A tray for a food product is thin-walled, unitary, and plastic. The tray comprises a central portion. The central portion comprises a plurality of downwardly extending recesses for receiving at least one of the food products, and a plurality of upwardly extending posts interspersed amongst the reces
A tray for a food product is thin-walled, unitary, and plastic. The tray comprises a central portion. The central portion comprises a plurality of downwardly extending recesses for receiving at least one of the food products, and a plurality of upwardly extending posts interspersed amongst the recesses. A first set of the posts is positioned on a first side of a horizontal axis of the tray, and a second set of the posts is positioned on a second side of the horizontal axis. The first set of posts and the second set of posts are positioned asymmetrically on either side of the horizontal axis. Each post comprises a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending lengthwise therealong. The reinforcing ribs are integral to the posts. The tray further comprises an outer wall portion extending about the central portion. A plurality of webs extend between the outer wall portion and the central portion.
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1. A thin-walled unitary plastic tray for holding a plurality of food items, the tray comprising: a) a central portion comprising a plurality of recesses, a plurality of posts and a plurality of abutment members;b) each recess of the plurality of recesses configured to receive at least one of a plur
1. A thin-walled unitary plastic tray for holding a plurality of food items, the tray comprising: a) a central portion comprising a plurality of recesses, a plurality of posts and a plurality of abutment members;b) each recess of the plurality of recesses configured to receive at least one of a plurality of food items and the plurality of recesses includes a first set of recesses arranged in a first row extending in a first lateral direction and a second set of recesses arranged in a second row extending parallel to the first lateral direction and spaced apart from the first row in a second lateral direction that is generally orthogonal to the first lateral direction;c) the plurality of posts being separate from and laterally spaced apart from the plurality of recesses and disposed laterally between the plurality of recesses, each post extending generally upwardly from a bottom end to an upper end spaced above the bottom end in a third direction that is generally orthogonal to both the first and second lateral directions, the plurality of posts comprising a first set of posts disposed on a first side of a lateral axis extending parallel to first lateral direction and a second set of posts disposed on a second side of the lateral axis laterally opposite the first side;d) the plurality of abutment members being separate from and laterally spaced apart from the plurality of recesses, the abutment members interspersed laterally between the recesses and the posts, each abutment member comprising a downward facing abutment surface, the plurality of abutment members comprising a first set of abutment members disposed on the first side of the lateral axis and opposing the second set of posts and a second set of abutment members disposed on the second side of the lateral axis and being laterally offset from the first set of abutment members and opposing the first set of posts; and the first set of posts and the first set of abutment members disposed between the first row and second row in the second lateral direction and the plurality of posts and the plurality of abutment members arranged such that: i) when the tray is in a first orientation relative to a like second tray the plurality of posts on the tray are aligned with and can nest within a second plurality of posts on the second tray to allow vertically collapsed nesting of the second tray onto the first tray; andii) when the tray is in a different, second orientation relative to the second tray the upper ends of the plurality of posts each abut a respective one of a plurality of second downward facing abutment surfaces on the second tray to support the second tray above the plurality of recesses and allow vertically expanded stacking of the second tray above the first tray. 2. The tray of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recesses comprises at least a first recess and a second recess, and when the tray is in the first orientation one recess on the second tray overlies the first recess, and when the tray is in the second orientation the one recess on the second tray overlies the second recess. 3. The tray of claim 1, wherein the first set of posts and the first set of abutment members are arranged in an alternating pattern in the first direction. 4. The tray of claim 1, wherein to move between the first orientation and the second orientation, the tray is rotated about an axis extending parallel to the third direction by about 180 degrees. 5. The tray of claim 1, wherein when tray is in the second orientation relative to the second tray the second tray is spaced above the plurality of recesses in the third direction by a distance that is greater than a height of the plurality of food items in the third direction so that the second tray does not contact the plurality of food items. 6. The tray of claim 1, further comprising an outer wall portion extending generally upwardly about a peripheral edge of the central portion and a plurality of stiffening webs extending between an inner surface of the outer wall portion and the central portion. 7. The tray of claim 1, wherein each post comprises a plurality of integrally formed reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally therealong. 8. The tray of claim 1, wherein: a) the first set of the abutment members and the second set of posts are positioned symmetrically on either side of the lateral axis; andb) the second set of the abutment members and the first set of posts are positioned symmetrically on either side of the lateral axis. 9. The tray of claim 8, wherein the abutment members comprise a downwardly extending depression having a bottom abutment surface. 10. The tray of claim 9, wherein the bottom abutment surfaces each comprise a locating dimple for receiving an upper portion of a respective one of the posts of the second tray when in the second orientation. 11. The tray of claim 8, wherein when the tray is in the second orientation, the first set of posts abuts the second set of abutment members of the other tray, and the second set of posts abuts the first set of abutment members of the other tray. 12. The tray of claim 1, wherein the first set of posts includes a first number of posts, and the second set of posts includes a second number of posts, and the first number is different from the second number. 13. A thin-walled unitary plastic tray for holding a plurality of food items, the tray comprising: a) a central portion comprising a plurality of recesses, a plurality of posts and a plurality of abutment members;b) each recess of the plurality of recesses configured to receive at least one of a plurality of food items and the plurality of recesses includes a first set of recesses arranged in a first row extending in a first direction and a second set of recesses arranged in a second row extending parallel to the first direction and spaced apart from the first row in a second direction that is generally orthogonal to the first direction;c) the plurality of posts separate from and disposed horizontally between the plurality of recesses, each post disposed above a horizontal plane that is generally parallel to the first direction and the second direction, each post having a bottom end proximate the horizontal plane and an upper end spaced above the bottom end in a third direction that is orthogonal to the plane, the plurality of posts comprising a first set of posts disposed on a first side of an axis extending in the first direction and in the horizontal plane and a second set of posts disposed on a second side of the axis and being offset from the first set of posts in the first direction;d) the plurality of abutment members being separate from and horizontally spaced apart from the plurality of recesses, the abutment members interspersed horizontally between the recesses and the posts, each abutment member disposed below the horizontal plane and comprising a downward facing abutment surface, the plurality of abutment members comprising a first set of abutment members disposed on the first side of the axis and opposing the second set of posts and a second set of abutment members disposed on the second side of the axis and being horizontally offset from the first set of abutment members and opposing the first set of posts;the first set of posts and the first set of abutment members are disposed horizontally between the first row and second row in the second direction and the plurality of posts and the plurality of abutment members arranged such that: i) when the tray is in a first orientation relative to a like second tray the plurality of posts on the tray are aligned with and can nest within a second plurality of posts on the second tray to allow vertically collapsed nesting of the second tray onto the first tray; andii) when the tray is in a different, second orientation relative to the second tray the upper ends of the plurality of posts each abut a respective one of a plurality of second downward facing abutment surfaces on the second tray to support the second tray above the plurality of recesses and allow vertically expanded stacking of the second tray above the first tray. 14. The tray of claim 13, wherein the posts in the first set of posts and the abutment members in the first set of abutment members are arranged in an alternating pattern in the first direction. 15. The tray of claim 13, further comprising a central portion comprising the plurality of recesses, the plurality of posts and the plurality of abutment members and an outer wall portion extending generally upwardly about a peripheral edge of the central portion and a plurality of stiffening webs extending between an inner surface of the outer wall portion and the central portion. 16. The tray of claim 13, wherein each post comprises a plurality of integrally formed reinforcing ribs extending longitudinally therealong. 17. The tray of claim 13, wherein: a) the abutment members in the first set of the abutment members and posts in the second set of posts are positioned symmetrically on either side of the axis; andb) the abutment members in the second set of the abutment members and the posts in the first set of posts are positioned symmetrically on either side of the axis. 18. The tray of claim 17, wherein the abutment members comprise a downwardly extending depression having a bottom abutment surface. 19. The tray of claim 18, wherein the bottom abutment surfaces each comprise a locating dimple for receiving an upper portion of a respective one of the posts of the second tray when in the second orientation. 20. The tray of claim 18, wherein when the tray is in the second orientation, the first set of posts abuts the second set of abutment members of the other tray, and the second set of posts abuts the first set of abutment members of the other tray.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
Sloan, William E.; Lorence, Matthew W., Bakeable muffin pan, and use thereof.
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