GB2324707A

GB2324707A - Means for Storing and Serving Food

Info

Publication number: GB2324707A
Application number: GB9708653A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Martin Greenway
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-04-30
Filing date: 1997-04-30
Publication date: 1998-11-04
Also published as: GB9708653D0

Abstract

A food storage means 10 has a base portion 12 with at least two compartments 16 and a cover portion 14. Various elements of a meal are stored separately in compartments 16 and when the meal is to be served the storage means 10 is inverted so that the food is presented on the underside of the cover portion 14. The cover portion 14, which may be a plate, has substantially no compartments, allowing the various foods to be mixed together. It rests on a first lip 20 of the base portion 12 and the weight of the cover portion 14 provides a sealing engagement. A collar 24 may be integrally formed with or placed on the cover portion 14. Crockery or other containers may be stored and kept stationary within the collar 24. A vertical rim 26 on the base portion 12 prevents lateral movement of the cover portion 14.

Description

FOOD STORAGE MEANS This invention relates to a method of storing and serving food and to a food storage means.

Previous types of food storage apparatus have included a tray having one or more indentations in an upper surface thereof in which various parts of a meal are placed. This type of tray is commonly used to store and serve food on aeroplane flights. Disadvantages arise with this type of food storage means because the food is often difficult to remove from the indentations and difficulty is encountered when trying to mix different parts of the meal to enhance the flavour. Consequently, although the storage of the food with these prior art food storage means is adequate, the way in which the food is served is unsatisfactory.

It is an object of the present invention to address the above mentioned disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the present invention a method of storing and serving food comprises storing at least two types of food separately in at least two compartments of a food storage means having a cover portion, and substantially inverting said storage means leaving said food on the underside of said cover portion, in which position it is ready to serve.

An underside of said cover portion may have substantially no compartments. The cover portion may be a crockery plate. The underside of said cover portion may be a serving surface of the plate.

Said compartments may be part of a base portion. The base portion may comprise between two and ten compartments. Preferably, the base portion comprises between two and six compartments.

The base portion may comprise a first lip on which the cover portion may be placed. The lip may sealingly engage with the underside of the cover portion. Said sealing engagement may be effected by the weight of the cover portion pressing on the lip.

The base portion may comprise a second lip, which prevents lateral movement of the cover portion whilst on the base portion.

The compartments may have dividing walls therebetween. Said walls may be substantially vertical and may be of substantially one thickness.

An upper side of said cover portion may have one or more projections or indentations for receiving an enclosure means. A lower portion of said enclosure means may communicate with said one or more projections or indentations to prevent lateral movement of said enclosure means. The enclosure means may be arranged to hold further storage means or utensils in position. Preferably said enclosure means holds crockery in position. The enclosure means may take the form of a ring. Preferably a lower portion of the ring communicates with a raised rim on the upper side of the cover means. Alternatively, the enclosure means may be an integral part of said cover portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention a food storage means comprises a cover portion and at least two separate compartments, the food storage means having a first configuration in which at least two types of food are kept separate in the said compartments, and a second configuration in which said food is located on an underside of the cover portion, in which position it is ready to serve.

The underside of the cover portion may have substantially no compartments. The cover portion may be a crockery plate. The underside of the cover portion may be the serving surface of the plate.

Said compartments may be part of a base portion. The base portion may comprise a first lip on which the cover portion may, in use, be placed. The lip may be arranged to sealingly engage with the underside of the cover portion. Said sealing engagement may be effected by the weight of the cover portion pressing on the lip. The base portion may comprise a second lip which is arranged, in use, to prevent a lateral movement of the cover portion whilst on the base portion.

Any of the above aspects may be combined with any of the features disclosed herein, in any combination.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of a food storage means; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a base portion of the food storage means.

A food storage means 10 comprises a base portion 12 and a cover portion 14. The base portion 12 has compartments 16 with dividers 18 therebetween.

The cover portion 14 takes the form of an inverted plate which is supported on a lip 20 of the base portion 12. The plate may be made of ceramic material, such as china, alternatively the plate may be made of plastics material or other suitable material. A vertical rim 26 of the base portion 12 prevents lateral movement of the cover portion 14.

In use, various elements of a meal are placed into the compartments 16. The various elements may, for instance, be types of salad, cold meats, quiche, salad dressing or condiment or other such foods which would be eaten together. When the various elements of the meal are held in the compartment 16, the dividers 18 ensure that there will be no undesirable mixing of the various parts of the meal. The dividers 18 take the form of a vertically aligned sections of plastics material. The base portion may also be of plastics material.

In order to transport the meal which has been placed in the compartments 16 of the base portion 12, the cover portion 14 is placed on the lip 20, thus preventing food in the base portion 12 from escaping. The food storage means 10 may then be placed in a suitable container, such as a picnic hamper, for transporting. The weight of the cover portion 14 provides a sealing engagement with the base portion.

When it is desired to eat the meal held in the separate compartment 16, the food storage means can be inverted, which will result in the various separate elements of the meal being placed on the underside of the cover portion 14, which is the upper side of the plate.

In this way, the food will have been transported or stored without any mixing of the various elements of the meal, but will now be together on a plate ready for eating without any awkward or undesirable compartments to hinder the ability of a person eating the meal from removing the food from the plate.

The upper side of the cover portion 14 has a raised rim 22 having a circular shape in a central section of the cover portion 14. The raised rim is of the type typically found on the base of a crockery plate. A circular collar 24 is placed within the rim 22. The collar 24 fits just within the rim 22 and is prevented from moving laterally by the rim 22. Crockery or suitable containers may be placed in the collar 24, where they are kept stationary and thus stored safely. The weight of the crockery in the collar 24 bearing down on the cover portion 14 may increase the sealing effect between the cover portion 14 and the base portion 12. Alternatively the collar 24 may be an integral part of the cover portion 14.

The food storage means described above is particularly suitable for a meal where it is desired to add a dressing or other condiment to a meal immediately before it is eaten, rather than some time before it is eaten. Undesirable random mixing of the food is also avoided because the food is kept separate in the compartments 16.

The food storage means disclosed herein has significant advantages over prior art food storage means because food which would previously have been difficult to extricate from its container is now easily accessible and can be mixed to the requirements of a person eating the meal.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of storing and serving food comprises storing at least two types of food separately in at least two compartments of a food storage means having a cover portion, and substantially inverting said storage means leaving said food on the underside of said cover portion, in which position it is ready to serve.

2. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in claim i, in which an underside of said cover portion has substantially no compartments.

3. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, in which the cover portion is a plate.

4. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in claim 3, in which the underside of said cover portion is a serving surface of the plate.

5. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in any preceding claim in which said compartments are part of a base portion.

6. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in claim 5, in which the base portion comprises between two and ten compartments.

7. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6, in which the base portion comprises å first lip on which the cover portion is placed.

8. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in claim 7, in which the lip sealingly engages with the underside of the cover portion.

9. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in claim 8, in which said sealing engagement is effected by the weight of the cover portion pressing on the lip.

10. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the base portion comprises a second lip, which prevents lateral movement of the cover portion whilst on the base portion.

11. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the compartments have dividing walls therebetween.

12. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in any preceding claim, in which an upper side of said cover portion has one or more projections or indentations for receiving an enclosure means

13. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in claim 12, in which a lower portion of said enclosure means communicates with said one or more projections or indentations to prevent lateral movement of said enclosure means.

14. A method of storing and serving food, as claimed in either claim 12 or claim 13, in which the enclosure means is arranged to hold a further storage means, plates or utensils in position.

15. A method of storing and serving food, as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, in which said enclosure means holds at least one plate in position.

16. A method of storing and serving food, as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15, in which the enclosure means takes the form of a ring.

17. A method of storing and serving food, as claimed in claim 16, in which a lower portion of the ring communicates with a raised rim on the upper side of the cover means..

18. A method of storing and serving food as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, in which the enclosure means is an integral part of said cover portion.

19. A food storage means comprises a cover portion and at least two separate compartments, the food storage means having a first configuration in which at least two types of food are kept separate in the said compartments, and a second configuration in which said food is located on an underside of the cover portion, in which position it is ready to serve.

20. A food storage means as claimed in claim 19, in which the underside of the cover portion has substantially no compartments.

21. A food storage means as claimed in either claim 19 or 20, in which the cover portion is a plate.

22. A food storage means as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21, in which the underside of the cover portion is a serving surface of the plate.

23. A food storage means as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 22, in which said compartments are part of a base portion.

24. A food storage means as claimed claim 23, in which the base portion comprises a first lip on which the cover portion is, in use, to be placed.

25. A food storage means as claimed in claim 24, in which the lip is arranged to sealingly engage with the underside of the cover portion.

26. A food storage means as claimed in claim 25, in which said sealing engagement is effected by the weight of the cover portion pressing on the lip.

27. A food storage means as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 26, in which the base portion comprises a second lip which is arranged, in use, to prevent a lateral movement of the cover portion whilst on the base portion.

28. A method of storing and serving food substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

29. A food storage means substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.