The present disclosure provides a multiple-compartment insulated food tray and lid for storage and service. The insulated food trays allow for two or more stacked strays to be mechanically unified using the weight of the top tray on the bottom tray in any orientation where the weight of the second t
The present disclosure provides a multiple-compartment insulated food tray and lid for storage and service. The insulated food trays allow for two or more stacked strays to be mechanically unified using the weight of the top tray on the bottom tray in any orientation where the weight of the second tray remains on the first tray. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a polymer with foam and blowing agents are used during the molding process to create in a first phase a hard shell in contact with the mold. In a second phase, insulation is created in the hard shell by thermal treatment and expansion of the residual polymer inserted in the mold. In a third embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulated food trays, when stacked, can be placed in a nondiscriminatory arrangement.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A one-piece insulated food tray, comprising: an upper surface; and a lower surface circumferentially connected to the upper surface both formed from a durable polymer matrix during a formation process to form an outer shell with an inner volume; said durable polymer matrix du
What is claimed is: 1. A one-piece insulated food tray, comprising: an upper surface; and a lower surface circumferentially connected to the upper surface both formed from a durable polymer matrix during a formation process to form an outer shell with an inner volume; said durable polymer matrix during said formation process filling said inner volume so as to form a solid insulating material in said inner volume and with said outer shell, a one piece tray; and wherein the upper surface is of a first height; a lower surface is of a second height, the upper surface is relieved to define a plurality of inner compartments of at least a third height with a first top lip, and an outer rim with a second top lip at the first height, and the lower surface is relieved to define inner ribs of a fourth height with a bottom lip, and a second outer rim with a second bottom lip at the second height. 2. The insulated food tray of claim 1, wherein the formation process is injection molding. 3. The insulated food tray of claim 2, wherein the insulated medium is an insulating foam made by an endothermic or an exothermic reaction to the formation process of the outer shell by adding a blowing agent and a foaming agent to an injection polymer used in the injection molding of the outer shell. 4. The insulated food tray of claim 3, wherein from 1% to 5% of blowing agent is added to the injection polymer. 5. The insulated food tray of claim 3 wherein from 5% to 20% of foaming agent is added to the injection polymer. 6. A one-piece insulated food tray, comprising: an upper surface of a first height; a lower surface of a second height connected to the upper surface to form an outer shell with an inner volume; and an insulated material formed in the inner volume; wherein the upper surface is relieved to define a plurality of inner compartments of at least a third height with a first top lip, and an outer rim with a second top lip at the first height, and the lower surface is relieved to define inner ribs of a fourth height with a first bottom lip, and a second outer rim with a second bottom lip at the second height; the first top lip is a female U-shaped lip and the first bottom lip is a male U-shaped lip, both lips able to seal the upper surface of a first insulating food tray with the lower surface of a second insulating food tray; the second top lip is a male U-shape and the second bottom lip is a recessed L-shaped lip; and wherein the content of an inner compartment in a first insulated food tray is insulated of another inner compartment in the first insulated food tray by placing a second insulated food tray so the first bottom lip and the second bottom lip of the second insulated food tray connects with the first top lip and the second top lip of the first insulated food tray. 7. The insulated food tray of claim 6, wherein the bottom L-shaped lip includes a series of support corner tabs. 8. The insulated food tray of claim 6, wherein the upper surface is further relieved at a location to create a notch holder. 9. The insulated food tray of claim 8, wherein the notch holder allows for the insertion and hold of part of the handle of a utensil. 10. The insulated food tray of claim 6, wherein the upper surface is further relieved to create two side-by-side volume separators within one of the inner compartments. 11. The insulated food tray of claim 6, wherein the volume separators are condiment holders. 12. An insulated food tray, comprising: an upper surface; a lower surface connected to the upper surface to form an outer shell with an inner volume; and an insulated material formed in the inner volume during the formation process of the outer shell; wherein the upper surface is relieved to define a first outer rim with a male U-shape top lip and an inner support section, and the lower surface is relieved to define a second outer rim with a L-shaped bottom lip and an outer support section; the inner support section of a first insulated food tray interlocks with the outer support of a second insulated tray and the male U-shape top lip of the first insulated food tray interlocks with the L-shaped bottom lip of the second insulated food tray and where both insulated food trays are interlocked using a weight of the second insulated food tray; and wherein the upper surface is relieved to define a plurality of inner compartments having a first top lip and the lower surface is relieved to define inner ribs with a first bottom lip so that the bottom lip of a second food tray connects with the first top lip of a first food tray. 13. The insulated food tray of claim 12, wherein the weight of the second insulated food tray is sufficient to interlock the insulated food trays between a horizontal configuration to a significantly vertical configuration. 14. A stack of insulated food trays, comprising: top and a bottom insulated food trays, each tray comprising an upper surface of a first height; a lower surface of a second height connected to the upper surface member to form an outer shell with an inner volume; and an insulated material formed in the inner volume during the formation process; wherein the upper surface is relieved to define a plurality of inner compartments of at least a third height with a first top lip, and an outer rim with a second top lip at the first height, and the lower surface is relieved to define inner ribs of a fourth height with a first bottom lip, and a second outer rim with a second bottom lip at the second height; and wherein the content of an inner compartment in the bottom insulated food tray is insulated of another inner compartment in the bottom insulated food tray by placing the top insulated food tray so the first bottom lip and the second bottom lip of the top insulated food tray connects with the first top lip and the second top lip of the bottom insulated food tray. 15. The stack of insulated food trays of claim 14, wherein the trays can be stacked in a nondiscriminatory arrangement where the first bottom lip and the second bottom lip of the top insulated food tray remains in contact with the first top lip and the second top lip of the bottom insulated food tray even after rotation of the top insulated food tray is made compared to the bottom insulated food tray. 16. The stack of insulated food trays of claim 15, wherein the rotation is of 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees clockwise. 17. An insulated food tray and lid, comprising: an insulated food tray comprising an upper surface of a first height; a lower surface of a second height connected to the upper surface to form an outer shell with an inner volume; and an insulated material formed in the inner volume; wherein the upper surface member is relieved to define a plurality of inner compartments of at least a third height with a first top lip, and an outer rim with a second top lip at the first height, and the lower surface is relieved to define inner ribs of a fourth height with a first bottom lip, and a second outer rim with a second bottom lip at the second height; the first top lip is a female U-shaped lip and the first bottom lip is a male U-shaped lip, both lips able to seal the upper surface member of a first insulating food tray with the lower surface of a second insulating food tray; and a lid comprising a second upper surface, and a second lower surface relieved to mimic the lower surface of the insulated food tray, including a first bottom lip and a second bottom lip; wherein the content of an inner compartment in the bottom insulated food tray is insulated of another inner compartment in the bottom insulated food tray by placing the insulated food tray so the first bottom lip and the second bottom lip of the lid connects with the first top lip and the second top lip of the insulated food tray. 18. The insulated food tray and lid of claim 17, wherein the upper surface of the lid is flat. 19. An injection molding method for manufacturing an insulated food tray from thermoplastically processible plastic molding materials with an outer shell and an inner volume filled with an insulation material, whereby a plastic molding material comprises a durable polymer matrix, a blowing agent and a structural foam, and whereby the injection molding method comprises the steps of: blending into a polymer a first quantity of blowing agent and a second quantity of structural foam in order to form the plastic molding material into a durable polymer matrix; injecting the durable polymer matrix into an injection mold; solidification of the polymer matrix on the outer surface to form an outer shell in contact with the cold inside part of the mold; providing an activation means to an unsolidified inner durable polymer matrix to generate gas and form a solid insulation material with gas bubbles; cooling of the insulated food tray; and stabilizing of the insulated food tray before mechanical removal from the injection mold. 20. The injection molding method of claim 19, wherein the activation means is heat for a fixed period of time at a fixed temperature to allow the endothermic or exothermic reactions. 21. The injection molding method of claim 19, wherein the blowing agent within the durable polymer matrix ranges from 1% to 5% in weight. 22. The injection molding method of claim 19, wherein the structural foam within the durable polymer matrix ranges from 5% to 20% in weight. 23. The injection molding method of claim 20 wherein the fixed period of time is approximately 6 minutes. 24. The injection molding method of claim 20 wherein the fixed temperature is approximately 140 degrees F.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (9)
Tarozzi Richard A. (Gales Ferry CT), Insulated food service tray.
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