AU2022100026B4

AU2022100026B4 - Oyster tray

Info

Publication number: AU2022100026B4
Application number: AU2022100026A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Skilton
Original assignee: Eazy Azz Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Eazy Azz Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2016-02-17
Filing date: 2022-02-03
Publication date: 2022-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2024-02-17
Also published as: AU2016201006A1; AU2022100026A4; AU2016201006B2; AU2022200634A1

Abstract

An oyster tray comprises a base section with a plurality of oyster cups formed therein. Each of the oyster cups is dimensioned to hold an oyster in a fixed orientation relative to the base section to stop the oyster from tipping over in use. The oyster tray is made of an ovenproof material.

Description

TITLE "OYSTER TRAY" FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an oyster tray.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Oysters caught by fisherman are commonly shucked and then packed into trays for storage and transportation between fishing ports, markets, processing facilities and end customers.

[0003] Oyster trays consist of a base having a series of cups formed therein. An example tray is disclosed in Australian patent no. 2014100598 A4 published on 10 July 2014. The cups of such trays do not adequately support the oysters. This leads to the oysters tipping over during transit and handling thus causing them to lose their juice and, therefore, reduce in freshness, quality and taste. Furthermore, oyster trays are commonly made of plastic. Plastic-based trays melt when placed inside an oven. A cook must, therefore, remove each of the oysters from the tray and place them into a separate cooking utensil prior to cooking. This is time consuming and increases the risk of the oysters being exposed to human contact and the external environment, increasing the potential for contamination of the oysters.

[0004] The preceding discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the present application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an oyster tray comprising a base section with a plurality of oyster cups formed therein, wherein each of the oyster cups is dimensioned to hold an oyster in a fixed orientation relative to the base section to stop the oyster from tipping over in use, and wherein the oyster tray is made of an ovenproof material.

[0006] Each of the oyster cups may comprise one or more side walls, wherein a top end of each side wall comprises one or more recesses formed therein, each of the recesses being adapted to retain at least part of the oyster held in the oyster cup.

[0007] Each side wall of each oyster cup may have a plurality of the recesses formed therein to retain different parts of the oyster held in the oyster cup. Each side wall of each oyster cup may be substantially tapered such that a distance between opposed side walls of the oyster cup is less at a bottom end of the oyster cup than at the top end of the oyster cup.

[0008] The oyster tray may comprise a cover that is fixable onto a top of the oyster tray to cover the oyster cups.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of an oyster tray according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown from the top; Figure 2 is a further isometric view of the oyster tray of Figure 1 shown from the bottom; Figure 3(a) is a first side view of the oyster tray of Figure 1; and Figure 3(b) is a second side view of the oyster tray of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Referring to the Figures, there is shown an oyster tray 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] The oyster tray 10 comprises a base 12 made of an overproof material, such as aluminium. A plurality of oyster cups 14 are formed into the base 12. The base 12 has a total of six oyster cups 14 formed therein.

[0012] Each oyster cup 14 is shaped such that it is adapted to contain and secure a single shucked oyster (not shown) therein for the purposes of its storage, transportation, cooking and consumption. After the oyster tray 10 has been filled with oysters, a plastic film (not shown) may be placed over, and fixed to, the top of the oyster tray 10 in order to seal the oysters inside, preferably using a heat shrinking process.

[0013] Each oyster cup 14 comprises four side walls 16 and a cup base 18. As best shown in Figure 1, a top end of each side wall 16 has a recess 20 formed therein. Each recess 20 is adapted to retain at least part of an oyster that is placed into the oyster cup 18. The set of recesses 20 arranged around the top end 22 of each oyster cup 14 improves the ability of the cup 18 to accommodate and hold the relevant oyster.

[0014] The oyster cups 14 may be integral with the base 12 and may each be formed deformably into the base 12 using an appropriate manufacturing method such as, for example, using an aluminium sheet roller, mould and press. In examples where the base 12 is made of aluminium, the applicant has found that such manufacturing methods can lead to damage to the oyster tray 10 causing a reduction in production efficiency and wastage of source materials. In particular, the aluminium sheet will often be torn as each oyster cup 14 is formed into the sheet by the press.

[0015] To alleviate these issues, as is most clearly shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), each oyster cup 14 has a top end 22 and a bottom end 24 and the side walls 16 of each cup 14 may be substantially tapered towards the bottom end 24 of the oyster cup 14, such that a distance between opposed side walls 16 at the bottom end 24 of the oyster cup 18 (indicated in Figures 3(a) and 3(b) by D1) is less than at the top end 22 of the oyster cup 18 (indicated by D2). This tapering ensures that the oyster cups 14 may be pressed into the base 12 during manufacture without causing tearing to the base 12. This leads to a corresponding increase in production speeds and a significant reduction in material wastage.

[0016] As mentioned above, prior art oyster trays are typically made of plastic or a hybrid plastic-based material such as, for example, corn-starch based plastic. Plastic based oyster trays have several disadvantages. In particular, these types of trays will melt when placed inside an oven to cook the oysters. A cook must, therefore, remove each of the oysters from the tray and place them into a separate cooking utensil prior to cooking. This is time consuming and increases the risk of the oysters being exposed to human contact and the external environment, significantly increasing the potential for contamination.

[0017] The oyster tray 10 herein disclosed is made of a heat resistant, ovenproof material, such as aluminium. This allows the oyster tray 10 to be placed directly into an oven by a cook without having to touch or remove the oysters. The cook merely needs to pierce and remove the plastic film seal before placing the tray 10 into an oven.

[0018] Because the oysters may be kept inside the tray 10, this also means that the oysters remain in their own natural juices from the point of shucking and packing all the way through to cooking and consumption. This substantially improves their freshness, quality and taste.

[0019] Using aluminium as the base material for the oyster tray 10 also provides that the oyster tray 10 is aesthetically appealing to consumers and provides that the oysters held inside are presented to consumers in an appetising manner. The oysters may, therefore, be consumed directly from the oyster tray 10 which further lessens the potential for contamination.

[0020] Using aluminium is also advantageous as it provides that the oyster tray 10 is recyclable.

[0021] The oyster tray 10 is, preferably, made of a thick-grade aluminium sheeting having a thickness of between 0.056 and 0.076 millimetres. This grade ensures that the oyster tray 10 has the requisite strength and resilience to allow the oyster cups 18 to be formed deformably therein using a press during manufacture, yet also ensures that the oyster tray 10 is lightweight enough to facilitate efficient handling and transportation of the oyster tray 10.

[0022] In other examples, the oyster tray 10 may be made of one or more ovenproof materials other than aluminium. For example, the tray 10 may be made of a material comprising bagasse (sugarcane pulp).

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the base section 12 has four edges 26 formed about a perimeter of the base section 12. The aluminium sheeting that comprises the base section 12 is folded downwards at the four edges 26 so that each of the edges 26 are substantially rounded. This ensures that the edges 26 are blunt so that users of the oyster tray 10 do not cut their hands when handling the oyster tray 10. In other examples, the four edges 26 may be flat rather than being folded downwards.

[0024] Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An oyster tray made of aluminium, wherein the oyster tray comprises: a base section; a plurality of oyster cups formed into the base section, wherein each oyster cup is adapted to hold an oyster and comprises one or more side walls, a cup base, a top end and a bottom end, wherein the side walls of each oyster cup comprise at least a pair of opposed side wall sections, wherein the opposed side wall sections are substantially tapered such that a distance between the opposed side wall sections is less at the bottom end than at the top end of the oyster cup; and wherein at least one of the side walls of each oyster cup has a recess at a top end of the least one of the side walls, the recess being adapted to retain at least part of the oyster when held in the oyster cup.

2. The oyster tray according to claim 1, wherein the recess comprises a floor section that provides a platform for supporting the at least part of the oyster within the recess.

3. The oyster tray according to claim 1 or 2, wherein edges formed about a perimeter of the base section are substantially rounded.

4. The oyster tray according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the oyster tray comprises a cover that is fixable onto a top of the oyster tray to cover the oyster cups.

5. The oyster tray according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the oyster cups is elongated such that it is longer in a first dimension relative to a second dimension, wherein the first dimension extends longitudinally across the oyster tray and wherein the second dimension extends laterally across the oyster tray.