Disposable food tray and closure member

Claim 1

A light weight portable disposable device capable of holding a plurality of different foods, with a first portion of said foods maintained in a hot condition and a second portion of foods in a cold condition, said device including: a. a first sheet formed from a heat insulating material that has a plurality of spaced openings formed therein, with said sheet at the periphery of each of said openings developing into a downwardly extending cup in which one of said foods may be disposed, and an elongate seal area that occupies an intermediate position on said sheet, with the said seal area serving to divide said cups into first and second portions said first portion of said cups serving to hold said foods that are hot, said second portion of said cups serving to hold said foods that are cold, and a continuous side wall that extends downwardly and outwardly from the outer periphery of said sheet at a wedging angle to at least as great a depth as the depth of the deepest of said pockets; b. a closure member that includes a second sheet formed from a heat insulating material that has a second endless sidewall extending downwardly and outwardly from the periphery thereof at a wedging angle, with said closure member when moved downwardly relative to said first sheet and in alignment therewith having said second sidewall removably and frictionally grip said first said wall with a sufficient force to remain disposed thereon until said first sheet and closure member are forcefully separated from one another; and c. heat insulated sealing means on said second sheet that are so disposed as to contact said seal area when said closure member is disposed on said first sheet with said first and second side walls in frictional engagement with one another, with said closure member and sealing means cooperating with said first sheet and seal area to completely enclose said first and second portions, and with heat from food in said cups in said first portion being retained therein for a prolonged period of time due to said cups being formed from said heat insulating material that minimizes transfer of heat thereto to the ambient atmosphere, and said first and second sheets and heat insulated sealing means minimizing the transfer of heat from hot food in said first portions of cup to cold food in said second portions of said cups.