Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Food Service Tray
Background of the Invention
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to trays for the food service industry, and
more
particularly, to a tray arrangement that is stacking compatible with
preexisting tray
arrangements currently used in fast food restaurants, and which provides a
mufti-sensory
presentation of advertising material and other types of information during
use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Standards have been developed by which trays that are used in the food service
l0 business, particularly in fast food service establishments, are
ofpredetermined dimensions
and nest within one another so as to be stackable. Conventional trays have a
substantially
flat portion on which a tread pattern is formed to reduce the likelihood of
slippage of
food while on the tray. In some known trays, information that identifies the
particular
restaurant is molded on this flat portion, simultaneously with the tread
pattern.
The known trays are further provided with a peripheral rim that surrounds the
flat
portion, and a slight flange extending outward therefrom, in a direction
substantially
parallel to the planar bottom section. When being carned by a user, which may
be
restaurant personnel or a customer, the tray is handled in the region of the
peripheral rim
and the outwardly extending flange. In some known trays, the outwardly
extending
2 o flange is extended somewhat to permit same to function as a handle, which
improves the
security with which the tray is handled.
It is a problem with conventional tray arrangements that many restaurants will
place a liner, such as a paper liner, on the bottom of the tray. Such a liner
generally must
be printed with advertising information and other material that identifies the
restaurant
2 5 as the information engraved into the bottom of the tray is not visible
thereunder.
The problem ofthe obscured engraved information has been recognized in the
art.
Accordingly, at least one manufacturer of trays has engraved such information
on the
raised peripheral rim where it is visible notwithstanding the placement of a
liner on the
bottom of the tray. This approach to a long-standing problem creates
additional
3 o problems. In order for the engraved information, which may include
material that
identifies the restaurant, to be of sufficient size to be useful as mass
communication, the
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raised peripheral rim has been extended to where it no longer conforms to
established
tray standards. Such a tray, therefore, is not stackable with any other
conventional tray,
other than similar trays.
It is of singular importance that new trays, as they are purchased by the
restaurant, be backwards compatible with the existing inventory oftrays ofthe
restaurant.
Otherwise, disruptions in service will occur, as two sets of trays will need
to be
accommodated in the stacks and in the tray washers. Thus, unless a restaurant
incurs the
expense of changing all of its trays to the type having the information
engraved on the
raised annular rim, it must suffer disruption in its service resulting from an
effort to
l0 accommodate plural incompatible tray standards.
There is a need, therefore, for a tray arrangement that permits engravement of
advertising and other information on a food service tray, so as to be visible
during use
with a tray liner installed therein, and which also is backward compatible,
and therefore,
stackable with the preexisting inventory of trays of the restaurant.
It is another object of this invention to provide a tray arrangement that
presents
advertising and identification information in a manner that is immediately
noticed by a
customer without requiring the dimensions of the tray to be made non-standard.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a tray arrangement that can
enhance the presentation of information to visually challenged individuals.
2 o It is a further object of this invention to provide a tray arrangement
that reduces
the likelihood of food spillage during carriage of food and beverage by a
user.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a tray arrangement that
can
easily be manufactured to display different items of information.
Summary of the Invention
The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this invention which provides,
in a specific illustrative embodiment thereof, a tray that is useful in a fast
food restaurant
environment, by placing advertising, identification, and other information in
a region
where such information is readily observed or palpated by a customer during
use. More
specifically, the tray of the present invention is manufactured,
illustratively by injection
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molding, to form raised or indented molding of the information
on a handle region. Prior art efforts to render the
information observable during use of the tray, which often
includes the use of a liner that overlies and therefore covers
any printing or engravement on the bottom of the tray, has
resulted in non-standard trays that cannot be stacked on
existing trays. However, even in such non-standard trays, the
information is not located where it readily is palpated by the
customer, to effect a multi-sensory presentation of the
information, or the presentation of Braille information.
The present invention solves the problems of
rendering the information observable during use of the tray by
a customer, all within the context of standard tray dimensions.
Moreover, the tray of the present invention achieves the
benefits of facilitating palpation of the information, as well
as reducing the likelihood of food spillage. Spillage is
reduced by the use of the present invention by providing a
handle, which affords a more secure grip and a lower center of
gravity during carriage of the tray by a customer, as well as
the non-slip grip that is enhanced by the information itself on
the handle, as will be discussed in detail hereinbelow.
According to one broad aspect of the invention,
there is provided a tray for facilitating the carrying of
food and beverage in a restaurant by a human being having
hands, the tray comprising: a substantially planar tray
bottom portion; an upwardly extending peripheral sloping
wall arranged to surround said substantially planar tray
bottom portion; an outwardly extending flange arranged to
surround said upwardly extending peripheral sloping wall;
first and second handle portions coupled to said outwardly
extending flange for facilitating engagement and lifting by
the respective hands of the human being, said first and
second handle portions being disposed in distal opposition
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with respect to each other and arranged to have respective
ones of first and second upper surfaces that extend outward
beyond the predetermined outward extent of said outwardly
extending flange; and first and second items of molded-in
information disposed on said first and second upper surfaces
of said first and second handle portions, said first and
second items of molded-in information being molded to
achieve a selectable one of raised and negative relief to a
degree with respect to the first and second upper surfaces
of the first and second handle portions sufficient to be
palpable to the human being.
According to a second broad aspect of the
invention, there is provided a tray for facilitating the
carrying of food and beverage in a restaurant by a human
being having hands, the tray comprising: a substantially
planar tray bottom portion; an upwardly extending peripheral
sloping wall arranged to surround said substantially planar
tray bottom portion and being integrally formed therewith;
an outwardly extending flange arranged to surround said
upwardly extending peripheral sloping wall and being
integrally formed therewith; first and second handle
portions coupled to said outwardly extending flange for
facilitating engagement and lifting by the respective hands
of the human being, said first and second handle portions
being arranged to have respective ones of first and second
upper surfaces that extend outward beyond the predetermined
outward extent of said outwardly extending flange, in
opposite directions; and first and second items of molded-in
information disposed on said first and second upper surfaces
of said first and second handle portions, said first and
second items of molded-in information having a height/depth
characteristic of approximately between 0.005" to 0.007",
said first and second items of molded-in information being
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molded to achieve a selectable one of raised and negative
relief to a degree with respect to the first and second
upper surfaces of the first and second handle portions
sufficient to be palpable to the human being.
The manufacture of the inventive tray is facilitated
by the use of mold inserts that contain the molded-in
information. Thus, the entire mold that is used to form the
tray of the present invention need not be recreated each time
the information is desired to be changed. This greatly reduces
manufacturing costs.
Brief Description of the Drawing
Comprehension of the invention is facilitated by
reading the following detailed description, in conjunction with
the annexed drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan representation of a specific
illustrative embodiment of the invention showing the region
where the molded-in information is to be placed; and
Fig. 2 is an isometric representation of a mold
insert that is to be installed in a mold (not shown) to cause
the molded-in information to be applied to the tray of Fig. 1.
Detailed Description
Fig. 1 is plan representation of a tray 10
constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.
As shown, tray 10 has a bottom portion 12 surrounded by
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a peripheral sloping wall 13. Extending outward from the upper portion of
peripheral
sloping wall 13 is a flange 15. The dimensions of bottom portion 12,
peripheral sloping
wall 13, and flange 1 S are such as to conform to corresponding dimensions of
pre-
existing trays (not shown), whereby tray 10 is nestable with, and therefore,
stackable
upon, the prior trays. In this manner, therefore, restaurants that purchase
tray 10 are not
required to dispose of their existing inventory of trays entirely, as a
gradual phase-out is
enabled.
Bottom portion 12 is provided with a molded-in pattern, which may be in the
form of lines 20, cross-hatching 2 I , roughened surface 22, or any other
surface finish that
l0 would enhance frictional communication between the food-carrying containers
(not
shown) and beverages (not shown) thereon. Of course, such a surface finish is
itself
optional in the practice of the invention, and any other information may be
printed on
bottom portion 12 of the tray, such as advertising material or an identifying
trademark
used by the particular restaurant, as is customary in fast food
establishments.
At the ends of tray 10 flange I S is shown to extend further outward to form
handle regions 25 and 26. Each of handle regions 25 and 26 has an upper
surface on
which molded-in information 27 and 28 is presented. The placement of molded-in
information on the upper surfaces of handle regions 25 and 26 avoids the
problem in the
art of providing information on peripheral sloping wall 13, which required the
wall to be
2 0 enlarged whereby the tray is made non-standard, thereby causing
disruptions in the
service and operation of the restaurant.
Molded-in information 27 and 28 need not be identical on both handle regions,
as shown in Fig. 1. Instead, each of the handle regions can be provided with
different
information. Moreover, such information need not be molded-in, but may be
molded to
2 5 raised or negative relief on the handle regions. It is an advantage ofthe
present invention
that placement of the molded-in information on the upper surfaces of handle
regions 25
and 26 produces a multi-sensory presentation ofthe information in that such
information
is not only visible, but palpable as the tray is carried by the customer.
Thus, the
customer's attention is drawn to the information which is immediately felt by
the
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customer. Thus, such information may contain material presented in Braille for
assisting
visually challenged customers.
Fig. 2 is an isometric representation of an insert 40 which is one of a pair
of such
inserts that would be installed in a mold (not shown) during injection molding
of tray 10.
5 As shown in this figure, mold insert 40 is provided with a pair of mounting
apertures 42
that facilitate the installation of the mold insert to the mold with the use
of fasteners (not
shown). In this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention, mold insert
10 has a
sealing edge 44 that has a curvature that corresponds to the outer contour of
handle
regions 25 and 26.
l0 Mold insert 40 has a mold surface 45 into which is made an engravement 47
in
the mirror image form of the variable information that would be presented on
handle
regions 25 and 26, such as molded-in information 27 or 28. Of course, the
molded-in
information need not be in the form of an engravement, but may, as stated
hereinabove
with respect to other embodiments of the invention, be in the form of a raised
relief
information, whereby a desired form of relief is made in the handle regions.
Persons of
skill in the art would be able to configure the molded-in information to
achieve a
presentation on the handle regions of the tray of images, logos, trademarks,
foreign
language characters, raised Braille characters, and the like.
In the practice of the invention, the molded-in information has a height
2 0 characteristic that has been determined empirically to provide excellent
ergonomic feel
while maintaining a high degree of cleanliness. That is, food particles and
other
substances, such as grease, must not accumulate on or around the molded-in
information.
Additionally, the determined height characteristic must retain its
advantageous tactile
response and visibility characteristics after repeated usage and washing. In a
practicable
2 5 embodiment, the height (or depth) characteristic of the molded-in
information is
approximately between 0.003" and 0.008", and preferably between 0.005" to
0.007".
These height/depth dimensions provide good feel, while the tray material stays
clean and
the information molded thereon remains visible during extended periods of
restaurant
service.
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In addition, it is desirable that the molded-in information have an edge
contour
that serves to preclude accumulation therealong of food particles, greases,
and hand oils.
Thus, the contour, which ultimately depends on the letters and/or logo that
form the
molded-in information, should not have a deep ridge or corner. In some
embodiments
of the invention, the molded-in information is textured, while maintaining the
height/depth thereof within the advantageous range set forth above.
Although the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments and
applications, persons skilled in the art can, in light of this teaching,
generate additional
embodiments without exceeding the scope or departing from the spirit of the
disclosed
to invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawing and
description in this
disclosure are proffered to facilitate comprehension of the invention, and
should not be
construed to limit the scope thereof.
