Food Tray with Informational Insert

Abstract

A food tray has upper and lower tray shaped members and an informational insert sandwiched between them for viewing of an informational display of the insert through a transparent or translucent window portion of at least one of the tray-shaped members. Two interlocking mechanisms are operable to reliably secure the tray members to one another when engaged together by sliding of the lower tray member into place along an underside of the upper tray member. The insert includes a rear wall portion disposed between upstanding rear walls of the tray members, and a height of the upper tray member is reduced at a front edge thereof to provide optimal viewing of the opposing rear wall portion of the insert. A seal positively positioned in a groove of the lower tray member provides a water tight seal between the tray members to protect the informational insert.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/717,198, filed Oct. 23, 2012 and Canadian Patent Application No. 2,819,051, filed Jun. 11, 2013.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to food trays useful in cafeterias, food courts and the like, and more particularly to food trays that incorporate an information insert between a lower tray member and an upper tray or cover member to display advertising or other information to the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Prior art has previously proposed to provide a tray with an advertising or other informational display by mounting an informational insert between the tray and a transparent or translucent cover. Examples of such prior art can be found in Patent and Patent

Application Publications CH149581, JP7047024, U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,411, US20020096529, US20060243632, US20060253322, WO9003140, and WO1999029217.

However, there remains room for improvement, and applicant has developed a new solution with advantageous features not found in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a food tray comprising:

a lower tray-shaped member comprising a base panel with a perimeter having a front edge, an opposing rear edge and two opposing side edges joining the front and rear edges of the lower tray-shaped member at opposing ends thereof,

an upper tray-shaped member comprising a base panel with a perimeter having a front edge, an opposing rear edge and two opposing side edges joining the front and rear edges of the upper tray-shaped member at opposing ends thereof;

a first interlock mechanism comprising male and female features arranged in mating pairs on opposing ones of the lower tray-shaped member and upper-tray shaped member and configured to engage each mating pair together under relative sliding of the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member into an engaged position underlying the base panel of the upper tray-shaped member by relative sliding of the front edge of the lower tray-shaped member under the base panel of the upper tray-shaped member from the rear edge of said upper tray-shaped member toward the front edge thereof;

a second interlock mechanism operable to further engage the upper and lower tray-shaped members together with the male and female features of the first interlock system engaged and the lower tray-shaped member in the engaged position underlying the upper tray-shaped member, to thereby secure the first interlock mechanism against disengagement; and

an information insert for insertion between the upper and lower tray-shaped members to hold the information insert in a sandwiched position between the upper and lower tray shaped members with an informational display of the insert visible through a transparent or translucent window portion of at least one of the tray-shaped members.

Preferably the first interlock mechanism comprises a male-female interface between the upper and lower tray members at lateral extents of the lower tray member.

Preferably each male-female interface comprises a side rail running respectively along one of the opposing side edges of the base panel of the upper tray member at an underside of said base panel of the upper tray member for sliding engagement of the side rail with a respective one of the opposing side edges of the base panel of the lower tray member.

Preferably each rail presents an inward facing channel that opens toward the other rail and extends toward the front edge of the base panel of the upper tray member from an end of the rail adjacent the rear edge of the base panel of the upper tray member, each channel being dimensioned for sliding receipt therein of the respective one of the opposing sides edges of the base panel of the lower tray member.

Preferably the upper and lower tray members comprise respective rear walls upstanding from the base panels of said upper and lower tray members along the rear edges thereof.

Preferably there are provided fastener bores in the rear wall of the lower tray member for engagement of fasteners with the upper tray member at the rear wall thereof through the fastener bores in the rear wall of the lower tray.

Preferably the rear wall of the upper tray member has bosses projecting rearwardly therefrom for engagement of the fasteners with said bases through the fastener bores in the rear wall of the lower tray.

Preferably the information insert comprises a base portion for placement between the base panels of the upper and lower tray-shaped members, and at a rear wall portion angling from a rear edge of the base portion to lie between the respective rear walls of the tray-shaped members at a transparent or translucent portion of the rear wall of the upper tray member.

Preferably a height of the upper tray member over at least a partial length of the front edge of the base panel thereof is less that at an opposing portion of the rear wall of the upper tray-shaped member at the transparent portion thereof at which the rear wall portion of the information insert resides.

Preferably the upper tray-shaped member comprises a downwardly protruding lip adjacent the front edge thereof, and the first interlock mechanism comprises at least one pair of front mating features defined on opposite ones of the front edge of the lower tray-shaped member and a rear facing side of the lip of the upper tray-shaped member.

Preferably the second interlock mechanism comprises at least one threaded fastener operable to lock the upper and lower tray-shaped members together.

Preferably there is provided a groove running around a perimeter of one of the tray members in a face thereof that faces toward the other one of the tray members when engaged, and a seal dimensioned to reside in the groove to provide a fluid tight sealing action between the tray members when engaged together.

Preferably there are provided openings or recesses in the one of the tray members in which the groove is formed, the openings or recesses being in communication with the groove to receive respective enlargements on the seal for insertion of the enlargements into the openings or recesses during seating of the seal in the groove.

Preferably the groove is formed in the lower tray member.

There may be provided an opening in the lower tray-shaped member and a valve installed at the opening and operable to limit access of fluids to space defined between the tray-shaped members and provide a mode of fluid exit from said space.

The valve may comprise an air permeable membrane that allows water vapour to exit the space between the tray-shaped members and prevents liquid from entering said space.

The opening may be positioned in the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a food tray comprising:

a lower tray-shaped member;

an upper cover member arranged for mounting over at least a portion of the lower tray-shaped member;

a transparent or translucent window portion in at least one of the lower tray-shaped member and the upper cover member; and

an information insert for insertion between the upper cover member and the lower tray-shaped member to hold the information insert in a sandwiched position between the upper cover member and the lower tray shaped member with an informational display of the insert visible through the transparent or translucent window of the upper cover member;

wherein at least one of the lower tray-shaped member and the upper cover member has an opening therein and a valve installed at the opening and operable to limit access of fluids to space defined between the tray-shaped member and the cover member and provide a mode of fluid exit from said space.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a food tray comprising:

a lower tray-shaped member comprising a base panel with a perimeter having a front edge, an opposing rear edge and two opposing side edges joining the front and rear edges of the lower tray-shaped member at opposing ends thereof, and a rear wall upstanding from the base panel along the rear edge thereof;

an upper cover member arranged for mounting over at least the rear wall of the lower tray-shaped member and comprising a transparent or translucent window portion; and

an information insert for insertion between the upper cover member and the lower tray-shaped member to hold the information insert in a sandwiched configuration between the upper cover member and the lower tray shaped member with an informational display of the insert positioned over the rear wall of the lower tray-shaped member and visible through the transparent or translucent window of the upper cover member;

wherein a height by which food tray reaches upwardly past the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member at the front edge thereof is less than a height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly from the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member at the rear wall thereof.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a food tray comprising:

a lower tray-shaped member,

an upper tray-shaped member;

an interlock mechanism operable to engage the lower and upper tray shaped members together in an engaged condition in which the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member underlies the base panel of the upper tray-shaped member;

an information insert for insertion between the upper and lower tray-shaped members to position an informational display to hold the information insert in a sandwiched position between the upper and lower tray shaped members with an informational display of the insert visible through a transparent or translucent window portion of at least one of the tray-shaped members.

a groove extending around a perimeter of a grooved one of the tray members in a face of said grooved one of the tray members that faces toward the other one of the tray members;

openings or recesses in said grooved one of the tray members at positions spaced apart along, and communicating with, the groove;

a seal for seating within the groove to create a water tight seal between the tray members in the engaged condition, the seal having enlargements defined thereon at spaced apart positions along the seal that match up with the positions of the openings or recesses in said one of the tray members, whereby receipt of the enlargements within the openings or recesses positively positions the seal within the groove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a food tray assembly according to a first embodiment the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a tray-shaped upper cover member of the food tray assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the tray-shaped upper cover member of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partial, close-up view of the rear of the tray shaped upper cover of food tray assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a partial, close-up, side perspective view of the tray-shaped upper cover of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a lower tray member of the tray of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a side-rear perspective view of the lower tray member of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a partial, close-up, front-side perspective view of the lower tray member of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a side-rear perspective view of the food tray assembly of FIG. 1 in an assembled state.

FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of a food tray assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective rear view of the upper tray member of the tray assembly of FIG. 10 in isolation.

FIG. 12 is a partial perspective rear view of the lower tray member of the tray assembly of FIG. 10 in isolation.

FIG. 13 is a perspective rear view of a seal for receipt in a topside groove of the lower tray member to form a fluid tight seal of the tray members together in the tray assembly of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a first embodiment food tray device 10 of the present invention, which is assembled from a lower or bottom tray-shaped member 12, a transparent cover in the form of an upper or top tray-shaped member 14, a printed informational insert 16, a pair of threaded fasteners 18 (only one of which is visible), a gasket (not shown), and a fluid control membrane 20. When the device is assembled, the membrane 20 is mounted over an opening in the lower tray 12, and the insert 16 is sandwiched between the upper and lower trays 12, 14 so that printed information on the insert is readable through the transparent upper tray 14.

The upper tray 12 features a rectangular base panel 24 whose four-sided perimeter defines a front edge 24a, a rear edge 24b parallel to and opposite the front edge 24a, and two side edges 24c, 24d that lie parallel and opposite to one another to join the front and rear edges at both ends thereof. A rear wall 26 stands upward from the base panel 24 along the rear edge 24b thereof at a slight incline sloping outward from over the base panel.

A pair of side walls 28, 30 stand upward from the base panel 24 along the opposing side edges thereof each extend from the rear wall 26 to the front edge of the base panel. The side walls 28, 30 are shorter than the rear wall. The rear wall is substantially uniform in height over its full length. The side walls are shorter than the rear wall over the full length of each side wall, and also incline slightly outward from the respective edges of the base panel. A side flange 32 projects laterally outward from each side wall 28, 30 over part of its length from the rear wall 26, but stopping well short of the front edge of the base panel. Each side wall is uniform in height over the length of the respective side flange, and then reduces in height through a linear downward slope toward the front edge 24a of the base panel 24.

As best shown in FIG. 3, two partial-length front wall 34, 36 are each upstanding from the base panel 24 at the front edge 24a thereof from the respective side wall 28, 30 over a partial length of this front edge 24a. Each partial-length front wall 34 is equal in height with the reduced-height front end of the respective side wall. At a central portion of the front edge 24a of the base panel, there is either a reduced height front wall section that is substantially shorter than the equal-height partial-length front walls 34, 36 on opposite sides thereof, or no front wall at all, i.e. with the flat topside of base panel defining the maximum height of the upper tray 14 at this central portion of the front edge 24a of the base panel 24. As seen in FIG. 3, this central portion 38 at the front of the upper tray 14 maximizes the visibility of the rear wall 26 of the upper tray 14 from the front side thereof, for reasons set out herein further below.

Referring to FIG. 5, a front lip 40 depends integrally downward from the front edge of the of the base panel 24 of the upper tray 14 to wrap slightly under the otherwise-planar base panel toward the opposing rear edge thereof, thus presenting a rear face 42 that lies parallel to the front edge of the base panel and faces toward the rear edge of the base panel 24 at position beneath the same. A series of slots 44 are recessed into the rear face 42 of the lip 40 at positions spaced apart therealong.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the side flange 32 of each side wall 28, 30 of the top tray 14 also features a downturned lip 46 or thickened border region along its outer side edge and front edge of the flange 32. On each side flange 32, at a rear end of the side lip 46a that runs along the outer side edge of the flange, a rear notch 48 recesses laterally into this lip 46a at the inner side thereof that faces toward the respective side wall of the tray 14, and forwardly into this lip 46a at the rear end thereof. Also on each side flange 32, at the corner formed between the side lip 46a and the front lip 46b that runs laterally inward from the side lip 46a to the respective side wall along the front edge of the side wall flange, a second front notch 50 recesses forwardly into the rear-facing side the front lip 46b of the flange 32.

As best shown in FIG. 2, a series of rectangular protrusions 52 project rearwardly from the rear wall 26 of the upper tray 14 at spaced positions therealong at a short height below a rearwardly projecting overhang 54 at the top edge of the rear wall 26. A respective internally-threaded boss 56 projects rearwardly from the corner formed between the rear wall 26 and each side wall 28, 30 of the upper tray 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 6 to 7, the lower tray shaped member 12 has a similar overall shape to the upper tray member, thus featuring a base panel 124 with a front edge 124a, an opposing parallel rear edge 124b, a pair of opposing parallel side edges 124c, 124d that interconnect the front and rear edges at opposite ends thereof, and a rear wall 126 and side walls 128, 130 each upstanding from a respective edge of the base panel at a slight outward incline. Each side wall 128, 130 features a respective side flange 132 projecting laterally outward from the top end of the side wall. Like in the upper tray, the side flanges lie parallel to the plane of the base panel. The lower tray's base panel slightly exceeds the upper tray base panel in length, as measured between the side edges of each base panel. The lower tray walls are slightly shorter in height than the upper tray walls, and the lower tray flanges are slightly shorter in width than the upper tray walls.

Referring to FIG. 1, a series of rectangular tabs 144 project forwardly from the front edge 124a of the base panel 124 of the lower tray 12 at spaced apart locations therealong, with the number of tabs 144 and the relative positions of same matching the slots 44 in the rear facing side 42 of the front edge lip 40 of the upper tray 14. Turning to FIG. 6, on each side flange 132 of the lower tray 12, a rear nub 148 projects laterally outward from the otherwise linear outer edge of the side flange 132 at the rear end thereof. On each side flange 132 of the lower tray, a front nub 150 projects forwardly from the corner formed between the outer edge of the side flange 132 and front edge thereof.

Referring to FIG. 8, a series of rectangular recesses 152 extend into the front side of the rear wall 126 of the lower tray 12 at spaced positions along the top edge of the wall at a short height therebelow. The number and relative positions of the recesses 152 match those of the rectangular protrusions 52 on the front side of the upper tray's rear wall 26. A respective through bore 156 projects rearwardly through the corner formed between the rear wall 126 and each side wall 128, 130 of the lower tray 12, and has a counter-bored configuration at both ends. A hole 120 opens through the base panel 124 of the lower tray member 120, and has a stepped or counter-bored configuration where the hole diameter is greater at the top of the tray than at the underside. A Gore-Tex™ membrane sits in the larger diameter top end of the hole to reside over the reduced-diameter opening that passes through the underside of the base panel.

Turning back to FIG. 1, the informational insert 16 has a similar overall shape to the two tray members 12, 14, featuring a rectangular base panel portion 224, a rear wall portion 226 upstanding at an oblique angle from a rear edge 224b of the base panel portion 224, two side wall portions 228, 230 upstanding at oblique angles from respective side edges 224c, 224d of the base panel portion 224, and two side flange portions 232 each projecting laterally outward from the top edges of the side wall portions in a plane parallel to that of the base panel portion 224. Advertising or other printed information (not shown) is displayed on one or more portions of the insert.

The first embodiment tray is assembled as follows. The informational insert 16 seated atop the lower tray 12 so that the base panel portion 224 of the insert overlies the topside of the base panel 124 of the lower tray 12 and the membrane recessed therein. The side walls portion 228, 230 of the insert 16 overlie the inner faces of the side walls 128, 130 of the lower tray 12, the side flange portions 232 of the insert 16 overlie the side flanges 132 of the lower tray and the rear wall portion 226 of the insert 16 overlies the front face of the rear wall 126 of the lower tray 12. The dimensions of the insert are such that the insert stops short of the boundaries of the lower tray around the full perimeter thereof.

The top tray 14 is slid onto the bottom tray from the front side thereof, or the stacked bottom tray 12 and insert are slid under the top tray from the rear side thereof with all thee of these components having their widths in general alignment with one another, whereby the tray members slide relative to one another along the parallel planes of their base panels in a direction drawing the front edges of the two trays toward one another and the rear edges of the trays toward one another. The side flanges of the two trays likewise slide along one another through this process.

Under sufficient relative sliding of the trays in this manner, the tabs 144 at the front end of the of the lower tray are brought into mating engagement within the matching slots 144 are the rear face 42 of the top tray's front lip 40, which coincides with mating insertion of the rectangular protrusions 52 on the back of rear wall 26 of the upper tray 14 into the rectangular recesses at the front of the rear wall 126 of the lower tray 12, and the mating insertion of the front and rear nubs 148, 150 of each side flange 132 of the lower tray 12 into the front and rear notches 48, 50 of the upper tray 14. This sliding of the trays into this engaged state also inserts the bosses 56 at the rear corners of the top tray 14 into the front ends of the through-bores 156 at the rear corners of the lower tray, abutting each boss against the front face of a reduced diameter central portion of the respective through-bore.

With the upper and lower trays mated in this manner, rear walls and side walls of the two trays lies closely adjacent one another, with respective portions of the informational insert sandwiched between the trays at these walls and at the base panels and side flanges of the trays 12, 14. The male/female engagement of the tabs and slots, nubs and notches, and protrusions and recesses at the front, rear and sides of the trays provides a first interlocking action between the trays in order to effectively hang the lower tray from the upper tray in close adjacency thereto in order to securely retain the informational insert in a sandwiched condition between the two trays.

A second interlocking action is provided by threading a respective headless set screw or headed threaded fastener 18 into the matingly threaded bore of each of the internally threaded bosses 56 of the top tray 14 through the respective through-bore 156 in the rear of the lower tray. This threaded engagement prevents sliding of the trays relative to one another along the parallel planes of their base panels, thereby preventing disengagement of the first interlocking action. The male-female engagement of the trays along the parallel axes of the male-female pairings of slots and tabs, protrusions and recesses, and nubs and notches prevents vertical separation of the trays. The abutment of the front edge of the lower tray against the rear face of the front lip of the upper tray prevents separation of the trays in one horizontal direction, and the threaded fasteners prevent separation of the trays in the other horizontal direction. Use of slide-together male female features on all sides of the tray provides significant stability in the closely-abutted sandwiched configuration of the trays and insert around the full perimeter thereof with only a minimal number of threaded fasteners, thereby easing the assembly and disassembly process. It will be appreciated that the second interlocking action may be provided by means other than threaded fasteners, for example using snap-fit fasteners or quarter-turn fasteners, and that the fasteners may be engaged between the two trays at locations other than at the rear walls thereof. Where threaded fasteners are used, internally threaded metal inserts may be used within the trays to increase the strength and integrity of the threaded connection compared to embodiments where the plastic of the trays forms the threads to which the fasteners engage.

The informational insert may have printed advertising or other information or indicia on any one of more of its different portions. In the illustrated embodiments, the top tray is transparent or sufficiently translucent over its full expanse to maximize the possible advertising space of the assembled tray by allowing viewing of the insert over the full area of the trays. Other embodiments may employ one or more translucent or transparent viewing windows spanning only partial portions of the overall upper tray, with other portions of the upper tray being opaque or otherwise obscured. With the reduced height of the tray assembly at the front edge thereof, as provided by the reduced height of top tray at all or part of the front edge thereof, a user is intended to use this front edge of the tray assembly as the access area from which they reach food or beverage items occupying the base panel of the top tray member. Such orientation of the assembled tray relative to the user places the large, upright rear wall of the top tray, and thus the rear wall portion of the insert, at a position and orientation readily viewable to the tray user with minimal obscuring of the same from the front of the tray, thereby increasing the advertising or informational effectiveness compared to prior art trays that employ only base-panel insert placement or have wall-placed advertisement features that are obscured by other equal-height walls around the perimeter of the tray.

A groove 160 runs around the perimeter of the lower tray 14, along the front edge 124a of the lower tray base panel 124, up the front edge of the side wall and along the top edge thereof to the respective side flange 132, where it runs around the top side of the respective side flange, first outwardly along the front edge of the side flange, rearwardly along the outer side edge of the side flange, and then back inwardly along the rear edge of the side flange, from where it then runs across the rear wall 126 of the lower panel at the top edge thereof. A gasket (not shown) is placed in the groove 160 prior to assembly of the trays to form a seal between the trays around the full perimeter thereof outside of the area spanned by the informational insert sandwiched between the trays.

At the top edge of the rear wall of the lower tray, the gasket seals against the overhang 54 at the top edge of the rear wall of the upper tray. The gasket also seals between the topside of the lower tray side flanges and underside of the upper tray side flanges, the rear ends of which are continuous integral extensions of the rear wall overhang 54.

On each side of the top tray, a respective out-turned connection lip 62 integrally connects the downturned lip 40 at the front edge of the top tray with the downturned lip 46b at the front edge of the respective side flange 32, first running up the front edge of the respective side wall and then rearward along the top edge thereof, as best shown in FIG. 5. The gasket seals against the underside of the top tray's base panel 24 along the front edge 124a of the bottom tray's base panel 124, and along each connection lip 62 out to the respective pair of matching side flanges. The gasket thus forms a continuous seal between the two tray members around the full perimeter of the assembly, thereby protecting the information insert against penetration of liquid into the space between the trays. Thus, the same insert can be used repeatedly, and the tray assembly can even be washed by hand or machine without requiring replacement or removal and reinsertion of the insert.

The Gore-Tex™ membrane 20 recessed into the top face of the lower tray base panel to enable flush seating of the information insert over the base panel, acts to help protect the information insert 16 and trays from moisture-related complications. Gore-Tex™ fabric is known to allow air, and water vapour molecules in the air, to pass through it in one direction, while preventing passage of liquid water through the fabric in the opposing direction. Accordingly, the membrane is oriented in a position allowing water vapour to escape from the space between the trays while preventing liquids from accessing this space through the membrane-covered opening in the bottom tray. Through cooperation of the gasket and membrane, the assembly thus remains significantly water-tight to protect the informational insert, while still allowing escape of water vapour that may have become trapped inside the assembly. The membrane thus acts as a valve to control entry and exit of fluids to and from the insert-containing space of the assembly by preventing liquid access while allowing vapour discharge. An example of another membrane material which may be employed is Tyvek™.

The top and bottom trays are preferably formed of sufficiently rigid molded plastic, although other materials or constructions capable of providing a full or partial area viewing window in the top tray and sufficient rigidity in the overall tray assembly to support the weight of food and beverage items may be employed. The bottom tray may be opaque, transparent or translucent. In embodiments where the bottom try is transparent over at least a portion of its surface area, the insert may be printed on both sides to enable viewing of information on the insert through both the top tray and bottom tray. The trays therefore may be configured to not only display information as viewed from the front and top of the assembly, but also from one or more of the sides, rear and underside of the assembly. The insert may be made of paper or cardstock, or other relatively thin materials or structures capable of displaying advertising or other information printed or otherwise displayed on the insert.

While the first embodiment features rectangular trays with side and rear walls, it will be appreciated that other tray shapes and wall configurations that still allow engagement of the trays together through relative sliding between the base panels may alternatively be employed. For example, even circular trays with curved side edges, or polygonal trays with non-parallel linear segments at its side edges, may still slide together in the back-front direction if there are no side walls that would block sliding in this direction.

FIG. 10 illustrates a second embodiment tray assembly 10′ that again features upper and lower trays 14′, 12′ that slide together to form a first level of engagement, and then are further secured in this engaged state by use of threaded fasteners engaging the two trays together at their rear walls. One notable difference in the second embodiment is the lack of side walls and side flanges on the lower tray 12′, which instead features only the rectangular base panel 124′ and rear wall 126′. As a result of this, the arrangement of male/female features involved in the first interlocking action between the trays is somewhat different than in the first embodiment.

More particularly, while the second embodiment tray assembly 10′ uses the same tab and slot engagement of the upper and lower trays 14′ at the front edge of the lower tray and the front edge lip 40′ of the upper tray, the lack of side walls and side flanges in the lower tray prevents use of the flange-mounted nubs and notches of the first embodiment. Instead, referring to FIG. 11, the upper tray 14′ features not only the front edge lip 40′ with spaced apart slots 44′ therein, but also features matching downturned side edge lips at the opposite side edges of the base panel 24′. Each such side edge lip forms a track or rail 200 that runs along the respective side of the base panel 24′ along the underside of the base panel 24′ from the rear edge thereof to the front edge lip 40′. Each track defines a respective channel 202 that opens horizontally toward the other track at the opposing side edge of the base panel 24′, and extends from an open rear end 202a of this channel beneath the rear edge of the base panel 24′ to a closed front end of this channel 202b adjacent the front edge of the base panel 24′, where this end 202b of the channel is closed off by the downturned front edge lip 40′.

Turning to FIG. 12, each side edge of the base panel 124′ of the lower tray 12′ is reduced in thickness compared to the main span of the tray's base panel between the side edges, as best shown at 204, where this reduction of edge thickness from the underside of the base panel 124′ can be seen to create an overhanging extent of the topside of the base panel 124′. This overhang 204 resides over an apparent cutaway 206 or open space beneath it. Turning back to FIG. 11, the height of the channel 204 in each rail 202 of the upper tray 14′ slightly exceeds the thickness of the overhanging edge 204 of the lower tray 12′ at the respective side thereof, whereby the male feature defined by the overhanging side edge 204 projecting from the full thickness remainder of the tray fits slidingly into the female feature defined by the channel 202 of the upper tray 14′ from the open rear end 202a of the channel. So inserted, sliding of the overhanging side edge 204 of the lower tray member along the channel 202 continues until the two tray members are fully engaged by receipt of the front edge tabs of the lower tray in the front lip slots 44′ of the upper tray 14′.

The engagement of the lower tray side edge 204 with the side edge rail channels 202 of the upper tray thus forms a male-female engagement of features at the sides or outermost lateral extents of the lower tray in order to engage the trays together, much like the mating of the nubs and notches at the side flanges of in the wider side-flanged lower tray of the first embodiment. It will be appreciated that forward and lateral jutting nubs at the front and rear ends of the side edge of the lower tray may alternatively cooperate with notches in the downturned side lip 200 and front lip 40′ instead of using a slide-rail engagement over the substantially full length of the tray side edges. However, the slide-rail fit may provide improved self-alignment when mating the two trays together. Each bottom corner of the rear wall 126′ of the lower tray 12′ may jut laterally outward past the reach of the overhanging side edge 204 of the lower tray 12′, as best shown at 208 in FIG. 12, in order to cap off the rear end of the track or rail 200 of the upper tray member, as shown in FIG. 10.

Another difference in the second embodiment compared to the first is the presence of through-holes 210 in the lower tray 12′ at locations within, and spaced apart along, a groove that extends fully around the perimeter of the lower tray at the top face of the base panel and front face of the rear wall (like groove 160 of the first embodiment). The groove is again intended for seating therein of a seal 212 therein that is suitably sized and made of suitable water tight resilient material, for example silicone, to form a water tight sealed condition between the two tray's when engaged and fastened together. As shown in FIG. 13, the seal 212 features integral or attached resilient enlargements 214 at spaced apart locations along the seal 212. The enlargements jut downwardly from the seal at the side and front portions thereof that run along the side edges and front edge of the lower tray member, while the enlargements at the rear portion of the seal that runs along the top edge of the lower tray's rear wall project rearward from the seal. The enlargements are sized to engage snugly within the holes 210 that communicate through the lower tray 12′ into the bottom of the seal-receiving groove therein, whereby under insertion of the enlargements into the holes 210 while pressing the seal into the groove, the enlargements frictionally hold the seal in place in order to positively position the seal in the groove and maintain this proper position of the seal around the perimeter of the lower tray during the sliding together of the two trays to ensure the proper seal in the resulting tray assembly. It may be possible to achieve the same effect using recesses in the bottom of the groove instead of through-holes 210 passing fully through the tray 12′.

Although not shown the drawings, o-ring seals may be disposed around each of the threaded fasteners to better maintain a liquid tight condition between the tray members.

Another feature unique to the second embodiment tray assembly is the presence of one or more sets of adjacent parallel ridges 216 lying perpendicular to the side edges of the base panel 124′ of the lower tray 12′ on the underside thereof, for example near the four corners of the base panel 124′ as shown in FIG. 10. The ridges protrude from the otherwise substantially flat underside of the base panel to provide frictional gripping areas to aid in sliding apart of the two trays from one another, for example when switching out one informational insert for another. The second embodiment also differs in an increased number of threaded bosses 56′ on the rear wall of the upper tray and matching fastener holes or bores 156′ in the rear wall of the lower tray, providing a series of each spaced apart along the top side fof the respective rear wall, and a further pair of each near opposite ends of the rear walls where they join to the respective base panels.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A food tray comprising:

a lower tray-shaped member comprising a base panel with a perimeter having a front edge, an opposing rear edge and two opposing side edges joining the front and rear edges of the lower tray-shaped member at opposing ends thereof, and a rear wall upstanding from the base panel along the rear edge thereof;

an upper cover member arranged for mounting over at least the rear wall of the lower tray-shaped member and comprising a transparent or translucent window portion; and

an information insert for insertion between the upper cover member and the lower tray-shaped member to hold the information insert in a sandwiched configuration between the upper cover member and the lower tray shaped member with an informational display of the insert positioned over the rear wall of the lower tray-shaped member and visible through the transparent or translucent window of the upper cover member;

wherein a height by which food tray reaches upwardly past the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member at the front edge thereof is less than a height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly from the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member at the rear wall thereof.

22. The food tray of claim 21 wherein the lower tray-shaped member comprises side walls upstanding from the side edges of the base panel thereof, the side walls being of a height less than the height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly from the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member at the rear wall thereof.

23. (canceled)

24. A food tray comprising:

a tray-shaped member comprising a base panel with a perimeter having a front edge, an opposing rear edge and two opposing side edges joining the front and rear edges of the tray-shaped member at opposing ends thereof, and a rear wall upstanding from the base panel along the rear edge thereof;

a cover situated over at least the rear wall of the tray-shaped member and comprising a transparent or translucent window portion; and

an information insert between the cover and the tray shaped member with an informational display of the insert positioned over the rear wall of the tray-shaped member and visible through the transparent or translucent window of the cover member;

wherein a front height of the food tray measured upwardly from the base panel of the tray-shaped member at the front edge thereof is less than a height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly along the rear wall of the tray-shaped member from the base panel.

25. The food tray of claim 24 comprising upstanding side walls extending along the side edges of the base panel, the side walls reaching a side height measured from the base panel that is less than the height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly along the rear wall of the tray-shaped member from the base panel.

26. The food tray of claim 25 comprising partial length front walls extending along respective partial lengths of the front edge of the base panel of the tray-shaped member on opposite sides of a central front portion of the food tray that defines the front height of the food tray, the front wall portions reaching a greater height above the base panel of the tray-shaped member than the central front portion.

27. The food tray of claim 24 wherein the cover comprises a base panel area overlying the base panel of the tray-shaped member and a rear wall area overlying the rear wall of the tray-shaped member, and the information insert comprises a base portion placed between the base panel of the tray-shaped member and the base panel area of the cover and a rear wall portion angling from a rear edge of the base portion to lie between the rear wall of the tray-shaped member and the rear wall area of the cover at a transparent or translucent portion of the rear wall area of the cover.