Smart meal tray

Abstract

The invention consists of an ergonomic tray designed such that liquid spilled in the tray can accumulate in a specific area without it needing to be cleaned up each time. The tray comprises: a hole in the middle with a small angle <0.5° allowing draining of different liquids such as water, coffee, tea and so on. This innovative tray will allow the person carrying it to adequately control their hand position and avoid workplace accidents, and will also aid said person to lift a greater weight.

Description

[0001] SMART MEAL TRAY

[0002] Description

[0003] Abstract of the invention:

[0004] The present invention consists of an ergonomic tray with a design that allows the liquid spilled in the tray to accumulate in a specific area without the need to clean it every time. The tray includes: a hole in the middle with a small angle <0.5° allowing the flow of different liquids such as water, coffee, tea, etc. The innovative tray will allow servers on the one hand to control the position of their hand well, avoid work accident problems and on the other hand will help them lift more weight.

[0005] Field of Invention

[0006] This invention relates to the field of tableware and kitchen accessories used in catering, hotels, security, and marketing.

[0007] Previous state of art:

[0008] Typical serving trays used in the hospitality industry generally take two forms: The first is a serving tray, either rectangular or rounded, and features an opposing handle that extends outward and above the tray. These trays are usually grasped by the server from above and require the use of both hands. The second type of tray is flat with a top surface for the items to be carried and a bottom surface supported by the server, usually using their arm bent so that the forearm is parallel to the floor, the tray rests on an extended hand lying on their back, and the palm of the hand is facing upward. However, both of these trays are problematic when in use.

[0009] The most common problem in restaurants is the lack of stabilization of trays carried by servers with one hand while working. Dishes placed on the tray can fall due to the servers' imbalance. When the server is tripped over by someone or something in the work environment, or when an item is taken from the tray, an imbalance can occur. To compensate, the server can spread their fingers until the widest possible base is provided, but this is painful in the long run. Another problem is the various liquids that flow from the glasses and remain stagnant on the trays. This needs to be cleaned and unfortunately, it is a waste of time.The shape of the tray must be circular to be carried by one hand at the end, on the other hand rectangular trays must be carried by the center of the tray or by the end of the tray but with both hands to have balance and to control it.

[0010] The present invention addresses its weaknesses and provides other related advantages with an innovative system.

[0011] Summary of the invention:

[0012] This present innovation describes an ergonomic tray that contains an upper tray (Figure 2), a reservoir (Figure 3) and a handle (Figure 4) on which the server fixes his hand in order to provide a better stabilization of the tray. In addition, the system facilitates the flow of spilled liquids, located in the upper tray just with an inclination (Figure 3) of the tray through a hole (Figure 2) that is located in the middle of the upper surface towards the reservoir. Furthermore, the tray will be easily removable to empty and clean the reservoir by a clipping system (Figure 7).

[0013] Detailed description of the system:

[0014] To solve these problems, the service tray will have ergonomic and innovative criteria and can be made in several shapes and styles according to the customer's needs. In the tray (Figure 4) there is a handle (4) on which the server will hang his hand in order to provide better stabilization of the tray. In addition, the system facilitates the flow of water or other liquid in case it spills, located in the upper tray (Figure 4) just with a small angle inclination <0.5 ° (5) relative to through a hole (3) which is in the middle of this same tray (figure 4) towards the tank (4). Spilled liquids can be evacuated after the service has finished through the hole (6). The tray will allow the servers on the one hand to maintain the position of his hand well, reducing the risk of work accidents and on the other hand will help him lift more weight with ease of work thanks to the wrist (4).Indeed, the added value of this tray is that it can be easily dismantled using clip-on elements.

Claims

Claims 1. Ergonomic tray including: A main body of the tray (1) of circular shape capable of receiving the plates A reservoir (2) of the flowed liquid A liquid drain hole (3) A wrist (4) for holding the tray Clips (figures 7 and 8) for dismantling the device and opening the tank from the upper side.

2. Tray according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the main body has an angle of inclination of less than 0.5°.

3. Tray according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it can be easily removed by clipping elements to facilitate cleaning inside.

4. Tray according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the wrist (4) is ergonomically shaped to accommodate the user's hand and positioned horizontally in the center of the circle of the tray.

5. Tray according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a lateral opening to receive the user's hand directed towards the wrist.

6. Tray according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the clips assemble the two trays (Figure 7) to facilitate cleaning inside, more precisely, after emptying the tank of spilled liquid, the tray can be cleaned and then easily reassembled using a clipping system (Figure 8) and this is the simplest method to use. Regarding the material to be used, we suggest that the tray be made of either Melamine and / or polycarbonate. - Melamine: is the most usable material in the kitchen in decorative coverings on a wood-based panel covered with heat and pressure with a sheet of paper impregnated with melamine and even more fragile. It is worked and plated on edge with edges. This makes this product one of the materials mainly used in the kitchen. The manufacturing cost of melamine is lower than laminate. It is an affordable material allowing the construction of kitchen furniture at competitive prices. Regarding its chemical characteristics, its density is equal to 1.57 g / cm 3 and its molar mass is 126.12 g / mol. On the other hand, its mechanical characteristics are broken down into several parts such as the resistance to the material which plays an important role in the comfort of the hand. Its characteristics can be changed depending on the thickness taken from the material. For example, the impact resistance for a thickness of 5 mm (>300) is better than 3 mm (>250) and this difference is just for 2 mm difference. The estimated price is a variable price depending on the type of melamine desired and even the thickness. The 8mm thick melamine with length and width defined on 2.50x1.25 costs 95.5 DH / m 2 and with a thickness of 28 mm at 175 DH / m 2 . -Polycarbonate: it has excellent mechanical properties, good thermal resistance up to 120°C, very transparent, physiologically neutral, and poor resistance to prolonged contact with water, chemical agents and ultraviolet rays. Its excellent impact resistance makes it a very suitable material for manufacturing. Among its chemical characteristics are its density of 1.2 g-cm-3, the refractive index of 1.591 and its chemical conductivity which is equal to 0.20 Wm-LK-1. D. On the other hand, regarding its mechanical characteristics, its breaking strength is equal to 65Mpa, better than the breaking strength of melamine. In addition to its thick thickness, it has a slight yellow tint. This type of material itself is divided into several types and their costs are estimated at: For the first type Twin Wall sheets with thickness of 4-10 mm costs 60DH / m 2The second is Solid sheets with thickness of 1.3-12 mm and costs 120DH / m 2 . And finally, Embossed sheets with thickness of 2-12 mm costs 190DH / m 2 . Regarding the clip system, we suggest that it be made of plastic. It will be screwed onto the supports. The clips allow the two trays to be assembled; this system is simple and does not take much time. The tray will be made with a diameter set (variable) according to the customer's needs and it will consist of two parts: the upper part and the lower part where the tank will be located with an ergonomic arm for the server. In the drawings illustrating the invention: Figure 1: 3D view of the plateau This is a general overview that provides a view of the layout of the tray and we can also see the hole that will allow the liquid to flow out in case there is a work accident at the server. Figure 2: Upper part of the tray Represents a two-dimensional view of the top of the board. Figure 3: Front view of the board This figure represents the front view of the board and it gives us a view of the upper part of the board. Figure 4: Left view of the board In this figure we find the left view of the tray where the reservoir (2) is located, where the spilled liquid will be stored. We also find the ergonomic handle (4) which will make the server's task easier and finally the 0.1° inclination (5) which is the important part of this tray. Figure 5: The lower part of the plateau After dismantling the upper part, there is a hole (6) where the liquid stored in the tank can be poured out and even cleaned. Figure 6: Disassembly section In this figure we can see the upper part of the tray that the server can remove from the lower part. Figure 7: 1a clip part on the lower part of the tray Here we notice the distribution of the clips on the lower part of the tray and this is where the upper tray will be attached. Figure 8: Clip view

Images