Chafing dish transporter

Abstract

The combination of at least one catering container assembly for storing, transporting and presenting multiple portions of food in the form of a tray having a base defining the length and width dimensions of the tray, substantially continuous side walls extending upwardly from the base to define a height dimension of the tray, and a cover for the tray detachably connected thereto, wherein each catering container has disposed therein multiple portions of a prepared food product at a temperature warmer or colder than ambient conditions; and a transporting receptacle formed from an insulating material and dimensioned to receive the length, width and height dimensions of at least one catering container assembly, wherein the transporting receptacle has a tray having a base defining the length and width dimensions of the tray, substantially continuous sidewalls extending upwardly from the base to define a height dimension of the tray, and an insulating cover for the tray detachably connected thereto; wherein the transporting receptacle has at least one catering container disposed therein. Methods for transporting food-laden catering containers with the transporting receptacles are also disclosed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/602,407 filed Aug. 18, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a high-strength, thermally-insulating receptacle for transporting modular catering containers, such as chafing dishes in general, and disposable aluminum chafing dishes in particular. More particularly, the invention relates to thermally-insulating receptacles for transporting chafing dishes that caterers receive as foldable box blanks and assemble into receptacles prior to transporting the chafing dishes. The present invention further relates to food-laden chafing dishes disposed in the receptacles of the invention and methods for transporting food laden chafing dishes with the receptacles of the invention and serving food therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Catering containers such as chafing dishes have long been employed to store and transfer food prior to presenting the food to those persons who will consume it. Generally, a caterer loads the food onto the catering containers after preparation and stores the containers until the time at which the food is to be presented to consumers. The caterer then transfers the food from its preparation location to a dining location. To achieve the best results, it is most desirable to utilize catering containers on which food is easily loaded, stored, transported, and presented to the consumer while maintaining the integrity of the food.

Most catering containers have easy loading capability since they are flat rectangular trays that are covered with a lid until presentation. However, numerous catering containers are often stacked vertically to use less space in storage. This requires a structurally sound container and lid assembly such that the containers on the bottom are not crushed under the weight of those at the top. Additionally, as the height of the stack increases, the stability of the stack decreases such that those on top may slide out of alignment and fall from the stack. This stacking stability problem is accentuated when a stack of containers is being manually transported by the caterer.

The container must also be strong enough to carry its contents. Not only is the static holding strength important, but the resistance to dynamic torsional and bending stresses is critical because the container must not become contorted during handling and transportation. If the containers are made of metal or ceramic, the issue of strength becomes secondary. But, many catering containers today are made of less costly disposable thin-gauge aluminum pans, which brings the strength issue to the forefront.

The predominant advantage of thin-gauge aluminum pan chafing dishes is that they are so inexpensive per unit cost they can be thrown away after a single use, thereby saving the cost of labor required for cleaning, yet at the same time they can be exposed to high cooking temperatures required for cooking entrees. The inexpensiveness of the chafing dishes produces several disadvantages. Some are sold with narrow gauge fitted aluminum or aluminum-lined chip board lids. Others are sold with no lid and the caterer uses aluminum foil to cover the contents. Neither alternative permits safe stacking of hot entree-laden chafing dishes, which becomes problematic for large events.

In addition catering employees typically lift hot entree-laden chafing dishes by grasping the two opposing sides along the width-wise dimension at the rim and lifting. In addition to the risk of burning fingers by grabbing an oven-heated aluminum container, because of the narrow-gauge aluminum construction, this produces dynamic torsional and pending stresses. As a consequence, the chafing dishes frequently fold along a width-wise axis when lifted in this manner and collapse, spilling the contents and often scalding the employee. The narrow-gauge construction also provides virtually no heat insulation, making it difficult, if not impossible, to serve dishes at temperatures desirable to patrons.

While many of the problems would be solved by using a thicker gauge aluminum pan, the increase in unit cost would make the single use of the pan cost-prohibitive, while multiple uses with washing necessary in between produces no advantage over stainless steel or aluminum chafing dishes designed for multiple uses. The problem of heat loss has been addressed by various means for heating chafing dishes during transport, such as the devices disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,291,805 and 6,462,312. The complexity and expense of these devices has resulted in limited acceptance. There remains a need for an inexpensive solution of the problem of disposable aluminum chafing dishes that collapse, do not retain heat and cannot be efficiently stacked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention meets this need. The present invention provides an insulated receptacle dimensioned to receive a heated aluminum chafing dish, fitted with an insulated lid adapted to permit stacking of the receptacles. In addition to being able to stack chafing dishes for transport, the use of an insulated receptacle with a fitted lid essentially eliminates heat loss during transport. The receptacle also eliminates the collapsing of chafing dishes during transport, significantly reducing the risk of bums to employees.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, a combination is provided of a food-laden catering container disposed in a transporting container dimensioned to receive it. One combination embodiment according to the present invention includes:

At least one catering container assembly for storing, transporting and presenting multiple portions of food in the form of a tray having a base defining length and width dimensions of the tray, substantially continuous side walls extending upwardly from the base to define a height dimension of the tray, and a cover for the tray detachably connected thereto, wherein each catering container has disposed therein multiple portions of a prepared food product at a temperature warmer or colder than ambient conditions; and

a transporting receptacle formed from an insulating material and dimensioned to receive the length, width and height dimensions of at least one catering container assembly, wherein the transporting receptacle is in the form of a tray having a base defining length and width dimensions of the tray, substantially continuous sidewalls extending upwardly from the base to define a height dimension of the tray, and an insulating cover for the tray detachably connected thereto;

wherein the transporting receptacle has at least one catering container disposed therein.

The transporting receptacles can be prepared from a wide variety of insulating materials such as cardboard, plastic foam such as Styrofoam, and the like. Chip board reinforced with a sprayed-on layer of plastic foam such as Styrofoam can also be used, which both insulates and strengthens the chip board. The transporting receptacles are preferably prepared from recyclable materials, particularly cardboard. The interior can also be coated with a liquid impervious barrier layer such as a polymer or wax coating to prevent leakage of spilled contents from the interior.

The transporting receptacles also provide the opportunity for the caterer to print the exterior with advertisements for his business. Receptacles according to the present invention, especially those prepared from cardboard and chip board, can be inexpensively fabricated and printed in a manner similar to a pizza box.

The lid can be a separate item of construction or the receptacle can be constructed with an integral lid that is hingedly affixed, preferably along one length-wise dimension. In particularly preferred embodiments the upper surfaces of both width-wise dimensions of the receptacle and/or lid contain a hole that is dimensioned for use as a handle for lifting the receptacle when carrying a chafing dish. The receptacle may be provided with perforated dimensions corresponding to such holes that are punched out by the user whenever such a handle is desired. Alternatively, the receptacles may be manufactured with such holes.

The receptacles are preferably supplied as box blanks that are punched out flat sheets scored along fold lines and shipped flat as multiple stacked sheets that are then individually folded into receptacles by the caterer when needed, like a pizza box or a banker's box. This can be done both for receptacles with separate lids and receptacles with integral lids. Non-integral lids can be similarly shipped as flat stacks that are assembled by folding when needed.

The present invention also provides methods for transporting food-laden chafing dishes using the transporting receptacles of the present invention. According to one embodiment of this aspect of the invention, a method is provided for transporting and serving multiple portions of a prepared food product at a temperature warmer or colder than ambient conditions, which method includes the steps of:

providing at least one catering container assembly for storing, transporting and presenting multiple portions of food in the form of a tray having a base defining length and width dimensions of the tray, substantially continuous side walls extending upwardly from the base to define a height dimension of the tray, and a cover for the tray detachably connected thereto;

filling at least one container at a first location with multiple portions of a prepared food product at a temperature warmer or colder than ambient conditions;

disposing at least one container in a transporting receptacle formed from an insulating material and dimensioned to receive the length, width and height dimensions of at least one catering container assembly, wherein the transporting receptacle is in the form of a tray having a base defining length and width dimensions of the tray, substantially continuous sidewalls extending upwardly from the base to define a height dimension of the tray, and an insulating cover for the tray detachably connected thereto; and

transporting the container-receptacle combination to a second location.

Preferred methods according to the present invention further include the step of serving the food product from each container at the second location. Each container is preferably removed from the receptacle before serving the food product. The filling and disposing steps may optionally be performed simultaneously.

Other preferred methods according to the present invention include the step of forming the receptacle from a box blank at the first location before the step of disposing at least one container in the receptacle.

A receptacle folded from a cardboard box blank similar to a cardboard pizza box but with larger dimensions is depicted in the drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a plan view of a box blank that folds to form a chafing dish transporting receptacle according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 depicts a side view of an assembled transporting receptacle according to the present invention into which a food-laden chafing dish is disposed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a box blank 10 that is erected to form a transporting receptacle according to the present invention. Referring to blank 10, there is a bottom panel 20, a rear wall 22 hingedly attached to bottom panel 20, opposing left and right side wall structures 30, a front wall structure 40 opposing rear wall 22, and a cover 60.

Cover 60 comprises a cover panel 62 hingedly attached to rear wall 22, side flaps 63 and a cover front flap 64 hingedly attached to a front edge of cover panel 62. Flap 64 has left and right side edges 66 and a length 68, which is also the width of bottom panel 20 and opposing rear wall 22.

Side wall structure 30 comprises wall panels 32 with a length 52 and a height 39, and front and rear corner flaps 34 and 36, respectively. Each of the corner flaps is attached to the wall panel at fold line 38.

Front wall structure 40 comprises a front wall 42, and an ancillary panel structure 44. Ancillary panel structure 44 comprises an inner wall panel 46 and a pair of connector strips 48 that connect wall panel 46 to the top edge of front wall 42.

After blank 10 has been erected into a carton, front wall structure 40 constitutes a double-panel wall structure in which front wall 42 is an outer wall panel that's perpendicular to bottom panel 20, inner wall panel 46 is an inner panel that's parallel to front wall 42 and disposed interior to it, and connector strips 48 are perpendicular to the front wall and the inner wall panel. In the carton format, corner flaps 34 are disposed between front wall 42 and inner wall panel 46.

In order for the transporting receptacle to be dimensioned to receive at least one catering container, the transporting receptacle should have height, width and length dimensions slightly larger than the one or more catering containers disposed therein. This will provide extra room for inserting and removing the catering container and also provide an insulating layer of air. The additional room preferably should not be so great to allow significant movement of the catering container within the transporting receptacle, to the extent that the catering container contents are at risk of spilling out over the interior of the transporting receptacle.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the receptacle is for the transport of full-sized deep disposable aluminum chafing dishes. The receptacle has a height dimension 39 of about 3.5 inches, a width dimension 52 of about 13.5 inches, and a length dimension 68 of about 22 inches. It should be understood that the proportional size of the components shown in the drawing of blank 10 are not necessarily recommended proportional sizes but, to the contrary, are exaggerated proportions provided for the purpose of clear illustration of the invention.

The receptacles can be manufactured in many sizes to accommodate various sizes in which disposable chafing dishes are manufactured. They can also be dimensioned to carry full-size non-deep disposable aluminum chafing dishes, or one or two small disposable aluminum chafing dishes, such as half-size chafing dishes. The present invention also includes transporting receptacles with a significantly higher height dimension to permit the stacking of chafing two, three or more chafing dishes within the receptacle. Furthermore, the receptacles can be dimensioned to carry non-disposable, stainless steel or aluminum chafing dishes.

The receptacles can also be dimensioned with top perimeters larger than bottom perimeters in a manner that permits the nested stacking of empty receptacles. The lids of such receptacles can be provided with a raised rim having a perimeter larger than the bottom perimeter of the nesting receptacle, so that when transporting chafing dishes, the bottoms of receptacles, when stacked, fit inside the raised rims of the lids of receptacles underneath to deter shifting of stacked receptacles during chafing dish transport.

The depicted receptacle is essentially a pizza box that is rectangular instead of square and has a significantly greater height dimension to accommodate chafing dishes used by caterers. Blank 10 is erected into a carton by the caterer at the food preparation location using the same procedure as employed for erecting a standard cardboard pizza box having a double-panel, or roll-over, front wall. That procedure is essentially as follows. First, fold side wall panels 32 to an upright position and fold front corner flaps 34 inward. Second, fold front wall 42 to an upright position and then fold inner wall panel 46 downward until the outer edge of the panel engages with bottom panel 20 and, thereby, holds panel 46 parallel to front wall 42. Third, fold rear corner flaps 36 inward. Finally, pull cover panel 62 forward and insert cover side flaps interior to wall panels 32 and front flap 64 interior to inner wall panel 46

FIG. 2 depicts the combination of an erected transporting receptacle according to the present invention 100, with a food-laden chafing dish 110 disposed therein. The food is preferably added to the chafing dish before the chafing dish is disposed in the transporting receptacle. However, it is possible to first dispose the chafing dish in the transporting receptacle and then add the food to it. The chafing dish receptacle combination is then transported to the location where the food is served. Preferable the chafing dish is removed from the receptacle prior to serving. However, it is possible to serve food from the chafing dish without removing it from the transporting receptacle. The receptacles can be designed for a single use or for several uses before disposal without being cost prohibitive for use in addition to disposable chafing dishes.

The present invention thus provides a simple and inexpensive means by which catering containers such as disposable aluminum chafing dishes can be conveniently and safely stacked for transport without heat loss or spilling of contents. Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is intended by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims

1. In combination:

At least one catering container assembly for storing, transporting and presenting multiple portions of food comprising a tray having a base defining the length and width dimensions of said tray, substantially continuous side walls extending upwardly from said base to define a height dimension of said tray, and a cover for said tray detachably connected thereto, wherein each catering container has disposed therein multiple portions of a prepared food product at a temperature warmer or colder than ambient conditions; and

a transporting receptacle formed from an insulating material and dimensioned to receive said length, width and height dimensions of at least one catering container assembly, wherein said transporting receptacle comprises a tray having a base defining the length and width dimensions of said tray, substantially continuous sidewalls extending upwardly from said base to define a height dimension of said tray, and an insulating cover for said tray detachably connected thereto;

wherein said transporting receptacle has at least one catering container disposed therein.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said insulating material is cardboard.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said insulating cover of said receptacle has a side that is hingedly affixed to a side wall of said receptacle.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said transporting receptacle has a single catering container disposed therein.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said transporting receptacle has a plurality of catering containers disposed therein.

6. A method for transporting and serving multiple portions of a prepared food product at a temperature warmer or colder than ambient conditions, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one catering container assembly for storing, transporting and presenting multiple portions of food comprising a tray having a base defining the length and width dimensions of the tray, substantially continuous side walls extending upwardly from the base to define a height dimension of the tray, and a cover for the tray detachably connected thereto;

filling each container at a first location with multiple portions of a prepared food product at a temperature warmer or colder than ambient conditions;

disposing at least one container in a transporting receptacle formed from an insulating material and dimensioned to receive said length, width and height dimensions of at least one catering container assembly, wherein the transporting receptacle comprises a tray having a base defining the length and width dimensions of said tray, substantially continuous sidewalls extending upwardly from said base to define a height dimension of said tray, and an insulating cover for said tray detachably connected thereto; and

transporting said container-receptacle combination to a second location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of serving said food product from each container at said second location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each container is removed from said receptacle before serving said food product.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said filling and disposing steps are performed simultaneously.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of forming said receptacle from a box blank at said first location before said step of disposing at least one container in said receptacle.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said insulating material is cardboard.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein a single catering container is disposed in said transporting receptacle.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein a plurality of catering containers are disposed in said transporting receptacle.