Tray

• US 5,894,944 A
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lawrence F. Swift
• Original Assignee: Lawrence F. Swift
• Inventors: Swift, Lawrence F.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US08/906,928
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 211/77, 211/78, 211/128.1, 211/129.1, 211/133.4, 211/131.1, 211/205, D 7/615, D 7/501, D 7/552, D 7/558
• US Class Current: 211/78
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/08 Food-conveying devices for tables restaurant service systems A47F10/06; conveyors for washing or rinsing crockery or tableware A47L15/00; Movable or rotary food-serving devices

Abstract

A serving tray having multiple levels includes a lower tray, a tapered collar, a cylindrical extension and an upper tray. The lower tray has a receiving cup having a ribbed exterior surface for alignment to one end of the tapered collar in a non-rotatable manner. The cylindrical extension is sized to fit through the other end of the collar and into the receiving cup such that rotatable movement of the extension is permitted. The upper tray has a centrally located cup with a vertical wall that extends below the planar surface of the upper tray and fits within the upper end of the extension so that the upper tray rotates with the extension.

Claims

1. A serving tray having multiple levels comprising:

a lower tray having a centrally located receiving cup and an annular recess surrounding said cup,

a cylindrical collar having a flange extending circumferentially from one end of said collar and an open second end, said flange sized for tightly fitting within the annular recess of said lower tray,

a cylindrical extension having a pair of ends; and

an upper tray having a centrally located cup forming an annular groove, wherein said receiving cup of the lower tray is configured for securely receiving one end of the cylindrical extension and said annular groove of the upper tray is configured for securely receiving the other end of the cylindrical extension.

2. The serving tray of claim 1, wherein said lower tray has a planar surface having strengthening ribs thereon.

3. The serving tray of claim 1, wherein said centrally located receiving cup has a ribbed outer wall.

4. The serving tray of claim 3, wherein the cylindrical collar has a ribbed inner wall which coincide with the ribbed outer wall of the receiving cup when said collar is connected to the lower tray.

5. The serving tray of claim 1, wherein the upper tray has a partitioned planar surface.