GB2347622A - Kitchen equipment organisation - Google Patents

Abstract

In a commercial catering kitchen, different areas are used for different tasks (eg Sauce, Fish, Larder, Banqueting, Vegetable, and Pastry). Each area is assigned a different colour. Each implement used in that area is given an identification element 14 on its handle of that colour, and a bracket 10 of the same colour is mounted in that area to hold the implement. The identification elements also carry code symbols, and the brackets have areas 12 for the corresponding code symbols. The brackets interlock with each other, and are of various types (magnetic, bar, hook, clip, and prong) for different types of handles.

Description

Equipment.

The present invention relates to the organization and control of kitchen equipment.

Generally, all commercial catering kitchens (ie large-scale non-domestic kitchens) possess common ergonomic problems with regards to the correct organization of equipment, regardless of the size and stature of the establishment. A lack of equipment organization often results in some or all the following prob lems.

Equipment can become lost or even stolen. This results in equipment shortages within individual sections, and forces other sections to use equipment which doesn't belong to them. As a result, either the equipment has to be searched for or incorrect equipment has to be used.

Searching for missing equipment often involves the loss of valable time.

A person from each section of a kitchen can lose up to 20 minutes each day looking for equipment-this can result in a two week manpower loss over the period of one year.

The alternative which is often adopted, of using the incorrect equipment, also has serious drawbacks. For example, the use of pastry equipment on the sauce section of the kitchen leads to damage of equipment (equipment made of plastics material being used for hot cooking) and can also reduce the quality of the food. There are also risks of food poisoning through exposure to cross contamination, such as meat implements being used on fish sections (these are often very close to each other, meat and raw fish are not a good mixture).

There is also a straight financial cost, since companies spend thousands of pounds annually, replacing equipment.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved way of organizing implements in a commercial catering kitchen.

According to the invention there is provided a commercial catering kitchen equipment organization system comprising a plurality of brackets of various types adapted to hold kitchen implements of various types, the brackets being of different colours corresponding to the different areas of the kitchen, and a corresponding plurality of identification elements for attachment to the imple ments used in the kitchen, the identification elements being coloured to match the brackets. Preferably the brackets and identification elements also carry corres ponding code symbols. Preferably also the brackets interlock.

The present system promotes the creation of a functional working environ ment in which personnel are more aware of the equipment at their disposa.

They will therefore become more responsible with their implements at hand and at all times. This is necessary for each section to successfully complete their tasks.

The present system strongly encourages the staff of the kitchen to keep to a systematic organization of the kitchen equipment. This has a variety of advantages. The lack of correct storage procedures, or the lack of adherence to them, can result in unnecessary loss of equipment which is left in places where it can become accidentally damaged. Further, safety problems can result from equipment being stacked incorrectly. This leads to unnecessary dangers in and around the kitchen.

Further, the incidence of theft will be reduced, since it will be more obvious when equipment is missing if a bracket is left empty when staff finish a night shift; or, when staff arrive in the morning, empty brackets will easily be notice.

The present organizing system can create a functional working environment in which catering personnel in a commercial kitchen are more aware of the equipment at their disposa. This is achieved by the use of colour coded brackets and colour coded implement or utensil equipment. Each bracket has a corresponding implement, and each section within the kitchen department will be allocated the correct amount of utensil equipment and corresponding brackets, making the persons in charge of the section responsible for their own equipment.

There is a diverse number of sections within a professional kitchen; a typical list of sections is Sauce, Fish, Larder, Banqueting, Vegetable, and Pastry.

In the present system, each section in the kitchen is allocated a distinctive colour, for example: Red-Sauce Blue-Fish Brown-Larder Orange-Banqueting Green-Vegetable Yellow-Pastry.

All utensil equipment is coloured in accordance with the section it is used in. This is done by colouring either the whole piece of equipment or by marking it with its colour. Further, for each utensil, a respective bracket is provided; both the bracket and utensil equipment will have the same colour depending on their allocated section. In other words, brackets and utensil equipment are colour coded in order to relate to each other and to correspond to each section of a kitchen.

The system is taken a stage further by not oniy using colour coding brackets and utensil equipment but by adding numbers, letters or symbols. All utensil equipment of the same type will have the same number, letter or symbol.

For example, a RED colour coded bracket (numbered 1, for example) supports RED colour coded utensil equipment (also numbered 1) used in the Sauce area of the kitchen.

By taking this system further with the use of numbers, letters or symbols in this way, a system is created which promotes the return of utensil equipment back to the correct bracket to which it belons. Furthermore, it is being returned back to the correct section of the work environment, and for this reason the utensil can be properly exploited.

Brackets always stay in their allocated section, but are preferably removable for cleaning purposes before being put back in their allocated section. Utensil 'equipment is then placed back into the bracket to which it belongs once it has been used and cleaned. This is done by using the numbering system. The bracket and the utensil equipment will both operate from a specific area within the appropriate section.

The purpose of placing the implements into the brackets is so that implements are always to hand and can be used for the correct purpose at all times.

Stock-taking of equipment can therefore become more practical, making personnel more responsible with their own utensil equipment upon the section in which they work. This is necessary for each section to successfully complete their tasks.

The brackets will normally be made of hard durable plastic and metal which are situated within the individual sections by a simple slide on and off arrangement. It may be desirable or necessary to make different brackets of different materials, because some brackets may be close to a heat source. The brackets will, however, always retain the colour code and number.

It will often be convenient to assemble the brackets into multi-bracket racks.

Such a rack may be an integral multi-bracket unit, or may be a holder containing several distinct brackets. In the latter case, the rack is preferably coloured and numbered to match the brackets.

Colour coding is frequently used within the catering industry. Examples of co) our coding within this environment are chopping boards which are used for different food types, and similarly, different colours are used for implements depending on their use. However, such colour coding does not use a consistent assignment of colours to particular areas, and does not use any method of link- ing the implements themselves with their storage positions.

A kitchen, various implements, and brackets therefor in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which : Fig. I is a plan view of a typical commercial kitchen; Fig. 2 shows a bracket having magnetic strips; Fig. 3 shows handles of implements for use with the bracket of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows various implements for use with the bracket of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 shows a bracket having a suspension bar; Fig. 6 shows various implements for use with the bracket of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 shows a bracket having a suspension hook; Fig. 8 shows a handle of an implement for use with the bracket of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 shows various implements for use with the bracket of Fig. 7; Fig. 10 shows a bracket having a clip; Fig. 11 shows a handle of an implement for use with the bracket of Fig. 10 ; Fig. 12 shows various implements for use with the bracket of Fig. 10 ; Fig. 13 shows a bracket having a prongs ; Fig. 14 shows a handle of an implement for use with the bracket of Fig. 13; Fig. 15 shows various implements for use with the bracket of Fig. 13 ; and Fig. 16 shows a group of brackets assembled together.

All diagrams of the brackets are at the same scale (approximately actual size on A4 sheets) with the exception of Fig. i6.

Fig. I shows a typical commercial catering kitchen in plan. This is divided into six main areas, for different types of kitchen activity. These activities are colour coded and indicated as C to H as follows : Red-Sauce C Blue-Fish D Brown-Larder E Orange-Banqueting F Green-Vegetable G Yellow-Pastry H The various sections will contain colour coded brackets and implements of the corresponding colours. The correct sections can also be indicated by using colour coded boards with explanations on them.

Fig. 2 shows, in plan, top, side, and perspective views, a bracket 10 having magnetic strips 11 for holding an implement with a steel handle. The bracket also has a disc 12 for carrying a code number. Fig. 3 shows two examples of steel handles 13 of implements, and Fig. 4 shows various examples of serving and other implements with such steel handles. As shown in Fig. 3, the handles have , code discs 14 mounted on them which are coloured to match the brackets and also carry code numbers to match the code nurnbers on the brackets. The metal blade 13 of the serving implement clips into place on the magnetic strips 1 t of the bracket. When placing the implement in the bracket, the handle will be posi tioned underneath.

Fig. 5 shows, in plan, top, side, and perspective views, a bracket 0' having a bar 20 for holding an implement with a hooked handle. The bracket also has a disc 12 for carrying a code number. Fig. 6 shows various examples of serving and other implements with such hooked handles. As before, the handles have code discs mounted on them which are coloured to match the brackets and also carry code numbers to match the code numbers on the brackets. The hooks of the handles of the serving implement hook into place on the bars 20 of the brackets.

Fig. 7 shows, in plan, top, side, and perspective views, a bracket 10"having a hook 30 for holding an implement with a handle with a hole. The bracket also has a disc 12 for carrying a code number. Fig. 8 shows an example of a handle with a hole 31, and Fig. 9 shows various examples of serving and other implements with such handles with holes. As before, the handles have code discs mounted on them Which are coloured to match the brackets and also carry code numbers to match the code numbers on the brackets. The holes of the handles of the serving implement hook engage over the hooks 30 of the brackets.

Fig. 10 shows, in plan, top, side, and perspective views, a bracket 10"' having a clip formed by two prongs 40 forming a circular aperture 41 for holding an implement with a substantially cylindrica handle. The bracket also has a disc 12 for carrying a code number. Fig. I I shows an example of a handle of this type, and Fig. 12 shows various examples of serving and other implements with such handles. As before, the handles have code discs 14 mounted on them which are coloured to match the brackets and also carry code numbers to match the code numbers on the brackets. If the shape of the top of the handle is suitable, then the code disc may be mounted on the end of the handle instead of its shaft. The handles of the serving implements are pushed into the clips to engage with them.

Fig. 13 shows, in plan, top, side, and perspective views, a bracket tO"" having a clip formed by three bars 50,51, 51 forming a prong formation for holding an implement with two sprung arms such as tongs. The bracket also has a disc 12 for carrying a code number. Fig. 14 shows two examples of handles of this type, and Fig. 15 shows various examples of serving and other implements with such handles. As before, the handles have code discs 14 mounted on them which are coloured to match the brackets and also carry code numbers to match the code numbers on the brackets. The circular head or the hinge region of a tong implement fits over the top bar 50, and by squeezing the two sides of the tong together, it can fit easily between the two bottom bars 51 and rest securely on the top bar 50 of the bracket.

Various types of bracket for different types of implement have been shown individually. However, several implements, generally of different types, will normally be used on the same area of the kitchen. A rack mount (not shown) may be provided for carrying or holding the brackets. Fig. 16 shows a bracket rack of the five different kinds of brackets, with typical implement handles for each bracket shown below the brackets.

The brackets are designed such that they will fit and interlock together to form a rack. The various drawings show interlock means in abstract form, as projections 15 and apertures 16 for receiving the projections. In practice, the interlock means are preferably made self-locking but releasable.

In practice, it is likely that several brackets in a rack will be of the same type, and obviously not all types of brackets need be present in a rack. If the implements are large, then dummy or spacer brackets can be used, fitting with the main brackets but having no means for holding implements.

Naturally, all the brackets in a rack will have the same colour. The same code number can also conveniently be used for all brackets in a rack. It will also be common for a single area in the kitchen to have several racks; in such situations, different code numbers can be used for the different racks.

Claims (5)

1. Clairs 1 A commercial catering kitchen equipment organization system comprising a plurality of brackets of various types adapted to hoid kitchen implements of various types, the brackets being of different colours corresponding to the different areas of the kitchen, and a corresponding plurality of identification elements for attachment to the implements used in the kitchen, the identification elements being coloured to match the brackets.
2. 2 A kitchen organization system according to claim 1 wherein the brackets and identification elements also carry corresponding code symbols.
3. 3 A kitchen organization system according to either previous claim wherein the brackets interlock.
4. 4 A kitchen organization system according to any previous claim wherein the brackets include types substantially as herein shown in at least two of Figs. 2, 5,7,10, and 13.
5. 5 A kitchen organization system substantially as herein described.