Stackable tray

Abstract

A stackable tray includes a tray body, which is formed by a cardboard blank including a heat resistant cardboard. The stackable tray includes a guiding element configured for providing a shifting of a first tray relative to a similar second tray located below the first tray in a first direction parallel to its surface, when first tray is stacked on a similar second tray; and the guiding element provides for preventing a shifting of the first tray relative to the similar second tray in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and substantially parallel to its surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of German application no. 20 2006 003 707.1, filed Mar. 7, 2006, and which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a stackable tray. More particularly, the invention relates to a stackable tray including a tray body, which is formed by a cardboard blank including a heat resistant cardboard.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A tray of this kind is known from WO2004/08285 A1 and is particularly suited for serving food onboard aircraft. This known tray includes a tray body which is formed by a cardboard blank. In order to allow for heating food received on the tray in a hot-air oven, the cardboard blank is made of a heat-resistant cardboard. In order to enhance the stability of a stack including a plurality of similar trays, the upper side of the tray is provided with protrusions, which are located on opposing side walls, and which extend from the respective opposing side walls upwardly. In a stack of trays the protrusions are received in recesses, which are formed on the lower side of the tray which is stacked above the tray in question.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a stackable tray, the handling of which is simplified.

It is another object of the invention to provide a stackable tray including a tray body, which is formed by a cardboard blank including a heat resistant cardboard, and the handling of which is simplified.

This object is achieved by the teachings according to the invention as set forth herein.

It is a basic idea of the teaching according to the invention to construct a tray such that the stability of a stack including a plurality of such trays is high, but to provide for shifting of the trays relative to each other.

According to the invention a guiding element is provided which, when the tray is stacked upon a similar stack, allows for a shifting of the trays relative to each other in a first direction parallel to its surface, while shifting in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction is prevented.

Given that according to the invention shifting of the trays relative to each other in a first direction, e.g. in the longitudinal direction of the trays, is possible, the handling of the trays according to the invention is simplified. If a stack including a plurality of trays according to the invention is used in a hot-air oven onboard an aircraft, owing to the stability of the stacks relative to each other, a single tray may be removed from the stack by pulling it from the stack in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, removing trays from the stack is simplified substantially.

Likewise, the stacking of trays according to the invention is substantially simplified, given that when stacking one tray on another tray, the upper tray may be slid on the lower tray.

The tray according to the invention is simple, may be manufactured at low costs, and may be used in multiple ways. The tray according to the invention is particularly suited for receiving and serving food onboard aircraft.

The guiding element provided by the invention may be embodied in a suitable manner as long as the guiding element provides for a shifting in the first direction while shifting in the second direction is substantially prevented.

In order to construct the tray according to the invention in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner, according to a preferred embodiment the guiding element includes at least two tongue-like or flap-like guiding elements which extend downwardly on opposing sides of the tray body and which in the stacked position overlap the tray body of a tray stacked below in the stack. Therefore, on the one hand a high stability of a stack of trays is obtained; and, on the other hand, shifting the trays relative to each other in the first direction, e.g. in the longitudinal direction of the trays, is possible.

The shape, number, size, and construction of the guiding elements may be varied within wide limits. In order to enhance the stability of a stack including a plurality of trays according to the invention and to simultaneously improve the guiding of the trays relative to each other upon shifting in the first direction, a further preferred embodiment provides that on at least one side edge of the tray body at least two guiding elements are located which are spaced relative to each other along the side edge.

In the embodiments described above, it is preferred that the guiding elements extend along the side edge over a substantial part, in particular over 20 to 40 per cent of the length of the side edge.

In order to further enhance the stability of the stack and the guiding of the trays relative to each other, it is preferred that on each of two opposing side edges of the tray body at least two guiding elements are located which are spaced relative to each other along the side edge.

Fundamentally, it is sufficient if guiding elements are provided which extend downwardly from the tray body. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tray body includes walls, wherein, from opposing walls related to a side edge, at which side edge at least one guiding element is located, at least one guiding element extends upwardly. By this means the stability of the stack and the guiding of the trays relative to each other are further enhanced.

Basically, the guiding element or the guiding elements may be separate elements which are connected to the tray body. In order to simplify the manufacturing of trays according to the invention, it is preferred that at least one of the guiding elements is integral with the tray body.

A stack of trays according to the invention includes at least two trays according to the invention as claimed in claim 7.

The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein all features which are claimed in the claims or described in the specification or which are shown in the drawings define the subject matter of the invention, either taken alone or in any combination with each other, regardless of their combination in the claims, as well as regardless of the wording used in the specification, and the representation used in the drawings.

Relative terms such as left, right, up, and down are for convenience only, and are not intended to be limiting.

The term guiding element is intended to include a guiding element which may have one or nonmoving and/or moving parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a stack of trays including a plurality of trays according to the invention, wherein one tray is shown in a position shifted relative to the rest of the stack;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the stack of trays shown in FIG. 1, wherein the trays are not shifted relative to each other;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the stack of trays according to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a cardboard blank used for manufacturing an embodiment of a tray according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a stack 2 of trays, including trays 4, 6, 8 according to an embodiment of the invention. For ease of discussion, only three trays 4, 6, 8 are shown in FIG. 1. However, according to the invention it is possible to stack more than three trays. In the following description, only tray 4 will be explained for ease of discussion. The trays 6, 8 are constructed in a likewise manner.

The tray 4 includes a tray body 10 which includes a bottom 12 and walls 14, 16, 18, 20. The tray body includes a cardboard blank (see FIG. 4) which is manufactured from a heat-resistant cardboard.

According to the invention, a guiding element is provided which in stack 2 of trays provides for a shifting of a tray relative to tray 6 in a first direction, which in this embodiment corresponds to the longitudinal direction of tray 4, and which is marked by an arrow 22. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the first direction is parallel to the surface of tray 4. Furthermore, the guiding element prevents the trays from shifting in a second direction, which corresponds to the transverse direction of tray 4, and which is marked by an arrow 24 in FIG. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment, the guiding element includes tongue-like or flap-like guiding elements 26, 28, 30, which extend from a side edge of a tray body 12 downwardly, and which in the stacking position overlap the tray body of tray 6 placed under tray 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, guiding elements 26, 28, 30 are spaced relative to each other along the side edge. It cannot be seen in FIG. 1 that on the opposing side edge of the tray corresponding guiding elements 26′, 28′ and 30′ are located so that the guiding elements 26, 28, 30 and 26′, 28′, 30′ overlap the tray body of tray 6 placed under tray 4 on both sides. It furthermore cannot be seen in FIG. 1 that pairs of the guiding elements 26, 26′ and 28, 28′ and 30, 30′ respectively are in alignment with each other. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 further guiding elements 32, 34, 36 and 32′, 34′, 36′ are provided which extend upwardly from opposing walls 16, 20.

In order to enable heating of food received on the trays 4, tray body 10 includes a plurality of openings for hot air, although in FIG. 1 only one of the openings is referenced by reference numeral 38.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tray 4 is shiftable in the direction of the arrows 22 by means of the guiding elements 26, 28, 30 and 26′, 28′, 30′. However, a shifting in the direction 24 is substantially prevented.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, which shows a side view of stack 2, the guiding elements 26′, 28′, 30′ of tray 4 overlap the tray body of tray 6 on its upper side.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of stack 2.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a cardboard blank from which the tray body 10 of tray 4 is formed. As shown, the guiding elements 26, 28, 30 and 26′, 28′, 30′ respectively as well as the further guiding elements 32, 34, 36 and 32′, 34′, 36′, respectively, are integral with the tray body 10.

The tray according to the invention may be manufactured easily and at low cost. By means of the tray according to the invention, a stack including a plurality of trays has high stability and may be handled in an easy manner owing to the shiftability of the trays relative to each other in the first direction.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modifications, and uses and/or adaptations of the invention and following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or limits of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. Stackable tray, comprising:

a) a tray body, the tray body being formed by a cardboard blank including a heat resistant cardboard;

b) a guiding element, the guiding element being configured for providing for a shifting of a first tray relative to a similar second tray located below the first tray, in use, the shifting of the first tray being in a first direction parallel to its surface, when the first tray is stacked on the similar second tray; and

c) the guiding element being configured for substantially preventing a shifting of the first tray in a second direction relative to the similar second tray located below the first tray, in use, the substantially preventing of the shifting of the first tray in the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction, when the first tray is stacked on the similar second tray, and the substantially preventing of the shifting of the first tray in the second direction being substantially parallel to its surface.

2. Stackable tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a) the guiding element includes at least two tongue-like guiding elements, the tongue-like guiding elements extending from opposing side edges of a tray body of the first tray, the tongue-like guiding elements extending from a lower side of the tray body, and tongue-like overlap the tray body of the second tray stacked below the first tray on both sides of the second tray, in use.

3. Stackable tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

a) on at least one side edge of the tray body of the first tray, the guiding element includes at least two guiding elements, and the at least two guiding elements are spaced relative to each other.

4. Stackable tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

a) on two opposing side edges of the tray body, at least two guiding elements are located, and the guiding elements are spaced relative to each other.

5. Stackable tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

a) the tray body includes walls, the walls include opposing walls, and from the opposing walls which are located at a side edge, respectively, and at which at least one guiding element is located, at least one further guiding element extends upwardly.

6. Stackable tray as claimed as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

a) at least one of the guiding elements is integral with the tray body.

7. Stack of trays as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

a) the stack includes at least two of the first and second trays, the at least two of the first and second trays being stacked on each other.

8. Stack of trays as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

a) the stack includes at least two of the first and second trays, the at least two of the first and second trays being stacked on each other.

9. Stack of trays as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a) the stack includes at least two of the first and second trays, the at least two of the first and second trays being stacked on each other.