Tray for holding food

Details Tray for holding food Tray for holding food

1999-05-25

2001-03-27

Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)

Work holders

Work-underlying support

Movable roller

C269S302100, C269S305000, C269S303000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06206356

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to devices used to hold items of food. More particularly, the invention relates to a device which is capable of holding an item of food during food preparation operations such as carving, decorating and service.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Some items of food can be cumbersome to prepare and serve due to the size and/or texture of the food. For example, turkeys, chickens, hams, roasts, and melons are often difficult to carve because the food item tends to move as the knife passes back and forth through the item. Additionally, juices from these and similar items also tend to make them slippery which also makes the item more difficult to hold and cut.
A variety of cutting boards and surfaces have been known for many years. Most of these are simply a flat surface, for example a wood board or block or a sheet of plastic, onto which a food item is placed so that a person cutting the food item will not cut through the food item and into the counter below. The board provides little, if any, benefit in stabilizing the food item while it is being carved.
Some advances have been made over the flat surface. Some cutting boards and block are now made with a recess which in the center which may tend to keep food items of certain shapes from sliding in certain cases. It is often the case, however, food items will slip on even these cutting boards either because the recess is not of adequate size to hold the food item in place or because fluid draining from the food item or which are poured on the food item tend to make the board and food item slippery.
Another advance over the simple flat board is a board onto which is attached one or more spikes rising from the board for holding the food item in place. Spikes, however, present a danger to personnel who use and clean the board. In addition, a spike large enough to hold one item of food may be too small to adequately hold a different item. Similarly, a spike sufficient to hold a large food item may tear apart a smaller item. Also, spikes in general tend to tear food items and may the food unattractive for presentation.
Another variation involves a board having a rod extending vertically therefrom. Another rod is slidably received on the vertically extending rod and extends perpendicularly therefrom, i.e., in a horizontal direction. The horizontally extending rod includes downwardly extending spikes and includes a clamp for being held in fixed position on the vertically extending rod with the spikes embedded in the food to be held. As may be appreciated, this type of device includes all of the disadvantages of the aforementioned board having spikes, and is more cumbersome and difficult to use due to the sliding rod and clamp mechanism.
Due to the inadequacies of the present devices for holding food items, there is a need for a device which supports food items while the items are being prepared for service. There is also a need for a support device which can be used both for food preparation and also for actual service of the food. Accordingly, in accordance with the invention there is provided a device which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention provides a device for supporting an item of food. The device includes a base member having a center longitudinal axis and a center lateral axis. A plurality of first support members are disposed on each side of the longitudinal axis of the base member. These first support members are attached to the base member and are substantially perpendicular to the base member. The first support members have a food supporting edge sloping downward toward the longitudinal axis of the base member.
In a second aspect of the present invention, the food supporting edge of the first support members is serrated.
In a third aspect of the present invention, the device also includes a second support member which is substantially centered about the intersection of the longitudinal and the lateral axes of the base member. The second support member may be made of a plurality of units.
In fourth aspect of the present invention, the base member further includes an outer edge surrounding the periphery of the base member which is raised above the base member.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the device includes a holder for the base member which has raised edges surrounding the base member.
Additional objects, aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the preferred embodiments and the included drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1099996 (1914-06-01), Parsons
patent: 5366208 (1994-11-01), Benjamin
patent: 5499666 (1996-03-01), Foster et al.
patent: 5527022 (1996-06-01), Gibson
patent: 5549238 (1996-08-01), Hindle
patent: 5580037 (1996-12-01), Gore
patent: 5598759 (1997-02-01), Sie et al.

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