Special receptacle or package – Tray type – With recess or groove for article
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2001-11-13
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Tray type
With recess or groove for article
C604S541000, C220S023400, C220S556000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315126
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a tray of the type having a tray body including a first food receiving surface, a receiving part spaced above the first receiving surface, and a second food receiving surface on the top side of the receiving part, the tray being particularly suited for use on board aeroplanes, vehicles or other transport means.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such trays are generally known. They comprise a receiving surface for receiving food, wherein the food, for example on board aeroplanes, may be contained in meal containers, bowls, beakers, cups or the like, which when the tray is used, for example when serving meals with the tray, stand on the receiving surface.
When catering for travellers, in particular on board aeroplanes, it is frequently necessary to serve with the tray a complete meal, the constituents of which (starter, main course, dessert) are contained in several meal containers, so that the receiving surface of the tray has to have a correspondingly large design. This particularly applies when drinks are also to be served at the same time as the meal with the tray. In the case of trays having large receiving surfaces, problems frequently occur on account of the restricted spatial conditions especially on board aeroplanes, for example, if passengers sitting next to one another bump against one another with their trays. There is then the danger that beakers or cups standing on the tray are knocked over and their contents spilt.
In the case of smaller trays having correspondingly smaller receiving surfaces, problems are caused by the fact that the meal containers and the like stand tightly packed on the tray, which makes their handling difficult, for example when opening. Moreover no storage surface, for example for lids removed from meal containers, is available on such trays.
A tray of the pertinent kind is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 1,669,065 and consists of a tray body subtending a first food receiving surface and of a receiving section above and spaced from said first receiving surface, a second food receiving surface being present in the top side of said receiving section.
The receiving section of this known tray is connected in collapsible manner by a folding mechanism to the tray body.
This known tray incurs the drawback that the collapsible linkage of receiving section and tray body renders manufacture complex and hence costly. The known tray incurs a further drawback of limited versatility in use because the receiving section in its operative position always assumes the position relative to the tray body on account of the folding linkage between receiving section and tablet body.
The German patent document A 25 01 427 describes a stackable container and serving tray wherein each serving board offers only one receiving surface. This known tray therefore is poorly applicable to constricted spaces.
A serving tray is known from the German patent document A 21 20 473 which also comprises only one receiving surface and hence is poorly suited for constricted spaces.
The German patent document U 90 02 925.9 describes a plastic multi-way packaging means consisting of a rectangular menu dish with removable cover.
The objective of the invention is to create a tray of the pertinent kind that shall be free of the above cited drawbacks, which therefore shall also be appropriate in constricted spaces, which shall be simple and hence economical to manufacture and which shall be versatile.
This object is achieved by the teaching set forth herein. For example, this object is achieved by the tray according to the invention that includes a tray body having a first food receiving surface, a receiving part spaced above the first food receiving surface, and a second food receiving surface on the top side of the receiving part; that receiving part being configured for being placed on the tray body and being detachably or displaceably connected to the tray body
The basic idea of the teaching specified by the invention lies in arranging receiving surfaces above one another on different planes one above the other so that the actual area of the tray may be small, but the receiving surfaces arranged on planes lying one above the other together form a receiving surface which may be substantially larger than the area.
In this manner spatial problems are avoided, and the handling of the tray is improved.
The tray may have such dimensions with respect to its height that it fits into slide-in compartments of existing trolleys. Consequently special trolleys are not required for the tray specified by the invention.
On account of the receiving surfaces disposed above one another, the area of the tray specified by the invention may be reduced in comparison with conventional trays, without the receiving surface which overall is available being reduced. However with a reduced area a larger number of trays specified by the invention fits into a slide-in compartment of a trolley when compared with conventional trays. Consequently considerable space is saved by saving trolleys when compared with conventional trays, for example on board aeroplanes. By the reduced spatial requirement for the food, it is possible to install additional rows of seats in aeroplanes, or with the same number of rows of seats to increase the spacing between the rows of seats, which saves costs or respectively ensures greater comfort for the passengers.
The receiving part may be securely connected to the tray body, for example moulded in one piece with the tray body. However an advantageous further development of the teaching according to the invention specifies that the receiving part is detachably or movably connected to the tray body. In this embodiment the receiving part may for example be removable, so that after the removal of the receiving part access to meal containers or the like disposed on the first receiving surface is facilitated.
In the above-mentioned embodiment the receiving part is expediently constructed as an attachment placed on the tray body.
In the embodiments with the detachable receiving part, the receiving part expediently comprises an edge from which at opposite sides of the receiving part edge parts extend, which protrude over the underside of the receiving part and with which the receiving part is supported on the tray body. Since the edge parts may be moulded in one piece with the edge of the receiving part, this embodiment is simple and inexpensive to produce. It also has a robust construction.
A particularly advantageous further development of the embodiment with the detachable receiving part specifies that the receiving part is disposed displaceable on the tray body in such a manner that, with the displacement of the receiving part, the second receiving surface moves substantially parallel to the first receiving surface. In this embodiment the user may displace the receiving part to one or the other side into different positions, so that access to meal containers or the like standing on the first receiving surface of the tray body is facilitated.
An expedient further development of the embodiment with the displaceable receiving part specifies that on opposite sides the tray body is provided with grooves extending in the direction of displacement of the receiving part and that the edge parts engage in the grooves by ends shaped substantially to complement the grooves. This embodiment is simple and inexpensive to produce and guarantees a secure retention of the receiving part on the tray body transversely to the direction of displacement. However the receiving part may engage in the grooves by projections extending towards the tray body instead of by the edge parts.
The edge parts expediently extend in the direction of displacement substantially over the entire extent of the receiving part. In this manner the stability of the receiving part and its retention on the tray body transversally to the displacement direction is further improved.
A further development of the embodiment with the grooves specifies that on at least two opposite sides the tray is provided wi
Bui Luan K.
De Ster Holding B.V.
Shlesinger & Arkwright & Garvey LLP
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