, wherein the generally vertical hinge flange further comprises an upper portion arcuate fold configured thereon.
The lid/cover second lid member comprises a major and a minor flange integrally formed thereon in a cooperative arrangement, wherein the major and minor flanges include a plurality of arcuate folds thereon, wherein the major and minor flanges function to provide an second generally vertically extending hinge portion for permitting a removable and hingeable cooperation of the lid/cover first and second lid members. The second lid member further comprises a plurality of perimeter flanges disposed in a downward arcuate bending fashion.
A method for hingeably joining the lid/cover and hinge apparatus of the present invention is provided comprising the steps of insertably engaging a minor flange of the lid/cover and hinge apparatus second lid member into a generally horizontal and parallel cavity formed in the first generally vertically extending hinge flange portion of the first lid member, wherein when the first and second members are engaged permits a user to open and close the first lid member, when the lid/cover and hinge apparatus is mounted on a pan, without permitting contaminates that have fallen onto the top surfaces of the lid/cover and hinge apparatus to enter the pan and contaminating the entire pan contents. The method further comprises the steps of opening or lifting the first lid member and slidably disengaging the first generally vertically extending hinge flange portion having a cavity from the vertically extending insertable hinge portion having edgeline of the second lid member to disengage the first and second members therefrom each other and slidably disengaging the second lid member from the pan, thereby permitting cleaning and sanitizing of the first and second lid members.
It should be understood that any one of the features of the invention may be used separately or in combination with other features. It should be understood that features which have not been mentioned herein may be used in combination with one or more of the features mentioned herein. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in connection with the following, detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which description is presented in conjunction with annexed drawings below.
The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown herein. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts. For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed below without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
With reference now to
One embodiment of the first lid member 1a has a generally rectangular dimension of about 5 ½ inches by 6 inches and having a material thickness of about 1/16 of an inch. However, the thickness may be varied without detracting from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The present invention discloses a lid as described herein as being designed for a plurality of pan sizes including, but not limited to a ⅙ size pan lid and ⅓ size pan lid. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the size, shape, and thickness of the first lid member 1a may be adjusted accordingly based upon pan specifications.
The first lid member 1a further comprises a plurality of perimeter flanges 15, 20, 25, 30, 35. Specifically, perimeter flange 20 is formed having a vertical and horizontal portion which together function as a handle for raising and lowering the lid's 1 first lid member 1a while positionally seated on a pan (not shown). Also, flange 20 also serves as a deflecting member to assist in preventing contaminates from entering the pan in this area of the first lid member 1a. Perimeter flange 20 extends upward from the top 5a of the first lid member 1a about ¾ of an inch.
According to the present invention, perimeter flange 30 comprises a generally vertically extending hinge flange portion 32 having a longitudinally disposed slotted receiving pivot cavity 50, having an internal cavity longitudinal length dimension of about 5 ⅛ inches and internal cavity height of about ⅛ inch, wherein the pivot cavity 50 is formed generally parallel to the top surface 5a of the first lid member 1a and having a displacement, indicated by “X” (clearly shown in
The lid/cover 1 second lid member 1b comprises a major flange 55 and a minor flange 60 that are integrally formed thereon a portion of the second lid member's 1b top surface 5b. The major flange 55 is formed thereon the second lid member 1b in such a fashion as to expand the width of the second lid member 1b. A plurality of seating notches 65a, 65b are formed on each distal end of the major flange 55. These seating notches 65a, 65b permit the first generally vertical hinge flange 32 of the first lid member 1a to be seated and rest against each notch 65a, 65b in a cooperative arrangement when the first lid member 1a and second lid member 1b are pivotally engaged for opening and closing the first member 1a as will be explained below. One embodiment of the second lid member 1b has a generally rectangular dimension of about 6 ¼ inches by 1 ¼ inches and having a material thickness of about 1/16 of an inch. However, the thickness may be varied without detracting from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Similar to the first lid member 1a, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the size, shape, and thickness of the second lid member 1b may be adjusted as desired based upon pan specifications.
Furthermore, the major 55 and minor 60 flanges comprise a plurality of arcuate folds thereon. More specifically, the minor flange 60 functions to provide a generally vertically extending insertable hinge portion 65, wherein the vertically extending insertable hinge portion 65 has an upper portion arcuate fold 70 configured thereon for permitting a removable and hingeable cooperation of the lid/cover 1 first lid member 1a and second lid member 1b. Similar to upper portion arcuate fold 40 of first lid member 1a described above, edgeline 75 of minor flange 60 also functions to retard the motion of the first lid member 1a when pivotally resting in longitudinally disposed slotted receiving pivot cavity 50 in a fully open position as shown in
Also, as depicted in
As shown in
It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the lid/cover and hinge apparatus 1 of the present invention is not limited to the dimensions specified above. Specifically, it should be understood that the dimensions of the first lid member 1a and second lid member 1b and associated element configurations may be altered to allow adaptation with a plurality of pan sizes.
A method for hingeably and pivotally joining the lid/cover and hinge apparatus 1 of the present invention is provided comprising the steps of insertably engaging a minor flange 60 of the lid/cover and hinge apparatus 1 second lid member 1b into a generally horizontal and parallel cavity 50 formed in the first generally vertically extending hinge flange portion 32 of the first lid member 1a, wherein when the first 1a and second 1b members are engaged permits a user to open and close the first lid member 1a, when the lid/cover and hinge apparatus 1 is mounted on a pan, without permitting contaminates that have fallen onto the top surfaces 5a, 6a of the lid/cover and hinge apparatus 1 to enter the pan and contaminating the entire pan contents. The method further comprises the steps of opening or lifting the first lid member 1a and slidably disengaging the first generally vertically extending hinge flange portion 32 having cavity 50 from the vertically extending insertable hinge portion 65 having edgeline 75 of the second lid member 1b to disengage the first 1a and second 1b members therefrom each other and slidably disengaging the second lid member 1b from the pan, thereby permitting cleaning and sanitizing of the first 1a and second 1b lid members.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, circuits, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments as may be desired.
It is therefore, contemplated that the claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention.
