Food serving refrigerant device

A refrigerant device comprising:

• a) a base having a lower surface and integrally defining alignment means within said lower surface, side walls integrally secured to said lower surface, the side walls and lower surface defining a refrigerant cavity;
• b) a tray support surface secured to the side walls, tray support walls, said walls being integrally secured to the tray support surface;
• and
• c) a tray support mantle secured to said tray support walls;
• d) refrigerant means, said means being removably disposed within said refrigerant cavity, the alignment means positioning the refrigerant means within the cavity in interfitting relationship;
• e) a food tray configured to interfit in spaced nesting relationship with said tray support surface, tray support walls and tray support mantle, said food tray including a cover support surface, sidewalls, a lip, and a bottom, the bottom being disposed in spaced relationship with the refrigerant cavity of the base when in nested relationship, said tray sidewalls, bottom and lip being perimetrally supported by the base tray support surface, tray support walls, and mantle when the tray is disposed in nesting relationship with said base;
• f) a lid, said lid having side walls and a roof, the side walls supporting the roof in spaced relationship to the tray when the lid is disposed in supporting relationship with said cover support surface;
• and
• g) said roof including a support cavity and a second alignment portion, whereby the roof and second alignment portion supportably receive a refrigerant cavity of a second like device when placed in stacked relationship.

A cold storage device for food comprising:

• a) a base having a recess portion and a positioning portion, said positioning portion being centrally disposed within said recess portion and defining an aperture on the exterior surface of the base;
• b) an upper tray configured to fit within the base in nesting relationship and in spaced relationship with a bottom surface of the recess portion and said positioning portion, the base and said tray interacting in support relationship when said tray and said base are nested;
• c) refrigerant media for disposition within said recess portion in interfitting relationship, said media having a spaced relationship to said upper tray when said base and said upper tray are disposed in nesting relationship;
• d) a cover portion configured to interfit with said upper tray, said cover including a roof portion having a base recess, said recess configured to surround and support an exterior surface of a base tray of a second like cold storage device when placed in stacked relationship.

A portable food service device for food comprising:

• a) a base, said base having a refrigerant cavity with internal and external surfaces and a tray support portion;
• b) refrigerant means including a plurality of similarly sized and shaped refrigerant units, said refrigerant units being removably disposable within the refrigerant cavity in an interfitting puzzle-like relationship;
• c) a food support tray, said tray being removably supported in interfitting relationship by the tray support portion, said tray being supported in spaced relationship to said refrigerant units disposed within said cavity;
• d) the tray including a cover support shelf integrally, perimetrally defined;
• and
• e) a lid, said lid being sized to interfit with the cover support shelf, said lid includes a cover recess, said cover recess configured to accept and surroundingly support the external surface of the refrigerant cavity of the base, when said base and said lid are placed in stacked relationship.

A food service device for maintaining food in a refrigerated condition prior to serving comprising:

• a) a configured, solid recyclable refrigerant of the type maintaining a solid external surface and a substantially constant configuration when cycled from a cold condition to a warm condition while absorbing heat from food being refrigerated and thereafter is chilled to return it to its cold condition;
• b) a base component including walls defining a refrigerant receiving cavity having a configuration complemental to the refrigerant for removably receiving and retaining the refrigerant in substantially constant spacial relationship when the device is in use;
• c) a food support tray component including at least one food support surface;
• d) the components having complemental tray component support surfaces for supporting the tray component on the base component and above the refrigerant when the device is in use;
• e) a cover having surfaces complemental with surfaces on one of the components for support of the cover about said at least one support surface and further including a knob projecting from a base in a recess in said cover;
• f) said tray component and cover together defining a food storage cavity with the tray component being adapted to support food on said at least one support surface with the food normally in spaced relationship with the cover;
• and
• g) the base component having a refrigerant locator projecting into a complemental aperture in the refrigerant when the device is in use, said locator being externally hollow and configured to complementally receive a knob on a cover of a like food service device when two of said food service devices are stacked.

A food service device for maintaining food in a refrigerated condition prior to serving comprising:

• a) a configured, solid recyclable refrigerant of the type maintaining a solid external surface and a substantially constant configuration as it is cycled from a cold condition to a warm condition while absorbing heat from food being refrigerated and thereafter is chilled to return it to its cold condition;
• b) said refrigerant being comprised of a plurality of complementally positionable parts which, when complementally positioned, collectively define a central circular aperture;
• c) a unitary molded base including cavity walls defining the perimeter of a refrigerant cavity adapted complementally to receive the refrigerant when its parts are complementally positioned;
• d) a tray including at least one food support surface;
• e) the base including an upwardly projecting refrigerant locator disposed centrally of the refrigerant cavity and being complementally disposed in the refrigerant aperture when the device is in use;
• f) the tray and base leaving complemental surfaces for supporting the tray perimetrally of the refrigerant cavity with the tray above and in spaced relationship with the refrigerant when the device is in use;
• g) a molded unitary cover, the cover and tray having complemental support surfaces to support the cover on the tray with the tray and cover together defining a food storage volume;
• h) the cover and base component having complemental surfaces whereby the base component may be supported on the cover and whereby like devices can be stacked;
• i) the cover having side walls and inwardly spaced cavity walls defining the perimeter of a centrally disposed recess, the cavity walls and side walls together defining an internal space circumferential of the recess and above a recess base when the device is in use whereby the internal space will function as a condensation space and condensation will collect on the side walls thereby to inhibit condensation on the recess base and dripping on the food;
• j) the cover including a knob projecting upwardly from the recess base;
• and
• k) the refrigerant locator being externally hollow and configured to complementally receive the knob of a like device when two such devices are stacked.