JPH0312296Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Industrial application field The present invention relates to a food and drink counter equipped with a conveyor forming a food and drink transfer circuit, and more specifically, a food and drink counter that is equipped with a conveyor that forms a food and drink transfer circuit. The present invention relates to a food and beverage counter provided with an enclosure having a transparent window along the transfer circuit for protection from dirt such as dust and insects such as flies.

(b) Prior Art A food and beverage counter equipped with a food and beverage transfer circuit was developed to save labor at restaurants. In other words, according to such a food and beverage counter, customers occupying seats around the counter table can place food such as sushi, raw meat for yakiniku, etc., which is circulated along a closed circuit for food and beverage transfer, on the counter table. Since the food is taken out and eaten there, it is possible to eliminate the need for staff to serve customers.

In such a food and beverage counter, if the closed food transfer circuit is not provided with any kind of cover, the food such as sushi and raw meat for yakiniku that is circulated there will be left exposed to the air. So,
As a result, dust and other debris may adhere to the food,
It also attracts insects such as flies, which is considered a sanitary problem. Furthermore, if the food is circulated for a long time without being eaten by customers, the food, especially sushi, etc., may become dry and deteriorate in quality.

In order to solve this problem, conventionally, each tableware such as a plate on which food is placed is covered with a transparent cap made of a transparent material, which protects the food from dust and other debris in the air and from insects such as flies. Attempts are being made to protect and prevent food from drying out. However, when such a transparent cap is used, it is complicated and troublesome to cover each plate containing food with the transparent cap. In addition to this, water vapor generated from the food condenses on the inner surface of the transparent cap, clouding the transparent cap, making it impossible to clearly see the food through the transparent cap, which is a problem.

Therefore, in order to solve the problem when using the above-mentioned protective transparent cap, a protective transparent cap is installed along the food transfer circuit in order to protect the food on the food transfer circuit from dirt such as dust in the air and insects such as flies. Eating and drinking counters equipped with transparent windows and enclosures have already been proposed (for example, Utility Model Application No. 117490/1983). In the case of such food and beverage counters, the food on the food and beverage transfer circuit can be constantly protected from dirt such as dust and insects such as flies in the air by an enclosure equipped with a transparent window, so food cannot be placed on it. There is no need to cover each tableware such as a plate with a protective transparent cap, and the enclosed space surrounded by the enclosing body is much larger than the enclosed space by the protective transparent cap. The problem of fogging of transparent caps is also solved. However, the food on the food and drink transfer circuit must be removed through the transparent window of the enclosure.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention As mentioned above, in the case of a food and drink counter equipped with a conventional enclosure, the transparent part for taking out food and drink consists of sliding doors in the left and right directions. Therefore, when the door is pulled open in either the left or right direction to take out the food, a storage area is required for the door, and this storage area must be provided along the food and drink transfer circuit. For this reason, if a seat is installed in front of the opening/closing door accommodation area,
Since the diners seated there cannot take out their food immediately before that, they have to share the opening and closing door with the diners seated in front of the opening/closing door. It will be forced. In order to eliminate this inconvenience, it is necessary to install seats only in front of each opening/closing door, but in this case, the number of seats installed along the perimeter of the food and beverage counter will be reduced. Therefore, business problems for restaurants will arise.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an enclosure having a transparent window section along the food and beverage transfer circuit in order to protect the food on the food and drink transfer circuit from dust and other debris in the air and from insects such as flies. The object of the present invention is to provide a food and drink counter that is equipped with a door that can be opened and closed, and that can eliminate the above-mentioned problems related to the opening/closing door.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems According to the present invention, there is provided a food and drink counter equipped with a conveyor forming a food and drink transfer circuit, and an enclosure is provided along the conveyor to protect the food on the food and drink transfer circuit. In the food and beverage counter in which the food and beverage counter is provided, the enclosure has a rectangular cross section, and its vertical side window portion is provided with a plurality of transparent members arranged along the food and beverage table of the food and beverage counter. , each of the transparent members has its both sides guided by guide grooves extending perpendicularly to the frame of the enclosure, so that the transparent members can be moved between a closed position covering the side window and an open position opening the side window. The suspension cable element is supported by one end of the suspension cable element so as to be movable in the vertical direction between an open position and an open position, and each of the suspension cable elements is connected to a guide wheel provided in the upper cover of the enclosure. A food and beverage counter is provided, which is provided with a bridge over the air cylinder, and the other end thereof is connected to the operating end of an air cylinder which is also provided in the upper covering part and corresponds to the window part.

In the present invention, the open position of the transparent member can be either above or below its closed position. When the open position of the transparent member is placed above the closed position, a housing area for the transparent member can be prepared in the enclosure of the food and drink transfer circuit and the transparent member can be placed in the open position. When the position is located below the closed position, a storage area for the transparent member can be prepared on the base of the eating and drinking counter, and the transparent member can be placed in the open position.

In the present invention, in order to make the transparent member freely movable between the closed position and the open position, a frame member is provided between two adjacent transparent members, and the side edge of the transparent member is accommodated in the frame member. It is possible to form a guide groove for guiding. In addition, the transparent member can be moved between the chained position and the open position by using the opening itself of the transparent member storage area provided in the enclosure of the food and drink transfer circuit or the base of the food and drink counter as a guide means. It can also be made freely.

In the present invention, when the transparent members are arranged along the eating and drinking table of the eating and drinking counter, it is preferable that each transparent member is installed in correspondence with each seat for eating and drinking customers arranged along the eating and drinking table. That is, each seat is provided with a transparent member having a horizontal dimension corresponding to the width to be occupied by the diners seated on the seat, and each of the diners can open their own transparent member and take out their food. It is preferable to do so. However, if necessary,
A transparent member having a width corresponding to two or more adjacent seats may also be placed along the dining table.

In the present invention, the hanging cable elements connected to the transparent member to support it may be, for example, metal wires, ropes, etc. Such a suspension cable element can be driven by an air cylinder, whereby the transparent member can be moved between a closed position and an open position. A single suspension cable element may support the transparent member in its center when the open position of the transparent member is placed above its closed position; When placed below, it is necessary to support the transparent member at both ends with a pair of suspension cable elements. This is because if the transparent member is placed in the open position below the closed position and the transparent member is supported in its center by a single suspension cable element, then by moving the transparent member to the open position, This is because a single hanging rope element is present in the central longitudinal direction of the open area that is formed, that is, the food take-out area.

(e) Function of the invention In the food and beverage counter according to the present invention, the enclosure provided along the food and beverage transfer circuit to protect the food has a plurality of transparent members along the food and beverage table of the food and beverage counter. arranged, each transparent member being supported by a suspension cable element connected thereto and independent of each other between a closed position covering the food and beverage transfer circuit and an open position exposing the transfer circuit. Since each transparent member is vertically movable, when each transparent member is placed in the chain position, the transparent member protects the food on the food and drink transfer circuit from dust, flies, etc. in the air. It provides protection against insects and also provides access to food and drink via the open area formed therein when the transparent member is moved from the closed position to its upper or lower open position.

(F) Embodiments Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below exemplarily show the most preferred embodiments of the eating and drinking counter according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited in any way by such illustrative descriptions. That is, it should be understood that various changes can be made to the components constituting the following embodiments and their arrangement within the technical scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the food and drink counter of the present invention, which is equipped with an endless conveyor forming the food and drink transfer circuit of the present invention, and is an example of a food and drink transfer circuit that is a single lane and is applied to the food and drink counter. FIG. 3 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of one example. The food and drink transfer circuit in the food and drink counter of this example forms a closed circuit with an appropriate shape such as an oval or a rectangle.

In FIG. 1, a food and beverage counter is indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, and comprises a base 2 of closed loop shape, e.g. is shown. The base 2 has an inner peripheral wall 3 and an outer peripheral wall 4.
and a top frame 5 provided between the tops of these surrounding walls. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the outer side of the base 2, that is, the outer peripheral wall 4
There will be dining tables around the area for customers to eat.

A groove 6 having a shape similar to the closed loop shape of the eating and drinking counter 1 is formed in the top frame 5.
An endless crescent-type conveyor (not shown), which is well known in the art, is arranged to form a food and beverage transfer circuit.

Further, an inner guide member 7 and an outer guide member 8, preferably made of a corrosion-resistant stainless steel plate, are disposed on the top frame 5 along the endless conveyor, and these guide members allow the conveyor to be placed on the endless conveyor. Tableware, for example plates for placing sushi, are guided so that they do not deviate from the food and drink transport circuit, and the movement of the endless conveyor itself is also guided. To explain this in detail, the inner guide member 7 includes a raised portion 9 along the inside of the top frame 5, a flat portion 10 extending from the bottom toward the groove 6, and a hanging portion that hangs down from the flat portion 10 into the groove 6. 11, and the outer guide member 8 similarly includes a raised part 12 along the outside of the top frame 5, a flat part 13 extending from the bottom toward the groove part 6, and the flat part 1.
3 and a hanging part 14 that hangs down into the groove part 6. Circulating movement of tableware such as plates is guided by raised parts 9 and 12, and movement of the endless conveyor is guided by guide rollers provided on the chain. is guided by engaging the depending parts 11 and 14. Note that the endless conveyor also has flat parts 10 and 13 in its crescent-shaped plate members.
It is supported slidably against.

The configuration described above is well known in the art and is shown as a typical example of a conventional food and beverage counter, so a more detailed explanation will be omitted.

In the food and beverage counter 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a peripheral wall 15 is provided along the inside of the food and beverage transfer circuit.
is placed. Peripheral wall 15 is disposed along the inner peripheral edge of base 2 and extends vertically upwardly therefrom. For example, when a sushi chef prepares sushi inside the food and beverage counter 1, it is desirable to install a sliding door (not shown) at an appropriate location on the surrounding wall 15. By opening the door, for example, a plate containing sushi can be placed on an endless conveyor.

The peripheral wall 15 is provided with an upper covering member 16 integrally formed therein, this upper covering member 16
is located above the food and drink transfer circuit. Upper cover member 16 extends along the outside of the top of peripheral wall 18 and is cantilevered therefrom. The upper cover member 16 includes an inner peripheral side wall 17 fixed along the outside of the top of the peripheral wall 18, a pair of ceiling plates 18 and 19 extending horizontally from the upper and lower side edges of the inner side wall 17, and these. and an outer peripheral side wall 20 extending along the outer peripheral edge of the ceiling board. Lighting lights (not shown) are provided at appropriate intervals on the lower side of the upper cover member 16, that is, on the lower surface of the ceiling plate 19, to illuminate the food and drinks on the closed circuit for food and drink transfer and the counter tables for customers. can do.

A plurality of transparent members, that is, rectangular transparent doors 21 are arranged along the outside of the food and drink transfer circuit, adjacent to each other and movable in the vertical direction.
These transparent doors 21 can be made from transparent materials such as glass, transparent acrylic resin materials, etc. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, frame members 22 are provided between both side edges of adjacent transparent doors, and these frame members 22 are arranged along the outer peripheral edge of the base 2, Moreover, it is supported on its outer peripheral edge. The frame member 22 is also fixed to the outer peripheral side wall 22 of the base upper cover member 16 and extends upwardly beyond the ceiling plate 18 of the upper cover member 16. As shown most clearly in FIG. 2, vertically extending guide grooves 23 are formed on both sides of the frame member 22, and the corresponding side edges of the transparent door 21 are accommodated in the guide grooves 23.
This guides the movement of the transparent door 21 when it moves in the vertical direction. In Figure 1,
The transparent door 21 is in a closed position that covers the food and beverage transfer circuit, and when the transparent door 21 is pulled upward from the closed position, the transparent door 21 assumes an open position that exposes the transfer circuit. . When the transparent door 21 is pulled up to the open position, an open area or food removal area is formed there.

Note that in this embodiment, the vertical movement of the transparent door is guided by the frame member;
Without using such a frame member, a transparent door accommodation housing is provided at the open position of the transparent door, and the shape of the entrance/exit of the transparent door formed in the accommodation housing or the cross-sectional shape of the transparent door accommodation part is the same as that of the transparent door. Matching the cross-sectional shape, this may be used as a guide means for vertical movement of the transparent door. In this case, it is necessary to make the transparent door longer in the vertical direction so that the upper part of the transparent door always fits within the accommodation housing. Further, in such an embodiment, in order to eliminate a gap between the opposite side edges of adjacent transparent doors, the opposite side edges can be engaged, for example, in a manner like a mortise and tenon joint.

When the transparent doors 21 are arranged along the outside of the food and beverage transfer circuit, each transparent door 21 preferably includes:
It is made to correspond to each seat (not shown) for eating and drinking customers arranged along the periphery of the eating and drinking counter 1.
In other words, the transparent door 2 has a horizontal dimension corresponding to the width to be occupied by the customers seated at the seats.
1 will be provided for each seat. According to this arrangement of transparent doors, only the transparent door corresponding to the seat where the customer is seated takes the open position for taking out the food and drink, and the other transparent doors remain in the closed position. Ru.

In order to support the transparent door 21, one end of a hanging cable element 24 is connected to the center of the upper edge of the transparent door 21. The other end of this suspension cable element 24 is connected to a suitable drive. To explain this point in more detail, in this embodiment, an air cylinder 25 is used as the driving device, and this air cylinder 25 is disposed inside the upper cover member 16. The air cylinder 25 is composed of an actuating rod 26 and a cylinder part 27, the other end of the hanging cable element 24 is connected to the free end of the actuating rod 26, and the cylinder part 27 is connected to the inner peripheral side wall 17 of the upper cover member 16. is fixed to the air cylinder 25.
will be supported against its inner peripheral side wall 17.

Two pulleys 28 and 29 are used to guide the movement of the suspension cable element 24 when it is actuated by the air cylinder 25. The pulley 28 is rotatably supported by a rod 30 extending along the inside of the upper end of the frame member 22, and is disposed at the center between a pair of adjacent frame members 22. The rod 30 is the frame member 2
It is supported by a support member 31 attached to the inside of the upper end portion of 2. On the other hand, the pulley 29 is rotatably supported by a rod 32 provided inside the upper cover member 16, and, like the pulley 28, is located centrally between adjacent frame members 22.
The rod 32 is connected to the outer peripheral side wall 2 of the upper cover member 16.
It is supported by a support member 33 attached to 0. By arranging the pulleys 28 and 29 in this manner, the hanging cable element 24 extending vertically upward from the center of the upper edge of the transparent door 21 is first hung on the pulley 28 and directed vertically downward;
It is then hooked onto the pulley 29 and oriented horizontally to reach the free end of the actuating rod 26 of the air cylinder 25. In addition, the hanging rope element 24
A hole 34 is formed at a corresponding location in the ceiling plate 18 of the upper cover member 16 in order to guide the inside of the upper cover member 16 .

In FIG. 1, the actuating rod 26 of the air cylinder 25 is in an extended position, with the transparent door 21 in the closed position. When the actuating rod 26 of the air cylinder 25 is retracted, the suspension cable element 24
is actuated, which causes the transparent door 21 to be pulled up into an open position, thereby creating an open area or food removal area. Also, when the actuating rod 26 of the air cylinder 25 is extended from its retracted position, the transparent door 21 is lowered by gravity and assumes the closed position again.

In the present invention, the air cylinder 25 can be operated by the customer. In this case, the operating switch for the air cylinder 25 (not shown)
is provided at a suitable location, for example on the outer part of the base 2 close to the counter table. Regarding the manner in which the air cylinder 25 is controlled by such an actuation switch, for example, the actuation rod 26 of the air cylinder 25 can be controlled by turning on the actuation switch by a customer.
is retracted from the extended position shown, and the transparent door 2
1 assumes the open position, and when the actuating switch is turned off, the actuating rod 33 of the air cylinder 31 is extended again so that the transparent door 21 is returned to the closed position. Incidentally, since such an air cylinder control system itself is a well-known technology, a description thereof will be omitted.

As a modification of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air cylinder 25 and the pulley 29 may be arranged outside the upper cover member 16, for example above the ceiling plate 18, in which case the pulley 29 may be arranged as necessary. 2
You can also omit 9.

In the present invention, a hydraulic cylinder may be used instead of the air cylinder 25. Furthermore, an electric hoisting device can also be used as an actuating device other than the air cylinder and the hydraulic cylinder. If an electric hoist is used, the electric hoist may be placed above the center between the upper ends of adjacent frame members 22 with a suitable support member, in which case a pulley may be used. It is also possible to actuate the suspension cable element 24 directly. Note that even when using an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, by arranging them above the center between adjacent frame members 22, the suspension cable elements 24 can be directly actuated without using a pulley. Good too.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. In addition, in Figure 3, Figures 1 and 2 are
The same reference numerals are used for similar components as in the illustrated embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the open position of the transparent door 21 is located above the closed position, whereas in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the open position is located below the closed position. The two differ in that they are placed in In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a receiving housing (not shown) for the transparent door 21 can be provided outside the base 2, and the transparent door 21 can be opened in that housing. When the open position of the transparent door 21 is placed below the closed position in this way, as in the embodiments of FIGS. cannot be connected to the center of This is because when the transparent door 21 is moved from the closed position to the open position to form an open area or food removal area therein, the suspension line element 24 extends longitudinally through the center of the food removal area. This is because the hanging rope element 24 becomes an obstacle to taking out the food.

In order to avoid such inconvenience, in the embodiment shown in FIG. connected near both ends of the section. Each of the hanging cable elements 35 extending vertically upward from near both ends of each transparent door 21 is hung by a pulley 36 attached to the upper end of the frame member 22 provided to guide both side edges of the transparent door. It is directed vertically downward and is then attached to a pulley 37 located inside the upper covering member 16 . Note that in order to guide the hanging cable element 35 into the inside of the upper cover member 16, the ceiling plate 1 of the upper cover member 16 is
The holes are formed at the corresponding locations 8 in the same manner as in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Pulley 3
6 is rotatably attached to a rod 38 disposed inside the upper end of the frame member 22, and the rod 38 is supported by a support member 39 attached to the upper end of the frame member 22. On the other hand, the pulleys 37 are fixed to both ends of a shaft 40 disposed along the outer peripheral side wall 20 of the upper cover member 16,
This shaft 40 is rotatably supported by a pair of support members 41 attached to the outer peripheral side wall 20 of the upper cover member 16. A pulley 42 is fixed to the center of the shaft 40, and a cable element 43 similar to the suspension cable element 35 is attached to this pulley 42, and the cable element 43 is connected to the free end of the actuating rod 26 of the air cylinder 25. Ru. In addition, the state shown in FIG. 3,
That is, when the operating rod 26 of the air cylinder 25 is extended and the transparent door 21 is in the open position, the predetermined length of the cable element 43, that is, the transparent door 21
The pulley 42 has the length necessary to move it from its closed position to its open position.

According to such a configuration, when the actuating rod 26 of the air cylinder 25 is actuated from the extended position to the retracted position, the shaft 40 is rotated.
This causes the suspension cable element 35 to be wound around the pulley 37, the transparent door 21 being moved from the open position to the closed position, and the actuating rod 26 of the air cylinder 25 being extended from its retracted position. Then, the transparent door 21 descends due to gravity and assumes the open position again.

Even in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG.
The pulley 37 and the like can be arranged above the ceiling plate 18 of the upper cover member 16. Also, as in the case of FIGS. 1 and 2, the air cylinder 25
Instead, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric hoisting device, etc. may be used. Furthermore, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the use of the frame member 20 is eliminated and the base 2
It is also possible to match the shape of the entrance/exit of the storage housing for the transparent door provided on the outside of the transparent door or the cross-sectional shape of the storage portion thereof with the cross-sectional shape of the transparent door, and use this as a guide means for the vertical movement of the transparent door. This is similar to the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Although the embodiments described above have been explained with respect to a food and drink counter in which the food and drink transfer circuit forms a single lane, the present invention is applied to a food and drink counter in which at least a part or all of the food and drink transfer circuit forms a double lane. Is possible. In this case, transparent doors would be placed along both sides of the enclosure provided at the double lane location.

(g) Effects of the invention As is clear from the above description, according to the invention, the transparent door assumes a closed position and an open position in the vertical direction with respect to the food and beverage transfer circuit when taking out food. Unlike conventional eating and drinking counters, this does not cause any hindrance to the taking out of food from adjacent seats.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the eating and drinking counter according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the eating and drinking counter shown in FIG. It is a figure where a cylinder, a pulley, etc. are also shown with a dashed-dotted line.
FIG. 3 is a partial top view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of main reference numbers, 1... Food and beverage counter, 2
... Base, 15 ... Surrounding wall, 16 ... Upper cover member, 21 ... Transparent door, 22 ... Frame member, 2
3... Guide groove, 24... Hanging cable element, 25... Air cylinder, 26... Actuation rod, 27... Cylinder part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A food and drink counter comprising a conveyor forming a food and drink transfer circuit, the food and drink counter having a conveyor along which an enclosure is provided to protect the food on said transfer circuit, the enclosure having a square cross section. The vertical side window is provided with a plurality of transparent members disposed along the dining table of the dining counter, each transparent member comprising:
Both sides of the enclosure are guided by guide grooves formed to extend perpendicularly to the frame of the enclosure between a closed position that covers the side window and an open position that opens the side window. The suspension cable element is supported by one end of the suspension cable element so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and each of the suspension cable elements is spanned over a guide wheel provided in the upper covering part of the enclosure, and the other end of the suspension cable element is A food and drink counter characterized by being connected to the working end of an air cylinder which is also provided in the upper cover part corresponding to the window part.