CAFETERIA TRAY WITH PROTECTIVE AGENTS AND METHOD FOR USE THEREOF

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of the manufacture of cafeteria trays made of plastic material, and in particular to cafeteria trays made of recycled plastics. More specifically, the object of the present patent application concerns cafeteria trays provided with two protections made of transparent recycled plastics, such as to isolate the user from the other diners.Background Art

[0002] The Covid 19 pandemic has caused enormous damage to collective and commercial catering given the inability for various customary users to use this service, due to the legislation adopted for limiting the infections. Actually, the dining areas (canteens) are provided with tables for 4 or 6 persons, but in order to comply with safe distancing rules, these have been limited to only 1 or 2 seats. This implied a considerable reduction of diners' affluence in dining areas, due to the lesser capacity of the latter.

[0003] To date, there are, in fact, multiple solutions allowing customers to buy takeaway food and eat it somewhere else.

[0004] As an example, take the Patent Application US5857583A of ANNETTE M. CHANTAKA and KEITH C. HIGGINSON. This invention concerns a container for catering services and comprises a tray with a cover, preferably made of moldable material which is absorbing and resistant to leaks such as molded fiber. The tray has a first body portion and a first edge which comprises and laterally protrudes - to the outside - from the first body portion. The first body portion has a main compartment for food preservation and at least a pocket for lodging / receiving the cups for the beverages. The pocket that contains the glasses forms flexible lateral wall portions allowing the pocket with the glasses to firmly retain / hold glasses of various sizes. The cover is hingedly connected to the tray. The cover includes a second body portion and a second edge that encloses and laterally projects to the outside from the second body portion. The cover is movable between an open position and a closed position. When the cover is in closed position, said cover covers the main compartment for food preservation. Another solution is suggested by the Patent Application US6932214B1 (DAVE ZIMET). The subject of this application relates to a disposable fast food box container with a pair of semicircular handles for convenient carrying and a drink holder therein. The handles include strap portions that are attached to the lid that allow a vehicle seat belt to be passed thereunder and serve to hold the lid in an open position close to the chest of the user. The lid includes a pair of side flaps that cooperate with the lid portion for directing any crumbs generated during eating into the box / container directly below thus eliminating the usual mess that occurs during eating in a vehicle. The drink holder includes a conical flexible wall portion that becomes inverted when engaged by the base of a drink container bringing the conical flexible wall into engagement with conical outer surface of the drink container to stabilize drink container therein.

[0005] Despite the fact that they allow to eat the meal in total safety, the proposed solutions further limit the use of seats inside dining areas.

[0006] A tray according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from the document US 2 556 261 A.

[0007] An object of the present patent application is to suggest a means that allows, in a safe manner, to return to using the canteens / dining areas, by realizing a tray which is washable and reusable and which on the one hand is suited to act as a protection for the user and on the other forms a rapid and intuitive means for companies to efficiently reorganize their canteen services.Description of Invention

[0008] The present invention is related to a cafeteria tray as defined by the features of claim 1 and to a method of using such a tray as defined by the features of claim 12.

[0009] Thus conceived, the effect would be to create a protective barrier around each user of the cafeteria service, so as to protect and isolate him / her from the other diners, and so that he or she can eat his / her meal in total safety, without employing any personal protective equipment whatever.

[0010] In fact, each individual will be protected and / or isolated on all three sides; to the front, by means of one of the protections offered by the tray; on one of the two sides, with the second protection offered by the tray; on the side opposite the latter, by the protection used in turn by the person who sits alongside the user.

[0011] Advantageously, the tray will be modular based on the needs of the diner who can select whether to use only one Plexiglas protection, both protections, or none (if at that moment there are no other people at the table).

[0012] The present invention is of considerable utility even in other places, other than cafeterias, it being usable also by those who, due to the most diverse needs, are forced to eat at their own workplaces,

[0013] The advantages offered by the present invention are obvious in the light of the description as outlined so far, and they will be even more clear thanks to the annexed figures and their detailed description.Description of Drawings

[0014] The invention will now be described in at least one preferred embodiment for illustrative and non-limitative purposes with the help of the annexed Figures, in which: FIGURE 1 is a three-dimensional view which illustrates the invention from above when the protections are disengaged; FIGURE 2 is a three-dimensional view which illustrates the invention from above, when the protections are engaged; FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional front view of the invention, when the protections are disengaged. Detailed Description of Invention

[0015] The present invention will now be described only for illustrative but non-limitative or binding purposes with reference to the Figures, which represent one of the embodiments related to the present inventive concept.

[0016] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 these show the main components of an example of cafeteria tray with protections 100. In FIG. 1 there is shown the device according to the present patent application, when the protections made of recycled plastics 80 are not used, whereas FIG. 2 shows the invention when said protections of recycled plastics 80 are engaged. FIG. 3 further allows to understand the function of the lower shelf 30 and of the opening / closing movement of the tabs 40.

[0017] Said cafeteria tray with protections 100 includes: an inner surface 10 adapted to act as an abutment surface for foods and drinks, rendering the transport thereof easy and safe; an edge in relief 20 adapted to prevent the outward sliding of the content on the internal surface; said edge in relief 20 being installed along the perimeter of said internal surface 10; a hollow lower shelf 30 adapted to contain at least two transparent protections 80, when these are unused; said hollow lower shelf 30 being situated immediately below said internal surface 10 and comprising a base 90 and tabs 40; the said two tabs 40 adapted to stably block said protections 80 within the hollow lower shelf, when said protections 80 are unused; said tabs 40 being installed at the two short sides of said base 90 of said hollow lower shelf 30 through hinges 50; said tabs 40 being shaped in a manner such to fill the space between the perimeters of said base 90 of said hollow lower shelf 30 and the perimeter of said internal surface 10, achieving the isolation of said lower shelf 30; said hinges 50 adapted to allow the opening and / or closing of said tabs 40; said hinges 50 being installed centrally of the two short sides of said base 90 of said hollow lower shelf 30; three supports with internal slit 60 adapted to firmly retain the protections 80 made of transparent recycled plastics when these are used; said supports with slit 60 being installed on the three sides of said edge in relief 20, excluding one of the long sides; three hollow housings 70 shaped according to the reverse image of said supports with slit 60 and installed below of said hollow lower shelf 30; said hollow housings 70 being installed precisely aligned according to the position of said supports with internal slit 60, allowing a simple stacking of multiple cafeteria trays made of recycled plastics with protections 100; two protections 80 adapted to isolate the user from the other diners; said protections 80 being engaged / inserted in said hollow lower shelf 30, when unused, or being engaged / inserted on said supports with internal slit 60, when one decides to use them.

[0018] In the present preferred embodiment said cafeteria tray 100 has a rectangular form of 50x35x5 cm. Said protections 80 are of the same shape as the cafeteria tray 100 and have slightly minor dimensions, so that they can be easily introduced in said hollow lower shelf 30, when these are unused. Said protections, when used, are engaged on said supports with internal slit 60 whose slits are of the same size as the thickness of said protections 80, thereby guaranteeing a firm retention. Said protections 80 are retained in a horizontal condition; therefore, taking advantage of the height (5cm) of said cafeteria tray 100, an adequate protection and / or isolation is ensured by reaching about 40 cm in height for each side on which said protections 80 are engaged.

[0019] All components of said cafeteria tray with protections 100 are preferably made of recycled plastics Finally, it should be clear that the invention described above can be modified and that variants and additions, obvious to a skilled person, may be made, without departing in this way from the scope as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Cafeteria tray with protections (100) comprising: - an internal surface (10) adapted to act as an abutment surface for foods and drinks, rendering the transport thereof easy and safe; - an edge in relief (20) adapted to prevent the outward sliding of the content on the internal surface (10); said edge in relief (20) being installed along the perimeter of said internal surface (10); - a hollow lower shelf (30) being situated immediately below said internal surface (10) and comprising a base (90), charachterised in that - said hollow lower shelf (30) is adapted to contain at least two protections (80) made of transparent recycled plastic, when these are unused; said hollow lower shelf (30) comprising at least a tab (40); - at least said tab (40) adapted to stably block said protections (80) within the hollow lower shelf, when said protections (80) are unused; said tab (40) being installed at one of the sides of said base (90) of said hollow lower shelf (30) through at least a hinge (50); said tab (40) being shaped in a manner such to fill the space between the perimeters of said base (90) of said hollow lower shelf (30) and the perimeter of said internal surface (10), achieving the isolation of said lower shelf (30); - at least one said hinge (50) adapted to allow the opening and / or closing of said tab (40); said hinge (50) being installed on one of the sides of said base (90) of said hollow lower shelf (30); - at least three supports with internal slit (60) adapted to firmly retain said protections (80) when these are used; said supports with slit (60) being installed on the sides of said edge in relief (20), excluding one of the long sides; - at least three hollow housings (70) shaped according to the reverse image of said supports with slit (60) and installed below of said hollow lower shelf(30); said hollow housings (70) being installed precisely aligned according to the position of said supports with internal slit (60), allowing a simple stacking of multiple cafeteria trays with protections (100); - said at least two protections (80) adapted to isolate the user from the other diners; said protections (80) being engaged in said hollow lower shelf (30), when unused, or being engaged on said supports with internal slit (60), when one decides to use them.

2. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to the preceding claim 1, characterized in that it is attained with a quadrangular form.

3. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said protections (80) are made with the same shape as said cafeteria tray with protections (100) and dimensions slightly smaller in a manner such to be able to easily insert them within said hollow lower shelf (30), when unused.

4. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slits of said supports with internal slit (60) are provided with width equal to the size of the thickness of said protections (80), ensuring stable engagement.

5. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said protections (80) are engageable in a horizontal / vertical manner on said supports with slit (60).

6. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that all the components are made of recycled plastic.

7. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said protections (80) are made of transparent and / or colored recycled plastic material.

8. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is resistant to chemical substances.

9. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is anti-scratch and anti-stain.

10. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is washable and reusable.

11. Cafeteria tray with protections (100), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is modular based on the needs of the diner who can select whether to use only one protection (80), multiple protections (80), or none, if at that moment there are no other people at the table.

12. Method for using protections (80) through a cafeteria tray with protections (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - engaging a protection (80) in the front part, i.e. across from the user by means of one of the supports with internal slit (60); - engaging another protection (80) in a lateral part by means of another one of the supports with internal slit (60) at the position of a nearby diner, obtaining a protective barrier around each user of the cafeteria service, which protects such user and / or isolates him / her from the other diners, such that each user can eat the meal in safety conditions, being protected from the nearby diners on the three sides: to the front, by means of one of the protections (80) offered by the cafeteria tray with protections (100); on one of the two sides, with the second protection (80) offered by the cafeteria tray with protections (100); on the side opposite the latter, by the protection (80) used in turn by the person who sits alongside the user.