Adjustable Breath Guard with Single-Operator Reconfiguration Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breath guards for food serving systems are either fixed in configuration, limiting their use in multiple settings, or require multiple operators for adjustment, making them impractical for single-operator reconfiguration between buffet and cafeteria settings.
Innovation Solution
A breath guard with laterally offset supports, guide rails, and an adjustable panel that is rotatably and translatably coupled to the guide rails, featuring an adjustment mechanism that allows selective engagement to change positions, enabling easy reconfiguration between buffet and cafeteria configurations by a single operator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single fixed configuration breath guard is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different service scenarios is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The breath guard panel is made adjustable through a mechanism that allows it to be repositioned between multiple configurations (buffer and cafeteria settings). The panel can be moved along guide rails and locked at different positions, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that adapts to different service scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The breath guard is designed to perform multiple functions by accommodating different service configurations. The same device can serve as a buffer guard allowing customer access from both sides, or as a cafeteria guard with restricted access from one side, eliminating the need for multiple dedicated devices.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an adjustable breath guard is used, then the adaptability to different service scenarios is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring multiple operators
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is divided into independent components: guide rails for movement, carriages for positioning, and pawl-ratchet mechanisms for locking. Each component performs a specific function, allowing the system to be adjusted and locked by a single operator through simple, localized actions rather than complex coordinated efforts.
Solution Approach 2:
The pawl-ratchet mechanism provides automatic locking when the panel is positioned, eliminating the need for additional operators to secure the configuration. The mechanism self-locks upon engagement with the guide rail, making the adjustment process simple and operator-friendly.
3Area of stationary object
If the breath guard is configured to cover a large area, then the food protection capability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as multiple operators are needed for adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The large-area breath guard panel is made dynamically adjustable through the guide rail and carriage mechanism. Despite its size, the panel can be easily repositioned along the rails and locked at different configurations by a single operator, preventing the need for multiple operators that would otherwise be required to handle such a large structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A breath guard for a food serving system includes first and second supports positioned laterally offset from one another, a guide rail coupled to the first support and extending in a substantially longitudinal direction, an adjustable panel extending between the first and second supports, and an adjustment mechanism coupled to the adjustable panel and configured to selectively engage the guide rail in a series of locations. The adjustable panel is rotatably and translatably coupled to the guide rail and is rotatable relative to the guide rail about an axis of rotation that extends laterally. The adjustment mechanism prevents longitudinal movement of the adjustable panel in a first direction and allows movement in a second direction opposite the first direction when the adjustment mechanism engages the guide rail, such that the adjustable panel is selectively repositionable between a plurality of longitudinal positions.