[0001] The present invention relates to a tray for confectionery items, in particular cakes
[0002] It is known that confectionery items, such as cakes, when they need to be packaged
or merely shown in the window, are disposed on support elements made of paper material
enabling the confectionery items to be carried, or in any event moved, without causing
any damages to the same.
[0003] Such support elements also perform an important decorative function giving a pleasant
appearance to the packaged product.
[0004] Practically, these support elements for cakes substantially consist of a rest sheet
made of paraffined paper adapted for food, comprising a centre area, on which the
confectionery item is disposed, and a lace-like-worked annulus extending along the
perimeter of said centre area. The lace-like-worked annulus defines a grasping region
for the support element and at the same time gives the packaged product an agreeable
aesthetic appearance.
[0005] In order to stiffen the support element and therefore enable an easier transportation
of the confectionery item, a paperboard disc is generally engaged in a removable manner
to the lower part of the rest sheet, the sizes of said disc being the same as those
of the centre sheet area.
[0006] Although the above described support elements of known type are widely used in the
confectionery field, they however have many drawbacks as regards both their construction
costs and, above all, the possibility of using them in a practical and universal manner.
[0007] It is to be noted in fact that the manufacture of paraffined rest sheets is rather
expensive because, in order to obtain a lace-like-worked edge it is necessary to carry
out a punching operation during which, as known, a paperboard sheet acting as a protective
and damping element must be disposed on the base of the punching machine. Such a paperboard
sheet, as it becomes impregnated with the paraffined paper off-cuts coming from the
punching operation carried out on the sheets resting thereon, practically cannot be
recycled and therefore involves a heavy economical loss. On the other hand, each paperboard
protection sheet cannot be used for more than six or seven punching operations because
many cuts inevitably occur on said paperboard sheet during each punching cycle and
they will give rise to increasingly greater inaccuracies as punchings continue to
increase.
[0008] From a practical point of view, it will be also noted that the rest sheet made of
paraffined paper, although provided with a certain degree of imperviousness to water
due to its structural thinness, cannot be submitted to washing without being irreparably
damaged. Consequently, should the rest sheet be soiled, for example during the step
in which the confectionery product is decorated with creams, it would be inevitably
necessary to replace it. This fact, besides involving an economical loss due to the
non-recyclable character of the rest sheet, also gives rise to important practical
problems as the confectionery product must be placed on a new rest sheet without damaging
it.
[0009] In addition, due to the structural thinness of the rest sheet, in particular at the
lace-like-worked annulus, such a sheet can be easily torn each time it is acted upon
in order to move the confectionery item.
[0010] Another drawback consists in that the supporting disc and the rest sheet are physically
separated from each other. Therefore, it is necessary to pay the greatest attention
during the manual transportation of the confectionery product in order to avoid sliding
of the sheet on the supporting disc, which will bring about damaging of the transported
confectionery item or even breakage of same.
[0011] It will be also recognized that, since it is necessary to manage two component elements
physically separated from each other, that is the rest sheet and the supporting disc,
also important problems as regards stock organization and management are involved.
In this connection it is pointed out that the confectionery products have sizes greatly
differing from each other and consequently the availability of a great number of supporting
discs and corresponding rest sheets of different sizes is always necessary.
[0012] It is a main object of the present invention to substantially solve all the drawbacks
of the known art by providing a tray for confectionery items which is very practical
in use and involves reduced manufacturing costs.
[0013] In particular, it is an object of the present invention to make a tray capable of
combining two functions in a unitary piece, that is a decorative function and a supporting
function for the confectionery items.
[0014] Another object of the invention is to make a tray for confectionery items exhibiting
a good structural strength and adapted to be washed easily without impairing its qualities.
[0015] The foregoing and further objects that will become more apparent in the course of
the present description are substantially attained by a tray for confectionery items,
in partircular cakes, characterized in that it comprises: a supporting element made
of paperboard material and exhibiting a centre area on which the confectiontery item
is disposed and a perimetric lace-like-worked edge; and a stiffening member made of
paperboard material too, fastened to the lower part of the supporting element, substantially
at said centre area.
[0016] Further features and advantages can be more fully understood from the detailed description
of a preferred embodiment of a tray for confectionery items, in accordance with the
present invention, given hereinafter, by way of non-limiting example, with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Fig. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a tray for confectionery items according
to the present invention; and
- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the tray according to the invention.
[0017] Referring to the drawings, a tray for confectionery items, in particular cakes, according
to the invention has been generally identified by reference numeral 1.
[0018] In an original manner, the tray 1 is comprised of a supporting element 2, made of
paperboard material and exhibiting a centre area 3 at which a surface depression or
hollow 3a is formed which is designed to house a given confectionery item.
[0019] In addition, the supporting element 2 also has a lace-like-worked perimetric edge
4 completely encircling said centre area 3.
[0020] In a novel manner, fastened to the lower part of the supporting element 2 is a stiffening
member made of paperboard material too, substantially extending over said centre area
3. The stiffening member 5 has a perimetric band 6 extending lowermost and directly
in contact with said lace-like-worked perimetric edge 4.
[0021] Advantageously, in the embodiment shown, said stiffening member 5 is provided to
be formed of a first layer 5a having its fibres oriented in a predetermined direction,
and a second layer 5b the fibres of which are oriented transversely relative to those
of the first layer 5a.
[0022] Preferentially, the shape of the supporting element 2, centre area 3, surface hollow
3a, and stiffening member 5 substantially matches that of the confectionery item to
be supported.
[0023] In particular, for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, in the accompanying
drawings reference has been made to a tray 1 of circular conformation consisting of
a supporting circular element 2, in which a hollow of circular configuration 3a is
formed and with the lower part of which a stiffening member 5, of circular form too,
is associated.
[0024] Still with reference to the embodiment shown, the perimetric lace-like-worked edge
4 is in the form of an annulus confined between an inner diameter "D1" and an outer
diameter "D2". In this embodiment the stiffening member 5 has a radial extension included
between said diameters D1 and D2.
[0025] Finally, since the supporting element 2 must be as much waterproof as is possible,
such a supporting element is made of a paraffined board or, alternatively, is coated
with a film of hydrophobic material adapted for food, such as polypropylene.
[0026] The invention achieves important advantages.
[0027] First of all the overall strength of the tray 1 makes it hardly damageable during
its operating use.
[0028] In particular, it should be noted that the perimetric band 6 of the stiffening member
5 exerts an advantageous strengthening action at the lace-like-worked perimetric edge
4, that is at the point acted upon by the user's grasp when said user needs to lift
or at all events move the tray 1.
[0029] In addition, if the tray in accordance with the invention is accidentally soiled
with creams or other products, it can be easily washed with sponges or wipers socked
in water without the structural integrity and operating function of the tray being
impaired. In fact, a tray, in addition to being made up of a particularly strong and
waterproofed supporting element, is also provided with a two-layered stiffening member
5 having fibres transverse to each other so that, even in the presence of humidity,
a perfect flatness of the tray is ensured.
[0030] It will be recognized that the presence of the surface depression 3a is to advantage
because it ensures a steady positioning of the confectionery item on the tray substantially
preventing any displacement of same relative to the supporting element 2.
[0031] The tray of the invention is also particularly advantageous as regards stocks, because
it is of one piece construction and therefore the number of component elements to
be managed is substantially halved as compared to the known art.
[0032] Finally, from the construction standpoint, the tray 1 is particularly cheap because
the amount of waste paperboard as a result of the punching operation is greatly reduced
as compared to the known art.
[0033] Practically, the same paperboard sheets that will form the stiffening member 5 in
the finished product, act as shock-absorbing elements and protection elements for
the base of the punching machine during the punching step. The shape of such paperboard
sheets at the beginning matches that of the supporting element 2 and only after the
punching step the sheets are perimetrically cut so as to form the stiffening member
5. Therefore, the only paperboard pieces to be subsequently discarded are those exactly
corresponding to the perimetric lace-like-worked edge 4 and it is not the whole paperboard
sheet to be discarded, as in the known art. Due to this particular feature, punching
of the perimetric lace-like-worked edge takes place in a very precise manner and therefore
the quality of the lace-like-worked edge is improved as compared to the known art.
[0034] Obviously many modifications and variations may be made to the tray as conceived
without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
In particular, in carrying out the invention practically, the shapes and sizes of
the tray may be of any nature and magnitude in accordance with requirements.
1. A tray for confectionery items, in particular cakes, characterized in that it comprises:
- a supporting element (2) made of paperboard material and exhibiting a centre area
(3) on which the confectionery item is disposed and a perimetric lace-like-worked
edge (4); and
- a stiffening member (5) made of paperboard material too and fastened to the lower
part of the supporting element (2), substantially at said centre area (3).
2. A tray according to claim 1, characterized in that said stiffening member (5) comprises
one layer (5a) the fibres of which are oriented in a predetermined direction and a
second layer (5b) the fibres of which are oriented transversely with respect to the
fibres of the first layer.
3. A tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the shape of said supporting element
(2), centre area (3) and stiffening member (5) substantially matches that of the confectionery
item to be supported.
4. A tray according to claim 1, characterized in that said supporting element (2), centre
area (3) and stiffening member (5) are of a circular conformation.
5. A tray according to claim 1, characterized in that said stiffening member (5) has
a perimetric band (6) extendiong lowermost and directly in contact with said perimetric
lace-like-worked edge (4).
6. A tray according to claim 1, characterized in that said supporting element (2) is
provided, at said centre area (3), with a surface depression or hollow (3a) for housing
the confectionery item.
7. A tray according to claim 6, characterized in that the shape of said hollow (3a) substantially
matches that of the confectionery item to be supported.
8. A tray according to claim 6, characterized in that said hollow (3a) is of a circular
conformation.
9. A tray according to claim 1, characterized in that said supporting element (2) is
made of a paraffined paperboard material adapted for food.
10. A tray according to claim 1, characterized in that said supporting element (2) is
coated with a film made of a hydrophobic material adapted for food.