Illuminated serving tray

The present invention relates to an illuminated serving tray. The tray has a plurality of receptacles for housing products to be dispensed and a light source for illuminating the tray. The tray is made of photoluminescent material with a reflective label positioned above the central portion of the tray and in line with the light source which is connected to and positioned below the bottom of the tray so that the light from the light source and any ambient light is reflected back by the reflective label and transmitted through the photoluminescent material of the tray causing the tray and the edges of the tray to glow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a serving tray. In particular the present 
invention relates to an illuminated serving tray having a plurality of 
receptacles for housing products to be dispensed including but not limited 
to beverage containers. A light source connected to the tray supplies the 
light to illuminate the tray. 
2. The Prior Art 
Serving trays are known in the prior art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,803,604 provides a tray having a housing with an outer rim and a flat 
surface recessed within the rim. LED's are positioned on the tray rim such 
that the light from the LED's, when illuminated can be seen from a vantage 
point, above and below the tray. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,289 
granted to Ronald Kreun provides a lighted serving tray having a plurality 
of lights, a flat bottom surface, outer rim, and a hollow transparent tube 
connected to the tray next to the outer rim. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 
3,705,982 granted to Richard Smolinski provides an illuminated serving 
tray with a depth sufficient to secure a penlight within, with a 
translucent pane thereover ideally having a skidless textual upper 
surface. 
However, it would advantageous to be able to hold a product to it would 
also be advantageous to be able to place the tray at different angles. The 
tray can also be used as a promotional tool to sell the product as well as 
serve it. It attracts attention to the product and permits the tray to be 
used to advertise the product. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a principle object of the invention to provide a serving tray which 
has a plurality of openings that are adapted to receive and securely hold 
within a product that is to be served, and also, that the tray is 
fabricated from a fluorescent material with optical characteristics that 
allow it to transmit a high percentage of light it receives from a light 
source attached to the tray and from any ambient light, thus illuminating 
the tray. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a reflective label on 
said tray to advertise a product housed within openings or receptacles in 
said tray, wherein the label is located directly over the light source and 
reflects the light back into the tray so that the light is dispersed 
throughout the tray. This label may also be partially transparent, 
allowing some of the light through in order to create a projection type of 
image to shine on a wall or a ceiling. 
It is a further object of the invention to have an illuminated serving tray 
that has a light source that also functions as a handle for carrying the 
tray and for placing the object down on a surface. 
It is still a further object of the invention to have legs on said tray to 
be able to place the tray at different angles on a surface. The legs allow 
the tray to be placed down without damaging or affecting the product being 
served. In the case of the round tray the legs keep the tray from rolling 
when placed down.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the serving tray 
10 of the present invention which includes a tray 15, preferably 
circularly shaped and having a plurality of recepticals 16 preferably 
formed as apertures or holes in the tray 15. It is understood that the 
invention is not limited to a tray having a particular geometrically 
shaped configuration such as being circularly shaped, and the tray can be 
formed in any shape or configuration as desired including but not limited 
to rectangularly shaped, S-shaped, triangularly shaped, etc. These holes 
16 serve to house containers which are dispensed from the tray such as 
containers of beverages. These holes 16 are preferably uniformly 
dimensioned with respect to one another and uniformly distributed about 
the tray 15. The uniform distribution is desired as it permits maximum 
light dispersion of the light from the center of the tray to its outer 
edges. As shown in FIG. 1, these holes or openings 16 are created by two 
sets of circles having a common center at the center portion of the tray 
to provide a smaller circle and a larger circle of these holes 16. The 
containers which may be housed in each of these holes 16 are preferably 
plastic type containers with pull-off plastic lids that are used for 
beverage drinks. It is however understood that the present invention is 
not limited to just housing plastic type containers. These holes 16 are 
centered so that the head portion of such a container is positioned above 
the tray 15 as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3. It is understood that the 
invention is not limited to any one particular shaped opening for any of 
these holes or for that matter the receptacles can have bottoms and side 
walls for securely containing the beverages. The size of the openings 16, 
as shown in FIGS. 1-3 are dimensioned so that each securely holds yet also 
permits the easy removal of each of the containers housed therein. This is 
achieved by dimensioning the opening 16 to have a diameter slightly 
smaller than the diameter of each of the head portions of each of the 
containers. 
The tray 15 is preferably formed of a highly fluorescent material including 
but not limited to acrylic plastic. The highly fluorescent material has a 
high degree of clarity permitting the light received to be dispersed 
throughout the tray. By making the tray of a highly fluorescent material 
it reacts well under ultraviolet lights, such as a black light that is 
used in many night clubs. The tray may be made of a clear colored 
fluorescent acrylic plastic such as either acrylic sheets in fluorescent 
colors that are readily available, or which can be formed by injection 
molding or by any other means. In another embodiment the highly 
fluorescent material of the tray may be coated with and or manufactured 
with a phosphorescent coating to further enhance the glowing of the tray 
15. 
A light source 20 is attached to the underside of the tray 15 at its center 
portion, as shown in FIG. 1. The light source 20 may be a flashlight 20, 
however, it can also be any other type of light source as well. For 
example, the light source may have a housing which is part of the tray 
formed by injecting molding. As a flashlight, the flashlight handle 
portion 21 serves as a handle for carrying the tray 15. The light source 
20 includes a light bulb 22 as with the flashlight 20 as shown in FIG. 4. 
The light bulb 22 may be any kind of commercially used light bulb such as 
a krypton bulb. When the light source 20 illuminates the tray 15 it causes 
the entire tray 15 to light up and the outer edge 18 of the tray 15 is lit 
up as well. In addition, due to the photoluminescent properties of the 
material of the tray 15 reacting to the ultraviolet or black lights in the 
night clubs, bars, trade shows, promotions, etc., the edge glow effect of 
the tray 15 is enhanced because the tray 15 is made of highly fluorescent 
material. The light source 20 may be two light sources located at 
different places of the tray 15. 
The tray 15 further includes legs 25 and preferably three legs 25 as shown 
in FIG. 1. These legs 25 permit the tray to be placed down on a table or 
counter at a tilted angle to the counter. In this manner the tray 15 can 
be loaded up with the product and while in this position also serve as a 
display for the product. 
The reflective label 11 is preferably placed on the top center portion 12 
of the tray 15. Label 11 can either be applied adhesively or silk-screened 
to the tray 15 or may be molded as part of the tray 15, or applied by any 
known means. The label 11 preferably contains a logo of the name of the 
product in the container which being is dispensed. By placing the logo on 
the label directly over the beam of light of the light source 20 at the 
center 12 of the tray 15, light is reflected back into the plastic to be 
transmitted and escapes through the edges 18 thus assisting in the tray's 
edge being lit. Thus, the serving tray 10 serves as a promotional display 
tool for promoting the product being dispensed in a bar or night club 
which is dark and crowded. 
It is understood that the particular shape of the tray 15 or the material 
used or the shapes of the openings 16 or receptacles 16 can vary, and that 
the invention is not to any one particular shape or configuration. 
I do not limit myself to any particular details or constructions set forth 
in this specification illustrated in the drawings as the same of what is 
only certain by invention and it is observed that the same may be modified 
without departing from the spirit or the scope of the claimed invention.