Patent ID: 8869682

Claim:
A food pan for use with a serving station having wells within which to support the food pan, the food pan comprising: a bottom having a substantially rectangular periphery; a side wall connected to the bottom, wherein the side wall projects from the rectangular periphery of the bottom in an upward direction, wherein the bottom and side wall together form a volume configured to support contents of the food pan, and wherein an angle defined between the bottom and the side wall of the food pan is between 90- and 100-degrees; a rim connected to the side wall on an end thereof opposite to the bottom, wherein the rim extends from the side wall in an outward direction away from the volume formed by the side wall and the bottom, and wherein the cross-section of the rim further comprises: an ascending portion connected to the side wall, a top portion connected to the ascending portion, and a descending portion connected to the top portion, wherein the ascending and descending portions are rounded; and four corner structures located between the side wall and the rim, each corner structure associated with one of the corners of the rectangular periphery of the bottom of the food pan, wherein each corner structure further comprises: a base side connected to the side wall, two ascending edges connected to the base side and extending along both the side wall and the ascending portion of the cross-section of the rim, and a substantially planar surface extending between the base side and ascending edges, wherein the substantially planar surface of the corner structure has a slight concavity, wherein the ascending edges are rounded, extend upward and outward from opposite ends of the base side, and terminate at an end in the top portion of the cross-section of the rim, and wherein the ends of the two ascending edges opposite to the base side for each corner structure are spaced apart from each other along the top portion of the rim, forming a gap therebetween for pouring the contents of the food pan therethrough.