Patent Application
20220153493
Trays and open containers are commonly used for holding and serving food items as well as other types of contents. These trays and similar containers are often configured without lids or covers for more efficient manufacturing, storage, use, and convenience. However, it is often desirable to cover the opening of the tray or container once contents (such as food items) are place therein in order to prevent the contents from spilling out of the tray, to protect the contents within the tray, and for ease of transport. Currently known tray and container cover designs involve the use of a full wrap-around sleeve that is placed around the entirety of the tray or container. These sleeves have a generally rectangular box shape that is generally the same size as the tray or container that it is intended to be used with and has open ends to allow the sleeve to be slid over and around the tray or container to enclose the upper opening of the tray or container.
One problem with such wrap-around sleeves is that they require significant use of material because they wrap around the sidewalls and bottom wall of the tray or container as well as the upper opening. Another problem with known wrap-around sleeves is that they must be designed and configured for use with specific tray or container sizes, as the height of the sleeve must conform to the height of the tray or container. As a result, a wrap-around sleeve can generally only be used with one particular tray or container size and is not adaptable to a variety of tray or container sizes, particularly trays or containers of differing heights.
Accordingly, a need exists for a tray cover design that can sufficiently cover and enclose the opening of a tray or container while being efficient in terms of the use of material. Further, a need exists for a tray cover design that can be used with trays and containers of varying heights and sizes.
The present application is directed to a tray cover that may be used in connection with a tray or container. The tray cover may include a main panel and a pair of side panels, each side panel extending from opposing edges of the main panel. Each side panel may include an intermediate panel connected to the main panel by a fold line, and a side flap connected to the intermediate panel by a hinge line. The intermediate panel is at least partially secured to a bottom surface of the main panel. The side flap is configured to rotate away from the bottom surface of the main panel along the hinge line. The tray cover is configured to cover an upper opening of the tray or container. In one embodiment, wherein the main panel has a length and width approximately equal to or slightly greater than a length and width of the tray so that the tray cover can be positioned over the entirety of the upper opening of the tray. In one embodiment, the tray cover is configured to engage an upper terminal edge of the tray.
In one embodiment, a slot is formed between the side flap of the side panel and the bottom surface of the main panel. The slot is configured to receive an upper edge of the tray when the tray cover is positioned on the tray. In one embodiment, the tray cover is configured to slide along a length of the tray between an open position where the interior of the tray is exposed and an enclosed position where the interior of the tray is covered. In one embodiment, the side flaps are configured to frictionally engage at least a portion of the sidewall of the tray when the tray cover is positioned on the tray. In one embodiment, the side flaps are biased about the hinge line in a direction toward the main panel and are configured to rotate away from the main panel when frictionally engaging the sidewall of the tray. In one embodiment, the side flap of the side panel is inwardly positioned along the bottom surface of the main panel and offset from an outer edge of the main panel. In one embodiment, the side flap of the side panel includes a triangular fold flap defined along an outer end of the side flap. In one embodiment, the triangular fold flap is configured to rotate further away from the bottom surface of the main panel than the remainder of the side flap.
A further aspect of the present invention is directed to a foldable blank for forming the cover. The blank may generally include a main panel having at least one edge, an intermediate panel connected to the edge of the main panel by a fold line, and a side flap connected to the intermediate panel by a hinge line. Upon formation of the blank into the cover, the intermediate panel can be at least partially secured adjacent to a bottom surface of the main panel and the side flap may be configured to rotate away from the bottom surface of the main panel to define a slot therebetween.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like or similar parts in the various views:
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.
The following detailed description of the invention references specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It will be appreciated that some or all of the various features and structures described and shown with respect to each of the specific embodiments referenced herein may be combined to form additional or alternative embodiments having such combinations and that such combinations are within the scope of the present invention.
Referring to the figures, the present invention is directed to a tray cover 10 that may be used in connection with a tray or container 100. Tray cover 10 may be configured to be positioned over the upper end opening of tray 100 and fully or partially enclose the upper end of tray 100 in order to protect the contents contained therein. According to certain embodiments, tray cover 10 may be configured to be used in connection with a food tray or container 100 for holding various types of food contents; however, it is recognized that tray cover 10 may be designed and configured to use in connection with any suitable tray or container 100.
Tray 100 is not intended to be a novel component of the present invention and may embody any standard tray or container configuration. Tray 100 may be configured as any type of open tray or container now known or hereafter developed, including those commonly used in the food service industry. It will be appreciated that the term “tray” as used herein to described the cover 10 and its application, may just as easily be replaced with the term “container,” “carton,” dish,” “bowl,” “canister,” “receptacle,” “box,” “package,” or the like, as the cover 10 is adapted for use with any such suitable devices. As shown in
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Side flaps 20 may be configured to be folded away from bottom surface 26 of main panel 12 along hinged edge 22 when tray cover 10 is placed on tray 100. Due, in part, to the overlapped and secured arrangement of intermediate panel 18 from which side flap 20 extends, side flap 20 may be biased toward a folded flap position where it lays adjacent bottom surface 26 of main panel 12 and generally parallel to main panel 12. As described in greater detail below, this configuration may assist in creating a frictional or squeezing engagement between side flap 20 and tray 100 when tray cover 10 is positioned onto tray 100. Hinged edge 22 may be configured to urge terminal free edge 28 toward bottom surface 26 of main panel 12 while still enabling side flap 20 to rotate away from main panel 12 when force is applied to side panel 12 in an outward direction from main panel 12. Hinged edge 22 may also be configured so that the resting position of side flap 20 places side flap 20 and terminal free edge 28 slightly away from main panel 12 and a small gap or space is formed therebetween. In other words, side flap 20 need not necessarily rest on or come into contact with bottom surface 26 of main panel 12. In this configuration, side flap 20 may be rotated about hinged edge 22 away from main panel 12 by a slight angle when in a resting position. According to one embodiment, hinged edge 22 and side flap 20 may be configured to provide a resting position where side flap 20 is rotated away from bottom surface of main panel 12 an angular distance approximately equal to or less than 90 degrees, approximately equal to or less than 45 degrees, approximately between 0 and 30 degrees, or less than 10 degrees. The resting position may also be configured to provide an angle of rotation away from main panel approximately equal to or less than the taper angle of a corresponding tray or container sidewall 104 to facilitate the frictional engagement of side flap 20 with the tray or container sidewall 104.
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To use tray cover 10 with a corresponding tray 100, tray cover 10 may be positioned adjacent to one of the lateral ends of tray 100 so that slots 36 formed by side flaps 20 are generally aligned with the upper terminal edges 106 of tray 100. Side flaps 20 of tray cover 10 may then be placed in engagement with the sidewalls 104 of tray 100 (along upper terminal edges 106) so that the upper terminal edges 106 of tray sidewall 104 are received within slots 36 defined between side flaps 20 and main panel 12. Tray cover 10 may then be slid longitudinally along upper terminal edge 106 of tray 100 until main panel 12 of tray cover 10 fully or partially covers and encloses opening 108 of the tray 100. Of course, tray cover 10 may alternatively be applied to tray 100 using other suitable methods. For example, using another possible method, tray cover 10 may be applied to tray 100 such that a first side flap 20 on a first side of tray cover 10 is bent or deformed in order to receive a first upper terminal edge 106 on a first side of tray 100, and a second side flap 20 on a second side of tray cover 10, either subsequently or simultaneously, is bent or deformed in order to receive a second upper terminal edge 106 on a second side of tray 100. In other words, the tray cover 10 may be applied to the tray 100 one side at a time or both sides generally simultaneously. It will further be appreciated that tray cover 10 may be applied to tray 100 either manually or by machine.
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From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations. Since many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is also to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.
The constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/115,327, filed on Nov. 18, 2020, to Scott Waldowski, entitled “Tray Cover,” currently pending, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63115327 | Nov 2020 | US |
