Title: Packaged dinner serving tray

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. A serving tray for holding a packaged dinner tray with the packaged dinner tray having a predetermined shape and an outwardly extending peripheral flange, said serving tray being generally rectangular in shape and having a central cavity formed therein, said central cavity being a preselected shape similar to the predetermined shape of the dinner tray whereby the dinner tray can be received in said cavity, said cavity having a flat lower wall to support the bottom of said packaged dinner tray against buckling and puncture during use, said lower wall terminating in upwardly formed side walls to define said cavity side walls terminating in a planar upper surface surrounding said cavity, said planar upper surface being generally parallel to said lower wall and forming an upper support surface for said dinner tray peripheral flange, four outer side walls depending downwardly from said upper surface, said four outer side walls terminating in a transversely extending lower peripheral flange, support surfaces defined by said lower peripheral flange at the juncture of adjacent ones of said outer side walls said lower wall being spaced upwardly from said support surfaces such that when said serving tray is placed on a table said lower wall is out of contact from the table top to avoid condensation or other damage to said table top, and an elongated notch formed in each of at least two opposed of said side walls to provide the dual functions of (a) permitting gripping of said tray by the user thereof and (b) to permit air to circulate freely from outside of said tray to the underside of said flat lower wall to remove condensation thereform.

2. The serving tray of claim 1 being constructed of one piece and having a generally uniform wall thickness throughout.

3. The serving tray of claim 2 with said wall thickness being in a range of from about 0.030 inch to about 0.060 inch.

4. The serving tray of claim 2 with said support surfaces being roughened to inhibit slipping.

5. The serving tray of claim 1 wherein an elongated notch is formed in each of said four outer side walls.

Other info:

Inventors: Thomas, Claude E. (West Bloomfield, MI, US)

Application Number: 835055
Filing Date: 1977-09-21
Publication_date: 1978-09-05
Assignee:
Primary Class(es): 206/563 206/564, 294/144
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

2213837	Sep, 1940	Gill	224/48.
2545528	Mar, 1951	Murray	220/17.
2723068	Nov, 1955	Ettwein	224/48.
2826346	Mar, 1958	Randall	224/48.
3622036	Nov, 1971	Bongaerts	220/70.
3670938	Jun, 1972	Brocato	224/48.
3697223	Oct, 1972	Kovalcik et al.	206/563.
3760996	Sep, 1973	Campbell	224/48.

Other Refs: 2,506,216

Aug, 1976	DE

Primary Examiner: Price, William
Assistant Examiner: Bernstein, Bruce H.
Attorney: Cullen, Sloman, Cantor, Grauer, Scott & Rutherford