Interchangeable disposable foil pan/lid

Abstract

This invention relates to an interchangeable one-piece disposable foil pan/lid having a continuous side wall and a rim surrounding the pan/lid. The side wall is preferably inclined and preferably has a scalloped profile of equally sized scallops. The base wall preferably has circular scalloped raised and recessed portions. The rim has a pair of handles with a rolled-over bead on the periphery of the rim and if desired on the periphery of the handles. The handles extend on opposite ends of the pan/lid and one handle has a relatively long female detent and the other handle has a corresponding relatively long male detent. This preferred configuration provides my interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid with the desired ease of attaching the interchangeable lid to the interchangeable pan and gives the joined pair stability.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An interchangeable disposable pan/lid having a base wall, an side wall extending from said base wall, a rim surrounding said pan/lid and extending from an outer edge of said side wall, comprising: 
 a first handle extending from said rim,    a second handle extending from said rim opposite said first handle,    a first orientation and closing mechanism on said first handle,    a second cooperating orientation and closing mechanism on said second handle,    wherein when a pair of pan/lids are joined, the first orientation and closing mechanism on the first handle of one of the pair of pan/lids is engaged with the second orientation and closing mechanism on the second handle of the other pan/lid of the pair of pan/lids.    
     
     
         2 . The interchangeable disposable pan/lid of  claim 1  wherein said first orientation and closing mechanism on said first handle is male detent, 
 second first cooperating orientation and closing mechanism on said second handle is a female detent, and  
 said second male and female detents are sized so that the male detent can fit within the female detent.  
 
     
     
         3 . The interchangeable disposable pan/lid of  claim 2  wherein the pan/lid is a pan/lid made from a one-piece aluminum foil.  
     
     
         4 . The one-piece interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid of  claim 3  wherein, the side wall has a scalloped profile with 14 to 22 scallops of equal size, said sidewall is inclined at an angle of 60 to 80° and the width of said side wall is about 1 to 5 inches.  
     
     
         5 . The one-piece interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid of  claim 4  wherein, the length of the handles are 2-5 inches and the width of the handles is 1-3.5 inches. The length of the male and female detents is 1.0 to 3.5 inches and the depth of the female detent is 0.20 to 0.30 inches.  
     
     
         6 . The one-piece interchangeable disposable aluminum foil pan/lid of  claim 5  wherein, said base wall has 5 circular scalloped raised portions and 4 circular scalloped recessed portion and wherein the area of the raised circular scalloped portions is at least 60 to 75% greater than the area of the recessed portions.