Patent Application
20130199959
The disclosure relates to trays for storing and/or transporting food products, such as muffins.
U.S. patent application publication No. U.S.20110132796A1 (Epstein) purports to disclose a multi-compartment food tray that includes at least a first compartment and a second compartment formed from a paperboard material. Each compartment includes a compartment lip, and a carrier constructed from a paperboard material and including openings receiving the first and second compartments. Each compartment lip may be mechanically coupled to the carrier to create an interface. The interface may remain coupled during food reconstitution, and may include at least one surface having a coating. The first compartment may have a different volume than the second compartment.
The following summary is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the applicant's teaching, but not to define any invention.
According to one broad aspect, a tray for a plurality food products is disclosed. The tray is thin-walled, unitary, and plastic. The tray comprises a central portion. The central portion comprises a plurality of downwardly extending recesses for receiving at least one of the food products, and a plurality of upwardly extending posts interspersed amongst the recesses. A first set of the posts is positioned on a first side of a horizontal axis of the tray, and a second set of the posts is positioned on a second side of the horizontal axis. The first set of posts and the second set of posts are positioned asymmetrically on either side of the horizontal axis. Each post comprises a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending lengthwise therealong. The reinforcing ribs are integral to the posts. The tray further comprises an outer wall portion extending about the central portion. A plurality of webs extend between the outer wall portion and the central portion.
The posts may align with and nest within posts of another tray when the tray is in a first orientation, to allow nesting of the tray with the other tray. The posts may mis-align with the posts of the other tray with the tray is in a second orientation, to prevent nesting of the tray with the other tray and allow stacking of the tray with the other tray. To move the tray between the first orientation and the second orientation, the tray may be rotated about a vertical axis. The tray may be rotated about the vertical axis by an angle of about 180 degrees.
The tray may further comprise a plurality of abutment members interspersed amongst the posts and recesses. The tray may comprise a first set of abutment members. The first set of abutment members and the second set of posts may be positioned symmetrically on either side of the horizontal axis. The tray may further comprise a second set of abutment members. The first set of abutment members and the first set of posts may be positioned symmetrically on either side of the horizontal axis.
The abutment members may comprise a downwardly extending depression having a bottom abutment surface. The bottom abutment surfaces may each comprise a locating dimple for receiving one of the posts of another tray. When the tray is in the second orientation, the first set of posts may abut the second set of abutment members of the other tray, and the second set of posts may abut the first set of abutment members of the other tray.
The webs may extend between the outer wall portion and the abutment members.
The first set of posts may include a first number of posts, and the second set of posts may include a second number of posts. The first number may be different from the second number.
The tray may comprise five webs extending between the outer wall portion and the central portion.
The reinforcing ribs may extend from a bottom portion of the posts to a top portion of the posts.
The drawings included herewith are for illustrating various examples of articles, methods, and apparatuses of the present specification and are not intended to limit the scope of what is taught in any way. In the drawings:
Various apparatuses or processes will be described below to provide an example of an embodiment of each claimed invention. No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may cover processes or apparatuses that differ from those described below. The claimed inventions are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all of the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not an embodiment of any exclusive right granted by issuance of this patent application. Any invention disclosed in an apparatus or process described below and for which an exclusive right is not granted by issuance of this patent application may be the subject matter of another protective instrument, for example, a continuing patent application, and the applicants, inventors or owners do not intend to abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document.
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In the example shown, the tray 100 is fabricated from a plastic, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), and is thin-walled and unitary. For example, the tray 100 may be thermoformed from a sheet of plastic. In alternate examples, a tray may be formed from another material.
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Referring still to Figures and 2, in the example shown, the posts 108 are generally frustoconical, and have a top portion 110, a bottom portion 112, and a length extending therebetween. The posts 108 extend generally vertically upwardly. In alternate examples, posts may be another shape, such as cylindrical, or cubic.
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In the example shown, each post includes eight reinforcing ribs 114, which extend in a generally linear fashion from the top portion 110 to the bottom portion 112 of each post 108.
As mentioned above, the posts 108 allow the tray 100 to selectively stack or nest with other trays. Referring still to
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In the example shown, the first set 118 of posts 108 includes a first number of posts, and the second set 120 of posts 108 includes a second number of posts that is different from the first number. Specifically, the first set 118 of posts 108 includes three posts 108, and the second set 120 of posts 108 includes two posts 108. The posts 108 of the first set 118 are arranged generally in a first row, and are generally evenly spaced apart along the length of the tray 100. The posts 108 of the second set 120 are spaced apart along the length of the tray 100 and aligned along a second row, and as mentioned above, are not positioned in a mirror image fashion with any of the posts 108 of the first set 118.
In alternate examples, posts may be positioned in another manner. For example, the first number of posts and the second number of posts may be equal.
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In the example shown, the abutment members 124 are downwardly extending depressions, which have a bottom abutment surface 132 (shown in
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In alternate examples, a tray may include another number of webs. Further, the webs may be positioned in another manner. For example, the webs may extend between the outer wall portion and the posts.
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In alternate examples, webs may be of another shape and/or configuration. For example, the webs may include only a single generally vertically extending wall.
While the above description provides examples of one or more processes or apparatuses, it will be appreciated that other processes or apparatuses may be within the scope of the accompanying claims.
