Pan support apparatus

Apparatus for supporting an open top pan, the apparatus comprising,

• a pan support having left and right sides, a pan storage space between the left and right sides sized to receive at least a portion of the pan, and a front opening sized to permit the pan to be inserted in the pan storage space from the front opening, the pan support including at least one slide surface in the pan storage space constructed to slidably receive and support the pan on the at least one slide surface,
• a cover for covering the open top of the pan, the cover having a front end, a rear end, and left and right sides, the cover being selectively receivable in and removable from the pan storage space from the front opening, the cover being constructed to permit the pan to be slidably received under the cover in the pan storage space,
• the pan support including at least one retainer for retaining the cover in the pan storage space, the retainer being constructed to permit the pan to be slidably received on the at least one slide surface in the pan storage space from the front opening below the retainer,
• the cover including at least one retainer engagement surface constructed to be in retaining registration with the at least one retainer to retain the cover in the pan storage space when the cover is in the pan storage space with the pan, and
• the pan support being constructed such that, when the pan is removed from the pan storage space from under the cover, the at least one retainer engagement surface falls downward by gravity and rests out of retaining registration with the at least one retainer without the at least one retainer being moved to permit removal of the cover from the pan storage space through the front opening.

A pan support system for supporting at least one open top pan having a rim adjacent the open top, the system comprising

• a pan support having left and right sides, a pan storage space between the left and right sides sized for receiving at least a portion of the pan, and a front opening sized to permit the at least one pan to be inserted in the pan storage space from the front opening, the pan support including left and right slide surfaces constructed for slidably receiving and supporting respective left and right rim portions of the pan in the pan storage space, the pan support being free of support structure positioned to engage a bottom of the pan for supporting the bottom of the pan in the pan storage space,
• a cover for covering the open top of the pan, the cover having a front end, a rear end, and left and right sides, the cover being selectively receivable in and removable from the pan storage space from the front opening, the cover being constructed to permit the pan to be slidably received under the cover in the pan storage space,
• wherein the pan support includes at least one retainer constructed for retaining the cover in the pan storage space,
• wherein the cover includes at least one retainer engagement surface constructed to engage the at least one retainer to retain the cover in the pan storage space when the cover is in the pan storage space with the pan;
• and
• wherein at least one of the following:
• a) the cover and pan support are configured such that the cover rests out of retaining registration with the at least one retainer when the cover is in the pan storage space without the pan, and the cover is movable into retaining registration with the at least one retainer by sliding the pan into the pan storage space along the left and right slide surfaces under the cover;
• or
• b) the pan support system further comprises at least one pan support module and a frame, the at least one pan support module including said pan support and said cover, the at least one pan support module including at least two first mounting elements for selectively forming respective releasable mounting connections, the at least two first mounting elements including a left first mounting element positioned on the left side of the pan support and a right first mounting element positioned on the right side of the pan support, the frame including a plurality of second mounting elements for selectively forming the releasable mounting connections with the at least two first mounting elements of the pan support module, the plurality of second mounting elements including multiple sets of at least two second mounting elements, the sets of at least two second mounting elements being positioned at different elevations on the frame, the at least two first mounting elements of the pan support module being selectively engageable with a selected set of the second mounting elements of the frame for forming respective releasable mounting connections for mounting the pan support module at a selected elevation on the frame.