This invention relates to apparatus for coupling a gas flow line _. and a unit: of gas fed catering equipment. Such equipment may be a gas cooker or oven, ranges, fryers, bratt pans etceterai

Commercial catering establishments are subject to stringent health and hygiene requirements. Ease of access for cleaning purposes is a major consideration in the design of kitchens and catering equipment. It is increasingly common for units to be mobile, thereby allowing staff full access to clean both the equipment itself and the underlying floor area. However, not all catering equipment is readily made mobile. Ovens or hobs, for example, necessarily require connection to a gas feed, and it is this connection which has hitherto limited such units to static fixtures. Unfortunately, it is around these very fixtures that a large proportion of food handling is done, and thus it is essential that they, and the area around them, can be adequately cleaned. Flexible links between the service supply ports and the unit have been suggested, but these are cumbersome to accommodate when the unit is in place, prone to leakage and themselves pose not inconsiderable cleaning difficulties. It is a combination of these problems that makes the use of flexible links at least unattractive, and often unacceptable.

It is known from copending application number 9102466.1 to provide an uncouplable coupling unit for connecting water supplies to and the waste from a sink unit.

However it nas oeen considered that such a coupling system would not be suitable for use with a gas supply.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least reduce, the problems of cleaning and cleaning around catering equipment requiring gas service connections.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for coupling a source of gas and a unit of gas fed catering equipment, comprising a wall-mountable connector extending away from the wall and for connection to a gas service line, a movable base affixable to or integral with the gas fed unit, a connector attached to said base and in gas communication with an inlet of the unit, said wall connector and said unit connector being interengagable, closure means for each connector to maintain each sealingly closed when they are not interengaged, and locking means to hold them releasably in interengaged condition.

Preferably additional latching means are provided to locate the unit or base to the wall.

The connectors and locking means may be surrounded when engaged by second seal means.

Preferably the catering unit has an operating lever to operate the locking means.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a unit such as may be used in the apparatus of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the unit of the first embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, a base frame 2 is mounted to a castor 1 at each corner so that it is moveable. A gas fed unit 17 stands on the base frame 2 to be moveable therewith. If so desired, the unit could be provided with an integral base frame and associated castors or wheels. Adjustable buffers 6 are provided to space the unit from the wall.

A gas inlet of the unit is connected by pipe 15 to a connection point 11 joined to a female connector 8, which is sealingly closed when the unit is not engaged.

The female connector 8 is surrounded by a locking collar which is connected for movement to a lever mechanism 10. This is actuated by means of a foot pedal 3 connected to it by a bar 4 pivoted about point 5. When the collar is retracted by depression of the foot pedal 3, the connector is ready to be disengaged.

A wall connector has a male fitting 9 which again is normally sealed closed. It is connected to a gas connection point 13 for eventual connection to a gas mains. It is interengagable with the female connector 8 when the collar is retracted and they are sealingly locked together when the collar is advanced.

The male connector 9 is held to the wall by bracket 14 and almost surrounded by a coupling shroud 12.

When the unit is engaged, the shroud 12 is located within guide 17 on the base, and the sealed closures of each connector 8 and 9 are opened to permit flow of gas between them.

A second latch mechanism (not shown) may be provided for greater security and safety. Before the unit can be separated from the wall fitting, the second latch must be disconnected.