Adjustable breath guard
AssigneeThe Vollrath Company, L.L.C.
InventorSteven P. Morgan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable breath guard includes a frame, a shield, and a hinge assembly pivotally coupling the shield to the frame. The hinge assembly is reconfigurable between (a) an engaged configuration in which the hinge assembly limits downward movement of the shield and permits upward movement of the shield and (b) a disengaged configuration in which the shield permits both downward movement of the shield and upward movement of the shield. The hinge assembly is configured to change from the engaged configuration to the disengaged configuration in response to the shield moving upward.
Claims11
An adjustable breath guard, comprising:
- a frame;
- a shield;
- and
- a hinge assembly pivotally coupling the shield to the frame, the hinge assembly comprising:
- a base coupled to one of the frame or the shield;
- a body coupled to the other of the frame or the shield and pivotally coupled to the base, the body defining a ratchet protrusion;
- a pawl pivotally coupled to the base and repositionable between an extended position and a retracted position;
- and
- a pawl retracting plate that is pivotally coupled to the base and repositionable between (a) a first position in which the pawl retracting plate engages the pawl and retains the pawl in the retracted position and (b) a second position in which the pawl retracting plate permits the pawl to move to the extended position,
- wherein the pawl is configured to engage the ratchet protrusion to limit rotation of the body relative to the base in a first rotational direction when the pawl is in the extended position, and wherein the pawl is separated from the ratchet protrusion in the retracted position such that the pawl permits rotation of the body in the first rotational direction.
An adjustable breath guard, comprising:
- a frame;
- a shield;
- a hinge assembly including a button and pivotally coupling the shield to the frame;
- and
- an arm coupling the shield to the hinge assembly, wherein the arm is slidably coupled to the hinge assembly such that the shield is repositionable relative to the hinge assembly,
- wherein the hinge assembly is reconfigurable between (a) an engaged configuration in which the hinge assembly limits downward movement of the shield and permits upward movement of the shield and (b) a disengaged configuration in which the shield permits both downward movement of the shield and upward movement of the shield;
- wherein the hinge assembly is configured to change from the engaged configuration to the disengaged configuration in response to the shield moving upward;
- and
- wherein the hinge assembly is configured to limit movement of the arm relative to the hinge assembly in response to at least one of (a) a user pressing the button or (b) the user releasing the button, and wherein the hinge assembly is configured to permit movement of the arm relative to the hinge assembly in response to the other of (a) the user pressing the button or (b) the user releasing the button.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.