A food tray

Abstract

This invention provides a food tray suitable for steaming and processing strip-shaped foods that require expansion and deformation during steaming. The food is elongated, with a skewer passing through its center. The food tray includes a rectangular outer frame, a grid structure within the outer frame, and a support assembly spanning the outer frame and standing on the grid structure, forming an angle between the support assembly and the grid structure. Multiple ventilation holes are arrayed within the grid structure. The support assembly includes a support plate with a positioning groove and a clearance groove recessed at its lower edge. These grooves are alternately arranged. When the food is placed on the food tray, the skewer protruding from the food is positioned within the positioning groove and / or clearance groove of the support plate. The other end of the food is supported on the grid structure, forming an inclined angle between the food, the skewer, and the food tray. This invention improves the consistency of product appearance and quality, enhancing product quality, and is suitable for industrial food processing production lines.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food processing equipment technology, and more specifically to a food tray. Background Technology

[0002] In the food processing industry, flowering sausages, such as flowering sausages (wheat ear sausages), are very popular with consumers due to their unique appearance and taste. Currently available flowering sausages are generally made by pre-cutting several openings on the outer surface of the sausage. After purchase, during high-temperature frying or grilling, the openings naturally curl outwards to form "sausage flowers," resulting in a more aesthetically pleasing appearance and easier absorption of seasonings.

[0003] Taking flowering sausage as an example, to facilitate consumer processing, there is a type of flowering sausage where the cut sausage is pre-cooked at high temperature before being packaged and sold. This type of product usually requires two cooking processes to achieve the ideal degree of maturity and appearance. Generally, the width after the second cooking process can reach 1.8 to 2.2 times that before cooking.

[0004] However, in the existing steaming process, the steaming environment of the sausage is easily uneven during the second steaming due to unreasonable steaming tray design. The sausages are too close to each other, resulting in insufficient heating or insufficient space for "blooming". This causes the product to have inconsistent color or insufficient "blooming", which affects the quality of the finished product.

[0005] Furthermore, because the shape of the flowering sausage is irregular, special containers are needed for processing and placement to form and maintain the "flowering" shape during mass production. This is to prevent insufficient, irregular, or non-flowering due to container compression, which could lead to shape deformation or damage and reduce the product's market competitiveness. In addition, since the sausage is cylindrical and has skewers inserted when it is not "flowering," it may roll. If it cannot be properly secured, it will also affect the "flowering" effect. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a food tray that is suitable for steaming and processing strip-shaped foods that need to expand and deform during steaming. In the following text, sausage processing is taken as an example of flowering sausage. The sausage can be replaced with any strip-shaped food that needs to expand and deform during steaming.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a food tray in which the food is elongated and a skewer passes through its middle. The tray includes a rectangular outer frame, a grid structure within the outer frame, and a support component that spans the outer frame and stands on the grid structure, forming an angle between the support component and the grid structure. Multiple ventilation holes are arrayed within the grid structure. The support component includes a support plate with a positioning groove and a clearance groove recessed at its lower edge. The positioning groove and clearance groove are arranged alternately. When the food is placed on the food tray, the skewer protruding from the food is limited by the positioning groove and / or clearance groove of the support plate. The other end of the food is supported on the grid structure, and the food, along with the skewer, forms an inclined angle with the food tray.

[0008] Furthermore, the mounting assembly includes a pair of mounting plates, wherein the positioning groove of one mounting plate corresponds to the clearance groove of the other mounting plate, and the same tag is simultaneously mounted in the positioning groove and its corresponding clearance groove.

[0009] Furthermore, the positioning groove is an isosceles triangle with the apex pointing downwards, and the clearance groove is an isosceles trapezoid, V-shaped, or U-shaped with the upper base pointing downwards. The positioning point of the skewer in the positioning groove is located in front of the positioning point of the skewer in the clearance groove.

[0010] Furthermore, the two ends of the erection plate are rotatably connected to the outer frame via connectors. The connectors have connecting slots and adjusting plates connected to one side of the connecting slots. The connecting slots are installed on the outer frame, and the adjusting plates are located inside the outer frame. The adjusting plates are provided with at least one angle adjustment hole. The two ends of the erection plate are respectively provided with connecting plates, and the connecting plates are provided with mounting holes. A pin passes through the mounting hole and one of the angle adjustment holes to lock the erection plate onto the connector. The angle of the erection plate relative to the outer frame can be changed by selecting different angle adjustment holes.

[0011] Furthermore, the connector is detachably connected to the outer frame, the connecting slot block covers the outer frame and is fixed by screws, and the connector can be detached from the outer frame and repositioned.

[0012] Furthermore, the angle adjustment holes on the same adjustment piece are spaced apart, and the angle between the connecting piece and the grid structure is different after the connecting piece is connected to different angle adjustment holes.

[0013] Furthermore, the grid structure includes several stainless steel wires with a sinusoidal waveform. The two ends of each stainless steel wire are fixed to the outer frame, and the horizontal and vertical stainless steel wires are orthogonally interwoven to form a grid structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the outer frame is divided into two parts from the center by a dividing bar, and each part is provided with a set of mounting components, which are located in the center of each part.

[0015] Furthermore, the outer frame is made of stainless steel strips with a square cross-section, and the four corners of the outer frame are provided with rounded transition corners.

[0016] Furthermore, the positioning groove is an isosceles triangle with a height of 25mm and a vertex angle of 85°; the clearance groove is an isosceles trapezoid with a height of 20mm, an upper base length of 4mm, and a lower base length of 6mm.

[0017] By adopting the above solution, this utility model has at least the following technical effects:

[0018] 1. When it is necessary to fix the sausage on the food tray, place the skewer protruding from the end of the sausage in the positioning groove and / or clearance groove of the support plate, and support the end of the sausage on the grid structure. This reduces the contact area between the sausage and the food tray, improves the uniform heating and shaping effect of the sausage during steaming, and allows the middle section of the sausage to "bloom" evenly when heated without obstruction, avoiding uneven heating that could cause the sausage to deform or break, resulting in a better blooming sausage.

[0019] 2. It can neatly arrange a large number of sausages on a food tray while heating them simultaneously, optimizing the arrangement and cooking efficiency, and ensuring the consistency of the appearance and quality of the sausages. It is suitable for industrial food processing production lines.

[0020] 3. The grid structure not only ensures that the sausage is heated evenly, but also provides space for the sausage to "bloom". Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the connection between the mounting plate and the outer frame of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the connection between the mounting plate and the outer frame of this utility model from another perspective (the grid structure is not shown).

[0025] Figure 5 This is a side view of the present invention.

[0026] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0027] 1. Outer frame; 11. Divider bars;

[0028] 2. Mesh structure; 21. Ventilation holes; 22. Stainless steel wire;

[0029] 3. Erection plate; 31. Positioning groove; 32. Clearance groove; 33. Connecting piece; 331. Mounting hole;

[0030] 4. Connecting parts; 41. Connecting groove block; 42. Adjusting piece; 421. Angle adjustment hole;

[0031] 5. Pin; 51. Spring; 52. Locking lever. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To further explain the technical solution of this utility model, the following detailed description is provided through specific embodiments.

[0033] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 The figure shows an embodiment of this utility model, providing a food tray suitable for steaming and processing strip-shaped foods that need to expand and deform during steaming. The processed food is usually in the shape of a long strip, with a skewer (not shown in the figure) passing through the middle of the food along its length, and the rear end of the skewer protruding from the food. In the following text, the processing of a sausage with a skewer is taken as an example of making a "blooming sausage," but the sausage can be replaced with any strip-shaped food that needs to expand and deform during steaming.

[0034] This embodiment includes: a rectangular outer frame 1, a grid structure 2 inside the outer frame 1, and a support component that spans the outer frame 1 and stands on the grid structure 2, with the support component forming an angle with the grid structure 2; multiple ventilation holes 21 are arrayed inside the grid structure 2; the support component includes a support plate 3, with a positioning groove 31 and a clearance groove 32 recessed on the upper edge of the support plate 3, the positioning groove 31 and the clearance groove 32 being arranged alternately; when the sausage is placed on the food tray, the skewer protruding from the sausage is limited in the positioning groove 31 and / or clearance groove 32 of the support plate 3, and the other end of the sausage is supported on the grid structure 2, with the sausage and the skewer forming an inclined angle with the food tray.

[0035] In this embodiment, the mounting assembly includes a pair of long strip-shaped mounting plates 3. The mounting plates 3 are the same length as the outer frame 1, and the bottom ends of the two mounting plates 3 are parallel to each other. The positioning groove 31 of one mounting plate 3 corresponds to the clearance groove 32 of the other mounting plate 3. The same stick is simultaneously mounted in the positioning groove 31 of one mounting plate 3 and the clearance groove 32 of the other mounting plate 3. Specifically, the positioning groove 31 is an isosceles triangle with its apex pointing downwards, and the clearance groove 32 is an isosceles trapezoid with its upper base pointing downwards. The positioning point of the skewer in the positioning groove 31 is located in front of the positioning point of the skewer in the clearance groove 32. The positioning groove 31 is supported below the skewer, and the clearance groove 32 is used to avoid the tail end of the sausage skewer, allowing the skewer to pass through the support plate 3 and limiting the skewer inserted on the sausage, thereby limiting the sausage. Therefore, the corresponding positioning grooves 31 and clearance grooves 32 on the two support plates 3 are aligned such that the central axis of the isosceles triangle of the positioning groove 31 and the central axis of the isosceles trapezoid of the clearance groove 32 are on the same straight line (see reference). Figure 5 ).

[0036] It should be noted that, depending on the size of the sausage and the skewer, not all skewer ends can fall into the clearance groove 32 (the skewer ends are raised above the clearance groove 32). Therefore, the clearance groove 32 only serves to prevent the skewer from passing through the second support plate 3 when the skewer end can fall into the clearance groove 32, and also to limit its movement. In other embodiments, the clearance groove 32 may also be V-shaped or U-shaped.

[0037] During the secondary steaming of the flowering sausages, the skewered sausages are placed manually or mechanically onto the food tray in this embodiment. Two rows of sausages are placed on the left and right sides along the length of a support assembly. The first row of sausages has its ends facing the left side of the left support plate 3 and resting against the grid structure 2. The middle section of the sausage skewer (here, the middle section of the skewer refers to the section from the support point on the clearance groove 32 to the end of the sausage) is supported in the positioning groove 31 of the left support plate 3. The tail end of the skewer falls into the clearance groove 32 opposite to the positioning groove 31 on the right-side support plate 3 to form a limit. At this time, the sausage is tilted on the food tray. The first row of sausages, from the head end, the middle section of the skewer, and the tail end of the skewer, are respectively in the grid structure 2, the positioning groove 31 of the left support plate 3, and the clearance groove 32 of the right support plate 3; similarly, the second row of sausages, from the head end, the middle section of the skewer, and the tail end of the skewer, are respectively in the grid structure 2, the positioning groove 31 of the right support plate 3, and the clearance groove 32 of the left support plate 3. Since the positioning grooves 31 and clearance grooves 32 on the support plate 3 are alternately distributed, the head ends of adjacent sausages in the front and back rows are opposite, that is, adjacent sausages in the front and back rows belong to the left and right columns respectively.

[0038] By using the food tray of this embodiment to arrange sausages in the manner described above, a large number of sausages can be neatly arranged on the food tray while being heated simultaneously, optimizing both placement and cooking efficiency. It also ensures that there is sufficient space between sausages and between sausages and the food tray, allowing each sausage to fully "bloom". Furthermore, the mesh structure 2 with ventilation holes 21 reduces the contact area between the sausages and the food tray, preventing deformation or damage to the sausages due to uneven stress or heating, ensuring consistent product appearance and quality, and making it suitable for industrial food processing production lines.

[0039] Furthermore, this embodiment can accommodate most common sausage sizes. When sausages have different diameters, the middle section of the skewer can be initially positioned in the positioning groove 31. The clearance groove 32 only needs to limit the tail end of the skewer, so the clearance groove 32 is set to be narrow (the width of the clearance groove 32 can be set to be slightly wider than the width of the skewer). After the skewer enters the clearance groove 32, it cannot swing left and right significantly, or it is clamped and fixed as the width of the isosceles trapezoidal clearance groove 32 gradually decreases downward, so that the middle section of the skewer protruding from the sausage is centered and fixed in the positioning groove 31. The sausage placement method of this embodiment (the orientation of the heads of adjacent sausages in the front and back rows is opposite, that is, the adjacent sausages in the front and back rows belong to the left and right columns respectively) can stagger the sausages, so that there is enough space for the sausages in the front and back rows in the same column. When the sausage diameter is large, the spacing between the sausages in the front and back rows in the same column can be further increased (for example, by leaving more rows of positioning grooves and clearance grooves between the sausages in the front and back rows in the same column), and then placing them in the aforementioned manner.

[0040] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 In this embodiment, a connector 4 is detachably connected to the outer frame 1. The connector 4 has a connecting groove 41, which covers the outer frame 1 and is fixed by screws. The connector 4 is detachable and repositionable on the outer frame 1. An adjusting piece 42 is also provided on one side of the inner side of the outer frame 1. The two ends of the mounting plate 3 are rotatably connected to the outer frame 1 through the connector 4. Specifically, the adjusting piece 42 is provided with at least one angle adjustment hole 421, and the two ends of the mounting plate 3 are respectively provided with connecting pieces 33. The connecting pieces 33 are provided with mounting holes 331. The pin 5 passes through the mounting hole 331 and one of the angle adjustment holes 421 to lock the mounting plate 3 onto the connector 4. The angle of the mounting plate 3 relative to the outer frame 1 can be changed by selecting different angle adjustment holes 421. In this embodiment, the adjustment piece 42 is provided with three spaced-apart angle adjustment holes 421. The line connecting the centers of the three angle adjustment holes 421 is arc-shaped. After the connecting piece 33 is fixed with different angle adjustment holes 421, the included angle between it and the food tray plane (grid structure 2) is different.

[0041] When the sausages have different lengths, the angle between the sausages and the food tray can be adjusted by adjusting the angle of the mounting plate 3, so that the food tray can be used for sausages of different sizes, making it more convenient to use. Furthermore, if adjusting the angle of the mounting plate 3 alone is not enough to accommodate the sausages, the sausage placement can be adjusted by disassembling and reinstalling the connector 4 to adjust the distance between the two mounting plates 3 or the distance between the mounting plate 3 and the edge (outer frame 1) of the food tray.

[0042] The mounting assembly of this embodiment has two mounting plates 3. The two ends of each mounting plate 3 are connected to the outer frame 1 by two connectors 4. The connectors 4 at the ends of the left and right mounting plates 3 are arranged symmetrically.

[0043] Preferably, in this embodiment, a spring 51 is fitted onto the pin 5. The pin 5 with the spring 51 passes through the outside of the angle adjustment hole 421 and through the connection hole of the connecting piece 33 of the mounting plate 3, so that the spring 51 is compressed between the connecting piece 33 and the adjustment piece 42. The spring 51 can fix the connecting piece 33 and the adjustment piece 42 relatively, preventing the mounting plate 3 from sliding on the pin 5. A through hole is provided at the rear end of the pin 5 that protrudes from the connection hole. When a locking rod 52 is inserted into the through hole, the pin 5 will not come out from the rear end of the connecting piece 33, thereby locking the connection between the connecting piece 4 and the mounting plate 3.

[0044] The mesh structure 2 in this embodiment includes several stainless steel wires 22 in the form of sinusoidal waveforms. The two ends of each stainless steel wire 22 are fixed on the outer frame 1, and the horizontal and vertical stainless steel wires 22 are orthogonally interwoven to form the mesh structure 2. The structure of the stainless steel wire 22 is uneven on the surface in contact with the sausage, which can reduce the contact area between the sausage and the sausage, so that the sausage is heated evenly and blooms evenly.

[0045] In this embodiment, the outer frame 1 is divided into two parts from the center by the dividing rod 11. Each part is provided with a set of supporting components. The supporting components are located in the center of each part, that is, there are two sets of supporting components (four supporting plates 3) on a food tray, which can hold up to four rows of flowering sausages for simultaneous steaming and cooking, resulting in higher production efficiency.

[0046] Preferably, in this embodiment, the outer frame 1 is formed by a stainless steel strip with a square cross-section, and the four corners of the outer frame 1 are provided with rounded transition corners.

[0047] The dimensions of each part of the food tray in the above embodiment can be configured according to actual production conditions. The specific dimensions that can be used in this embodiment are as follows:

[0048] The outer frame 1 is made of a square stainless steel strip with a cross-section of 10mm×10mm. The outer length of the outer frame 1 is 680mm and the outer width is 650mm, which matches the layout of the food cart. The radius of the rounded transition corners of the four corners of the outer frame 1 is 45mm.

[0049] The stainless steel wire 22 of the braided mesh structure 2 has a circular cross-section with a diameter of 1mm. The stainless steel wire 22 has a sinusoidal waveform with a wavelength of 5mm and an amplitude of 2.5mm. The stainless steel wires 22 intersect each other perpendicularly with a center distance of 20mm.

[0050] In the same set of mounting components, the distance between two mounting plates 3 is 14mm, and on each mounting plate 3:

[0051] The center distance between adjacent clearance grooves 32 and positioning grooves 31 is 27.5mm;

[0052] The positioning groove 31 is in the shape of an isosceles triangle with a height of 25mm and a vertex angle of 85°. The distance between two adjacent positioning grooves 31 is 55mm, and the vertical height between the lower end point (i.e. the vertex) of the positioning groove 31 and the food tray plane is 47.5mm.

[0053] The clearance groove 32 is in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, with an upper base length of 4mm, a lower base length of 6mm, and a height of 20mm. The distance between two adjacent clearance grooves 32 is 55mm, and the vertical height of the downward-facing upper base from the food tray plane is 52.5mm.

[0054] The above is merely one embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A food tray in which food is arranged in a long strip shape, and a stick is inserted through the middle of the food, characterized in that, include: The food consists of a rectangular outer frame, a grid structure within the outer frame, and a support component that spans the outer frame and stands on the grid structure. The support component and the grid structure form an angle. Multiple ventilation holes are arrayed within the grid structure. The support component includes a support plate with a positioning groove and a clearance groove recessed at the lower edge of the support plate. The positioning groove and clearance groove are arranged alternately. When food is placed on a food tray, the skewers protruding from the food are limited in the positioning groove and / or clearance groove of the support plate. The other end of the food is supported on the grid structure. The food, along with the skewers, forms an inclined angle with the food tray.

2. A food tray according to claim 1, wherein The mounting assembly includes a pair of mounting plates, wherein the positioning slot of one mounting plate corresponds to the clearance slot of the other mounting plate, and the same tag is simultaneously mounted in the positioning slot and its corresponding clearance slot.

3. A food tray according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that The positioning groove is an isosceles triangle with the apex pointing downwards, and the clearance groove is an isosceles trapezoid, V-shaped, or U-shaped with the upper base pointing downwards. The positioning point of the skewer in the positioning groove is located in front of the positioning point of the skewer in the clearance groove.

4. A food tray according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that The two ends of the erection plate are rotatably connected to the outer frame via connectors. The connectors have connecting slots and adjusting plates connected to one side of the connecting slots. The connecting slots are installed on the outer frame, and the adjusting plates are located inside the outer frame. The adjusting plates have at least one angle adjustment hole. The two ends of the erection plate are respectively provided with connecting plates, and the connecting plates have mounting holes. A pin passes through the mounting hole and one of the angle adjustment holes to lock the erection plate onto the connector. The angle of the erection plate relative to the outer frame can be changed by selecting different angle adjustment holes.

5. A food tray according to claim 4, wherein The connector is detachably attached to the outer frame. The connecting slot block covers the outer frame and is fixed by screws. The connector can be detached from the outer frame and repositioned.

6. A food tray according to claim 4, wherein The angle adjustment holes on the same adjustment plate are spaced apart. After the connecting plate is connected to different angle adjustment holes, the included angle between it and the grid structure is different.

7. A food tray according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that The grid structure consists of several stainless steel wires with a sinusoidal waveform. The two ends of each stainless steel wire are fixed to the outer frame, and the horizontal and vertical stainless steel wires are orthogonally interwoven to form a grid structure.

8. A food tray according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The outer frame is divided into two parts from the center by a dividing bar, and each part is equipped with a set of supporting components, which are located in the center of each part.

9. A food tray according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The outer frame is made of stainless steel strips with a square cross-section, and the four corners of the outer frame are rounded.

10. The food tray of claim 3, wherein The positioning groove is an isosceles triangle with a height of 25mm and a vertex angle of 85°; the clearance groove is an isosceles trapezoid with a height of 20mm, an upper base length of 4mm, and a lower base length of 6mm.

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