Patent Application
20070145870
This invention relates generally to a portable food and beverage preparation station for use in outdoor food service. More specifically, the present invention relates to a food preparation station assembly utilizing injection molded plastic structural panels having integrally formed connectors. The preparation station is capable of being packaged and shipped in a knock-down state and assembled into a secure and decorative preparation station without additional fasteners.
Portable food and beverage preparation stations are very convenient for outdoor picnics and cookouts. Normally the foods are prepared indoors prior to cooking on the grill. Furthermore, foods which do not require cooking are also prepared indoors prior to their being served outdoors. The necessity of transporting various foodstuffs, condiments and the like from the interior to the exterior becomes problematic. For example, in the summer months, when cookouts are very popular, it is desirable to maintain the house in a cool condition with the use of air-conditioning. Constant entering and exiting from a house will permit hot, moist air from the outside to enter the house and defeat the air-conditioning. Also, in many areas, insects will be permitted to enter the house. It is very helpful if there is an area outdoors that food and other items can be prepared prior to their being served. This invention provides such an area.
An example of a known portable food preparation station is U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,162 which discloses a cabinet on wheels with provisions to carry cooking and serving equipment for use with meals prepared outdoors. The cabinet includes a hinged top which covers a generally planar shelf. This shelf is used to carry and store the cooking equipment. Below the shelf are compartments designed to hold additional items, including chairs or seats. Casters are provided on the bottom of the cabinet to allow it to be moved around outdoors to any desired location. This cabinet is constructed of wood and is assembled prior to its sale to the customer. This makes it relatively heavy and bulky to bring home from the place of purchase. Also, the wood is subject to deterioration if constantly exposed to the elements outdoors. This cabinet does not provide a light weight and element resistant station as does the plastic construction of the instant invention. Also, the instant invention allows the cabinet to the shipped in a broken down state and assembled by the user without the use of tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,157 relates to portable camping equipment and more particularly to a portable kitchen for storing and preparing food. The portable kitchen comprises a main box which has a table, a detachable sink, a storage area inside the box, and a front cover to close off access to the storage area. The portable kitchen is made from suitable molded plastics. While this is advantageous for use outdoors, the portable kitchen cannot be broken down for ease of shipping.
Another portable cooking cabinet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,216,030. This cabinet has a hinged top which opens to reveal a compartment which houses a stove for the preparation of the food. Storage areas in the cabinet below the stove are provided for the storage of items used in the preparation and serving of the food. The cabinet appears to be constructed from wood and would require assembly at the factory prior to delivery to the customer. Therefore it must be shipped in its fully assembled state.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,372, discloses a beverage cart which is formed from plastic panels. These panels are mounted on a frame which is preferably made from steel to support the weight of the cart. The frame is provided with wheels for movement of the entire assembly. The beverage cart includes a top panel for serving the beverages, a plurality of storage shelves and a sink.
Such prior art food preparation assemblies, while working well for the purposes for which they were intended, have not met all the needs of the manufacturers, retailers or end users by providing a food preparation station that can be easily manufactured, packaged and shipped to the consumer in a knock-down state.
What is required is a food preparation station having walls which resist panel separation, buckling, racking and weather infiltration. Structural integrity is a further consideration. The station formed by the panels must tie into the cover and bottom in such a way as to unify the entire enclosure.
Finally, there are ergonomic needs that a food preparation station must satisfy in order to achieve acceptance by the user. The station assembly must be easily and quickly assembled using minimal or no hardware and requiring a minimal number of tools. Further, the preparation station must not require excessive strength to assemble or include heavy component parts. The preparation station must assemble together in a manner which will not detract from the internal storage volume.
The present invention provides a plurality of injection molded plastic panels having integrated connectors which are capable of being packaged and shipped in a knock-down state and constructed to form an aesthetically pleasing mobile food preparation station. The integrated connection of the side walls, cover, intermediate support, and bottom panel components simplifies the station construction. The panels are formed from injection molded plastic to interlock with one another without the need for separate fasteners or connectors. The system incorporates a minimum number of components by integrally forming the connectors into the injection molded panels which are snapped together to complete the assembly. This construction eliminates the need for separate connectors or fasteners to assemble the station assembly. Injection molding allows the panels to be formed with a single wall having integral cross-bracing, ribs and gussets for increased rigidity when compared to blow molded or rotationally molded assemblies. The same side wall and bottom panel components can be used to create a variety of different assemblies useful for cookouts or outdoor entertaining and the assembly of these requires minimal hardware and a minimum number of hand tools.
The base, intermediate support, and back wall panels have integrally formed outwardly projecting bosses for interlocking engagement with the left and right side wall panels. The left and right side wall panels are constructed with integrally formed inwardly contoured sockets for interlocking cooperative engagement with the bosses on the edges of the base, intermediate support, and back wall panels. The engagement between the bosses and the sockets serve to rigidly connect the components together into a weather resistant assembly.
The lower surface of the base panel includes integrally formed bosses constructed and arranged to cooperate with casters to allow easy movement of the food preparation station.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to provide a preparation station composed of panels with integral connectors.
It is a further objective of the instant invention to provide a preparation station with panels formed by injection molding for increased structural integrity.
It is another objective of the instant invention to provide a preparation station wherein the side walls, cover, intermediate support and bottom panels are integrally interlocked without the use of separate fasteners or connectors.
It is still another objective of the invention to provide a preparation station constructed of modular panels having an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
It is yet another objective of the invention to provide a preparation station which houses the essential items used in preparing meals outdoors.
It is still a further objective of the invention to provide a preparation station that is capable of being packaged and shipped in a knock-down state and constructed into a secure assembly at a desired site.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
The base panel has a top surface 104, a bottom surface 106, a front edge 108, a back edge 110, a left edge 112, and a right edge 114 (
The right side panel 200 is configured with a first edge 212 and a second edge 214. Both edges include integrally formed elongated sockets 210 extending inwardly in a linear fashion along each edge. The sockets 210 are generally constructed and arranged to cooperate with the bosses 116 provided along either edge of the back panel 400. The top edge of the right side panel is provided with an upstanding lip 215 integrally formed thereon.
The left panel 300 is configured having a first edge 312 and a second edge 314. Both edges 312 and 314 include integrally formed elongated sockets 210 extending inwardly in a linear fashion along each edge. The sockets 210 are generally constructed and arranged to cooperate with bosses 116 provided along either edge of the back panel 400. The top edge of the left side panel is provided with an upstanding lip 315 integrally formed thereon.
The outer surface of the panels 200, 300, and 400 are constructed as generally smooth and have a plurality of inwardly curved grooves 230 for added strength and aesthetic appearance. The insides of the panels 200, 300, and 400 are constructed with a plurality of strengthening ribs 202 extending along the height of the panels. A plurality of gussets 204 are also provided on the inside surfaces of the panels to further strengthen the panels. The ribs 202 and gussets 204 increase the structural integrity of the preparation station by preventing the panels 200, 300, and 400 from bowing or bending inwardly or outwardly, adversely affecting the appearance or operation of the preparation station 10. As illustrated herein panels with all of these features may be formed by injection molding. Injection molding offers significant strength and stability advantages over blow-molding or rotational molding as utilized in the prior art. In this manner the preparation station of the instant invention is capable of handling a significant amount of weight and physical abuse as compared to prior art preparation stations.
The base panel 100 is attached to the right 200 and left 300 side panels by inserting the bosses 116, of the base panel, into the sockets 210, of the side panels, until the spring lock fasteners 118 engage the apertures 208 in the sockets 210 of the right and left panels (
Referring to
Referring now to
Referring to
The perpendicular side, back and intermediate support panels are brought into an overlapping relationship wherein the bosses 116 enter the corresponding sockets 210 in the right and left panels respectively. The result is a mechanically secure connection between the panels. The overlapping edges between the panels as described above provides a secure connection and offers several advantages. First, the design allows the panels to be connected without the need for separate connectors. Second, the design creates a positive lock which prevents separation of the panels. Third, the design maintains alignment of the panels in the same plane and prevents bowing or bending of either panel relative to each other.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 ands 4, the front panel comprises two doors, upper door 510 and lower door 520. The upper door is configured having a first side edge 512, a second side edge 514, an upper edge 516 and a lower edge 518. The lower door 520 is configured having a first side edge 522, a second side edge 524, and upper edge 526 and a lower edge 528. The outer surfaces of the doors are generally smooth and have a plurality of inwardly curved grooves 230 for added strength and aesthetic appearance. The inside of the doors are constructed with a plurality of strengthening ribs 202 and gussets 530 to add further strength to the doors. Although only the inside of the upper door 510 is illustrated, the construction of the inside of the lower door 520 is the same. The integrally formed ribs 202 and gussets 530 are facilitated by injection molding. The upper and lower doors are hingedly mounted by hinge pins 532 and 534 integrally formed in the upper and lower doors respectively. The hinge pins fit into and cooperate with apertures 536 integrally formed in the base panel, intermediate support panel, and cover to facilitate pivotal opening and closing of the doors. A handle 538 is provided on the upper door and a handle 540 is provided on the lower door to assist in opening and closing the doors. The handles are provided with threaded studs 542 which are constructed and arranged to pass through apertures 544 provided in the doors. The handles are mounted onto the front of the doors by inserting the threaded studs through the apertures in the doors. A nut is then attached to each of the studs to secure the handle to the door. Each of the doors is also provided with an integrally formed latch 546. The latches are constructed and arranged to cooperate with a portion of the first edge 312 of the left side panel to hold the doors in a closed position.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Each shelf is also provided with a plurality of hingedly mounted supports 740, as seen in
Should the use of the shelf not be required the supports can be disengaged from the support mounts and folded up, under the shelf. The shelf may then be lowered to its retracted, vertical position, as shown in
A tray 800 is provided for holding utensils utilized in the preparation of food or other items utilized in the service of the food. The tray is located on top of the intermediate support panel 700. Access to the tray is gained through the opening enclosed by door 510. The tray is provided with a plurality of vertical walls 810 which divide the tray into a plurality of compartments 812. These compartments are utilized to hold the utensils. The tray is also provided with two handles 814, one at each end of the tray. The handles enable the tray to be easily removed from the preparation station and carried to any desired location.
All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.
One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.
