GB2415885A

GB2415885A - Stand with a handle for displaying food products

Info

Publication number: GB2415885A
Application number: GB0415058A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jaisukhlal Dayalji Chandarana
Original assignee: SIMTOM FOOD PRODUCTS
Current assignee: SIMTOM FOOD PRODUCTS
Priority date: 2004-07-06
Filing date: 2004-07-06
Publication date: 2006-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 2024-07-06
Also published as: GB2415885B; GB0415058D0

Abstract

A stand 10 for displaying pre-packaged food products includes a body portion 18 adapted for receiving a plurality of containers. The body portion may include a plurality of apertures 24 for receiving the containers. The apertures may be arranged with uniform spacing. The stand may include footing means 14 and a handle 16 coaxial with the footing means, the body portion being disposed between the handle and the footing means. The handle may be adapted to engage with the footing means via a thread arrangement.

Description

:: .. -e P02239UK 20040705 SpecficatonasFled doe - 1 Stand And System

For Displaying Pre-Packaged Foodstuffs Using The Stand The present invention relates to a stand for displaying pre-packaged food products, such as chutneys, pickles and the like. The invention also relates to a system for displaying pre-packaged foodstuffs using such a stand Indian cuisine is renowned for its characteristic blends of herbs and spices, as well as for its chutneys and pickles. A typical Indian meal will be accompanied by a selection of chutneys and/or pickles, to be enjoyed with breads, such as rotis or poppadoms, for example.

Indian chutneys and pickles are usually supplied and stored in jars. For use at a dinner table, a portion of the chutney or pickle will normally be transferred from the jar to an individual pot. Very often, two or three pots of different chutneys and pickles will be provided together on what is often referred to as a pickle tray or chutney tray.

It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative to conventional arrangements for presenting Indian chutneys and pickles.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a stand for displaying pre-packaged food products, the stand being adapted to be supported on a table or other surface and including a body portion adapted for receiving a plurality of containers of pre-packaged food products.

Preferably, the body portion includes a plurality of apertures adapted for receiving containers of pre-packaged food products, which may be arranged at a uniform spacing relative to one another.

The stand preferably includes footing means for supporting the stand on a table or other surface, and a handle portion for enabling the stand to be easily carried. l 4;

: i:. '. ce: : . : P02239UK 20040705 SpecficabonasFled doe - 2 Preferably, the footing means and handle portion are substantially coaxial.

In a preferred embodiment, the body portion is arranged between the footing means and the handle portion.

Conveniently, the handle portion may be adapted to threadingly engage with the footing means.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for displaying pre-packaged food products, the system comprising a stand as claimed in any previous claim and a plurality of containers of prepackaged food products, each container being adapted to be received by the body portion of the stand.

Preferably, the body portion of the stand includes a plurality of apertures for receiving containers of pre-packaged food products and each of the containers is adapted to be received in a respective one of the apertures.

Preferably, each container comprises a plastics receptacle having a tear off cover portion.

Preferably, the receptacle has a first lower body portion having a diameter smaller than that of the apertures and an upper second body portion having a diameter greater than that of the apertures.

Other preferred features of the invention will be readily apparent from the

following description and the dependent claims.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: : ce me: : cee: P02239UK 20040705 SpecficahonasF'led doc - 3 Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a stand according a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows the three main components of the stand shown in Figure 1, including a side view of the base member and column, and a plan view of the body portion; and Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing pre-packaged containers food products in position on the stand 10.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, a stand for receiving and displaying pre packaged food products is indicated generally at 10, in use on a table surface 12.

The stand 10 consists of three main components: a footing or base portion 14, an upper portion 16 and a body portion 18.

As can be seen clearly in Figure 2, the base portion 14 has a planar underside 20, for use in supporting the stand 10 on a table or other surface. A threaded spindle 22 extends upwardly from the centre of the top of the base portion 14.

The upper portion 16 includes a threaded bore indicated by the dotted lines at 21 in Figure 2. This enables the upper portion 16 to be threadingly received on the spindle 22 to the position shown in Figure 1. The upper portion 16 extends away from the base member 12, in use, and provides a convenient handle means for carrying the stand 10, to a dinner table for example.

In use, the base portion 14 and upper portion 16 are substantially coaxial and define a longitudinal axis of the stand 10.

As can be seen clearly in Figure 2, the body portion 18 consists of a planar member, which is generally triangular in plan view. Three primary apertures 24 are formed in the body portion 18, arranged at a uniform spacing from one another. The apertures 24 are of a diameter D, configured for receiving : c.. lo: se.: P02239UK 20040705 Spec'ficabonasFled doc - 4 containers for food products, as will be described in more detail below. A fourth aperture 26 is formed in the centre of the body portion 18, having a diameter only slightly larger than the diameter of the spindle 22 on the base portion 14.

To assemble the stand 10 from the three components 14,16,18 shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 1, the aperture 26 in the body portion 18 positioned about the spindle 22 on the base member 12, and the upper portion 16 is screwed onto the spindle 22 to clamp the body portion 18 between the top of the base member 14 and the bottom of the upper portion 16. As can be seen in Figure 1, in an assembled condition, the body portion 18 extends orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the stand 10.

As mentioned above, the apertures 24 are configured for receiving containers for food products, for displaying the containers of the stand 10. This use of the stand 10 is illustrated in Figure 3, which shows an array of pots of pre- packaged Indian chutney and/or pickle, indicated at 28, in place in the apertures 24 in the base portion.

Each pot 28 consists of a plastics receptacle having a tear off cover portion 30 of known construction, for example as used on conventional yoghurt pots, for keeping the packaged pickle or chutney fresh until the pot 28 is first opened.

The main body of the pot 28 is configured to fit within one of the three apertures 24 on the body portion 18 of the stand 10, as shown in Figure 3. However, the upper portion of each pot 28 is of greater diameter than apertures 24, so as to define a neck at the upper region of each pot, indicated at 32. Hence, if the stand is lifted up from the surface 14 with a pot 28 in one of the positions shown in Figure 2, the neck 32 will engage with the body portion 18 at the periphery of the aperture 24, so that the pot 28 is supported on the body portion 18 and does not fall through the aperture 24.

A: At: . tee: P02239UK 20040705 Spec,ficahonasF'led doe - 5 The stand 10 can be sold as an individual article, or as part of a pack containing a plurality of pre-packaged pots of chutney and/ or pickle. As well as chutneys and pickles, the pots 28 can be pre-packaged with other Indian sundries such as raita, yoghurt and/ or prepared salad.

The stand 10 shown in the Figures is preferably made from wood, although any suitable material could be used, such as plastics.

Claims

: :e l: c P02239UK 20040705 Spec'ficahonasFled doe - 6 Claims 1. A

stand for displaying pre-packaged food products, the stand being adapted to be supported on a table or other surface and including a body portion adapted for receiving a plurality of containers of pre-packaged food products.
2. A stand as claimed in claim 1, in which the body portion includes a plurality of apertures adapted for receiving containers of pre-packaged food products.
3. A stand as claimed in claim 2, in which the apertures are arranged at a uniform spacing relative to one another.
4. A stand as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the stand includes footing means for supporting the stand on a table or other surface.
5. A stand as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the stand includes a handle portion for enabling the stand to be easily carried.
6. A stand as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the stand includes footing means for supporting the stand on a table or other surface, and a handle portion for enabling the stand to be easily carried.
7. A stand as claimed in claim 6, in which the footing means and handle portion are substantially co-axial.
8. A stand as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which the body portion is arranged between the footing means and the handle portion.
9. A stand as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, in which the handle portion is adapted to threadingly engage with the footing means. l t t

:: te. e' :: :: ë: lee: P02239UK 20040705 SpecficabonasFiled doe - 7
10. A stand for displaying pre-packaged food products substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
1 l. A system for displaying pre-packaged food products, the system comprising a stand as claimed in any previous claim and a plurality of containers of pre-packaged food products, each container being adapted to be received by the body portion of the stand.
12. A system as claimed in claim 11, in which the body portion of the stand includes a plurality of apertures for receiving containers of prepackaged food products and each of the containers is adapted to be received in a respective one of the apertures.
13. A system as claimed in claim 12, in which each container comprises pot having a plastics receptacle and a tear off cover portion.
14. A system as claimed in claim 13, in which the receptacle has a first lower body portion having a diameter smaller than that of the apertures and an upper second body portion having a diameter greater than that of the apertures.