US 8,006,369 B2Granted

Making food serving tray assembly having disposal opening with deep serving wells

AssigneeEdison Nation, LLC

InventorsJerry Shew, Ian D. Kovacevich

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Abstract

Making a food serving tray assembly includes molding a serving platter and a receptacle platter. The serving platter includes a disposal opening and serving wells for receiving food items. The receptacle platter and serving platter releasably couple to one another in a serving configuration and a transport configuration. An improvement includes the serving platter having an outer peripheral wall having a first height and dividing walls defining and separating the serving wells, each of the dividing walls being approximately equal to the first height. The peripheral wall of the receptacle platter has a third height and a bottom of the receptacle platter defines a plurality of dividers having a fourth height substantially less than the third height. When the serving platter is received within the receptacle platter, each of the dividers aligns with and engages a respective dividing wall such that two wells are isolated and sealed off from one another.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of making a food serving tray assembly comprising the step of molding a hand portable container such that the container has a serving platter having a disposal opening extending there through and having a plurality of serving wells for receiving food items therein for presentation to a person for eating, and a receptacle platter having a bottom and a peripheral wall extending from the bottom at a perimeter thereof,

(a) wherein the receptacle platter and serving platter are configured to be releasably coupled to one another in two different configurations including,
(i) a serving configuration, wherein the receptacle platter is located below the serving platter and the receptacle platter and serving platter define a substantially enclosed interior space for receiving food waste that is deposited through the disposal opening of the serving platter, and
(ii) a transport configuration, wherein the receptacle platter is located above and extends over the serving platter to provide a lid for the food serving tray assembly during transport;
(b) wherein the serving platter has an outer peripheral wall having a first height and a plurality of dividing walls defining and separating the serving wells, each of the dividing walls having a second height approximately equal to the first height, each of the serving wells sharing in common a dividing wall with another serving well;
(c) wherein the peripheral wall of the receptacle platter is an outer peripheral wall having a third height and the bottom of the receptacle platter defines a plurality of dividers having a fourth height substantially less than the third height;
and
(d) wherein the serving platter is generally received within the outer peripheral wall of the receptacle platter and each of the dividers of the receptacle platter aligns with and engages a respective dividing wall of the serving platter, when the food serving tray assembly is in the transport configuration, such that two wells are isolated from one another by the divider and engaged common dividing wall.

4 more elements

(a) wherein the receptacle platter and serving platter are configured to be releasably coupled to one another in two different configurations including,
(i) a serving configuration, wherein the receptacle platter is located below the serving platter and the receptacle platter and serving platter define a substantially enclosed interior space for receiving food waste that is deposited through the disposal opening of the serving platter, and
(ii) a transport configuration, wherein the receptacle platter is located above and extends over the serving platter to provide a lid for the food serving tray assembly during transport;
(b) wherein the serving platter has an outer peripheral wall and a plurality of dividing walls defining and separating the serving wells, the top of the dividing walls being commensurate with the top of the outer peripheral wall of the serving platter;
and
(c) wherein the serving platter having an inner peripheral wall defining the disposal opening, a top of the inner peripheral wall rising above the top of the dividing walls and the top of the outer peripheral wall of the serving platter.

3 more elements

(a) wherein the receptacle platter and serving platter are configured to be releasably coupled to one another in two different configurations including,
(i) a serving configuration, wherein the receptacle platter is located below the serving platter and the receptacle platter and serving platter define a substantially enclosed interior space for receiving food waste that is deposited through the disposal opening of the serving platter, and
(ii) a transport configuration, wherein the receptacle platter is located above and extends over the serving platter to provide a lid for the food serving tray assembly during transport;
(b) wherein the serving platter has an outer peripheral wall having a first height and a plurality of dividing walls defining and separating the serving wells, each of the dividing walls having a second height approximately equal to the first height, each of the serving wells sharing in common a dividing wall with another serving well;
and
(c) wherein each of the serving wells is separated from an adjacent serving well by a common dividing wall and is adapted to be filled with the food items to the height of the outer peripheral wall of the serving platter.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/028,812Filed 10 Feb 2008 · continuation in part
Priority: 5 Oct 2007
Published: US 2009/0089993 A19 Apr 2009
Granted: 30 Aug 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B65D 1/36
Trays or like shallow containers: with moulded compartments or partitions
B65D 43/0212
Secured by snapping over beads or projections: only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth
B65D 51/249
Combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes: the closure being specifically formed for supporting the container
B65D 2251/02
Details relating to container closures: grip means

Family

Application29/295,757Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 Oct 2007
Application29/302,605Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Jan 2008
Application29/302,606Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Jan 2008
US 2009/0089993 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Apr 2009
US D572,540 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US D572,541 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US D609,973 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,006,369 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.