Nestable, heatable, and stackable trays for industrial catering

Abstract

A method for conveniently and hygienically providing warmed food items in a catering location, while reducing handling of such items. The method includes providing a packaged tray assembly of a plurality of individual trays that are adapted to accommodate a series of food items, the trays being ovenable and being arranged in at least one stack or a stacked orientation which has a predetermined compact size and shape that fits at least in at least part of a cavity of an oven at a catering location, wherein the stacked orientation also provides spaces to promote hot air circulation inside the trays for uniform heating of the food items. The method allow frozen cooked or pre-cooked food products to be packaged and transported from a manufacturing location to a catering location where they are reheated in stackable trays for packaging, transport and reheating, which can be nested inside each other after use. The trays are preferably designed with sloped portions and openings allowing the products or food items to be uniformly reheated.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for conveniently and hygienically providing warmed food items in a catering location, while reducing handling of such items, which method comprises providing a packaged tray assembly of a plurality of individual trays that are adapted to accommodate a series of food items, the trays being ovenable and being arranged in at least one stack or a stacked orientation which has a predetermined compact size and shape that fits at least in at least part of a cavity of an oven at a catering location, wherein the stacked orientation also provides spaces to promote hot air circulation inside the trays for uniform heating of the food items.  
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises packaging the stack of trays in an outer protective package that maintains the integrity of the trays in the stack for transport to the catering location.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , which further comprises removing the tray assembly from its outer protective package prior to heating of the food items in the oven.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises dismantling the trays from the stack after heating has been carried out in the oven to serve the food items from the trays.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , which further comprises configuring the trays to be capable of being nested together in a nesting orientation of reduced space after the food items have been served from the trays; and nesting the trays for compact storage after serving the food items from the tray.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the food items are individual frozen hand-held snacks or meals, and the trays include apertures to assist in promoting air circulation inside the trays.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the stack of trays provides a predetermined clearance which, in association with the walls of the oven is effective to maintain an air velocity that is greater than 1 meter per second, in a convection mode, when the stack of trays is placed in the oven for heating of the food items.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each tray comprises: 
 a bottom surface for supporting the series of food items thereon,    complementary opposite shaped support means and are configured and dimensioned such that in the stacked orientation, the trays can be stacked upon each other to provide sufficient room for the food items and spaces to promote hot air circulation inside the trays for uniform heating of the food items, while in a nesting orientation, empty trays can be nested together for compact storage, and    venting means to facilitate hot air circulation within the tray.    
     
     
         9 . The food tray according to  claim 8 , wherein the venting means comprises openings provided in at least one side of the trays or by indentations formed on an upper edge of at least one side of the trays.  
     
     
         10 . The food tray according to  claim 8 , wherein the venting means comprises openings arranged in the bottom of the tray to facilitate vertical hot air circulation within the tray.  
     
     
         11 . A packaged food tray assembly for convenient transporting, reheating and serving of warmed food items in a catering location comprising 
 a series of food items, and    a plurality of individual trays having a base adapted to accommodate the series of food items, the trays being ovenable and arranged in at least one stack of a stacked configuration which has a predetermined compact size and shape that fits at least in at least part of a cavity of an oven at a catering location, wherein the stacked configuration also provides spaces to promote hot air circulation inside the trays for uniform heating of the food items, and, optionally,    a removable outer protective package that maintains the integrity of the trays in the stacked orientation for transport to the catering location.    
     
     
         12 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the trays have complementary opposite shaped support means and are configured and dimensioned such that in the stacked orientation, the trays can be stacked upon each other to provide sufficient room for the food items and spaces to promote hot air circulation inside the trays for uniform heating of the food items, while in a nesting orientation, empty trays can be nested together for compact storage.  
     
     
         13 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the trays are stacked one on top of the other by means of a removable intermediate spacing member arranged to allow air circulation paths between each tray.  
     
     
         14 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the trays when in stacked configuration include air inlets adjacent sides of the trays that assist in promoting hot air circulation inside the trays.  
     
     
         15 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the air inlets are formed by openings provided in at least one side of the trays or by indentations formed on an upper edge of at least one side of the trays.  
     
     
         16 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the bases of the trays have apertures that further promote air circulation in a vertical direction.  
     
     
         17 . The packaged food tray assembly according to any  claim 11 , wherein the base of each tray has a sloped surface that promotes display and convenient handling of the food items in the tray.  
     
     
         18 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the trays are made of disposable or recyclable plastic or paperboard material that withstands heating temperatures of the oven.  
     
     
         19 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the trays are made of a plastic material that withstands heating at a temperature up to 250° C. during at least 30 minutes.  
     
     
         20 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein the plastic material is syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS), crystalline terephthalate polyethylene (CPET), polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polyimide, polyetherkeytone (PEEK), fluoropolymers, polyphthalamide, polyphenylene sulfides, polyether sulfone, polyaryl sulfones, polypropylene and mixtures or co-polymers of these plastic materials.  
     
     
         21 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the outer protective package is a carton comprising an easy opening device including at least one tear line that demarcates at least one sufficient opening portion in the carton to facilitate removal of the stack of trays in one block from the package.  
     
     
         22 . The packaged food tray assembly according to  claim 21 , wherein the easy opening device comprises tear-off portions on the front and rear panels of the carton and being of sufficient size to enable the stack of trays to be slipped into the oven upon exerting a simple push.