Bakery tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10322850-B2
Application number	US-201213429507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2012
Priority date	Mar 25, 2011
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A bakery tray includes a base and a pair of opposed side walls extending upward from side edges of the base. Front and rear walls extend upward from front and rear edges of the base. A plurality of recesses for receiving bakery items therein are formed in the base. This increases the number of bakery items that can be received in the tray and/or permits a decrease in the stacking height of the trays, thereby permitting another tray to be received on the stack. In one embodiment, the recesses are a plurality of parallel troughs formed in an upper surface of the base. In another embodiment, the plurality of recesses are formed in the ribs in the base, such that the bakery items are received in the recesses.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tray comprising:
a base, the base including a plurality of parallel troughs formed in an upper surface of the base for receiving items therein, a plurality of elongated peaks between each of the troughs, wherein the peaks include a plurality of ribs formed on an underside of the peaks, the plurality of ribs extending transversely to the troughs between adjacent pairs of the plurality of troughs; and
a plurality of walls extending upward from the base.

2. The tray of claim 1 wherein a bottom wall of each of the troughs does not have ribs on a bottom surface thereof.

3. The tray of claim 2 wherein the troughs extends from one wall to an opposite wall.

4. The tray of claim 1 wherein the tray can be stacked on an identical tray in a first orientation and the tray can be nested with the identical tray at a second orientation, 180 degrees from the first orientation.

5. The tray of claim 4 wherein the plurality of walls includes a pair of opposed side walls, a front wall and a rear wall and wherein the front wall is significantly shorter than the side walls.

6. A tray comprising:
a base, the base including a plurality of parallel troughs formed in an upper surface of the base for receiving items therein; and
a plurality of walls extending upward from the base, wherein the plurality of walls are configured such that the tray can be stacked on an identical tray in a first orientation and can be nested with the identical tray at a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is 180 degrees from the first orientation and wherein the troughs of the tray are parallel to the troughs of the identical tray in the first orientation and the second orientation.

7. The tray of claim 6 wherein one of the plurality of walls includes at least one foot protruding outward therefrom for stacking on the identical tray in the first orientation.

8. The tray of claim 7 wherein the at least one foot is received in a window through one of the plurality of walls of the identical tray when the tray is stacked on the identical tray in the second orientation.

9. The tray of claim 6 wherein two of the plurality of walls each include a pair of towers and a pair of windows adjacent the pair of towers, and wherein the two walls includes at least one foot protruding outward therefrom for stacking on the identical tray in the first orientation and for being received in the pair of windows in the identical tray in the second orientation.

10. The tray of claim 6 further including a pair of supports each pivotably secured to the tray, wherein the tray can be supported on the pair of supports of the identical tray at a height greater than the second orientation.

11. The tray of claim 6 further including a plurality of elongated peaks between each of the troughs, wherein the peaks include a plurality of ribs formed on an underside of the peaks.

12. The tray of claim 11 further including a plurality of spaced-apart apertures formed through each of the elongated peaks.

13. A tray comprising:
a base, the base including a plurality of parallel troughs formed in an upper surface of the base for receiving items therein, a plurality of elongated peaks connecting adjacent pairs of the plurality of troughs to one another, a plurality of spaced-apart apertures formed through each of the elongated peaks; and
a plurality of walls extending upward from a perimeter of the base.

14. The tray of claim 13 wherein the troughs are curved.

15. The tray of claim 14 wherein the peaks are curved.

16. A tray comprising:
a base, the base including a plurality of parallel troughs formed in an upper surface of the base for receiving items therein, a plurality of elongated peaks connecting adjacent pairs of the plurality of troughs to one another; and
a plurality of walls extending upward from a perimeter of the base; wherein the tray can be stacked on an identical tray in a first orientation and the tray can be nested with the identical tray at a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is 180 degrees from the first orientation.

17. A tray comprising:
a base, the base including a plurality of parallel troughs formed in an upper surface of the base for receiving items therein, a plurality of elongated peaks connecting adjacent pairs of the plurality of troughs to one another; and
a plurality of walls extending upward from a perimeter of the base, wherein one of the plurality of walls includes at least one foot protruding outward therefrom for stacking on an identical tray.

18. The tray of claim 1 wherein the upper surface of the base is continuous across the plurality of elongated peaks and the plurality of parallel troughs.

19. The tray of claim 6 wherein the base includes a plurality of elongated peaks, each between an adjacent pair of the plurality of parallel troughs, the plurality of walls include a pair of opposed side walls, wherein the side walls are taller than the plurality of elongated peaks.

20. The tray of claim 13 wherein the plurality of walls are configured such that the tray can be stacked on an identical tray in a first orientation and nested with the identical tray at a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is 180 degrees from the first orientation, wherein two of the plurality of walls each include a pair of towers and a pair of windows adjacent the pair of towers, and wherein the two walls includes at least one foot protruding outward therefrom such that they would stack on an identical tray in the first orientation and such that they would be received in the pair of windows in the identical tray in the second orientation.

Assignees

• Koefelda Gerald R
• Cook Alan J
• Rehrig Pacific Co

Inventors

• Koefelda Gerald R
• Cook Alan J

Classifications

• B65D1/34

  Trays or like shallow containers {(B65D81/3813 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D1/36

  with moulded compartments or partitions · CPC title

• B65D21/045 Primary

  about 180° only · CPC title

• B65D21/066

  the movable parts being supports or feet, e.g. retractable feet, pivotable supports · CPC title

• B65D85/36

  for bakery products, e.g. biscuits · CPC title