Abstract:
A tray lid for covering a food tray having at least one food pocket therein. The tray lid includes a substantially flat tray covering section including a wall covering portion and at least one pocket covering portion formed thereon. The tray lid can include at least one pocket covering portion having a peripheral channel configured to abut against an associated wall of a food pocket of the food tray to seal food within the at least one food pocket.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to food carriers, and in particular to a food tray and tray lid of a food carrier. 
   Food carriers are used extensively for transporting food from one location to another location. One example of a food carrier is the food carrier used in transporting food products from a grocery store or restaurant to the location where the food is to be consumed. The same food carrier can also be used to transport hot or cold food to people who are not able to leave their homes. 
   Heretofore, food carriers have included compartmentalized containers having a food tray and a tray lid. The food tray included a plurality of food pockets wherein food was placed into the food pockets and the tray lid was placed over the food tray to prevent the food from spilling when the food carrier is transported from one location to another location. However, tray lids have typically included a flat planar surface that covered all of the food pockets in the food tray. Therefore, food in one food pocket has leaked into another food pocket when the food carrier is transported or when the food carrier experiences bending or other force applied to the food carrier. This commingling of food can be particularly unfavorable when a hot food in one food pocket is mixed with cold food in another pocket, thereby lowering and/or raising, respectively, the temperature of the food. Additionally, the tray lids with the flat planar surface have been subject to bending and therefore can be damaged very easily. 
   Accordingly, a food carrier having a tray lid solving the aforementioned disadvantages and having the aforementioned advantages is desired. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One aspect of the present invention is to provide a tray lid for covering a food tray having at least one food pocket therein. The tray lid includes a substantially flat tray covering section including a wall covering portion and at least one pocket covering portion formed thereon. The pocket covering portion has a central area and a periphery defined by a channel. The central area of the pocket covering portion and the wall covering portion are substantially parallel. The channel includes a first side wall connected to the wall covering portion, a second side wall connected to the central area of the pocket covering portion and a connection portion connecting the first side wall and the second side wall. A bottom face of the wall covering portion is adapted to overlie a top flat portion of a wall of the at least one food pocket of the tray and the first side wall of the channel is adapted to partially overlie a slanted portion of the wall of the at least one food pocket of the tray, thereby securely maintaining food in the at least one food pocket of the food tray when the tray lid is placed over the food tray. 
   Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a food carrier assembly comprising a food tray and a tray lid. The food tray includes at least one food pocket therein. The food tray further includes a wall having a slanted portion defining sides of the at least one food pocket and a top flat portion defining a top of the food tray. The tray lid covers the food tray, and includes a substantially flat tray covering section having a wall covering portion and at least one pocket covering portion formed thereon. The pocket covering portion has a central area and a periphery defined by a channel. The central area of the pocket covering portion and the wall covering portion are substantially parallel. The channel has a first side wall connected to the wall covering portion, a second side wall connected to the central area of the pocket covering portion and a connection portion connecting the first side wall and the second side wall. A bottom face of the wall covering portion overlies a top flat portion of the wall of the food tray and the first side wall of the channel partially overlies a slanted portion of the wall of the food tray when the tray lid is placed over the food tray, thereby securely maintaining food in the at least one food pocket of the food tray when the tray lid is placed over the food tray. 
   Accordingly, the food carrier assembly and the tray lid provide for secure transport of the food within the food tray. The food carrier assembly and the tray lid are efficient in use, economical to manufacture, capable of a long operable life, and particularly adapted for the proposed use. 
   These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a tray and a tray lid of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the tray and tray lid of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the tray and tray lid of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the tray lid of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of the tray lid of the present invention, the rear view being a mirror image thereof. 
       FIG. 6  is a left view of the tray lid of the present invention, the right side view being a mirror image thereof. 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the tray and the tray lid of the present invention taken along the line VII—VII of  FIG. 3 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as orientated in  FIG. 1 . However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , reference number  10  generally designates a food carrier assembly embodying the present invention. In the illustrated example, the food carrier assembly  10  includes a food tray  12  and a tray lid  14 . The food tray  12  includes a plurality of food pockets  16  for accepting food therein. In the illustrated example, the food tray  12  includes three food pockets  16 , although it is contemplated that any number of food pockets  16  can be used in the food tray  12 . The food tray  12  can be used to transport cold or hot food within the food pockets  16 . The food tray  12  can be made out of paper, plastic or any other material known to those skilled in the art. The tray lid  14  is placed over the tray lid  12  to cover the food pockets  16  to thereby maintain the food within the food pockets  16  and to maintain the temperature of the food within the food pockets  16 . 
   In the illustrated example, the food tray  12  ( FIGS. 1–3  and  7 ) is substantially rectangular and includes the three food pockets  16 . The food pockets  16  are defined by a bottom surface  18  and a wall  20 . The wall  20  includes a slanted portion  22  connected to the bottom surface  18  and a flat top portion  24  at the top of the slanted portion  22  defining a top of the food tray  12 . Food is held in the food tray  12  within the food pockets  16  by the bottom surface  18  and the slanted portion  22  of the wall  20 . The food tray  12  also includes a flat rim  25  extending outward from the food pockets  16 . The flat rim  25  includes an edge  26 , a top surface  28  and a bottom surface  30 . As explained in more detail below, the flat rim  25  assists in connecting the tray lid  14  to the food tray  12 . The food tray  12  as described above is well known to those skilled in the art. 
   The illustrated tray lid  14  ( FIGS. 1–7 ) includes a substantially flat tray covering section  32  designed to cover the food pockets  16  of the food tray  12  to maintain the food within the food pockets  16  when the tray lid  14  is connected to the food tray  12 . The tray covering section  32  includes a wall covering portion  34  and pocket covering portions  36 . Three pocket covering portions  36  are shown, with each pocket covering portion  36  being configured to overlie a food pocket  16  of the food tray  12 . The wall covering portion  34  is located between each of the pocket covering portions  36  to thereby separate the pocket covering portions  36 . The wall covering portion  34  also surrounds each of the pocket covering portions  36  and defines a border  38  of the tray lid  14 . The border  38  of the tray lid  14  also has an inverted U-shaped ridge  40  having a depending L-shaped leg  41  ( FIG. 7 ). The depending L-shaped leg  41  includes a concave indent  43  for connecting the tray lid  14  to the food tray  12 . The tray lid  14  is preferably made out of PET polyester, although it is contemplated that the tray lid  14  can be made out of other materials. 
   In the illustrated example, the pocket covering portions  36  of the tray lid  14  include a U-shaped channel  42  defining a periphery of the pocket covering portions  36  and a central area  44  surrounded by the U-shaped channel  42 . The U-shaped channel  42  has a first side wall  46  connected to the wall covering portion  24 , a second side wall  48  connected to the central area  44  of the pocket covering portion  36  and a connecting portion  50  connecting the first side wall  46  and the second side wall  48 . The U-shaped channel  42  keeps the food within the food pockets  16  of the food tray  12  within the individual food pocket  16  when the tray lid  14  is, connected to the food tray  12 . 
   The illustrated pocket covering portions  36  of the food tray  14  abut against the slanted portion  22  of the food pockets  16  of the food tray  12  to maintain the food within the food pockets  16 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , when the tray lid  14  is placed over the food tray  12 , a bottom face  51  of the wall covering portion  34  overlies the top flat portion  24  of the wall  20  of the food tray  12 . Additionally, the first side wall  46  of the U-shaped channel  42  partially overlies the slanted portion  22  of the wall  20  of the food tray  12 . Therefore, the first side wall  46  of the U-shaped channel  42  abuts against the slanted portion  22  of the wall  20  of the food pockets  16  and does not allow the food within the food pockets  16  to escape the food pockets  16 . Consequently, the food within the food pockets  16  can not commingle or escape to an adjacent food pocket  16 , thereby securely maintaining food in the food pocket  16  of the food tray  12 . Additionally, the tray covering section  32  of the tray lid  14  is preferably concave as seen from the top of the tray lid  14  in order to press down the tray covering section  32  when the tray lid  14  is connected to the food tray  12 , thereby maintaining a more secure connection between the U-shaped channel  42  and the wall covering portion  34  of the tray lid  14  with the wall  20  of the food tray  12 . 
   In the illustrated example, the L-shaped leg  41  of the tray lid  14  is positioned about the rim  24  of the food tray  12  to connect the tray lid  14  to the food tray  12 . The L-shaped leg  41  includes the concave indent  43 . The tray lid  14  is connected to the food tray  12  by snapping the tray lid  14  over the food tray  14  until the rim  24  of the food tray  12  is located above the concave indent  43 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , once the tray lid  14  is connected to the food tray  14 , the rim  24  of the food tray  12  will be locked in position between the concave indent  43  and the wall covering portion  34  of the tray lid  14  adjacent the rim  24 . 
   It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. For example, although the food tray  12  and the tray lid  14  are shown as being substantially rectangular, it is contemplated that the food tray  12  and the tray lid  14  could have any configuration. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims, unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.