Patent Application
20100224642
This invention generally relates to food display and service equipment and, in particular, to a rotatable food display and server ensemble having interchangeable and reconfigurable components, and combining food with an artistic arrangement or related art.
Rotary food display and service devices or ‘lazy susans’ typically comprise a circular platform that rotates about a central axis. A variety of foods or condiments are positioned on the upper surface of the platform. The device is commonly positioned in the center of a dining table and rotated by the people seated at the table to provide easier access to the items located thereon. Although some conventional designs have removable trays for holding a variety of foods, such rotating table display devices are typically of singular or limited application.
For example, U.S. Pub. No. 2002/0162490, to Petryna, discloses a modular rotatable food tray supported by a vertical support member features tray segments that are removable and free standing. Each tray segment has a depending clip that is received in a hub of a bearing for rotatably supporting the tray. The individual tray segments may be removed for filling and cleaning, and segments of a different configuration can be used for other purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,225,633, to DeMars, describes a rotary food server for storing food in a chilled condition. This design includes a dish rotatably mounted on a stationary base and has central and peripheral pockets for removably receiving food storage trays having removable lids.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,038, to Ruvolo, discloses a dining room table to facilitate serving food including inner, intermediate and outer concentric sections. The intermediate section is rotatably mounted on a pedestal to pass food around a table.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,694, to Li, describes an umbrella table with an inlaid turntable. The table includes a tabletop having a substantially planar top surface with a circular aperture therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,027, to Maes, provides a display table for simultaneously displaying various kinds of ornamental objects, particularly objects that are designed to decorate a table. The display table comprises a circular central panel, an outer panel concentric with and mounted for rotation about the central panel, and a storage space situated under the outer panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,151, to Shin, describes a microwave cooking apparatus having a turntable for rotating foodstuffs within an oven cavity to effect uniform heating. The turntable couples with or separates from a power transmission system including a power source. The turntable is utilized as a foodstuff shelf within the oven cavity when it is associated with the power transmission system. It also is utilized as a cooking tray when it is removed from the power transmission system and disposed directly on a dining table.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,055, also to DeMars, describes a turntable cooking and serving appliance that utilizes a planer base within which is a centrally mounted pan. The pan includes an electrically-operated heating element. A cooking vessel is removably locatable within the pan. An annular compartment surrounds the pan. A ring is mounted within the annular compartment with a bearing assembly located between the ring and the floor of the annular compartment. A plurality of trays is locatable within the annular compartment and is adapted to rest on the ring and to be rotatable therewith. Each tray contains food that may be cooked within the cooking vessel.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,943, to Liu, describes a turntable assembly comprising a supporting base and an oven fixed to the top of the supporting base. A rotational disk can be rotationally and movably supported between the oven and the supporting base. The rotational disk is above the surface of the table without touching the dishes or bowls disposed on the table. By this arrangement, a plurality of courses can be simultaneously supported. Although each of these conventional designs is workable for displaying and/or serving food, an improved and more versatile design would be desirable.
Embodiments of a system, method and apparatus for a rotary turntable ensemble with reconfigurable, interchangeable components for a table top display are disclosed. Reconfigurable components contain and display a variety of food service items and condiment dispensing and decoration displays. Embodiments of these components may be combined with a vertical support member that may be engaged with different containers to provide significant advantages over the prior art.
Embodiments of a rotating table centerpiece provide a decorative element for a dining table with reconfigurable and interchangeable components. The centerpiece provides containers for food, condiments, nuts and the like, and/or decorative items such as flowers, arrangements or fish in water. Embodiments may comprise a base assembly and upper components. The base assembly includes a turntable comprising a thrust bearing engaged with a base component, such as a platter or bowl, which retains the components on it. The platter or bowl is removably engaged with the turntable allowing for enabling either a platter or bowl configuration for the base assembly. The base assembly rigidly supports the upper components, which may include but are not limited to a stem, a globe, a brandy snifter, a pillow disk and a dip bowl.
In some embodiments, one or more of the upper components are engaged with and secured directly to the base component. In another configuration, a vertical support member or stem is mounted to the base, and then an upper component is engaged with and rigidly mounted to the vertical support member. The components may be combined in alternate configurations to form an array of rigidly stacked components that are readily and easily disassembled after use.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in view of the following detailed description of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.
So that the manner in which the features and advantages of the present invention are attained and can be understood in more detail, a more particular description of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. However, the drawings illustrate only some embodiments of the invention and therefore are not to be considered limiting of its scope as the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.
Embodiments of a system, method and apparatus for a rotary turntable serving ensemble with interchangeable components for a table top display are disclosed in
For example, the turntable 102 may be removably engaged with a base component, such as either a platter 104 (
The base assembly may be removably engaged with at least one of, or a combination of, upper components for food display and service. For example, the upper components may include but are not limited to a globe 108 (
In some embodiments, the user selects either the platter 104 or the bowl 106 and engages it with the turntable 102. As best shown in
Referring now to
Accordingly, the components are not merely stacked, nested or resting on each other unattached; rather, they are physically engaged and mounted to each other to provide a rigid usable, rotatable support and display of food and condiment items. The components will not separate without manual intervention to selectively disengage them after use. The upper components are combined and/or engaged with the base assembly and mechanically joined to each other. However, they are removably engaged in a manner that eliminates unintended relative motion between the engaged and retained elements. Individual elements or combinations of the upper components are assembled onto the base in a variety of reconfigurable embodiments.
In some embodiments, each of the components may be formed from a clear, high quality acrylic material that may be provided with frosted accents. Transparent and opaque colors also may be used, as well as glass, ceramic or other materials.
In other embodiments, a system for food display and service comprises a base assembly 111 (
Embodiments of the base component are rigidly but removably mounted to the turntable. The rotatable turntable may comprise a thrust bearing 105, and the base component may comprise one of a platter 104 and a bowl 106. Some of the upper components (e.g., stem 116) may further comprise a second upper engagement feature 123 for engaging the lower engagement feature 121 on another one of the upper components (e.g., brandy snifter 112). In this way, a plurality of the upper components may be secured to and selectively retained on each other in a stacked configuration as shown in the drawings.
In other embodiments, one of the upper components is a vertical member 116 on which may be mounted other ones of the upper components. The vertical member may comprise a bud vase having a hollow chamber 119 adapted to support and display a flower 117. The bud vase has a second upper engagement feature 123 for engaging the lower engagement feature 121 on another one of the upper components, such that said another one of the upper components may be secured to and selectively retained on the bud vase in a stacked configuration.
The upper and lower engagement features may comprise one of snap fit features, threaded features, magnets, and a key and slotted socket, to form a rigid and stable connection between the base assembly and the upper components. The base assembly and the upper components are removably engaged to eliminate unintended relative motion therebetween.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/209,078, filed on Mar. 3, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61209078 | Mar 2009 | US |
