Protection guard having moveable and positionable shield useful for food stations in the food service industry
AssigneeAlbers Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
InventorBrandon M. Hansen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides protective enclosures and food and/or beverage stations with these enclosures in which one or more of the side panels are easily raised and lowered and easily fixed in one or more positions as desired. For example, side panels can be easily lowered or closed or easily raised and fixed in one or more open configurations. The present invention is based at least in part on a coupling system that pivotably and slideably couples the moveable and positionable side panels to the protective enclosure. The coupling system uses a system of coordinated slots that cooperatively guide the movement of the side panel in its range of motion.
Claims21
A protection system, comprising:
- a) a support structure;
- b) a protective enclosure comprising a moveable and positionable shield, said moveable and positionable shield comprising a first edge, a second edge, a first shield end, and a second shield end, wherein each of the first and second shield ends is slideably and pivotably coupled to the support structure in a manner such that the moveable and positionable shield slides and pivots to be raised and lowered in a range of motion that comprises two or more stationary positions comprising at least a lowered shield position and a raised shield position;
- c) a first bracket assembly that slideably and pivotably couples the first shield end to the support structure;
- and
- d) a second bracket assembly that slideably and pivotably couples the second shield end to the support structure,
- wherein the first and second bracket assemblies cooperatively guide the first and second shield ends in a manner such that raising a first edge of the moveable and positionable shield results in a countermove lowering of a second edge of the moveable and positionable shield.
A protection system, comprising:
- a) a support structure;
- b) a protective enclosure comprising a moveable and positionable shield, said moveable and positionable shield comprising a first shield end and a second shield end, wherein each of the first and second shield ends is slideably and pivotably coupled to the support structure in a manner such that the moveable shield comprises a range of motion in which the shield slides and pivots to be raised and lowered in a range of motion that comprises two or more stationary positions;
- c) a first bracket assembly that slideably and pivotably couples the first shield end to the support structure;
- and
- d) a second bracket assembly that slideably and pivotably couples the second shield end to the support structure,
- wherein each of the first and second bracket assemblies comprises first and second slots, a first slideable and pivotable bearing surface that engages the first slot, and a second slideable and pivotable bearing surface that engages the second slot, and wherein the first and second slots of each of the bracket assemblies cooperatively guide the corresponding first and second bearing surfaces as the moveable and positionable shield is raised and lowered in the range of motion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.