Table Pan and Pan Divider for Countertop
In a table pan counter, each counter is intended to hold discreet table pans. At least one of said table pans includes an essentially flat solid substantially rectilinear geometry having a major axis and a minor axis, an open top, and walls having major and minor axis-parallel interior and exterior surfaces, a pan having edges proportioned for conformal engagement with void spaces within the counter tops, each interior major surface of each pan provided with equidistantly spaced pairs of opposing channels within opposing respective major interior surfaces. Further provided are major axis separators having vertical side edges proportioned for complemental engagement within opposing channels within respective major interior surfaces. Food servings of like size and geometry are assured by the provision of the separators. Separators may also be provided along the minor axis of the pan, and may be formed of either wire-like or flat integral materials.
A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a food portion size defining system for use with table pans and counters of a type employed in cafeterias and institutional establishments.
B. Prior Art
The serving of food portions of like size in settings such as cafeterias, whether in a private or public context, has proven to be challenging for food service administrations. The prior art in this area is represented in the drawings of
In addition to the prior art shown in
Some efforts have appeared in the prior art to produce serving trays or the like in which the size of a food portion may be predetermined. Such efforts appear in U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,718 (1998) to Tenner, entitled Food Portion Inventory Device With Imprinted Predetermined Date Indicia; and U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2010/0326250 (2010) to Parr, entitled Container For Producing Predetermined Food Portion. The primary application of Parr is in the area of baking or bakeware and does not provide a convenient system for separation of food within table pans of the type used in cafeterias and the like into definable food portions in a practical fashion.
Further, none of the prior art teaches a combination of a serving spoon particularly configured to optimize serving of the food portion to a defined size in combination with a table pan which has been so adapted.
The present invention therefore addresses the above long felt need in the art for a food portion size defining system having particular utility with table pans and counters of the type employed in cafeterias as well as public and private establishments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn a table pan counter or counter top employed by a restaurant or institutional establishment, each counter or counter top is intended to hold a plurality of discreet table pans. At least one of said table pans comprises: an essentially flat solid substantially rectilinear geometry having a major axis and a minor axis, an open top, and walls having major and minor axis-parallel interior and exterior surfaces, said at least one pan having edges proportioned for conformal engagement with void spaces within said counters or counter tops, each interior major surface of said pan provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced pairs of opposing channels within opposing respective major interior surfaces of said walls; and a plurality of major axis separators, vertical side edges thereof proportioned for complemental engagement within said opposing channels within said respective major interior surfaces, in which food servings of like sizes and geometry are assured by the provision of said separators, the position thereof defined by each pairs of opposing channels. Each table pan may also be separated along its minor axis.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved standard table pan used in cafeterias, restaurants and institutional establishments to provide to the server the ability to divide food portions into equal quantities, thereby alleviating from restaurant employees the requirement to self-judge the amount of food to serve to a given customer.
It is another object to provide a table pan for use with a counter top of the type employed in cafeterias, restaurants and the like which assures that neither too much nor too little food of a give portion will be served to a customer.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system of the above type in which a chef can prepare large quantity or batch of food and divide the servings equally in accordance with whatever size is appropriate to the customer type, for example, a child (as in the case of a school setting) versus an adult portion, while allowing gravy, sauces, liquids and the like to freely flow between dividers which separate the defined food portions, as is the case with dishes such as beef stew.
The above and yet other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention and Claims appended herewith.
With reference to the views of
Within said counter top are typically disposed a plurality of discrete table pan 14, this as may be noted in
As may be appreciated from the view of
As may be noted he views of
Shown in
In a preferred embodiment, front surface 36 of each pan 14 will typically be rounded at lower area 38 (see
It is to be noted that said separators 40 and 42 are preferably formed of a plurality of parallel wire-like elements 46 in the case of major axis separator 42. It should be further noted that minor axis separator 40 is provided with vertical linear ends 48 which complementally engage said channel pairs 32 of pan 14 while major axis separators 42 are provided with a linear rear edge 50 and a front edge 52 which is generally parallel with rear edge 50, with the exception of the lower right curve portion 54 thereof which is generally conformal in geometry to front rear portion 36 of the serving pan. Edges 50 and 52 of major axis separators 42 therefore fit complentally within opposing channel pairs 30 within the interior surface of each pan. It is to be noted that the separators 40 and 42 when assembled in the fashion shown in
A representative geometry of channels 30 is shown in the cross-sectional view of Line 7-7 of
With reference to
In a further embodiment, either or both separators may comprise flat integral panels, as opposed to a wire-like surface. That is, integral separators may be used interchangeably with wire-like separators, as may be indicated by the type of food served.
While there has been shown and described above the preferred embodiment of the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and described and that, within said embodiment, certain changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlying ideas or principles of this invention as set forth in the Claims appended herewith.
Claims
1. In a table pan counter or counter top employed by an institutional establishment, each counter or counter top intended to hold a plurality of discreet table pans, at least one of said table pans comprising:
- (a) an essentially flat solid substantially rectilinear geometry having a major axis and a minor axis, an open top, and walls having major and minor axis-parallel interior and exterior surfaces, said one pan having edges proportioned for conformal engagement with void spaces within said counters or counter tops, each interior major surface of said pan provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced pairs of opposing channels within opposing respective major interior surfaces; and
- (b) a plurality of major axis separators, vertical side edges thereof proportioned for complemental engagement within said opposing channels within said respective major interior surfaces,
- whereby food servings of like size and geometry are assured by the provision of said separators, the position thereof defined by each pairs of opposing channels.
2. The table pan as recited in claim 1, in which said solid rectilinear geometry further includes:
- at least one pair of opposing channels within said respective minor interior surfaces of said pan; and
- at least one minor axis separator having vertical edges thereof proportioned for complemental engagement with said ridges in opposing minor interior surfaces of said pan,
- whereby food servings of like size and geometry are assured by the provision of said separators.
3. The table pan as recited in claim 1, in which each of said separators comprise a plurality of wire-like elements.
4. The pan as recited in claim 3, in which each at least one pair of wire-like separators defines a plurality of pairs of wire-like elements in which each element is substantially parallel with each other element.
5. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which said separators comprise flat integral surfaces.
6. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which said major axis separators comprise a wire-like structure and said minor axis separators comprise flat integral surfaces.
7. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which said minor axis separators comprise a wire-like structure and said major axis separators comprise integral surfaces.
8. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which a forward facing major surface of said pan defines a curved surface substantially complemental in curvature to that of a lower surface of serving spoon proportioned for use with said table pan and generally proportioned in size to a portion of food to be served by compartments of said table pan defined by said pluralities of separators.
9. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which a forward facing major surface of said pan defines a curved surface substantially complemental in curvature to that of a lower surface of serving spoon proportioned for use with said table pan and generally proportioned in size to a portion of food to be served by compartments of said table pan defined by said pluralities of separators.
10. The pan as recited in claim 2, in which each at least one pair of wire-like separators defines a plurality of pairs of wire-like elements in which each element is substantially parallel with each other element.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 12, 2011
Publication Date: Apr 18, 2013
Inventors: Michelle D. McFarlane (Port Charlotte, FL), Donald W. McNeil (Port Charlotte, FL)
Application Number: 13/271,748