Food tray and tray insert

• US 20070295325A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Esparza, Fernando, Traylor, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/369
• CPC Class Codes: A21B 3/155 of wire or mesh wire material A21B3/131 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/067 Horizontally disposed broiling griddles
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0704 with horizontal fire box
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/006 for either storing and preparing or for preparing food on serving trays, e.g. heating, thawing, preserving

Abstract

A food tray and tray insert are provided that are particularly adapted for use in a heated food holding compartment. Methods of storing cooked food are also provided using such devices. The devices and use thereof allows cooked food such as hamburger patties to be stored at elevated temperatures for extended periods of time without a significant deleterious effect on the organoleptic properties of the cooked food.

Claims

1. A food tray for storing individual portions of food comprising:

a tray body having a first end and a second end, a lower surface and a sidewall structure defining a tray height and a tray volume within said tray body;

a tray insert positionable in the tray volume and comprising an elongated supporting surface and insert supports defining a tray insert height, wherein said supporting surface is above said lower surface and below the top of the sidewall structure, and said lower surface defining a volume between said lower surface and said supporting surface, and the supporting surface defining a food holding volume in conjunction with said sidewall structure.

2. The food tray of claim 1 wherein said supporting surface comprises a generally flat surface having a plurality of apertures therein.

3. The food tray of claim 2 wherein said plurality of apertures form a circular shape generally corresponding to the size of hamburger patties to be stored thereon.

4. The food tray of claim 2 wherein said apertures are at least generally rectangular.

5. The food tray of claim 2 wherein said apertures are at least generally circular.

6. The food tray of claim 1 wherein said tray insert height is approximately one inch less than said tray height.

7. The food tray of claim 1 further comprising hamburger patties stacked two patties high.

8. The food tray of claim 1 wherein the tray insert is an integral part of the tray body.

9. The food tray of claim 8 wherein the volume between the lower surface and the supporting surface is a sealed void.

10. The food tray of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of cooked hamburger patties contained in the tray and essentially covering the apertures.

11. A method of storing individual portions of food comprising:

providing a food tray comprising a tray body having a first end and a second end, a lower surface and a sidewall structure defining a tray height and a tray volume within said tray body and a tray insert positionable in the tray volume and comprising an elongated supporting surface and insert supports defining a tray insert height, wherein said supporting surface is above said lower surface and below the top of the sidewall structure, and said lower surface defining a lower volume between said lower surface and said supporting surface, and the supporting surface defining a food holding volume in conjunction with said sidewall structure;

placing the individual portions of food on said supporting surface;

placing and storing for a period of time the tray having the individual portions of food therein in a heated compartment having an upper compartment surface and a heated lower compartment surface to maintain the temperature of the cooked food products in a desired elevated storage temperature range, wherein said supporting surface is elevated above said heated lower compartment surface; and

maintaining the tray during said storing so that the top edge of the tray is in close proximity to the upper compartment surface to achieve a gap between the top of the tray and the upper compartment surface of between about 0 and 0.25 inches.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said supporting surface comprises a plurality of apertures.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said plurality of apertures form a circular shape generally corresponding to the size of hamburger patties to be stored thereon.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said apertures comprise oval apertures.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said lower volume avoids significant convection heat transfer between said heated lower compartment surface and said individual portions of food.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said gap is sufficiently sized to restrict water vapor from evaporating from the cooked food in the tray during storage in the compartment.

17. A method of storing previously cooked hamburger patties after cooking and before incorporation into a hamburger sandwich comprising:

providing a food tray comprising a tray body having a first end and a second end, a lower surface and a sidewall structure defining a tray height and a tray volume within said tray body and a tray insert positionable in the tray volume and comprising an elongated supporting surface and insert supports defining a tray insert height, wherein said supporting surface is above said lower surface and below the top of the sidewall structure, and said lower surface defining a lower volume between said lower surface and said supporting surface, and the supporting surface defining a food holding volume in conjunction with said sidewall structure;

placing the previously cooked hamburger patties on said supporting surface;

placing and storing for a desired period of time the tray having the cooked hamburger patties therein in a heated compartment having an upper surface and a heated lower compartment surface, to maintain a storage temperature of the cooked hamburger patties at about 145°

F. or more; and

maintaining the tray during said storing so that the top edge of the tray is in close proximity to the upper surface to achieve a gap between the top of the tray and the upper surface of between about 0 and 0.25 inches to restrict water vapor from evaporating from the cooked hamburger patties in the tray during storage in the compartment.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein said supporting surface comprises a plurality of apertures.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein said apertures form a circular shape generally corresponding to the size of hamburger patties to be stored thereon.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein said apertures are at least generally rectangular.

21. The method according to claim 17 further comprising continuing the storage of the hamburger patties in the tray until the hamburger patties are assembled into hamburger sandwiches.

22. The method according to claim 17 wherein said hamburger patties are stacked two high.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein eight hamburger patties are stored in said tray.

24. The method according to claim 22 wherein six hamburger patties are stored in said tray.

25. A method of making a hamburger sandwich comprising:

cooking a plurality of hamburger patties;

providing a food tray comprising a tray body having a first end and a second end, a lower surface and a sidewall structure defining a tray height and a tray volume within said tray body and a tray insert positionable in the tray volume and comprising an elongated supporting surface and insert supports defining a tray insert height, wherein said supporting surface is above said lower surface and below the top of the sidewall structure, and said lower surface defining a lower volume between said lower surface and said supporting surface, and the supporting surface defining a food holding volume in conjunction with said sidewall structure;

placing the previously cooked hamburger patties on said supporting surface;

placing and storing for a desired period of time the tray having the cooked hamburger patties therein in a heated compartment having an upper surface and a heated lower compartment surface, to maintain a storage temperature of the cooked hamburger patties at about 145°

F. or more;

maintaining the tray during said storing so that the top edge of the tray is in close proximity to the upper surface to achieve a gap between the top of the tray and the upper surface of between about 0 and 0.25 inches to restrict water vapor from evaporating from the cooked hamburger patties in the tray during storage in the compartment;

thereafter removing cooked hamburger patties from the tray when needed for assembly into hamburger sandwiches; and

assembling the hamburger patties into hamburger sandwiches.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the assembling includes applying condiments and placing the hamburger patties into buns.

27. The method according to claim 25 wherein said supporting surface comprises a plurality of apertures.

28. The method according to claim 25 wherein said hamburger patties are stacked two high.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein eight hamburger patties are stored in said tray.

30. The method according to claim 28 wherein six hamburger patties are stored in said tray.