Serving Tray Assembly Having Transport & Serving Configurations

Abstract

A serving tray assembly includes a serving platter and a receptacle platter. The serving platter has a central aperture extending there through and a serving area defined between the central aperture and a perimeter thereof. The receptacle platter has a bottom and a peripheral wall extending from the bottom at a perimeter thereof. The serving platter and the receptacle platter are releasably coupled to one another.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . A serving tray assembly, comprising:
 (a) a container including first and second components,
 (i) the first component defining an interior space for receiving waste, and 
 (ii) the second component having,
 (A) an exterior surface defining a serving area that is configured to receive and retain food for presentation to a person for eating, and 
 (B) a disposal opening configured to receive there through waste for disposal; 
 
   (b) wherein the first and second components are configured to be releasably coupled together in multiple configurations including,
 (i) a transport configuration, in which the first component covers the serving area of the second component for protecting, during transport, food that is received upon the serving area, and 
 (ii) a serving configuration, in which the second component covers the interior space of the first component such that waste received through the disposal opening is received within the interior space of the first component. 
   
   
   
       4 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the first component blocks access through the disposal opening when the first and second components are releasably coupled together in the transport configuration. 
   
   
       5 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 3 , wherein a portion of the first component is transparent so that food carried in the serving area may be viewed through the second component during transport. 
   
   
       6 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 5 , wherein neither the second component nor a side wall of the first component is transparent whereby the waste received within the interior space is concealed from view when the first and second components are in the serving configuration. 
   
   
       7 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the first component releasably couples with the second component via a frictional fit. 
   
   
       8 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the second component comprises a wall rising above the serving area, a rim portion of the wall defining the disposal opening. 
   
   
       9 . The serving tray of  claim 3 , wherein the exterior surface is configured to receive and retain a plurality of bone-in chicken wings, wherein the disposal opening is configured to receive there through discarded bones of the chicken wings, and wherein the interior space is configured to receive all of the discarded bones of the chicken wings received through the disposal opening. 
   
   
       10 . The serving tray of  claim 3 , wherein the disposal opening is centrally located relative to the serving area and wherein the serving area is symmetrical relative to the disposal opening. 
   
   
       11 . The serving tray of  claim 3 , wherein the exterior surface comprises a contoured surface for receiving and retaining food for presentation to a person for eating. 
   
   
       12 . The serving tray of  claim 11 , wherein the contoured surface defines four wells each for receiving food therein. 
   
   
       13 . The serving tray of  claim 11 , wherein the contoured surface defines a plurality of channels radially extending from the disposal opening. 
   
   
       14 . The serving tray of  claim 3 , wherein a portion of the exterior surface slopes at an incline along a radial direction from a center of the serving area toward a perimeter of the serving area for presentation, of food to a person for eating. 
   
   
       15 . The serving tray of  claim 3 , wherein a floor of the interior space of the container includes a centrally-located, generally dome-shaped area 
   
   
       16 . The serving tray of  claim 3 , wherein a floor of the interior space of the container includes a centrally-located raised platform. 
   
   
       17 . A serving tray assembly, comprising:
 (a) a first component defining a containment space; and   (b) a second component including both,
 (i) a serving area configured to receive and retain food for presentation to a person for eating, and 
 (ii) a disposal opening configured to receive waste there through, 
   (c) wherein the first and second components are configured to be releasably coupled together in multiple configurations including,
 (i) a transport configuration, in which the serving area of the second component is covered by the first component for protecting, during transport, food that is received upon the serving area, and 
 (ii) a serving configuration, in which the second component covers and substantially encloses the containment space of the first component such that waste received through the disposal opening of the second component is received within the containment space of the first component. 
   
   
   
       18 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the first component blocks access through the disposal opening when the first and second components are releasably coupled together in the transport configuration. 
   
   
       19 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 17 , wherein a portion of the first component is transparent so that food carried in the serving area may be viewed through the second component during transport, and wherein neither the second component nor a side wall of the first component is transparent whereby the waste received within the containment space concealed from view when the first and second components are in the serving configuration. 
   
   
       20 . A serving tray assembly, comprising:
 (a) a serving platter having,
 (i) on a top side thereof, a serving area comprising a surface contoured to receive and retain food thereon, and 
 (ii) a disposal opening configured to receive waste there through; and 
   (b) a receptacle platter defining a containment space;   (c) wherein the serving platter and the receptacle platter are configured to be releasably coupled together in a first configuration such that,
 (i) the receptacle platter covers a bottom side of the serving platter, and 
 (ii) the disposal opening of the serving platter is configured to receive there through waste for receipt into the containment space of the receptacle platter; and 
   (d) wherein the serving platter and the receptacle platter are configured to be releasably coupled together in a second configuration such that the receptacle platter covers the top side of the serving platter for protecting, during transport of the serving tray, food that is carried on the serving area.   
   
   
       21 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the receptacle platter blocks access through the disposal opening when the serving platter and receptacle platter are releasably coupled together in the second configuration. 
   
   
       22 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 20 , wherein a portion of the receptacle platter is transparent so that food carried on the serving area may be viewed through the serving platter during transport, and wherein neither the serving platter nor a side wall of the receptacle platter is transparent whereby the waste received within the containment space is concealed from view when the receptacle and serving platter are in the serving configuration. 
   
   
       23 . A serving tray assembly, comprising:
 (a) a lid having a serving area comprising a surface contoured to receive and retain food thereon and a disposal opening configured to receive waste there through; and   (b) a pan defining a containment space;   (c) wherein the lid and pan are configured to be separated from one another such that waste received within the containment space of the pan may be discarded from the pan;   (d) wherein the lid is configured to releasably attach to the pan in covering relation to the containment space such that waste received through the disposal opening of the lid is received into the containment space of the pan when food is being served from the serving area; and   (e) wherein the pan is configured to releasably attach to the lid such that the pan covers the serving area of the lid during transport of the serving tray assembly.   
   
   
       24 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the pan blocks access through the disposal opening when the pan is releasably attached to the lid in covering relation to the serving area thereof. 
   
   
       25 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 23 , wherein a bottom of the pan is transparent so that food carried in the serving area of the lid may be viewed through the pan during transport, and wherein neither the lid nor a side wall of the pan is transparent whereby waste received within the containment space of the pan is concealed from view when the lid is releasably attached to the pan for food service. 
   
   
       26 . The serving tray assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the lid comprises a wall rising above the serving area, a rim portion of the wall defining the disposal opening. 
   
   
       27 . The serving tray of  claim 26 , wherein the disposal opening is centrally located relative to the serving area and wherein the serving area is symmetrical relative to the disposal opening.