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Party trayRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Processes, Packaging Or Treatment Of Packaged ProductParty tray description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060210682, Party tray. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 10/222,435 filed Aug. 16, 2002, now Pat. No ______ (Docket 14181). This application is also related to (i) a first divisional application of application Ser. No. 10/222,435 which is being filed contemporaneously with this application (Docket 14181-2), (ii) a second divisional application of application Ser. No. 10/222,435 which is being filed contemporaneously with this application (Docket 14181-3), and (iii) Pat. No. D482,280, which issued on Design patent application No. 29/165,789 filed Aug. 16, 2002 (Docket 14182). The disclosure of each of those applications is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to party trays. [0003] The term "party tray" is used herein to denote a tray of assorted foodstuffs to be served at a party. Especially when one or more of the foodstuffs is a respiring foodstuff, for example fresh fruits or vegetables, it is desirable that the party tray should provide a sealed package for the foodstuffs. This makes it possible to use the known technique of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), and/or to control the initial atmosphere within the party tray, in order to help the foodstuffs to remain in good condition for a longer time, thereby Increasing the shelf life of the party tray. [0004] Known sealed party trays are usually prepared in quantity in manufacturing facilities, using carefully selected foodstuffs and under carefully controlled conditions. As displayed for sale, such trays comprise a container body containing separate compartments for different foodstuffs; foodstuffs within the compartments; a transparent polymeric sheet which is sealed over the container body, thus providing a sealed package for foodstuffs; and a transparent cover over the sealing sheet. The size of party trays is such that the sealing sheet is not robust enough to withstand routine handling of the tray unless it is protected by a cover. The container body and the cover are formed by molding polymeric materials, the container body being formed with cavity walls which define the separate compartments. The container body is often black or another solid color to provide a contrasting background for the foodstuffs, but can also be clear. [0005] When the foodstuffs in the known party tray are to be consumed, the cover and the sealing sheet are removed, and the foodstuffs are served, using the container body as the serving tray. [0006] When a party tray is displayed for sale in a supermarket or other store, it is desirable that shoppers should be able to view the contents of the tray clearly, and should have the impression that the tray has been recently prepared at the store level. A disadvantage of the known sealed party trays is that shoppers must view the contents of the tray through the cover and the sealing sheet. This detracts from the appearance of the foodstuffs, and may also indicate to shoppers that the tray has not been prepared at the store level. Another disadvantage is that the cavity walls of the container body are at least 0.375 in. (9 mm) wide. This further detracts from the appearance of the foodstuffs, and also reduces the amount of the foodstuffs that can be placed in a given total volume. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] I have realized, in accordance with the present invention, that improved results can be obtained by loading the foodstuffs into a transparent container body; securing a sealing sheet to the container body to provide a sealed package containing the foodstuffs; placing a support tray over the sealing sheet; and then turning the assembly of the support tray and the sealed package upside-down. In this specification, the term "in the loading orientation" means that the container body is oriented so that any foodstuffs in It rest on the base of the container body; and the term "in the display orientation" means that the container body is oriented so that the base of the container body in the loading orientation provides the top surface of the sealed package. Thus, if a container body, after having been loaded with foodstuffs and sealed with a sealing sheet, is in the display orientation, the foodstuffs rest on the sealing sheet (which is in turn supported by the support tray), and the foodstuffs are viewed by shoppers through the single thickness of the transparent container body. As a result, the foodstuffs are readily visible, and it is not apparent that the party tray was prepared in a manufacturing facility. [0008] When the contents of the novel party tray are to be served, the sealed container body is returned to the loading orientation; the support tray is removed; the sealing sheet is removed; the support tray (or a platter provided by the consumer) is placed over the open container body; the support tray (or provided platter) and container are returned to the display orientation; and finally the container body is removed, so that the foodstuffs can be served from the support tray (or provided platter). [0009] I have also realized, in accordance with the present Invention, that by using partitions which are prepared separately from the container body, and are then located within the container body, the partitions can provide a smaller proportion of the visual appearance and physical contents of the party tray. In preferred embodiments, the partitions are located within the container body by location members formed in the base and/or wall of the container body. [0010] This Invention includes novel methods for preparing and/or serving party trays, novel container bodies (and other components) for party trays, novel kits of parts for use in the assembly of party trays, and novel party trays, which make use of, or which can be used to implement, the present invention as summarized above. The invention includes, but is not limited to, the specific aspects of the invention which are set out in the Detailed Description of the Invention below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which [0012] FIGS. 1,2,3 and 4 are top, bottom, front and side views, respectively, of a container body for a party tray according to the invention, the container body being in the display orientation; [0013] FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sections on lines V-V and VI-VI of FIG. 1; [0014] FIGS. 7 and 8 are side and top views respectively of partitions for use in conjunction with the container body illustrated in FIGS. 1-6; [0015] FIG. 9 is a top view of two partitions as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 joined together to form a single partition; [0016] FIG. 10 Is a top view of a container body as shown in FIGS. 1-6 into which have been fitted two pairs of partitions as shown in FIGS. 7-8, joined together as shown in FIG. 9, the container body being shown In the loading orientation; [0017] FIG. 11 is a top view of a container body which has been fitted with partitions, as shown in FIG. 10, loaded with vegetables and with a carton of vegetable dip, and then sealed with a polymeric sheet; [0018] FIG. 12 is a top view of a loaded and sealed container body as shown in FIG. 11, after a support tray has been placed over the sealing sheet, and the assembly then turned over into the display orientation; [0019] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view on line XIII-XIII of FIG. 12; and [0020] FIGS. 14-16 are top, bottom and side views of another container body for a party tray according to the invention, the container body being in the display orientation. [0021] In the drawings, the thicknesses of the components are exaggerated in the interests of clarity. Also the container bodies are shown as having a uniform thickness; In fact, since the container bodies are made by thermoforming polymeric sheets of uniform thickness, their thickness vanes, depending upon the amount that the sheet has been deformed, as is well known to those skilled In the art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0022] In the Summary of the Invention above and in the Detailed Description of the Invention, and the Claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally. [0023] The term "comprises" and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps etc. are optionally present. For example, an article "comprising" (or "which comprises") components A, B and C can consist of (i.e. contain only) components A, B and C, or can contain not only components A, B and C but also one or more other components. Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility. The term "at least" followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example "at least 1" means 1 or more than 1. The term "at most" followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range ending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, "at most 4," means 4 or less than 4, and "at most 40%" means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as "(a first number) to (a second number)" or "(a first number)-(a second number)", this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, 251-100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm, and whose upper limit is 100 mm. [0024] In a first aspect, this invention provides a method of preparing a party tray which comprises the steps of [0025] A) providing a container body which is composed of a transparent polymeric material and which comprises [0026] 1) a base, [0027] 2) a continuous wall which extends away from the base and is contiguous with the base, [0028] 3) a continuous rim which is contiguous with the wall, and [0029] 4) partitions which create compartments within the container body; [0030] B) placing foodstuffs in the compartments; [0031] C) after step B, sealing a sealing sheet of polymeric material to the rim of the container body,-thus creating a sealed package which contains the foodstuffs and whose outer surface is defined by the container body and the sealing sheet; [0032] D) after step C, placing a support tray over the sealing sheet; and [0033] E) after step D, turning the assembly produced in step D upside-down. [0034] In a second aspect, this invention provides a container body for a party tray, the container body being composed of a transparent polymeric material and comprising [0035] 1) a base, [0036] 2) a continuous wall which extends away from the base and is contiguous with the base, and [0037] 3) a continuous rim which Is contiguous with the wall and which comprises a continuous flat surface to which a sheet of polymeric material can be sealed to create a sealed package whose outer surface is defined by the container body and the sheet of polymeric material, at least one of the base and the wall including location members for locating partitions which create compartments within the container body. [0038] In a third aspect, this invention provides a kit of parts which comprises at least one container body as defined In the second aspect of the invention, and at least two partitions, the partitions being locatable by the location members so that they create compartments within the container body. The kit of parts preferably contains at least ten container bodies and at least 20 partitions, and may contain many more. [0039] In a fourth aspect, this invention provides a party tray which comprises [0040] A) a container body which Is composed of a transparent polymeric material and which comprises [0041] 1) a base, [0042] 2) 2) a continuous wall which extends away from the base and is contiguous with the base, [0043] 3) a continuous rim which is contiguous with the wall, and [0044] 4) partitions which create compartments within the container body and which are removably located within the container body; [0045] B) foodstuffs in the compartments: and [0046] C) a sealing sheet of polymeric material which is sealed to the rim, thus creating a sealed package which contains the foodstuffs and whose outer surface is defined by the container body and the sealing sheet. [0047] In a fifth aspect, this invention provides a method of serving a party tray which comprises [0048] A) placing a party tray as defined in the fourth aspect of the invention in the loading orientation; [0049] B) after step A, removing the sealing sheet; [0050] C) after step B, placing a serving dish over the container body; [0051] D) after step C, turning the assembly prepared in step C upside-down so that the foodstuffs are supported on the serving dish; and [0052] E) after step D, removing the container body so that the foodstuffs are ready to be served. Continue reading about Party tray... Full patent description for Party tray Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Party tray patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Party tray or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method of adorning foodstuff Next Patent Application: Party tray Industry Class: Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Party tray patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.13934 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Accenture , Agouron Pharmaceuticals , Amgen , AT&T , Bausch & Lomb , Callaway Golf 174 |
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