AU764206B2 - Presentation device for portions of food - Google Patents

Description

PRESENTATION DEVICE FOR PORTIONS OF FOOD The invention relates to the presentation of food. for a cold or hot buffet for instance, the help of a catering company is often enlisted. In accordance with the wishes of a client foods are prepared in the kitchens of the company in the form of chosen dishes and laid out in attractive, aesthetic form on platters, bowls, plates, mirrors or the like to be transported to the client and there placed for instance on a table such that the visitors have the opportunity to look at the displayed food and take what they wish therefrom.

In accordance with legal regulations in many countries the food in question must be stored and transported in cooled state. A requirement is that the food reaches a standard temperature of for instance 7 0

C

for a predetermined period. Thus is ensured in the manner of a refrigerator that the chance of deterioration and other forms of contamination are essentially precluded.

In the usual systems the platters or bowls are covered with plastic foil and placed for instance on the loading platform of an automobile or truck. The available o loading space is hereby limited to the given floor area.

This is highly impractical for larger deliveries.

The known system is further adapted such that all the platters or bowls are transported separately and placed on a table for presentation.

Dishes are also often prepared in hot state, laid out on plates and transported in hot state. The temperature can fall to an undesirably low value during transport.

30 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a device for storing and presenting food divided into portions in a cooled or heated state, which device comprises: a vertical support column standing on a foot; a plurality of supports for supporting carriers, for instance bowls containing the respective portions of food, which suppo-ts are pivotally mounted at the support column and vertically spaced there along wherein the supports are adapted to accommodate thermal means for cooling or heating the carriers and the food present thereon; and the device comprises 1o screening means for screening the supports said screening means interconnecting adjacent supports in a vertically registered position of the supports such that a support and/or a carrier is covered, as a result of the interconnection effected by the screening means, by a support and/or a carrier placed thereabove, wherein the screening means comprise a separate cover for covering the uppermost carrier.

The preferred embodiment provides a device in which it is possible to fulfil the legal regulations in respect of not exceeding a given standard temperature during a determined storage period.

The preferred embodiment further provides a device in which effective use can be made of the available surface area of a carrying platform of for instance a truck.

In respect of hygienic requirements the device with all its components is manufactured from easy to clean and non-porous materials, for instance stainless steel, suitable smooth plastics and/or the like.

A specific embodiment has the special feature, that the support column is constructed in modular manner from mutually connected sections. The support column can hereby have a height adapted to the wishes of a user.

A practical embodiment has the special feature that each support bears a rear plate forming part of the o°* -7' [R:\LIBD]03525.doc:caa screening means and situated in the region of the support column. In addition to a fixed screen in the region of the column, i.e. in the region where the screen does not disrupt placing and removal of platters, an effective mechanical strengthening is also realized with this embodiment.

In accordance with another embodiment, stiffening means are added to each support. Stiffening means can for instance be embodied as ribs, bent edges and the like.

The simplest and most effective embodiment is seen at the moment in a variant, wherein the screening means comprise a screen comprising three plate parts, which screen possesses a general U-shape with a profile adapted to the shape of a support such that the screen can be pushed over a support, and in vertically registered position of the supports connects to a support placed thereabove.

An effective screening is hereby realized with inexpensive means.

A coupling which is sturdy and can be easily effected is obtained with an embodiment which has the special feature that the screen has a form widening slightly toward the open side of the U.

5 According to yet another embodiment, the device has the special feature that the foot is the top of a table provided with rollers or wheels.

It will be apparent that one foot, for instance a table-top, can carry more than one column.

A very practical embodiment which is particularly suitable for transporting larger quantities S of food has the special feature that the table is of the type with fold-in legs and is provided with means for 35 automatically folding out respectively folding in the legs during slidable removal of the table from, respectively slidable placing of the table on a bearing platform, for instance the loading floor of a truck.

WO 00/40125 PCT/NLO/00002 4 For easy sliding over the bearing platform this latter variant can be embodied such that in the region of the front edge of the table-top carrying wheels are arranged for rolling co-action with a bearing platform.

In yet another embodiment the device can have the special feature that the table is of the heightadjustable type. An easy accommodation to the height of a bearing platform can hereby be realized.

This latter embodiment can very suitably comprise hand or foot-operated hydraulic pumping means and at least one hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawings.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a partly broken-away perspective view of a support with a carrier and screening means; Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of a part of the device, wherein the supports are vertically registered; Fig. 4 shows the detail IV on enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 shows the section V-V of fig. 3; Fig. 6 shows a second embodiment according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a device 1 according to the invention. The device comprises a table 2 with a tabletop 3 and four collapsable legs 4, 5, 6, 7 arranged thereunder. The legs are each provided with wheels, respectively 8, 9, 10, 11.

By means of a known per se construction, legs 4-7 are supported in their stable position by a locking device with brackets 12, 13. The front edge 14 of tabletop 3 is provided with two free-rotating rollers 15, 16 which are intended to roll over a bearing surface, for instance a bearing platform of a truck.

Table-top 3 carries four columns designated 17, 18, 19, 20. The columns take a modular form, as will be WO 00/40125 PCT/NL00/00002 further elucidated hereinbelow with reference to figures 2, 3 and 4. Each of the columns carries a support which is mounted pivotally relative to the column. The supports are identical and therefore all designated 21 for the sake of convenience. Each support comprises a rear plate or screen 22 (see also fig. 2) with a bent lower edge 23 and a bent upper edge 24 which are connected with a bush such that a pivot connection is thus formed. Each support 21 comprises a profiled edge 26 extending over two opposite sides and the free side remote from column 17. The longitudinal sides are designated respectively 27 and 28, while the short side connecting these longitudinal sides is designated 29. Sides 27, 28, 29 together form a general U-shape which tapers slightly towards the outside. A likewise substantially U-shaped screen 30 with a profiled edge 31 can hereby slide over profiled sides 27, 28, wherein a certain clamping occurs at the end.

To each support 21 is added a separate cooling element 32 which can be of any suitable type. Use can for instance be made of a known flat plastic element, which is filled for instance with ethylene glycol or the like and, after cooling for a long time, can absorb heat from the outside and thus exert a cooling action. Placed thereabove is a plate 33 on which measured quantities of food 34 can be placed in the manner indicated in fig. 3.

The manner in which the diverse constituent components mutually engage is clearly shown in the cutaway perspective of fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows the structure of column 17 with its modular assembly with bushes 25 which are mutually connected by screw connections.

Fig. 3 shows that the U-shaped screen extends over the whole of the free height between supports placed one above another. Ingress of heat from the outside to the portions of food 34 is thus effectively prevented.

Fig. 4 and 5 show the details IV respectively V of fig. 3.

Not drawn is that the uppermost support and associated carrier can also be completely screened by means of a U-shaped screen which also co-acts with rear plate 22. In the case of the uppermost support and carrier the relevant combination is covered with a separate cover or a bowl.

It is noted that this figure description refers only to cooling elements. It will be apparent that heating elements also fall within the scope of the invention.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment 40 according to the invention. This embodiment 40 has a column 41 on which three supports 42 are hingedly arranged. Bowls 43, 44 and 45 are placed on supports 42 to carry portions of food.

Device 40 is held stable in that support 42 with bowl 45 thereon also serves as foot for column 41.

The space is hereby used optimally and device 40 can be placed in simple manner on a table.

i Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

a a

Claims (13)

1. A device for storing and presenting food divided into portions in a cooled or heated state, which device comprises: a vertical support column standing on a foot; a plurality of supports for supporting carriers, for instance bowls containing the respective portions of food, which supports are pivotally mounted at the support column and vertically spaced there along, wherein the supports are adapted to accommodate thermal means for cooling or heating the carriers and the food present thereon; and the device comprises screening means for screening the supports said screening means interconnecting adjacent supports in a vertically registered position of the supports such that a support and/or a carrier is covered, as a result of the interconnection effected by the screening means, by a support and/or a carrier placed thereabove, wherein the screening means comprise a separate cover for covering the uppermost carrier.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support column is constructed in modular manner from mutually connected sections.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support bears a rear plate forming part of the screening means and situated in the region of the support column.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein stiffening means are added to each support.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screening means ooo comprise a screen comprising three plate parts, which screen possesses a general U-shape with a profile adapted to the shape of a support such that the screen can be pushed over a support, and in vertically registered position of the supports connects to a support placed thereabove.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the screen has a form widening slightly toward the open side of the U. o

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot is the top of a table o 30 provided with rollers or wheels.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the table is of the type with fold-in legs and is provided with means for automatically folding out respectively folding in the legs, during slidable removal of the table from, respectively slidable placing of the table on a bearing platform, for instance the loading floor of a truck. [R:\LIBD]03525.doc:caa 8

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein in the region of the front edge of the table-top carrying wheels are arranged for rolling co-action with a bearing platform.

The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the table is of the height- s adjustable type.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10, comprising hand or foot-operated hydraulic pumping means and at least one hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.

12. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the foot comprises a carrier, for instance a bowl, for a portion of food.

13. A device for storing and presenting food divided into portions in a cooled or heated state, said device being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 5 or 6 of the accompanying drawings. Dated 11 June, 2003 Anton Jan Van Den Belt Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON *o *0 0** **o [R:\LIBD]03525.doc:caa