Carry-out tray

Claim 2

A molded carry-out tray for accommodating cup-shaped containers varying in size within a predetermined range, said tray comprising a continuous raised peripheral rim delimiting an area, at least one recessed pocket formed in said area for removably accommodating and maintaining a container in an upright position while said tray is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, said pocket including a base section for subtending and supportingly engaging the bottom of an accommodated container; walls extending divergently upwardly from said base section and terminating at a predetermined elevation with respect to said base section, said rim having a top disposed at a greater elevation from said base section than the upper termination of said pocket walls; and corner sections intermediate said walls and interconnecting corresponding portions of adjacent walls, said corner sections being connected to peripheral segments of said base section and extending upwardly therefrom, said corner sections terminating at substantially the same elevation as said walls, said walls and corner sections coacting to define an open top; each wall being provided with an upper segment integrally connected to adjacent corner sections, and an outwardly yieldable lower segment having a lower edge disposed adjacent to, but spaced from, the periphery of said base section, said lower segments having side edges extending upwardly from opposite ends of said lower edge, said side edges being spaced from corresponding side portions of the adjacent corner sections, each corresponding side portion of a corner section being provided with an inwardly offset ledge, said ledge being spaced from the open top of said pocket.

Claim 3

The tray of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower segments of each wall are integral with one another.

Claim 4

The tray of claim 1 wherein each corner section is provided with a pair of relatively spaced ledges, the pairs of ledges of said corner sections coacting with one another for supportingly engaging the exterior of at least the largest container within said predetermined range accommodated by said pocket.

Claim 5

The tray of claim 2 wherein the lower segments are symmetrically arranged about the periphery of said base section.

Claim 6

The tray of claim 1 wherein the pocket is disposed to one side of an enlarged recessed area, the latter being disposed within the area deliminated by said rim and separated from said pocket by a land section disposed in substantially coplanar relation with said pocket open top; said recessed area including a floor section delimited by upwardly and divergently extending wall panels, said floor section and said pocket base section being in substantially coplanar relation.

Claim 7

A molded carry-out tray for accommodating cup-shaped containers varying in size within a predetermined range, said tray comprising a plurality of adjacent recessed portions, at least one of said portions being a pocket for removably accommodating and maintaining a container within the predetermined range in an upright position while said tray is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane; a finger-accommodating depression disposed intermediate said recessed portions; and a continuous, peripheral reinforcing rim encompassing the plurality of recessed portions, the top of said rim defining a first plane, said depression being proximate said rim; said pocket including a base section for subtending and supportingly engaging the bottom of an accommodated container within the predetermined range; walls extending divergently upwardly from said base section and terminating at a predetermined elevation with respect to said base section and beneath said first plane, each wall having an upper segment and a yieldable lower segment extending from said upper segment and spaced from said base section, said wall lower segments being adapted to resiliently engage the container accommodated in the pocket, and corner sections intermediate said walls and interconnecting corresponding upper segments of adjacent walls, said corner sections being integrally connected to peripheral segments of said base section and extending divergently upwardly therefrom, said corner sections being spaced from corresponding lower segments of said adjacent walls, predetermined corner sections terminating at substantially the same elevation as said walls, said corner sections and said wall upper segments coacting to define an open top of greater area than said base section, said pocket open top being separated from said finger-accommodating depression by a stiffening rib, each corner section being provided with an inwardly offset ledge spaced downwardly from the open top and laterally from the adjacent wall lower segment.

Claim 8

A molded carry-out tray for accommodating cup-shaped containers varying in size within a predetermined range, said tray comprising a plurality of adjacent recessed portions, at least one of said portions being a pocket for removably accommodating and maintaining a container within the predetermined range in an upright position while said tray is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane; a finger-accommodating depression disposed intermediate said recessed portions; and a continuous, peripheral reinforcing rim encompassing the plurality of recessed portions, the top of said rim defining a first plane, said depression being proximate said rim; said pocket including a base section for subtending and supportingly engaging the bottom of an accommodated container within the predetermined range; walls extending divergently upwardly from said base section and terminating at a predetermined elevation with respect to said base section and beneath said first plane, each wall having an upper segment and a yieldable lower segment extending from said upper segment and spaced from said base section, said wall lower segments being adapted to resiliently engage the container accommodated in the pocket, and corner sections intermediate said walls and interconnecting corresponding upper segments of adjacent walls, said corner sections being integrally connected to peripheral segments of said base section and extending divergently upwardly therefrom, said corner sections being spaced from corresponding lower segments of said adjacent walls, predetermined corner sections terminating at substantially the same elevation as said walls, said corner sections and said wall upper segments coacting to define an open top of greater area than said base section, said pocket open top being separated from said finger-accommodating depression by a stiffening rib, each corner section being provided with an inwardly offset ledge spaced downwardly from the open top and laterally from the adjacent wall lower segment.

Claim 9

The tray of claim 6 wherein the recessed portions are recessed a substantially like amount and define a second plane disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation with said first plane.

Claim 10

The tray of claim 7 wherein said recessed portions are pockets of substantially like configuration.

Claim 11

The tray of claim 8 wherein said pockets are substantially symmetrically arranged about a center portion of said tray.

Claim 12

The tray of claim 9 wherein the tray center portion includes a raised segment disposed in substantially flush relation with the first plane.

Claim 13

The tray of claim 10 wherein there is a finger-accommodating depression intermediate each pair of adjacent pockets, a peripheral segment of each depression being separated from the raised segment of the tray center portion by a substantially planar first land, said first lands defining a third plane disposed intermediate said first and second planes.

Claim 14

The tray of claim 6 wherein the stiffening rib is partially formed by the upper segment of an adjacent pocket wall.

Claim 15

The tray of claim 11 wherein a wall of each pocket is separated from and connected to an adjacent segment of the rim by a planar second land.

Claim 16

The tray of claim 13 wherein the first and second lands define said third plane.

Claim 17

The tray of claim 11 wherein adjacent pockets are separated from one another by the coaction of a depression and a first land.

Claim 18

The tray of claim 6 wherein the lower segment of each pocket wall has the lower edge thereof spaced upwardly and outwardly from the periphery of said base section, and the side edges of the lower segment are laterally spaced from the adjacent corner section.

Claim 19

The tray of claim 6 wherein the upper and lower segments of a pocket wall are interconnected at substantially the mid-height of said wall.