FOOD SERVICE HOOD

Abstract

A protective guard for a food service station provides a barrier between the consumable food items and patrons or customers. The protective guard forms a substantially vertical barrier between the patrons and food. A sliding pin and slot assembly provides movement of the protective guard into a series of positions for providing a limited access for accommodating hands and serving utensils such as tongs or forks, but still imposing a physical barrier above the food items. A pair of brackets flanks the protective guard for guided movement between the closed and open positions. Each bracket has slots for receiving pins attached to the protective guard, and the pins slidably engage the slots for guiding the protective guard to predetermined positions defined by terminal branches or detents in the slots. In this manner, the protective guard attains several positions from completely closed, such as for staff assisted serving, to completely open.

Description

BACKGROUND

Cleanliness and contamination prevention are paramount in the food service industry. Commercial food service providers such as restaurants and hotels typically employ stringent guidelines and practices for preventing compromise of edible commodities from outside infection or spoilage. In a common service configuration, such as a cafeteria or buffet setting, food items are often contained and displayed in a table or cart appliance with shallow trays or bins from which individual portions may be distributed, often as patrons or customers pass by the front of the service repositories, typically in a line.

Since many different individuals will approach the front of the food service appliance, food service protective guard are often employed to shield open displays of food and edible items for consumption from dropped or airborne droplets or matter that might otherwise fall on the consumables. Such devices form a canopy, enclosure or hood above the food items in buffet arrangements and food service counters. In the relevant industry, these food service protective guards are colloquially referred to by terms including food guard, sneeze guard, serving shield, breath guard, self-serve display guard and the like.

SUMMARY

A protective guard for a food service station provides a movable planar barrier between the consumable food items and patrons or customers. The protective guard forms a substantially vertical barrier between the patrons and food when the protective guard is in a closed position. A sliding pin and slot assembly provides movement of the protective guard into a series of positions for providing a limited access for accommodating hands and serving utensils such as tongs or forks, but still imposing a physical barrier above the food items. A pair of brackets flanks the protective guard for engaging the protective guard for guided movement between the closed and open positions. Each bracket has slots for receiving pins attached to the protective guard, and the pins slidably engage the slots for guiding the protective guard to predetermined positions defined by terminal branches or detents in the slots. In this manner, the protective guard attains several positions from completely closed, such as for staff assisted serving, to completely open, facilitating self-service of the food commodities.

Configurations herein are based, in part, on the observation that food service hoods, and more particularly, transparent barriers against airborne or propelled particles or droplets are often placed in front of, or above and slightly angled towards, the displayed food items for orienting a barrier between the head or upper torso of a purveying customer and the food trays while the food items remain visible beneath the transparent barrier. Unfortunately, conventional approaches to food service “sneeze guard” barriers suffer from the shortcoming that movement or adjustment of the sneeze guard becomes problematic to balance the shielding of the food items with convenience of access for serving the food items. One particular scenario is shifting between a self-serve context or server assisted approach. In the former, the sneeze guard should be at least partially raised, while in the latter, food is served from behind a closed guard by a food service worker, and the guard remains completely closed for maximum shielding.

Accordingly, configurations herein substantially overcome the shortcomings of conventional sneeze guard barriers by providing an adjustable protective guard with a plurality of intermediate positions between a fully open and fully closed position, and further provides a fully open position with the protective guard completely retracted to an almost horizontal position above the food trays for maximum accessibility. Conventional approaches employ complex arrangements of gears, slides and hinges, for example, while the claimed approach employs a bracket with slots slidably engageable with pins on longitudinal ends of the protective guard for defining a path of travel and intermediate positions of the protective guard. The slots employ continuous runs extending horizontally and vertically, along with short terminal branches with downward oriented closed ends for receiving the pins at gravity secured intermediate positions of the protective guard.

In further detail, a device for a food service appliance as disclosed herein includes a bracket for guiding a protective guard extending adjacent to a food service repository. The brackets are usually in pairs flanking the protective guard, and a plurality of slots on each bracket defines a path of the protective guard, where the path extends between a closed position and an open positions. A plurality of pins extend from the protective guard or a brace attached to the guard, such that each pin of the plurality of pins is engaged with a respective slot of the plurality of slots on the bracket. Each of the slots has a horizontal component, such that the respective pin for each of the slots is disposed in the horizontal component when the protective guard is in the open position. At least one of the slots also has a vertical component for imparting a vertical raising and lowering of the protective guard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a context diagram of the disclosed food service appliance for a movable protective guard covering a food service tray or repository;

FIGS. 2A and 2B show exploded and transparent view of a pair of brackets flanking the protective guard;

FIGS. 3A-3C show the bracket flanking the protective guard for slidable movement based on slots on the bracket;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the protective guard of FIGS. 1-3B in the full food service appliance assembly including sides and a hood for full enclosure;

FIGS. 5A-5C show the appliance of FIG. 4 with the protective guard in the fully open position;

FIGS. 6A-6C show the appliance of FIG. 4 with the protective guard in a mostly open intermediate position;

FIGS. 7A-7C show the appliance of FIG. 4 with the protective guard in a partially open intermediate position; and

FIGS. 8A-8C show the appliance of FIG. 4 with the protective guard in the fully closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description below describes several configurations associated with the approach. The disclosed bracket and slot pattern provides a food service protective guard including a planar glass surface disposed in communication with an optional frame that alternates between a plurality of positions between a closed position, imposing a barrier between the consumable items and purveyors or customers, and an open position allowing access to the consumable food items. The proposed approach implements an arrangement of pins slidably engaged in slots for controlled movement of the protective guard between the plurality of positions. Intermediate positions allow selective access to the consumables as the protective guard extends in an angled position, generally to permit access underneath the protective guard. Typically, this would allow access via a hand from around user waist or counter height, but would dispose the protective guard in interference with a path from the facial region for preventing any droplets or particles from falling on the consumables from the facial region, hence the “sneeze-guard” mnemonic.

The general approach is for positioning a protective guard at positions between horizontal and vertical. When combined adjacent to a horizontal top surface, the entire assembly forms a full hood, or “closed” position when the protective guard is vertical or near vertical, and an “open” position as the protective guard is drawn towards a horizontal orientation. In particular, the disclosed approach benefits from a pin and slot coupling between the protective guard and a bracket or frame supporting the protective guard on the opposed sides of the guard. Conventional approaches, in contrast, include various arrangements of frictional slides, clamps, gears, rotational couplings, and other approaches. Conventional approaches having multiple moving parts increases wear surfaces and a need for lubrication, which can complicate cleanliness in a food service environment. Additional moving parts also increase maintenance concerns. Other approaches include a complex curvature to a slidable slot for guiding a hood or guard, increasing fabrication costs for machining complex shapes.

U.S. Pat. No. 11,684,184 to Hansen (Hansen '184) shows an engageable slot that employs at least two terminal positions as a slot with a vertical run forms a 180° or greater turn defining the terminal positions. Hansen '184 also employs an upper slot that slopes downward from horizontal during travel from the frontmost position to the rearmost. The Hansen '184 position describes this downward slant as providing a counterweighting to pull the protective guard open as the weight of the protective guard favors downward travel.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,723, to Matus, Jr. (Matus '723) has a food service guard guided by single slot with curved portion following a radial path, optionally with recessions for intermediate positions. The radial portion of the slot joins with a vertical straight run, forming an inversion for pin travel. There does not appear to be a disclosure of horizontal and vertical components for orienting the pins along distinct horizontal and vertical positions. Further, Matus '723 orients the pins in a fixed orientation on a frame or post, while the slots are attached to the food service guard for travel across the stationary pins. There is only a single slot, and there is not an “L” horizontal/vertical portion as in the proposed approach.

The disclosed approach allows no fewer than four positions of the food service protective guard, achieved by only a set of slots and corresponding pins slidably engaging a respective slot. In contrast to conventional approaches, the slots include a slot with both a horizontal and a vertical component, forming an “L” shape, as well as a slot with a generally horizontal run. The horizontal slot is oriented above the horizontal/vertical “L” shaped slot, where the horizontal portion of the “L” shaped slot runs parallel to and below the horizontal slot. The result is a protective guard for a food service counter that achieves a fully closed position defined by a vertical orientation of the protective guard, a fully open position where the protective guard is retracted to substantially (within 5°) of horizontal, and two intermediate positions designated by approximately half (50%) open and 90% open positions, based on a height of a lower edge of the protective guard, as now shown and disclosed below.

FIG. 1 is a context diagram of the disclosed food service appliance 100 for a movable protective guard 120 for covering a food service tray or repository 102 on a cart 106 or rolling station. The protective guard 120 extends along a front side 104 of the appliance where a customer or patron 112 may approach the appliance 100.

The full assembly may often include a hood 110 defined by a stationary planar surface disposed above the food service repository and having a forward edge aligned at or near the front of the food service appliance. The protective guard 120 is disposed for having a rearward edge adjacent the forward edge of the hood in the closed position when the guard 120 is vertical, and the protective guard 120 aligned parallel to the hood 110 in the open position.

The protective guard 120 occupies one of a plurality of positions depending on an access region 124 beneath the protective guard 120 in front of the food repository 102 from the patron 112. A food service worker 114 may occupy a server side for serving/handing food items from the repository 102, typically across a horizontal hood 110 or surface extending lengthwise adjacent the protective guard. The protective guard 120 engages a bracket 150 on each side of the protective guard 120 for raising and lowering the protective guard 120, discussed further below. The opposed brackets 150-N each have slots for slidably receiving pins which guide the protective guard 120 on a path between open and closed positions.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show exploded and transparent view of a pair of brackets flanking the protective guard 120. Referring to FIGS. 1-2B, in a particular configuration, the appliance 100 includes a pair of opposed brackets 150-1 . . . 150-2 (150 generally) supporting the protective guard 120. A set of pins 162-1 . . . 162-2 (162 generally) extend from the protective guard 120, often from intermediate braces 160-1 . . . 160-2 (160 generally) secured to the protective guard via apertures 164 and appropriate fasteners. Each pin 162 engages a corresponding slot 152; in the example shown, the lowermost pin 162-1 slidably engages slot 152-1, and uppermost pin 162-2 slidably engages uppermost slot 152-2 having only a horizontal component. Both a framed and frameless configuration may be provided, depending on structural members and/or glass connecting the opposed brackets 150 and attachments to the cart 106. Any suitable approach that adequately supports the brackets 150, and in turn the protective guard 120, is acceptable.

In a general configuration, the food service appliance 100 incorporates the bracket 150 for guiding the protective guard 120 extending adjacent to a food service repository 102, usually forming a hood or canopy above the edibles for shielding and protecting the edible material. A plurality of slots 152 on the bracket 150 define a path 170 of the protective guard 120 for extending between a closed position and an open position by engaging respective pins 162 extending from the protective guard 120. Each pin 162 of the plurality of pins is engaged with a respective slot 152. The slots include horizontal 252 and vertical components that alter the height and angle of the protective guard 120 as the pins 162 follow the path defined by the slots 152. Each of the slots 152 has a horizontal component 252-1 . . . 252-2 (252 generally), where the respective pin 162 for each of the slots 152 is disposed in the horizontal component when the protective guard 120 is in the open position, marked by a rearward position of the rearmost pin 162; the closed position renders the protective guard 120 in a vertical orientation as the pins 162 occupy a forward-most position in the respective slots 152. The lowermost slot 152-1 has both a horizontal 252-1 component and a vertical component, forming an inverted “L” appearance.

Returning to FIG. 1, the protective guard 120 attains intermediate, fixed angled positions 125. FIGS. 3A-3C show the bracket 150 flanking the protective guard for slidable movement based on slots on the bracket. Referring to FIGS. 1-3B, the bracket 150 includes a plurality of slots 152; in the example configuration, slots 152-1 . . . 152-2 (152 generally) define a slidable path for receiving the pins 162.

The brackets 150 provide for at least one intermediate position 125 in the path of the protective guard 120 between open and closed. Intermediate positions are defined by a branch 155-2 . . . 155-3 (155 generally) of the respective slot 152. As the pins 162 slidably traverse the slot 152, the branch 155 allows a deviation to intermediate position 125. Each branch also leads to a terminus, 225-1 . . . 225-4 (225 generally) in slot 152-1, corresponding to the respective intermediate positions 125, and a terminus 235 in slot 152-2 corresponding to the fully closed position. Each terminus 225, 235 functions as a detent for securing the protective guard 120 at a particular position.

FIG. 3C shows the protective guard 120 at particular positions 125-1 . . . 125-4 (125 generally) along with pin 162 positions in the termini 225, 235 for the respective position. Referring to FIGS. 1-3B, in assembled operation, the protective guard 120 engages a pair of opposed brackets 150-1 . . . 150-2, and the protective guard 120 is disposed between the opposed brackets while the pins 162 extend from each of opposed sides 151-1 . . . 151-2 (151 generally) of the protective guard 120. It should be apparent that the opposed brackets 150-N define reverse (mirror image) slot patterns for uniformly guiding the protective guard 120. It should be further apparent that, in the disclosed example, each opposed side 151 of the protective guard 120 is guided by two pins 162-1 . . . 162-2, where the relative orientation of the respective pins 162 define the angle of the protective guard 120. FIG. 3C shows an example side elevation as the protective guard 120 extends longitudinally and the plurality of pins 162 each extend into the respective slot 152 in an axial direction aligned with the longitudinal dimension of the protective guard 120, also parallel to an axis of the round pins 162. In FIG. 3C, pin 162-1 (lower) engages slot 152-1 and pin 162-2 (upper) engages slot 152-2.

The closed position 125-1 disposes the protective guard 120 between a front side 104 of the food service appliance 100 and the food service repository 102, such that the protective guard 120 is in a substantially vertical position thereby preventing access to the food service repository 102 from the front side 104, a helpful boundary in a food service setting. In the closed position 125-1, pin 162-1 is engaged in terminus 225-1 at a lowermost extent of the slot 152-1 at position 162-1-1. As the pins 162 extend from fixed-length intermediate braces 160, this draws upper pin 162-2 into the terminus 235 of the forwardmost position of slot 152-2, and positions the protective guard 120 in a substantially vertical and closed orientation with pin 162-2 in position 162-2-1.

As the protective guard is raised to a first intermediate position 125-2, pin 162-1 slides into terminus 225-2, via branch 155-2 at position 162-2-1; simultaneously, pin 162-2 slides rearward in slot 152-2 to position 162-2-2. The protective guard 120 is now at around a 35° angle below horizontal, depicted by opening 124.

Attaining a second intermediate position, with the protective guard 120 at position 125-3 involves pin 162-1 attaining position 162-1-3, via branch 155-3 at terminus 225-3, at an approximately 8° from horizontal position. Pin 162-2 slides rearward in slot 152-2 to position 162-2-3. To attain the fully open position 125-4, pin 162-1 travels in the horizontal portion 252-1 to terminus 225-4 at pin position 162-1-4, at the fully rearward position. Pin 162-2 also travels rearward, to position 162-2-4 in a respective rearward terminus of slot 152-2, where the protective guard 120 is fully open and falls just short of horizontal due to a height difference between the horizontal portions 252-1 . . . 252-2, at around 4° from horizontal.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the protective guard of FIGS. 1-3B in the full food service appliance assembly including sides and a hood 110 for full enclosure. A full containment 140 assembly includes a frame 132-1 . . . 132-2 (132 generally) supporting a hood 110 surface along with the brackets 150. The frame 132 and hood 110 have a length and height aligned with the protective guard 120 to align with the hood and frame forming a complete enclosure around the food repository 102 when closed. The frame 132 is generally mounted or disposed on the cart 106 to define a full food service station. A frameless configuration may also be provided where the hood 110, sides 130 and bracket 150 provide the appropriate structural integrity for secure movement of the protective guard 120.

FIGS. 5A-5C show the appliance of FIG. 4 with the protective guard 120 in the fully open position 125-4. FIG. 5A shows a transparent view where the protective guard 120 in position 125-4, such that a frontmost edge 121 of the protective guard 120 aligns with a frontmost edge 111 of the hood 110 as the intermediate braces 160 and corresponding pins 162 are in a rearmost terminus 162-1-4, 162-2-4. FIG. 5B shows a side elevation looking at side 130-2, and FIG. 5C shows a perspective view of the open position 125-1. The open position 125-4 disposes the protective guard 120 in a substantially horizontal position and vertically above the food service repository 102, whereby the open position allows unimpeded access to the food service repository 102 from the front side 104 of the food service appliance, such as in an active buffet setting.

It will be apparent that the slidable arrangement of pins 162 engaged in the respective slots 152 achieves different orientations of the protective guard 120 between open and closed, depicting two intermediate positions herein, however additional intermediate positions may be provided by fabricating additional branches 155 and termini 225 in the slots. It will be further apparent that the brackets 150 are similar opposed (mirror) images to provide complementary movement of the pins 162 such that a plane of the protective guard 120 remains normal to the planes defined by the frame 132 and sides 130. Conventional approaches generally do not exhibit slots allowing for the range of positions 124-1 . . . 125-4 ranging from full closed to fully open where the protective guard is substantially horizontal or at a slight lower angle from horizontal towards the front. In a general configuration, the brackets 150 provide a plurality of slots 152, including a first slot 152-1 having the horizontal component 252-1 and a vertical component 254, and at least one branch 155 slot extending from the vertical component 254 of the first slot for guiding the lower pin 162-1. A second slot 152-2 has only a horizontal component 252-2, which runs parallel or aligned adjacent to the generally horizontal component 252-1 of the first slot 152-1. The second slot 152-2 may have a slight downward travel at the forward terminus 235 for providing gravitational fixation from the weight of the protective guard 120 and to allow the protective guard 120 to attain (“bottom out”) the food service surface in front of the repository 102. The second slot 152-2 has this slight vertical stub to terminus 235 extending from a proximal, forward most end and is aligned with a closed position 125-1 of the protective guard 120. The downward jog or run leading to the forward terminus 235 is generally shorter in length than 1 or 2 widths of the slot 152, and corresponds in size to the branch 155 termini 225.

The remaining figures in 6A-6C, 7A-7C and 8A-8C show successive positions of the protective guard 120 incrementally progressing to full closure at position 125-1. The intermediate positions 125-2, 125-3 each correspond to a partial opening of an access region to the food service repository 102 from the front side 104, where the partial opening is based on an elevation of a lower edge above the position of the lower edge in the closed position with zero clearance. From full closure at 125-1, partially open position 125-2 renders the protective guard 120 at 35° sloping down from horizontal (from the customer side), and the lower edge of the protective guard 121 at around half height. The mostly open position 125-3 has the protective guard sloping at around 8° from horizontal with about 90% of available vertical height. The full open position disposes the protective guard at only a 4° angle, as all pins 162 are in a horizontal portion of their respective slots 152 so the only height difference is the vertical separation between the parallel horizontal sections.

In each position 125, the pins 162 engage with a terminus from a branch or at the terminal open and closed positions. The plurality of slots 152 define a slidable communication path of each pin 162 of the plurality of pins for guiding the protective guard 120 between the closed position, the open position and the intermediate positions, where each intermediate position is defined by a respective branch 155 in the slot. During transition between the positions, the pins 162 slidably traverse the slots 152, typically from manual guidance but may be actuated in certain configurations. Pins 162 are retained by a pair of the opposed brackets 150 that maintain a fixed width of the protective guard 120 and pins 162 for ensuring symmetrical travel of the opposed pins-typically two on each side of the protective guard 120.

FIGS. 6A-6C show the appliance of FIG. 4 with the protective guard in a mostly open intermediate position 125-3. Lowermost pins 162-1 attain terminus 225-3 via branch 155-3 to obtain position 125-3. Referring to FIGS. 2A-6C, the front edge 121 of the protective guard 120 extends forward of the top hood 110 and generally aligned with a forward point 131 of the sides 130.

FIGS. 7A-7C show the appliance of FIG. 4 with the protective guard in a partially open position. Referring to FIGS. 2A-7C, the protective guard 120 attains position 125-2 when the lowermost pins 162-1 attain terminus 225-2 via branch 155-2.

FIGS. 8A-8C show the appliance of FIG. 4 with the protective guard in the fully closed position. In this position, pins 162 engage in the corresponding terminus 225-1, 235 for rendering the protective guard in full closed position 125-1.

Alternative configurations may employ different increments and numbers of intermediate positions by adding branches 155 and terminus 225 ends to the slots 152, and may vary the angle of the positions 125 by adjusting the locations and distance between the pins 162-N.

While the system and methods defined herein have been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A food service appliance device, comprising:

a bracket for guiding a protective guard, the protective guard extending adjacent to a food service repository;

a plurality of slots on the bracket for defining a path of the protective guard, the path extending between a closed position and an open position; and

a plurality of pins extending from the protective guard, each pin of the plurality of pins engaged with a respective slot of the plurality of slots,

each of the slots having a horizontal component, the respective pin for each of the slots disposed in the horizontal component when the protective guard is in the open position.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one intermediate position in the path of the protective guard, the intermediate position defined by a branch of the respective slot, the branch leading to a terminus.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of intermediate positions in at least one slot of the plurality of slots, each intermediate position of the intermediate positions defined by a branch of the respective slot, the branch leading to a terminus.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the bracket further comprises a pair of opposed brackets, the protective guard disposed between the opposed brackets, the plurality of pins extending from each of opposed ends of the protective guard.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the protective guard extends longitudinally and the plurality of pins each extend into the respective slot in an axial direction aligned with the longitudinal dimension.

6. The device of claim 3, further comprising a frame, the frame connecting a pair of the brackets, the plurality of brackets disposed at opposed sides of the protective guard, a longitudinal side of the protective guard running between the pair of brackets, the frame including a planar surface connecting the opposed brackets.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of slots further comprises:

a first slot, the first slot having the horizontal component and a vertical component;

at least one branch slot extending from the vertical component of the first slot and

a second slot, the horizontal component of the second slot aligned adjacent to the horizontal component of the first slot.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the horizontal component of the second slot extends parallel to the horizontal component of the first slot.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the second slot has a vertical stub, the vertical stub extending from a proximal end and aligned with a closed position of the protective guard.

10. The device of claim 2 wherein the plurality of slots define a slidable communication path of each pin of the plurality of pins for guiding the protective guard between a plurality of positions, the plurality of positions including the closed position, the open position, and a plurality of the intermediate positions, each intermediate position of the plurality of intermediate positions defined by a respective branch in the slot.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the closed position disposes the protective guard between a front side of the food service appliance and the food service repository, the protective guard in a substantially vertical position thereby preventing access to the food service repository from the front side.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the open position disposes the protective guard in a substantially horizontal position and vertically above the food service repository, whereby the open position allows unimpeded access to the food service repository from a front side of the food service appliance.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein the plurality of intermediate positions each correspond to a partial opening of an access region to the food service repository from the front side, the partial opening based on an elevation of a lower edge above the position of the lower edge in the closed position.

14. The device of claim 11 further comprising a hood, the hood defined by a stationary planar surface disposed above the food service repository and having a forward edge aligned with the front of the food service appliance, the protective guard disposed for having a rearward edge adjacent the forward edge of the hood in the closed position, and the protective guard aligned parallel to the hood in the open position.

15. A method for directing a protective guard supported by brackets on a food service appliance device, comprising:

securing a pair of brackets for guiding a protective guard extending adjacent to a food service repository, each bracket having a plurality of slots;

attaching a plurality of pins extending from the protective guard, each pin of the plurality of pins adapted for engagement with a respective slot of the plurality of slots;

engaging the protective guard with the plurality of slots on each respective bracket of the pair of brackets for defining a path of the protective guard, the path extending between a closed position and an open position,

each of the slots having a horizontal component, the respective pin for each of the slots disposed in the horizontal component when the protective guard is in the open position.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of slots further comprises:

a first slot, the first slot having the horizontal component and a vertical component;

at least one branch slot extending from the vertical component of the first slot and

a second slot, the horizontal component of the second slot aligned adjacent to the horizontal component of the first slot.