GB2332363A

GB2332363A - Food display cabinet with curved glass front

Info

Publication number: GB2332363A
Application number: GB9819956A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Mascall
Original assignee: MIDDLETON CATERING EQUIPMENT Ltd
Current assignee: MIDDLETON CATERING EQUIPMENT Ltd
Priority date: 1998-09-15
Filing date: 1998-09-15
Publication date: 1999-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-15
Also published as: GB9819956D0; GB2332363A9; GB2332363A8; GB2332363B

Abstract

A display cabinet for a fish fryer or other food display has one or more inclined glass front portions which pivot open at their lower edge (axis XX) and are curved in their upper region as shown in Figure 4. The panels may align when closed and a separator panel of glass may be provided between adjacent curved portions.

Description

2332363 1 DISPLAY CABINET This invention relates to a display cabinet more

particularly of a type used in fish and chip shops on a frying range.

It is known to incorporate a glass display cabinet for fried foods such as battered fish, battered sausages or scallops, battered roe, pies or the like. Such cabinets usually have an array of sliding glass doors on the rear of the cabinet so the interior of the cabinet can be accessed by a person frying the food in a hot fat container incorporated within the frying range. The display cabinet usually extends a substantial way along the top counter of the frying range, which counter is usually made of metal. The fried food is viewed from the front of the frying range through an inclined glass front of the display cabinet and the top of the cabinet is usually formed from metal such as polished or matt stainless steel. The inclination of the glass front of the display cabinet may be in the order of 10 degrees + 5 degrees to the vertical.

Owing to the overall disposition and area of the glass in relation to the display cabinet there is a tendency for the glass front to become very hot, which of course tends to be disadvantageous in certain circumstances both to anyone in the fish and chip shop that may happen to lean on the glass front and possibly also to anyone cleaning the glass front from the inside or outside 2 of the display cabinet. Once again, the glass front is not necessarily easy or comfortable to access from the inside of the cabinet and for this reason it is known for the glass front to be hinged at the bottom edge so as to pivot downwardly and outwardly of the cabinet to allow, in particular, the inside of the glass front to be cleaned. In practice, there may well be more than one hinged glass front provided in a cabinet. Although the fried food may be viewed through the glass front of a cabinet, nevertheless, the general aim is for the food to be portrayed in an attractive manner as possible and to give a wide viewing angle of display. However, it is believed that the existing display of fried food through such display cabinets has not been maximised and that existing designs could be improved regarding the display of the food, the facility for cleaning of the display cabinets (more particularly the front glass of the cabinet) and in the build up of heat in the front of the cabinet.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to at least alleviate at least one of the aforementioned, or other, disadvantages associated with display cabinets more particularly but not exclusively for a frying range, and/or to provide a display cabinet which is improved in at least some respect.

According to the present invention there is provided a display cabinet adapted for the display of hot food, for example in a frying range, said cabinet being provided with a curved clear front portion of glass or the like.

i 3 Said portion of glass or the like, preferably, has an upper part curved in cross-section (i.e. in a generally vertical, transverse plane of the display cabinet) adjoining a straight outwardly and downwardly inclined part. The angle of incline may be about 60 + ?to the vertical. It is possible that the front portion of glass or the like may include a generally horizontal part adjoining said curved part at the top of the display cabinet.

By embodiments of the present invention it is believed that a 10 to 30% increase in viewing angle for fried food in a cabinet may be achievable over existing hot food display cabinets.

Preferably, the curved front portion of the display cabinet is pivotedly mounted on the cabinet and, preferably, the curved front portion is able to pivot about an axis towards the bottom of the cabinet. The display cabinet may be provided with a plurality of (hinged) glass (or the like) front portions which align with one another in a closed position, and, preferably, the cabinet includes at least one separator panel (of glass or the like) in between adjacent curved glass front portions.

Providing the curved front portion or portions in an unfixed (i.e. hinged, movable or removable) manner on the display cabinet should allow much easier access for cleaning the interior of the curved glass rather than 4 having to reach across the inside of the cabinet when it may be very hot. If preferred, not all the front portions need to be hinged or moveable.

Also by the present invention, in view of the nature of the curved glass front itself and a reduced area of metal in the display cabinet, the curved glass front does not reach the same high temperature, in any event, as straight glass fronts provided in prior art display cabinets. It is believed that this is a very distinct advantage over such prior art display cabinets used e.g. in frying ranges.

It is possible that a moveable or pivotable curved glass front for a display cabinet may be useful even in display cabinets which are for displaying cold food and which do not perform part of a frying range. Therefore, further according to the present invention there is provided a display cabinet, for food or the like, said cabinet having a curved glass (or the like) front hinged or pivotable (or possibly movable or removable) on the cabinet, said pivot or hinge preferably being near the bottom of the cabinet.

Still further according to the present invention there is provided a frying range including at least one display cabinet in accordance with each of the preceding statements of invention.

1 1 Many advantages of the display cabinet in accordance with the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying FIGURES of the drawings in which:- FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of a display cabinet on a frying range; FIGURE 2 shows a similar view of the display cabinet but with a curved glass front portion shown in a partially open position; FIGURE 3 shows a second embodiment of a display cabinet, and FIGURE 4 shows a cross-section through a curved glass front portion of the display cabinet.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show a frying range 1 including a long fried food display cabinet 2 which in this instance has three individually movable (pivotable) curved glass front portions 3, 4 and 5. Each portion 3, 4, 5 is of 6mm thick glass and has an upwardly inclined glass part A (see FIGURE 4) 6 extending upwardly from the bottom front of the cabinet and curving at the top thereof at B as shown in the FIGURE 1. Upwardly inclined glass part A is 250mm in height direction along the incline as shown in FIGURE 4 (i.e. in a generally vertical transverse plane of display cabinet 2). Curved portion B adjoins short horizontal upper part C. The curved contour of each glass front portion 3, 4, 5 should be apparent from FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 and one of said portions (portion 3) is shown in the open position in FIGURE 2, said curved glass front portion 3 having been rotated about hinge axis XX (located towards the bottom of the display cabinet 2) as should be evident from FIGURE 2.

The shape of the curved glass front 3, 4, 5 extending upwardly from the bottom front of the display cabinet 2 and curving at an upper portion thereof to terminate at the top of the display cabinet (at about 113 of the total width of the cabinet as indicated by the dimension Y in FIGURE 2) is particularly advantageous in providing a wide viewing angle for anyone looking into the displayed cabinet to view fried food therein. Whilst the present invention is not limited to the particular shape or dimension of glass portion 3, 4, 5, as shown in FIGURE 4, the dimensions are important and, thus, are marked on FIGURE 4.

Additionally, it is found that the curved glass front 3, 4, 5 does not get anywhere near as hot as prior art display cabinets for frying ranges having a

7 straight inclined glass front. It is to be noted that the area of glass in each front portion 3, 4, 5 is much greater than in prior art display cabinets.

Since each curved glass front portion 3, 4, 5 may be pivoted downwardly about the axis XX, the glass front of the cabinet 2 can be cleaned much more easily and there is much better access to the inside of the display cabinet for cleaning thereof. Additionally, it is to be noted that the two transverse separator panels 6 dividing the display cabinet 2 up into three sections are also made of glass (rather than metal as in previous designs) which helps to dissipate heat.

FIGURE 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprising a hot food cabinet 100 having a display cabinet 101 with a single curved glass front portion 103 hingable about axis ZZ. It is to be noted that the cabinet 102 is much taller than the cabinet 2 but operates on a similar principle. The curved glass front 103 can be pivoted about axis ZZ to a similar position as the portion 3 shown in FIGURE 2 so that the front curved glass can be cleaned as well as the inside of the display cabinet that can be accessed through the open front.

It is possible that a display cabinet similar to those as described in FIGURES 1-3 could be used for displaying cold food and need not necessarily 8 be part of a hot food range. It is envisaged that where the display cabinet is used for cold food the curved front will be hinged, movable or removable from the display cabinet in order to clean the front and in order to access the cabinet for cleaning.

It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not to be unduly limited by the particular choice of terminology and that a specific term may be replaced by any equivalent or generic term. For example, the term "display cabinet" could be replaced by "glass case" or the like. The term "glass" could be replaced by "clear panel" or "seethrough material" or 11 perspex" or the like. Further it is to be understood that individual features, method or functions relating to the display cabinet or curved glass front might be individually patentably inventive. It is possible that the curved front portion of the display cabinet might be curved additionally or alternatively in a longitudinal horizontal plane. In particular, any disclosure in this specification of a range for a variable or parameter shall be take to include a disclosure of any selectable or derivable sub-range within that range and shall be taken to include a disclosure of any value for the variable or parameter lying within or at an end of the range. The singular may include the plural or vice versa.

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Claims

Claims:-

1. A display cabinet adapted for the display of hot food, for example in a frying range, said cabinet being provided with a curved clear front portion of glass or the like.

2. A display cabinet as claimed in claim 1 in which said portion of glass or the like has an upper part curved in cross-section (i.e. in a generally vertical, transverse plane of the display cabinet) adjoining a straight outwardly and downwardly inclined part.

3. A display cabinet as claimed in claim 2 in which the angle of incline of said inclined part is about 60' + 5' to the vertical.

4. A display cabinet as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 in which the front portion of glass or the like includes a generally horizontal part adjoining said curved part at the top of the display cabinet.

5. A display cabinet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the CI curved front portion of the display cabinet is pivotally mounted on the cabinet.

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6. A display cabinet as claimed in claim 5 in which the curved front portion is able to pivot about an axis towards the bottom of the cabinet.

7. A display cabinet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is provided with a plurality of glass or the like front portions which align with one another in a closed position.

8. A display cabinet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including at least one separator panel (of glass or the like) in between adjacent curved glass or the like front portions.

9. A display cabinet substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 1 and 2 or FIGURE 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A display cabinet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims having at least one curved glass or the like front portion substantially as shown in FIGURE 3 of the tn accompanying drawings.

11. A display cabinet, for food or the like, said cabinet having a curved glass (or the like) front hinged or pivotable (or possibly movable or removable) on the cabinet.

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12. A display cabinet as claimed in claim 11 in which said pivot or hinge where provided is near the bottom of the cabinet.

13. A frying range including at least one display cabinet in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.

14. A display cabinet or frying range as claimed in any one of the preceding claims as the case may be in which the curved front portion, or at least one of the curved front portions, is curved additionally or alternatively in a longitudinal horizontal plane.