초록 ▼

An adjustable shelf system for food equipment includes at least two front brackets, each having a base and a support member extending from the base. The support member has an outer edge and a series of vertically spaced notches. The front brackets are mounted such that the notched support surfaces e

An adjustable shelf system for food equipment includes at least two front brackets, each having a base and a support member extending from the base. The support member has an outer edge and a series of vertically spaced notches. The front brackets are mounted such that the notched support surfaces extend substantially toward each other in a direction generally parallel with a vertical plane that intersects both of the front brackets. A shelf is supported by the front brackets, with extensions extending outwardly from the sides of the shelf. The front of the shelf can be lifted, allowing the shelf to be moved laterally to a position in which the back of the shelf is no longer supported by back support surfaces and the extensions are clear of the notches in the front brackets, thereby allowing the shelf to be moved vertically to a different height while being held horizontal.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A piece of food equipment having an adjustable shelf system comprising: a) at least one series of vertically spaced back support surfaces mounted in the food equipment for providing support to a back of a shelf; b) at least two front brackets, each having a base and a support

What is claimed is: 1. A piece of food equipment having an adjustable shelf system comprising: a) at least one series of vertically spaced back support surfaces mounted in the food equipment for providing support to a back of a shelf; b) at least two front brackets, each having a base and a support member extending from the base, the support member having an outer edge, the support member also having a series of vertically spaced notches extending from the outer edge toward the base, the notches having a first elevation and a second elevation lower than the first elevation, the first elevation being located between the edge and the second elevation, and the second elevation being located between the first elevation and the base, the front brackets being mounted vertically in the food equipment such that the second elevation of the notches in the front bracket are at the same elevation as corresponding back support surfaces, the front brackets also being mounted such that the support members extend from the bases substantially toward each other in a direction generally parallel with a vertical plane that intersects both of the front brackets; and c) at least one shelf supported by the back support surfaces and the front brackets with a front, back and two sides, the front and the back defining the depth of the shelf and the two sides defining the width of the shelf, the shelf having a main shelf surface and at least two extensions extending outwardly from the sides between the front and the back and protruding beyond the width of the shelf, the extensions having a width, measured from the front to the back of the shelf, of less than the depth of the shelf, and a thickness such that they can pass laterally through the front bracket notches; the extensions being placed on the shelf, the front brackets and back support surfaces being placed in the food equipment, and the extensions and notches being configured such that in a first longitudinal shelf position, the back of the shelf is supported by one of the at least one series of back support surfaces and the extensions extend into corresponding notches in the front brackets and rest on the second elevation of said notches, and such that the front of the shelf can be lifted to where the extensions clear the first elevation, allowing the shelf to be moved laterally to a second longitudinal shelf position in which the back of the shelf is no longer supported by the back support surfaces and the extensions are clear of the notches in the front brackets, thereby allowing the shelf to be moved vertically to a different height while maintaining the shelf in a substantially horizontal plane. 2. The adjustable shelf system of claim 1 wherein the shelf is made of wire. 3. The adjustable shelf system of claim 2 wherein the extensions each comprise a loop of wire. 4. The adjustable shelf system of claim 1 wherein the shelf is symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the main shelf surface and bisecting the shelf, and parallel to the plane intersecting the front brackets. 5. The adjustable shelf system of claim 1 wherein there are at least two series of back support surfaces, each series being provided by a back bracket having a series of vertically spaced notches. 6. The adjustable shelf system of claim 5 wherein each shelf comprises four extensions. 7. The adjustable shelf system of claim 1 wherein the notches are evenly spaced apart from one another on each of the front brackets. 8. The adjustable shelf system of claim 2 wherein the notches on the front brackets are formed such that they have an upstanding finger that fits into an opening formed by a loop in the wire. 9. The adjustable shelf system of claim 5 wherein the back brackets are mounted such that the notches in the back brackets extend in a direction generally parallel with the plane intersecting the front brackets. 10. The adjustable shelf system of claim 1 wherein the bases of both of the front brackets are attached to sidewalls of the food equipment, and the support members of each front bracket extend generally perpendicular to the sidewall to which the bracket is attached. 11. The adjustable shelf system of claim 5 wherein the notches in the back brackets are of substantially the same width throughout their entire length. 12. The adjustable shelf system of claim 10 wherein there are at least two series of back support surfaces, each series being provided by a back bracket having a series of vertically spaced notches, and the back brackets are also each attached to a sidewall of the food equipment. 13. A food storage apparatus having a back wall, two sidewalls, at least one doorway and a plurality of shelves, the shelves being supported inside the apparatus so as to be adjustable in height, comprising: a) at least two front brackets mounted in the apparatus so as to be substantially parallel with one another, each with a base attached to the apparatus and a set of notches, the notches being at equal elevations on the two brackets, each notch being deeper at a portion adjacent to the base and creating an upstanding finger at the region of the notch away from the base, the front brackets also being mounted such that the notches in each front bracket extend from the bases substantially toward each other and in a direction generally parallel with a plane that is parallel with and intersects the front brackets; b) at least two back brackets each with a base attached to the apparatus and a set of notches at equal elevations with the notches in the front brackets; and c) the shelves each having a front, back and two sides, the front and the back defining the depth of the shelf and the two sides defining the width of the shelf, at least two extensions extending outwardly from the sides between the front and the back and protruding beyond the width of the shelf, the extensions having a width, measured from the front to the back of the shelf, of less than the depth of the shelf, and sized, positioned on the shelves and configured such that as the shelves are moved back-to-front and front-to-back in the apparatus, the extensions can slide laterally in the front bracket notches to a first position where the extensions can drop into the deeper portion of the notch and cooperate with the upstanding finger to hold the shelf against lateral movement and the back of the shelf is supported by the back brackets, and to a second position where the shelf can be moved vertically without the extensions contacting the front brackets and the shelf contacting the notches in the back brackets while maintaining the shelf in a substantially horizontal plane. 14. The food storage apparatus of claim 13 wherein each shelf has a number of extensions equal to the total number of front and back brackets. 15. The food storage apparatus of claim 13 wherein the extensions extend from the sides of the shelves about one inch back from the fronts of the shelves. 16. The food storage apparatus of claim 13 wherein the extensions comprise loops of wire having a center opening that fits around the upstanding finger. 17. The food storage apparatus of claim 13 wherein the apparatus has at least two doorways and a mullion between the doorways. 18. The food storage apparatus of claim 17 wherein one set of shelves are located in the area accessible through a first doorway and a second set of shelves are located in the area accessible through a second doorway, and the second set of shelves include an extended shelf surface that extends behind the mullion. 19. The food storage apparatus of claim 17 wherein the apparatus includes a front and rear pilaster, the front pilaster being positioned behind the mullion and the rear pilaster being adjacent the back wail and laterally spaced to be behind the front pilaster, and the front brackets near the mullion are mounted on the front pilaster and the back brackets supporting the inside back corners of the shelves are mounted on the rear pilaster. 20. The food storage apparatus of claim 13 wherein the apparatus comprises a reach-in cooler. 21. An adjustable shelf system in a cabinet having a back wall, two sidewalls and at least one doorway, the doorway defining a plane, the system comprising: a) at least two back brackets, each having a base for connecting the bracket to the cabinet and a support member extending from the base and having an outer edge, the support member having a series of spaced notches extending from the outer edge toward the base, the at least two brackets being mounted in the cabinet such that the notches in one bracket are at the same elevation as corresponding notches on the other bracket; b) at least two front brackets, each having a base for connecting the bracket to the cabinet and a support member extending from the base and having an outer edge, the support member having a series of spaced notches extending from the outer edge toward the base, the notches having a first elevation and a second elevation lower than the first elevation, the first elevation being located between the edge and the second elevation, and the second elevation being located between the first elevation and the base, the front brackets being mounted in the cabinet such that the second elevation of the notches in the front bracket are at the same elevation as corresponding notches on the back brackets, the brackets also being mounted such that the support members extend from the bases substantially toward each other in a direction generally parallel with the plane of the doorway; and c) at least one shelf supported by the brackets in the cabinet with a front, back and two sides, the front and the back defining the depth of the shelf and the two sides defining the width of the shelf, the shelf having a main shelf surface and at least two extensions extending outwardly from the sides between the front and the back and protruding beyond the width of the shelf, the extensions having a width, measured from the front to the back of the shelf, of less than the depth of the shelf, and a thickness such that they can pass laterally through the front bracket notches; the extensions being placed on the shelf, the front brackets being placed in the cabinet and the extensions and notches being configured such that in a first longitudinal shelf position, the back of the shelf is supported by the notches in the back brackets and the extensions extend into corresponding notches in the front brackets and rest on the second elevation of said notches, and such that the front of the shelf can be lifted to where the extensions clear the first elevation, allowing the shelf to be moved toward the front of the cabinet to a second longitudinal shelf position in which the back of the shelf is no longer supported by the notches in the back brackets and the extensions are clear of the notches in the front brackets, thereby allowing the shelf to be moved vertically to a different height within the cabinet while maintaining the shelf in a substantially horizontal plane. 22. The adjustable shelf system of claim 21 wherein the shelf can be adjusted after the front of the shelf is lifted less than 1.5° from a horizontal plane. 23. A reach-in cooler having a back wall, two sidewalls and at least one doorway and including the adjustable shelf system of claim 1. 24. The reach-in cooler of claim 23 wherein one of the front brackets is mounted on each of the sidewalls near the doorway so that the front of the shelf is facing the doorway. 25. The reach-in cooler of claim 24 wherein when the shelf is in the first longitudinal position, the back of the shelf is adjacent the back wall, and the shelf is moved towards the doorway when being moved into the second longitudinal position. 26. The reach-in cooler of claim 23 wherein the doorway is slightly wider than the distance between the outermost parts of the extensions, and the shelf can be removed from the reach-in cooler without having to be tipped at a side-to-side angle. 27. The reach-in cooler of claim 23 wherein the shelf is made of a top layer of spaced apart generally parallel wire strands held together and supported by cross wires underneath and generally perpendicular to the top wire strands, and the extensions comprise 180° loops in the cross wires.