Abstract:
A tray or pan for preparing and serving pizza is disclosed. The tray or pan may have a first cooking region separated from a second cooking region by a partition. The tray or pan may be discoid in shape and comprise an annular partition defining a smaller discoid surface within the partition.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 61/970,154, filed Mar. 25, 2014 and 61/993,756, filed May 15, 2014, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a tray or pan for preparing and serving pizza. More specifically, the invention relates to a tray or pan having a first cooking region separated from a second cooking region by a partition. The tray or pan may be discoid in shape and comprise an annular partition defining a smaller discoid surface within the partition. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    There exist regional preferences among the several varieties of pizza available. In the northeast of the United States, for example, New York-style pizza is popular. It is characterized by a thin crust and is typically hand tossed. New York pizza is typically prepared on a flat aluminum tray ranging from about 12 inches to over 20 inches in diameter. Chicago-style or deep dish pizza, on the other hand, is characterized by a thick crust, often two to three inches in thickness. Deep dish pizza is usually baked in a pan having an edge wall resembling a cake or pie pan. The dough is usually pressed into the pan rather than tossed as in New York Style pizza. 
         [0004]    It is an object of the invention to provide a pizza tray or pan for simultaneously preparing thin crust and deep dish pizza on the same tray or pan. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with the foregoing objectives and others, the present invention provides a pizza tray or pan comprising a generally planar surface having a partition separating a first region from a second region of said tray or pan. The tray or pan may be discoid in overall shape and the partition may comprise an annular wall defining a region inside the wall for making a first edible composition (e.g., a deep dish pizza) and an area outside of the wall for making a different edible composition (e.g., a thin crest pizza). The outer cooking surface may further be enclosed by a rim or wall. 
         [0006]    These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following detailed description of the invention, including the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of a pizza tray  10  according to the invention. In this embodiment, pizza tray  10  is discoid in shape. A wall  24  rises approximately 0.5-3 inches (e.g., about 1-2″) above the top surface of the tray and has a width  20  of about 0.5-2 inches. The inner wall  22  is slightly inclined away from vertical and separates the tray into an inner region  30  and an outer region  40 . A plurality of perforations or holes  12  are punched through both the inner and outer regions of the tray. The outer region  40  may be used to prepare a thin crust pizza  45  and the inner region  30  may be used to prepare a thick crust pizza  35 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of the pizza tray  10  of  FIG. 1 . The pizza tray comprises flat surfaces  30  and  40  for preparing a thin crust pizza. An annular wall  20  separates surfaces  30  and  40 . Surfaces  30  and  40  contain a plurality of perforations (holes) punches through the tray. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a bottom view of the pizza tray of  FIG. 2 . As shown, there is an annular recess  25  in the bottom corresponding to the wall surface  20 . The recess is formed, for example, by molding the pan using a punch or pressing a rotating blank against a chuck on a lathe. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 4-7  illustrates left and right and front and back side views of the pizza tray of  FIG. 1 . Since the pizza tray  10  of  FIG. 1  possesses radial symmetry, the views are identical. The thickness  14  of the tray may range, for example, from about 30 mil to about 100 mil (e.g., about 40-60 mil). The height of wall  24 , which is vertical in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , may range from about 0.5 inches to about 3 inches or more, but is approximately one inch tall in the illustrated embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a pizza pan  10  according to the invention. A pan rim or wall  50  rises vertically or at an incline, approximately 0.1-4 inches or more (e.g., about 0.5-1″) above the surface of outer region  40 . In this embodiment, outer region  40  may also be used to prepare a thick crust pizza. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of a pizza tray  10  according to the invention is shown. Pizza tray  10  may by any shape include rectangular or circular (discoid), but is typically discoid. The diameter (O.D.) of the tray is not particularly important, but may range, for example, from about 8″ (inches) to about 28″ or more, more typically, from about 10″ to about 19″, or from about 12″ to about 16″. In various embodiments, the outer diameter (O.D.) of the pizza tray is about 10″, about 11″, about 12″, about 13″, about 14″, about 15″, about 16″, about 17″, about 18″, about 19″, about 20″, about 21″, or about 22″, or about 24″. In embodiments where the tray is not circular, the foregoing dimensions refer to the largest dimension of the tray. 
         [0013]    A wall  24  rises from the surface of the tray, for example, the wall may rise approximately 0.25-3 inches in height or more, but will typically rise about 0.5″ to about 2.5″ or from about 0.75″ to about 2″ or from about 1″ to about 1.5″ above the surface of the tray. In one embodiment, the wall rises about 0.5 inches. In another embodiment, the wall rises about one inch. Wall  24  may rise vertically or at an incline. Wall  24  defines an area  40  extending from the wall  24  to the outer edge of the tray. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , area  40  is in the shape of an annulus. 
         [0014]    An internal wall  22  defines an area  30  within the internal wall. The inner wall  22  may be vertical or may be inclined. In  FIG. 1 , the inner wall is slightly inclined away from vertical and resembles a pie pan. The inner wall may be inclined, for example, between about 5° and about 45° from vertical (or between about 10° and about 30°). The total vertical height of wall  22  may be the same or different than wall  24 , and may, for example, rise from the surface of the tray approximately 0.25-3 inches in height or more, but will typically rise about 0.5″ to about 2.5″ or from about 0.75″ to about 2″ or from about 1″ to about 1.5″ above the surface of the tray. In one embodiment, the inner wall  22  rises about 0.5 inches. In another embodiment, the inner wall  22  rises about one inch. In a further embodiment, the inner wall  22  rises about 1.5 inches. In yet another embodiment, the inner wall  22  rises about 2 inches about the surface  30 . Inner wall  30  defines an inner region  30 . Inner region  30  may be any shape, for example, rectangular or circular. In the embodiment in  FIG. 1 , inner region  30  is circular. Inner region  30  may be coplanar with outer region  40 . Inner region  30  may, for example, have a size (e.g., diameter) of about 4-12 inches, or about 5″, about 6″, about 7″, about 8″, about 9″, about 10″ about 11″, or about 12″. In embodiments where the inner region  30  is not circular, the foregoing dimensions refer to the largest dimension of the inner region. 
         [0015]    A plurality of perforations (or holes)  12  are punched through the inner and/or outer regions of the tray. In one embodiment, the perforations are located only in the outer region  40 . In another embodiment, the perforations are located only in the inner region  30 . In other embodiments, the perforations are located in both the inner region  30  and the outer region  40 . The perforations may be for example using a circular punch or the like. The perforations may be any shape, but are typically round. The size (diameter) of the perforations may range, for example, from about 0.1 cm to about 1.5 cm, or from about 0.25 cm to about 1.5 cm, or from about 0.5 cm to about 1 cm. In some embodiments, the perforations in inner region  30  are differently sized than the perforations in outer region  40 . In other embodiments, the perforations in inner region  30  are the same size as the perforations in outer region  40 . The perforations may be arranged with radial symmetry from the center of the tray. The perforations may serve to allow heated air to reach the underside of the pizza to produce a crispier crust. 
         [0016]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , outer wall  24  and inner wall  22  are separated by a wall surface  20 . Wall surface  20  may be, for example, from about 0.25″ to about 2″ wide (e.g., from about 0.5″ to about 1.5″ wide). In other embodiments, outer wall  24  and inner wall  22  come together to form a rounded or pointed junction without having a defined surface  20  therebetween. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, the outer surface  40  is generally planar. In one embodiment, the inner surface  30  is generally planar. In one embodiment the inner surface  30  and the outer surface  40  are generally planar. In one embodiment the inner surface  30  and the outer surface  40  are generally coplanar. In one embodiment, the inner surface  30  is not planar. In one embodiment, the inner surface  30  is not planar. In one embodiment, the inner surface  30  is bowl shaped. In one embodiment, the inner surface  30  is not perforated and is configured to hold a liquid (e.g., a sauce or the like). 
         [0018]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 8 , a pan wall  50  circles the outer edge of outer region  40  and rises vertically or at an incline from the surface. The height of the pan wall is not restricted and may rise approximately 0.1-4 inches or more, but will typically rise about 0.2 to about 3.5″ or from about 0.25 to about 3″ or from about 0.4 to about 2.5″ or from about 0.5 to about 2″ or from about 0.6 to about 2.2″ or from about 1 to about 1.5″ above the surface of the outer region  40 . In one embodiment, the pan wall rises about 0.25 inches. In another embodiment, the pan wall rises 0.5 inches. In another embodiment, the pan wall rises about 1 inch, about 2 inches, about 3 inches, or about 4 inches. 
         [0019]    The tray or pan may be made of aluminum (e.g., anodized aluminum), cold rolled steel, or the like. The tray or pan may have a hardness, for example, of about 20-25 Rockwell. In one embodiment, the tray or pan is made from H14 grade aluminum. The aluminum may be alloyed with manganese and or magnesium. In one embodiment, the tray is made from type 304 steel. 
         [0020]    The outer region  40  may be used to prepare a first food product (illustrated as a thin crust pizza  45  in  FIG. 1 ) and the inner region  30  may be used to prepare a different food product (illustrated as a thick crust pizza  35  in  FIG. 1 ). The inner region may also be used to hold a bowl, for example, a salad or soup bowl. In one embodiment the inner and or outer cooking surfaces have a non-stick coating. 
         [0021]    The invention described and claimed herein is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments herein disclosed since these embodiments are intended as illustrations of several aspects of the invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described therein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. All publications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.