Liquid-Tight Assembly of Base and Cover Members in an Advertisement Food Tray

Abstract

An advertising food tray features a base, an informational insert on a topside of the base, an at least partially transparent cover for placement over the informational insert, a liquid-tight seal spanning around a perimeter of the insert between the base and cover, a plurality of peripheral tabs defined on a first one of either the base or the cover and a matching plurality of peripheral slots defined on a second one of either the base or the cover. An elongated locking member is received between the base and the cover on a peripheral path that passes between each peripheral slot and the respective one of the peripheral tabs, and thereby compresses the seal between the base and cover to maintain a liquid tight seal around the insert, which is thereby protected from damage during use and cleaning of same.

1 . A food tray comprising:
 a base having a main base area for receiving placement of an informational insert on a topside of said main base area;   a cover having a main cover area for placement over the topside of the main base area so as to overlie the informational insert, at least a portion of the main cover area being transparent or translucent to define a viewing window that enables viewing of the informational insert through the cover;   a liquid-tight seal placed, or arranged for placement, in a position spanning around a perimeter of the main base area on the topside thereof in sealed contact between the main base area and the main cover area to seal off the main base area and the informational insert from external liquids;   a plurality of peripheral tabs defined on a first one of either the base or the cover;   a plurality of peripheral slots defined on a second one of either the base or the cover, a layout pattern of the peripheral slots matching a layout of the peripheral tabs to align each of said peripheral slots with a respective one of the peripheral tabs and enable relative movement of the peripheral tabs through said peripheral slots during placement of the main cover area over the main base area; and   at least one elongated locking member received or receivable between the base and the cover on a peripheral path that spans around the main base area and passes between each peripheral slot and the respective one of the peripheral tabs.   
     
     
         2 . The food tray of  claim 1  wherein the at least one elongated locking member comprises a wire rod. 
     
     
         3 . The food tray of  claim 1  wherein the at least one elongated locking member consists solely of a singular locking member whose length is sufficient to span multiple sides of the peripheral path around the main base area. 
     
     
         4 . The food tray of  claim 1  wherein the peripheral tabs are defined on the cover, and the peripheral slots are defined on the base, 
     
     
         5 . The food tray of  claim 4  wherein the peripheral tabs project inwardly from a lower peripheral wall of the cover that spans around the main cover area of the cover at an underside thereof that faces the topside of the main base area, and the locking member is received between the tabs and an underside of the base. 
     
     
         6 . The food tray of  claim 5  wherein the lower peripheral wall of the cover has a cutout therein at a lower edge thereof that lies opposite to the main cover area, and the base comprises a gripping tab projecting outwardly away from a peripheral edge of the base at which the peripheral slots are defined, the gripping tab being received, or positioned for receipt, in the cutout to present a gripping point for removal of the base from the cover after removal of the locking member during disassembly of the food tray. 
     
     
         7 . The food tray of  claim 4  wherein the peripheral slots project inwardly from an outermost perimeter of the base. 
     
     
         8 . The food tray of  claim 1  comprising a gripping tab projecting outward from a perimeter edge of one of either the base or the cover for use prying the base and the cover apart from one another during disassembly of the food tray. 
     
     
         9 . The food tray of  claim 8  wherein the gripping tab extends through a corresponding opening in a wall of the other one of either the base or the cover. 
     
     
         10 . The food tray of  claim 8  wherein the gripping tab is defined on the base. 
     
     
         11 . The food tray of  claim 1  wherein the cover comprises upper peripheral tray walls spanning around the main cover area at a topside thereof that faces away from the main base area and defines a food-carrying surface of the food tray. 
     
     
         12 . The food tray of  claim 1  wherein the peripheral tabs project into a hollow cavity of the first one of either the base or the cover, and the second one of either the base or the cover is at least partially received within the hollow cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The food tray of  claim 1  wherein one of either the tray or the cover features a seat for retaining the seal in the position spanning around the perimeter of the main base area. 
     
     
         14 . The food tray of  claim 13  wherein the seat comprises a trough spanning around the around the perimeter of the main base area. 
     
     
         15 . The food tray of  claim 13  the other of the tray or the cover comprises a raised feature that juts therefrom at a location residing between walls of the seat in order to force the seal tightly against the seat. 
     
     
         16 . The food tray of  claim 13  wherein the seat is defined on the cover.