Food service tray and assembly thereof
AssigneeThe Rogers Manufacturing Co.
InventorVincent J. Bitel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A receptacle member, such as a plastic tray, is symmetrical about at least one axis and includes engagement elements of at least two, complementary interfittable forms. Two of the members are assembled in inverted, confronting relationship to one another so as to define compartments of regular configuration within the resultant container unit, which are symmetrical with respect to a medial plane therethrough.
Claims13
A food service tray member comprised of a body divided by a medial axis into generally symmetrical sections, said body having a compartment portion and a peripheral flange portion extending thereabout, said flange portion having a plurality of engagement elements thereon originating in a common reference plane, said compartment portion having depending pockets formed therein and extending outwardly of said reference plane, and said pockets each having a depending peripheral wall and a base wall defining a plurality of compartments within said peripheral portion opening at said reference plane, said engagement elements being of at least two complementary, interengageable forms including elongated ribs projecting upwardly from said plane and elongated recesses extending downwardly from said plane and dimensioned and configured to seat said ribs, each element disposed on one of said sections being transversely aligned with a complementary, interfittable element disposed on the other of said sections, and said complementary elements being equidistantly spaced from said axis, at least one pair of pockets disposed on opposite sides of said medial axis being dimensioned and configured to exhibit mirror image identity to one another, as viewed in said plane, and being equidistantly spaced from said axis and being transversely aligned with one another in each of said sections, whereby said member can be assembled with a second said member inverted thereupon, with said engagement elements being interengaged and said compartments of at least said one pair being in cooperating registry, respectively, with the complementary elements and the compartments of a corresponding pair thereof of the second member, to provide a pair of chambers of regular configuration within the assembly, symmetrical as regarded from the opposite sides of the medial plane of the assembly.
A food service tray assembly comprised of first and second identical tray members interengaged in inverse, confronting relationship to one another, each of said members being comprised of a body divided by a medial axis into generally symmetrical sections, said body having a compartment portion and a peripheral flange portion extending thereabout, said flange portion having a plurality of engagement elements thereon originating in a common reference plane, and said compartment portion having depending pockets formed therein and extending outwardly of said reference plane, said pockets each having a depending peripheral wall and a base wall and defining a plurality of compartments within said peripheral portion opening at said reference plane, said engagement elements being of at least two complementary, interfittable forms including elongated ribs projecting upwardly from said plane and elongated recesses extending downwardly from said plane and dimensioned and configured to seat said ribs, each element disposed on one of said sections being transversely aligned with a complementary, interfitting element disposed on the other of said sections, and said complementary elements being equidistantly spaced from said axis, at least one pair of pockets disposed on opposite sides of said medial axis being dimensioned and configured to exhibit mirror image identity to one another, as viewed in said plane, and being equidistantly spaced from said axis, and being transversely aligned with one another in each of said sections whereby, with said first and second receptacle members assembled in inverse, confronting relationship with said compartments thereof opening toward one another, and with said engagement elements being interengaged and said compartments of at least said one pair of said first member being in registry, respectively, with said complementary elements and said compartments of the corresponding pair thereof of said second member, said pairs of compartments cooperatively providing a pair of chambers of regular configuration within said assembly, symmetrical as viewed from the opposite sides of the medial plane of said assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.