Food Tray with Informational Insert

Abstract

A food tray has upper and lower tray shaped members and an informational insert sandwiched between them for viewing of an informational display of the insert through a transparent or translucent window portion of at least one of the tray-shaped members. Two interlocking mechanisms are operable to reliably secure the tray members to one another when engaged together by sliding of the lower tray member into place along an underside of the upper tray member. The insert includes a rear wall portion disposed between upstanding rear walls of the tray members, and a height of the upper tray member is reduced at a front edge thereof to provide optimal viewing of the opposing rear wall portion of the insert. A seal positively positioned in a groove of the lower tray member provides a water tight seal between the tray members to protect the informational insert.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A food tray comprising:
 a lower tray-shaped member comprising a base panel with a perimeter having a front edge, an opposing rear edge and two opposing side edges joining the front and rear edges of the lower tray-shaped member at opposing ends thereof, and a rear wall upstanding from the base panel along the rear edge thereof;   an upper cover member arranged for mounting over at least the rear wall of the lower tray-shaped member and comprising a transparent or translucent window portion; and   an information insert for insertion between the upper cover member and the lower tray-shaped member to hold the information insert in a sandwiched configuration between the upper cover member and the lower tray shaped member with an informational display of the insert positioned over the rear wall of the lower tray-shaped member and visible through the transparent or translucent window of the upper cover member;   wherein a height by which food tray reaches upwardly past the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member at the front edge thereof is less than a height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly from the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member at the rear wall thereof.   
     
     
         22 . The food tray of  claim 21  wherein the lower tray-shaped member comprises side walls upstanding from the side edges of the base panel thereof, the side walls being of a height less than the height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly from the base panel of the lower tray-shaped member at the rear wall thereof. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A food tray comprising:
 a tray-shaped member comprising a base panel with a perimeter having a front edge, an opposing rear edge and two opposing side edges joining the front and rear edges of the tray-shaped member at opposing ends thereof, and a rear wall upstanding from the base panel along the rear edge thereof;   a cover situated over at least the rear wall of the tray-shaped member and comprising a transparent or translucent window portion; and   an information insert between the cover and the tray shaped member with an informational display of the insert positioned over the rear wall of the tray-shaped member and visible through the transparent or translucent window of the cover member;   wherein a front height of the food tray measured upwardly from the base panel of the tray-shaped member at the front edge thereof is less than a height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly along the rear wall of the tray-shaped member from the base panel.   
     
     
         25 . The food tray of  claim 24  comprising upstanding side walls extending along the side edges of the base panel, the side walls reaching a side height measured from the base panel that is less than the height by which the informational display of the information insert reaches upwardly along the rear wall of the tray-shaped member from the base panel. 
     
     
         26 . The food tray of  claim 25  comprising partial length front walls extending along respective partial lengths of the front edge of the base panel of the tray-shaped member on opposite sides of a central front portion of the food tray that defines the front height of the food tray, the front wall portions reaching a greater height above the base panel of the tray-shaped member than the central front portion. 
     
     
         27 . The food tray of  claim 24  wherein the cover comprises a base panel area overlying the base panel of the tray-shaped member and a rear wall area overlying the rear wall of the tray-shaped member, and the information insert comprises a base portion placed between the base panel of the tray-shaped member and the base panel area of the cover and a rear wall portion angling from a rear edge of the base portion to lie between the rear wall of the tray-shaped member and the rear wall area of the cover at a transparent or translucent portion of the rear wall area of the cover.