FOOD AIR BARRIER DEVICE
A food air barrier device is provided. The food air barrier device can include a base that supports food items. An intake duct is provided that from or within the base. The intake duct includes an opening and defines a flow path through which air flows. A fan is positioned adjacent to the opening for drawing air into the intake duct. Air flows through the intake duct and into at least one air duct. The at least one air duct receives air from the intake duct. Air flows at a sufficient velocity to exit the air duct and form an air barrier. The air barrier surrounds the base, such that food items within the base are enveloped by the air barrier. Insects and debris are prevented from passing through the air barrier, thus protecting the food items from unwanted articles.
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/346,552, filed on May 20, 2010, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
FIELDThe present invention relates generally to food protection, and more particularly to an air barrier device for keeping unwanted articles away from food.
BACKGROUNDArticles, such as insects, debris, and the like, may come into contact with food items while the food items are displayed indoors or outdoors, such as at barbeques, picnics, catered events, etc. Conventional methods of keeping unwanted articles from contaminating displayed food include covering the food items with cellophane, aluminum foil, etc. However, it is inconvenient and costly to repeatedly uncover and re-cover displayed food items in order to keep away the unwanted articles. Moreover, insects may come into contact with the food items even while the food is briefly uncovered.
BRIEF SUMMARYThe following presents a simplified summary of an example embodiment of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the embodiments. Moreover, this summary is not intended to identify critical elements of the embodiments nor delineate the scope of the embodiments. The sole purpose of the summary is to present some concepts of the embodiments in simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In accordance with one aspect, an air barrier device is provided and includes: an intake duct including an opening; a fan positioned in fluid communication with the intake duct; and at least one air duct positioned downstream from the fan and in fluid communication with the intake duct, wherein the at least one air duct is configured to receive air from the intake duct; wherein air is configured to exit the intake duct at a velocity to form an air barrier, and wherein the velocity of the air barrier is sufficient to mitigate insects and debris from penetrating the air barrier.
In accordance with another aspect, an air barrier device is provided. The air barrier device includes: an intake duct including an opening; at least one fan positioned adjacent to the opening in the intake duct, the at least one fan configured to draw air into the intake duct; and a diffusion structure attached to the intake duct, the diffusion structure including at least one air duct in fluid communication with the intake duct; wherein the diffusion structure is configured such that air from the at least one air duct can exit at a sufficient velocity to form an air barrier.
In accordance with another aspect an air barrier device is provided. The air barrier device includes: a base configured to support food items; an intake duct extending from the base, the intake duct including an opening; and a diffusion structure attached to the intake duct, the diffusion structure including at least one air duct in fluid communication with the intake duct; wherein air is configured to exit the intake duct at a velocity to form an air barrier, further wherein the air barrier is configured to substantially surround the base.
The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Example embodiments that incorporate one or more aspects of the present invention are described and illustrated in the drawings. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present embodiments. For example, one or more aspects of the present embodiments can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of devices. Moreover, certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present embodiments.
Turning to
The base 12 is shown as a substantially planar surface on which items, such as food items 18, can be placed. The base 12 can include a variety of different sizes, and is not limited to the size or shape in the shown example. For instance, the base 12 could be circular with a larger diameter, or could be square, rectangular, or the like. In a further example, the air barrier device 10 may not include the base 12, such that the food items can rest directly on a surface, such as a plate, or the like. As will be described in more detail below, the base 12 can include an opening formed therein to cooperate with the intake duct 14.
In the present example, the intake duct 14 is shown as being positioned near a center of the air barrier device 10. However it is to be appreciated that the intake duct 14 can be positioned at a variety of locations as desired and/or depending upon the configuration of the air barrier device 10. For instance, the intake duct 14 could be positioned offset from the center. The intake duct 14 has a first end and a second end, such that the first end is coupled to the diffusion structure 16 and the second end is coupled to the base 12. The intake duct 14 can extend in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the diffusion structure 16 and the base 12. The intake duct 14 may have a hollow center, thereby allowing air to pass through the base 12, into the intake duct 14, and to the diffusion structure 16. The intake duct 14 may include an opening 13 positioned adjacent to the base 12. Accordingly, the intake duct is in fluid communication with the base via opening 13 and with the diffusion structure 16. In a further example, the intake duct 14 may include one or more additional openings positioned along the length of the intake duct 14, such that air is not limited to entering the intake duct 14 through the base 12. In such an example, air can enter the intake duct 14 at a variety of locations along the length of the intake duct 14. It is to be understood that the air barrier device 10 is not limited to a single intake duct 14, as shown in the example, and in further examples, the air barrier device 10 may include a plurality of diffusion structures attached to the base 12. Some or all of the plurality of diffusion structures may have openings, holes, or the like to allow for the passage of air from the environment and into the diffusion structures.
One or more fans 15 can cooperate with the intake duct 14. For instance, in the shown example, a fan is positioned within the hollow center of the intake duct 14 adjacent to and in close proximity to the opening 13.
The diffusion structure 16 can be attached to an end of the intake duct at a position opposite from the base 12. In
The diffusion structure 16 may include one or more air ducts 22 formed within. The one or more air ducts 22 can be in fluid communication with the intake duct 14 and may extend from the intake duct 14 at one end (e.g., inlet end) towards an edge of the diffusion structure 16 at an opposite end (e.g., exit end). The air ducts 22 can be open near the edge of the diffusion structure 16 to allow air to flow through and exit the diffusion structure 16. The one or more air ducts 22 can include a hollow pipe, tube, cylinder, conduit, or the like that defines a flow path for air to travel. Thus, air can enter the intake duct 14 under the influence of the one or more fans 15, pass through the intake duct 14 to the one or more air ducts 22 in the diffusion structure 16, and can exit the one or more air ducts 22 near the edge of the diffusion structure 16. The one or more fans can be rotated at a sufficient speed to force the air through the one or more air ducts 22. In a further example, some or all of the air ducts 22 could each include one or more fans. As such, the one or more fans can propel air through the air ducts 22 towards the exit end, such that the air can exit the exit end at a certain velocity. The air ducts 22 can further include flow directing devices (not shown), such as nozzles, or the like, such that the air exiting the air ducts 22 can be controlled to flow in a certain direction.
The one or more air ducts 22 are shown to have an exit portion situated near an outer perimeter edge of the diffusion structure 16. In further examples, the one or more air ducts 22 could include exit portions positioned at varying locations along the diffusion structure 16. For instance, some of the air ducts 22 could have exit portions at the edge of the diffusion structure 16. Remaining air ducts 22 can have exit portions position positioned a certain distance from a center of the diffusion structure 16, such that the remaining air ducts 22 have exit portions positioned somewhere between the edge and center of the diffusion structure 16. In such an example, two air barriers can be formed. It is to be understood that exits of the air ducts 22 can be arranged such that any number of air barriers can be formed, and the different configurations are not limited to the examples shown and described herein.
The operation of the air barrier device 10 in
Referring now to
As with the previous example, the base 112 is shown as a substantially planar surface on which items, such as food items 118, can be placed. The base 112 can include a variety of different sizes, and is not limited to the size or shape in the shown example. For instance, the base 112 is shown to be substantially rectangular, but could also be square, circular, etc. In further examples, the air barrier device 110 may not include the base. Instead, the air barrier device 110 may be a freestanding structure with food items placed underneath.
The air barrier device 110 can include one or more support structures 117. The one or more support structures 117 can extend between the base 112 at one end and the diffusion structure 116 at an opposite end. In the shown example, there are two support structures, however more or fewer support structures 117 are contemplated. The one or more support structures 117 are shown to extend substantially perpendicularly with respect to the base 112 and the diffusion structure 116. However, it is to be understood that other angles and orientations are contemplated. The one or more support structures 117 can each be attached to the base 112 at one end and to the diffusion structure 116 at an opposing end. As such, the one or more support structures 117 can support the diffusion structure 116 with respect to the base 112. The one or more support structures 117 are shown to be rectangular structures, however, various shapes and sizes are envisioned. For instance, the one or more support structures 117 could be triangularly shaped, or could be shaped as a pole, tube, or the like. The one or more support structures 117 are spaced apart from each other to define a gap therebetween. The gap between the support structures 117 can take on a number of different widths and, as such, the spacing between the support structures 117 in the shown example is not intended to be limiting.
The air barrier device 110 can further include the intake duct 114. The intake duct 114 can define a flow path for the passage of air from an exterior location, such as the environment, to the interior of the intake duct 114. The intake duct 114 is shown to extend substantially perpendicularly with respect to the base 112 and the diffusion structure 116. The intake duct 114 may extend partially or completely between the base 112 and the diffusion structure 116. The intake duct 114 is shown to extend about halfway down from the diffusion structure 116, such that a gap exists between a bottom surface of the intake duct 114 and the base 112. It is to be understood, however, that the intake duct 114 could extend a longer distance to be in closer proximity to the base 112, or the like. For instance, the intake duct 114 can extend to be in contact with the base 112, such that the base 112 can include openings, holes, slots, or the like through which air can be drawn. The intake duct 114 can be supported on opposing sides by the support structures 117, such that the intake duct 114 is positioned within the gap between the support structures 117. Specifically, the intake duct 114 can be attached to the support structures 117, such as by an adhesive, screw, snap fit means, or the like, and/or could be formed integrally with one or both of the support structures 117. The intake duct 114 is shown to extend substantially perpendicularly with respect to the support structures 117, however, other angles are contemplated.
Referring now to
The intake duct 114 may include one or more fans 115 positioned within the intake duct 114. The one or more fans 115 can rotate to draw air into the intake duct 114. In the shown example of
As shown, the intake duct 114 can be attached to the diffusion structure 116 at a position opposite from the base 112. The diffusion structure 116 can function similarly or identically to the diffusion structure 16 shown and described with respect to
The operation of the air barrier device 110 in
It is to be understood that the example shown and described with respect to
Referring now to
The air barrier device 30 can include a base 31. The base 31 can hold and/or store food items 38. The base 31 can include a serving dish, as shown, or nearly any other type of food surface. The base 31 can define an interior portion into which the food items 38 can be placed. The interior portion can include a bowl shaped recess, or could be a substantially flat surface. While shown as a substantially rectangular structure, the base 31 can include a variety of different shapes and sizes, and is not limited to the structure shown and described herein.
The air barrier device 30 may further include an opening 32. The opening 32 is shown to be positioned underneath the air barrier device 30, however other locations are contemplated. For instance, the opening 32 could be positioned at a variety of locations along the bottom surface of the air barrier device 30. Similarly, the opening 32 could be positioned on a side wall of the air barrier device 30. One or a plurality of openings could be included with the air barrier device 30, such that the structure and location of the opening 32 is not limited to the shown example.
The air barrier device 30 may include one or more fans 15. The one or more fans 15 may be positioned near or adjacent to the opening 32. The one or more fans 15 can be similar to and/or identical to the fans shown and described with respect to
The air barrier device 30 can include an intake duct 37 that defines a flow path from the opening 32 through which air can flow. As shown in
The air barrier device 30 may further include one or more air ducts 34. The one or more air ducts 34 can be in fluid communication with the intake duct 37, such that air can flow from the opening 32, along the intake duct 37, and to the one or more air ducts 34. The one or more air ducts 34 can be positioned along a diffusion structure 39, such as an edge, of the air barrier device 30. The one or more air ducts 34 can extend partially or completely along each edge of the air barrier device 30. For instance, in the shown example, the one or more air ducts 34 extend between opposing corners of the air barrier device 30, but do not extend completely to the corners. As shown, the one or more air ducts 34 substantially surround an outer perimeter of the base 31. In a further example, the one or more air ducts 34 can extend completely to the corners, such that the one or more air ducts 34 extend substantially completely around the edge of the air barrier device 30.
Air drawn into the opening 32 can pass through the air ducts 34 to form a pyramid shaped air barrier 36 covering the food items 38. The one or more fans 15 are rotated at a sufficient speed to force air through the air ducts 34 to form the air barrier 36. While the air barrier 36 is shown to be a pyramid shape, it is to be understood that the shape can be customized. For instance, instead of a pyramid shape, the air ducts 34 can eject air at a substantially horizontal angle, such that a flat air barrier 36 is formed over the air barrier device 30. Similarly, other pyramid shapes can be formed depending on the trajectory of the air exiting the air ducts 34. As with the examples described above, the air barrier device 30 may be powered by either batteries or household power.
The air barrier device 30 may be placed on a support structure 40 allowing for a steady stream of air underneath the air barrier device 30 to be drawn into the opening 32. The support structure 40 in
With regard to
It is to be understood that the example shown and described with respect to
The examples shown and described herein employ a low to moderate air flow, which is sufficient to deter insects and debris but is not high enough to affect the temperature of the food items enclosed by the air barrier. Further, not only does the air barrier act as a deterrent, but it can also serve to actively blow away any debris that comes sufficiently close to the food items.
The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Examples embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations.
Claims
1. An air barrier device, comprising:
- an intake duct including an opening;
- a fan positioned in fluid communication with the intake duct; and
- at least one air duct positioned downstream from the fan and in fluid communication with the intake duct, wherein the at least one air duct is configured to receive air from the intake duct;
- wherein air is configured to exit the intake duct at a velocity to form an air barrier, and
- wherein the velocity of the air barrier is sufficient to mitigate insects and debris from penetrating the air barrier.
2. The air barrier device of claim 1, further including a base.
3. The air barrier device of claim 2, wherein the intake duct is attached to the base at a first end.
4. The air barrier device of claim 2, further including at least one support structure attached to the base at a first end and to a diffusion structure at a second end.
5. The air barrier device of claim 4, wherein the intake duct extends between two support structures.
6. The air barrier device of claim 5, wherein the intake duct is attached to the diffusion structure, further wherein the intake duct extends towards the base.
7. The air barrier device of claim 1, further comprising a diffusion structure.
8. The air barrier device of claim 7, wherein the at least one air duct surrounds a perimeter of the diffusion structure.
9. The air barrier device of claim 7, wherein the diffusion structure includes a plurality of air ducts positioned about a perimeter of the diffusion structure.
10. The air barrier device of claim 1, wherein the fan is positioned within the intake duct
11. An air barrier device, comprising:
- an intake duct including an opening;
- at least one fan positioned adjacent to the opening in the intake duct, the at least one fan configured to draw air into the intake duct; and
- a diffusion structure attached to the intake duct, the diffusion structure including at least one air duct in fluid communication with the intake duct;
- wherein the diffusion structure is configured such that air from the at least one air duct can exit at a sufficient velocity to form an air barrier.
12. The air barrier device of claim 11, further including a base, wherein the base is configured to support food items.
13. The air barrier device of claim 12, wherein the intake duct is attached to the base at a first end.
14. The air barrier device of claim 13, wherein the intake duct is angled perpendicularly to the base.
15. The air barrier device of claim 12, further including a support structure supporting the base.
16. An air barrier device, comprising:
- a base configured to support food items;
- an intake duct extending from the base, the intake duct including an opening; and
- a diffusion structure attached to the intake duct, the diffusion structure including at least one air duct in fluid communication with the intake duct;
- wherein air is configured to exit the intake duct at a velocity to form an air barrier, further wherein the air barrier is configured to substantially surround the base.
17. The air barrier device of claim 16, further including at least one fan positioned adjacent to the opening.
18. The air barrier device of claims 17, wherein the at least one fan includes a plurality of fans extending in a parallel and planar configuration.
19. The air barrier device of claim 16, wherein the air barrier is configured to extend from the diffusion structure towards the base.
20. The air barrier device of claim 19, wherein the diffusion structure is oriented in a direction parallel to the base.
Type: Application
Filed: May 18, 2011
Publication Date: Nov 24, 2011
Inventor: Corey V. Timko (Lorain, OH)
Application Number: 13/110,291