US 11,980,307 B2 · Methods for manufacturing serving tray with inner raised surface incorporating thermoplastic polyurethane

Abstract

A serving tray comprised of at least one synthetic material and an insert which provides a non-slip top surface of the serving tray. The textured relief is preferably made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) which allows a glass or other item to be placed on the serving tray without the item sliding or slipping while the tray is in motion. As the tray is being fabricated, the TPU is mechanically bonded with the top surface of the tray while a textured relief is simultaneously defined into the top surface. The textured relief provides adequate frictional force to an item being placed on the tray so as to substantially prevent its lateral movement. The tray also includes an inner support structure disposed on its inner surface. The inner support structure provides an upward facing edge which allows a plurality of trays to be easily and efficiently stacked or nested on one another.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An improvement in a method of making a friction enhanced tray in an injection molding apparatus comprising:

placing an insert on a first half of a mold of the injection molding apparatus;
enclosing the insert by bringing a second half of the mold against the first half of the mold, the first and second halves of the mold forming a completed mold tool;
injecting a liquid interstitial resin into the completed mold tool;
forming a tray around the insert within the completed mold tool;
forming an inner support structure in the tray;
and
defining a textured relief within a surface of the insert,
wherein enclosing the insert by bringing the second half of the mold against the first half of the mold comprises enclosing a sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU),
wherein forming the tray around the insert within the completed mold tool comprises integrally bonding the sheet of TPU to the liquid interstitial resin, and
wherein defining a textured relief within a surface of the insert comprises impressing a chemically etched mold surface disposed on the first half of the mold into the sheet of TPU.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods for manufacturing serving tray with inner raised surface incorporating thermoplastic polyurethane

Life of this patent

Methods for manufacturing serving tray with inner raised surface incorporating thermoplastic polyurethane

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10