Food shield

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A food shield, comprising:
a shield panel support structure comprising at least one post, said post having an inverted U shape; a side panel having a first face surface and an opposite face surface, a top edge and a bottom edge, said side panel joined to the at least one post of the shield panel support structure in a substantially vertical orientation with at least a first collar clamp, a second collar clamp and a third collar clamp, with each collar clamp defining a slot with slot faces that engage the first face surface and opposite face surface of the side panel near an edge thereof with sufficient clamping force to maintain the side panel in fixed position, and with curved inner surfaces that engage around more than one-half of the circumference of the post, wherein the first collar clamp is disposed at the bottom edge of the side panel and engages one vertically disposed portion of the post, the second collar clamp is disposed at the bottom edge of the side panel and engages another vertically disposed portion of the post, and the third collar clamp is disposed at the top edge of the side panel and engages a horizontally disposed portion of the post.