Frameless Food Guard System and Method

Abstract

A system and method for a frameless food guard are disclosed. Unlike the prior art, embodiments of a frameless food guard do not comprise a support structure for support of the food guard panel components. Advantageously, one or more of the food guard panel components in a frameless food guard not only restrict access to food residing behind the food guard assembly but also operate to carry all or part of the load of the overall system. As a result, a support structure is not required, thereby minimizing the amount of surface that is not easily accessed for cleaning.

1 . A frameless food guard system, the system comprising:
 a plurality of panel components, wherein at least one of the panel components is a load bearing member of the system and is positioned to provide structural support to an adjacent panel; and   one or more connector components, wherein each of the one or more connector components operate to position at least two panel components adjacently; and   wherein the plurality of panel components and connector components operate to define a space over a surface.   
     
     
         2 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connector components are separable from the panel components. 
     
     
         3 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more foot components, wherein the one or more foot components are mechanically coupled with at least one of the panel components and configured to position the system relative to said surface.   
     
     
         4 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more connector components is configured to position at least two panel components in substantially a same plane. 
     
     
         5 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more connector components is configured to position at least two panel components in substantially perpendicular planes. 
     
     
         6 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 5 , wherein one of the two panel components is positioned such that it overlaps the juxtaposed edge of an adjacently positioned panel component. 
     
     
         7 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the connector components further comprises a gasket component. 
     
     
         8 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the connector components feature chamfered edges. 
     
     
         9 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panel components comprises:
 at least one main viewing panel component, wherein said main viewing panel component is positioned at an angle to said surface and operates to provide a barrier to access to the space defined by the system.   
     
     
         10 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of panel components further comprises:
 at least one side panel component, wherein the side panel component is positioned substantially perpendicular to the main viewing panel component such that a substantially vertical edge of the side panel component is overlapped by a surface of the main viewing panel component.   
     
     
         11 . The frameless food guard system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 at least one top panel component, wherein the top panel component is positioned substantially parallel to said surface.   
     
     
         12 . A scalable and frameless food guard system operable to define a space over a surface, the system comprising:
 a plurality of panel components, wherein:
 at least one of the panel components is a load bearing member of the system and is positioned to provide structural support to an adjacent panel; 
 at least two of the panel components are main viewing panel components positioned at an angle to said surface and configured to provide a barrier to access to the space defined by the system; 
 at least one of the panel components is a side panel component, wherein the side panel component is positioned substantially perpendicular to said at least two main viewing panel components; and 
   one or more connector components, wherein:
 each of the one or more connector components operates to position at least two panel components adjacently; and 
 at least one of the connector components is configured to position the at least two main viewing panel components in a substantially common plane. 
   
     
     
         13 . The scalable and frameless food guard system of  claim 12 , wherein at least one or more of the connector components are configured to position at least one or more additional main viewing panels in a substantially common plane with the at least two main viewing panels. 
     
     
         14 . The scalable and frameless food guard system of  claim 12 , wherein at least one or more of the connector components are configured to position two main viewing panel components in a substantially common plane and a side panel component in a different plane. 
     
     
         15 . The scalable and frameless food guard system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one or more connector components configured to position two main viewing panel components in a substantially common plane and a side panel component in a different plane further operates to position the edge of the side panel component in substantial alignment with a gap between the adjacent edges of the main viewing panel components. 
     
     
         16 . The scalable and frameless food guard system of  claim 12 , further comprising one or more foot components, wherein the one or more foot components are in communication with a panel component and configured to position the system relative to said surface. 
     
     
         17 . The scalable and frameless food guard system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more connector components are separable from the panel components. 
     
     
         18 . The scalable and frameless food guard system of  claim 12 , wherein one or more of the connector components further comprises a gasket component. 
     
     
         19 . The scalable and frameless food guard system of  claim 12 , wherein one or more of the connector components feature chamfered edges. 
     
     
         20 . The scalable and frameless food guard system of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one top panel component, wherein the top panel component is positioned substantially parallel to said surface.