The present invention relates to systems and methods for food shield systems (sometimes called “sneeze guards” or “food guards”) and, more particularly, to a light kit system for retrofit of an LED light strip to a food shield.
The spread of viruses and other pathogens into and among the general public is a constant concern of the food service industry, particularly in cafeteria style and buffet style serving applications. Consequently, there is an almost ubiquitous use of food shield systems in locations where food is on public display for consumer consumption, such as cafeterias, restaurants, convenience stores, and grocery stores. A food shield provides a barrier between the consumer's mouth and the food and is typically a system comprising transparent tempered glass or plastic panels attached to supporting posts or framework. A food shield system is intended to shield the food beneath/behind it from airborne bacteria, contaminants, breath, sneezes or coughs expelled by the consumer, while allowing the consumer to view the food on display.
There are typically three types of food shield systems, depending on how the food is displayed and/or served: (a) a “self-service” type, (b) an “attendant-served” type, and (c) a “vertical partition” type. A “self-service” food shield system will allow a consumer direct access to the food beneath/behind the food shield such that the consumer may serve himself. An “attendant-served” food shield system allows a consumer to view the food that is beneath/behind the food shield but does not provide the consumer with direct access to the food (an attendant working behind the attendant-served food shield system plates the food and passes it over or around the food shield to the consumer). And, a vertical partition food shield system, such as might be used at a wok or grill, allows a consumer to view the food that is being prepared behind the food shield but does not provide the consumer with direct access to the food or an attendant any way to pass the food to the consumer over the system (in a vertical partition system, the prepared food is generally “passed down the line” by attendants and provided to the consumer at a point of sale).
All food shield systems include at least a main viewing panel positioned to optimally protect the food from exposure, usually made of glass or clear plastic so that users can view the food without breathing, sneezing, or coughing on it. Commonly, food shield systems also include top panels or other panels similarly constructed from glass or clear plastic.
While some food shield systems may incorporate a lighting system to better view food displayed beneath the system, many do not. And so, there is a need in the art for a system that can be used to retrofit an LED light strip to an existing, already installed food shield system.
Exemplary embodiments of a system for retrofit of an LED light kit to a food shield system are disclosed. An example of an LED light kit can be seen at www.ledingedge.com. Certain embodiments are configured such that an existing food shield system may be retrofitted with an LED light strip without having to deconstruct the food shield system. Depending on embodiment, the solution allows for the LED light kit to be mounted to a panel surface or along the edge of a panel. Advantageously, a power supply wire may be received into the system in such a way that it is secured and unable to be inadvertently disconnected from the LED light strip. It is a further advantage of certain embodiments of the solution that they may be installed without creating any undesirable gap or crevice that would harbor pathogens or be difficult to clean.
An exemplary system for retrofit of an LED light kit to a food shield system includes an LED light strip, a wiring end block assembly, a blind end block assembly, and one or more center support assemblies. The wiring end block assembly comprises an upper portion and a lower portion that are separable, one from the other, and mechanically mated by one or more fasteners. The upper portion and lower portion of the wiring end block assembly, when mated, cooperate to define an internal cavity of the wiring end block assembly, the internal cavity being configured to receive a plug head associated with power supply wiring through a first aperture and a power connection head associated with the LED light strip through a second aperture. In this way, the power connection head may be “plugged into” the plug head of the power supply wiring, thereby energizing the LED light strip and protecting the electrical junction within the cavity of the wiring end block assembly. Advantageously, the internal cavity of the wiring end block assembly comprises one or more shoulders configured to seat against the plug head associated with power supply wiring such that the plug head is prevented from being retracted through the first aperture.
Similarly, the blind end block assembly comprises an upper portion and a lower portion that are separable, one from the other, and mechanically mated by one or more fasteners. The upper and lower portions of the blind end block assembly, when mated, cooperate to define an internal cavity of the blind end block assembly, the internal cavity being configured to receive an end head associated with the LED light strip through a first aperture. In this way, the end head associated with the LED light strip is protected within the blind end block assembly cavity.
Also similarly, each of the one or more center support blocks comprise an upper portion and a lower portion that are separable, one from the other, and mechanically mated by one or more fasteners. The upper and lower portions of a center support block define an internal cavity of the center support block through which the LED light strip may be inserted or translated.
Each of the wiring end block assembly and the blind end block assembly include a separable mounting block operable to mechanically mate the system to a food shield panel. The separable mounting blocks may be modularly attached to the assemblies via one or more fasteners, such as screws. The separable mounting blocks may comprise a threaded screw or a hook feature. For those mounting blocks that comprise a threaded screw, the system may be mounted to the surface of a food shield panel through drilled holes in the panel. For those mounting blocks that comprise a hook feature, the system may be mounted along the edge of a food shield panel by “hanging” the system along the edge of the panel using the hook features. Similarly, the upper portion of a center support block may include either a threaded screw or hook feature, depending on embodiment. Wiring end block assemblies, blind end block assemblies, and/or center support blocks including hook features further include set screws for securing the food shield panel within the hook.
The wiring end block assembly may also be configured to mechanically mate with a wiring conduit. The wiring conduit may be placed over a bored hole in a counter, such as a food service counter over which there is a food shield system, in order to provide a mechanism by which power supply wiring may be directed to the wiring end block assembly. A counter collar may be slidably mounted over/on the conduit such that it may be positioned over the counter hole. Any one or more of the wiring end block assembly, blind end block assembly and center support block may be manufactured or constructed from aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, or any material suitable for food service applications.
In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise indicated. For reference numerals with letter character designations such as “100A” or “100B”, the letter character designations may differentiate two like parts or elements present in the same figure. Letter character designations for reference numerals may be omitted when it is intended that a reference numeral to encompass all parts having the same reference numeral in all figures.
Various embodiments, aspects and features of the present invention encompass a system for retrofit of an LED light kit to a food shield.
In this description, the terms “food shield,” “food shield system,” “food guard,” “food guard system,” “sneeze guard” and the like are used interchangeably and refer to any system configured to present a barrier between the general public or consumers and food, drinks or other items staged on a serving table, bar, or buffet.
Referring to
The
For both embodiments, it can be understood from the illustrations that a power end 110 of the system 100 in the form of a universal wiring end block assembly 120 is configured to receive electrical wiring and electrically connect the wiring to an LED light strip 130 (more detail regarding the universal wiring end block assembly 120 will be shown and described in subsequent figures). The light strip 130 extends from the universal wiring end block assembly 120 to a blind end block assembly 140 (more detail regarding the universal blind end block assembly 140 will be shown and described in subsequent figures). A center support assembly 150, 151 may be located at a point along the LED light strip 130 (more detail regarding the center support assemblies 150, 151 will be shown and described in subsequent figures).
The universal wiring end block assembly 120, center support assemblies 150, 151, and universal blind end block assembly 140 may all be configured for mounting to a panel of the food shield, such as panel 105. In the
In the
The system 100A of the
The LED light strip 130 may be electrically connected to, and energized by, the electrical power supply 185 within the universal wiring end block assembly 120. The LED light strip 130 extends to blind end block assembly 140 where it is electrically terminated, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art of LED light strips. If the length of LED light strip 130 warrants, the LED light strip 130 may be extended through, and supported by, one or more of center support assemblies 150 (see
Turning now to
Power supply 185 may be connected to LED light strip 130 within universal wiring end block assembly 120. The LED light strip 130 may be extended along the length of a food shield system panel (such as panel 105 in
Each of the universal wiring end block assembly 120, universal blind end block assembly 140 and center support assemblies 150/151 may comprise an upper portion 120U, 140U, 150U, 151U, respectively. Further, each of the universal wiring end block assembly 120, universal blind end block assembly 140 and center support assemblies 150/151 may comprise a lower portion 120L, 140L, 150L, 151L, respectively. The upper and lower portions may be mated together such that the LED light strip 130 is “sandwiched” between the upper and lower portions. A panel surface mounting block 160 or a panel edge mounting block 170 may be modularly mounted to the ends of either a universal wiring end block assembly 120 or a universal blind end block assembly 140. More detail regarding the individual components that form exemplary assemblies 120, 140, 150/151 will be shown and described relative to subsequent figures.
As previously described, the lower portion 140L mates with the upper portion 140U and is mechanically mated with a series of fasteners (not shown in the
The panel surface mounting block 160 includes a threaded mounting screw 161 and a washer 162, such as a rubber washer. The block 160 may be threaded in order to receive the threaded mounting screw 161, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The threaded mounting screw 161 may be inserted through a hole drilled in a food shield panel (such as panel 105) and threaded into block 160 that is positioned beneath the panel. By contrast, the panel edge mounting block 170 includes a hook feature 172 configured to receive an edge of a panel (such as panel 105). One or more set screws 171 may be tightened from beneath in order to secure the block 170 to the panel edge.
As previously described, the lower portions 150L/151L mate with their respective upper portions 150U/151U and are mechanically secured with a series of fasteners (not shown in the
The center support block 150 includes a threaded mounting screw 161 and a washer 162, such as a rubber washer. The upper portion 150U of the center support block 150 may be threaded in order to receive the threaded mounting screw 161, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The threaded mounting screw 161 may be inserted through a hole drilled in a food shield panel (such as panel 105) and threaded into upper portion 150U that is positioned beneath the panel. By contrast, the upper portion 151U of the center support block 151 includes a hook feature 172 configured to receive an edge of a panel (such as panel 105). One or more set screws 154 may be tightened from beneath in order to secure the block 151 to the panel edge.
Systems and methods for a system for retrofit of an LED light kit to a food shield system have been described using detailed illustrations and descriptions of embodiments thereof that are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The described and illustrated embodiments comprise different features, not all of which are required in all embodiments of the solution. Some embodiments of the solution utilize only some of the features or possible combinations of the features. Variations of embodiments of the solution that are described and embodiments of the solution comprising different combinations of features noted in the described embodiments will occur to persons of the art.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that a system or method for retrofit of an LED light kit to a food shield system according to the solution is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described herein above. Rather, the scope of the disclosed solution is defined by the claims that follow.
The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/109,735 filed on Nov. 4, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20100328852 | Johnson | Dec 2010 | A1 |
20140268716 | Yu | Sep 2014 | A1 |
20180306971 | Conrad | Oct 2018 | A1 |
20210341134 | May | Nov 2021 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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211780350 | Oct 2020 | CN |
Entry |
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English translation of Tan CN-211780350-U, published Oct. 2020 (Year: 2020). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220136661 A1 | May 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63109735 | Nov 2020 | US |