Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/242,607, filed Sep. 15, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A basin or vessel is disclosed as a replacement for the integrated basin portion of a refrigerated counter. The replacement basin may be mounted to the refrigerated counter, connected to the counter&#39;s existing refrigeration system, and then used to support one or more removable product filled bins or containers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Refrigerated counters (including tables) have a variety of uses, but they are often used to store and display consumables at a predetermined minimum temperature. The counters, for example, are particularly popular in the fast-food industry where they are used to store and display consumables (e.g., lettuce, cheese, etc.) in open top, removable bins that are recessed within a basin(s) integrated into each counter. 
         [0004]    Refrigerated counters may cost in excess of $50,000 each. These counters typically include at least an onboard refrigeration unit positioned under the countertop and an integrally formed or constructed countertop basin. A counter, as mentioned above, may also be outfitted with one or more open top, removable bins. The bins are designed to be recessed within the basin and may used to store and display the consumables. Counters may also be constructed to perform according to current health and safety requirements established by government and/or industry. These requirements may mandate, for example, that the open top bins positioned in the basin be maintained at a predetermined minimum temperature. NSF Standard 7, for example, established by SF International contains requirements for refrigerators and freezers used to store and/or display cold food. 
         [0005]    The use of an integral basin in each counter allows for easy maintenance and cleaning of the basin and the counter. However, the integral construction also means that the basin cannot simply be removed from the counter. This can become particularly problematic to a user of the counter whenever changes are made to the government and/or industry health and safety requirements that the user&#39;s existing counter may not meet. The expense of purchasing a new counter, when combined with a need to comply with new requirements, means the user must choose between upgrading to a new counter or failing to comply with health and safety requirements. Either decision can translate into considerable expense, inconvenience, and possible downtime for business operations. 
         [0006]    It would be advantageous to provide for a replacement unit for an integral basin of a refrigerated counter that would allow an otherwise functional counter (including its refrigeration system) to continue in service following a change in health and safety requirements and/or damage to the basin. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A basin or vessel is disclosed as a replacement for a basin integrally constructed into an existing refrigerated counter. The replacement basin may include a first or exterior frame that may support one or more second or interior frames, a refrigeration conduit, and optionally, a plurality of removable bins. The basin and its components may be constructed of stainless steel with the conduit being formed from copper. Although, other materials known, used or adopted by the art may also be used in the construction of the basin or its components. 
         [0008]    In operation, the replacement basin may be installed into a refrigerated table or counter by first powering down the integral refrigeration unit of the counter and recovering any coolant present in that unit. The existing integral basin may then be separated from the existing refrigeration unit by severing the coolant lines of the unit at a predetermined location. Thereafter, the integral basin may be excised from the counter by cutting the basin away substantially along its perimeter and then lifting the basin out of the counter. After removal of the integral basin, the replacement basin may be positioned in the cutout formed by the removal of the prior basin. The replacement basin may then be further secured to the counter by welding, commercial adhesives, fasteners, or the like. Finally, the conduit lines of the replacement basin may then be connected to the coolant lines of the integral refrigeration unit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Reference will now be had to the associated figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout and wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a replacement basin constructed in accordance with the present invention showing also the removable food bins; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a planar front view of the basin shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a planar side view of the basin of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a planar rear view of the basin of  FIG. 1  showing the refrigeration lines for the basin principally in phantom; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a planar side cutaway view of the basin of  FIG. 1  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a replacement basin constructed in accordance with the present invention showing the removable bins in phantom; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a top planar view of the replacement basin of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a side planar view of the replacement basin of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a planar side cutaway view of the replacement basin shown in  FIG. 6 ; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a planar side view of the replacement basin shown in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a flow-chart describing one embodiment of the disclosed method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-10 , a basin  10  or vessel is disclosed as a replacement for a basin (not shown) integrated into a refrigerated counter (not shown). The replacement basin  10  may include a first or exterior frame  12  that may support one or more second or interior frames  14 , a refrigeration conduit  16 , and optionally, a plurality of removable bins  18 . The frames  12 ,  14  may be constructed of stainless steel with the conduit  16  being formed from copper. Although, other materials known, used or adopted by the art may also be used in the construction of the basin  10  or its components. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , the first frame  12  may be formed as a receptacle or sink-like structure having a base or floor  20 , a pair of spaced apart end walls  22 ,  24 , a front wall  26 , and a rear or back wall  28 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the rear wall  28  of the first frame  12  may be dimensioned longer and/or higher than the front wall  26  so that the upper edge  30 ,  32  of each end wall  22 ,  24  (see  FIGS. 1 and 3 ) extends diagonally between the front  26  and rear  28  walls. The front wall  26  of the first frame  12  may also include a flange or lip  30  that may be used to support and/or position the basin  10  on the counter (not shown) as will be described further below. 
         [0023]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , the second frame  14  may, similar to the first frame  12 , be constructed to include a base or floor  32 , a front wall  34 , a rear wall  36 , and a pair of opposed end walls  38 ,  40 . However, as again shown in  FIG. 5 , the second frame  14  may be dimensioned smaller than the first  12  so that it may be recessed within the first frame  12  and have surfaces  32 - 40  that are spaced predetermined distances from the comparable surfaces  20 - 28  of the first frame  12 . The second frame  14  may also be formed with (or secured to, see  FIGS. 6-10  infra) a web or flange  42  that connects the frames  12 ,  14  along the upper edge or perimeter of the walls of the frames  12 ,  14 . 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the refrigeration conduit  16  may be positioned in the basin  10  in the space  44  defined between the first and second frames  12 ,  14 . The conduit  16  may engage or be positioned proximate to the surfaces  32 - 40  of the second frame  12  to aid in cooling those surfaces (which as will be described infra, aids in the cooling of consumables or removable bins  18  positioned in the second frame  14 ). Additionally, or alternatively, the conduit  16  may be positioned so that at least a portion is located above (or in a higher plain relative to the top of) the bins  18 . Positioning the conduit  16  so that the conduit  16  may be above (or higher) than the tops of the bins  18  chills the air above those bins  18  and allows the temperature above and along the entire length of each bin  18  to be maintained at or below a predetermined minimum temperature. An inlet  46  and outlet  48  for the refrigeration conduit  16  may extend from the rear wall  28  of the first frame  12 . However, it will be appreciated that the position of the inlet  46  and outlet  48  for the conduit  16  may be modified according to the needs of the user. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , support flanges  50 ,  52  may be positioned along second frame. For example, as shown support flanges  50 ,  52  may be positioned along the front  34  and rear  36  wall of the second frame  14  and configured so that they may extend into the open receptacle or sink  53  defined by the frame  14 . An intermediate support rod  54  may also be provided that extends between the end walls  38 ,  40  of the second frame  12 . The bins  18  may then be removably positioned in the receptacle or sink  52  defined by the second frame  14 , and supported by the flanges  50 ,  52  and rod  54 . As such, it will be appreciated that consumables in the bins  18  may be refrigerated down to a predetermined temperature by operation of the conduit  16  cooling the surfaces  32 - 40  of the second frame  14 . A predetermined amount of water (not shown) or fluid may also be provided into the receptacle or sink  52  of the second frame  14  so that the temperature is evenly distributed around several bins  18 . Where a fluid is used (or intended to be used), the basin  10  may also be provided with one or more drains (not shown). 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , a basin support flange  58  may be provided along each end wall  20 ,  22  of the first frame  12  of the basin  10  and used for mounting the replacement basin  10  unit to a refrigerated counter. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6-10 , and as best shown in  FIG. 9 , another embodiment of the replacement basin  10  may be constructed in which the front  26  and rear  28  walls of the first frame  12  have substantially the same dimensions. The basin  10  of this other embodiment may also include two or more inner or second frames  14 , with each of these inner or second frames  14  including one or more removable bins  18 . The end walls of the first frame  12  may also be configured so that the lip  30  extends around the ends of the basin  10 . 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-11 , in operation, a replacement basin  10  may be installed into a refrigerated table (not shown) by first  100  powering down the integral refrigeration unit (not shown) of the counter and recovering any coolant present in that unit. The existing integral basin (not shown) may then be separated from the existing refrigeration unit by severing  102  the coolant lines (not shown) of the unit at a predetermined location. Thereafter, the integral basin may be excised from the counter by cutting  104  the basin away substantially along its perimeter and then lifting  106  the basin out of the counter. After removal of the integral basin, the replacement basin  10  may be positioned  108  in the cutout formed by the removal of the prior basin such that the basin support flanges  58  of the end walls and the lip  30  of the front wall  26  of the first frame  12  engage the countertop. The replacement basin  10  may then be further secured  110  to the counter by welding, commercial adhesives, fasteners, or the like. Finally, the conduit lines  16  of the replacement basin  10  may then be connected  112  to the coolant lines of the integral refrigeration unit using welding, fasteners (e.g., quick connect fasteners positioned on the ends of the conduit lines  16  of the basin  10 ), or similar connection means known in the art. It will also be appreciated that a similar procedure may be use to add one or more additional basins  10  to an existing counter that may or may not have a basin  10 . However, in such instances, it may also be necessary to add one or more refrigeration units. 
         [0029]    Having thus described my invention, various other embodiments will become known or apparent to those of skill in the art that do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed.

Technology Category: 2