US Patent 6872920 User sensing chafing dish

A chafing or warming dish construction typically used for buffet serving of comestibles having user sensing means which automatically opens and closes an overlying cover depending upon the presence of the user at a serving table. In a disclosed embodiment, the cover is arranged for pivotal rotation about a pair of aligned pintles. The cover is progressively counterbalanced to maintain it in any desired degree of rotation, usually ninety or one hundred eighty degrees. Also disclosed is a counter balance means which applies progressive counter balancing force as the cover is opened which force is canceled when the said cover reaches a completely opened position.