WO2000078151A1

WO2000078151A1 - Baking tray set

Info

Publication number: WO2000078151A1
Application number: PCT/SE2000/001131
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pär NILSSON
Original assignee: Nilsson Paer
Priority date: 1999-06-16
Filing date: 2000-06-13
Publication date: 2000-12-28
Also published as: SE9902255L; AU5858200A; SE9902255D0; SE512899C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a baking tray set comprising a rectangular frame (2) formed by three different profiles and a number of baking trays (4) with integrated or attached fastening means (26, 28) on the under side. Long and short sides (5, 6) of the frame (2) are made of a first profile (A) with recesses (10) in a horizontal flange (8). The sides are joined with corner elements (7) of a second profile (B) having legs (19) in pair in each flange that are pushed into upper and lower channels (12, 13) in the first profile (A) and is fixed to same. Fastening bars (3) of a third profile (C), placed in the recesses (10) and fixed in the horizontal flange (8), constitute fasteners for the fastening means (26, 28) on the under side of the baking trays.

Description

Baking tray set

The present invention relates to a baking tray set comprising a rectangular frame and a plurality of baking trays placed in the frame.

When making bread the baking usually takes place in trays. A number of trays are usually put together to a baking tray set for rational handling - manually or automatically. When using the baking tray sets they are stacked above each other in trolleys or are placed on conveyor belts. The trays can be provided with a surface coating that prevents the bread to get stuck in the tray. This coating is worn out by time and it will become necessary to wash and provide the baking tray set with new surface coating. This is carried out by specialist firms where the bakery sends the baking tray sets.

The baking tray sets used today almost always have a shape determined by the size of the trays. When changing trays to a different shape the dimensions and shape of the frame also has to be changed. Since the handling equipment in the bakeries almost always grasps the frame when handling the set a change of trays result in that the handling equipment of the bakery must be adapted, which leads to stagnation and loss of production.

Today's baking tray sets are not either stackable in a safe way but are stacked directly on top of each other or in a way that the trays are put into each other without any other vertical guidance. The stack will hereby become wobbly and since the trays establish the guidance in the stack, a risk of damage of the surface coating is at hand.

The structure of frames of prior art are often complicated with many and complicated details. The details are often of a shape that neither permits rational production, assembly nor handling of the baking tray sets. In several designs screw joints and other small details make a rational handling difficult. US 3,406,860, Oct .1968, discloses a kind of modularised design where the gables of the tray are welded to frame pieces of which a desired number are put together whereupon a metal strapping keeps the baking tray set together. When disassembling the baking tray set, a piece of the frame sticks to the tray, which cannot be considered as particularly practical.

US 2,215, 113, Sept. 1940, disclose a baking tray set where the trays are provided with a knob on each gable. One knob is pushed into a recess on one side of the frame and the other is locked on the opposite side with a threaded bar that is pushed into a channel above the knob. The bar is locked with a nut and the trays are thus fixed to the frame. When replacing one frame the building-up causes that the bar must be eased off and pulled out until the tray in question is released.

US 3,572,537, March 1971 , discloses a very complicated design with many details, for instance recesses in the edges of the trays. Besides the trays have fixed positions determined by welded lateral bars and are kept by an additional two-part clamp, which is secured by screws. When replacing one tray all trays must be loosened. It is hard to see the simplicity that is said to be the object with the design.

FR 2 669 04, Nov. 1990 discloses a design with transversal bars in which the trays can be snap-locked in the longitudinal frame pieces above respective bar. The bars have fixed positions and do not provide any flexibility to meet the need of using trays of different size.

The device further discloses one more rack in which the frames containing the trays are placed.

It is an object with present invention to set aside the disadvantages that are connected with the above mentioned designs and to achieve a baking tray set with few and simple, standardised parts, which is easy to assemble in sizes and configurations determined by trolleys, conveyor belts and other equipment. A further object is to make it possible to place baking trays of different sizes, both lengthwise and crosswise in frames with a size determined by the handling equipment and to replace single trays with simple operations.

A further object is to achieve a baking tray set that permits stacking without making the stack wobbly or letting the trays make contact with each other resulting in damages on the surface coating.

These objects are achieved with a baking tray set having the characteristics in claim 1 and the attached subclaims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will hereinafter be described more in detail and with references to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a baking tray set with one tray lifted out of the frame and one mounted in the frame.

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of a corner joint of the frame

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged section of a first device for mounting a baking tray in a frame.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged section of a second device for mounting a baking tray in a frame.

Fig. 1 shows a baking tray set 1 with a frame 2, fastening bars 3 and baking trays 4 of which one is lifted out of the frame to make the under side visible. The rectangular frame 2 is built up of pieces of two different profiles. The long sides 5 and the short sides 6 consist of a first profile A. The long sides and the short sides are connected with corner elements 7 consisting of a second profile B. The long sides and the short sides are cut in lengths giving the frame length and width adapted to the handling equipment where it is going to be used. The fastening bars 3 for the baking trays are made of a third profile C. The appearance of the profiles A and B is evident from fig. 2, which shows an exploded view of a frame corner.

The first profile A has a horizontal flange 8 and vertical flange 9 perpendicular to flange 8. Along the horizontal flange 8 rectangular recesses 10 of a width of 10 - 15 mm and a spacing of 24 - 30 mm. In the parts between the recesses, which are of the same width as the recesses, holes 11 are bored. The vertical part of the profile is designed with an upper rectangular channel 12 and a lower rectangular channel 13 having the same internal dimensions as the upper one. Both channels are open inwards, above the lower flange 8 and separated by a center part 14 whose upper and lower edges 15 and 16 cover a part of the openings in the channels. In this way the channels 12 and 13 are provided with guiding edges both vertically and horizontally.

The corner elements 7 are made of the second profile B, cut in a length corresponding to the height of the vertical flange of the fist profile. The profile is symmetric and has a rounded center party 17 and a recess concentric with the inner rounding in the shape of a curved dove tail slot 18. Into the dove tail slot 18 is a guide pin 19 pressed. The part of the guide pin protruding above the frame is slightly wedge shaped to easily provide guiding for the above-located frame when the frames are stacked. Further there is a neck on the guide spindle providing a stop when the guide pin is pressed down. When stacking this provides a free space in the lower part of the dove tail slot to receive the upper end of the guide pin on a lower baking tray set. The length of the guide pin is such that the upper baking tray set does not touch the trays in the lower baking tray set.

The profile has broad flanges that on both sides of the rounded center part 17 and tangentially extending from the outer side are machined to legs 20 in pair and of equal size. The legs have the same cross section as the open upper and lower channels 12 and 13 in the first profile and have the same mutual distance that when the legs are pushed into the channels in each end of the first profile, an even rounded corner is created. Fixing of the corner elements 7 to the long and short sides are made by riveting, welding or gluing to the long and short sides of the legs 20 on the corner element. The fixing method depends on which kind of material the profiles are made of. By placing corner elements in the same way in all four corners a stable, stackable frame is achieved.

The fastening bar 3 is made of the third profile C whose appearance is evident from fig. 3 and 4. The profile has u-shape with flanges 21 and an elevated center part 22 creating longitudinal downward directed guide bars 23 matching the recesses 10. In each end of the fastening bar holes are bored having the same diameter as the holes 11 in the parts between the recesses in the first profile A and placed so they match the these when the fastening bar is laid down in the recesses 10.

If the guide bars 23 have a distance making them match two adjacent recesses it can consequently be placed in arbitrary positions in steps of 20 - 30 mm in the recesses in the frame as shown in fig. 1. If the distance between the guide bars 23 is increased making them match every third recess the resolution in positioning the guide bar and thereby the tray, can be reduced to 10 - 15 mm. Depending on number and size of the baking trays to be placed in the frame the number and position of the fastening bars 3 are determined. When the number and the position are determined, the fastening bars are fixed to the horizontal flange 8 of the first profile A with for instance rivets, screws and nuts or other fastening elements in the holes 11 in the parts between the recesses 10. Spot welding is also possible but less suitable with regard to the demand for simple disassembly of the frame.

Another solution (not shown) for keeping the fastening bar 3 could be achieved with spring means braced between the lower channel in the profile A and the end of the fastening bar 3. Either can a spring means for each fastening bar or one single spring means be used that extends all along the profile A keeping all the fastening bars. The flanges 21 on the fastening bar 3 are relatively thin and somewhat resilient and have longitudinally inward directed sharp, somewhat obtuse-angled edges 25 in the upper edge.

Fig. 3 shows, in a cross section along the flange 8 of the profile A and the end of the profile C, how a baking tray provided with integrated, longitudinal fastening means 26 with somewhat resilient web and longitudinal outward directed bulges 27, is pressed down between and caught by the inward directed, sharp edges 25 of the fastening bar 3.

In fig. 4 is shown, in the same cross section, how a baking tray has longitudinal fastening means 28 in the shape of a u-shaped element of resilient material, mounted on the under side of the baking tray. The downward directed ends of the element are bent to outward directed longitudinal bulges 29, which are pressed down between and caught by the inward directed, sharp edges of the fastening bar 3. A baking tray can simply be removed from the fastening bar by lifting it in one of the short ends causing a release of the inward directed, sharp edges 25 from the bulges 27 or 29 on the longitudinal fastening means of the tray.

By means of the horizontal flange 8 of the first profile A having recesses with equal spacing and that the profiles are cut so that the recesses in short and long sides respectively are positioned in front of the recesses on the opposite side, a very flexible baking tray set is achieved, in which baking trays of different widths can be placed. Long trays can of course also be used and are then placed in the longitudinal direction of the frame since even the short sides 6 consists of the profile A with recesses 10.

With the present invention a frame 2 for a baking tray set can thus simply be assembled with only three components in the shape of the three profiles A, B and C. The profiles A, B and C can preferably be stored as extruded and punched piece goods and just be cut to desired lengths for frame production. The baking trays can, as already mentioned, have integrated fastening means 26 or can baking trays of standard type or of any design be provided with resilient fastening means 28 on the under side.

From handling point of view the frames should be as light as possible and the profiles should therefore be made from workable, light material. Examples of such materials are metals such as aluminium, magnesium, heat resistant plastic or thin iron plate.

Claims

1. Baking tray set comprising a rectangular frame (1) and a plurality of baking trays (4) placed in the frame, ch aracterisedby

that the long sides (5) and the short sides (6) are made of a first profile (A), joined by corner parts (7) made of a second profile (B),

that between two parallel sides, in fastening points opposite to each other, fastening bars (3) made of a third profile (C) are fixed, and

that the baking trays (4) by longitudinal fastening means (26, 28) on the under side are removably fixed in the fastening bars.

2. Baking tray set according claim 1, characterised by

that the first profile (A) has a lower horizontal flange (8) having rectangular recesses (10) with even spacing,

that the profile has a vertical flange (9) with an upper, inward directed, open fist channel (12) and a lower, inward open, second channel (13), separated from the first channel by a center section (14) whose upper and lower edges (15, 16) partly covers the openings of the channels so that guiding vertical and horizontal surfaces are established.

3. Baking tray set according to any of the preceding claims, characterise d by

that the second profile (B) is a symmetrical, right-angled profile with a rounded corner section and a length corresponding to the height of the vertical flange (9) of the first profile , that in each flange two legs (20) with the same cross section dimensions and the same mutual distance as the upper and lower channels (12, 13) in the first flange are cut out and located so that when long and short sides of the first profile are joined by pushing the legs of the corner section into the channels of the first profile, a frame (2) with even outer side is created.

4. Baking tray set according to any of the preceding claims, characterise d by

that the third profile (C) has U-shape with an elevated center part (22) between lowered outer parts (23) with the same width as the recesses (10) in the first profile and vertical resilient flanges (21) with inward directed blunt edges (25) in the upper edge, and

that the profile, with its outer lowered parts (23) can be placed in the recesses (10) in the horizontal flange (8) of the first profile (A) and be fixed in same and with the blunt edges be guided and hooked in the longitudinal fastening means (26, 28) on the under side of the baking tray.

5. Baking tray set according to any of the preceding claims, characterise d by

that the longitudinal fastening means (26) on the under side of the baking tray are integrated in the structure of the baking tray and are shaped like rails which in their lower edge have sideward directed, longitudinal bulges (27) that can be caught by the inward directed blunt edges (25) of the third profile.

6. Baking tray set according to any of the preceding claims, characterise d by that the longitudinal fastening means (26) on the under side of the baking tray are made of U-shaped elements of resilient material mounted on the under side of the baking tray and whose downward directed flanges are formed like outward directed longitudinal bulges (29) that can be caught by the inward directed edges (25) of the third profile (C).

7. Baking tray set according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by

that the corner element (7) on the inside of the rounded corner section has a dove tail slot (18) concentric with the outer rounding, into which an upward protruding, somewhat wedge shaped guide pin (19) is pressed.