Mill tray

Abstract

A tray 10 suitable for housing a mill 50, 51 of the type that releases ground condiments such as salt and pepper from an under-side grinding mechanism. Comprising an inner lip 20 and 30 surrounding a concave well 18 and 28, a step 22 and a tray foot 24 to contact a surface, table, or bench. The concave well is recessed to accommodate the grinder portion 53 of the mill. The step extends at least partially around the inner lip as a base for the foot of the mill. The tray foot extends below the step and the lower surface of the concave well. The tray may be suitable for more than one grinding mill. The concave well is suitable for collecting loose grinds to keep a work surface clean and tidy and to prevent contamination of the grinder mechanism. The step to receive the foot of the mill outside the concave well allows the loose grinds to accumulate without interfering with the stability of the mill on the tray.

Description

Technical Field The present disclosure is directed towards a tray for receiving mills, for example grinding mills such as salt or pepper grinders. Background Mills for grinding salt, pepper, or other spices are generally stored with their grinder portions positioned downward. This leads to loose grinds falling onto the surface where the mills are kept, leading to an unclean and messy surface. As a solution, trays can be provided for the mills to be mounted upon. EP4374737A1 discloses a base for placing grinders comprising an upper shell and a lower shell, said upper shell and said lower shell being detachably connected, one or more recesses being provided on one side of said upper shell to place the shell of the grinder, and one or more accommodating compartments being provided on said lower shell to place the bottom of the grinder. A detachable connection between said upper and lower shells enables said lower shell to be dismantled for cleaning after the grinder has been used for a long time. ALI2001100137A4 discloses a condiment grinder including a grinding mechanism, and arranged to dispense ground material downwardly from its base through apertures in the grinding mechanism. A removable tray portion is disposed below the grinding mechanism. The tray has a floor and side walls. The size and cross sectional shape of the tray generally matches that of the grinder. The base of the grinder defines engagement means which are adapted to inter-engage with a corresponding means on the tray so that the tray can be removably engaged with the base of the grinder. Typically, magnets are used as the interengagement means. The tray both prevents loose bits of pepper or the like from falling from the grinder onto benches, table tops, cupboards and the like and also helps prevent contamination of the grinding mechanism itself. However, in existing trays, the loose grinds fall onto the surface of the tray and accumulate there, which can become unsightly. Furthermore, if loose grinds accumulate on the surface of the tray, particularly if the tray surface is flat, a mill is not stable when placed on the tray as grinds under the foot of the mill cause the mill to rock. Some existing trays require modification to the mills, by the addition of magnets or a screw thread, in order for loose grinds to be caught effectively, which limits the mills which can be used with the trays. Other existing trays comprise upper and lower parts, which themselves can trap loose grinds or ground spice dust and must be disassembled to be cleaned. Summary An object of the present invention is to provide an improved mill tray, with an improved shape for the collection of loose grinds from the grinder portion of a mill situated thereon. The present invention therefore provides a tray for receiving a mill and for resting on a work surface, the tray comprising: an inner lip extending around a concave well, the concave well extending in a downwards direction from an uppermost edge of the inner lip and for location under a grinder portion of the mill; a step extending at least partially around the inner lip and positioned lower than the inner lip along the downwards direction, the step being for receiving a mill foot of the mill; and a tray foot for contacting the work surface, located outside the concave well when viewed along the downwards direction and positioned, along the downwards direction, lower than the step and a lower surface of the concave well. Generally, in the present invention, the mill tray has been improved compared to those of the prior art by providing a tray which has a concave well for accumulating loose grinds, and a tray foot which allows the concave well to extend deeper than the distance between the inner lip and the step of the tray while not coming into contact with an external work surface on which the tray rests. The concave shape of the wells allows the grinds to accumulate without interfering with the stability of the mills on the tray. The lowermost point of the upper surface of the concave well is preferably below the upper surface of the step, such that the well extends through all or almost all of the available height between the tray upper surface and the tray foot. The tray preferably comprises a depression and the depression may comprise the tray foot at its lowermost point. Forming a tray foot by such a depression allows for the tray to be formed from a single or unitary piece of the material. The additional depression may also provide an extra place for loose grinds to accumulate if they are not caught within the concave well. The tray may comprise an outer lip extending from the step or an uppermost edge of the depression to an uppermost edge of the outer lip. The outer lip may be curved. The curved outer lip may provide an additional rim for ensuring any loose grinds not accumulated in the concave well do not escape from the tray and land on the work surface, for example when moving the tray. The outer lip may also provide a convenient grip for holding the tray. The tray may comprise a further inner lip and a further concave well, wherein the further inner lip is substantially identical to the inner lip and the further concave well is substantially identical to the concave well. As many mills come in sets for grinding different spices, such as salt and pepper, providing a further concave well with a further inner lip allows for sets of mills to be kept together on one tray. The concave well may have a depth of at least about 4.5 mm and / or no more than 6 mm. The depth of the concave well and height of the inner lip may be chosen such that the inner lip fits within the grinder portion of a mill and the grinding mechanism of the mill does not contact the upper surface of the concave well, so that the mill is stable when placed on the tray. The concave well may be circular, allowing the well to match the shape of a mill placed on the tray. The tray may be manufactured by deep drawing, allowing the tray to be formed from a sheet of material, preferably metal. The present disclosure further provides a kit comprising the aforementioned tray and at least one mill mounted to the tray. The or each at least one mill may comprise a grinder portion configured to be located over the concave well and may comprise a mill foot configured to be mounted on the step. The mill foot may be cylindrical so as to extend around and adjacent to the inner lip when mounted on the step. Thus the inner lip extends into the cylinder of the mill foot, with the mill foot enclosing the concave well. In the present disclosure the terms “lower”, “upper”, “upwards” and “downwards” should be taken to refer to lower and upper parts or upwards or downwards directions, along the direction of gravity, when the tray is resting on a horizontal work surface (i.e. extending perpendicular to the direction of gravity) and is configured in an upright orientation (i.e. with the concave cavity of the concave well facing away from the work surface). The term “when viewed in plan view” refers to when the tray is viewed along the direction of gravity when the tray is resting on a horizontal work surface and is configured in an upright orientation. Brief Description of the Drawings By way of example only, embodiments of a mill tray in accordance with the present disclosure are now described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 illustrates a perspective view of the mill tray; FIGURE 2 illustrates a cross section of the mill tray of Figure 1 across section X-X; and FIGURE 3 illustrates a cross section of the mill tray of Figure 1 across section X-X with mills placed thereon. Detailed Description The present disclosure relates to a tray 10 for receiving a mill 50, 51 and resting on a work surface 12. The work surface 12 of the present disclosure refers to any surface on which the tray 10 is located, such as a kitchen work top or table, and is generally a flat planar surface. As illustrated in Figure 1 and 2, the tray 10 comprises an upper surface 14 and a lower surface 16 and may be formed from and / or comprise a sheet of material. The tray 10 may have a thickness between the upper and lower surfaces 14,16 of about 2 mm, at least about 1.5 mm and / or no more than about 2.5 mm. The tray 10 may be formed of and / or comprise a metal, such as stainless steel, suitable for such manufacture. The tray 10 may be manufactured by applying the profile described herein to a sheet, preferably a metal sheet. The forming process may be any of any suitable type, such as drawing, stamping or bending, although preferably comprises deep drawing. The tray 10, when configured for two mills 50, 51 to be mounted thereon as shown in Figures 3, may be generally oblong with curved short edges and straight long edges when viewed in plan view (i.e. perpendicular to the plane of the work surface, optionally referred to as an obround shape). The tray 10 generally comprises at least one concave well 18, 28, an inner lip 20, 30 extending around the top of the or each concave well 18, a step 22 extending around and below the inner lip(s) 20, 30, a depression 26 extending downwardly around the step 22 for forming a tray foot 24 and an outer lip 40 around the depression 26. Each of the at least one concave well 18, 28, inner lip(s) 20, 30, step 22, depression 26 and outer lip 40 are formed by and comprise the upper and lower surfaces 14,16. The tray foot 24 may be formed by the lower surface 16 of the depression 26. As illustrated in Figure 3, the tray 10 is configured such that a mill foot 52 of the mill 50, 51 can rest on the step 22 whilst a grinder portion 53 of the mill 50, 51 is located above the concave well 18, 28 so that the well 18, 28 catches any loose grounds from the grinder portion 53. The grinder portion 53 is the grinding mechanism and is generally located at the centre of the mill 50, 51 within the cylindrical mill foot 52. As discussed further herein, the heights of each of the tray foot 24, step 22 and well 18, 28 ensure that there is sufficient clearance with the parts of the mill 50, 51. The at least one concave well 18 extends in a downwards direction, away from the upper surface 14 of the tray 10 and inner lip 20, 30 and towards the work surface 12. The concave well 18 may have a depth from its uppermost edge to its lowermost point of at least about 6.5 mm and / or no more than about 8 mm measured perpendicular to the work surface 12. When the tray 10 rests on the work surface 12, the lower surface 16 of the concave well 18 does not contact the work surface 12. The concave well 18 may be generally circular when viewed in plan view, and may have a radius of at least about 15 mm and / or no more than about 30 mm. The concave well 18 is for location under the grinder portion 53 and when the mill 50, 51 is placed on the tray 10 as shown in Figure 3, the grinder portion 53 does not contact the upper surface 14 of the concave well 18. The inner lip 20 extends around the concave well 18, may adjoin the concave well 18 at its uppermost edge or edges and may extend from the uppermost edge or edges of the concave well 10 to the step 22. When viewed in plan view, the inner lip 20 may have the same general shape as the perimeter of the concave well 18. The inner lip 20 may be generally circular concentric with the concave well 18 when the tray is viewed in plan view. In addition to forming the uppermost edge of the concave well 18, the inner lip 20 comprises an inner lip wall 21 between the uppermost edge and the step 22. In cross section, as shown in Figure 2, the inner lip 20 may be approximately S-shaped, curving from the uppermost edge or edges of the concave well 18 in a direction opposite to that of the curvature of the concave well 18, extending downwards along the inner lip wall 21, then curving in the same direction as that of the curvature of the concave well 18 such that the inner lip 20 adjoins the step 22 and is parallel to the step 22 at the point where it adjoins the step 22. The step 22 extends at least partially around the inner lip 20 and is positioned lower in the downwards direction than the uppermost edge of the inner lip 20. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 in which the tray 10 is configured for two mills 50, 51 to be mounted thereon, the step 22 may be generally oblong with curved short edges and straight long edges when viewed in plan view. The upper surface 14 of the step 22 may be above the lowermost point of the upper surface 14 of the concave well 18, such that when the tray 10 is resting on an work surface 12, the distance between the upper surface 14 of the step 22 and the work surface 12 is greater than the distance between the work surface 12 and the lowermost point of the upper surface 14 of the concave well 18. The tray 10 may be configured to rest on the work surface 12 such that the step 22 is parallel to the work surface 12. In use, the step 22 receives the mill foot 52, as shown in Figure 3. The mill foot 52 is the part of the mill 50, 51 which surrounds the grinder portion of the mill. The mill foot 52 rests on the upper surface 14 of the step 22 with the grinder portion 53 located over the upper surface 14 of the concave well 18. The tray foot 24 is for contacting the work surface 12. The tray foot 24 is located outside the concave well 18, when viewed in plan view, and is positioned lower in the downward direction than the upper surface 14 of the step 22 and the lower surface 16 of the concave well 18. The tray foot 24 may adjoin the step 22. In the present disclosure, any reference to a distance from the work surface 12 to a part of the tray 10 may be instead referred to as a distance from the lowermost point of the tray foot 24 to that part of the tray 10. The depression 26 comprises the tray foot 24 at its lowermost point. The tray foot 24 may be formed by the lower surface 16 of the depression 26. The depression 26 may adjoin the step 22 at one or both of its uppermost edges and may extend at least partially around the step 22. In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, when the tray 10 is viewed in plan view, the depression 26 and the tray foot 24 may form a generally oblong ring around the step 22 with curved short edges and straight long edges. The depression 26 may be concave, facing away from the work surface 12, and the depression 26 may have a radius of curvature less than the radius of curvature of the concave well 18. The outer lip 40 may adjoin the uppermost edge of the depression 26 at the opposing uppermost edge of the depression 26 to that adjoining the step 22. Alternatively, if there is no depression 26, the outer lip 40 may adjoin the step 22. In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, when the tray 10 is viewed in plan view, the outer lip 40 may form a generally oblong ring around the depression 26 with curved short edges and straight long edges. The outer lip 40 may curve in a direction opposite to the curvature of the depression 26 and the concave well 18. The outer lip 40 may have an uppermost edge 40a at which the outer lip 28 extends parallel to the step 22. The distance between the work surface 12 and the uppermost point of the upper surface 14 of the outer lip 40 when the tray 10 is resting on the work surface 12 may be less than the distance between the uppermost edge of the concave well 18 and the work surface 12. Thus the inner lip 20, 30 is raised above the outer lip 40. The tray 10 may comprise a further concave well 28 for receiving a second mill 51. The further concave well 28 may be identical to the concave well 18. The further concave well 28 may be positioned adjacent to the concave well 18, separated by the step 22 extending therebetween. The further concave well 28 adjoins a further inner lip 30, which may be identical to the inner lip 20 and may adjoin the further concave well 28 at its uppermost edge. The step 22 may extend at least partially around the further inner lip 30. As in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the concave well 18 and the further concave well 28 may be proximal to each of the curved short edges of the generally oblong tray 10, with the step 22 extending therebetween. In use, the tray 10 may rest on an work surface 12 such that the tray foot 24 is in contact with the work surface 12. The tray 10 may receive a mill or mills 50, 51 as illustrated in Figure 3, such that the mill foot / feet 52 rests on the upper surface 14 of the step 22, the grinder portion(s) 53 is located over the concave wells 18, 28 and the grinder portion(s) 53 does not contact the upper surface 14 of the concave wells 18, 28. The cylindrical mill foot 52 extends around and adjacent to the inner lip(s) 20, 30 such that the inner lip(s) 20, 30 extends into the mill foot / feet 52, with the mill foot / feet 52 enclosing the concave well(s) 18, 28. Various embodiments fall within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the tray 10 may be configured to hold only one mill 50, 51 thereon, having only one concave well 18 and one inner lip 20. The tray 10, when viewed in plan view, may be generally circular, with the concave well 18 being generally circular and positioned in the centre of the tray 10. The inner lip 20, the step 22, the depression 26, and the outer lip 40 may form concentric rings of increasing diameter around the concave well 18 when viewed in plan view, with the inner lip 20 adjoining the uppermost edge of the concave well 18, the step 22 adjoining the inner lip 20, the depression 26 adjoining the step 22 at its uppermost edge proximal to the centre of the tray 10 and the outer lip 40 adjoining the depression 26 at its uppermost edge distal from the centre of the tray 10. It will be appreciated that the tray 10 can have any suitable size to accommodate different sizes of mills 50, 51. However, trays 10 with dimensions in the ranges as set out herein have been found particularly effective at collecting loose grinds.

Claims

25CLAIMS:

1. A tray for receiving a mill and for resting on a work surface, the tray comprising: an inner lip extending around a concave well, the concave well extending in a downwards direction from an uppermost edge of the inner lip and for location under a 5 grinder portion of the mill;a step extending at least partially around the inner lip and positioned lower than the inner lip along the downwards direction, the step being for receiving a mill foot of the mill;a tray foot for contacting the work surface, located outside the concave well10 when viewed along the downwards direction and positioned, along the downwards direction, lower than the step and a lower surface of the concave well; anda depression, wherein the depression comprises the tray foot at its lowermost point.15 2. A tray as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lowermost point of the upper surface of theconcave well is below the upper surface of the step.

3. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a further inner lip and a further concave well, wherein the further inner lip is identical to the inner lip and the20 further concave well is identical to the concave well.

4. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the concave well has a depth of at least 6.5 mm and / or no more than 8 mm.25 5. A tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the concave well iscircular.

6. A method of manufacturing the tray of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tray is manufactured by deep drawing.

307. A kit comprising the tray of any preceding claim and at least one mill mountable to the tray.

8. A kit as claimed in claim 7 wherein the at least one mill comprises a mill foot mountable 35 on the step and a grinder portion mountable over the concave well.Application No: GB2415157.3Examiner: Neil MorganClaims searched: 1-10Date of search: 17 January 2025Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17Documents considered to be relevant:Category Relevant to claims Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance X 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 AU 2001100137 A4 (CHUNG et al) See especially Abstract Description page 3 lines 7-15 Figures la, 2a, 2b, 3a (12) (14) (16) (21) (24) (28) (30) X 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 WO2007 / 004902 Al (HENG et al) See especially Abstract Description page 2 lines 8-10, page 3 lines 1-3, page 5 lines 12-16 Figure 5 (11)(16)(17) X 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 US3342380 A (FOLEY) See especially Abstract Description 4 lines 19-43, lines 25-27 Figures 2, 5, 6 and 7 (34) (38) (48) (62) (64) (70)Categories:X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step A Document indicating technological background and / or state of the art. Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if P Document published on or after the declared priority date but combined with one or more other documents of same category. before the filing date of this invention. & Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:International Classification:Subclass Subgroup Valid From A47G 0019 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47G 0021 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47G 0023 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47G 0029 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47G 0029 / 08 01 / 01 / 2006 A47G 0029 / 087 01 / 01 / 2006 A47G 0033 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47J 0042 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 A47J 0047 / 16 01 / 01 / 2006 A47L 0013 / 52 01 / 01 / 2006

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