US20080000398A1

US20080000398A1 - Food Table Cover

Info

Publication number: US20080000398A1
Application number: US11/428,474
Authority: US
Inventors: Victor Barkley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-03
Filing date: 2006-07-03
Publication date: 2008-01-03

Abstract

A food table cover comprises a pair of end plates interconnected by a pair of end rails and a curved roof. The spaces between the edges of the roof and the end rails are normally closed by a pair of curved door which can be lifted to gain access to food under the cover. The major components are preferably transparent plastic or have screen panels, so that one can see the food without having to open the doors. A pair of dovetail elements may be included, one at either end of the cover, to enable a series of covers to be linked together on a table surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a food table cover.
When serving foods such as potato salad, sandwiches, or cold foods, in an outdoor setting, flying insects often land on the food creating a health hazard as well as an unsightly nuisance.
In recent years, outdoor and offsite picnic entertainment has increased substantially and due to this increase, the need to provide efficient food coverage while outdoors has also increased. At an outdoor picnic function, food is often placed on tables and served from open containers. As long as the food is left uncovered on picnic tables, it is exposed to insects and other sources of contamination. Thus it would be advantageous to provide a sturdy covering which would allow people to access the picnic food, while protecting the food from insects and other contaminates.
In transporting such gear to the offsite locations, available space is often limited and therefore items should be able to be stowed away in a small space. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a food cover which, while capable of protecting a large table area, could be collapsed to a small volume for storage and transportation. With the table cover inventions proposed in the past that were light weight or small sized, the food items inside could only be accessed by one or two persons at the same time or the entire food cover had to be lifted off of the food items thereby exposing the food to the outside elements. Prior inventors never proposed an invention that would be very light weight and yet allow the food items inside to be accessed by several people at the same time and large enough to fit over most of the entire serving area of the table surface. Additionally, prior large sized food cover inventions could not be transported from place to place with ease or in a small space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide an improved cover for protecting food on a table surface, which protects the food from pests and weather, while allowing ready access to the food when desired.
These and other objects are attained by a food table cover which, as described below, provides a large enclosure that covers multiple food items and keeps insects and other outdoor contaminants at bay.
One version of the table cover can be completely disassembled and reassembled in minutes for easy transport and storage. It has suction devices enabling it to adhere to almost any surface so as not to blow away during times of high winds, and magnetically latched doors which enable food items to be accessed without danger of the doors pinching hands or fingers.
The inventive cover is large enough to allow multiple food items to be accessed by several people at the same time from doors located on both the front and back sides of the table cover. One version of the cover can be completely disassembled and reassembled in minutes with only a small screwdriver.
Unlike food covers that cover one or two items at a time, this invention can cover multiple food items that could be served in a buffet type setting. Several people can access the food inside the covering at the same time, inasmuch as the cover has two large openings, one on either side, sized to allow ample room for people to reach inside in order to remove or restock food items with ease.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food table cover embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an end view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention, from above; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view thereof, from below.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A food table cover embodying the invention is assembled from a pair of end plates 10, 12 which are interconnected by a pair of side rails 14, 16 and a curved roof 18 that extends to either side of a center plane of the cover, approximately half way to the side rails. The gaps “G” between the cover and the side rails may be closed by curved doors 20, only one of which is visible in FIG. 1. The rear door is visible in FIG. 4.
The doors pivot at hinge points 22, only one of which is visible in FIG. 1. A handle 24 attached to the lower edge of each door not only provides means for lifting the door, but also acts as a stop fixing the closed position of the door. The weight of each door is sufficient to keep the door closed, normally, and in most cases no counterweighting or spring biasing should be necessary. The invention does not exclude additional components, however.
A handle 26 is attached to the roof 18, at its center, so that one can lift the entire assembly.
Two parallel dovetail elements 28, 30 are attached to the end plates 10 and 12 respectively. Each dovetail element extends vertically in the center plane of the cover. The male dovetail element 30 is shaped to have a sliding fit within the groove of the female dovetail element 28. It cannot be pulled out of the groove in the lateral direction.
The end plates, side rails and roof are preferably joined together by screws 32 as illustrated, but alternative means of assembly, such as adhesives, are possible. The dovetail elements likewise can be secured to the end plates by various suitable devices.
The bottom of the assembly is open, so that the cover can be placed over items already on a table surface.
The interfitting dovetail elements enable one to place a series of cover assemblies on a surface, securely interconnected by the dovetail elements, simply by lowering each subsequent cover onto the table next to a previously placed cover, taking care to engage the respective dovetail members.
The end plates, roof, side rails and doors are preferably all made of a transparent plastic material such as polycarbonate, but various other materials, clear, translucent or opaque, might be used. The choice of material is a matter of preference and design choice.
In an alternative form, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the food cover is made of screen panels rather than transparent plastic. As in the first embodiment, there are end plates 110, 112, but they have screened openings through which one can see items inside the device. The panels are illustrated simply by parallel lines, so as not to be confusing, but in fact the material is window screen-like material having crossing wires or fibers. The screens panels may be secured to an inner surface of the supporting metal components by adhesive and/or by suitable retainers, not shown, inasmuch as the details may vary and are within the skill of a person of ordinary skill.
The top or roof 118 of the device includes a screen panel 119, and the doors 120 have screened panels 121 so that one can see the food items without having first to raise a door.
The end plates 110, 112 could be stamped parts having an L-section at their periphery, but preferably each is assembled by the end user from a semicircular or D-shaped piece of sheet metal 115 and a straight strip 117, which is easily bent during assembly around the outer radius of the piece 115. The advantage of the latter design is that all the pieces are flat, minimizing packaging and shipping costs. The parts may be interconnected by suitable fasteners, not shown.
The end plates are interconnected by the side rails 114, 116 and by a pair of intermediate rails 114′, 116′.
Straight strips 117′ are installed at intervals between the two ends, to reinforce the structure. The strips may be attached 117′ are attached at their ends to the side rails 114, 116, and at intermediate points to the top rails 114′, 116′.
The doors 120 of the alternative embodiment are made of sheet metal, and have intermediate bars 123, visible in FIG. 6, which provide each door with three large apertures. The apertures are covered on the inside with a single piece of screen 125.
FIG. 6 shows the alternative embodiment from below, revealing two rows of suction cups 130 intended to adhere to a table top so as to prevent the cover from blowing away or being inadvertently moved. The suction cups 130 are mounted on braces 132 which in turn are connected to the end plates 110, 112.
The cover assembly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 has a substantial length, so one per table may be sufficient; however, dovetail elements such as those described previously may be added to provide interconnectability between units.
Since the invention is subject to modifications and variations, it is intended that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as only illustrative of the invention defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A food table cover comprising:

a pair of end plates interconnected by a pair of side rails and a curved roof a pair of curved doors pivotally connected to the end plates, for closing the spaces between the side rails and the roof, each of said doors being movably from a lower position in which said space is occupied by the door to a raised position in which the space is open, and

a pair of complementary dovetail elements, one at either end of the cover, for enabling a series of said covers to be linked together on a table surface.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein each of said end plates, said end rails, and said curved doors is made of a transparent plastic material.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein each of said dovetail elements is connected to a respective end plate and extends in a vertical center plane of the cover.

4. The invention of claim 1, further comprising a handle connected substantially at the center of the roof, to facilitate carrying of the cover.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein each of said doors has a handle by which the door can be raised, said handle also serving as a stop when it contacts a respective side rail in the lower position of the door.

6. The invention of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of suction cups attached to each of said end plates, to secure the cover to a table top.

7. A food table cover comprising

a pair of end plates interconnected by a pair of side rails and a curved roof and

a pair of curved doors pivotally connected to the end plates, for closing the spaces between the side rails and the roof, each of said doors being movably from a lower position in which said space is occupied by the door to a raised position in which the space is open,

wherein each of the end plates, the curved roof, and the doors comprises a screen panel supported by a sheet metal frame.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein each of said doors has a handle by which the door can be raised, said handle also serving as a stop when it contacts a respective side rail in the lower position of the door.

9. The invention of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of suction cups attached to each of said end plates, to secure the cover to a table top.