Tray device

This patent application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/000,220 filed Oct. 25, 2007.

The present invention relates, in general, to food trays and, more particularly, this invention relates to food trays having at least one recessed portion formed therein for receiving at least one of a predetermined consumable item.

Prior to the conception and development of the present invention, trays, as are generally well known in the prior art, have been used to transport consumable items such as food and drink from cafeteria lines, kitchens, and the like to other locations so that such items may be consumed. Unfortunately drink items, cups, mugs, and like are difficult to balance on trays and may shake, slide, spill and fall if not balanced precisely. Balancing a tray can be difficult for children, weak and sick people, people with arthritis, hand afflictions and handicaps, and the like. Balancing a tray can also be difficult if such tray has various food and drink items thereon making the tray heavy and cumbersome. Therefore there is a need for a tray which incorporates recesses or pockets for securing drinks, cups, mugs, various food items, condiments, condiment packets, and the like.

Specifically of interest to the present invention are the following:

Lorenzana, et al, U.S. Design Pat. No. D311,662, discloses the ornamental design for a tray having a cupholder.

McSpadden, U.S. Design Pat. No. D368,627, discloses the ornamental design for a portable food tray with cup holder.

McSpadden, U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,070, discloses a portable food tray for supporting food and a drink container which is adapted to be securely and comfortably held by one hand of the user. The food tray is formed from a sheet material and has a generally flat surface portion and a cup-like portion for supporting a drink container. The peripheral outer edge portion of the tray has convex and concave side edge portions so that the concave portion can be held closely against the user\'s body. The tray includes two ribs that divide the flat surface portion into separate compartments and that serve to strengthen the tray.

McSpadden, U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,231, discloses a portable food tray for supporting food and a drink container which is adapted to be securely and comfortably held by one hand of the user. The food tray is formed from a sheet material and has a generally flat surface portion and a cup-like portion for supporting a drink container. The top of the cup-like portion is spaced a substantial distance above the flat surface portion so as to permit the “nesting” of the tray down onto the hand and to thereby permit the tray to be stabilized on the hand.

Stern, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,580, discloses a food and beverage tray defining a generally rectangular recess having at least one support member extending downwardly therefrom. The tray body further defines a center cup receptacle having a receptacle wall extending downwardly beyond the tray body. A pair of side cup receptacles are formed on opposed sides of the center cup receptacle. Such food and beverage tray is primarily meant to be supported on an armrest cupholder of a chair.

The aforementioned references do not provide the benefits attendant with the present invention.

The present invention provides a tray which includes a tray member manufactured from a predetermined material and having a predetermined size and a first predetermined shape. Such tray member includes at least one recessed portion formed integrally therein for receiving at least one of a bottom portion of a drink holding container, at least one food item, at least one condiment, and at least one packet of a predetermined condiment. Such at least one recessed portion has a predetermined depth and a second predetermined shape.

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a tray which includes a drink container receiving portion disposed therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tray having a drink holder integrally formed therein for securely holding drink containers such as mugs, cups, drink boxes, drink pouches, and the like.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a compartmentalized tray having a plurality of recessed portions disposed therein for holding any combination of drink containers, condiments, condiment packets, food items, and the like.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tray which has a recessed portion capable of encircling predetermined items in such recessed portion such that a user may carry such tray bearing such items without fear of spilling such items.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an easy to balance tray which contains at least one recessed portion disposed therein for retaining a predetermined object within such at least one recessed portion in the event that a user is incapable of balancing such tray precisely parallel to the ground.