Food dispensers

Abstract

A food product dispenser has a hinged lid which can be converted between a self-closing lid and a lid which is not self-closing and, in the non-self-closing configuration, can be retained open by gravity, including while the dispenser is in a frontwardly-tilted orientation. The invention includes methods of making the lid conversion while setting up the dispenser, illustratively by inspecting one or all of the hinge structures and adding a hinge stop to a hinge structure, or removing a hinge stop from the hinge structure, in light of the result of the inspection. An optional frontwardly-disposed down panel may have a planar surface or surface element which can be printed with graphics and/or a textual message.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to containers/receptacles which are used in food service operations to dispense condiments. A typical use is in a bar or tavern setting where condiments are added to mixed drinks, or in buffet/self-serve style settings where the customer serves himself/herself from an array of food choices, including condiments, displayed at a serving table. Another typical use is at the condiment table in a fast-food restaurant. Still another typical use is in a sandwich restaurant where workers select product, including condiments, from among a variety of choices displayed in a matrix of such products, while building a sandwich for a customer.

In such environment, where the product is being transferred from a tray/container, a certain amount of spillage of the product occurs during the transfer of the product from the container to the customer's plate or tray, or to a sandwich.

Thus, it would be desirable to provide a food dispenser wherein spillage is typically reduced according to the design of the dispenser.

Further, it would be desirable to provide a food dispenser wherein the food service operator has the option of adding or removing legs on the bottom of the dispenser whereby the dispenser may be caused to automatically tilt frontward when seated on a horizontal surface.

In addition, certain food products are susceptible to drying out when left exposed to ambient atmosphere for an extended period of time such as during a typical day of food service operations. Thus, it would be desirable to provide automatic coverage of the food container when food is not being dispensed.

Further, it would be desirable to provide a food dispenser/container which can be tilted frontward by use of trapezoidal legs while still providing for automatic closure of a lid over the food product contents when the food product is not being dispensed.

Yet further, it would be desirable to provide such food dispenser/container which can be readily converted by the food service operator, from a configuration which automatically tilts the top of the dispenser/container frontward when placed on a horizontal surface, to a configuration which maintains the top of the dispenser/container horizontal when the dispenser/container is placed on a horizontal surface.

Still further, it would be desirable to provide such conversion in the form of one or more trapezoidal legs which can be readily mounted to, or de-mounted from, the bottom wall of the receptacle.

These and other needs are alleviated, or at least attenuated, or partially or completely satisfied, by the novel articles and methods of the invention. In the invention, the condiments may be kept cool and fresh by the addition of ice or ice packs which can be placed in the bottom of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides removably-mounted legs at the bottom of a food product dispenser, such as a condiment dispenser, where the legs cause the top of the dispenser receptacle to tilt toward the front of the dispenser, optionally while providing a hinged lid, over the dispenser, which can be maintained by gravity in an open configuration while the dispenser is so tilted. In the alternative, the invention provides a hinged-lid food product dispenser having a lid which can be converted from a self-closing lid to a lid which is not self-closing, which lid is retained in its open configuration by the force of gravity. The conversion can be effected by mounting a hinge stop to one or more of the hinge leaves to make the lid self-closing, or by removing such hinge stop or stops from the hinge leaves to provide the lid in the stay-open configuration.

In a first family of embodiments, the invention comprehends a hinged-lid food product container, comprising a receptacle, the receptacle having a front and a rear, and opposing sides, and comprising a bottom wall, a plurality of upstanding walls, including opposing side walls, extending upwardly from the bottom wall to tops of the respective upstanding walls, a top opening defined inwardly of the tops of respective ones of the upstanding walls, and first and second opposing receptacle flanges extending outwardly and optionally downwardly from the opposing side walls, each receptacle flange defining an outwardly-extending portion and an optional downwardly-extending portion, a hinge-receiving aperture being defined in the outwardly-extending portion, the bottom wall and the upstanding walls collectively defining a cavity inside the receptacle, the cavity being accessible through the top opening, the bottom wall having a top facing toward the cavity and a bottom facing away from the cavity; a lid overlying at least a portion of the cavity, first and second hinges, including respective first and second hinge leaves, extending down from the lid and through, and thus engaging with, the receptacle flanges at the hinge-receiving apertures; and a hinge stop engaging the combination of the respective hinge leaf and the respective receptacle flange as the lid is opened and thereby providing a self-closing feature to the lid.

In some embodiments, the container further comprises a hinge aperture in the optional downwardly-extending portion of a given receptacle flange.

In some embodiments, the hinge stop comprises removable structure which moves with the hinge leaf and thereby engages the outwardly-extending portion of at least one of the receptacle flanges.

In some embodiments the container further comprises a stop mounted to a hinge leaf, the stop being disposed below the respective outwardly-extending portion of a respective one of the receptacle flanges when the lid is closed over the respective portion of the opening, and operative to abut the outwardly-extending portion of the respective receptacle flange when the lid is raised.

In some embodiments, the stop comprises an insert having a rubber-like material on an engagement surface which abuts the outwardly-extending portion of the respective receptacle flange when the lid is raised.

In some embodiments, the hinge stop is mounted on the respective hinge leaf.

In some embodiments, the container further comprises a plurality of trays received in the cavity, and the lid self-closing over the trays.

In a second family of embodiment, the invention comprehends a method of managing a supply of condiment dispensers in a food service operation. The method comprises selecting, as a such condiment dispenser, a dispenser comprising a receptacle, the receptacle having a front and a rear, and opposing sides, and comprising a bottom wall, a plurality of upstanding walls, including opposing side walls, extending upwardly from the bottom wall, to tops of the respective side walls, a top opening defined inwardly of the tops of respective ones of the upstanding walls, first and second opposing receptacle flanges extending outwardly and optionally downwardly from the opposing side walls, each such receptacle flange defining an outwardly-extending portion and an optional downwardly-extending portion, hinge-receiving apertures being defined in the outwardly-extending portions of the receptacle flanges, and the bottom wall and the upstanding walls collectively defining a cavity inside the receptacle, the cavity being accessible through the top opening, a lid overlying at least a portion of the cavity, and first and second hinges, including respective first and second hinge leaves, extending down from the lid and through, and thus engaging with, the receptacle flanges at the hinge-receiving apertures. The method further comprises identifying a particular condiment product to be next placed in the selected condiment dispenser, and determining whether the lid should be self-closing or should remain open during use; inspecting the hinge leaves to determine whether a hinge stop is present and effective to provide a stopping action effective to stop hinge action and thereby make the lid a self-closing lid, or no hinge stop is present whereby the lid can be held in an open configuration by force of gravity; as a result of the inspection, making a hinge-stop decision regarding whether a hinge stop should be installed on, or removed from, a hinge-related structure, or no change should be made, in order for the lid hinging action to comply with the determination regarding whether the lid should be self-closing or should remain open during use; and acting according to the hinge-stop decision.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises a hinge access opening in the optional downwardly-extending portion of a given such receptacle flange, facilitating inspection of the hinges and facilitating adding or removing such hinge stop.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises an aperture in a such hinge leaf, the aperture being below the respective outwardly-extending portion of a respective one of the receptacle flanges when the lid is closed over the respective portion of the opening, the method further comprising inserting a hinge stop in such aperture or removing a hinge stop from such aperture.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises providing a plurality of trays in the cavity, and the hinge stop decision comprises providing a self-closing feature to the lid, whereby the lid self-closes over the trays.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a pictorial view, partially cut away, of a first embodiment of a condiment dispenser of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation view, partially cut away, of the condiment dispenser of FIG. 1, showing a trapezoidally-shaped leg.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the condiment dispenser of FIG. 1, illustrating the location and mounting of the legs to the bottom of the receptacle.

FIG. 4 shows a pictorial view of the top of one of the legs, illustrating the orientation and alignment structure on the leg which interacts with cooperating orienting and alignment structure on the bottom of the receptacle.

FIG. 5 shows a pictorial view of the bottom of the receptacle, including the orientation and alignment structure at the bottom of the receptacle, with a leg spaced from the bottom wall and the orientation and alignment structure on one of the legs aligned with the orientation and alignment structure of the bottom of the receptacle.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view as in FIG. 2, with parts cut away, showing a hinge adaptation which makes the lid self-closing.

The invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction, or to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various other ways. Also, it is to be understood that the terminology and phraseology employed herein is for purpose of description and illustration and should not be regarded as limiting. Like reference numerals are used to indicate like components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the FIGURES, a food product dispenser 10 includes a rectangularly-shaped receptacle 12 which, except for its top, is fully enclosed by a bottom wall 14, a front wall 16A, a back wall 16B, and opposing side walls 16C and 16D. Receptacle 12 has a receptacle opening 18 at the top of the receptacle, which spans the length and width of the receptacle and leads into an internal cavity 20. Receptacle flanges 22 extend outwardly from the receptacle walls 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D at the top of the receptacle opening. Each flange 22 which extends from a side wall 16C or 16D defines an outwardly-extending portion 22A and a downwardly-extending portion 22B which is spaced from the respective side wall 16C or 16D. The outwardly-extending portion and downwardly-extending portion of the respective receptacle flange collectively defines a handle wall.

A plurality (six are shown) of trays 24, which hold food product in food dispenser 10 are received side-by-side in the receptacle opening, thus filling receptacle opening 18. Each tray 24 includes a plurality of tray side walls 26 which extend from a bottom wall 28 upwardly to a tray opening 30 at the top of the respective tray. Tray flanges 32 extend outwardly from the tray side walls about the tray opening 30. Trays 24 extend downwardly from the top of the receptacle into cavity 20 and occupy a substantial portion of the space defined by cavity 20.

First and second legs 34 are removably mounted to the bottom of the receptacle. A lid 36 is hingedly mounted to the receptacle at the receptacle top so as to close over the top of the receptacle, over receptacle opening 18, and including over trays 24.

Tray flanges 32 interact with front wall 16A and back wall 16B of the receptacle, such that the receptacle supports the trays off the closed bottom of the receptacle. The end ones of the trays on the opposing left and right ends of the receptacle opening are also respectively supported by interactions between the respective left and right tray flanges with the side flanges 22 of the receptacle. The interaction of tray flanges 32 with receptacle flanges 22 thus supports the trays above bottom wall 14 of the receptacle, leaving a space 38, as part of cavity 20, between the bottom walls 28 of the trays and the bottom wall 14 of the receptacle as illustrated by a double-headed arrow in FIG. 6. Space 38 can be used to hold ice (not shown) for maintaining a desirably cold temperature in the food product contained in trays 24, thus to extend the shelf life/use life in the respective food products.

Returning to the legs, legs 34 are trapezoidal in cross-section/side view as illustrated in e.g. FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6, such that the dispenser, when placed on a horizontal surface, such as on the top surface 39 of a table, tilts frontward at an angle of about 15 degrees to about 30 degrees, e.g. about 20 degrees, such that an imaginary plane 40 extending from the rear of the receptacle at the top of the receptacle, to the front of the receptacle at the top of the receptacle, converges with the extended plane of the top surface of the table on which the dispenser is supported, and converges with the extended table top plane in front of the dispenser. Such tilting of the dispenser presents the fronts of the trays, at the top of the dispenser, frontward of the front of the receptacle and frontward of the fronts of the legs at the bottom of the dispenser. In addition, the legs are recessed from the front of the receptacle. Since the front of the receptacle at the top of the dispenser is forward of the front of the receptacle at the bottom wall and frontward of the fronts of the legs, a user can position the edge of his/her plate under the front wall 16A of the receptacle, optionally in the space 42 under the bottom wall of the receptacle and in front of a respective leg 34, such that drips of product as the product is being taken from the trays, can fall on the underlying edge of the user's plate, rather than on the underlying table, resulting in fewer spills onto the underlying table, less waste of product, and less frequent need for cleaning the table. So, among the overall benefits of dispensers of the invention is (i) a reduction in the needed frequency/number of cleaning up spills, as well as (ii) less waste of food product.

Thus, the use of trapezoidal feet provides for tilting of the dispenser toward a user by about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees, optionally about 20 degrees, when the dispenser is placed on a horizontal surface, e.g. for use in dispensing condiments.

In the illustrated embodiments, the receptacle and legs are cooperatively configured such that the legs are self-locating when placed on the receptacle. Namely, bottom wall 14 of the receptacle and tops 44 of the legs have cooperating recesses and projections which automatically locate the legs in their designed positions, including orienting the legs so the dispenser tilts frontward, not backward, when the legs and receptacle are brought into proximity with each other, with the legs in the vicinity of their designed locations. Namely, the self-location feature functions to reject an orientation which would position the legs to tilt the top of the dispenser toward the back of the dispenser such that imaginary plane 40 would intersect the plane of the top surface 39 of the table behind the dispenser.

For example, FIG. 5 shows the bottom surface of bottom wall 14 of the receptacle having recesses 46 shaped in a configuration resembling the letter “U”, with no crossing recess across the opening in the “U” at the front of the receptacle. A recess 48, having a screw-receptive aperture 50 is modestly offset in the “U” toward the back of the “U” for receiving a mounting screw 52 (FIG. 3).

Top surfaces 44 of legs 34 have cooperating “U”-shaped configurations which copy, as projections, the configurations of “U”-shaped recesses 46 in bottom wall 14. A leg 34 includes a cross-panel 54 which extends across the width “W” of the leg. Cross-panel 54 has a projection 56 extending toward bottom wall 14 of the receptacle, and bearing a second screw aperture 58. The height of projection 56 corresponds generally with the depth of recess 48 in the receptacle bottom wall, and is typically at the same general elevation as the tops 44 of the legs.

Thus, referring to FIG. 5, as the leg is moved toward the bottom of the receptacle, the projecting “U” configuration on the top of the leg is aligned with the recessed “U” configuration on bottom wall 14 of the receptacle. Similarly, when the top of the leg and the “U”-shaped recess on bottom wall 14 are properly aligned, screw projection 56 is aligned with screw recess 48. If the leg is modestly misaligned, rounded sides on the projecting leg top and the recesses 46 urge the projecting end of the leg, between front and rear and/or side-to-side, into its designed location where the leg projection, namely the top of the leg, fully seats in recess 46, and projection 56 fully seats in recess 48. If the leg is grossly misaligned by other than 180 degrees, the projecting top of the leg does not seat in recesses 30. If the leg is misaligned by other than about 180 degrees, and is otherwise lined up, the tops of the leg do not seat in recesses 30. If the leg is misaligned about 180 degrees, the sides of the leg will try to seat in recesses 30 but the bight of the “U” will not seat; neither will the screw projection on cross panel 54 of the leg seat in recess 48 on bottom wall 14, both because of the misalignment.

Thus, the leg is self-orienting in that the leg will not seat if improperly oriented. The leg is self-aligning in that the rounded top and rounded sides of the recesses correct a modest mis-alignment of the leg top.

Once the top of the leg is fully seated in the “U”-shaped recess, with the screw projection in the screw recess, screw 52 is driven through apertures 50 and 58, drawing the leg into a secure mounting to receptacle 12. Once both legs are so mounted, the receptacle exhibits the above-described frontward tilt as illustrated in FIG. 2. The legs may be readily removed, to achieve a horizontal orientation of the top of the receptacle, by removing the two screws 52, and thus removing legs 34.

In the alternative, the bottom of the housing can have projections, rather than recesses, which line up, match up, with cooperating recesses, rather than projections, in the tops of the legs.

While recesses 30 and the leg projections have been shown as continuous elements along the full length of the U-shaped configuration, the projections can be intermittent/discontinuous in combination with recesses 30 which are either continuous or intermittent. Where the recesses are intermittent, the projections are correspondingly intermittent and registered in the recesses.

While the illustration has shown only projections on one of the legs and the receptacle, and only recesses on the other of the legs and the receptacle, either or both of the legs or receptacle can have both projections and recesses.

While a U-shaped configuration has been illustrated for recesses 30 and the projections on legs 34, a wide variety of configurations are contemplated, both continuous as show, and discontinuous, conditioned in that such configuration should have sufficient asymmetry to defeat a mis-orientation of the leg, relative to the dispenser receptacle, so great that the mis-orientation is not corrected by the self-alignment feature.

Whatever the cooperating structure of the receptacle and legs, once the legs are self-aligned in their designed locations, each leg is attached to the receptacle by a single screw 52. If desired, the legs are readily detached from the receptacle, by removing screws 52, if the user prefers that the top of the dispenser be horizontal when the dispenser is placed on a horizontal surface.

While two legs are illustrated, any desired number of legs can be used, and width “W” can be adjusted accordingly.

Space 42 provides an overlap dimension where the front of the dispenser can overlap a user's tray/plate for capturing drips as the product is moved from a dispenser tray 24. The tilt provided by legs 34 enhances the dimension of that overlap while making the food product more accessible to the user.

Thus, one of the salient features of food product dispensers of the invention is the provision of easily-removable, easily attachable, support legs 34 which, when attached, cause the receptacle/dispenser to tilt the top of the receptacle in a frontward direction relative to a horizontal surface. A second feature, associated with the legs, is space 42 under receptacle 12 and between the fronts of the legs and the front of the receptacle.

First and second elongate hinge apertures 62 extend through the outwardly-extending portions 22A of receptacle flange 22 at the top of the receptacle, on opposing sides of opening 18.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, lid 36 comprises a primary overlying cover panel 64A, and front 64B, back 64C, left 64D, and right 64E down panels extending downwardly at about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees outside angles from the primary closure panel. The lower edges of the down panels interface with the upper surface of receptacle 12 whereby the primary closure panel 64A is spaced above the upper surface of the receptacle by the height difference between the upper edges and the lower edges of the down panels. The back down panel 64C, left down panel 64D, and right down panel 64E can have any desired configuration, such as planar, curved, convex, concave, with only limited affect on the functional qualifications of those particular down panels.

In some embodiments, front down panel 64B is specified separately from the specifications for the other down panels. In such embodiments, the front down panel is of a planar, e.g. flat configuration, at angle within the stated range. The specified angle on down panel 64B, with or without use of legs 34 to provide an overall tilt to the receptacle, presents the front down panel at an angle which approaches a perpendicular to the direction of viewing by a user of the contents of the dispenser. Thus a user, approaching the receptacle when the lid is closed, most specifically views the front down panel, providing an opportunity for placement of advertising information on the front down panel. Such placement of advertising is most economically provided by printing on the outer surface of down panel 64B. Accordingly, for ease, and cost-effectiveness of printing on panel 64B, panel 64B is specified as presenting a planar, flat surface so as to accommodate a range of printing processes whereby a high-quality printed image may be placed on the front down panel.

While the front down panel is specified as being planar, the remaining down panels can be specified to have any desired configuration, including but not necessarily, planar. Similarly, primary cover panel 64A can have any desired configuration, including planar as shown, convex, concave, and can have any combination of curved and non-curved elements, including the merging of the outline of the primary cover panel into one or more of the down panels, whereby the primary panel and the down panels can be merged into a single surface/panel if and as desired.

Further, the front down panel can be designed as separate but merged elements having a variety of flat and curved elements so long as the front panel has a planar surface or surface element, to receive the desired printed graphics and/or text message, and wherein such printed message can be sufficiently large for effective presentation of the printed message to a consumer of the contents of such dispenser.

First and second hinge leaves 66 extending downwardly from the lid, through hinge apertures 62. A respective hinge leaf includes a primary leg 68 extending down from primary cover panel 64A and back down panel 64C to a hinge leaf bottom 70, a secondary leg 72 extending upwardly from the hinge leaf bottom, and a “U”-shaped bight 74 between the primary leg and the secondary leg.

Referring to FIG. 2, an upper portion 76 of the primary leg progressively decreases in width from top to bottom; and a lower portion 78 of the primary leg progressively increases in width from top to bottom. While the lid is generally removable, the dimension features of hinge leaves 66 and hinge apertures 62 prevent inadvertent lid removal.

Specifically, the overall width “W2” of the hinge leaf is greater than the length of a respective hinge aperture 62 in receptacle flange 22 such that the lid cannot be simply “lifted off” the receptacle from a normal lid-closed position. Likewise, the distance between the top of the secondary leg and the bottom of the lid is less than the distance between the rear of flange 22 and the rear of apertures 62 such that the lid cannot be simply “lifted off” the receptacle from a normal lid-open position.

Rather, the distance between the top 80 of secondary leg 72 and the bottom frontward edge 82 of primary leg 68 allows the leaf to be removed from aperture 62 at a narrowly-defined angle of opening of the lid, relative to the top of the receptacle, as the lid is being opened, as soon as bottom frontward edge 82 is moved above aperture 62. In the illustrated embodiments, the angle of opening, measured as the angle of rotation from the closed position, when the lid can be removed from the receptacle, is about 45 degrees to about 55 degrees.

A downwardly-sloped groove 84 extends from the top of receptacle flange 22 at the rear of each hinge aperture 62 to the rear of the receptacle flange. The width of groove 84 is configured to receive an edge of the primary leg of the respective hinge leaf 66 when the lid is in, or is approaching, its fully open position. In that fully open position, a lower edge of the primary leg abuts the bottom of the groove and an upper edge of the secondary leg abuts the bottom of receptacle flange 22. As illustrated in FIG. 1, in that fully open position, lid 36, e.g. lid panel 64, defines a sufficiently great, and obtuse angle, with the top of the receptacle, that the lid is held open by gravity.

In another embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the lid can be made such that the lid can be configured to be self-closing, and can be re-configured to remove the self-closing feature whereby the lid can remain open as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the self-closing feature is illustrated as follows. A stop aperture 86 extends through lower portion 78 of primary leg 68 of the hinge leaf 66 generally at the elevation of the top of bight 74. Referring now to FIG. 6, a rubber grommet 88 extends through stop aperture 86 and extends away from aperture 86 far enough to function as a stop, stopping further opening of the lid as the stop abuts the bottom surface of receptacle flange 22 when the lid is raised to a limiting angle whereupon such abutment occurs. In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the limiting angle of the lid relative to the top of the receptacle when such abutment occurs is about 70 degrees. The lid can be configured so that the limiting angle is different from the mentioned 70 degrees by positioning aperture 86 at a different location or by positioning the abutment surface of flange 22 at a lower, or higher, elevation relative to the hinge leaf with the lid closed. In any event, the self-closing feature requires that the stop abut the receptacle flange, and thus stop further opening of the lid, at such location that the position of the lid still activates re-closing of the lid by gravity when the lifting force on the lid is released.

By so stopping the opening of the lid while the lid can still be closed by gravity, the value of the lid, in retaining desirable freshness and moisture in the contained food products, is enhanced while allowing customers, or food service workers, to access the food products in the trays. In addition, keeping the lid closed except when someone is accessing the trays provides a barrier to air-borne particles and/or pathogens which can otherwise contaminate the food product in trays 24.

While the self-closing feature has a number of advantages, there are times when it may be desirable to separate the lid from the receptacle and/or to simply set up the dispenser as in FIG. 1 such that the lid stays open for prolonged periods of time, including when no one is accessing any of the trays. Thus, the lid can be made either self-closing as in FIG. 6, or non-self-closing as in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 represents a lid which is not self-closing and cannot be made self-closing because leaves 66 have no apertures 86. FIG. 2 represents a lid which is not self-closing but can be made self-closing by inserting a grommet in aperture 86. FIG. 6 represents a lid which includes grommet 88 and is thereby self-closing, but which can be made non-self-closing, and thus removable from the receptacle, by removing the grommet.

For the purpose of accessing aperture 86 and/or grommet 88, a hinge access opening 90 is provided in the downwardly-extending portion 22B of each receptacle flange which otherwise covers a respective hinge leaf 66. Such hinge access opening 90 is illustrated in FIG. 6 as a generally half-circle opening in the downwardly-extending portion 22B of the receptacle flange. Opening 90 is sufficiently aligned with stop aperture 86 to enable manipulating a grommet or other stop structure for the purpose of installing or removing the stop.

Managing a supply of such food product dispensers in e.g. a food service operation includes first selecting a dispenser to be used for a particular task. The task, and thus the dispenser, is identified with a particular condiment or other food product to be next placed in the selected dispenser. The user then inspects the hinge leaves of the dispenser to determine whether a hinge stop is present and effective to provide a stopping action for the lid. Upon completion of the inspection, the user then makes a hinge-stop decision, and acts on that decision.

In the situation where a self-closing lid is desired but no stop is in place, the hinge-stop decision is a decision to add a stop e.g. through access opening 90 and stop aperture 86. In the situation where a stay-open lid is desired but a stop is in place in one or both of the leaves, the hinge-stop decision is a decision to remove the stop or stops. In the situation where the existing hinge stop configuration (stop present or not) is consistent with the desired operation of lid 36, the hinge-stop decision is that no action is taken relative to installing or removing any stop.

While the stop structure has been illustrated as a rubber grommet, the stop structure can be any structure which can be removably attached or mounted to the hinge leaf and which effectively abuts flange 22 while the lid is being opened such as for accessing the trays. Similarly, the stop structure need not be mounted in aperture 62. For example, a stop could well be mounted to a hinge leaf such as by a spring-loaded clip, a clasping bracket, or the like. However, in any event, such stop structure extends from a surface of the hinge leaf so as to abut the receptacle flange as the front of the lid is raised.

Lid 36 is illustrated as extending over the entirety of opening 18. In some embodiments, lid 36 extends over less than all of the entirety of opening 18. In some embodiments, cavity 20 is replaced by a plurality of cavities, each having its own opening 18 at the top of the receptacle. In such embodiments, the openings 18 can be all overlaid by a single lid, or each cavity can be overlaid by its own separate lid.

Although the invention has been described with respect to various embodiments, it should be realized this invention is also capable of a wide variety of further and other embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Those skilled in the art will now see that certain modifications can be made to the apparatus and methods herein disclosed with respect to the illustrated embodiments, without departing from the spirit of the instant invention. And while the invention has been described above with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is adapted to numerous rearrangements, modifications, and alterations, and all such arrangements, modifications, and alterations are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.

To the extent the following claims use means plus function language, it is not meant to include there, or in the instant specification, anything not structurally equivalent to what is shown in the embodiments disclosed in the specification.

Claims

1. A hinged-lid food product container, comprising:

(a) a receptacle, said receptacle having a front and a rear, and opposing sides, and comprising (i) a bottom wall, (ii) a plurality of upstanding walls, including opposing side walls, extending upwardly from said bottom wall to tops of the respective said upstanding walls, (iii) a top opening defined inwardly of the tops of respective ones of said upstanding walls, and (iv) receptacle flanges extending outwardly and downwardly from said upstanding walls, respective opposing ones of said receptacle flanges defining outwardly-extending portions and downwardly-extending portions, hinge-receiving apertures being defined in said outwardly-extending portions, said bottom wall and said upstanding walls collectively defining a cavity inside said receptacle, the cavity being accessible through the top opening, said bottom wall having a top facing toward the cavity and a bottom facing away from the cavity;

(b) a lid overlying at least a portion of the cavity,

(c) first and second hinges, including respective first and second hinge leaves, extending down from said lid and through, and thus engaging with, the receptacle flanges at the hinge-receiving apertures; and

(d) a hinge stop engaging the combination of the respective said hinge leaf and the respective said receptacle flange as said lid is opened and thereby providing a self-closing feature to said lid.

2. A hinged-lid container as in claim 1, further comprising a hinge aperture in said downwardly-extending portion of a given said receptacle flange.

3. A hinged-lid condiment container as in claim 1 wherein said hinge stop comprises removable structure which moves with said hinge leaf and thereby engages said outwardly-extending portion of at least one of said receptacle flanges.

4. A hinged-lid condiment container as in claim 1, further comprising a stop mounted to a said hinge leaf, said stop being disposed below the respective said outwardly-extending portion of a respective one of said receptacle flanges when said lid is closed over the respective portion of the opening, and operative to abut said outwardly-extending portion of the respective said receptacle flange when said lid is raised.

5. A hinged-lid container as in claim 4 wherein said stop comprises an insert having a rubber-like material on an engagement surface which abuts said outwardly-extending portion of the respective said receptacle flange when said lid is raised.

6. A hinged-lid container as in claim 1 wherein said hinge stop is mounted on the respective said hinge leaf.

7. A hinged-lid container as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of trays received in the cavity, and the lid self-closing over said trays.

8. A hinged lid container as in claim 1, further comprising one or more trays suspended from said receptacle flanges and extending into the cavity, the cavity having sufficient depth below said one or more trays to accommodate use of frozen chill product beneath the one or more trays without physical interference with placement of said one or more trays into the cavity.

9. A method of managing a supply of condiment dispensers in a food service operation, the method comprising:

(a) selecting, as a such condiment dispenser, a dispenser comprising (i) a receptacle, the receptacle having a front and a rear, and opposing sides, and comprising (A) a bottom wall, (B) a plurality of upstanding walls, including opposing side walls, extending upwardly from the bottom wall, to tops of the respective side walls, (C) a top opening defined inwardly of the tops of respective ones of the upstanding walls, (D) receptacle flanges extending outwardly and downwardly from said upstanding walls, respective opposing ones of said receptacle flanges defining outwardly-extending portions and downwardly-extending portions, hinge-receiving apertures being defined in said outwardly-extending portions, and (E) the bottom wall and the upstanding walls collectively defining a cavity inside the receptacle, the cavity being accessible through the top opening, (ii) a lid overlying at least a portion of the cavity, and (iii) first and second hinges, including respective first and second hinge leaves, extending down from the lid and through, and thus engaging with, the receptacle flanges at the hinge-receiving apertures;

(b) identifying a particular condiment product to be next placed in the selected condiment dispenser, and determining whether the lid should be self-closing or should remain open during use;

(c) inspecting the hinge leaves to determine whether a hinge stop is present and effective to provide a stopping action effective to stop hinge action and thereby make the lid a self-closing lid, or no hinge stop is present whereby the lid can be held in an open configuration by force of gravity;

(d) as a result of the inspection, making a hinge-stop decision regarding whether a hinge stop should be installed on, or removed from, a hinge leaf, or no change should be made, in order for the lid hinging action to comply with the determination regarding whether the lid should be self-closing or should remain open during use; and

(e) acting according to the hinge-stop decision.

10. A method as in claim 9, further comprising a hinge access opening in the downwardly-extending portion of a given such receptacle flange, facilitating inspection of the hinges and facilitating adding or removing such hinge stop.

11. A method as in claim 9, further comprising an aperture in a such hinge leaf, which aperture is below the respective outwardly-extending portion of a respective one of the receptacle flanges when the lid is closed over the respective portion of the opening, the method further comprising inserting a hinge stop in such aperture or removing a hinge stop from such aperture.

12. A method as in claim 9, further comprising providing a plurality of trays in the cavity, and wherein the hinge stop decision comprises providing a self-closing feature to the lid, whereby the lid self-closes over the trays.