Patent Publication Number: US-8109579-B2

Title: Adjustment apparatus for sneeze guard

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to an apparatus designed to adjust a transparent pane of a sneeze guard, in order to provide a barrier in front of and above displayed food and beverage items in various differing food service situations, by employing adjustment assemblies which allow the transparent pane, or each of the transparent panes in a series of interconnected sneeze guard panes, to be adjusted vertically and/or rotationally, and independently of any other pane in the series. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Various sneeze guards have been used for many years to protect, from certain contaminants, unpackaged prepared food and beverages, which are displayed in a service line for customer viewing and selection. State and local laws and regulations in fact require all such food to be shielded from droplet contamination which may be expelled from the nose or mouth of a potential customer. 
     Accordingly, sneeze guards are well known and widely used in the food service industry. Sneeze guards are customarily used in retail food service such as cafeterias, smorgasbords, salad bars and buffet lines, which provide a service line displaying food for a customer&#39;s selection. Sneeze guards must protect the displayed food in the zone of potential droplet contamination. The zone of potential droplet contamination is determined based upon the height and placement of the service line, and the average height range of the potential customers. 
     Although sneeze guards are available in several styles and configurations, typically a sneeze guard has either a rigid frame, or two or more rigid and stationary support posts, and a fixed pane of glass or plastic material which provides the shield or barrier between the displayed food and the customers. Generally, the rigid frame or support posts of the sneeze guard are permanently affixed to a stationary surface, such as a service counter. 
     Some sneeze guards are designed for use with an attended station in a retail food establishment or an institution. In the attended station, the customer in a service line views the displayed food from the front through a transparent shield or pane, and the selected food is served or handed to the customer by an attendant stationed behind the sneeze guard and service counter. The panes of a sneeze guard for use in an attended station service line are generally made so that such panes are completely in front of and over the displayed food or beverages, preventing the items from being handled or touched by the customers. 
     Sneeze guards are also used for self-service food and beverage lines. In the self-service areas, the customer in a service line also views the displayed food or beverage through a transparent pane, but then reaches under the pane to obtain the selected item. The panes of sneeze guards for use in a self-service area of a service line must be made so that such panes cover the food or beverages from the top and partially cover the displayed food from the front, allowing sufficient space for the customer to reach under the panes to obtain the selected item. 
     Considering all the potential variables for food service lines, including but not limited to, service counter size and height, size and placement of food containers and dispensers of food/beverage items, and height of customers, a sneeze guard which is not adjustable has severe limitations. It is clear that a non-adjustable sneeze guard must therefore be designed and constructed specifically for each application in order to ensure that the zone of potential droplet contamination is adequately covered. It is also clear that the same sneeze guard unit could not be used interchangeably for an attended station and for a self-service area service line. 
     Adjustable sneeze guards are also known. Such adjustable sneeze guards may have rigid support posts which may allow the transparent pane to be raised or lowered through a vertical plane. Other adjustable sneeze guards have a pivoting mechanism which allows a portion of the support post, or the shield material to pivot, thereby changing the angle of the shield material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,863 B1, issued to Yatchak, et al., discloses such an adjustable sneeze guard. 
     In practical application, a sneeze guard is rarely a single shield or transparent pane supported by a rigid frame or support posts at either ends of the pane. Rather, the sneeze guard consists of an initial post connected to a first transparent pane, which is interconnected to a series of alternating intermediate posts and panes, and a terminal post or frame. There is frequently a need in the food service industry to adjust one or more of the panes: for example, to allow some portion of the sneeze guard to be used as an attended station, while other portions are used for self-service (such as selecting packaged beverage items). Further, in some circumstances the height and angle of some, but not all, of the panes may need to be adjusted to accommodate certain serving items, such as large chafing dishes. Existing sneeze guards, however, cannot accommodate this need for independent adjustments, because the adjustment mechanisms require each of the panes in the series to be adjusted in the same manner. 
     The present invention is directed toward addressing and solving this problem by providing an adjustment apparatus for a sneeze guard which allows each of the transparent panes in a series of interconnected sneeze guard panes to be adjusted vertically and rotationally, independently of any other pane in the series. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The adjustment apparatus for sneeze guard of the present invention includes a single pane holder assembly having a support post including a mounting bar on the upper portion of the rear side of the post, with the axes of the post and the mounting bar being in parallel relation. A support frame is slidably interconnected and secured to the rear side of the mounting bar. The outer side of a support plate is pivotally connected and secured to the inner side of the support frame, the support plate having means for adjustably securing the support plate to the support frame in a plurality of rotational positions. The support plate further includes at least one holder attached to the inner side of the plate, which holder is secured to one end of a transparent pane of a sneeze guard. 
     The single pane holder assembly adjustment apparatus as described immediately above is appropriate for use as the initial post of the sneeze guard; and a second single pane holder assembly, being the mirror image of the first is appropriate for use as the terminal post of the sneeze guard. 
     A second embodiment of the adjustment apparatus for sneeze guard of the present invention includes a double pane holder assembly attached to two (2) opposing transparent panes in a series of such panes in the sneeze guard. The double pane holder assembly includes a support post, with a mounting bar on the upper portion of the rear side of the post, with the axes of the post and the mounting bar being in parallel relation. A first support frame and a second support frame are slidably interconnected with the mounting bar in parallel relation, and each frame is secured to the rear side of the mounting bar. The outer side of the first support plate is pivotally connected and secured to the inner side of the first support frame, the support plate having means for adjustably securing the support plate to the support frame in a plurality of rotational positions. The first support plate further includes at least one holder attached to the inner side of the plate, which holder is secured to one end of a transparent pane of a sneeze guard. The outer side of the second support plate is pivotally connected and secured to the inner side of the second support frame, the support plate having means for adjustably securing the support plate to the support frame in a plurality of rotational positions. The second support plate further includes at least one holder attached to the inner side of the support plate, which holder is secured to one end of an opposing transparent pane of the sneeze guard. The adjustment apparatus allows the transparent pane to which the first support plate is attached to be adjusted both vertically and rotationally, independently of the opposing transparent pane to which the second support plate is attached. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a left front perspective view of a sneeze guard, showing a plurality of transparent panes in different vertical and angular orientations, the initial support post having a single pane holder assembly adjustment apparatus, and the two intermediate posts each having a double pane holder assembly; 
         FIG. 1A  is a close up detail view of an alternative single pane holder assembly showing a terminal support post with the second transparent pane as in  FIG. 1  (cut away) adjusted to a more horizontal position; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary, rear perspective view of a double pane holder assembly adjustment apparatus, the two opposing transparent panes represented in broken line; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary, front perspective view of the double pane holder assembly shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary, side elevation view of an initial support post having a single pane holder assembly, showing the range of vertical adjustment of the assembly and transparent pane; 
         FIG. 4A  is a fragmentary, side elevation view as in  FIG. 4 , showing the rotational adjustment of the assembly and transparent pane; 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary, rear perspective view of a double pane holder assembly, with two opposing transparent panes (shown cut away) represented in broken lines, one pane adjusted to horizontal position toward the proximal end of the mounting bar, and the other pane adjusted to a vertical position toward the distal end of the mounting bar; 
         FIG. 6  is a fragmentary, front perspective view of the double pane holder assembly shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a close up, fragmentary, perspective view of a double pane holder assembly showing the portion of the assembly circumscribed by the arc  7 - 7 , in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a close-up, cross-sectional view of a double pane holder assembly; 
         FIG. 9  is a close-up, fragmentary, exploded rear perspective view of a double pane holder assembly, with the opposing transparent panes shown cut away; and 
         FIG. 10  is a close up, detail, front perspective view of the support frame (the first and second support frames being identical) showing the dovetail grove extending along the front side. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a sneeze guard  10 , including two embodiments of the present invention. In the first embodiment, a single pane holder assembly adjustment apparatus  81  generally comprises an initial support post  11  having a mounting bar  21 , a first support frame  41  (shown in  FIGS. 5 and 10 ) and a first support plate  61  having clips  68  to hold the first end of the transparent pane  17 . The second embodiment, a double pane holder assembly adjustment apparatus  82 , is shown with reference to the intermediate (being the second and third in the series) support posts  12  and  13 . The double pane holder assembly adjustment apparatus  82  shown generally comprises the second support post  12  having a mounting bar  21 , a first support frame  41  (shown in  FIGS. 5 and 10 ) and a first support plate  61  having clips  68  to hold the first end of the second transparent pane  18 , and a second support frame  51  (see  FIGS. 5 and 10 ) and a second support plate  71  having clips  68  to hold the opposing end of the first transparent pane  17 .  FIG. 1  shows a sneeze guard  10  in environment with serving trays on a service counter (shown cut away) with the front sides  14  of support posts  11 ,  12 , and  13  facing toward the customer side and having the adjustment mechanisms of the present invention on the rear sides  15  (see  FIG. 9 , for example with reference to post  12 ) of said posts. Although the adjustment apparatuses  81  and  82  would perform satisfactorily if oriented to the front sides  14  of the posts  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  20 , such is less desirable due to the increased potential for customer tampering with the adjustments. 
     In  FIG. 1A , the single pane holder assembly adjustment apparatus  81  shown is a mirror image of the single pane holder assembly  81  shown in  FIG. 1 . The single pane holder assembly generally comprises a terminal support post  20  having a mounting bar  21 , the second support frame  51  (see  FIGS. 5 and 10 ) and second support plate  71  having clips  68  to hold the opposing end of the second transparent pane  18  (shown cut away). It will be understood that in the preferred embodiments, a single pane holder assembly  81  for either an initial support post  11 , or a terminal support post  20 , may be constructed from a double pane holder assembly  82  simply by removing from the assembly  82  the second support frame  51  and second support plate  71  for the initial support post  11 , or by removing the first support frame  41  and a first support plate  61  for the terminal support post  20 , thereby providing greater flexibility for designing and constructing adjustable sneeze guards. 
     In the sneeze guard  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , an initial support post  11 , having a single pane holder assembly  81 , is attached to the first transparent pane  17 , the opposing end of which is attached to a second support post  12 . The second support post  12  is an intermediate support post having a double pane holder assembly  82 , which is further connected to the second transparent pane  18  and a third support post  13 . The third support post  13  is also shown as an intermediate post having a double pane holder assembly  82 , connected to the third transparent pane  19  in the series, which is shown cut away. As discussed above, the terminal support post  20  is represented in  FIG. 1A . It will be appreciated that a sneeze guard may be constructed from an initial support post  11  having a single pane holder assembly  81  (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) and a terminal support post  20  having a mirror image single pane holder assembly  81  as shown in  FIG. 1A , with a single transparent pane  17  therebetween. It will further be appreciated that by adding one or more alternating intermediate support posts (such as posts  12  and  13  shown in  FIG. 1 ) and transparent panes between the initial post  11  and first pane  17 , and the terminal post  20 , a sneeze guard  10  having the desired number of panes and the desired length may be constructed. The transparent panes  17 ,  18 , and  19 , shown are representative, and such panes may be shaped and/or sized differently, for example: being square rather than the rectangular shape shown; vary from that shown in either the width and/or the length; and/or have one or more curved edges. Said panes may be constructed from glass or a variety of plastic materials. 
     Support posts  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  20 , and mounting bar  21  may be constructed of any of a variety of materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, other metals or alloys, and carbon fiber or graphite reinforced polymers. Support frames  41  and  51 , and support plates  61  and  71 , may also be constructed from any of a similar variety of materials, including stainless steel or other metals, polycarbonate or other plastics, nylon, and composites. 
     The initial, intermediate, and terminal support posts  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  20 , each are secured to a serving counter by means of a representative base  16  (see  FIG. 1 ). Other types of bases and/or means for securing the posts could be used in lieu of the base  16  shown, such as a clamp, bracket or platform. Other shapes and configurations of the support posts  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  20  also exist, including angled or curved posts, as well as dual post supports. In addition, other structures such as a frame could be used to support the transparent panes. Clips  68  are representative of means to attach and secure the transparent panes to the adjustment apparatus. As best shown in  FIG. 9 , clips  68  are secured to the inner side  62  (shown in  FIGS. 4 and 4A ) of support plate  61  through first and second holes  66  and  67  by clip attachment screws  69 , and clips  68  are secured to the inner side  72  support plate  71  through first and second holes  76  and  77  by clip attachment screws  69 . Clips  68  are further secured to transparent panes  17 ,  18 , and  19  by inset screws  36  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 9 . Various other clips, clamps, brackets or frames could also be used to interconnect the transparent panes  17 ,  18 , and  19 , to the support plates  61  and  71 . 
     Each pane holder assembly can be adjusted both vertically (see  FIG. 4 ), and rotationally (see  FIG. 4A ). The independent adjustability of each of the transparent panes  17 ,  18 , and  19  is clearly shown in  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, for example: pane  17  could be lowered and angled downward to near vertical (see  FIG. 4A ) to prevent customer access to the food items; pane  18  could be raised and angled to a mid-way position to allow a self-service customer to reach beneath the pane; and pane  19  could be raised to a mid-height level and rotated to a horizontal position to provide a shelf (as represented in  FIG. 1 ). 
     The adjusting and securing mechanisms of the double pane holder assembly adjustment apparatus  82  are clearly shown in  FIGS. 2 and 9 . The front side (the edge of which is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 ) of mounting bar  21  is attached to the rear side  15  of support post  12  by means of screws  32  near the proximal end  24  and near distal end  25 , respectively, of mounting bar  21 . Means for attachment exist such as various screws, bolts, pins, or welds, which allow the adjustment apparatus to be retrofitted to an existing support post or frame. Support posts  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  20  each could also be integrated with mounting bar  21  as a single structure, so that the rear side of the post would also be the rear side of mounting bar  21 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 2 ,  5  and  9 , mounting bar  21  having a rear side  23  includes ridge  30  and ridge  31  extending along the surface of said rear side  23  from a point immediately below the proximal end stop block  37  near the proximal end  24  to a point immediately above distal end stop block  38  near the distal end  25 . Ridge  30  and ridge  31  are in parallel relation to each other and to mounting bar  21 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 9 , mounting bar  21  is secured to support post  12  at the proximal end by means of a screw  32  through proximal hole  26  into screw hole  39 , and at the distal end by means of a screw  32  through distal hole  27  into a second screw hole  39  in the lower portion of said support post  12 . First support frame  41  and second support frame  51  are slidably interconnected to mounting bar  21  along ridges  30  and  31 , respectively, with the outer side  45  of support frame  41  facing the outer side (not shown) of support frame  51 . After first and second support frames  41  and  51  are slidably interconnected to mounting bar  21 , proximal end stop block  37  is secured to mounting bar  21  by means of a screw  40  through said stop block  37  and into screw hole  28 , and distal end stop block  38  is secured to mounting bar  21  by means of a screw  40  through said stop block  38  and into screw hole  29 , thus preventing frames  41  and  51  from sliding completely off ridges  30  and  31 . 
     A close up of support frame  41  is shown cut away in  FIG. 7 , adjusted toward the proximal end  24  of mounting bar  21 , at proximal end stop block  37 . Other structures exist which could be used in place of either of stop blocks  37  and  38 , for example, either the proximal ends, or the distal ends, of ridges  30  and  31  could be flared or raised, or screws, bolts, or pins could be partially inserted either along the mounting bar or at or near the ends of ridges  30  and  31 . 
     Preferably, each of the support posts  11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  20 , having a mounting bar  21  are interchangeable and may be used as a component of either the single pane holder assembly  81  or the double pane holder assembly  82 . 
     As most clearly shown in  FIG. 10 , in the preferred embodiments, the first support frame  41  and second support frame  51  are structurally identical. However, in describing their respective functions as either a first or a second support frame, the sides identified as inner and outer of said frames are mirror images of the other frame. Using as an example second support frame  51 , said frame is provided with a groove  56  extending along the front side  52 , an upper hole  57  passing from the rear side  53  (see  FIG. 9 ) to the front side  52 , and a lower hole  58  passing from the rear side  53  to the front side  52 . The groove  56  along front side  52  of support frame  51  is sized and shaped to interconnect with ridge  31  on mounting bar  21  as best seen in  FIG. 9 . Ridge  31  and groove  56  form a dovetail interconnection in which ridge  31  forms the dovetail and groove  56  forms the pin. It will be appreciated that such structures could be reversed with mounting bar  21  having a groove and frame  51  having a ridge. In addition, other shapes for ridges  30 ,  31 , and grooves  46 ,  56 , exist to interconnect mounting bar  21  and support frames  41  and/or  51 , such as having one or more right angular, triangular, and/or polygonal sides. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , once first support frame  41  is slidably interconnected along first ridge  30  to mounting bar  21 , the knurled head screws  33  are inserted from the rear side  43  to the front side  42  (shown in  FIG. 10 ) through upper and lower holes  47  and  48 , respectively, and secured to mounting bar  21 . The second support frame  51  is slidably interconnected along second ridge  31  to mounting bar  21  and likewise secured by the knurled head screws  33  inserted from the rear side  53  to the front side  52  (see  FIG. 10 ) through upper and lower holes  57  and  58 . 
     A single pane holder assembly  81 , used as an example in  FIGS. 4 and 4A , has an initial support post  11  including the mounting bar  21  which is slidably interconnected with the first support frame  41 . The first support frame  41  having an inner side  44  to which the outer side  63  (shown in  FIG. 9 ) of first support plate  61  is pivotally connected to frame  41  by a hex head screw  34  through arcuate slot  64 , and a thumb screw  35  through arcuate slot  65 , the inner side  62  of plate  61  further having clips  68  to hold the first end of the transparent pane  17 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the transparent pane  17  can be adjusted vertically: by loosening the knurled head screws  33 , frame  41  can be slid up or down along ridge  30  to the desired place between proximal end stop block  37  and distal end stop block  38 ; and then again secured by tightening the knurled head screws  33 . Various other screws and/or bolts could be used to secure frames  41  and  51  to the mounting bar  21 . By using the knurled head screws  33 , however, the vertical adjustments may be made quickly and easily, with no or minimal tools required. Although not as desirable as the preferred embodiments because adjustability would be more limited, mounting bar  21  could also be provided with a series of holes and pins which could be used to adjust frames  41  and  51  along mounting bar  21 . It will be understood that in a double pane holder assembly  82 , first support frame  41  and second support frame  51  may be adjusted to different vertical positions as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , as well as adjusted to the same vertical position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     The pane holder assemblies can also be adjusted rotationally, as in the example shown in  FIG. 4A . The single pane holder assembly  81  generally comprises a support post  11  including the mounting bar  21 , the first support frame  41 , and the first support plate  61  having clips  68  to hold the first end of the transparent pane  17  (shown cut-away). The first support plate  61  is provided with first and second opposing arcuate slots  64  and  65 . As best seen in  FIG. 9 , support plate  61  is secured to support frame  41  by means of a hex head screw  34  passing through arcuate slot  64  into upper aperture  49  in frame  41 , and a thumb screw  35  passing through arcuate slot  65  into lower aperture  50  in frame  41 . The second support plate  71 , most clearly seen in  FIGS. 5 and 9 , is pivotally connected to the inner side  54  of support frame  51  by a hex head screw  34  passing through arcuate slot  74  into upper aperture  59 , and a thumb screw  35  passing through arcuate slot  75  into lower aperture  60 . 
     When hex head screw  34  and thumb screw  35  are partially loosened, support plate  61  can rotate through an arc circumscribed by arcuate slots  64  and  65 , and the attached pane  18  may be positioned at any angle from horizontal to vertical (see  FIG. 4A ). It will be understood that by increasing (or decreasing) the length of the arcuate slots, a greater (or lesser) degree of rotational adjustability will be achieved. In the double pane holder assembly  82 , first support plate  61  and second support plate  71  may be adjusted to different rotational positions as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  6 , as well as adjusted to the same rotational position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Various other types of fasteners such as screws and/or bolts could be used to secure support plates  61  and  71  to frames  41  and  51 , respectively. However, by using hex head screw  34  and thumb screw  35 , the transparent pane can be secured in place while still allowing the rotational adjustments to be made quickly and easily, and with minimal tools required. Other means exist to provide the rotational adjustments, such as gear mechanisms, which are generally less desirable than the preferred embodiments because food may become lodged in such mechanisms, preventing optimum operation. 
     It will be appreciated that we have disclosed herein adjustment apparatus for a sneeze guard with a support post having a mounting bar with one or two support frames slidably interconnected, further having a support plate pivotally connected to the inner side of each support frame with means for adjustably securing the support plate(s) to the frame(s) in a plurality of rotational positions, which allows a transparent pane of a sneeze guard to be adjusted vertically and rotationally, independently of the other transparent panes, and further disclosed a sneeze guard having said adjustment apparatus.