Two-piece food-serving apparatus with separable and optionally re-attachable hinge
First Claim
1. A separable two-piece food-serving apparatus with a quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge, said apparatus comprising:
- an upper carton lid which is rotatably positionable over a lower carton food-serving tray to form a food-enclosing carton;
said apparatus is made of a material suitable for food-serving purposes;
said lid having an upper wall having at least one perimeter edge with at least one adjoining lid side wall extending downward therefrom to form an enclosing lid wall around an outer perimeter of said tray when said lid is rotated to a lowest position over said tray, and said lid having at least one hinge-portion aperture;
said tray having a bottom wall sized, shaped and having sufficient rigidity to be self-supporting when accommodating the weight, shape and typical bottom area of at least one food-item intended to be served thereon, and at least one outer edge of said bottom wall having at least one adjoining tray side wall extending upward therefrom in a manner which provides a cantilevering support of said bottom wall, and wherein inward-facing surfaces of said tray side wall(s) provide food alignment means for said food-item(s) served on an upper surface of said bottom wall, and outward-facing surfaces of said tray side wall(s) provide lid alignment means when said lid is slid longitudinally onto said tray, and said at least one adjoining side wall(s) of said tray having at least one hinge-portion tab;
whereby said hinge-portion tab(s) of said tray when brought into engagement with said hinge-portion aperture(s) of said lid provide said quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a separable two-piece food-serving apparatus with a quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge, comprised of an upper carton lid which is rotatably positionable over a lower carton food-serving tray to form a food-enclosing container. The tray has a bottom wall sized, shaped and having sufficient rigidity to be self-supporting when accommodating the weight, shape and typical bottom area of one or more food-items. The bottom wall has one or more adjoining tray side wall extending upward therefrom in a manner which provides a cantilevering support. Preferably the tray is made of a flexible material which accommodates a plurality of bending or flexing cycles and thereby facilitates the eating of food. The tray has hinge-portion tab(s) which, when brought into engagement with the hinge-portion aperture(s) of the lid provide a quick-fit releasable and re-attachable complete hinge. Exterior surfaces of the separable apparatus optionally display discernible content.
21 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A separable two-piece food-serving apparatus with a quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge, said apparatus comprising:
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an upper carton lid which is rotatably positionable over a lower carton food-serving tray to form a food-enclosing carton;
said apparatus is made of a material suitable for food-serving purposes;
said lid having an upper wall having at least one perimeter edge with at least one adjoining lid side wall extending downward therefrom to form an enclosing lid wall around an outer perimeter of said tray when said lid is rotated to a lowest position over said tray, and said lid having at least one hinge-portion aperture;
said tray having a bottom wall sized, shaped and having sufficient rigidity to be self-supporting when accommodating the weight, shape and typical bottom area of at least one food-item intended to be served thereon, and at least one outer edge of said bottom wall having at least one adjoining tray side wall extending upward therefrom in a manner which provides a cantilevering support of said bottom wall, and wherein inward-facing surfaces of said tray side wall(s) provide food alignment means for said food-item(s) served on an upper surface of said bottom wall, and outward-facing surfaces of said tray side wall(s) provide lid alignment means when said lid is slid longitudinally onto said tray, and said at least one adjoining side wall(s) of said tray having at least one hinge-portion tab;
wherebysaid hinge-portion tab(s) of said tray when brought into engagement with said hinge-portion aperture(s) of said lid provide said quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of assembling or re-assembling a separable two-piece food-serving apparatus comprising the steps of:
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a) positioning a portion of a partial-hinged apertured lid above a partial-hinged tabbed tray, b.) aligning a longitudinal axis of said lid along a longitudinal axis of said tray, c.) sliding said lid along a longitudinal axis until at least one outward extending tab partial-hinge of said tray engages at least one aperture partial-hinge of said apertured lid to form at least one complete hinge, and d.) rotating said lid at said at least one complete hinge such that an opposite end of said lid is rotated to a lowest position over said tray. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification