Adjustable Food Shield with Bracket Assemblies for Buffet Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food shields do not adequately meet health code requirements, provide sufficient adjustability, and enhance the aesthetic presentation of buffet-style food, despite their widespread use in eateries.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable food shield system featuring shield panel support structures, semi-transparent or transparent shield panels, and adjustable bracket assemblies that allow for both positional and angular adjustments, along with removable side panels for versatile attachment to various post configurations, enhancing both functionality and aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fixed food shields are used, then installation is simple, but adjustability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The food shield system employs dynamic positioning mechanisms including sliding brackets along vertical posts, rotating joint assemblies, and telescopic arms that enable the shield panels to be adjusted to multiple positions and angles. This allows the structure to adapt from a simple fixed state to a dynamically adjustable configuration, resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The food shield is divided into modular components including separate panels, brackets, posts, and joint assemblies. Each segment can be independently adjusted, positioned, or reconfigured. This segmentation enables complex adjustability while maintaining relatively simple individual components that are easy to install and manipulate.
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable mechanisms are added, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket assemblies serve multiple functions: they attach panels to posts, enable vertical sliding adjustment, provide rotational positioning, and allow telescopic extension. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, achieving high adaptability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic arm mechanism employs nested segments that slide within each other, allowing compact storage when not in use and extended configuration when needed. This nesting principle enables the system to adapt to various spatial requirements while maintaining a compact form factor that doesn't excessively increase complexity.
3Illumination intensity
If transparent panels are used, then aesthetic value improves, but protection effectiveness may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses transparent or translucent panel materials that optimize light transmission to enhance food visibility and aesthetic presentation. Simultaneously, the panels maintain sufficient opacity to block airborne contaminants and provide psychological comfort to patrons. The specific transparency parameter is selected to balance these competing requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A food shield has shield panels that are location adjustable and angularly adjustable in respect of support structures (posts) that are coupled to a mounting surface, such as a surface of a buffet table or cart. For location adjustment of a shield panel along length of a post, a bracket assembly includes outer and inner collar portions, a grip element positioned between the outer and inner collar portions, and a tightening element that tightens the connection of the assembled collar against support posts. For angular adjustment, each bracket assembly includes an indexing base, a rotatable arm assembly with an indexing hub, and a removable or retractable coupling element. Side panels are mounted to the same posts as the shield panels with removable clamps that engage exterior surfaces of the posts. The removable clamps have multiple parts that are variously inverted for joining the clamps to posts at different orientations.