Tray with a plurality of cavities for the freezing and storage of foodstuffs in specific volumes, and methods to stabilize said tray

Abstract

A tray for the storage and preservation of foods and liquids that has a plurality of cavities, the volumes of which are common units of measure in cooking recipes and for calorie counting. A lid is also described which fits tightly onto the top of the tray to act as a sealing piece to help in the extended preservation of the contents of the tray. The lid also acts as a stabilizing element. When the tray is made from a flexible material, design features that create an internal support structure are described. There is also an optional external support structure that can be manufactured and attached to the tray to add dimensional stability, when necessary.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of food storage and freezing. More specifically, the invention comprises a tray with a plurality of cavities of specific volumes useful for cooking and calculation of caloric value, a lid, and possibly an external support structure, which is an improvement over current methods of storing and freezing foods and liquids.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are vast numbers of products available for the containment, transportation and storage of liquid and semi-liquid foodstuffs. There are also many products that that have been created for the freezing of foods, in various forms of trays. When freezing large quantities of foods and liquids, it is common practice for any number of containers to be used. These can include products specifically designed to freeze liquid, but not foodstuffs (such as ice trays), or products that are designed to store food in general within a single cavity (such as Tupperware or various sizes and types of bowls or other containers).

There are currently no food storage or freezing containers that have a plurality of cavities, where the cavities are of specific volumes, where the tray is designed to store or freeze foodstuffs in portions that are useful for cooking recipes.

In the current state of the art, ice trays are designed to freeze water in a variety of sizes and shapes, in a plurality of cavities, which are convenient for use in cooling a second body of fluid in a glass or other container. There is currently no ice tray available specifically designed to store or freeze foods or fluids for use in cooking. There are also no ice trays available that create a frozen product that is of a measured volume designed to be useful in cooking or in the calculation of caloric value. Ice trays that are currently available are made from either a hard plastic, or from silicone rubber. The majority of ice trays made from hard plastic do not come with a lid, and none of the currently available trays made from silicone have lids. Silicone ice trays are also designed with vertical sides that make it difficult to remove the resulting frozen product from the tray.

General food storage containers are designed to store larger portions of food or liquid, in a single cavity, that can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer. Containers of this type are designed to hold individual volumes that are larger than those held in the individual cavities of ice trays. When these containers are used to freeze and store liquids or food, their product is very large and creates an all-or-nothing scenario for the un-freezing of the liquid or food in question. The volume represented is rarely useful in a situation where the liquid or food will be used in the creation of a recipe, or in portion control, creating an excess, and commonly wasted, amount of food or liquid.

None of the currently patented or available products for the storage or freezing of foods and liquids are designed to hold specific volumes of substances in common standardized units of measure, neither imperial nor metric, that are useful in the preparation of food recipes, for a facilitated calculation of caloric value, or for meal portion control.

The current patent application pertains to an invention that is used for the containment, transportation and storage of liquids and other non-solid foodstuffs in portions of specific volumes. This allows for useful, specific volumes of liquid or food to be stored and/or frozen for use at a later date. These volumes are also useful in calculation of caloric values, and for easy management of portion size.

The invention consists of two main pieces:

1. A tray made from a flexible rubber or hard plastic

2. A lid made from a rigid material

The invention can also include an exterior structure that is attached to the tray to increase the dimensional stability, possibly necessitated by the flexible nature of the material from which the tray is made, and/or if the overall dimensions of the tray render the tray dimensional unstable when handled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The figures in the present disclosure feature a tray with a plurality of cavities. The number of cavities present in the figures is four, and only serves as an exemplar of one possible embodiment covered by this patent. The number of cavities proposed in the current patent (a plurality) is intended to be more than one, and is therefore not limited to four. The present embodiment is also depicted as having horizontal dimensions that are different from each other (forming a rectangular tray). Different embodiments of the current invention can also have horizontal dimensions that are the same.

FIG. 1: Exterior Side View of tray, larger horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 2: Exterior Side View of tray, smaller horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 3: Exterior Side View of tray with interior cavity visible (hidden line), larger horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 4: Exterior Side View of tray with interior cavity visible (hidden line), smaller horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 5: Cross-section of tray at center of cavity, larger horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 6: Cross-section of tray at center of cavity, smaller horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 7: Top view of tray showing the cavity opening's dimensions (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 8: Top view of tray showing cavity openings and bottom dimensions of cavities (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 9: Top view of the lid (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 10: Side View of tray with lid attached, larger horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 11: Side View of tray with lid attached, smaller horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 12: Cross-section of tray with lid above, larger horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 13: Cross-section of tray with lid above, smaller horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 14: Side View of lid, larger horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 15: Side View of lid, smaller horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 16: Perspective View of tray (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 17: Perspective View of tray with lid above (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 18: Perspective View of tray with lid attached (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 19: Perspective View of internal support structure (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 20: Top View of internal support structure (one possible embodiment)

FIG. 21: Side View of internal support structure, larger horizontal dimension (one possible embodiment)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1: Shows an exterior side view of one possible embodiment of the current invention. The tray 100 can be made from any material of the family of silicones or plastics considered to be food-safe. In this embodiment, the view is the larger horizontal dimension of the tray, though the tray can have horizontal dimensions of equal length. This view also shows the lip 101 of the tray, which is continuous around the top of the tray.

FIG. 2: Shows an exterior side view of one possible embodiment of the current invention. In this embodiment, the view is the smaller horizontal dimension of the tray, though the tray 100 can have horizontal dimensions of equal length. The lip 101 can be seen in this view, and in combination with FIG. 1 is shown to travel along the whole top edge of the tray uninterrupted.

FIG. 3: This view is a side view of a larger horizontal dimension in a hidden line drawing of the present embodiment of the invention. The plurality of cavities 300 is visible in this view. This view also shows the wall created by two abutting cavities 301. The wall intersects with, and is connected to 302, the lip 101 of the tray, forming the basis of an integrated internal support structure 1900 (FIG. 19) that helps add dimensional stability to the tray when the tray in manufactured from a flexible material, such as silicone.

FIG. 4: This view is a side view of a smaller horizontal dimension in a hidden line drawing of the present embodiment of the invention. The plurality of cavities 300 is visible in this view. The interior wall 301, the lip of the tray 101, and their intersection 302 are also represented in this view, showing that with a plurality of cavities on both horizontal axes, supporting ribs are created along both horizontal axes, aiding in dimensional stability.

FIG. 5: This view is a cross-section of the larger horizontal dimension of the present embodiment of the invention. This view shows the opening of the cavities 500 as larger than the bottom surface of the cavities 501. This difference in dimension creates cavity sides 502 that are angled inward from the opening at the top of the cavity to the bottom wall of the cavity. These angled sides make it easier to remove the contents of the cavities when said contents are frozen.

FIG. 6: This view shows the smaller horizontal dimension having the same wider opening 500 and narrower bottom surface 501 as in the previous horizontal dimension shown in FIG. 5, which creates the same angled wall 502 as FIG. 5, which aids in the easy removal of substances that are frozen in the cavities.

FIG. 7: Top view of tray showing the plurality of cavities 300, as well as the lip of the tray 101.

FIG. 8: This is a top view of the tray showing the top opening of the cavities 500, as well as the smaller dimension of the bottom surface of the cavities 501. This view also shows the top view of the interior ribs between the abutting cavities, as well as the intersection 302 of the lip 101 and the ribs 301 view of tray showing cavity openings and bottom dimensions of cavities.

FIG. 9: This view shows a top view of the lid 900, which can be made from any plastic that is food-safe, or a food-safe metal or ceramic, which may also have the added benefit of increased thermal conductivity to aid in the freezing of the contents of the tray, or a combination of the two.

FIG. 10: This figure is a side view of the larger horizontal dimension in the current embodiment. The view shows the tray 100 with the lid 900 attached. When the lid 900 is attached to the tray 100, the lid (made from a stiff material such as plastic, ceramic, metal or a combination thereof) adds dimensional stability to the tray when the tray is made from a flexible material. The lid also serves the purpose of food preservation by covering the openings of the cavities in the tray.

FIG. 11: Side View of tray 100 with lid 900 attached, smaller horizontal dimension.

FIG. 12: Cross-section of tray 100 with lid 900 above, along the larger horizontal dimension. This figure shows the channel in the lid 1200 and the indentation on the lip of the tray 1201 that overlap and inter-connect, creating a tight fit that aids in dimensional stability when the tray is made from a flexible material.

FIG. 13: Cross-section of tray 100 with lid 900 above, smaller horizontal. This view shows the channel in the lid 1200 and the indentation in the lip of the tray 1201 that inter-connect.

FIG. 14: Side view of lid 900 along the larger horizontal dimension of the present embodiment.

FIG. 15: Side view of lid 900 along the smaller horizontal dimension of the present embodiment.

FIG. 16: This figure is a perspective view of tray 100 in the present embodiment.

FIG. 17: This figure is a perspective view of tray 100 with the lid 900 above.

FIG. 18: This figure is a perspective view of tray 100 with the lid 900 attached.

FIG. 19: This figure is a perspective view of the integrated internal support structure 1900 created by the different sized opening and bottom surface of the cavities as described in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8. The view shows the lip 101 and ribs 301 created by abutting walls, as well where the two intersect and connect 302 to create a single support structure. This structure is an inherent feature of the product due to the specification of the larger opening, smaller bottom surface of the cavities, and abutting walls, and is not a separate piece.

FIG. 20: This figure is a top view of the integrated internal support structure 1900. The view shows the lip 101 and ribs 301 created by abutting walls, as well where the two connect 302 to create a single support structure.

FIG. 21: This figure is a side view of the integrated internal support structure 1900. The view shows the lip 101 and ribs 301 created by abutting walls.

Claims

1. A storage device for preserving and freezing foods and liquids: a tray with a plurality of cavities; a lid that fits on top of the tray; an optional external support structure into which the tray is placed.

2. The tray as defined in claim 1 wherein said tray is manufactured from any of the family of silicones that are considered food-safe.

3. The tray as defined in claim 1 wherein said tray is manufactured from a material that is considered food-safe, such as PET, PETG, or polycarbonate, or other food-safe plastics.

4. The tray as defined in claim 1 wherein said cavities are manufactured to hold specific volumes of foods or liquids in either imperial or metric units of measure; when imperial these volumes include two-cups, one-cup, one-half-cup, one-quarter cup, one-third cup; when metric these volumes include 500-millileters, 250 milliliters, 200-milliliters, 100-milliliters or 50 milliliters, or other volumes used when cooking recipes or for the calculation of caloric content.

5. The volumes of the cavities as defined in claim 4 wherein said cavities are manufactured to hold specific volumes of foods or liquid which can be used in the preparation of cooking recipes commonly found in cookbooks, family recipe collections, or on the Internet.

6. The volumes of the tray in claim 4 wherein said cavities are manufactured to hold specific volumes of foods or liquid which can be used for the calculation of caloric content of said foods or liquid.

7. The cavities as described in claim 1 wherein said cavities have an upper opening that is dimensionally larger than the bottom of the cavity, creating sides that are angled inward toward the bottom of the tray. These sides make the removal of any frozen substance contained in the cavities easier than if the sides were straight.

8. The tray as described in claim 1 wherein said tray is made from silicone as described in claim 2

9. The tray as described in claim 8 wherein said tray has a plurality of cavities separated by walls which are either created by the abutting walls of two adjacent cavities or the outer walls of the tray.

10. The walls as described in claim 9 wherein said walls are created from abutting walls of two adjacent cavities, said walls are thinner at the top and thicker at the bottom due to the difference in the dimensions between the opening and the bottom surface of the cavity as described in claim 7. This creates an angled support structure in the body of the tray when multiple cavities are present in the tray. These support structures extend the full length and width of the tray when multiple cavities are present.

11. The tray as described in claim 1 wherein said tray has a top lip or rim that is present around the top circumference of the tray and extends below the top opening of the cavities of the tray

12. The lip as described in claim 11 wherein said lip intersects and connects to the support structure as described in claim 10 due to the lip extending below the cavity opening creating an internal support structure (FIG. 19), which creates dimensional stability for the tray when it is being handled or transported

13. The lid as defined in claim 1 wherein said lid is manufactured from: a) a food-safe plastic, such as PET, PETG, or polycarbonate, or other food-safe plastics; b)a food-safe metal or ceramic with thermal conductivity characteristics that aids in the freezing of the contents of the tray; c) or a combination of a) and b).

14. The lid as defined in claim 1 wherein said lid fits tightly on top of the tray described in claim 1 helping the substances stored or frozen in said tray to stay fresh and delay the adverse affects of freezing and storing on contents of the tray.

15. The lid as defined in claim 13 wherein the lid creates dimensional stability for the tray, especially when the tray is made from a flexible material such as silicone.

16. The external support structure defined in claim 1 wherein said external support structure is manufactured separately from the tray as described in claim 1 and can be attached to the external sides and/or bottom of the tray.

17. The external structure defined in claim 16 wherein said external structure aids in the stability of a full tray when it is transported or handled, especially when the tray is of a larger size or made from a more flexible material such as silicone.

18. The external structure as defined in claim 17 wherein the structure, in one embodiment, is formed by one piece that encompasses the outer circumference of the tray and one or more pieces that run along underneath the tray and are attached to the first piece at either end of the tray, lengthwise, widthwise or both.

19. The external structure defined in claim 30 wherein said external structure is manufactured from: a) a food-safe plastic, such as PET, PETG, or polycarbonate, or other food-safe plastics; b)a food-safe metal or ceramic with thermal conductivity characteristics that aids in the freezing of the contents of the tray; c) or a combination of a) and b).