Patent Publication Number: US-10765120-B2

Title: Hinged panel assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to panel devices and more particularly pertains to a new panel device for enhancing freshness of a cake when the cake has been cut. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a first panel that is selectively positioned against a first exposed surface of a cake when the cake has been cut. The first panel is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit air from contacting the first exposed surface thereby enhancing freshness of the cake. A second panel is hingedly coupled to the first panel such that the second panel is selectively positioned at a selected angle with respect to the first panel. The second panel is selectively positioned against a second exposed surface of a cake when the cake has been cut. The second panel is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit air from contacting the second exposed surface thereby enhancing freshness of the cake. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a hinged panel assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new panel device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the hinged panel assembly  10  generally comprises a first panel  12 . The first panel  12  is selectively positioned against a first exposed surface  14  of a cake  16  when the cake  16  has been cut. The first panel  12  is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit air from contacting the first exposed surface  14 . In this way the first panel  12  enhances freshness of the cake  16 . 
     The first panel  12  has a first surface  18 , a second surface  20  and a peripheral edge  22  extending therebetween. The peripheral edge  22  has a first lateral side  24 , a second lateral side  26  and a bottom side  28 . Moreover, the first panel  12  is elongated between the first lateral side  24  and the second lateral side  26 . The first surface  18  abuts the first exposed surface  14  of the cake  16  and the second surface  20  has indicia  30  printed thereon. The indicia  30  comprising words and the words may comprise “cake saver”. 
     A first lip  32  is coupled to and extends away from the first panel  12 . The first lip  32  is positioned beneath the cake  16  when the first panel  12  is positioned against the cake  16 . In this way the first lip  32  retains the first panel  12  in a vertical orientation against the cake  16 . The first lip  32  is positioned on the first surface  18  of the first panel  12 . Additionally, the first lip  32  is coextensive with the bottom side  28  of the first panel  12 . 
     A second panel  34  is hingedly coupled to the first panel  12  such that the second panel  34  is selectively positioned at a selected angle with respect to the first panel  12 . The second panel  34  is positioned against a second exposed surface  36  of a cake  16  when the cake  16  has been cut. Additionally, the second panel  34  is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit air from contacting the second exposed surface  36 . In this way the second panel  34  enhances freshness of the cake  16 . 
     The second panel  34  has a first surface  38 , a second surface  40  and a peripheral edge  42  extending therebetween. The peripheral edge  42  of the second panel  34  has a first lateral side  44 , a second lateral side  46  and a bottom side  48 . Moreover, the second panel  34  is elongated between the first lateral side  44  and the second lateral side  46  of the second panel  34 . The first surface  38  of the second panel  34  abuts the second exposed surface  36  of the cake  16  and the second surface  40  of the second panel  34  has indicia  50  printed thereon. The indicia  50  corresponding to the second panel  34  comprising words and the words on the second panel  34  may comprise “cake  16  saver”. 
     A second lip  52  is coupled to and extends away from the second panel  34 . The second lip  52  is positioned beneath the cake  16  when the second panel  34  is positioned against the cake  16 . In this way the second lip  52  retains the second panel  34  in a vertical orientation against the cake  16 . The second lip  52  is positioned on the first surface  38  of the second panel  34 . Additionally, the second lip  52  is coextensive with the bottom side  48  of the second panel  34 . 
     A hinge  54  has a first half that  56  is hingedly coupled to a second half  58 . The first half  56  is coupled to the first surface  18  of the first panel  12  and the first half  56  is aligned with the second lateral side  24  of the first panel  12 . The second half  58  is coupled to the first surface  38  of the second panel  34  and the second half  58  is aligned with the first lateral side  44  of the second panel  34 . The hinge  54  may be a mechanical hinge  54  of any conventional design. 
     In use, the first panel  12  is positioned against the first exposed surface  14  of the cake  16  when the cake  16  is cut. Thus, the first panel  12  inhibits the first exposed surface  14  of the cake  16  from drying out thereby enhancing freshness of the cake  16 . The second panel  34  is manipulated to abut the second exposed surface  36  of the cake  16  when the cake  16  is cut. Thus, the second panel  34  inhibits the second exposed surface  36  of the cake  16  from drying out thereby enhancing freshness of the cake  16 . The second panel  34  is manipulated to abut the second exposed surface  36  of the cake  16  every time the cake  16  is cut thereby facilitating both of the first and second surfaces of the cake  16  to be covered. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.