Abstract:
A shrimp container for precooked shrimp has an integral serving tray that slidably receives a transparent cover, the tray and cover cooperatively defining a cavity enclosing a plurality of shrimp. The serving tray includes a cup holder that is surrounded by an annular shelf for supporting the shrimp. A plurality of transverse grooves intersects the shelf radially to drain liquids away from the shrimp. Annular drain grooves disposed at the inner and outer periphery of the shelf receive the drained liquids from the radial grooves. A condiment cup is removably insertable into the cup holder. The cup holder includes a cylindrical wall that extends upwardly higher than the annular shelf, thereby precluding the shrimp from sliding over the cup holder.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention is directed to retail food packaging containers, and in particular, to a shrimp container having an integral serving tray.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Food packaging containers for retail applications are well known in the industry, and in particular, it is known to provide a packaging container for shrimp, either fresh or frozen, wherein the container includes an integral serving tray. Shelled, deveined, and precooked shrimp are a popular food item, especially for parties and the like. Such prepared shrimp have several desirable qualities. Shrimp are a flavorful and nutritional food that is suitable as a self-serve “finger food.” Frequently, the inedible tail of the shrimp is left attached to the precooked shrimp, providing a convenient handle for grasping the individual shrimp. Typically, the precooked shrimp are merely thawed (if frozen) and set out on a serving tray, often with a suitable condiment, such as a cocktail sauce.  
           [0003]    Shrimp serving trays are known in the art—for example, trays disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,120, No. 6,022,571, and No. 6,168,813 to Blazevich. Blazevich discloses one- and two-tier shrimp trays having annular, frustoconical surfaces for supporting the shrimp, a raised annular rim disposed around the surface, and an integral bowl portion for containing a condiment. Blazevich, however, does not disclose any method for packaging a shrimp serving tray with shrimp for retail sales. Moreover, in the trays disclosed by Blazevich, the shrimp tails overhang the outer periphery of the tray, complicating the packaging requirements. In some prior art shrimp tray packaging, the tray is disposed within an opaque, cardboard box. In such packaging, the consumer is unable to see the product that is being purchased. This can discourage a consumer from purchasing the product, or result in dissatisfaction if the purchased product does not comport with the consumer&#39;s expectations. These tray-in-a-box type of packaging also results in multiple layers of packaging, increasing the costs and refuse for each shrimp tray. Another disadvantage of this type of packaging is that it does not provide a cover to protect the shrimp until just prior to serving, and does not provide an easy method for storing a partially-consumed tray for later use.  
           [0004]    To overcome these disadvantages, Sagan et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,856) discloses a shrimp container including a base portion that functions as a tray, and a cover that fits over the base portion. The shrimp are arranged on the tray such that they do not overhang the outer perimeter. The container disclosed by Sagan et al., however, is designed to accommodate a plurality of shrimp wherein each shrimp is oriented in a vertical plane, side-by-side with neighboring shrimp, i.e., with the tail and head ends of the shrimp oriented downwardly and the curved back elevated with respect to the ends. In this arrangement, most of the shrimp is hidden by neighboring shrimp, again making it difficult or impossible for the consumer to see the product and judge its quality and other attributes. Moreover, a substantial portion of the shrimp near the tail is disposed in a trough that extends underneath the top portion of a condiment receptacle, further obscuring the shrimp. The shrimp are further obscured by a circumferential rim that extends upwardly near the outer periphery of the tray. It will be appreciated that obscuring portions of the shrimp not only hinders the consumer&#39;s purchasing decision, but may also decrease the aesthetic display qualities of the shrimp tray when the tray is served. Sagan et al. also discloses a closure mechanism that is complicated with negative drafts along the sidewalls that are difficult to manufacture. In particular, it is not clear from the disclosure how one would engage the closure mechanism between the tray and the cover.  
           [0005]    Accordingly, a need exists for a shrimp ring container including an integral tray and a cover that protects the shrimp, while also providing good visibility of the shrimp product, and wherein the cover is readily removable and replaceable onto the tray portion.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is directed to a tray for packaging and serving cleaned, deveined, and precooked shrimp. The disclosed embodiment includes a tray base having an annular shelf for supporting the shrimp. An integral cup holder is provided and a condiment cup is placed in the cup holder. A removable, transparent cover is slidably disposed over the tray base, covering the shrimp supported by the annular shelf and the condiment cup. Transverse grooves divide the annular shelf into segments, the grooves being adapted to drain liquids from the shrimp. Circumferential grooves on either side of the transverse grooves receive the drained liquids. The transparent cover permits the consumer to view a substantial portion of the shrimp therethrough.  
           [0007]    In a disclosed embodiment, the tray base sidewall includes a circumferential protrusion that engages a mating circumferential depression in the cover sidewall, thereby providing a positive engagement mechanism therebetween. In a disclosed embodiment, annular flanges are provided on the tray base and the cover, wherein the annular flanges are adjacent each other when the cover is disposed over the tray base. This configuration permits a convenient element for attaching the cover to the try base, for example, by taping or otherwise interconnecting the tray base and cover flanges.  
           [0008]    In a disclosed embodiment, the cover includes a depression on its upper surface, and the condiment cup extends from the bottom of the cup holder approximately to the cover, thereby facilitating stacking the shrimp trays. Further, the tray base flange and the bottom of the cup holder may be coplanar at the lowermost end of the tray base, thereby providing a convenient base for the shrimp tray, with the annular wall and shrimp elevated. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shrimp tray according to the present invention, shown with shrimp disposed on the tray;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the shrimp tray shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the shrimp tray shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the shrimp tray shown in FIG. 1, with the shrimp omitted for clarity; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the shrimp tray shown in FIG. 2, taken generally from the center outwardly. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    Turning now to the drawings, FIGS.  1 - 3  show a shrimp tray  100  according to the present invention. The shrimp tray  100  includes a preferably opaque tray base  110  that supports a plurality of shrimp  90 , the shrimp  90  having a generally crescent shape and disposed on the tray base  110  resting on their sides, with the shrimp nestled with the concave portion of each shrimp  90  generally adjacent to the convex portion of a neighboring shrimp  90 . A transparent cover  210  is disposed over the tray base  110 , containing and protecting the shrimp  90 . A removable cup assembly  310 , including a cup  314  and a lid  312  (see FIG. 4), are disposed in a cup holder  112 , conveniently disposed in the center of the tray base  110 , as discussed below.  
         [0016]    Referring now to FIG. 4, showing an exploded view of the shrimp tray  100  (with the shrimp omitted, for clarity), the tray base  110  includes a cup holder  112  for receiving the cup assembly  310 , an annular tray shelf  114  disposed about the cup holder  112 , an inner drain groove  116  and an outer drain groove  118  located along the inner radius and outer periphery of the annular tray shelf  114 , respectively, an outer sidewall  120 , and a flange  122 . The tray shelf  114  is preferably made up of a plurality of elevated segments  113  that are separated by radial grooves  115  that extend between the inner drain groove  116  and the outer drain groove  118 . In the preferred embodiment, the tray shelf  114  is substantially planar horizontally, such that the shrimp  90  disposed thereon are optimally displayed, and are not disposed to slide inwardly, as would be the case if the tray shelf  114  was inclined with a frustoconical shape. Notwithstanding the generally planar tray shelf  114 , however, it will be appreciated that the circumferential drain grooves  116  and  118 , cooperatively with the radial grooves  115 , provide an efficient geometry for draining any accumulated liquids away from the shrimp  90 .  
         [0017]    The transparent cover  210  includes a bowl-shaped upper portion  212  that is adapted to extend over the shrimp  90 , providing a cavity between the upper surface of the tray base  110  and the cover  210  that encloses and protects the shrimp  90  and the cup assembly  310 . A circular cover sidewall  220  extends downwardly from the periphery of the upper portion  212 , the cover sidewall being sized to fit snugly about the outer sidewall  120  of the tray base  110 . A second flange  222  extends horizontally from the bottom of the cover sidewall  220 , the second flange  222  adapted to generally sit atop and adjacent to the tray base flange  122 . It will now be readily apparent to one of skill in the art that the tray base  110  and the cover  210  can be readily fixed together in any number of ways—for example, with tape, adhesive, heat-shrinkable material, or other wrap that connects the tray base flange  122  to the cover flange  222 . Alternatively, the flanges  122 ,  222  may be welded or stapled together. Other means of affixing the tray base  110  to the cover  210  will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, and are contemplated by this invention.  
         [0018]    In the preferred embodiment, the top of the tray base outer sidewall  120  is approximately coplanar with the tray shelf  114 . As seen most clearly in FIG. 3, showing an elevation view of the shrimp tray  100 , the outer sidewall  120  does not obscure the shrimp when the shrimp tray  100  is viewed from the side. Moreover, as seen most clearly in FIG. 2, showing a plan view of the shrimp tray  100 , neither the cup assembly  310  nor any adjacent shrimp  90  substantially obscure the consumer&#39;s view of the shrimp  90  from above. In particular, it will be appreciated that substantially an entire side of each of the shrimp is visible when the shrimp tray  100  is assembled, and will be displayed when the shrimp tray  100  is set out for consumption.  
         [0019]    Referring now to FIG. 5, a cross-section of the shrimp tray  100  through a center plane is shown. In the preferred embodiment, the bottom  111  of the cup holder  112  is generally coplanar with the flange  122  at the base of the outer sidewall  120 . The flange  122  and the cup holder  112  therefore cooperatively define a support base for the shrimp tray  100 . The tray shelf  114  provides an elevated base for the shrimp  90  (not shown). Shrimp meat is not very dense, and typically the heaviest portion of the shrimp tray  100  will be the condiment cup  310  filled with condiment in the center of the tray  100 . It should be appreciated, therefore, that in the preferred shrimp tray  100 , the condiment cup assembly  310  extends from the tray base  111  (bottom of the cup holder) substantially to the cover  210 , whereby the trays  100  can be stacked one atop the other without risk of damaging or compressing shrimp on the lower trays. A portion of a second shrimp tray  100 ′ is shown in phantom stacked atop the first shrimp tray  100 . The cover  210  and the tray base  110  can therefore be made from a relatively lightweight material. The center of the cover  210  may also be provided with a depression  214  that is sized to accept the bottom  111  of a cup holder  112  from another tray  100 ′, to facilitate stacking and proper alignment of the shrimp trays  100 ,  100 ′.  
         [0020]    The outer sidewall  120  of the tray base  110  includes a radially extending, circumferential projection  121  for engagement with the cover  210 . The projection  121  may conveniently be rounded, and may be formed at the same time the other features of the tray base  110  are formed—for example, with a thermo- or vacuum-forming process, if the tray base  110  is made of a sufficiently flexible material that it can be removed from the mold without damage. Alternatively, the projection  121  may be formed on the outer sidewall  120  in a separate step. A circumferential depression  221  is formed in the cover sidewall  220 , the depression being positioned and sized to engage the tray base projection  121  when the cover  210  is placed in the desired position on the tray base  110 . The projection  121  and depression  221  provide an engagement mechanism between the cover  210  and the tray base  110 , tending to hold the tray closed. The tray base  110  and cover  210  are preferably formed from a material having sufficient flexibility that the cover  210  can be relatively easily removed from the tray base  110 .  
         [0021]    It will also be appreciated from FIG. 5 that the radial grooves  115  on the tray shelf  114  are preferably shallower than the inner drain groove  116  and outer drain groove  118 . The radial grooves  115  provide a path for liquid to drain from the shrimp  90 —for example, during thawing or water remaining after rinsing the shrimp  90 —with relatively large circumferential reservoirs  116 ,  118  that receive the water, to prevent water from dripping from the shrimp  90  during dipping and consumption.  
         [0022]    The cup assembly  310  of the preferred embodiment comprises a cup  314  with a snap-on lid  312 , such as are well known in the art. It will be appreciated that by providing the condiment in a separate container, the condiment can be packaged at a separate location and merely placed in the tray cup holder  112  when assembling the shrimp tray  100 . In the preferred embodiment, the cup holder  112  in the tray base  110  includes a generally vertical wall  109  that extends higher than the annular tray shelf  114 , whereby the shrimp  90  are prevented from sliding over the condiment cup  310 .  
         [0023]    It is contemplated that the shrimp tray  100  may be formed from any suitably plastic material using conventional thermoforming, injection molding, or other techniques as are well known in the industry. In particular, it will be noted that the tray base  110  of the disclosed embodiment may conveniently be formed from a single sheet of plastic material on a unitary mold without any negative drafts that would hinder removing the tray base  110  from the mold, excepting the narrow circumferential projection  121 . As alluded to above, if the tray base  110  is made from a sufficiently flexible plastic material and the projection  121  is sufficiently narrow, the entire tray base  110  may be made in a single molding process. Alternatively, the projection  121  may be impressed on the tray base sidewall  120  in a separate step. Similar considerations apply to the cover  210 .  
         [0024]    Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and depicted, it will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many variations may be made to the disclosed embodiment without departing from the present invention. For example, although a circular tray  100  has been described, the tray may alternatively be of any convenient shape, such as elliptical, polygonal (such as square or hexagonal), or irregularly shaped. Similarly, although the segmented annular tray shelf  114  is shown with a particular number of segments, many fewer, or many more, segments may be utilized including, for example, a segmented shelf having many more grooves and wherein the elevated portions and the grooves are approximately of the same width.  
         [0025]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.