U.S. patent application number 14/154359 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-17 for apparatus for preserving cooked food palatability.
This patent application is currently assigned to Prince Castle, LLC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Prince Castle, LLC. Invention is credited to Brook Grisham, Phillip Grisham, Mary Morgan, Talbot Presley, Michael Rainone, Clint Thompson, Loren Veltrop.
Application Number | 20140197177 14/154359 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51164415 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140197177 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Veltrop; Loren ; et
al. |
July 17, 2014 |
Apparatus for Preserving Cooked Food Palatability
Abstract
An encapsulated environment is an air-circulation-restricted
volume, preferably just large enough to hold a single serving of a
cooked, protein containing food product. Restricting the air
circulation reduces the evaporation of gases and liquids that are
normally lost over time. The palatability of a cooked,
protein-containing food product is thus maintained by holding the
cooked product at a ready-to-eat temperature inside of an
encapsulated environment. The encapsulated environment is a
compartment configured to hold a single serving of a cooked,
protein-containing food product, the compartment being able to be
covered or at least partially closed by its use in combination with
a sleeve configured to receive a tray into which the compartment is
formed.
Inventors: |
Veltrop; Loren; (Chicago,
IL) ; Morgan; Mary; (New York, NY) ; Grisham;
Phillip; (Bullard, TX) ; Grisham; Brook;
(Palestine, TX) ; Rainone; Michael; (Palestine,
TX) ; Thompson; Clint; (Palestine, TX) ;
Presley; Talbot; (Palestine, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Prince Castle, LLC |
Carol Stream |
IL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Prince Castle, LLC.
Carol Stream
IL
|
Family ID: |
51164415 |
Appl. No.: |
14/154359 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61753051 |
Jan 16, 2013 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/573.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24C 15/16 20130101;
A47J 47/14 20130101; A47J 39/006 20130101; A47J 47/08 20130101;
F24C 15/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/573.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/34 20060101
B65D081/34 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for preserving palatability of a cooked food
product comprised of a plurality of food components, the apparatus
comprising: a tray comprised of a compartment configured to hold a
single serving of a cooked, protein-containing food product, the
tray being configured to be able to form an encapsulated
environment for the single component of an individual serving.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single serving is a
cooked, protein-containing food product having a weight between
about four ounces and about twelve ounces.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tray is comprised of a
plurality of compartments and wherein at least one compartment is
comprised of a depression formed in a top surface of the tray.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one compartment is a
disc-shapeed void extending downwardly from a substantially planar
top surface of the tray, the disc-shaped void having a bottom and
being configured to receive one substantially disc-shaped patty
therein, the disc-shaped void defining a substantially vertical
side wall extending upward from the bottom of the disc-shaped void
to the top surface of the tray.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the bottom is substantially
planar.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising at least one
channel through the vertical side wall and extending away from the
disc-shaped void.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tray handle
extending laterally from an edge of the tray.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising rails, the side
rails comprising surfaces on which the tray can slide into and out
of a mating sleeve.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
thermally-conductive sleeve having at least one rectangular-shaped
opening configured to receive at least one tray.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sleeve is configured to
receive a plurality of trays, a first tray stacked directly on top
of a second tray, both trays being fit inside the sleeve.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sleeve is comprised of a
plurality of sub-sleeves, each sub-sleeve being substantially
parallelepiped-shaped and configured to receive a single tray
therein.
12. An apparatus for preserving palatability of a single or
individual serving of cooked, protein-containing food product
having a predetermined shape, the apparatus comprising: a sleeve
configured to fit inside a compartment of a food holding cabinet,
the sleeve comprising an open interior; and a tray comprised of a
food holding compartment having a predetermined shape substantially
similar to the predetermined shape of the food product, the tray
and sleeve being configured to provide an encapsulated environment
for a single serving of cooked protein-containing food products
held in the compartment.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the food holding compartment
is sized and shaped to hold a single component of a menu item.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the tray is comprised of a
planar bottom.
15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sleeve is comprised of a
plurality of stacked sub-sleeves, each sub-sleeve, each sub-sleeve
being configured to receive one, correspondingly-sized tray.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sleeve is configured to
receive a plurality of said trays, a first tray being stacked on
top of a second tray, the food holding compartments in the first
and second trays forming encapsulated environments.
17. The apparatus of claim 12, where the sleeve further comprises a
clip configured to hold the sleeve inside a food holding cabinet
when a tray is placed into and removed from a sub-sleeve of the
sleeve assembly.
18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sub-sleeves comprise a
planar top panel and first and second planar and opposing side
panels and at least one substantially horizontal planar bottom
panel extending between the side panels, the side panels of the
sleeve having a first height, the tray having a sidewall with a
second height, the first height and second height being selected to
provide a substantially zero clearance between them.
19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tray has a food holding
compartment having a depth great enough to receive the entire
volume of a single serving of a cooked, protein-containing food
product such that a single serving of a cooked, protein-containing
food product placed in a compartment will not contact the top panel
of the sleeve when the tray is on the shelf and slid into and out
of a sub-sleeve comprising the sleeve assembly.
20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each sub-sleeve is provided
with a tray having a handle, wherein handles of the trays are
offset laterally relative to each other.
21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the food holding compartment
is a disc-shaped void in a substantially planar top surface of the
tray, the disc-shaped void being configured to receive one
disc-shaped patty therein.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the disc-shaped void is
configured to receive a plurality of disc-shaped patties
therein.
23. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one
patty-removal channel through the vertical side wall and extending
away from the disc-shaped void.
24. An apparatus for preserving food palatability comprising: a
food holding cabinet; a sleeve assembly inside the food holding
cabinet; and a tray inside the sleeve assembly, the tray being
comprised of a food holding compartment having a predetermined
depth and a predetermined interior shape that is similar to but
greater than a single-serving of a cooked, protein-containing food
product, the food holding compartment and sleeve forming an
encapsulated environment for a single servings of cooked
protein-containing food products held in the compartment.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The content of co-pending patent application Ser. No.
13/326,667 filed on Dec. 15, 2011, and which is entitled,
"Apparatus for Preserving Cooked Food Palatability," is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The content of
co-pending patent application Ser. No. 13/326,607 filed on Dec. 15,
2011, and which is entitled, "Method of Extending the Time During
Which Pre-Cooked Foods Are Kept Palatable" is also incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Many fast-food restaurants prepare food items before they
are actually ordered and keep them warm until they are ordered by a
customer. A pre-cooked, i.e. a pre-prepared, food product can thus
be sold and served to the customer in significantly less time than
it takes to prepare each food item after it is ordered.
[0003] A problem with pre-cooked foods is that they lose their
taste or palatability over time. While taste or palatability is
subjective, empirical data shows that most people will dislike the
taste of a hamburger after it has been "held" or kept in a warming
tray for more than about 15 minutes. Fast-food restaurant operators
therefore keep pre-cooked foods warm and ready to serve for only a
relatively short period of time, typically fifteen to twenty
minutes. When that time has elapsed, the pre-cooked food product is
disposed of. Extending the holding time of a pre-cooked food
product is therefore contrary to the common and accepted practice
of fast-food restaurant operators. Nevertheless, a method and
apparatus for extending or preserving the palatability of a cooed
food product would be an improvement over the prior art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a depiction of a single hamburger;
[0005] FIG. 2 shows a double hamburger;
[0006] FIG. 3 shows a single serving of barbecue ribs;
[0007] FIG. 4 shows an illustration of a chicken sandwich;
[0008] FIG. 5 shows a serving of cooked chicken pieces,
[0009] FIG. 6 shows a piece of cooked fish;
[0010] FIG. 7 shows two single servings of cooked egg;
[0011] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a tray;
[0012] FIG. 9A is a side view of the tray shown in FIG. 8;
[0013] FIG. 9B is a bottom view of an alternate embodiment of the
tray shown in FIG. 8;
[0014] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a tray configured with
compartments, which are sized to provide encapsulated environments
to single servings of chicken pieces;
[0015] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a tray configured with
compartments, which are sized to provide encapsulated environments
to single servings of chicken pieces used to make chicken
sandwiches;
[0016] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a tray configured with a
single compartment sized to provide an encapsulated environment for
a piece of cooked fish;
[0017] FIG. 13 shows two trays, one stacked directly on top of
another.
[0018] FIG. 14 shows the two trays of FIG. 13, inside a sleeve;
[0019] FIG. 15 is a cross section of the sleeve and trays shown in
FIG. 14 and showing one of the trays stacked directly on the other
tray;
[0020] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a sleeve assembly with a
tray in each sub-sleeve;
[0021] FIG. 17A is a sectional view of the sleeve assembly, taken
through section lines 17-17 in FIG. 16;
[0022] FIG. 17B is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment of
the sleeve assembly, taken through section lines 17-17 in FIG. 16
and showing sub-sleeves with different heights;
[0023] FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B are perspective views of two different
types of sub-sleeves comprising the sleeve assembly shown in FIG.
16;
[0024] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a food holding cabinet
holding a sleeve assembly, which holds trays;
[0025] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a holding cabinet holding a
plurality of different sized sleeves and trays;
[0026] FIG. 21 is an isolated view of the sleeve and trays shown in
FIG. 19;
[0027] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of
a tray providing an encapsulated environment; and
[0028] FIG. 23 is a cross section of the tray shown in FIG. 22.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] As used herein, the term "encapsulated environment" refers
to a device having an enclosed volume sufficient to enclose at
least a single portion or single serving of a cooked
protein-containing food product that a restaurant or food service
would serve as a distinct menu item or as a constituent of a
distinct menu item, and including a headspace of a sufficient size
and volume to enable the retention of compositions including gases,
released from a cooked protein-containing food product over time.
Stated another way, an encapsulated environment holds one and only
one, single portion/single serving of a cooked protein-containing
food product that a restaurant or food service would serve as a
distinct menu item or as a constituent of a distinct menu item, and
including a headspace of a sufficient size and volume to enable the
retention of compositions including gases, released from a single
serving of a cooked protein-containing food product over time.
[0030] As used herein, the term, "protein-containing food product"
means the proteins that are included very lean proteins, lean
proteins and medium-fat proteins, as defined by the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The NHLBI is part of the National
Institutes of Health or NIH. NIH is of course part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. (U.S. Dept. of H.H.S).
Definitions fir very lean proteins, lean proteins and medium-fat
proteins are also available on line at the URL;
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/fd_exch.htm.
Protein-containing food products include foods from animals such as
beef, lamb and pork and their by-products as well as poultry and
fish. The term, "protein-containing food products" excludes
starches, fats, fruits, vegetables and fat-free and very low-fat
milk foods as defined by the NHLBI. A "serving size" is considered
herein to be measured by weight and is between about four ounces
and up to about twelve ounces.
[0031] As used herein, the term, "patty" refers to a relatively
small, flat cake made of chopped, ground, pressed or otherwise
processed food. At least thirty percent of a patty's weight should
be from proteins. The proteins can be very lean, lean or medium fat
proteins, as they are defined by the NHLBI, or a mixture or
combination thereof. A "patty" can thus be a mixture of ground
beef, pork, chicken, turkey or fish, with or without fillers. A
patty can be generally round or substantially disc-shaped but it
can also be substantially rectangular or substantially
triangular.
[0032] A single hamburger is an example of a menu item offered at
many fast food restaurants. As shown in FIG. 1, a single hamburger
100 typically comprises one, cooked patty 102 made around beef,
pork, chicken, turkey or other animal protein between the bottom or
heel section 104 of a bun and the crown section 106. As a menu
item, a single hamburger can also include various condiments and
"trimmings" examples of which include cheese 108, lettuce 110,
tomato 112, pickles, onion and various condiments and sauces
114.
[0033] For even single hamburgers made of only a patty and a bun,
the patty 102 itself is actually a component of the sandwich. As
used herein, the patty 102 of a single hamburger, is considered to
be a single serving of a cooked, protein-containing food product,
of a menu item, the menu item being a single hamburger, regardless
of the condiments and trimmings that might or might not accompany
the patty 102.
[0034] FIG. 2 shows a double hamburger 200, which is another
example of a menu item offered at many fast food restaurants. A
double hamburger typically comprises two cooked patties 102, 102
stacked one on top of the other, both of which are served between
the heel 104 and crown 106 of a bun.
[0035] Both patties 102 of a double hamburger 200 are considered
herein to be a component or components of menu item, namely a
double hamburger 200. The patties 102 of a double hamburger, at
least part of which are from animal proteins, are also considered
herein to be a single serving of cooked, protein-containing food
product of a menu item.
[0036] FIG. 3 shows a single serving of barbecue ribs 300, which is
another example of a single serving of a menu item, FIG. 4 shows an
illustration of a chicken sandwich 400. It is yet another example
of a menu item offered at many fast food restaurants. A chicken
sandwich comprises one or more pieces of cooked chicken 402, i.e.,
fried, grilled or baked. The cooked chicken is served between two
pieces of bread, examples of which include heel 104 and crown
portions 106 of a bun, with or without various "trimmings."
[0037] The one or more pieces of cooked chicken that make up a
chicken sandwich are actually components of a chicken sandwich. As
used herein, however, the one or more pieces of cooked chicken that
make up a chicken sandwich are considered to be a single serving of
a cooked, protein-containing food product of a menu, the menu item
being the chicken sandwich.
[0038] FIG. 5 shows a serving 500 of cooked chicken pieces 502.
FIG. 6 shows a piece of cooked fish 600. FIG. 7 show cooked eggs
702. Pieces of chicken 502, fish 600 and eggs 700 are other
examples of components of corresponding single servings of menu
items. Sausage added to a pizza or served as part of a sandwich is
also considered to be a component of a menu item that is also a
single serving of a cooked, protein-containing food product. Pieces
of chicken, pieces of cooked fish eggs and sausage are also
considered herein to be single servings of cooked,
protein-containing food products of corresponding menu items.
[0039] The terms, "portion" and "serving" are used
interchangeably.
[0040] As used herein, the term, "similar" means differing in size
or position but not substantially different in shape. Two shapes
are similar if one is larger than the other but they are otherwise
the same or substantially the same.
[0041] The term "shape" refers to the form and/or configuration of
a food product. A hamburger patty for example has a shape that is
similar to a disc. A strip of bacon has a shape similar to a
rectangle.
[0042] Shape also refers to the form and/or configuration of an
encapsulated environment for a food product. The shape of an
encapsulated environment and the volume it encloses relative to the
shape of a cooked food product is preferably similar to the shape
of the food product so that any excess size of an encapsulated
environment, i.e., the volume of the encapsulated environment in
excess of the food product volume, can be minimized. For example,
if the shape of a cooked food product is a disc and the cooked food
product volume is considered to be 100%, the shape and volume of
the encapsulated environment needed to enclose the food product is
preferably also a disc and needs to be at least 100% of the cooked
food product volume but the disc-shaped encapsulated environment
can be up to as much as 1000% (10X) the volume of the cooked food
product (ten-times its value) for reasons set forth below.
[0043] The term, "cooked" means food that has been prepared for
eating by means of heat. "Cooked" includes prepared for eating as
required by, or as recommended by one or more of the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and/or
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). By way of
example, the USDA on its web site (www.FSIS.USDA.GOV) recommends
that ground meat be cooked to an internal temperature of
160.degree. F. The terms, cooked and pre-cooked are used
interchangeably. A temperature of at least one-hundred forty
degrees CR) is generally considered to be a minimum holding
temperature for a cooked food product. Temperatures greater than
212.degree. F. will boil off water in a food product and accelerate
degradation.
[0044] No known entity specifies or mandates how long a food
product can be held at an elevated temperature and remain safe for
consumption. A common and established practice of fast-food
restaurants and food service institutions, however, is to discard
cooked food products after they have been in a holding cabinet for
more than fifteen to twenty minutes. Discarding food products is
known to be costly nevertheless, extending the holding time of a
cooked food product contradicts at least the common and established
practice of the fast-food restaurant and food service industries
generally.
[0045] The term "air tight" means that all or substantially all of
the compositions, water, protein degradation products, volatile
organic compounds, fats, including gases released from the cooked
food product, will remain in an encapsulated environment for at
least a non-zero length of time but not necessarily
indefinitely.
[0046] A characteristic of a semi-airtight enclosure is that it has
an interior pressure equal to the surrounding or ambient air
pressure. Another characteristic is that there can be air or gas
flow through a semi-airtight enclosure. As used herein, the term,
"semi-airtight" means that the compositions, water, protein
degradation products, fats, including gases released from the
cooked food product, will be reduced within the encapsulated
environment by some venting or escapement of air or gases from the
cooked food product that is held within the encapsulated
environment device. There is no pressure difference between the
interior of the device and the exterior of the device.
[0047] The terms, "palatable" and "palatability" mean the property
of being acceptable to the mouth or palate of individuals,
especially the palate of an individual for whom a food product was
prepared and cooked. Some individuals consider raw fish to be
palatable while other individuals to be unpalatable. Palatable and
palatability can thus include the perception and evaluation of
acceptable food.
[0048] The term, "organoleptic" means, pertaining to the sensory
properties of a particular food or chemical. Organoleptic quality
includes the typical sensory properties of a food: its taste,
appearance and color, aroma, size, firmness and sound when
consumed.
[0049] Prior art food holding pans and the food holding cabinets
they work with, such as the pans and food holding cabinets depicted
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,886, U.S. Pat. No. 7,905,173 do not and
cannot provide an encapsulated environment. Prior art pans and
holding cabinets are too large, i.e., they are able to hold
multiple portions of a cooked protein-containing food product.
Another reason is that prior art pans and ovens do not limit air
flow, i.e., the headspace in the prior art devices is not able to
retain compositions that escape from cooked, protein-containing
food products.
[0050] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a tray 800 having two
substantially disc-shaped compartments 802 and 804. FIG. 9A is a
side view of the tray 800. FIG. 913 is a view of the bottom of the
tray 800.
[0051] The tray 800 is configured to provide an encapsulated
environment for at least one patty placed in a compartment, albeit
when the compartments 802, 804 are covered or when the tray 800 is
placed inside a mating sleeve, not shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9A or
913, which covers the open top surface 806 of the tray 800 and the
compartments 802, 804 as well.
[0052] The tray 800 has a top surface 806, a bottom surface 808,
two opposing and parallel sides 810, 812, and two opposing and
parallel ends 814, 816. The front end 814 is provided with a tab
811 that provides or acts as a tray handle. The tab or tray handle
811 can be seen to extend laterally and away from the front end 814
of the tray 800 such that when the tray 800 is inserted into a
mating sleeve, the tab/handle 811 can be used to pull the tray out
of the sleeve.
[0053] Each compartment 802, 804 in the tray 800 shown in FIG. 8
and FIG. 9A is essentially a disc-shaped depression or void formed
into the top surface 806. Each compartment 802, 804 is sized and
shaped or "configured," to hold a single component portion of a
single serving of a cooked, protein-containing food product,
preferably also disc-shaped, which a restaurant or food service
would serve as a menu item or as a constituent of a menu item.
[0054] As FIG. 8 and FIG. 9A are drawn, the compartments 802 and
804 are sized and shaped to receive a single patty 820. The single
component portion of a single serving of a cooked,
protein-containing food product is thus preferably disc-shaped.
[0055] As stated above, a single patty 820 is an example of a
single component of a menu item, such as a hamburger or double
hamburger. For claim construction purposes, however, one or more
patties that might be fit into a patty-shaped compartment can also
be considered to be a single serving of a protein-containing food
product menu item, an example of which includes at least a single
hamburger.
[0056] The compartments 802, 804 are preferably sized to be just
large enough to fit a round patty, the size of which (thickness and
diameter) is a matter of choice. When the tray 800 is covered, such
as by insertion into a mating sleeve, the compartments, with a
patty inside them, are large enough to provide a headspace of a
size and volume that assists or aids retention of compositions
including gases, including liquids lost by evaporation, released
from the patty in the compartment, over time, the loss of which
degrades flavor.
[0057] The shapes of the compartments 802 and 804 are preferably
predetermined. "Predetermined" means the shapes of the compartments
are determined according to a known-in-advance size and shape of a
food product to be kept in the compartment. Compartments for other
foods having other shapes would be shaped similar to the shapes of
the various other foods. Since the compartments 802, 804 shown in
the figures are for patties 820, the compartments are essentially
cylindrical or "disc" shaped voids.
[0058] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a tray 1000 having multiple
compartments 1002, each of which has an open top but otherwise
sized and shaped to hold a single serving of cooked chicken pieces
500 that are a menu item, a serving 500 of course being a design
choice as to the size, weight and number of chicken pieces that
constitute the single serving.
[0059] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a tray 1100 having two
compartments 1102, each of which has an open top but otherwise
sized and shaped to hold a single serving of a cooked chicken
piece, such as the chicken piece 402 shown in FIG. 4, which is for
a single chicken sandwich, such as the chicken sandwich 400 shown
in FIG. 4.
[0060] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a tray 1200 having one
compartment 1202, which has an open top but otherwise sized and
shaped to hold a single serving of a menu item that is cooked fish
600.
[0061] A "serving" can be determined by weight or volume. However a
serving is determined, the volume of an encapsulating environment
compartment is preferably sized and/or shaped to be able to hold
only one serving with a head space preferably minimized at about
one hundred ten percent but up to about ten times the volume
occupied by a single serving.
[0062] Referring now to FIG. 8, the tray 800 and compartments 802,
804 depicted therein are illustrative of requirements of trays and
compartments, such as those shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, that are
sized and shaped to provide encapsulated environments for other
types of single servings of cooked, protein-containing foods, which
comprise components of other menu items.
[0063] In FIG. 8, each compartment 802, 804, has a diameter 818
that is preferably just slightly larger than the diameter 817 of a
round or substantially disc-shaped patty 820 to be held therein.
Each compartment 802, 804 has a substantially vertical sidewall
822, which extends between the bottom 824 of a compartment to the
top surface 806 of the tray 800. As best seen in FIG. 9A, the
height 825 of the sidewall 822 is just slightly greater than the
thickness of the patty 820. The bottom surfaces 813 of the sides
810, 812, best seen in FIG. 9A provide surfaces on which the tray
800 can be slid into and out of a mating sleeve. The sides 810, 812
of the tray can thus be considered as rails.
[0064] The bottom 813 of the tray 800 shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9A
acquires a shape during a molding process such that the bottom 813
is essentially a mirror image of the top 806. In an alternate
embodiment, however, which is depicted in FIG. 9B, the bottom
surface 813 of the tray 800 is formed to be flat and substantially
planar.
[0065] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, forming the bottom 813 of a
tray 800 to be flat and planar as shown in FIG. 9B allows the
bottom 813 of a first tray 800-1 to act as a cover for the open
compartments 802, 804 formed in the top 806 of a second tray 800-2.
When such trays are stacked as shown in FIG. 13, i.e., with the
flat bottom 813 of one tray 802-1 covering the top 806 of another
tray 802-2 as shown in FIG. 13, the flat bottom 813 of the first
tray 800-1 enables the compartments 802, 804 formed into the top
806 of the lower tray 802-2 to become encapsulated environments for
foods contained in the covered compartments. Stated another way, a
stacked assembly of trays can form an encapsulated environment, at
least for compartments of one tray that are covered by another
tray.
[0066] FIG. 14 shows the two stacked trays shown in FIG. 13
inserted into a sleeve 1400, which is sized and shaped to allow the
free insertion and removal of two stacked trays, 800-1 and 800-2.
The sleeve 1400 provides a cover for the open compartments 802, 804
of the top tray 802-1 permitting them to provide encapsulated
environments for foods kept therein. FIG. 15 shows the trays 800-1,
800-2 and sleeve 1400 of FIG. 14 through section lines 15-15.
[0067] FIG. 15 shows a relatively small air gap 1500 between the
left sides 810-1, 810-2 and right sides 812-1, 812-2 of the trays
800-1, 800-2 and the sidewalls 1404 of the sleeve. An air gap 1500
also exists between the top 806 of the top tray 802-1 and the top
1406 of the sleeve. Nevertheless, the total volume of the air gap
1500 around the sides and top is small enough to allow the
compartments 802-1 and 804-1 in the top tray 800-1 to become
encapsulated environments, which significantly extend the holding
time of foods place into the compartments.
[0068] Referring again to FIGS. 8 and 9A, the patty-shaped
compartments 802, 804 are preferably sized and shaped according to
specific requirements of a restaurant owner or food service
operator. If the compartments 802, 804 are sized to be much greater
than the overall size of cooked, patty-shaped food to be held
therein, the compartments 802, 804, when covered, will not provide
a limited headspace necessary to form an encapsulated environment.
If the compartments 802, 804 are sized to be smaller than a
patty-shaped food to be held therein, the compartments won't be
able to receive a patty without damaging it but such an undersized
compartment would be able to act as an encapsulated environment for
the portion of the patty-shaped food forced therein. Stated another
way, a compartments in a tray that is to provide an encapsulated
environment for a patty, is sized by diameter and depth in order to
provide a relatively close fit to a patty 820 offered by a
particular restaurant or food service without having to compress or
distort a patty-shaped food product therein. Compartments such as
those shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, are sized and shaped to be
similar to the single servings of cooked, protein-containing foods
for which an encapsulated environment is desired.
[0069] The tray 800 for a patty is preferably but optionally
provided with patty removal-enabling channels 828 formed into the
top surface 806 and through the sidewall 822. The channels 828 are
either notches or ramps that enable a patty 820 in a compartment
802, 804 to be grasped from the bottom and lifted out from the
close-fitting compartment without damaging the patty 820 by prying
it out of the compartment or without having to flip the tray 800
over.
[0070] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a sleeve assembly 1600.
FIG. 17A is a sectional view taken through section lines 17-17 in
FIG. 16.
[0071] The sleeve assembly 1600 as shown in FIG. 17A actually
comprises three individual sleeves 1602, 1604 and 1606, which are
also referred to herein as sub-sleeves, best seen in FIGS. 18A and
18B. As with the assemblies shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the sleeves
shown in FIGS. 16 and 17A are sized and shaped for placement into a
conventional food holding cabinet, such as the one shown in FIG.
19, and to thereby transfer heat between the food holding cabinet
and a food product inside a compartment 802, 804. The sub-sleeves
are thus preferably made of a metal, such as aluminum, because
metal conducts heat between than other materials, such as glass,
ceramic, paper and plastic.
[0072] Each sub-sleeve 1602, 1604, 1606 is sized and shaped to
receive or hold one tray 800 and thus provide an encapsulated
environment to a cooked, protein-containing food product, such as a
patty 820, when a food product is inside a compartment and the tray
800 is inserted into a sub-sleeve, at least far enough to have the
compartment holding the food product covered or enclosed within a
sub-sleeve 1602, 1604, 1606. The sub sleeves 1602, 1604, 1606 and
tray 800 are thus considered to be mating.
[0073] The sub-sleeves 1602, 1604, 1606 have a shape that is
substantially a parallelepiped. Each sub-sleeve has a planar and
horizontal top panel 1609 having first and second planar opposing
surfaces 1610, 1612. Each sleeve also has two substantially
vertical, substantially parallel, substantially planar side walls
1613, 1615. Each sub-sleeve has a substantially planar bottom panel
1617, which is substantially parallel to the top panel 1609 of each
sub-sleeve top 1609. The top 1609 and the bottom 1617 of each
sub-sleeve is separated by a distance, which defines an inside
height 1620 of the sleeve 1602, 1604, 1606. The inside height of
the sub-sleeves need not be identical or even similar but can
instead be varied in order to have an assembly of sub-sleeves that
can provide encapsulated environments for single servings of
different cooked, protein-containing foods.
[0074] FIG. 17B is a cross sectional view of three sub-sleeves
1702, 1704, 1706 stacked on top of each other. Unlike the
subsleeves shown in FIG. 16, the sub-sleeves shown in FIG. 17B have
different inside heights. Each sub-sleeve in FIG. 17B has a bottom
panel 1617 and a top panel 1609. The top panel 1609 has a top
surface 1610 and a bottom surface 1612.
[0075] The bottom sub-sleeve 1702 is sized to be large enough,
i.e., to have an inside height 1708 and a width 1710, large enough
to able to receive a tray for single servings of foods that are
large, i.e., a menu item that is large, an example of which is a
single serving of ribs, such as those shown in FIG. 3. The middle
sub-sleeve 1704 is sized to be able to receive trays for chicken or
chicken pieces, such as the trays shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The top
sub-sleeve 1712 is sized to receive a single tray 800 for patties.
The bottom sub-sleeve 1702, however, can also receive trays that
will fit into either the middle sub-sleeve 1704 or the top
sub-sleeve 1706. The vertical inside height of stacked trays thus
does not need be the same across sub-sleeves but can vary according
the height of a tray that a sub-sleeve needs to accommodate.
[0076] Referring again to FIG. 17A, each sleeve 1602, 1604, 1606
has a length 1614, best seen in FIGS. 18A and 18B. The length 1614
can be less than, equal to or slightly larger than the length of
the sides 810, 812 of the tray 800. Each sub-sleeve has an internal
or "inside" width 1616 slightly greater than the width of the tray
800 in order to allow the tray 800 to freely slide into and out of
the sub-sleeves. Finally, each sub-sleeve also has an internal
height 1620 selected to be slightly greater than the height 825 of
the sidewall 822 of the tray 800 in order for the compartments 802,
804 formed into the tray 800 to be able to receive the entire
volume of a patty-shaped food product.
[0077] When a food product, such as a patty 820 is placed into a
compartment 802, 804, it is preferred that the food product 820 in
the compartment 802, 804 not contact the inside surface 1612 of the
top panel 1609. The height 1620 of the sub-sleeves needs to be
selected to enable the sub-sleeve to receive a tray 800 having a
compartment 802, 804 that is deep enough to receive the entire food
product 820 without any portion of the food product extending over
the top surface 806 of the tray. A compartment for ribs or multiple
pieces of chicken will thus be deeper that a compartment for a
patty or an egg, such as the ones shown in FIG. 7.
[0078] The sidewall height 825 of the tray 800 thus effectively
determines the maximum depth of a compartment and the height or
thickness of a single serving of a food product that can be kept
therein. The internal height 1620 of the sleeves 1602, 1604, 1606
thus effectively dictates the tray's sidewall height.
[0079] In preferred embodiments, the internal height of a
sub-sleeve, examples of which include the sub-sleeves 1602, 1604
and 1606, in combination of the sidewall height of a tray are
selected to provide a "zero clearance" between them. As used
herein, a "zero clearance" exists when the difference between the
sidewall height of a tray and the internal height of a sleeve is
one-quarter of an inch or less. By way of example, if the tray
sidewall height 825 is selected to be one-half inch (0.50 inch) so
as to provide a compartment 802, 804 able to receive a patty 820
having a nominal thickness of about seven-sixteenths inch, (i.e.,
0.43 inches), a "mating" sleeve should have an internal height 1620
of no more than three-quarters of an inch (i.e., between 0.75
inches and 0.5 inches) in order for them to have a zero clearance
fit.
[0080] Those of ordinary skill in the art should of course
recognize that the nominal internal height 1620 of a sub-sleeve
1602, 1604, 1606 needs to be slightly larger than the nominal
sidewall height 825 of a tray 800 in order to allow the tray to be
freely slid into and out of a sub-sleeve. It is preferred that a
sleeve/sub-sleeve have a nominal internal height 1620 selected to
be at least one-sixteenth of an inch larger, i.e., 0.0625 inches,
than the sidewall height of a tray 800 to be placed therein.
[0081] A sleeve assembly, i.e., one or more sub-sleeves and mating
trays, is sized and shaped to be able to be placed into a food
holding cabinet and facilitates heat exchange between the food
holding cabinet and food products held inside a compartment. One
example of a compatible food holding cabinets is the Model 541-446
Food Holding Bin shown in FIG. 19. It is available from Prince
Castle, LLC., 355 East Kehoc Boulevard in Carol Stream, Ill.
[0082] A food holding cabinet 1900 such as the Model 541-446 has
heated shelves 1902, which are also sometimes referred to as heated
compartments. The terms, "shelf" and "compartment" are thus used
interchangeably. (See FIG. 6.)
[0083] The shelves 1902 have nominal inside height dimension 1906
selected to allow large, multi-serving food holding pans (not
shown) to be placed therein. The height dimension 1906 also allows
one or more stacked trays, such as the stacked trays shown in FIG.
13, to be placed therein. The height dimension of a compartment can
also allow be selected to allow a sleeve as shown in any one or
more of FIGS. 14, 16, 17A and 17B, to be placed therein.
[0084] When trays 800 are stacked inside a sleeve or sub-sleeve, it
is important that the trays 800 be able to slide into and out of
the sub-sleeves that comprise a sleeve assembly. It is thus
important for a sleeve assembly to be held in inside a compartment
1902 of a food holding cabinet 1900.
[0085] FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B are perspective views of two sleeves
1802, 1804 that are stackable. The sleeves can be placed on top of
the other such that, when they are so stacked, they are
horizontally latched to each other. Their height dimensions 1620
are shown as being equal, which is not necessary, but nevertheless
selected such that when placed on top of each other and placed into
a food holding cabinet shelf 1902, their combined height is just
less than the height 1906 of the compartment 1902.
[0086] A first type of sub-sleeve 1802, depicted in FIG. 18A, is
configured to be placed on top of and thereby latched to another,
identical sub-sleeve 1802. The first sub-sleeve type 1802 can also
be configured, however, to be placed on top of and latched to a
second type of sleeve 1804 depicted in FIG. 18B.
[0087] Both types of sleeves 1802, 1804 are essentially hollow or
empty parallelepipeds, with sidewalls 1613, 1615 provided with
U-shaped slots 1806 that extend downwardly from the top panel 1609
of the sub-sleeve and located near the rectangular-shaped front
opening 1808 and rectangular shaped rear opening 1810 of the
sleeves 1802, 1804. The sidewalls 1613, 1615 of first type sleeves
1802 are also provided slot-engaging tabs 1812 that extend
downwardly front the bottom 1617 of the sleeve. When two or more,
first type of sleeves 1802 are placed on top of each other, as
shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 19, the tabs 1812 that extend down from
sidewalls 1613, 1615 of a first-type sleeve 1802 engage
complementary mating slots 1806.
[0088] The second-type sleeve 1804, which is shown in FIG. 18B, is
configured to be placed into a compartment 1902 of a food holding
cabinet 1900 and to engage the food holding cabinet 1900 shelf
1902. The second-type sleeve is also configured to mate to a
first-type sleeve 1802 shown in FIG. 18A.
[0089] The second-type sleeve 1804 is provided with
compartment-engaging clips 1814 and 1816 that extend downwardly
from the bottom of the second type sleeve 1804 near the front
opening 1808 and rear opening 1810. The clips keep the second-type
sleeve 1804, and any first type sleeves 1802 attached to it, from
sliding out of a shelf of a food holding cabinet,
[0090] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a food holding cabinet 1900
available from Prince Castle, 355 East Kehoe Boulevard in Carol
Stream, Ill. As stated above, an encapsulated environment extends
the palatability of cooked, protein-containing food products for
much longer periods of time than would be possible keeping the same
products in large, multi-serving pans. A food holding cabinet, such
as the cabinet 1900 shown in FIG. 19, is able to keep the
temperature of food products inside an encapsulated environment at
a safe, ready-to-eat temperature, e.g., above at least one hundred
forty degrees and preferably above one hundred sixty degrees F.
[0091] A front clip 1814 on the bottom sleeve extends down and over
the front edge 1907 of the shelf 1902. A rear dip 1816, best seen
in FIG. 18B but not visible in FIG. 19, is able to extend over the
back edge of the shelf 1002. The two clips thus hold the sleeve
assembly in place, inside the compartment 1902, preventing the
sleeve assembly from sliding in the cabinet 1900 when one or more
of the trays 800A, 800B, 800C, is placed into or removed from a
corresponding sleeve 1602, 1604, 1606, as will happen when a food
product is placed into or removed from a compartment.
[0092] The trays depicted in FIG. 19 are shown as having
essentially the same handles 811A, 811B and 811C but located at
different horizontal locations along the front end 810 of the
corresponding trays 800A, 800B and 800C. The handle 811A of the
top-most tray 800A is shown as being located to the extreme left
side of the tray 800A. The handle 811C of the bottom-most tray 800C
is also located to the extreme left side of the tray 800C. The
handle 811B of the middle tray 800B, however, is located at the
extreme right side of the middle tray 800B. By shifting the
location of the handles 811A, 811B and 811C so that they are
horizontally displaced relative to each other, handles of stacked
trays and the handles of trays in sub-sleeves, are easier to grasp
than they would be if the handles of such trays were all located
directly above and directly below each other.
[0093] FIG. 20 is a front elevation of a conventional holding
cabinet 2000 having two heated compartments 2002 and 2004. FIG. 20
shows how various differently-sized trays can be used with or
without mating sleeves to keep cooked, protein-containing foods
palatable for longer than would be possible using the large, open
top trays commonly used in prior art food holding cabinets.
[0094] The top compartment 2002 holds a large sleeve 2006, which
mates with a large tray 2008 having a single, large compartment
2009. The sleeve/tray/compartment combination is sized and shaped
to provide an encapsulated environment to relatively large, single
servings of a menu item, such as the ribs shown in FIG. 3.
[0095] The top compartment 2002 also holds a set 2010 of stacked
sub-sleeves 2012. Each sub-sleeve 2012 holds a mating tray 2014,
i.e., a tray that is sized and shaped such that when it is placed
inside one of the sub-sleeves 2012, the compartments 2016 in the
tray are essentially covered, i.e., covered with a head space small
enough to form an encapsulated environment for any food product
that happens to be in the compartment 2016.
[0096] The bottom compartment 2004 holds a relatively wide sleeve
2018, i.e., wide enough to receive two trays 2020 and 2024
side-by-side. The left-side tray 2020 is sized and shaped to have
two, side-by-side compartments 2022. The right-side tray 2022 is
sized and shaped to have a bowl-shaped compartment 2026. When the
trays 2020 and 2024 are placed into the sleeve 2018, the
compartments form encapsulated environments for the single servings
of cooked, protein-containing food products they hold.
[0097] The bottom compartment 2004 also holds two trays 2028 and
2030 stacked on top of each other. In such a configuration, a
compartment in the lower tray 2028 forms an encapsulated
environment by the placement of the upper tray 2030 on top of
it.
[0098] Finally, FIG. 20 shows in the lower compartment 2004, a
single sleeve 2032, which is sized and shaped to "mate" with three
trays 2034, 2036 and 2038, each tray having different a vertical
height and a smooth bottom, as shown in FIG. 9B. Regardless of
which tray 2034, 2036 and 2038 is on top, at the bottom or in the
middle, when all the trays are in the sleeve 2032, the compartments
in each of them form encapsulated environments,
[0099] FIG. 21 is an isolated view of the sleeve and tray shown in
FIG. 19. Among other things, FIG. 21 shows how compartment-engaging
clips 1814 hold the sleeve in the shelf.
[0100] Finally, FIGS. 22 and 23 shown an alternate embodiment of a
food holding tray 2200, which provides an encapsulated environment
2202 for a disc-shaped patty 2204.
[0101] A substantially rectangular base 2208 is formed to have a
disc-shaped depression 2210. A mating rectangular cover 2212 is
provided with a disc-shaped protrusion 2214, which aligns with the
disc-shaped depression 2210. The disc-shaped depression 2210 and
the disc-shaped protrusion provide a disc-shaped space 2212 formed
by bring the base 2208 and cover 221 together and which acts as an
encapsulated environment, as long as the base and cover are
together.
[0102] Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that an
encapsulated environment can take many forms, the salient aspect
being that it provides a very limited head space for a single
serving of a cooked, protein containing food product, a single
serving being a menu item.
[0103] The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration.
The true scope of the invention is set forth in the claims.
* * * * *
References