Device for bearing a perishable foodstuff, in particular a cheese

Abstract: A device for bearing a perishable foodstuff, in particular a cheese, whereby the device is provided with at least one bearing tray (2) that is permeable to gas and with means (1) which allow a gas to gain access from the bottom side of the bearing tray (2), through the bearing tray (2) because of its permeability to gas, to the foodstuff to be placed on the bearing tray (2), or whereby the device is provided with at least one bearing tray (2) provided with means (10) projecting above its top surface which allow gas to gain access from the side of the bearing tray (2), along the means (10), to the foodstuff to be placed on the bearing tray.

Description: The invention relates to a device for bearing a perishable foodstuff, in particular a cheese, provided with at least one bearing tray which is permeable to gas for allowing gas to gain access from the bottom side of the bearing tray, through the bearing tray to the foodstuff to be placed on the bearing tray, the device being provided with a structure with at least one frame in which the bearing tray is moveably arranged in a horizontal plane. Such device is described in GB-A-2,142,216. The described device is a storage structure for cheeses having a frame including vertical side walls which are provided at equal vertical intervals with supporting grooves, which form guides for slidingly receiving the extremities of shelves or bearing trays. The side walls are hollow to constitute air ducts for supply of ventilation air to the cheese storage spaces. In fact, the shelves according to GB-A-2,142,216 operate like the drawers of a chest of drawers: they can be slided forward and backward to ensure easy insertion and removal of the cheeses on the shelves. The present invention provides a device for bearing a perishable foodstuff, of which cleaning is facilitated and whereby the bearing tray can be loaded with greater weights. To achieve these goals the invention is characterized in that the bearing tray is connected detachably to the frame by providing the frame with profiled edgings and by providing the bearing tray along at least a part of its longitudinal sides with a profile which clamps with the profiled edgings of the frame when the bearing tray is fitted in said frame. Such a structure may, for instance, be a steel rack in which mutually spaced horizontal steel frames with bearing trays fitted inside have been mounted. To facilitate cleaning of the bearing tray especially, this tray is connected detachably to the frame. As the bearing tray thus is connected along at least a part of its longitudinal sides to the profiled edgings of the frame under a certain tensile stress, by means of the aforesaid clamping profile, the bearing tray can be loaded with greater cheese weights. Preferably the profiled edgings are provided with a profile corresponding to the profile of the bearing tray, resulting in a clamping connection. A further embodiment of a device according to the invention is characterized in that the profiled eding of the frame has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional area. A further embodiment of a device according to the invention is characterized in that the bearing tray is provided with knobs projecting above its top surface. If the bearing tray is provided with perforations, these knobs are preferably disposed between the perforations, so that substantially the whole bottom of a cheese placed on the bearing tray is freely accessible to, for instance, purified air. The invention will now be further elucidated with reference to the accompanying figures, in which figure 1 depicts a bearing tray according to the invention which is provided along at least a part of its longitudinal sides with two profiles having a substantially round cross-sectional area; figure 2 represents the bearing tray of figure 1 under conditions where the bearing tray has been incorporated in a diagrammatically sketched frame; figure 3 shows a bearing tray according to the invention which is provided along at least a part of its longitudinal sides with two profiles having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional area; figure 4 represents a structure with on the one hand cheese shelves according to the state of the art and on the other hand frames incorporating bearing trays according to figures 1 or 3; Figure 1 represents a bearing tray 2, containing perforations 1, with round profiles 6, which under conditions where the bearing tray 2 has been fitted in a horizontal frame 9 of a structure interlock with a corresponding profile 7 of the edges 8 of frame 9 (figure 2). In this figure 2 the frame 9 with edges 8 is sketched only diagrammatically. Figure 4 schematically shows how the bearing tray 2 of figure 1 has been accommodated in the frame 9 which has been mounted in a structure. Figure 3 represents a bearing tray 2 according to the invention with substantially rectangular profiles 6. Under conditions where such a bearing tray 2 is accommodated in a frame of a structure, the said rectangular profiles 6 clamp with corresponding rectangular profiles of the edges of the frame. Preferably, knobs are disposed between the perforations 1, so that substantially the whole bottom of a cheese placed on the bearing tray is freely accessible to, for instance, purified air.

Claims: A device for bearing a perishable foodstuff, in particular a cheese, provided with at least one bearing tray (2) which is permeable to gas for allowing gas to gain access from the bottom side of the bearing tray (2), through the bearing tray (2) to the foodstuff to be placed on the bearing tray (2), the device being provided with a structure with at least one frame in which the bearing tray is moveably arranged in a horizontal plane, characterized in that the bearing tray (2) is connected detachably to the frame (9) by providing the frame with profiled edgings (8) and by providing the bearing tray (2) along at least a part of its longitudinal sides with a profile (6) which clamps with the profiled edgings (8) of the frame (9) when the bearing tray (2) is fitted in said frame (9). A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the profiled edging (8) of the frame (9) has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional area. A device according to any one of the preciding claims, characterized in that the bearing tray (2) is provided with knobs (10) projecting above its top surface. A bearing tray (2) for use in a device according to any of the preceding claims, which bearing tray (2) is permeable to gas for allowing gas to gain acces from the bottom side of the bearing tray (2), through the bearing tray (2) to the foodstuff to be placed on the bearing tray (2), which bearing tray is provided with means to arrange the tray moveably and in a horizontal plane in a frame (9) belonging to a structure of the said device, characterized in that the bearing tray (2) is provided along at least a part of its longitudinal sides with a profile (6) for clamping with the profiled edgings (8) of the frame (9) when the bearing tray (2) is fitted in said frame (9), the profile having a body portion attached to the bottom side of the bearing tray by a neck portion of smaller width than said body portion, the bearing tray (2) being connectable detachably to the frame (9) being provided with said profiled edgings (8) by means of said profile.

Inventors: DE JONG D, DE JONG, D.
Applicants: DOOITZE DE JONG HOLDING B V, DOOITZE DE JONG HOLDING B.V.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A01J25
IPC codes: A01J25