GB2038164A - A fold-up tray - Google Patents

Abstract

A meal tray 1 is disclosed having a rectangular base 2, a lid 4 and a spine 3. Hinges 6a, 7a interconnect the base 2 and the spine 3, and the lid 4 and the spine 3 respectively. The tray 1 can be folded to a box-like configuration or unfolded to allow the base 2, the spine 3 and the lid 4 to lie on a flat surface 8. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A fold-up tray The present invention reiates to fold-up trays. The trays are primarily (though not exclusively) intended as disposable meal trays for use on air-lines. It is envisaged that there may be other uses for the trays, such as a meal tray for use at conferences.

According to the invention there is provided a meal tray comprising a substantially rectangular base, a lid, side-walls, one of the side-walls constituting a spine, and hinges connecting the base and the lid to the spine along opposite edges of the spine, the meal tray being such that it can be folded to a box-like configuration with the lid opposed to the base and it can be unfolded about the hinges to allow the base, the spine and the lid to lie on a flat surface.

Conventionally, in a meal-tray there are provided shaped recesses for holding a cup, dish, etc., and the meal-tray of the invention will usually have such recesses in the base, while the lid provides a generally flat tray area.

Preferably there is provided means for locating the lid and the base against lateral displacement when the meal-tray is folded to the box-like configuration.

By being capable of being folded to box form, the tray is able to hold food and utensils such as a cup, a dish and cutlery. A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides an upstanding retaining ridge in the base, or the lid, nearthe spine or a ledge in the spine itself so as to retain at the spine a set of cutlery when the tray is folded.

It is convenient to pack the cup, plate, cutlery and the cold part of the meal well in advance of serving.

The hot part of the meal would be served after the tray had been unfolded for use. Conveniently this hot part of the meal could be placed on the generally flat tray area of the lid. However, a preferred feature of the invention allows the hot part of the meal to be loaded into the tray shortly before serving and well after the other contents of the tray have been loaded and the tray folded. Thus, preferably the folded tray has one side-wall or part of one side-wall missing so as to provide an aperture whereby the hot part of the meal may be inserted.

The tray will usually be made of plastics material.

Although the tray may be of foamed sheet material it is preferably of homogeneous sheet material which may be blow-moulded or suction-moulded. This allows the shape to be designed so that the trays may be nested in stacks when unfolded, for ease of storage and transport.

To help understanding of the invention two specific embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa perspective view of an unfolded tray in accordance with the invention lying on a flat surface; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional end view of the tray of Figure 1 when folded; Figure 3 is an oblique front perspective view of the tray of Figure 1 when folded; Figure 4 is a similar view to that of Figure3 of the tray when partially unfolded to show its contents; and Figure 5 is a front perspective view of another tray in accordance with the invention showing a hot meal dish in its position when the tray is folded.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4, there can be seen a meal tray 1 having a base 2, a spine 3 and a lid 4.

When the tray is folded as shown in Figures 2 and 3 the spine 3 extends along the back side 5 of the tray 1. The spine 3 is hinged to the base 2 at the backbottom edge 6 of the tray and to the lid 4 at the back-top edge 7 of the tray. Provision of these two hinges 6a, 7a at the respective edges enables the lid 4 to lie flat on the same surface 8 as the base 2, when the tray is unfolded as shown in Figure 1.

The base 2 has a partly raised platform 9 having recesses 10, 11, 12 and 13 from the platform for food and utensils for a meal. Extending around the three free edges of the base are side walls 14, 15 and 16.

The side walls 14, 16 at the ends of tray extend up to only part of the height of the closed tray along most of their length. Further side walls 17, 18 extend down from the lid 4, when the tray is folded-up, to abut the respective side walls 14, 16. To locate the upper side walls 17,18 (and the lid 4) endwisewith respectto the lower side walls 14, 16 (and the base 2), lips 19, 20 upstand from the inner edges of the lower side walls 14, 16 to engage the inner edges of the upper side walls 17, 18 when the upper and lower side walls abut with the lid closed. The front side wall 15 extends to substantially the full height of the tray and its edge 21 abuts the lid 4 when the tray is folded.A rim 22 extends around the front of the lid from the upper side walls 17, 18. When the lid is closed onto the base, the rim 22 is positioned just outside the edge 21 of the front side wall 15. The front side wall 15 itself extends around the front corners 23, 24 of the base and then drops down rela tivelysteeplytothe level of the lower side walls 14, 16, at slopes 25,26. Corresponding slopes 27,28 are provided on the forward ends of the upper side walls 17, 18. In the same manner that the lips 19,20 locate the lid endwise, co-operation between the corresponding pairs of slopes on the one hand and the edge 21 and the rim 22 on the other hand locates the lid in the forwards/backwards direction with respect to the base.A nick 29 is provided in each of the slopes 25,26 integral with base and a corresponding pip 30 is provided in each of the slopes 27,28 integral with the lid. When the tray is folded up the pips 30 engage in the corresponding nicks 29 with sufficiently close a fit that slight deformation is required of the surrounding material for unfolding of the tray. Thus the nicks and pips act as a catch for keeping the tray folded.

The tray shown in Figures 1 to 4 is thermoformed of plastics material in the form of thin polystyrene sheet, such as HIPS. Vacuum or pressure forming may be used. Other material may be used such as PVC or ABS. Furtherthe tray may be of foamed and moulded plastics sheet material.

The hinges at edges 6,7 are "living" hinges in the form of elongate channels extending the length of the hinges 6a, 7a i.e. the length of the spine. Each channel is formed in the same material as, and integral with, the rest of the tray.

The spine 3, between the hinges 6a, 7a has stiffening ridges 31 at its ends and a ledge 32 jutting out along most of its length. When the tray is folded-up the ledge 32 rests on a ridge member 33 upstanding from the base. As shown in Figure 4, the ledge thus provides support for a knife, fork and spoon set 34.

This arrangement still provides room below the ledge for thin items such as biscuit and cheese portions 35 which are accommodated in recesses 10,11.

As best seen in Figure 3, the ridge member33 has a shoulder 36 facing towards the spine, which shoulder retains the knife, fork and spoon set from falling forwards off the ledge 32. This function is also provided by the cup 37 in recess 12 and the food portion container38 in recess 13. will be appreciated that without the ledge 32 on the spine, and the ridge 33, direct superposition of the knife, fork and spoon set on the items 35 would be necessary with the same sized tray having the same contents.

The lid 4 has a flat tray surface 39 which is ribbed for rigidity. This surface is intended to receive a main meal dish and may also be used as a plate off which, for instance, the biscuits and cheese may be eaten.

For stability of the lid, the tray surface 39 which can rest directly on the surface 8 (Figure 1) is surrounded except at the hinge 7a by a step 40.

The above described fold-up tray has the advantage of being particularly compact and yet providing the flat tray area 39 for use during the meal. Were it not to be capable of being folded up it would occupy considerably more space in air-liner larder if it were to have an equivalent flat tray area 39. Furtherstor- age of the knife, fork and spoon set on the ledge 32 saves space.

Another tray 51 is shown in Figure 5 having similar base 52, spine 53, lid 54, and hinges 56a, 57a as the equivalent parts in tray 1. The side walls and catch arrangement are generally similar to those in the tray 1 exceptfora major difference to be described below and the minor point that the nick 79 is provided with an inner stiffening lip 91.

The major difference is the provision of an aperture 92 in the front side wall 65 and rim 72. This aperture allows the hot main meal dish 93 to be inserted into the tray 51 before the tray is served to the user. Dish 93 rests on supporting ridges 94 within which there is a recess 95 for a thin item 96 below the dish 93. The further receiving area 97 is so dimensioned to receive the main meal dish 93 when it is finished with so that the used tray can be packed away without the dish 93 protruding as it does from aperture 92. No ledge such as ledge 32 is provided on spine 53, since recess 97 is sufficiently large to accommodate the knife, fork and spoon.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiments. For instance, the lips 19,20 may be provided on the outer edges of the lower side walls 14, 16 to engage outside the outer edges of the upper side walls 17, 18. Alternatively the lips may be provided on the upper side walls.

Claims (16)

1. A meal-tray comprising a substantially rectangular base, a lid, side-walls, one of the side-walls constituting a spine, and hinges connecting the base and the lid to the spine along opposite edges of the spine, the meal-tray being such that it can be folded to a box-like configuration with the lid opposed to the base and it can be unfolded about the hinges to allow the base, the spine and the lid to lie on a flat surface.

2. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 1 wherein recesses are vided in the base and the lid provides a generally flat tray area.

3. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 including means for locating the lid and the base against lateral displacement when the meal-tray is folded to the box-like configuration.

4. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 3 wherein the said means includes a rim on the lid positioned just outside the edge of a side-wall on the base opposite the spine.

5. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein side-walls provided at sides adjacent the spine are composite having at each side a portion on the lid and a portion on the base, the portions abutting when the meal-tray is folded, and the said means includes at each side a lip on one portion positioned just inside or just outside the edge of the other portion.

6. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 5 wherein the side-wall portions on the lid terminate at their ends remote from the spine in slopes, corresponding slopes being provided in the other sidewall portions, the slopes constituting part of the said means.

7. A meal-tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a catch or catches for keeping the tray folded.

8. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 6 and claim 7 wherein one portion of each side-wall adjacent the spine includes a pip in one slope and a nick in the corresponding slope for keeping the tray folded.

9. A meal-tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including an upstanding ridge on the base, which ridge is disposed intermediate the ends of the base and extends transversely of the spine.

10. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 9 wherein the ridge extends from the spine side of the base and has a shoulder at its end remote from the spine, which shoulder faces towards the spine.

11. A meal-tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 including a ledge extending into the tray from the spine for supporting cutlery in the tray.

12. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 11 in combination with either claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the ledge is supported by the ridge when the tray is folded.

13. A meal-tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein one of the side-walls other than the spine has an aperture for insertion of a dish into the tray when folded.

14. A meal-tray as claimed in claim 13 wherein the said aperture is in the side-wall opposite the spine.

15. A meal-tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the tray is blow- orsuctionmoulded of plastics material.

16. A meal-tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figure 5 ofthe accompanying drawings.