US2845207A

US2845207A - Serving tray and receptacle set

Info

Publication number: US2845207A
Application number: US451314A
Authority: US
Inventors: Klinghoffer Max
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-08-20
Filing date: 1954-08-20
Publication date: 1958-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 1975-07-29

Description

July 2 1 5 r M. KLINGHOFFER 2,845,207

SERVING TRAY AND RECEPTACLE SET Filed Aug. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1(4 fig. Z 6 3 MAX -KLINGHOFFER 6011, 4%,, We;

July 29, 1958 M. KLINGHOFFER 2,845,207

SERVING TRAY AND RECEPTACLE SET Filed Aug. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1.322%: MAX Kuusnarrsn United States Patent SERVING TRAY AND RECEPTACLE SET Max Klingholfer, Elmhurst, Ill. 7 Application August 20, 1954, Serial No. 451,314

6 Claims. (Cl. 224-48) The present invention relates in general to serving ware and, more specifically, to a novel serving tray and receptacle set. exclusive, utility in places such as homes, restaurants and airplanes where food and beverages are to be served.

One object of the invention is to provide a tray set of the character just set forth and wherein one or more containers may be held securely on a tray to avoid tipping while the tray is being carried, the containers being easily removable from the tray during serving or distribution.

Another object is to provide a novel tray setof the foregoing type wherein both the tray and its associated containers are 'of simple, inexpensive construction and devoid of outside mechanical parts for holding the tray and containers together.

A further object is to provide a tray set of the character set forth which will readily lend itself to an attractive overall appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an illustrative rtray set exemplifying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the tray of Fig. 1, taken in the plane of the line 22.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, also taken in the plane of the line 22 in Fig. 1, and including an illustrative container utilizable in the present invention. 7

Figs. 4 and 5 are views, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing two additional forms of container utilizable in the present invention.

Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively, plan and vertical sectional views showing another form of tray set also embodying the invention.

Figs, 8 and 9 are, respectively, plan and enlarged vertical sectional views showing still another illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Figs. 10 and 11 are views similar to Figs. 8 and 9 but showing a further embodiment of the invention.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in considerable detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the inventionto the specific forms disclosed, but, on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a novel tray set 10 which repre- The invention finds particular, but not sents an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

The set 10 comprises a serving tray 11 and one or more receptacles or containers each represented by the numeral 12 and which, in this instance, happen to be drinking glasses. Six glasses have been shown in the drawing but ice the set 10 may, of course, consist of various numbers of glasses. By the same token, the set 10 may include one or more other receptacles such as cup 12A shown in Fig. 4 or condiment dispenser 12B shown in Fig. 5.

Provision is made for enabling one or more of the receptacles 12 to be carried about on the tray 11 without danger of tipping or sliding, and yet be readily removable from the tray as an incident :to being picked up by the server or by'the person to be served. This is accomplished by constructing the tray 11 with a portion 14 of high magnetic permeability, which may for example be ferrous metal, and an adjacent portion 15 of low or negligible magnetic permeability, which may for example be a moldable plastic such as polystyrene. The portion 15 in this instance happens to be disposed in surrounding relation with the portion 14 but it will be appreciated that a converse relationship is also Within the scope of the invention. For convenience in the present description, the portion 14 will be referred to as the magnetically activemember, while the portion 15 will be referred to as the magnetically inert member. The magnetically active member 14 may be recessed or otherwise mounted in the tray body in such :a manner that a common coplanar face 16, which constitutes the upper face of the tray 11, is defined over the

members

14 and 15. The face 16 may be a composite of the

members

14, 15 or it may, on the other hand, be defined in part by a coating of magnetically'inert material integral with the member 15. The face 16 is preferably surrounded by a border in the form of an upstanding bead or rib 18.

One or more of the glasses or other receptacles 12, 12A, 12B is operatively associated with the tray 11. Each such receptacle is provided with an element 19 of high magnetic permeability (Figs. 3, 4 and 5). In the present case, the element 19 is situated in "the bottom of the receptacle and is permanently magnetized. The glass or or other receptacle 12, 12A, 12B may, of course, be so constructed as to include in its component material a highly magnetically permeable substance susceptible of being permanently magnetized. The bottom of the re ceptacle and the

tray members

14, 15, are so dimensioned that the receptacle may be positioned substantially entirely on either the member 14 or the member 15. Preferably, the parts are so proportioned that the

members

14 and 15 are each capable of accommodating several receptacles with each receptacle adapted to fit substantially entirely on either member.

To utilize the tray set just described, the receptacles, in this case the glasses 12, may be filled and placed on the tray face 16 so as to overlie the magnetically active member 14. By reason of the substantially closed magnetic circuit between the magnetic element 19 of each glass and the member 14, the glasses are securely held against the face 16 of the tray and will resist tipping in spite of severe jostling :of the tray. As each glass is to be served, it is only necessary for the server or the .guest to slide the glass along the face '16 from the magnetically active member 14 to the magnetically inert member 15, as shown in Fig. 3. Since the magnetic attraction between the active member 14 of the tray and the magnetic element 19 of the glass offers very little resistance to such motion, it can easily be completed without spilling the contents of the glass. Once such motion has been completed, the glass may then be freely lifted from the face of the tray, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Turning now to Figs. 6 and 7, there is shown another illustrative tray set 10A which also exemplifies the present invention. The set 10A in this case comprises a hospital serving tray 20 and one or more receptacles such as the glass 12. The tray 20 is of oblong shape and includes supporting legs 21. It also includes a substantially rectangular magnetically active member 22, similar to the member 14 described earlier herein, and an adjacent magnetically inert member 24, similar to the member 15 described above. A common coplanar tray face 25 overlies both the

members

22 and 24 and may be surrounded by a border rib 26. Since the tray 20 and its associated receptacles may be utilized in the same manner as the tray 11 and receptacles, further discussion in that connection is believed to be unnecessary.

In Figs. 8 and 9, there is shown a modified tray set B which also embodies the invention. The set 10B is generally similar to the set 10 but differs in the specific arrangement of the magnetically active and magnetically inert members. As shown in the drawings, the set 10B comprises a tray 28 having a plurality of magnetically active members 29 and a plurality of magnetically inert members 39. In this instance, the

members

29 and 30 are sector-shaped and disposed in alternate series relation with each other, the tray 28 being so constructed that the members 30 are of the same material as the tray body and the members 29 being metallic inserts recessed into the tray body. A common coplanar surface 31, defining the upper face of the tray, overlies all of the

members

29, 30, and may be surrounded by the border rib 32.

Receptacles, such as the glasses 12 described earlier herein, may be used with the tray 28, the parts being proportioned so that each receptacle is adapted to fit substantially entirely on any member 29 as well as any member 30. To remove a receptacle from the tray 28, it is only necessary to slide it laterally, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8, from an active member 29 to an inactive member 30. Once this has been done, the receptacle may be freely lifted from the tray.

Referring next to Figs. 10 and 11, there is shown another illustrative tray set 10C which represents a further modification of the invention. The set 10C comprises a tray 34 which may conveniently be fabricated from plastic material or any other magnetically inert substance. Recessed or embedded within the tray 34 is a magnetically active member 35 of the same character as the

members

14, 22 and 29 described earlier herein. The upper face of the tray 34 is formed with a plurality of upstanding and substantially radially extending guide ribs 36. The ribs 36, together with a central boss 38 and a border rib 39, define a plurality of shallow pockets 40. Each of the pockets 40 has a relatively smooth floor 41 which overlies a part of the magnetically active member 35 as well as an adjacent part 42 of the tray constituting a magnetically inert member.

One or more receptacles such as the glasses 12 may be operatively associated with the tray 34, the parts being so proportioned that each glass 12 is adapted to fit substantially entirely over the magnetically active member 35 as well as the magnetically inactive member 42 of each pocket. With this arrangement, the side walls of each pocket 40, and particularly the ribs 36, serve as a guide means which facilitates moving of the glass from the magnetically active member 35 to the magn'etically inert member 42 of its associated pocket prior to lifting the glass from the tray, as indicated in Fig. 10.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a tray and receptacle set, the combination comprising a serving tray having a magnetically active member and a magnetically inert member adjacent said active member, said tray having an upper face defining a relatively smooth common supporting surface overlying both said members, and a receptacle having a base dimension adapting it to fit primarily on said active member as well as primarily on said inert member, said receptacle having a magnetically active element and being susceptible 4 application of an external force thereto, said receptacle being freely removable from said inert member.

2. In a tray and receptacle set of the character set forth, a tray comprising, in combination, a magnetically active member, a magnetically inert member, one of said members being disposed in surrounding relation with the other, said tray having an upper face defining a relatively smooth planar surface overlying both said members and adapted to support a receptacle having a magnetically active element, whereby the receptacle may be held against tipping by standing the same on said supporting surface over said active member and whereby said receptable may be made freely disengageable by sliding the same along said surface so as to overlie said inert member.

3. In a tray and receptacle set of the character set forth, a serving tray comprising the combination of a tray body, a member recessed in said tray body and having a relatively high magnetic permeability, said member also having a smooth top surface thereon, said body having a peripheral portion of relatively low magnetic permeability surrounding said recessed portion, said peripheral member also having a receptacle-supporting smooth top surface thereon coplanar with said smooth top surface on said recessed member.

4. In a tray and receptacle set, the combination comprising a serving tray having a magnetically a'ctive member and a magnetically inert member adjacent said active member, said tray having an upper face defining a plurality of relatively shallow pockets over said active and inert members, each said pocket having a planar floor overlying at least a part of said active member and a part of said inert member, each said pocket being adapted to receive a receptacle having a base dimension making said receptacle positionable primarily on said part of said active member as well as primarily on said part of said inert member.

5. In a tray and receptacle set, the combination of a serving tray having a magnetically active member and a magnetically inert member adjacent said active member, said tray having an upper face defining a common planar supporting surface overlying both said members, a receptacle having a base dimension making said receptacle positionable substantially entirely on said active member as well as substantially entirely on said inert member, said receptacle having a magnetically active element and being susceptible of being slid along said supporting surface from said active member to said inert member by the deliberate application of an external force thereto, and an upstanding abutment adapted to guide said receptacle as the same is slid along said supporting surface.

6. In a tray and receptacle set, the combination comprising a serving tray having a magnetically active member and a magnetically inert member adjacent said active member, means defining a relatively smooth planar supporting surface overlying both said members, and an upstanding peripheral rib disposed in surrounding relation with said planar supporting surface and projecting above the plane of said surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,477 Ezell July 23, 1889 469,597 Reid Feb. 23, 1892 982,351 Cree et al. Jan. 24, 1911 1,949,285 Porter Feb. 27, 1934 2,177,905 McKeehan Oct. 31, 1939 2,217,51 r Henry Oct. 8, 1940 2,527,482 Kinzler et a1. Oct. 24, 1950 2,609,221 Schultz Sept. 2, 1952 2,641,793 Wilm June 16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 500,752 Great Britain Feb. 15, 1939