초록 ▼

A food service and dining tray having a smooth upper surface, opposing end panels that provide sturdy handles, a perimeter rim with a minimum height dimension of approximately one inch extending between the end panels, a removable high-friction mat, and a yielding bottom portion filled with granular

A food service and dining tray having a smooth upper surface, opposing end panels that provide sturdy handles, a perimeter rim with a minimum height dimension of approximately one inch extending between the end panels, a removable high-friction mat, and a yielding bottom portion filled with granular and/or soft material that conforms to the configuration of the surface or lap upon which it is placed. Optionally, the serving tray may have a detachable self-contained bottom portion, a perimeter groove for food crumbs and/or mat storage, and one or more recessed areas in its upper surface for maintaining a container holding an easily spilled food or beverage in a substantially upright and fixed position. Also, the mat may have thermal properties that protect the upper tray surface from damage during repeated use with hot food containers and/or help food containers to maintain elevated and chilled temperatures during transport.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A food service and dining tray for use in providing appetite stimulus to the person receiving food on it, particularly bedridden, weakened, and impaired people, through visual and physical enhancement of the food and its presentation, said food service and dining tray compris

What is claimed is: 1. A food service and dining tray for use in providing appetite stimulus to the person receiving food on it, particularly bedridden, weakened, and impaired people, through visual and physical enhancement of the food and its presentation, said food service and dining tray comprising, a smooth and substantially planar upper tray surface configured for promoting secure adhesion of high-friction-material; opposing end panels upwardly depending from said upper tray surface, with each said end panel having sturdy handle means adapted for controlled transport of said upper tray surface in a substantially horizontally-extending orientation when it supports food items and tableware so as to maintain food items and tableware in their originally established positions relative to said upper tray surface subsequent to transport; two opposing perimeter rims upwardly depending from said upper tray surface, with each of said rims having a first end contiguous with one of said opposing end panels and a second end contiguous with the other of said opposing end panels, said perimeter rims having a height dimension less than that of said opposing end panels; a substantially planar high-friction mat having a maximum surface area no larger than that of said upper tray surface, said mat being capable of maintaining tableware items in their originally established positions during dining and transport, said mat also being sufficiently flexible for rolling into a compact storage configuration; and a yielding bottom portion substantially filled with inert, non-toxic, non-allergenic, and lightweight soft fill material configured and positioned so that said yielding bottom portion is able to conform to the configuration of the surfaces and laps upon which it is placed, and also comfortably support the combined weight of said upper tray surface, said opposing end panels, said perimeter rims, and said high-friction mat, as well as any supported tableware, when said food service and dining tray is placed upon the lap of the person dining from it. 2. The food service and dining tray of claim 1 wherein said upper surface further comprises at least one recess configured for holding the bottommost portion of a container configured for beverages and easily spilled foods. 3. The food service and dining tray of claim 1 wherein said soft fill material is selected from a group consisting of granular material, filamentous material, polystyrene beads, fiberglass, and polyester. 4. The food service and dining tray of claim 1 wherein said upper tray surface has a perimeter edge and further comprising a perimeter groove positioned adjacent to said perimeter edge, and wherein said perimeter groove has a dimension adequate for retaining said high-friction mat when it is rolled into said compact storage configuration. 5. The food service and dining tray of claim 4 wherein said perimeter groove is selected from a group consisting of a perimeter groove located adjacent to one of said end panels, a perimeter groove located adjacent to both of said end panels, a perimeter groove located adjacent to one of said perimeter rims, a perimeter groove located adjacent to both said perimeter rims, a perimeter groove located adjacent to one of said end panels and both said perimeter rims, a perimeter groove located adjacent to one of said perimeter rims and both of said end panels, and a perimeter groove located adjacent to both said perimeter rims and both of said end panels. 6. The food service and dining tray of claim 1 further comprising a substantially planar bottom tray surface in an opposing position to said upper tray surface and wherein said yielding bottom portion is self-contained with a top surface, and further comprising a plurality of reusable two-part quick-release fasteners, with one part of each said two-part quick-release fastener being permanently attached to said bottom tray surface and the second part of each said two-part quick-release fastener being permanently attached to said top surface of said yielding bottom portion in opposing positions so that when opposing ones of said first and second parts are connected to one another, said two-part quick-release fasteners allow secure connection between said top surface and said bottom tray surface for prompt substitution of replacement yielding bottom portions having sufficiently different surface decoration to provide visual enhancement of food presentation during successive meals eaten from said food service and dining tray. 7. The food service and dining tray of claim 1 wherein said high-friction mat is made from material having thermal properties that permit it to protect said upper tray surface from heat damage and also help to maintain elevated and reduced temperatures in tableware, foods, and beverages situated thereupon and thereabove during transport. 8. A food service and dining tray for use in providing appetite stimulus to the person receiving food on it, particularly bedridden, weakened, and impaired people, through visual and physical enhancement of the food and its presentation, said food service and dining tray comprising, a smooth, elongated, and substantially planar upper tray surface having a perimeter edge and being configured for promoting secure adhesion of high-friction material; opposing end panels upwardly depending from said upper tray surface, with each said end panel having sturdy handle means adapted for controlled transport of said upper tray surface in a substantially horizontally-extending orientation when it supports food items and tableware so as to maintain food items and tableware in their originally established positions relative to said upper tray surface subsequent to transport; two opposing perimeter rims upwardly depending from said upper tray surface, with each of said rims having a first end contiguous with one of said opposing end panels and a second end contiguous with the other of said opposing end panels, said perimeter rims having a height dimension less than that of said opposing end panels; a substantially planar high-friction mat having a maximum surface area no larger than that of said upper tray surface, said mat being capable of maintaining tableware items in their originally established positions during dining and transport, said mat also being sufficiently flexible for rolling into a compact storage configuration, and further wherein said high-friction mat is made from material having thermal properties that permit it to protect said upper tray surface from heat damage and also help to maintain elevated and reduced temperatures in tableware, foods, and beverages situated thereupon and thereabove during transport; a groove positioned adjacent to said perimeter edge of said upper tray surface, said groove also having a dimension adequate for retaining said high-friction mat when it is rolled into said compact storage configuration; and a yielding bottom portion substantially filled with lightweight, inert, non-toxic, and non-allergenic soft fill material configured so that said yielding bottom portion is able to conform to the configuration of the surfaces and laps upon which it is placed, and also comfortably support the combined weight of said upper tray surface, said opposing end panels, said perimeter rims, and said high-friction mat, as well as any supported tableware, when said food service and dining tray is placed upon the lap of the person dining from it. 9. The food service and dining tray of claim 8 wherein said upper surface further comprises at, least one recess configured for holding the bottommost portion of a container configured for beverages and easily spilled foods. 10. The food service and dining tray of claim 9 wherein said high friction mat configuration that is complementary to said at least one recess. 11. The food service and dining tray of claim 9 wherein said high-friction mat has at least one cutout area complementary in size and location to said at least one recess and through which the bottommost portion of a container can be inserted for positioning within said at least one recess. 12. The food service and dining tray of claim 8 wherein each of said end panels has a non-vertical orientation that is outwardly angled away from the other. 13. The food service and dining tray of claim 8 wherein said yielding bottom portion has a height dimension, and said height dimension of said yielding bottom portion is approximately twice said height dimension of said perimeter rims. 14. The food service and dining tray of claim 8 further comprising a substantially planar bottom tray surface in an opposing position to said upper tray surface and wherein said yielding bottom portion is self-contained with a top surface, and further comprising a plurality of reusable two-part quick-release fasteners, with one part of each said two-part quick-release fastener being permanently attached to said bottom tray surface and the second part of each said two-part quick-release fastener being permanently attached to said top surface of said yielding bottom portion in opposing positions so that when opposing ones of said first and second parts are connected to one another, said two-part quick-release fasteners allow secure connection between said top surface and said bottom tray surface for prompt substitution of replacement yielding bottom portions having sufficiently different surface decoration to provide visual enhancement of food presentation during successive meals eaten from said food service and dining tray. 15. A method for manufacturing a food service and dining tray usable for appetite stimulus to the person receiving food on it, particularly bedridden weakened and impaired people through visual and physical enhancement of the food and its presentation, said method comprising the steps of: providing a substantially planar and smooth upper tray surface configured for promoting secure adhesion of high-friction material and that also has an opposing bottom tray surface, two opposing end panels each having sturdy handle means, two pieces of perimeter rim material each having a height dimension less than that of said end panels, a substantially planar and high-friction mat having a surface area no larger than said upper tray surface and being capable of maintaining tableware items placed thereon in their originally established positions during dining and transport in addition to the capability for being rolled into a compact storage configuration, and a yielding bottom portion containing lightweight, inert, non-toxic, and non-allergenic soft fill material that is configured to conform to the configuration of the surfaces and laps upon which it is placed and also comfortably supports the combined weight of said upper tray surface, said opposing end panels, said perimeter rims, and said high-friction mat when all are placed upon the lap of a person; attaching said opposing end panels to said upper surface in an upwardly depending fashion; extending said two pieces of perimeter rim material so that they upwardly depend from said upper tray surface between said opposing end panels and contiguous therewith; attaching said yielding bottom portion to said bottom tray surface; and removably positioning said mat on said upper tray surface when it is needed during transport of containers holding hot and cold foods for reduced spills and damage to said upper tray surface, as well as during dining for the same two purposes and also to firmly secure tableware in fixed positions relative to said upper tray surface. 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of forming at least one recess in said upper tray surface that is configured to hold the bottommost portion of a container configured for beverages and easily spilled foods. 17. The method of claim 15 wherein said lightweight and soft fill material is selected from a group consisting of granular material, filamentous material, polystyrene beads, fiberglass, inert material, non-toxic material, non-allergenic material, and polyester. 18. The method of claim 15 wherein said upper tray surface has a perimeter edge, and further comprising the step of forming a perimeter groove adjacent to said perimeter edge. 19. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of reusable two-part quick-release fasteners having a first fastening part and a second fastening part, a plurality of yielding bottom portions having visually different surface decoration, and additional second fastening parts, and wherein said step of attaching one of said yielding bottom portions at a time to said bottom tray surface further comprises a step of attaching a first fastening part of each said two-part quick-release fastener to said bottom tray surface, a step of attaching second fastening parts to said top surface of each of said yielding bottom portions in a location that allows secure attachment between said first and second fastening parts when said bottom tray surface is placed in contact with a selected one of said top surfaces, and a step of placing said bottom tray surface in contact with said selected top surface to securely connect said first and second fastening parts to one another for prompt replacement of one of said yielding bottom portions for anther to provide visual enhancement of food presentation during successive meals eaten from said food service and dining tray. 20. The method of claim 15 wherein said high-friction mat is made from material having thermal properties that permit it to protect said upper surface from heat damage and also help to maintain elevated and reduced temperatures in tableware, foods, and beverages situated thereupon and thereabove during transport.