Pan support apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788652-B2
Application number	US-201514822215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2015
Priority date	Aug 8, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

Pan support apparatus, systems, and methods. A pan support system includes a pan support having a pan storage space sized for receiving at least a portion of a pan. The pan support includes at least one slide surface for slidably receiving and supporting the pan in the pan storage space. A cover for covering an open top of the pan is selectively receivable in and removable from the pan storage space. A retainer retains the cover in the pan storage space. A pan storage module including a pan support is releasably mountable at a plurality of elevations on a frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pan support system for supporting at least one open top pan having a rim adjacent the open top, the system comprising
a pan support having left and right sides, a pan storage space between the left and right sides sized for receiving at least a portion of the pan, and a front opening sized to permit the at least one pan to be inserted in the pan storage space from the front opening, the pan support including left and right slide surfaces constructed for slidably receiving and supporting respective left and right rim portions of the pan in the pan storage space, the pan support being free of support structure positioned to engage a bottom of the pan for supporting the bottom of the pan in the pan storage space,
a cover for covering the open top of the pan, the cover having a front end, a rear end, and left and right sides, the cover being selectively receivable in and removable from the pan storage space from the front opening, the cover being constructed to permit the pan to be slidably received under the cover in the pan storage space, the cover being constructed to rest on a portion of the pan rim on a forward half of the pan and rest on another portion of the pan rim on a rearward half of the pan,
wherein the pan support includes at least one retainer constructed for retaining the cover in the pan storage space,
wherein the cover includes at least one retainer engagement surface constructed to engage the at least one retainer to retain the cover in the pan storage space when the cover is in the pan storage space with the pan; and
wherein at least one of the following:
a) the cover includes a main body and at least one protrusion extending upward and having the at least one retainer engagement surface, the cover being removable from the pan storage space without moving the retainer engagement surface with respect to the main body;
b) the cover includes a pan covering section for covering the open top of the pan, the pan covering section including a front end and a rear end, the cover including a prop extending downward on a rear half of the cover, the prop being constructed for supporting the rear end of the pan covering section higher than the front end of the pan covering section when the cover is in the pan storage space without the pan;
c) the left and right slide surfaces and the cover are configured such that the cover rests on the left and right slide surfaces adjacent the front end of the cover when the cover is received in the pan storage space without the pan; or
d) the pan is configured to maintain a horizontal orientation when sliding on the left and right slide surfaces, the cover has a midpoint halfway between the front and rear ends of the cover, and the pan support is configured to contact to vertically support a rearward portion of the pan rearward from the midpoint of the cover when the cover and pan are received in the pan storage space.

2. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover includes the main body and the at least one protrusion extending upward and having the at least one retainer engagement surface, the cover being removable from the pan storage space without moving the retainer engagement surface with respect to the main body.

3. A pan support system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the at least one retainer comprises at least one opening constructed for receiving the at least one protrusion for retaining the cover in the pan storage space.

4. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the pan support includes at least one stop at a rear end of the pan storage space for preventing the pan from exiting the rear of the pan storage space.

5. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer is fixed in position on the pan support.

6. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover and pan support are configured such that the cover rests on at least one of the left and right slide surfaces when the cover is in the pan storage space without the pan, and the cover is spaced above the at least one of the left and right slide surfaces when the cover is in the pan storage space covering the open top of the pan.

7. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover includes the pan covering section for covering the open top of the pan, the pan covering section including the front end and the rear end, the cover including the prop extending downward on the rear half of the cover, the prop being constructed for supporting the rear end of the pan covering section higher than the front end of the pan covering section when the cover is in the pan storage space without the pan.

8. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover and pan support are configured to require removal of the pan from the pan storage space before permitting removal of the cover from the pan storage space.

9. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover includes a bottom surface, and the retainer engagement surface is immovable with respect to the bottom surface.

10. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the left and right slide surfaces and the cover are configured such that the cover rests on the left and right slide surfaces adjacent the front end of the cover when the cover is received in the pan storage space without the pan.

11. A pan support system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the pan is configured to maintain the horizontal orientation when sliding on the left and right slide surfaces, the cover has the midpoint halfway between the front and rear ends of the cover, and the pan support is configured to contact to vertically support the rearward portion of the pan rearward from the midpoint of the cover when the cover and pan are received in the pan storage space.

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

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the at least one retainer is fixed in position on the pan support.

14.

Assignees

• Duke Mfg Co

Inventors

• Greer Franklin D

Classifications

• A47B75/00

  Fruit or potato storage cabinets, racks or trays for domestic use · CPC title

• A47B77/02 Primary

  General layout, e.g. relative arrangement of compartments, working surface or surfaces, supports for apparatus (A47B77/08 takes precedence {; combinable furniture units A47B87/00}) · CPC title

• A47B2210/08

  Covers or lids for sliding drawers · CPC title

• A47B31/00

  Service or tea tables, trolleys, or wagons ({serving trays A47G23/06}; features relating to running gear or to movement by hand B62B) · CPC title

• A47B57/08

  consisting of grooved or notched ledges, uprights or side walls {(A47B57/265 takes precedence)} · CPC title