AU722423B2

AU722423B2 - A tray

Info

Publication number: AU722423B2
Application number: AU65800/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Iain Geoffrey Winfred Horne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-01-31
Filing date: 1996-09-24
Publication date: 2000-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 2016-09-24
Also published as: AU6580096A

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: -Address for Service: Invention Title: IAIN GEOFFREY WINFRED HORNE CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

A TRAY Details of Associated Provisional Applications: No. PN7793 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:

-I

2 THIS INVENTION relates to a tray. In particular, the invention concerns a tray which may be used to collect and retrieve used glasses and other beverage containers.

Although the present invention is described with reference to collecting beverage containers, no limitation is intended thereby. It can be seen that the tray can be used to collect and retrieve used food containers or the like.

In establishments where beverages are consumed' from glasses or other beverage containers, those containers need to be retrieved and returned to a central location at which the beverage containers are cleaned.

The beverage containers are sometimes simply retrieved and carried by hand to the central location. In other instances, a tray is employed and the used beverage containers are collected placed on the tray and then S. carried to the central location for cleaning. Similarly where food is consumed the used food containers also need 20 to be retrieved and returned.

It is often the case that the beverages placed in the glasses or containers are not completely consumed.

In addition, waste articles or solid debris often remain in the containers and the liquid and any other solid articles need to be disposed of before the beverage containers can be thoroughly cleaned. Residue of this sort makes the retrieval of glasses and beverage containers a more tedious task. Similarly when food is not completely consumed, waste food left on or in the 30 containers must also be disposed of before cleaning.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tray for beverage or food containers which at least minimises the disadvantages referred to above.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a tray having a base and one or more upstanding side walls extending from the base, a waste receptacle removably received by the tray, the waste receptacle having a body for retaining waste and an end through which waste may be introduced into the body, and the tray having a locating portion relative to which the waste receptacle may be positioned and be restrained relative to the tray, wherein the waste receptacle occupies a minor part of the volume of the tray and extends substantially the full height of the tray such that an object may be placed on the base of the tray and may reside substantially beside the body of the waste receptacle without initially removing the waste receptacle from the tray.

In a preferred aspect of the invention the waste is liquid and the tray further comprises a filter closure adapted to be removably located relative to the end of oo. the body.

S15 The tray may have any desired peripheral shape *o*o although it is preferred that the tray be either square or rectangular in shape when viewed in plan.

The base has a peripheral shape governed by the particular shape of the tray. Where the tray is 20 substantially rectangular or square when viewed in plan, .o S•then the base assumes a substantially square or rectangular shape. It is preferred that, where the tray is substantially square or rectangular, corners of the :ootray may be rounded. The base may be provided by a base 25 wall impervious to liquid. Where the base wall is impervious to liquid, it is preferred that this wall be provided with liquid drainage depressions. These depressions allow for any residual liquid contained in the glasses or beverage containers placed in the tray to collect within them. Preferably, the liquid drainage depressions consist of one or more drainage channels extending into the base wall. The drainage channels may be present as a continuous channel extending around the periphery of the base wall.

In an alternative construction, the base may be provided by a liquid pervious base wall. In that embodiment, the base wall may have a plurality of apertures extending through it and be formed as a screen through which residual liquid may pass when beverage containers are placed upon the base of the tray.

As mentioned, the tray has one or more walls extending from the base. The wall may be present as a continuous upstanding wall extending around the base.

Alternatively, there may be pairs of opposed walls o a a *oo *•g *g* *o *o o o* extending upwardly from the base. The wall or walls may be provided with apertures to conserve or reduce the quantity of material necessary to produce the tray.

Preferably, one or more handle portions are provided in the wall or walls of the tray. In one embodiment, where there are opposed pairs of walls present in the tray, each of the walls is provided with an inwardly directed recess which serves as a handle portion.

The waste receptacle is removably received by the tray. The waste receptacle may be removably secured to the tray or alternatively, may be located on the tray and simply restrained on the tray to hold it against movement. The waste receptacle may be located or held in this way against the wall or walls or against the base of the tray. It is preferred that the waste receptacle be held or located in this way against the base. In one embodiment, the base has a recess into which an end of the waste receptacle is received and from which the waste 20 receptacle may be removed. The waste receptacle may have any suitable shape. Preferably, the waste receptacle is substantially cylindrical in shape.

The waste receptacle has a filter closure which closes off the open end of the receptacle. The filter closure may have a closure portion adapted to engage the open end and a filter portion extending substantially across the open end of the receptacle. The closure portion may be provided by a closure lip received over the open end of the receptacle. The filter portion 30 allows liquid to enter the body of the receptacle, but prevents solids from doing this. In one embodiment, the filter portion consists of a screen or mesh.

A particular preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tray according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and, Figure 2 is a transverse exploded sectional view of the tray shown in Figure i.

Figure 1 shows a tray 10. The tray 10 has a base 11 and two pairs of opposed side walls 12, 13 and 14, 15. These walls extend upwardly from the base and are flared slightly outwardly to provide an upper opening to the tray of a greater size than the footprint provided by the base. A plurality of apertures 16, are formed in the side walls. The walls each have an inwardly directed recess 17 which provides a handle having a ledge 18 (see Figure 2) against which fingers of the person who carries the tray may rest.

A waste receptacle 20 is received within the tray 10 and rests upon the base 11.

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the tray and the waste receptacle 20. As shown in Figure 2, the base has a drainage channel 21 extending around its periphery. When the tray is placed upon a support surface, the underside of the drainage channel provides a 20 convenient zone on which the tray may rest. The base is provided with a locating portion 22 relative to which the waste receptacle may be positioned. In this embodiment, the locating portion consists of a circular recess formed S" in the base 11 of a size which receives a lower end 23 of the receptacle 20. The fit between the recess 22 and the end 23 is preferably a frictional fit which allows the receptacle to be removably held and located relative to the base 11.

The base 11, in this embodiment, has outwardly 30 extending flanges 24, 25, 26 and 27. A retaining strap 28 may extend across opposed portion of the flange 25 and adjusted so that the user's hand is securely held between the strap and the underside of recess 22 when the tray is used.

The waste receptacle has a body 30 which in this case, is substantially cylindrical and terminates in the end 23 previously mentioned. Open end 31 of the receptacle 20 is adapted to receive a filter closure 32.

The filter closure has a closure portion 33 which locates over the open end 31 of the receptacle. Free edge 34 of the body 30 is received between the closure portion 33 and the filter portion 35. Bead 36 acts as a stop to provide a good fit for the filter closure.

The tray of the invention may be made from any suitable material. Preferably, a plastics material is employed.

The tray 10 of the invention may be used to retrieve used beverage containers or glasses. The waste receptacle is positioned relative to the base 11 and the beverage containers are first drained of any residual liquid or solid matter by emptying that material into the waste receptacle. The liquid passes through the filter portion 35 and the solid material collects in the depression formed in the filter closure by the filter portion which is present in a concave form as part of the filter closure. Once any residual content is collected in this way, the beverage containers may be inverted and 20 placed on base 11. Any remaining liquid in the containers is then free to drain away and accumulate in the drainage channel 21. After the tray has been filled, *it may be used to transport the used beverage containers to a location for cleaning. The waste receptacle may readily be removed and emptied by removing the filter S"closure 32 and disposing of any contents contained upon the filter portion 35 and then pouring the liquid out of the body 30. The beverage containers may be removed from the tray and cleaned in any known manner. Where the base 30 11 is present as a screen or has a plurality of apertures, the drainage channel 21 is not necessary and once the waste receptacle has been removed, the tray itself with the beverage containers resting upon it may then be placed within a dishwasher to allow the containers to be cleaned without removing them from the tray.

Claims

2. The tray of claim 1 wherein the waste is a liquid and the tray further includes a filter closure adapted to be removably located relative to the end of the body.
3. The tray of claim 2 wherein the base is a base well.
4. The tray of claim 3 wherein the base wall is impervious to liquid.
5. The tray of claim 3 or 4 having a drainage channel extending around a periphery of the base wall. S
6. The tray of any one of claims 1 to 5 having a 25 continuous wall extending around the base.
7. The tray of any one of claims 1 to 5 having opposed pairs of said walls extending from the base.
8. The tray of any one of claims 1 to 7 having handles formed in the side wall or walls.
9. The tray of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the locating portion is a locating recess in the base. The tray of claim 9 wherein the locating recess frictionally receives an end of the waste receptacle.
11. The tray of claim 2 wherein the filter closure includes a closure portion removable mountable to the receptacle body and a filter portion.
12. The tray of any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the 7a, receptacle body is substantially cylindrical in shape.
13. A tray substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings. DATED this 9th day of May 2000 lAIN GEOFFREY WINFRED HORNE By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.