Nestable integrated food tray with waste collection feature

Abstract

A nestable and integrated food tray with waste collection feature includes a housing, an integrally connected and pivotal bottom, the housing includes a top surface that has a pocket for holding food product, at least one integral pouch for holding condiment(s), and a reinforced opening within the top that allows entrance into the tray, for deposit of waste material. The tray is fully contoured around its perimeter, including its various pockets, to assure that a plurality of such trays may be stacked one upon the other when nested for shipment and storage. The bottom is pivoted laterally, to allow for nesting of a plurality of such trays as required.

1 . A nestable and integrated food tray with waste collection feature, including a contoured housing, a bottom hingedly connected to the housing, and capable of extending perpendicularly therefrom, as during nesting of a plurality of said trays, or the bottom may be pivoted into closure, to seal off the interior of a tray when readied for usage, the housing having a top surface, the top surface including an elongated pocket for holding of the food product in preparation for consumption, the top also having at least one integral pouch, for holding a condiment, and the top having an opening therethrough that allows for deposit of waste food material into the interior of the tray, after consumption of the stored and displayed food product. 
   
   
       2 . The food tray of  claim 1  and further comprising said bottom being hingedly connected by a living hinge at approximately the bottom of the said housing, and said bottom capable of being pivoted laterally of the housing when a plurality of such trays are nested during storage, or the bottom can be pivoted into closure for sealing off the bottom of the housing, as the tray is in usage. 
   
   
       3 . The food tray of  claim 2  wherein a series of walls form the housing for the tray, said walls being reinforced, and said walls, with their reinforcement, and the various pockets, are tapered, to allow for nesting of a plurality of such trays upon each other to facilitate storage. 
   
   
       4 . The food tray of  claim 3  wherein the bottom of the tray incorporates molded reinforcement. 
   
   
       5 . The food tray of  claim 3  wherein the bottom of the housing has an extending flange, and the bottom of the tray is connected by a living hinge to the housing flange. 
   
   
       6 . The food tray of  claim 1  wherein the front wall of the housing is of planar configuration, and such planar configuration for the wall is acceptable of advertising or other indicia for display purposes. 
   
   
       7 . The food tray of  claim 1  wherein the waste deposit opening in the top of the housing incorporates molded reinforcement around its perimeter.