U.S. patent application number 14/444042 was filed with the patent office on 2015-04-23 for utensil holder for chafing dishes and the like.
The applicant listed for this patent is DARRELL BARNES. Invention is credited to DARRELL BARNES.
Application Number | 20150108286 14/444042 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52825319 |
Filed Date | 2015-04-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150108286 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BARNES; DARRELL |
April 23, 2015 |
UTENSIL HOLDER FOR CHAFING DISHES AND THE LIKE
Abstract
Means attachable to any serving vessel, such as a pan, chafing
dish or the like for holding utensils adjacent the particular
serving vessel to keep the utensils immediately and safely
available for use, while discouraging the utensils from one serving
vessel from being used to serve food from a different serving
vessel.
Inventors: |
BARNES; DARRELL; (Ontario,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BARNES; DARRELL |
Ontario |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52825319 |
Appl. No.: |
14/444042 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/37.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 43/287
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/37.6 |
International
Class: |
A47G 21/14 20060101
A47G021/14 |
Claims
1. A utensil holder for serving vessels having a side wall, said
utensil holder comprising: means for holding a utensil, and means
for attaching said holding means to said serving vessel.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein: said attaching means attaches
said holding means to the side wall of said serving vessel.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein: said attaching means attaches
saids holding means to lie parallel to said side wall of said
serving vessel.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein: said serving vessel is a chafing
dish.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein: said serving vessel is a pan.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein: said holding means has a lower
flat portion, an upper flat portion, and an inclined portion
connecting said flat portions.
6. The device of claim 5 further comprising: side walls extending
vertically about the periphery of said lower flat portion.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein: said attaching means are inverted
U-shaped members.
Description
RELATED CASES
[0001] This invention is described in my previous patent
application Ser. No 13/323,718, filed Jan. 9, 2012 and now
abandoned.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to cooking equipment and is
particularly directed to improved means for holding utensils for
use with professional chafing dishes and the like.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In commercial cooking, food is prepared in large quantities
and is placed in serving vessels, such as pans, chafing dishes or
the like to be kept warm until it is served. At that time,
utensils, such as spoons, spatulas, forks or the like, are used to
transfer the food from the serving vessels to the individual
serving plates. However, between servings, the utensils are usually
returned to the serving vessel with the handle resting on the edge
of the serving vessel. Unfortunately, this causes the handle of the
utensil to project outwardly from the serving vessel, putting it at
risk of being accidentally hit by a passer-by and knocked out of
the serving vessel, splattering some of the food and causing the
spilled food and the utensil to fall onto the floor. Obviously,
when this occurs, the mess must be cleaned up and new utensils must
be provided to replace the ones which have fallen on the floor.
Alternatively, the utensil may be placed on the table, rather than
in the proper serving vessel, and may be used to deliver food from
a different serving vessel, thereby contaminating the food in both
serving vessels. These problems cause considerable unnecessary work
for the employees and add significantly to the cost of preparing
the food. Unfortunately, the prior art has provided no solution for
these problems.
BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION
[0004] These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome with the
present invention and means are provided for storing utensils
safely and cleanly and for allowing them to be immediately
available for use, while discouraging the use of the utensils to
serve from other serving vessels.
[0005] These advantages of the present invention are preferably
attained by providing means attachable to any serving vessel, such
as a chafing dish or the like for holding cooking utensils adjacent
the particular chafing dish to keep ther utensils immediately and
safely available for use, while discouraging the utensils from one
serving vessel from being used to serve food from a different
serving vessel.
[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide improved means for storing cooking utensils.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide
improved means for storing cooking utensils safely and cleanly.
[0008] An additional object of the present invention is to provide
means for storing cooking utensils safely and cleanly and for
allowing them to be immediately available for use.
[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide
improved means for storing utensils safely and cleanly and for
allowing them to be immediately available for use, while
discouraging the use of the utensils to serve from other serving
vessels.
[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide means
attachable to any serving vessel, such as a pan, chafing dish or
the like for holding utensils.
[0011] A specific object of the present invention is to provide
means attachable to any serving vessel, such as a pan, chafing dish
or the like for holding utensils adjacent the particular serving
vessel to keep ther utensils immediately and safely available for
use, while discouraging the utensils from one serving vessel from
being used to serve food from a different serving vessel.
[0012] These and other objects and features of the present
invention will be apparent from the following detailed description,
taken with reference to the figures of the accompanying
drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0013] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a utensil holder embodying
the present invention attached to a serving vessel;
[0014] FIG. 2 is is a plan view of the utensil holder of FIG.
1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an exploded right side view of the utensil holder
of FIG. 1; and
[0016] FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the cover member of the
utensil holder of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] In that form of the present invention chosen for purposes of
illustration, FIG. 1 shows a utensil holder, indicated generally at
10, attached to the sidewall 12 of a serving vessel 14, such as a
pan, chafing dish or the like. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the
utensil holder 10 comprises a first lower flat portion 16 connected
to an upwardly inclined portion 18 and a second upper flat portion
20. The lower flat portion 16 has vertical side walls 22 extending
about the periphery thereof and a lid 24 extending over the front
section of the lowe flat portion 116. The inclined portion 18 has a
pair of flanges 26 extending upwardly and outwardly from both sides
of the inclined portion 18. Finally, attaching means 28 are
provided on the side walls 22 and the upper flat portion 20 to
releasably attach the utensil holder 10 to the side 12 of the
serving vessel 14. As seen in FIGS. 1-3, the attaching means 28 are
inverted U-shaped members which overlie the sidewalls 12 of the
serving vessel 14 to releasably attach the utensil holder 10 to the
serving vessel 14. The lid 24 of the utensil holder 10 may be
removed, as seen in FIG. 3, and has side walls 30 which mate with
the side walls 22 of the flat portion 16 to allow the lid 24 to be
removably mounted on the side walls 22 of the lower flat portion
16.
[0018] In use, a plurality of serving vessels 14 are placed on a
serving table and a serving table and individual utensil holders 10
are attached to each one of the serving vessels 14 by suitable
means, such as attaching means 28. The appropriate serving utensil,
not shown, for each serving vessel 14 is placed on the associated
utensil holder 10 with the serving portion of the utensil resting o
the lower flat portion 16 of the utensil holder 10 and the handle
of the utensil resting on the upper flat portion 20. If desired, a
lid 24 may be placed on the side walls 22 of the lower flat portion
16 to prevent airborne matter from landing on the serving portion
of the utensil. Since each utensil holder 10 is attached to a
respective serving vessel 14, the utensil appropriate for that
serving vessel 14 will be immediately available and since the
utensil holder 10 is attached to the serving vessel 14 and lies
parallel to it, there is little likelihood that the utensil will
accidentally be bumped or knocked onto the floor. Moreover, since
each serving vessel 14 has a respective utensil holder 10 attached
thereto, the proper utensil for each serving vessel 10 will be
immediately and safely available, so there is little likelihood of
the utensil for one serving vessel 14 being used on an improper
serving vessel 14.
[0019] Obviously, numerous variations and modifications can be made
without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the forms of the
present invention described above and shown in the figures of the
accompanying drawing are illustrative only and are not intended to
limit the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *