AU2007100437A4 - Mollusc cooking tray - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Agent and Address Gary John McDougall Gary John McDougall for Service: MADDERNS, 1 st Floor, 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention Title: MOLLUSC COOKING TRAY Details of Associated Provisional Application No: 2006903145 dated 9 June 2006 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

MOLLUSC COOKING TRAY FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to apparatus used in cooking molluscs.

BACKGROUND

Molluscs such as oysters, clams, scallops and muscles are cooked in a variety of ways. For instance, oysters are sometimes cooked by placing them in a tray containing rock salt. The rock salt helps support the shells if the oysters so that their flesh remains facing upwards and contained within the shells. Such an arrangement can be placed under a grill or within an oven to cook the oyster flesh within the shells. As an alternative to rock salt, aluminium foil may be used as support during cooking.

Difficulties with the aforementioned cooking method include the amount of labour required and material wasted.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus to facilitate cooking of molluscs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a mollusc cooking tray comprising a single perforated and folded sheet, the sheet formed into a generally rectangular upper receptacle having a plurality of perforations for holding molluscs and the sheet formed into a pair of parallel substantially L-shaped rails extending down from a first pair of opposed edges of the upper receptacle.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a mollusc cooking tray comprising a single perforated and folded sheet, the sheet formed into a generally rectangular upper receptacle having a plurality of perforations for holding molluscs and the sheet formed into a pair of parallel spaced apart rails, each rail having: a downwards facing surface for sliding engagement with an oven rack or other internal oven support means; and leg portion(s) extending between the

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downwards facing surface and a first pair of opposed edges of the upper receptacle.

Preferably the sheet is further formed into a pair of gripable flanges, the flanges extending downwards from a second pair of opposed edges of the upper receptacle, the second pair of edges substantially perpendicular to the first pair of edges.

Preferably the perforations are non-circular.

Preferably the perforations are approximately tear drop shaped.

Non-circular, preferably tear drop shaped perforations assist in holding molluscs and in preventing rotation and rocking.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described in some further detail with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. This embodiment is illustrative and is not meant to be restrictive to the scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE

INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying representations in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a mollusc cooking tray according to the invention (oyster shells are shown in position on the tray).

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tray of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an alternative embodiment of the tray shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are end views and side views respectively of the tray of Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 an oyster cooking tray according to the invention as shown. The tray 10 comprises a single perforated and folded sheet 12. The sheet 12 is formed into a generally rectangular upper receptacle 14 having a plurality of perforations 20 for holding oysters 40. The sheet 14 is formed into a pair of parallel Lshaped rails 16. These rails 16 are most clearly illustrated in the end view of Figure 4 and the second embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3. The L-shaped rails 16 include vertical leg portions that extend down from a first pair of opposed edges 18 of the upper receptacle 14. The underside of the L-shaped rails 16 define a base portion 17. The base portion 17 engages a tray rack or other support means provided within a cooking grill or oven.

In other embodiments of the invention, the rails may be substantially L-shaped. For instance, they may have the shape of the lower portion of a A pair of gripable flanges 30 are provided. These flanges, most clearly illustrated in the side view of Figure 5, extend downwards from a second pair of opposed edges 19 of the upper receptacle 14. The flanges 30 have edges 31 that terminate in a plane vertically spaced above the base portions 17. The degree of vertical spacing is such that a person can hold the tray without touching the base, tray or other support means of the grill or oven.

The L-shaped rails 16 facilitate easy sliding of the tray into and out of an oven or grill while at the same time face the oysters vertically upwards so that they are not disturbed as the tray is slid relative to a support surface within the oven or grill.

The perforations 20 are shaped so as to maintain the oyster shells 40 in a stable position while the cooking tray 10 is manually handled into and out of a grill or oven. While various shaped perforations can be used, non-circular "teardrop" perforations as shown in Figures 1 to 5 are preferable.

The oyster cooking tray 10 can be fabricated from steel, aluminium or various other metals. Other suitable non-metallic materials may also be used.

The embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 are similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2. The main difference with this embodiment is the orientation of the perforations 20. It should be understood that various size trays with various shapes and oriented perforations can be used.

The above described cooking tray is suitable for use with oysters. The same tray or other embodiments of the tray according to the invention, may be used for other molluscs including clams, scallops and muscles.

While the present invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment in order to facilitate better understanding of the invention, it should be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, the invention should be understood to include all such modifications within its scope.

Claims (4)

1. A mollusc cooking tray comprising a single perforated and folded sheet, the sheet formed into a generally rectangular upper receptacle having a plurality of perforations for holding molluscs and the sheet formed into a pair of parallel substantially L-shaped rails extending down from a first pair of opposed edges of the upper receptacle. C-,

2. A mollusc cooking tray comprising a single perforated and folded sheet, the sheet formed into a generally rectangular upper receptacle having a plurality of perforations for holding molluscs and the sheet formed into a pair of Nl parallel spaced apart rails, each rail having: a downwards facing surface for sliding engagement with an oven rack or other internal oven support means; and leg portion(s) extending between the downwards facing surface and a first pair of opposed edges of the upper receptacle.

3. A tray as claimed in either one of claims I or 2 wherein the sheet is further formed into a pair of gripable flanges, the flanges extending downwards from a second pair of opposed edges of the upper receptacle, the second pair of edges substantially perpendicular to the first pair of edges.

4. A tray as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the perforations are non-circular. A tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein the perforations are approximately tear drop shaped.