System harness

Abstract

System tableware consisting of a lid (1), a menu divider (6) and a plate (10), wherein the lid (1) has a lid hood (2) with a hood rim (3) which, in the assembled state of the system tableware, rests on the rim (11) of the plate (10), characterized by that the lid (1) consists of two plastic components, wherein the lid (2) is made of a harder plastic, while the lid rim (3) is made of a soft-plastic plastic material.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system of tableware consisting of a plate, a lid and a menu divider, which can be used in commercial kitchens, in the hotel and catering industry, in retirement homes, hospitals, in so-called "meals on wheels" or other public facilities, but also in private households.

[0002] Current technology offers numerous variations of system tableware for everyday household use and commercial applications in the food service and catering industries. In most cases, the container intended to hold the food is sealed with a lid or some type of cover made from the same material as the food container itself.

[0003] The system containers proposed in the prior art, including the closure or lid, should be reusable after appropriate cleaning. They should also be leak-proof or, preferably, airtight during use, so that no food or beverages can escape, particularly during storage and / or transport, and contaminate the surroundings, or, through the release of odors, alter the taste of other foods or partially mix with them, thus rendering them unpalatable or unappetizing to the consumer.

[0004] For example, the solution of the German patent application DE 298 22 600 U1 is also known, which relates to a container for foodstuffs with a divided plate and a lid that can be detachably placed on it, characterized in that the plate and lid are made of hard plastic material and can be connected to each other at the edge as well as at the location of the divisions by circumferential grooves and ribs in such a way that the container is liquid-tight both to the outside and between the divisions, and that the groove and rib connection is dimensioned and arranged at least at the edge of the container in such a way that the lid can be clamped onto the plate.

[0005] The next state of the art is described in German patent application DE 299 04 672 U1. This patent discloses a ceramic system container with a plastic lid for storing and transporting food and beverages. The lid is made of soft plastic and is completely surrounded by a rim seal with a sealing lip.

[0006] Current technological solutions have several disadvantages. These include high cleaning effort due to the intricate design of the plate and lid edges, as well as a cumbersome lid-container connection. Because the lid of the system tableware is often made of a harder material, connecting the plate or divider to the lid is difficult and physically demanding. Additionally, this results in time delays when preparing food in the system tableware.

[0007] The object of the invention is therefore to further develop the solutions mentioned above, with the aim of significantly improving handling.

[0008] The object of the invention is achieved by a system of tableware with the features of claim 1. Claims 2 and 3 describe advantageous further developments of the system of tableware according to the invention.

[0009] A tableware system according to the invention comprises a plate-lid system. In this system, a porcelain plate, into which a menu divider is inserted, is typically covered for the preparation and transport of food, preferably consisting of several components, with a lid whose cover is made of two plastic components. The central part of the lid is made of a harder plastic combined with a soft, plastic rim. This softer rim seals against the edge of the porcelain plate when the lid is closed. The concentric position of the lid is ensured by a snap-fit ​​connection between the menu divider and the lid. The snap-fit ​​connection works by a shaped part of the menu divider engaging with a counterpart located in the inner central area of ​​the lid.After filling, the system tableware is held firmly and leak-proof together by shrink-wrapping it in foil.

[0010] The following facts prove to be advantages of the invention: Hygienically questionable rubber rings between the lid and plate are no longer needed. This eliminates the cleaning and effort required to fit the rubber ring onto the lid. Known prior art tableware systems, in many cases, still failed to achieve a tight seal between the lid and the plate. Air gaps of 2-4 mm frequently occurred due to the uneven porcelain rim of the plates, meaning that sauces and soups had to be thickened considerably to prevent leakage, a problem many customers complained about. Furthermore, liquid leakage during transport was still common. While the use of dimensionally accurate hard plastic plates in known tableware systems can provide a better seal between the plate, rubber ring, and lid, the increased workload, which was considered a disadvantage, remains. In addition, the majority of customers...The recipient of the food may reject plastic tableware for aesthetic reasons and prefer to eat from porcelain plates. The inventive variant of a system tableware according to the claims convincingly addresses these disadvantages: The system tableware according to the invention is easy, quick and safe to handle and meets the aesthetic preferences of the users.

[0011] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment.

[0012] The accompanying drawings show in Fig. 1: schematically a lid hood according to the invention of the claimed system cookware, Fig. 2: schematically a menu divider to be arranged in the porcelain plate of the system tableware according to the invention and Fig. 3: schematically the section through a system of tableware according to the invention consisting of a lid, menu divider and porcelain plate.

[0013] According to Fig. 1 A lid 1 of the system tableware according to the invention has a circular lid hood 2 with a hood rim 3, wherein a raised circular connecting piece 4 is arranged in the inner center of the lid hood 2.

[0014] The connecting piece 4 has four retaining pieces 5. These are designed as cylindrical pins with a spherical end and are arranged around the center point of the connecting piece 4 such that the space formed by the four retaining pieces 5 can accommodate a retaining ball 9, which is attached to a menu divider 6 according to Fig. 2. In this way, a snap connection is formed between lid 1 and menu divider 6, which ensures the desired concentric fit of lid 1 and plate 10 according to Fig. 3 secures.

[0015] Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows the menu divider 6, which has a retaining ring 7 and two divider wings 8. A retaining ball 9 is arranged centrally on a pin-shaped base at its upper end between the two divider wings 8. When the lid 2 is placed on a plate 10, this ball 9 engages in the space between the four retaining pieces 5 of the lid 2. This ensures that the lid 2 is centered and securely positioned on the plate 10 of the dish set, and that the rim 3 of the lid 2 rests evenly on the rim 11 of the plate 10.

[0016] Joint Fig.The rim 3 of the lid 2 and the surrounding flange 11 of the plate 10 form a tightly sealing arrangement of the system tableware. Due to the inventive design of the lid 2, which consists of two overlapping material areas of differing material strength and elasticity, assembling the system tableware (lid 1 and plate 10) after filling it with meal components requires minimal time and effort. The central part of the lid 1, in the form of the lid 2, is made of a harder plastic and is combined with a soft, plastic rim in the form of the hood 3.

[0017] Subsequent fixing of lid 1 and plate 10 to each other using shrink film creates a stabilization and sealing of the filled system tableware that meets all requirements of storage, transport and delivery. Reference symbol list 1 lid 2 Lid 3 Hood edge 4 Central piece 5 retaining piece 6 menu dividers 7 retaining ring 8 divider wings 9 retaining ball 10 plates 11 Flag QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 298 22 600 U1

[0004] DE 299 04 672 U1

[0005]

Claims

[1] System tableware consisting of a lid (1), a menu divider (6) and a plate (10), wherein the lid (1) has a lid hood (2) with a hood rim (3) which, in the assembled state of the system tableware, rests on the rim (11) of the plate (10), characterized by , that the lid (1) consists of two plastic components, wherein the lid (2) is made of a harder plastic, while the lid rim (3) is made of a soft-plastic plastic material. [2] System tableware according to claim 1, characterized by , that the lid (2) and the menu divider (6) are connected to each other via a snap connection when the system dish is closed, which results from the locking of the retaining ball (9) of the menu divider (6) into the space which is opened up within the four retaining pieces (5) inside the lid (2). [3] System tableware according to claim 1, characterized by, that the plate (10) of the system tableware is a porcelain plate.

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