U.S. patent application number 14/065945 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-27 for food tray and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to Restaurant Technology, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Restaurant Technology, Inc.. Invention is credited to Henry T. Ewald, Paul G. Simmons.
Application Number | 20140057031 14/065945 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40522172 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140057031 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ewald; Henry T. ; et
al. |
February 27, 2014 |
Food Tray and Method
Abstract
A food tray adapted for holding previously cooked food items is
provided. The food tray has one or more sidewall structure openings
to allow venting of the interior volume of the tray through the
tray sidewall structure openings. The food tray allows food items
contained in the volume of the food tray to be stored over an
extended period of time at an elevated temperature without
significant deleterious effects to the appearance, taste and
texture of the food. The food tray may also include a slide member
for adjusting the amount of venting through the sidewall structure
openings. Also provided is a method of storing food within a food
tray to be contained in a heated compartment.
Inventors: |
Ewald; Henry T.; (Roselle,
IL) ; Simmons; Paul G.; (Glen Ellyn, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Restaurant Technology, Inc. |
Oak Brook |
IL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Restaurant Technology, Inc.
Oak Brook
IL
|
Family ID: |
40522172 |
Appl. No.: |
14/065945 |
Filed: |
October 29, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11906726 |
Oct 3, 2007 |
8573118 |
|
|
14065945 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
426/418 ;
99/483 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 39/006 20130101;
A47F 10/06 20130101; A47J 36/2483 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/418 ;
99/483 |
International
Class: |
A47J 36/24 20060101
A47J036/24; A47J 39/00 20060101 A47J039/00 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for holding previously cooked food portions at an
elevated temperature, comprising: at least one heated doorless
compartment for holding the food portions, said compartment having
an upper compartment surface; a cabinet for housing said at least
one compartment therein, said cabinet including at least one
opening for inserting and removing the previously cooked food
portions into and out of said compartment; at least one tray having
an interior volume for containing the cooked food portions, said
tray being placeable into said compartment; said tray having a
bottom, a top edge defining an open top and a sidewall structure
extending upwardly from the bottom between the bottom and the top
edge, the bottom and sidewall structure defining the interior
volume for containing the cooked food portions; at least one
sidewall opening in the sidewall structure of the tray for
providing an air passageway therethrough for venting the interior
volume of said tray, and a movable member for adjusting the size of
said at least one sidewall opening; and a support for supporting
said tray in said compartment so that the bottom of said tray is
substantially horizontal and said top edge of said tray is spaced
from the upper compartment surface a distance of from about 0 to
about 0.09 inches.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sidewall openings have a
total cross-sectional area and the tray has a volume, the ratio of
the total cross-sectional area of the sidewall openings in square
inches to the interior volume of the tray in cubic inches is in the
range of about 1:2100 to about 1:13 and the sidewall structure of
the tray includes a first end wall and a second end wall opposite
the first end wall, the movable member for adjusting being a
slideable member, and the slideable member having a first end
proximate to the first end wall to allow the slideable member to be
accessed from adjacent the first end wall to adjust the size of the
air passageway.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tray has an amount of food
contained therein and the sidewall openings have a total
cross-sectional area and the tray has food portions contained
therein having a weight, the ratio of the total cross-sectional
area of the sidewall openings in square inches to the weight of the
food portions contained in the interior volume of the tray is in
the range of from about 1:30 to about 1:0.2.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sidewall structure of the
tray comprises two opposed sidewalls and two opposed end walls that
define with the bottom a generally rectangular tray, each of two
opposed sidewalls having at least one of said sidewall openings,
wherein movement of the movable member simultaneously adjusts the
size of the sidewall openings in both of the sidewalls.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the compartment has a first
opening and a second opening opposite the first opening, the tray
being insertable and removable from the first opening of the
compartment and the tray being insertable and removable from the
second opening of the compartment.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sidewall structure of the
tray includes a first end wall and a second end wall opposite the
first end wall, the movable member for adjusting being a slideable
member, the slideable member having a first end proximate to the
first end wall to allow the slideable member to be accessed from
adjacent the first end wall to adjust the size of the air
passageway, and the slideable member having a second end proximate
to the second end wall to allow the slideable member to be accessed
from adjacent the second end wall to adjust the size of the air
passageway.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support supports the tray
in a position wherein the top edge of said tray is spaced from the
upper compartment surface a distance that is less than
approximately 0.09 inches.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sidewall structure includes
a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall,
each of the first and second sidewalls including a sidewall
opening, wherein movement of the movable member adjusts the size of
the opening in the first sidewall and the size of the opening in
the second sidewall.
9. A method of storing cooked food comprising: providing a tray
having a bottom, a top edge defining an open top, and a sidewall
structure extending upwardly from the bottom, the bottom and
sidewall structure defining a volume, and the sidewall structure
having one or more openings therein; placing the cooked food in the
tray to at least partially fill the volume of the tray; adjusting
the effective size of one or more openings in the sidewall
structure of the tray prior to placing the tray in a heated
compartment; placing the tray having the cooked food therein into
the heated compartment to maintain the temperature of the food in a
desired elevated temperature range; and venting the interior of the
tray through the openings in the sidewall structure of the tray
during storage of the tray and cooked food contained therein in the
compartment.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the sidewall openings have a
total cross-sectional area and the tray has a volume; the ratio of
the total cross-sectional area of the openings in the sidewall
structure of the tray in square inches to the interior volume of
the tray in cubic inches is in the range of from about 1:2100 to
about 1:13.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing a slideable
member for adjusting the effective size of one or more of the
openings in the sidewall structure of the tray.
12. The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting a type of
cooked food to be placed in the tray and adjusting the effective
size of one or more openings depending on the type of cooked food
selected.
13. The method of claim 9 further comprising: providing the tray
with indicia for indicating at least one predetermined adjustment
position for adjusting the effective cross-sectional area of at
least one of the openings in the sidewall structure; and selecting
an adjustment position for one or more openings in the sidewall
structure prior to placing the tray in the compartment.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein the sidewall openings have a
total cross-sectional area and the tray has cooked food contained
therein having a weight, further comprising: determining the weight
of the cooked food in the tray, the ratio of the total
cross-sectional sidewall opening area in square inches to the
weight of the cooked food placed in the tray in pounds is in the
range of from about 1:30 to about 1:0.20.
15. A method of handling cooked food portions to be incorporated
into a sandwich in a restaurant comprising: placing the cooked food
in a tray having an open top, an enclosed bottom and a sidewall
structure defining, in conjunction with the bottom, an interior
volume for containing the cooked food portions, the tray having at
least one sidewall opening in the sidewall structure for providing
an air passageway therethrough for venting the interior volume of
said tray; placing and storing for a desired period of time the
tray having the cooked food therein in a heated compartment having
an upper surface, to maintain the temperature of the cooked food in
a desired elevated storage temperature range; maintaining the tray
during said storing so that the top edge of the tray is in the
range of between about zero and 0.09 inches below the upper surface
of the compartment to restrict water vapor from evaporating from
the cooked food during storage from the open top of the tray while
in the compartment; venting the interior of the tray through at
least one opening in the sidewall structure during said storing;
and removing cooked food from the tray when needed for assembly
into a sandwich.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising adjusting the
effective cross-sectional area of the at least one sidewall opening
based on the type of cooked food to be stored in the
compartment.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the sidewall structure comprises
four sidewalls that define, with the bottom, a generally
rectangular tray, each of two opposed sidewalls having at least one
of said sidewall openings, the sidewall structure openings being
located in both the first and second opposed sidewalls of the tray,
and the effective cross-sectional area of each of the sidewall
openings is adjusted simultaneously by moving a slide member to at
least partially cover or uncover the sidewall structure
openings.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising securing the slide
member to prevent sliding of the slide member after adjusting the
slide member to a position at least partially covering the sidewall
openings.
19. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing the tray
with indicia to indicate a plurality of settings for positions of
the slideable member, each setting corresponding to covering a
different amount of the sidewall openings.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the at least one
sidewall openings has a cross-sectional area and the total
cross-sectional area of the sidewall openings consists of the sum
of the cross-sectional areas of all of the one or more openings in
the sidewall structure of the tray; the cooked food placed in the
tray has a weight; and the ratio of the total cross-sectional
sidewall opening area in square inches to the weight of the cooked
food placed in the tray in pounds is in the range of from about
1:30 to about 1:0.20.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No.
11/906,726, filed on Oct. 3, 2007, pending, the entire disclosure
of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a food tray and method for storing
cooked food portions at elevated temperatures. The food tray of the
present invention is particularly suited for use in, for example,
heated compartments used in quick service restaurants to store
cooked food product.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Quick service restaurants face a number of conflicting
factors when striving to efficiently provide fast, palatable, and
safe food. Customers expect to receive their food quickly, with a
minimum of delay, but also with predictable and consistent high
quality. Moreover, the rate of customer demand varies over time,
with some periods, such as lunch and dinner times, having extremely
high rates of customer demand. However, the kitchens of many quick
service restaurants are of limited size, personnel and/or
production capacity and thus necessarily have a limited number of
food cooking devices.
[0004] To meet the often competing factors of quick service and
consistent high quality, it is advantageous for one individual to
cook a relatively substantial amount of food product in bulk and
store the cooked food product in food trays while another
individual food preparer transfers food from the trays to a
sandwich bun which may be part of a sandwich assembly procedure or
to an individual portion sized container, for example, to fill
customer orders. Typical food products that are of most interest to
have readily available for food preparers include sandwich fillings
such as hamburger patties, breaded fish fillets, Canadian bacon,
pork sausage, eggs, and breaded chicken patties, as well as other
food products such as chicken nuggets, biscuits, muffins, and
hotcakes.
[0005] Because these prepared food products are not being served
immediately upon preparation, it is critical to store the food
product so as to optimally maintain the appearance, taste,
temperature and texture of the food product, as well as minimize
bacterial contamination of the stored food product.
[0006] A need exists for an improved food tray and a method of
using the food tray that improves, preferably without any
significant adverse effects, the appearance, taste, temperature
and/or texture of the pre-cooked bulk food products, as well as
minimizes bacterial contamination of such stored food products. In
addition, a need also exists for a food staging device that
promotes efficient food handling and use of space within the
kitchen of the quick service restaurant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In accordance with the present invention, an improved food
tray and a method for use of a food tray typically in connection
with a heated compartment, and preferably in a heated pass-through
compartment, for holding ready-to-serve food products are provided.
When used in combination with a compartment of desirable
configuration, the food tray is particularly useful for storing
over an extended period of time cooked sandwich fillings such as
hamburger patties, fish fillets, Canadian bacon, pork sausage,
eggs, and chicken patties, chicken fillets as well as other types
of food, including, for example, chicken nuggets, biscuits,
muffins, and hotcakes. The appearance, taste, temperature and
texture of the stored food items may be maintained over extended
storage periods while also minimizing risk of bacterial
contamination.
[0008] In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided
which is suitable for holding previously cooked food portions at
elevated temperature in a compartment for receiving the apparatus.
The apparatus includes a tray having an enclosed bottom and a
sidewall structure defining, in conjunction with the bottom, an
interior volume for containing the previously cooked food portions.
The sidewall structure has at least one sidewall opening that
provides an air passageway therethrough for venting the interior
volume of said apparatus. Preferably, at least one opening is
provided in each of a pair of opposed sidewalls of the tray.
[0009] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, each of
the at least one sidewall openings has a cross-sectional area and
the total cross-sectional area of the sidewall openings consists of
the sum of the cross sectional areas of all of the one or more
openings in the sidewall structure of the apparatus. The apparatus
has a ratio of the total cross-sectional sidewall opening area in
square inches to the interior volume of the tray in cubic inches of
from about 1:2100 to about 1:13.
[0010] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, each of the at least one sidewall openings has a
cross-sectional area and the total cross-sectional area of the
sidewall openings consists of the sum of the cross sectional areas
of all of the one or more openings in the sidewall structure of the
apparatus. The apparatus has a ratio of the total cross-sectional
sidewall opening area in square inches to the interior volume of
the tray in cubic inches of from about 1:140 to about 1:40.
[0011] In accordance with still another aspect of the present
invention, the sidewall structure comprises first and second end
walls and first and second sidewalls, wherein the at least one
sidewall opening is present in each of said first and second
sidewalls.
[0012] Additionally, the apparatus may include a plurality of
spaced apart sidewall openings in each of said first and second
sidewalls.
[0013] In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, the apparatus includes structure for effectively
adjusting the size of at least one of the openings of the sidewall
structure by partially or completely covering them.
[0014] In accordance with still another aspect of the present
invention, the apparatus includes a slide member that is adjacent
the sidewall structure and is mounted to the tray for sliding
movement to selectively cover at least a portion of one opening in
the sidewall structure. Preferably, the slide member simultaneously
adjusts all the openings in the sidewall structure and selectively
can cover the openings in an amount ranging from 0% to 100%.
[0015] In accordance with still another aspect of the present
invention, the apparatus includes a choke member for effectively
adjusting the size of an opening of a sidewall structure by
covering all or a portion of the opening.
[0016] In accordance with still another aspect of the present
invention, the apparatus includes a locking mechanism for
selectively locking the choke member in at least one position
relative to a sidewall opening.
[0017] Additionally, the apparatus includes a position indicator
for indicating the position of the choke member relative to an
opening. Preferably, the indicator includes indicia indicating a
recommended setting of the choke member based on the food type held
in the apparatus.
[0018] In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, the apparatus holds previously cooked food portions at
an elevated temperature and includes at least one heated doorless
compartment for holding the food portions. The compartment has an
upper compartment surface. The apparatus has a cabinet defining a
volume for housing said at least one compartment therein. The
cabinet includes at least one opening for inserting and removing
the previously cooked food portions into and out of the
compartment. The apparatus also includes at least one tray that has
tray interior space having a volume for containing the previously
cooked food portions. The tray is placeable into the compartment.
The tray has an enclosed bottom and a sidewall structure that
defines, in conjunction with the bottom, an interior volume for
containing the previously cooked food portions. At least one
sidewall opening is provided through the sidewall structure of the
tray to provide an air passageway therethrough for venting the
interior volume of the tray. The tray is oriented and supported in
the compartment so that the bottom of the tray is substantially
horizontal, with the top edge of the tray being spaced from the
upper compartment surface.
[0019] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a method of storing previously cooked food is provided. The method
includes placing the cooked food in a tray to at least partially
fill the volume of the tray. The tray has a volume, a top edge that
defines an open top, and an upwardly extending sidewall structure.
The sidewall structure has one or more openings. The tray is placed
and stored with the cooked food therein in a heated compartment to
maintain the temperature of the food in a desired elevated
temperature range. The interior of the tray is vented through the
opening in the sidewall structure of the tray during the storage of
the tray and cooked food contained therein in the compartment.
[0020] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a method of storing previously cooked food is provided. The method
includes placing the cooked food in a tray to at least partially
fill the volume of the tray. The tray has a volume, a top edge that
defines an open top, and an upwardly extending sidewall structure.
The sidewall structure has one or more openings extending
therethrough. The tray is placed and stored with the cooked food
therein in a heated compartment to maintain the temperature of the
food in a desired elevated temperature range. The interior of the
tray is vented through the opening in the sidewall structure of the
tray during the storage of the tray and cooked food contained
therein in the compartment. Each of the at least one sidewall
openings has a cross-sectional area and the total cross-sectional
area of the sidewall openings consists of the sum of the cross
sectional areas of all of the one or more openings in the sidewall
structure of the tray. The method additionally includes providing
the tray with a ratio of the total cross-sectional sidewall opening
area in square inches to the interior volume of the tray in cubic
inches of from about 1:2100 to about 1:13.
[0021] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a method of storing previously cooked food is provided. The method
includes placing the cooked food in a tray to at least partially
fill the volume of the tray. The tray has a volume, a top edge that
defines an open top, and an upwardly extending sidewall structure.
The sidewall structure has one or more openings extending
therethrough. The tray is placed and stored with the cooked food
therein in a heated compartment to maintain the temperature of the
food in a desired elevated temperature range. The interior of the
tray is vented through the opening in the sidewall structure of the
tray during the storage of the tray and cooked food contained
therein in the compartment. Each of the at least one sidewall
openings has a cross-sectional area and the total cross-sectional
area of the sidewall openings consists of the sum of the cross
sectional areas of all of the one or more openings in the sidewall
structure of the tray. The amount of the cooked food to be placed
in the tray may be determined by the weight of the food. The tray
typically has a ratio of the total cross-sectional sidewall opening
area in square inches to the weight of the food placed in the tray
in pounds of from about 1:30 to about 1:0.2. Preferably, this ratio
is from about 1:5 to about 1:0.7 and more preferably about
1:1.35.
[0022] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a method of handling cooked food to be incorporated into a sandwich
in a restaurant is provided. The method comprises placing the
cooked food in a tray having an open top, an enclosed bottom and a
sidewall structure that defines, in conjunction with the bottom, an
interior volume for the tray for containing the previously cooked
food portions. The tray has at least one sidewall opening in the
sidewall structure of the tray for providing an air passageway
therethrough for venting the interior volume of the tray. The tray
is placed and stored for a desired period of time with the cooked
food therein in a heated compartment. The heated compartment has an
upper surface to maintain the temperature of the cooked food in a
desired elevated storage temperature range. The tray is maintained
during storage so that the top edge of the tray is in the range of
between about zero and 0.09 inches below the upper surface to
restrict water vapor from evaporating from the cooked food during
storage from the open top of the tray while in the compartment. The
interior of the tray is vented through openings in the sidewall
structure during the storage of the tray. Thereafter, the cooked
food is removed from the tray when needed for assembly into a
sandwich.
[0023] Other advantages and features of the invention will become
apparent from the following description and from reference to the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a food tray
apparatus including a food tray and a mounted slide member in
accordance with the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the food tray
apparatus showing the food tray and slide member of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the food tray of FIG. 1
that is used alone in one aspect of the present invention and used
in conjunction with a slide member in other aspects of the present
invention;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the food tray and slide
member of FIG. 1;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation view illustrating an
embodiment of the present invention having an alternative slide
member for mounting to a side of the tray;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation view illustrating
another aspect of the present invention including a gauge for
indicating the position of the slide bar and showing the gauge
indicating the slide member is at the 1/2 opened position for the
openings in the sidewall structure of the tray;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation view illustrating
another aspect of the invention including a sticker adhered to the
tray body for showing recommended sidewall passageway settings for
particular food types that may be stored in the tray;
[0031] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating another aspect of
the present invention having an alternative slide member that is
used to adjust the size of sidewall openings on a side of the
tray;
[0032] FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the aspect of the tray
apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 8;
[0033] FIG. 10 is an end view of the tray apparatus shown in FIG.
8;
[0034] FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the tray of the present
invention;
[0035] FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the food tray apparatus along
line 12-12 of FIG. 9 showing a slide member mounted on the tray in
accordance with one aspect of the invention;
[0036] FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of the food tray
apparatus along line 13-13 of FIG. 9 showing a slide member when
locked in a selected position by a detent on the tray cooperating
with a recess of the slide;
[0037] FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the tray
apparatus with the slide member moved to a fully opened position
with the slide bar apertures fully aligned with the sidewall
openings;
[0038] FIG. 15 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the tray
apparatus with the slide member moved to a partially opened
position with the slide bar apertures partially aligned with the
sidewall openings;
[0039] FIG. 16 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the tray
apparatus with the slide member moved to a fully closed position
with the slide bar apertures unaligned with the sidewall
openings;
[0040] FIG. 17 is a side elevation view illustrating another aspect
of the present invention having another alternative slide member
including regions that are moveable to choke the sidewall openings
to adjust the size of the sidewall openings on a side of the
tray;
[0041] FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the tray
apparatus of FIG. 17, showing that the alternative slide members
are mounted to both sides of the tray;
[0042] FIG. 19 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a
tray apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present
invention containing a food product and being placed into a
compartment of a food staging device that is holding other food
containing trays in the compartment; and
[0043] FIG. 20 is a side sectional view along the line 20-20 of
FIG. 19 showing food trays positioned in pass-through compartments
of the food staging device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0044] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many
different forms, there are shown in the drawings and described in
detail herein, several specific embodiments with the understanding
that the present disclosure is to be considered as exemplifications
of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the
invention to the embodiments illustrated.
[0045] Referring to the figures generally, and as best seen in the
upper portion of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a food tray 10 according to the
present invention is shown generally as having a tray body 12 and
optional movable stop members 14a,b. Tray body 12 includes a first
tray end 16, a second tray end 18, a bottom 20, and a sidewall
structure 22. Sidewall structure 22 includes a first end 24 and a
second end 26, and a first side 30 and a second side 32 extending
between ends 24 and 26. Bottom 20 and sidewall structure 22 define
an interior space or volume 28 within tray body 12 wherein food
items can be placed and held. Tray 10 is preferably integrally
formed from plastic, such as polycarbonate having a low heat
capacity for ease of handling by a person, but alternatively may be
formed from any other suitable food-safe material.
[0046] Typically, tray body 12 also includes a first longitudinal
extent 34 depending from first end 16 which defines a handle 36a
for tray body 12, and a second longitudinal extent 38 depending
from second end 18. Second longitudinal extent 38 may also define a
handle 36b for tray body 12. Preferably, first longitudinal extent
34 and second longitudinal extent 38 are each generally
horizontally disposed on tray body 12, such that food tray 10 can
be easily maneuvered in and out of a compartment having
substantially planar upper and bottom surfaces, as will be
discussed in greater detail below. Additionally, food tray 10
typically includes a lip 42 which extends substantially around the
entire periphery of tray body 12, including first longitudinal
extent 34 and second longitudinal extent 38. Each of handles 36a,b
preferably include depressed peripheral areas 44a,b, respectively,
which define gripping portions 46a,b, respectively. As shown in
FIG. 11, each of handles 36a,b preferably includes two depressed
areas 44a,b which define gripping portions 46a,b, respectively.
[0047] Sidewall structure 22 also has one or more openings 50a-f.
Each of openings 50 provides a venting passageway 52 between tray
interior space 28 and the exterior atmosphere 56 of tray 10.
Typically, one to five openings 50 are located in each of first
side 30 and second side 32 of sidewall structure 22. As illustrated
in the figures, three openings 50 are positioned in a spaced
relationship along the length of each of sides 30, 32. By spacing
openings 50 along the sides 30, 32, various regions within interior
space 28 are all relatively proximate to one of openings 50.
Additionally, each of openings 50 preferably is of approximately
the same size, and the same number of openings 50 appears on each
of sides 30, 32. This arrangement provides relatively uniform
venting for all regions of interior space 28. Thus, the below
described advantages resulting from venting through openings 50 are
relatively uniformly provided for all food stored in tray 10,
regardless of the location in tray 10 at which the food is placed.
Typically, openings 50 are circular in shape and have about the
same diameter. Preferably, this diameter is in range of about 5/16
inch to about 11/4 (5/4) inches, to provide a total cross-sectional
opening area in the range of about 0.3 square inches to about 4.9
square inches for each opening 50. As an alternative, openings 50
may be of a non-circular shape, preferably the cross-sectional area
of each of such openings is also in about the same range of about
0.3 square inches to about 4.9 square inches. Openings 50 are
preferably also spaced upwardly from tray bottom 20 so that any
juices that may escape from food contained within tray 10 do not
leak out of an opening 50. Openings 50 are also positioned
downwardly from the top surface 54 of tray 10 to maintain
structural integrity of tray body 12. The openings can be in any
desired configuration, including as a slit opening extending along
the length or a portion of the length of the tray sidewall.
[0048] In a typical quick service restaurant, cooked food items,
such as hamburger patties, are placed in a tray and then stored in
a food holding heated storage device until used to make sandwiches.
Typically, an open top tray is desired to allow convenient removal
of a hamburger patty to meet the speed demands of a quick service
restaurant. During storage, the cooked food tends to progressively
lose desired juice and taste properties as the atmosphere of
interior 28 is vented out the open top 58 of the tray. Known
approaches to reduce the rate of the loss of juice and taste
properties of the food product have included limiting the amount of
venting of tray interior volume 28, in particular venting from the
open top 58 of the tray. As discussed later in greater detail, it
was now unexpectedly found that a limited amount of venting through
sidewall structure 22 in accordance with the present invention does
not increase the rate of loss of desired food quality, but instead
acts to maintain superior taste quality for food held in tray 10
for extended periods of time, such as about 60 minutes or more for
cooked hamburger patties, for example, stored at 160.degree. F.
[0049] More specifically, the desired food quality retention can be
accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing
sidewall openings 50 that have a total cross-sectional area (i.e.
the sum of the total cross-sectional area of all sidewall openings
50) that is selected in relationship to (i) the volume of interior
space 28, (ii) the inner surface area of sidewall structure 22
and/or (iii) the weight of the food that is maintained in tray
10.
[0050] In regard to the relationship to the volume of interior
space 28, preferably the ratio of the total cross-sectional area of
openings 50 in square inches to the volume of interior space 28 in
cubic inches will be in the range of from about 1:2100 to about
1:13; more preferably the ratio is in the range of from about 1:140
to about 1:40; and most preferably the ratio is about 1:90. In
regard to the relationship to the cross-sectional area of the inner
surfaces of sidewall structure 22, the ratio of the total
cross-sectional area of openings 50 to the surface area of sidewall
structure 22 preferably are in the range of about 1:120 to 1:7,
more preferably the ratio will be in the range of about 1:80 to
about 1:20; and most preferably the ratio is about 1:50. The
surface area of sidewall structure 22 for the above ratio is the
inner surface area of sidewall structure 22, i.e., the sum of the
areas of inner surfaces 60 and 62 of ends 24, 26, respectively, and
inner surfaces 66, 68 of sides 30, 32, respectively. In regard to
the relationship to the weight of food such as meat held in tray
10, the ratio of the total cross-sectional area of openings 50 in
square inches to the weight of the food held in tray 10 in pounds,
preferably will be in the range of about 1:30 to about 1:0.2, more
preferably the ratio will be in the range of about 1:1.85 to about
1:0.5, and most preferably the ratio is about 1:1.35.
[0051] In another aspect of the present invention food tray
apparatus 10 is modified to allow adjustment of the amount of
venting through sidewall structure 22. FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 10
illustrate a choke or slide member 70 mounted to tray 10 for
reciprocal back-and-forth movement relative to tray 10, to thereby
allow adjustment of the amount of air flow through openings 50.
Slide member 70 may be formed of a unitary construction and may be
molded of the same plastic or other food-safe material that is used
to form tray 10. Alternatively, slide member 70 may be formed in
two or more parts that are securely joined together.
[0052] Slide member 70 has a first end 72, a second end 74, a first
side 76 and a second side 78 that together provide an inner
perimeter surface 80 which defines a mounting opening 84. Mounting
opening 84 is configured and sized to correspond to the upper
portion of outer perimeter surfaces 94 of tray 10 along which slide
member 70 is slideably mounted. Mounting opening 84 is made
somewhat longer than the length of sidewall structure sides 30, 32
to provide clearance space for longitudinal movement relative to
tray 10.
[0053] To mount slide member 70 to tray 10, slide member sides 76,
78 are manually spread apart to temporarily provide clearance over
slide supports 82. Slide supports 82 may be integrally formed with
sidewall structure sides 30, 32, respectively, and outwardly
protrude from sides 30, 32, respectively. Slide 70 is inserted over
the sidewall structure 22 of tray body 12, until the top surface 86
of slide 70 abuts against the bottom surfaces of extents 34, 38 and
with slide sides 76, 78 having cleared supports 82. Slide member
sides 76 and 78 are then released from their spread-apart position
to slideably secure slide member 70 on tray body 12. In addition to
securing slide member 70, supports 82 act as guides along which
slide member 70 can slide. Tray lip 42 may also include a
downwardly extending flange 88 to direct slide member 70 into
proper alignment during mounting, and to additionally guide slide
member 70 as it is longitudinally slid relative to tray body 12
during operation of tray 10.
[0054] A mounted slide member 70 has a variable clearance gap 90
between inner perimeter 80 of slide member 70 and sidewall
structure end 24, 26 to allow slide member 70 to be moved
longitudinally along tray body 12. In FIG. 4 slide member 70 is
shown having been moved to the rightward end of its stroke with
clearance gap 90 provided between inner slide surface 80 at slide
end 74 and the outer surface 94 at second end 26 of sidewall
structure 22. As slide member 70 is moved in the opposite direction
of its stroke, the size of gap 90 is progressively reduced to zero.
Typically, slide member 70 is moved by pushing or pulling on
handles 92a,b of slide member 70.
[0055] Slide member 70 has apertures 96a-f through slide member
sides 76 and 78. As slide member 70 is moved back and forth through
its stroke, the position of apertures 96a-f relative to sidewall
structure openings 50a-f, respectively, is changed to thereby
adjust the amount of venting of tray interior space 28 through
sidewall openings 50. FIGS. 14-16 illustrate the relative
positioning of openings 50 and apertures 96 for three of the
plurality of positions to which slide member 70 may be moved. In
FIG. 14, slide member 70 has been moved to a position where
apertures 96a-c are substantially fully aligned with openings
50-a-c. The fully opened position shown in FIG. 14 provides a
maximum effective opening for passageways 100 that vent interior
space 28 to exterior atmosphere 56 of tray 10. FIG. 15 shows slide
member 70 moved to a partially closed/partially opened position. In
this position, regions 102a-c of the surface of slide member 70
have been repositioned to overlie openings 50a-c, respectively, to
thereby partially choke off the effective cross-sectional area of
passageways 100a-c. FIG.16 illustrates slide member 70 after
movement to a substantially fully closed position, where regions
102a-c of slide member 70 overlie openings 50a-c so as to block and
substantially seal openings 50a-c.
[0056] Preferably, slide member 70 provides a simultaneous and
equivalent size adjustment of all passageways 100, including both
passageways 100a-c on one side of tray 10 and passageways 100d-f on
the other side of tray 10. This can be accomplished by locating
openings 50 and apertures 96 in an arrangement such that when slide
member 70 is mounted to tray body 12, openings 50 and apertures 96
are spaced a like distance apart. Stated another way, the locations
for the center points of openings 50a-f and the center points of
apertures 96a-f are chosen so as to provide for a substantially
equal distance between the respective center points of openings
50a-f and apertures 96a-f when slide member 70 has been mounted to
tray 10. This arrangement allows all of passageways 100a-f to be
simultaneously fully closed, fully opened, or variably opened the
same percentage amount as slide member 70 is moved through its
stroke.
[0057] Openings 50 and apertures 96 are preferably also arranged to
provide convenient positioning of slide 70. In this arrangement,
passageways 100 are caused to be in the fully opened position when
the stroke of slide member 70 is terminated in a first direction,
and providing for a fully closed position for passageways 100 when
the stroke of slide member 70 is terminated during movement in the
opposite direction. Stated another way, when slide member 70 is
moved to a position where slide member first end 72 abuts tray
sidewall structure first end 24 to terminate further movement in
that direction, openings 50a-f and apertures 96a-f are fully
aligned and passageways 100a-f are fully opened. When slide member
70 is moved the full extent in the opposite direction to a point
where second slide end 74 abuts tray sidewall structure second end
26, openings 50a-f and apertures 96a-f are fully unaligned, i.e.,
slide member 70 is at the fully choked position, substantially
closing off venting through openings 50a-f. Such arrangement allows
a user to reliably and quickly move slide member 70 to fully opened
or fully closed positions without closely inspecting the alignment
of slide member apertures 96 relative to openings 50.
Alternatively, the movement of the stroke of slide member 70 may be
terminated by having slide member 70 contact other points on tray
10. For example, as can be appreciated by viewing FIG. 4, slide
member handle 92a can abut against a stop such as the surface 98a
that forms depressed area 44 to end the stroke of slide member 70
in one direction, with the stroke of slide member 70 being
terminated in the other direction when slide member handle 92b
abuts the surface 98b that forms depressed area 44.
[0058] As best appreciated by viewing FIGS. 3 and 10, sidewall
structure 22 has an upper portion 104 that has an outwardly
projecting rim 106 having an outer surface 108 with a radiused
bottom edge 110. Slide member 70 has an inwardly depending radiused
flange 112 having an inner surface that slideably mates with
radiused bottom edge 110 of rim 106. The mating of rim bottom edge
110 and flange 112 helps prevent foreign particles from entering
between slide member 70 and rim 106. Such entrance of foreign
particles is undesirable because it could interfere with the
sliding motion of slide member 70, or allow foreign particles to
find their way into interior space 28 of tray 10 via openings
50.
[0059] Another aspect of the present invention is best seen in FIG.
6, wherein the tray 10 body includes a passageway opening gauge 118
for use in setting the size of passageway openings 100 and to
indicate position of slide member 70 relative to openings 50. Gauge
118 includes a mark or line 120 on slide member 70, and a plurality
of spaced apart calibrated marks or lines 122a-c on tray body 12.
When line 120 is vertically aligned with line 122b, slide member 70
has been moved to a predetermined partially opened condition for
passageways 100, for example one-half open. When line 120 is
vertically aligned with line 122a, slide member 70 has been
positioned so that passageways 100 are fully closed. Vertical
alignment of line 120 and line 122c indicates that slide member 70
has been positioned to the fully opened position for passageways
100.
[0060] Lines 120 and 122a-c may be integrally formed in tray body
12 and slide member 70, respectively, such as in the form of a
ridge or groove, or may be provided in other manners, such as lines
printed onto the surfaces of tray body 12 and slide member 70.
Indicia 124 may also be provided to indicate the extent passageways
100 are open or closed, such as indicia adjacent lines 122a-c with
a notation of "closed," "1/2," and "opened," respectively.
Additional calibrated lines 122 may also be provided, if desired,
to indicate additional settings for passageways 100, i.e., 1/4
opened, 3/4 opened, etc.
[0061] In a further aspect of the invention, tray 10 is provided
with a mechanism 126 to secure slide member 70 at a selected
position. As best seen by viewing FIGS. 13, 3 and 4, tray body 12
is provided with an outwardly projecting detent or lug 130, while
inner surface 80 of first side 30 of sliding member 70 has three
spaced apart indents or recesses 132a-c. As slide member 70 is
moved to a fully opened position for passageways 100, lug 130 moves
into recess 132a. In this position, lug 130 cooperates with recess
132a to secure slide member 70 at the fully opened position. This
engagement prevents slide member 70 from inadvertently being moved
away from the selected fully opened position during the handling of
tray 10. Pushing on handles 92a or 92b with a moderate force,
however, causes lug 130 to disengage from recess 132a to allow
slide member 70 to be selectively moved to the partially opened
position, or to the fully closed position, as desired. In the
partially opened position, slide member 70 is secured in position
by cooperation of lug 130 engaging recess 132b. When slide member
70 has been moved to the fully closed position, slide member 70 is
maintained in position by lug 130 engaging recess 132c. Tray 10 may
be provided with additional intermediate locking settings (not
shown) for passageways 100 by providing additional recesses 132
positioned between recesses 132a and 132c.
[0062] A recommended setting guide 136 may also be provided to
indicate recommended slide member positions based on food type to
be held in tray 10. As illustrated in FIG. 7, recommended setting
guide 136 may be in the form of a sticker adhered to tray body 12
or to slide member 70. Alternatively, recommended setting guide 136
may be molded integrally with tray body 12 and/or slide member 70.
Recommended setting guide 136 includes indicia 138 indicating one
or more food types, for example "HP" for hamburger patty and "CHK"
for chicken breasts. Also included are visually readable graphical
depictions 140 and 142 showing the recommended spacing of openings
50 relative to apertures 96 for a selected food type.
[0063] FIGS. 9 and 12 illustrate another aspect of the invention,
wherein rather than having a single slide member 70, tray 10 has
mounted thereto two separate slide members 146a and 146b. First
slide member 146a has spaced apart apertures 148a-c and is mounted
along first side 30 of tray sidewall structure 22 and is held in
place by and supported by support 82. In similar manner of
operation to that of slide member 70, slide member 146a is
slideably movable to adjust the position of apertures 148a-c
relative to openings 50a-c. Thus, slide member 146a may be
selectively positioned to open, close or variably adjust the
opening size of passageways 150a-c that vent interior space 28 of
tray 10 to tray exterior atmosphere 56. Slide member 146b is
positioned and supported on second side 32 of tray body 12 and
functions in a similar manner to that of slide member 146a to
provide adjustment of sidewall structure openings 50 on second side
32 of tray 10. As with slide member 70, alternative slide member
146 has a radiused bottom edge 152 having inner surface 154 that
slideably mates with radiused bottom edge 110 of rim 106. For use
in the case of slideable mounting slide member 146, tray 10
additionally includes an inwardly directed flange extension 156 to
flange 88. Flange extension 156 cooperates with an outwardly
directed top edge 158 on slide member 146 to slideably secure the
upper portion of slide member 146 to tray 10. Slide member 146 is
moved by pushing on ends 144 of slide member 146.
[0064] FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate another alternative to the use of
a single slide member 70 by the use of two separate slide members
160 and 162. Slide members 160, 162 each have an elongated
generally rectangular shaped body 166 that carries three generally
circular shaped choking region surfaces 164a-c and 164d-f,
respectively. Slide members 160 and 162 each also include a pair of
mounting members 168. Slide member 160 is slideably mounted along
first side 30 of tray sidewall structure 22. When mounted, the
bottom edge 170 of each mounting member 168 is slideably supported
along the top surface 172 of a support 174 integrally formed on
tray body 12. The top edge 176 of mounting member 168 is slideably
mounted under flange 88 that downwardly depends from lip 42. Slide
member 162 is mounted and supported in similar manner to second
side 32 of tray body 12. In operation, slide member 160 is
slideably movable to adjust the position of choking surfaces 164a-c
relative to openings 50a-c to fully close or variably adjust the
size of passageways 178a-c that vent interior space 28 of tray 10
to tray exterior atmosphere 56. Slide member 162 is slideable
independently of slide 160 to allow movement of choking region
surfaces 164d-f relative to opening 50d-f to adjust the effective
size of the passageways through openings 50d-f independently of
adjustment of passages 178a-c through openings 50a-c.
[0065] FIG. 5 illustrates a support 180 that can be used as an
alternative to supports 82 that are formed integrally with tray
body 12. Support 180 is a separate piece that can be formed of
metal or plastic and attached to tray body 12 by means such as
screws 182. When using support 180, slide member 70 is first
positioned on tray body 12. After positioning slide member 70,
support 180 is positioned on body 12 and screwed in place.
Thereafter, sliding member 70 is supported for slideable movement
along the upper edge 184 of support 180. One or more supports 180
may be used on each of sides 30, 32 of sidewall structure 22. One
or more separately attachable supports 180 may also be used as an
alternative means for supporting alternative sliding members 146,
160 or 162, rather than the use of supports 82 that are integrally
formed on tray body 12.
[0066] Tray 10 is particularly useful for holding cooked food in a
quick service restaurant application, where in order to meet the
often competing factors of quick service and consistent high
quality, it is advantageous for one individual to cook a relatively
substantial amount of food product in bulk and store the cooked
food product in food trays while another individual food preparer
transfers food from the trays to a sandwich bun or individual
portion sized container, for example, to fill customer orders.
Typical food products that are of most interest to have readily
available for food preparers include sandwich fillings such as
hamburger patties, breaded fish fillets, Canadian bacon, pork
sausage, eggs, and breaded chicken patties, as well as other
products, such as chicken nuggets, biscuits, muffins, and
hotcakes.
[0067] Because these prepared food products are not being served
immediately upon preparation, it is critical to store the food
products so as to optimally maintain the appearance, taste,
temperature and texture of the food products, as well as minimize
bacterial contamination of the stored food products.
[0068] After cooking food products in bulk they can be placed in a
tray 10 that is stored in a cabinet that preferably is maintained
at an elevated temperature until the food products are later
removed as needed to prepare individual orders. An exemplary food
staging device 200 with which tray 10 may be used is shown in FIGS.
19 and 20 and is of the type described in greater detail in, e.g.,
U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,447 to Ewald et al, and assigned to Restaurant
Technology Inc., the teachings of which are incorporated herein by
reference. Food staging device 200 includes a cabinet 202 with a
plurality of pass through doorless compartments 204 for receiving
trays 10 with a cooked food placed in volume 28 of tray 10, such as
hamburger patties 206. Each compartment is defined by a heated
bottom surface 210 and a heated top surface 212 which can be
independently heated to temperatures selected based on the type of
food held in trays 10.
[0069] When a product type is selected for a particular row and
column, the desired temperature set points are implemented for the
corresponding lower and upper heated surfaces 210 and 212,
respectively. For example, lower and upper surface temperatures in
the range of about 170.degree. F. and about 185.degree. F.,
respectively, are suitable for hamburger patties 206.
[0070] Preferably, each of trays 10a-i has a width smaller than the
width of compartments 204a-i to permit placing more than one tray
within a compartment, for example the three trays 10 in each
compartment 204 as is shown in FIG. 19. As shown in FIG. 20, each
of the trays has a length 214 that exceeds the depth 216 of
compartments 204a-i, so that optional stop members 14a-b can
cooperate with cabinet surfaces 218a-b, respectively, to reversibly
secure trays 10 within one of compartments 204, as explained in
detail in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0045943 to
Calzada et al., the teaching of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0071] Each of lower heated compartment surfaces 210 is flat and
substantially horizontal to provide uniform heat transfer to trays
10 and permit easy sliding of those trays along the surface of
lower heated compartment surfaces 210. Referring also to FIG. 3,
each of trays 10a-i has a height 220 defined by the distance
between the upper edge 222 of the sidewall structure 22 and the
lower edge 226 of sidewall structure 22 of trays 10a-i. Height 220
is chosen so that upper edge 222 of any of trays 10a-i is at a
predetermined distance 230 (shown in FIG. 20) from upper
compartment surfaces 212 when trays 10a-i are placed within
compartments 204a-i so that vapor transfer from open top 58 out of
the interior volume 28 of the trays is minimized, thereby also
minimizing the fluid loss of the cooked food portions stored
therein. This is important for cooked food stored in trays 10 such
as egg products, hamburger patties, grilled chicken, pork sausage
and Canadian bacon. Preferably for such food, the cooked food
portions fill more than about 5% and more preferably about 17-50%
or more of the volume 28 of trays 10 when stored in device 200.
Generally, with respect to vapor loss out of the open top of tray
10, minimal vapor transfer is achieved out of the interior of the
trays when distance 230 is in the range of 0-0.090 inches. Most
preferably, height 220 is chosen so that the distance 230 is
approximately 0.060 inches (0.125 inches for biscuits). Additional
details concerning distance 230 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,209,447.
[0072] The previously cooked food portions are held within
compartments 204a-i, preferably within trays 10a-i, until sold or
otherwise disposed of. Because compartments 204a-i are discrete,
with well-defined upper heated compartment surfaces 212 and
well-defined lower heated compartment surfaces 210, air currents
throughout cabinet 202, if any, are limited. In addition, air
currents within compartments 204a-i, if any, are limited because
both upper heated compartment surfaces 212 and lower heated
compartment surfaces 210 are heated, thereby reducing or
eliminating thermal incongruities within compartments 204a-i. By
restricting the air currents throughout cabinet 202 and within
compartments 204a-i, device 200 reduces the amount of moisture lost
out the top of tray 10 from the food portions held therein and thus
protects the appearance, taste, and texture of the food portions.
Evaporation of liquid from the food portions is further minimized
by choosing height 220 of trays 10a-i such that upper edges 222 of
trays 10a-i are at a small, predetermined distance 230, generally
preferably greater than 0 and less than about 0.090 inches and most
preferably 0.060 inches, from upper compartment surfaces 212 when
trays 10a-i are placed within compartments 204a-i.
[0073] Since minimizing vapor loss out the open top of the
container has been known to reduce fluid loss of the cooked food
product stored in a tray, it would be expected that any venting of
vapor out sidewall structure 22 should be avoided to reduce fluid
loss of the food product. It was discovered by this invention that
a controlled amount of venting through sidewall 22 provided an
unanticipated result not previously known or contemplated.
Surprisingly, sidewall structure venting of tray 10 in accordance
with the present invention did not result in an increased fluid
loss for food product held in tray 10. Rather, it was unexpectedly
found that a limited venting of tray volume 28 through openings 50
of sidewall structure 22 in accordance with the invention resulted
in a reduction of fluid loss from the food products and provided a
superior taste and texture for food products that are maintained in
tray 10 in a food staging device, such as exemplary device 200.
[0074] More specifically, a test was conducted to compare the
effect of limited sidewall structure venting for cooked hamburger
patties 206 held in food staging device 200. A first group of
cooked hamburger patties was placed in tray 10 having sidewall
structure openings 50, and the patties were stored for 25 minutes
in a heated compartment 204 of a food staging device 200. A second
group of cooked hamburger patties was placed in a tray otherwise
identical to food tray 10 except that it did not have any sidewall
openings. The tray holding the second group of hamburger patties
was stored for a shorter 15 minute period in a heated compartment
of a staging device 200 under approximately the same temperature
and conditions used to store the first group of hamburger patties.
The quality of the first group of hamburger patties was compared to
that of the second group of hamburger patties immediately after the
patties were withdrawn from storage in device 200. The hamburger
patties from the first group that had utilized sidewall venting
during storage exhibited noticeably less fluid lost and tasted
juicier than the second group of hamburger patties that did not
utilize sidewall venting. In addition, the two trays used to hold
the first and second groups of hamburger patties were inspected
after storing the hamburger patties. The second tray contained a
noticeable amount of fluids that had escaped from the second group
of hamburger patties during the 15 minutes they were stored without
sidewall structure venting. The first tray, in comparison to the
second tray, contained a considerably lesser amount of fluids that
had escaped from the first group of hamburger patties during the 25
minutes they had been stored in the tray providing sidewall
structure venting.
[0075] In addition to superior juice retention and taste, the
hamburger patties of the first group that were stored for 25
minutes with sidewall venting in accordance with the present
invention had a superior texture compared to the second group of
hamburger patties stored for only 15 minutes in a tray not
providing any sidewall venting. Moreover, hamburger patties of the
second group had a more rubbery texture that was not observed with
the first group of hamburger patties stored in accordance with the
invention.
[0076] It is not fully understood why the unexpected results of
superior taste, juice retention and texture are achieved through
use of the sidewall structure venting tray and method of the
present invention. One possible explanation may be that venting
through sidewall openings 50 reduces the amount of water vapor that
accumulates in tray volume 28 after escaping from the
previously-cooked hamburger patties. The decreased relative amount
of trapped water vapor could result in a decreased amount of heat
transferring capability for the heated tray volume 28 in which
hamburger patties are stored. This reduced amount of heat
transferring capability could, in turn, result in a reduction in
any continued cooking or stewing of hamburger patties 206, such as
that might take place in a non-sidewall structure vented tray that
has a higher heat transfer capability due to a higher relative
water vapor content in the atmosphere of the tray interior
volume.
[0077] While providing sidewall venting in accordance with the
invention provides superior food qualities, an excessive amount of
sidewall venting of tray volume 28 could result in a loss of the
achieved improved results. Therefore, in order to avoid excessive
venting through sidewall structure 22, tray 10 is provided with
openings 50 having a total cross sectional area for openings 50
that is selected as a ratio to the volume of the tray volume 28, a
ratio to the sidewall structure surface area, and/or a ratio to the
weight of food stored in tray 10.
[0078] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the ratio of
the total cross-sectional area of openings 50 in square inches to
the tray volume 28 in cubic inches, preferably will be in the range
of about 1:2100 to about 1:13, more preferably in the range of
about 1:140 to about 1:40, and most preferably about 1:90.
[0079] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
ratio of the total cross-sectional area of openings 50 to the
interior surface area of wall structure 22 preferably will be in
the range of about 1:1200 to about 1:7, more preferably in the
range of about 1:80 to about 1:20, and most preferably about
1:50.
[0080] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
ratio of the total cross-sectional area of openings 50 in square
inches to the weight of food stored in tray 10 in pounds,
preferably will be in the range of about 1:30 to about 1:0.2, more
preferably in the range of about 1:1.85 to about 1:0.5, and most
preferably about 1:1.35.
[0081] Regarding embodiments of the invention that include means to
adjust the size of venting passageways through sidewall structure
22, the aforesaid ratios apply to the total cross-sectional area of
the sidewall structure passages once such passageways are adjusted
for use in storing a food. Moreover, trays 10 having adjustable
passageways preferably will be adjustable to provide a total
cross-sectional area of the sidewall structure passageways that
includes the full range of the preferred ranges set forth
above.
[0082] In regard to a tray that has predetermined passageway
settings such as a setting "HP" for hamburger patties, such setting
may be set to provide a preferred ratio for the total
cross-sectional area to the typical weight of the food to be held
in the tray. For example, if the tray is typically used to hold ten
quarter-pound hamburger patties having total weight of about 2.5
pounds, the setting for "HP" would provide a total cross-sectional
area for sidewall passages 100 of about 3.375 square inches. Thus,
the preferred ratio of 1:1.35 square inches of effective venting
cross-sectional area for sidewall structure 22 would be achieved
for the 2.5 pounds of hamburger patties stored in the tray.
Likewise, graphical depiction 138 of the recommended positioning of
apertures 96 relative openings 50 may also be used to represent a
position that provides a total cross-sectional area of openings 50
that is about the most preferred ratio for the food type and weight
stored in tray 10.
[0083] During customary use, tray 10 will be moved along the
direction of its longitudinal axis as it is repeatedly and rapidly
inserted into and withdrawn from compartment 204, such as when tray
10 is quickly withdrawn to remove an individual hamburger patty to
prepare a hamburger, and then tray 10 is quickly reinserted into
compartment 204. Because of this, sidewall structure openings 50
are preferably included only in sidewall structure sides 30, 32 and
not in sidewall structure ends 24, 26. This arrangement prevents
excess sidewall venting during rapid movement along the
longitudinal direction, and also reduces heat buildup on grip
portions 46a 46b that are handled by a tray user.
[0084] In the case of a tray 10 that does not include means for
adjusting the size of passageways through openings 50, such as
slide member 70, certain features need not be provided for tray 10.
These include gauge 118, recommended setting guide 136, slide
member locking means 126, and other features useful for adjusting
the size of openings 50.
[0085] While the invention has been described with respect to
certain preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the
invention is capable of numerous changes, modifications, and
rearrangements without departing from the scope or spirit of the
invention as defined in the claims.
* * * * *