US20160264340A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20160264340A1
Application number: US14/658,120
Authority: US
Inventors: Ryan Tu; Tyler Brown; Kyle Desautels
Original assignee: Table Runner LLC
Current assignee: Table Runner LLC
Priority date: 2015-03-13
Filing date: 2015-03-13
Publication date: 2016-09-15

Abstract

A ready-meal shipping container includes: a housing comprising a plurality of walls bounding an interior cavity and a food-tray-retention assembly. The food-tray-retention assembly includes a plurality of racks arranged in a stacked configuration within the interior cavity of the housing, and an elongated sleeve aligned with the racks.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to containers for facilitating the shipping of ready meals.

BACKGROUND

Ready-to-eat meals (“ready meals”) are pre-cooked measured food portions. Cooled (e.g., frozen) ready meals may require nothing more than rethermalization (e.g., reheating) before serving. In many cases, the pre-cooked food is stored in modular food trays sealed with a removable covering film. The modular food trays are often conveniently designed to facilitate both reheating (e.g., via microwave or conventional ovens), when required, and serving. Traditionally, ready meals have been sold primarily at retail outlets (e.g., grocery stores). However, in recent years, on-demand food preparation services have entered the market, providing ready meals for home order (e.g., via shipping services).

SUMMARY

In one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a ready-meal shipping container includes: a housing including a plurality of walls bounding an interior cavity; and a food-tray-retention assembly. The food-tray-retention assembly includes: a plurality of racks arranged in a stacked configuration within the interior cavity of the housing, each of the racks including one or more discrete bounded cells for receiving modular food trays; and an elongated sleeve aligned with the racks and configured to receive a temperature control member in a position to promote heat transfer between the temperature control member and modular food trays received in the cells. Each of the racks is configured and arranged within the interior cavity such that, during shipping operations, the modular food trays are retained in a fixed position relative to each other, the walls of the housing, and the elongated sleeve.

In one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a ready-meal shipping container includes: a housing including a plurality of walls bounding an interior cavity; and a food-tray-retention assembly. The food-tray-retention assembly includes at least one rack located within the interior cavity of the housing, the rack including one or more discrete bounded cells for receiving modular food trays; and an elongated sleeve positioned adjacent the rack and configured to receive a temperature control member in a position to promote heat transfer between the temperature control member and modular food trays received in the cells. The housing further includes a non-planar gable structure enclosing a top portion of the interior cavity.

In one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a packaged ready-meal assembly includes: a housing including a plurality of walls bounding an interior cavity; and at least one rack located within the interior cavity of the housing, the rack having a planar surface defining one or more discrete openings; one or more food trays containing pre-cooked food and positioned in the one or more openings and held spaced from one another by the rack; and an elongated sleeve spanning the rack and positioning a cooled substance in spaced relation to the one or more food trays.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, the housing, the racks, and the sleeve are manufactured from a recyclable material.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, each of the discrete cells defines a rounded rectangular shape.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, at least one of the discrete bounded cells of a rack located immediately above the sleeve includes a throughhole aperture to expose a bottom portion of the food tray received therein to the elongated sleeve. In one or more of the above-described aspects, at least one of the modular food trays is supported in one of the racks, such that the bottom surface of the tray is suspended at a distance from the elongated sleeve.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, the shipping container further includes a plurality of insulators positioned between the walls of the housing and the food-tray-retention assembly. In one or more of the above-described aspects, at least one of the insulators includes a cushioned pad encased in insulating material.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, the sleeve is positioned between adjacent racks in the stacked configuration.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, the sleeve is positioned immediately on top of the topmost rack in the stacked configuration.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, each of the racks includes a face panel extending across the space between two opposing side walls, and the cells include apertures bounded by surface material of the face panel.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, the temperature control member includes a cooling element located within an interior space of the sleeve.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, at least one of the modular food trays includes a main body and a lip extending outwardly from the main body, and the main body is received within an open space of one of the cells of one of the racks, with the lip overhanging a surface of the rack between adjacent cells.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, each of the racks consists essentially of a single contiguous planar blank folded into a three dimensional structure.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, the housing consists essentially of a single contiguous planar blank folded into a three dimensional structure.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, the sleeve is exposed to a surface of each of the one or more food trays.

In one or more of the above-described aspects, the sleeve is located in a position to promote heat transfer between the cooled substance and the one or more food trays via natural convection current.

The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1C are perspective, side and front views of an example ready-meal shipping container housing with the gable structure of the housing in a closed position.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the housing shown inFIGS. 1A-1C with the gable structure in an opened condition.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an example ready-meal shipping container packed with modular ready meals.

FIGS. 4A-4D are perspective, top, side and bottom views of a first example food-tray-retention assembly.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second example food-tray-retention assembly.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings may indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure generally relates to shipping containers for facilitating the shipping of ready meals disposed in module food trays. One or more aspects of the present disclosure are drawn from an awareness that ready meals featuring non-frozen food portions provide a substantially superior product in the eyes of consumers (e.g., better taste, presentation and nutrition) as compared to frozen food. Thus, a shipping container in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be configured to transport ready meals at a sustained chilled (but not frozen) temperature or at a sustained serving temperature. As used herein, the term “chilled temperature” is intended to mean that the food portions are maintained at a cool temperature above freezing (e.g., a temperature between about 40° F. and about 32° F.); and the term “serving temperature” is intended to mean that the food portions are maintained at a warm temperature of at least about 140° F.

One or more aspects of the present disclosure are drawn from a further awareness that the reheating of chilled ready meals via stovetop or conventional oven tends to provide a superior consumer product as compared to reheating by microwave. However, given a choice, many consumers may choose to microwave ready meals merely as a matter of convenience. To drive the consumer towards conventional oven heating, the modular trays containing the chilled food portions can be manufactured including a non-microwavable material, such sheetform aluminum foil or other appropriate metals, as opposed to microwavable plastic or paper. The high heat conductivity of the metalized trays may also be advantageous for facilitating heat transfer (e.g., heating or cooling) of the food portions contained therein during transport within the shipping container. The metalized trays may be particularly delicate and prone to bruising during bulk shipping due to the relatively thin walls of the structure combined with the pliable, non-elastic nature of the materials and the relative softness of the non-frozen food. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a ready-meal shipping container includes a food-tray-retention assembly including multiple racks appropriately configured to retain a plurality of modular food trays in an effectively isolated condition during shipping operations. Further, in some embodiments, a ready-meal shipping container includes a housing featuring a non-planar gable structure enclosing the top portion of an interior cavity containing the modular food trays. As discussed below, the gable structure is appropriately designed to inhibit service persons from mishandling the read-meal shipping container during shipping operations.

Referring first toFIGS. 1A-1C, a ready-meal shipping container100 includes ahousing102 featuring abase106 and agable structure108. Thebase106 and thegable structure108 define the bounds of a vacantinterior cavity105. In this example, thebase106 includes a substantiallyflat floor110, two opposing elongatedplanar side walls112, afront wall114, and arear wall116. Thefront wall114 and therear wall116 extend between the edges of theside walls112, forming the rectangular-shapedbase106. The thickness of the walls and floor of the base106 provide sufficient strength to carry a plurality of modular food trays (e.g., six food trays) and a food-tray-retention assembly for holding the trays (seeFIGS. 3 and 4A-4D). For instance, in some embodiments, one or more of the walls have a thickness of between about 0.06 inch and 0.25 inch (e.g., about 0.12 inch). In some embodiments, one or more walls of the base106 are substantially thicker than what is required to provide the necessary weight carrying capacity for transporting the modular food trays contained therein. The added thickness of the walls may provide an auxiliary measure of insulation for maintaining the modular food trays at a desired temperature.

Thegable structure108 encloses the top portion of theinterior cavity105. As noted above, thegable structure108 is a non-planar construction designed to inhibit service persons from mishandling the ready-meal shipping container100 in a way that may damage the delicate modular food trays contained therein. In this example, thegable structure108 includes multiple components that project vertically upward from the topmost edges of the base106 to create the non-planar construction. In particular, we have found that the particular configuration (e.g., shapes and sizes) of the components shown and described herein tends to inhibit service persons from placing the ready-meal shipping container100 in an improper orientation (e.g., upside down) and from stacking other packages on top of theshipping container100.

In this example, thegable structure108 includes tworoof panels118, twogable panels120, and tworetention panels122. With thegable structure108 in a closed condition, as illustrated inFIGS. 1A-1C, each of theroof panels118 extend inward along a direction of the width “W” (seeFIG. 1A) of thehousing102 from the top edge of the opposingside walls112. In some embodiments, the width of thehousing102 is between about 10 inches and 14 inches (e.g., about 12 inches). As shown, theroof panels118 meet near the center of thehousing102, forming a substantially flat closed lid to thebase106. In some implementations, the lay-flat nature of theroof panels118 when thegable structure108 is closed can be particularly advantageous because it preserves the rectangular shape ofinterior cavity105, making thehousing102 easier to pack snugly with insulation (seeFIG. 3).

Thegable panels120 are pressed together along the seam where theroof panels118 meat to form anupstanding ridge124, two lockingtabs126 extending vertically upward the opposing ends of theridge124, and ahandhold opening128 near the center of theridge124. In this example, theridge124 extends lengthwise to span the entire length “L” (seeFIG. 1A) of thehousing102. In some embodiments, the length of thehousing102 is between about 18 inches and 30 inches (e.g., about 24 inches). In some embodiments, theridge124 extends across at least about 50% of the length of the housing102 (e.g., between about 70% and about 90%). In this example, theridge124 has a semi-elliptical shape in the lengthwise direction of thehousing102. However, other appropriate shapes are also contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 1C, thesemi-elliptical ridge124 extends upwards from theroof panels118 to a maximum height “h” near the center of thehousing102. In some embodiments, the maximum height of the ridge is between about 0.5 inch and 5 inches (e.g., between about 2 inches and about 4 inches, such as about 3.5 inches). In some embodiments, the maximum height of theridge124 is at least about 10% of the overall height “H” (seeFIG. 1C) of the housing102 (e.g., between about 15% and about 45%, such as about 25% or about 40%). In some embodiments, the height of thehousing102 is between about 7 inches and 11 inches (e.g., about 9 inches).

With thegable structure108 in the closed condition, the lockingtabs126 of thegable panels120 are received by the slot openings130 (seeFIG. 2) of theretention panels122, which are folded inward in the lengthwise direction of thehousing102 towards theridge124. The lockingtabs126 engage the edges of theslot openings130 to inhibit thegable panels120, and therefore theroof panels118, from being inadvertently pulled apart to expose theinterior cavity105 of the housing102 (e.g., when a user lifts thehousing102 by grasping theridge124 via the handhold opening128). To open thegable structure108, as shown inFIG. 2, a user can press down on the gable panels120 (or theroof panels118, which are coupled to thegable panels120 in this example) to disengage the lockingtabs126 from theslot openings130 of theretention panels122, and peal back theretention panels122 to release thegable panels120.

In some embodiments, thehousing102 is formed by appropriately folding a contiguous and generally flat blank, and securing the blank in the folded condition (e.g., via mechanical fasteners or adhesive). The blank may include indented fold lines or seams to facilitate assembly of thehousing102. In some embodiments, one or more components of thehousing102 can be made from a recyclable material, such as commercial grade corrugated cardboard, paperboard and/or recyclable fibers or plastics.

Referring now toFIG. 3, theinterior cavity105 of thehousing102 can be packed with a shipping load including a food-tray-retention assembly200 supporting a plurality ofmodular food trays300 and a plurality ofinsulators400 at least partially surrounding the food-tray-retention assembly200. In this example, theinsulators400 include thermal-rated box liners featuring a soft cushioning pad encased within metalized sleeves. During shipping operations, the padding material may at least partially absorb and dissipate shock and impact loads, as well as prolonged vibrations. In some embodiments, the padding material includes a shock absorbing foam (e.g., polyurethane foam). However, various other types of insulators are also contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure (e.g., metal-encased polystyrene or Styrofoam).

As shown inFIGS. 4A-4D, a first example food-tray-retention assembly200 includes anupper rack202aand alower rack202barranged in a stacked configuration with anelongated sleeve204. As described below, the

racks

202a,202bare appropriately configured to carry one or more modular food trays (e.g., food trays300). In some implementations, stacking the racks of the food-tray-retention assembly allows a plurality of food trays (six trays in the illustrated examples) to be packed in a housing (e.g., the housing102) with a structurally sound length to width aspect ratio (e.g., a length to width aspect ratio of at most about 4:1). For example, if the housing is too long, it may be structurally weak near the middle when loaded with food trays, and therefore become compromised during shipping operations. In this example, thesleeve204 is sandwiched between the

racks

202a,202b. Similar to thehousing102, the

racks

202a,202band thesleeve204 may be formed by appropriately folding a contiguous and generally flat blank. With all of the structural elements of the ready-meal shipping container100 being constructible from generally flat blanks, the constituent pieces can be readily manufactured and shipped in bulk for remote assembly.

Each of the

racks

202a,202bincludes aface panel206, two opposingside walls208, twosupport rails209, afront panel210 and arear panel211. The support rails209 extend partially inward (e.g., by about 1.5 inches) in the widthwise direction of the

racks

202a,202bfrom the bottom edge of theside walls208. Theside walls208,front panel210, andrear panel211 extend downward from theface panel206 to partially bound a bottomlessinterior space212. Thus, thecells214 of theupper rack202aare exposed to theunderlying sleeve204 carrying the support rails209.

Theface panel206 of the

racks

202a,202bincludes a plurality ofdiscrete cells214. As shown, thecells214 are located at regular intervals along the length of the

racks

202a,202bso that the weight of thefood trays300 retained therein is uniformly distributed. In this example, theface panel206 of each

rack

202a,202bincludes threediscrete cells214. However, other configurations are also contemplated within the present disclosure (e.g., the racks may include more—e.g., four, five or six—cells or less—e.g., two or one—cells, and/or the respective racks may include a different number of cells). Thecells214 are formed as throughhole apertures bounded by the surrounding surface material of theface panel206. Thus, thecells214 of theupper rack202aare exposed to theunderlying sleeve204 which carries the support rails209 of therack202a.

In this example, each of thecells214 defines a rounded rectangular shape, appropriately sized to accommodate the contour of themodular food trays300. In some embodiments, thecells214 have a length of between about 6 inches and about 10 inches (e.g., about 8 inches), and width of between about 3 inches and about 7 inches (e.g., about 5 inches), and the radius of the rounded corners is between about 0.12 inch and about 1 inch (e.g., about 0.5 inch). Thefood trays300 fit relatively snug within thecells214 such that lateral movement is inhibited. Thus, thefood trays300 are effectively isolated from one another and from the walls of thebase106 of thehousing102. As shown inFIG. 3, each of thefood trays300 includes anouter lip302 extending beyond therespective cell214 to overhang the surrounding surface of theface panel206 when the main body of thetray302 has been inserted into the open space of thecell214. Thus, thefood trays300 are at least partially supported in the

racks

202a,202bby thelip302 bearing on the surface of theface panel206. In some embodiments, the height “Hr” (seeFIG. 4A) of the

racks

202a,202b, as defined by theside walls208, is greater than the height of thefood trays300, such that thefood trays300 entirely supported on the surface of theface panel206 as described above, such that thefood trays300 effectively “float” above the surface carrying the support rails209 of the

respective rack

202a,202b. This configuration may be particularly advantageous during shipping operations, because the delicate body of thefood trays300 can be vertically isolated from surrounding structures (e.g., the sleeve204) which may cause bruising if bumped. This configuration may be further advantageous, because the main body of thefood trays300 below the outwardly projectinglip302 remain free of any contact with the

racks

202a,202b, which may further inhibit potential bruising. In some embodiments, the height of the

racks

202a,202bis between about 0.5 inch and 5 inches (e.g., between about 1 inch and about 4 inches, such as about 2 inches).

Theelongated sleeve204 is a rectangular shaped construction with open ends, featuring anupper surface215 and alower surface216 connected by opposingside walls218. The boundedinterior space220 of thesleeve204 is substantially void, designed to receive an appropriate temperature control member (not shown). The temperature control member is designed to create heat transfer (e.g., conductive or convective heat transfer) with the food trays carried in the racks. In various embodiments, the temperature control member may include any suitable type of cooling element and/or heating element. In some embodiments, the cooling element may include one or more ice packs, ice blankets, ice pouches, endothermic cold packs and/or refrigerant gel packs. In some embodiments, the cooling element may include a vessel containing dry ice. In some embodiments, the heating element may include one or more exothermic hot packs and/or a battery-powered heating pad. The positioning of the temperature control member within thesleeve204 located between the

racks

202a,202bpromotes heat transfer between the temperature control member and thefood trays300 disposed in thecells214. In this example, the temperature control member draws in heat from the bottom of thetrays300 located in theupper rack202aand from the top of thetrays300 located in thelower rack202b.

FIG. 5 illustrates a second example food-tray-retention assembly200′, which, similar to the first example food-tray-retention assembly200 ofFIGS. 4A-4D, includes anupper rack202a′ and alower rack202b′ arranged in a stacked configuration with anelongated sleeve204′. However, in this example, theracks202a′,202b′ are stacked in an immediately adjacent arrangement, with theupper rack202a′ situated directly on top of thelower rack202b′. Theelongated sleeve204′ is stacked on top of theupper rack202a′, and directly exposed to the trays carried therein. This configuration may be particularly advantageous in various implementations where the temperature control member includes a cooling element, because it tends to increase the efficiency of convective heat transfer. For example, positioning a cooling element at the top layer of the food-tray-retention assembly may form a natural convection current within the interior cavity of the housing that enhances the cooling capacity of the temperature control member.

The use of terminology such as “front,” “rear,” “top,” “bottom,” “above,” and “below” throughout the specification and claims is for describing the relative positions of various components of the ready-meal shipping container and other elements described herein. Similarly, the use of any horizontal or vertical terms to describe elements is for describing relative orientations of the various components of the ready-meal shipping container and other elements described herein. Unless otherwise stated explicitly, the use of such terminology does not imply a particular position or orientation of the ready-meal shipping container or any other components relative to the direction of the Earth gravitational force, or the Earth ground surface, or other particular position or orientation that the ready-meal shipping container or other elements may be placed in during operation, manufacturing, and transportation.

A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions. As one example, while the illustrated examples feature a food-tray-retention assembly including two racks arranged in various stacked arrangements, other suitable configurations and arrangements are also contemplated within the present disclosure. As one example, the elongated sleeve could be positioned below the racks (e.g., if the temperature control member includes a heating element). As another example, a suitable food-tray-retention assembly may include multiple sleeves positioned between different sets of two or more racks; and/or multiple sleeves positioned above or below different sets of two or more racks. Alternatively, a suitable food-tray-retention assembly may include a single rack and a single sleeve, or a single rack with multiple sleeves, where the sleeves sandwich the single rack in the stacked configuration, a single rack with no sleeve, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A ready-meal shipping container, comprising:

a housing comprising a plurality of walls bounding an interior cavity; and

a food-tray-retention assembly, comprising:

a plurality of racks arranged in a stacked configuration within the interior cavity of the housing, each of the racks including one or more discrete bounded cells for receiving modular food trays; and

an elongated sleeve aligned with the racks and configured to receive a temperature control member in a position to promote heat transfer between the temperature control member and modular food trays received in the cells,

wherein each of the racks is configured and arranged within the interior cavity such that, during shipping operations, the modular food trays are retained in a fixed position relative to each other, the walls of the housing, and the elongated sleeve.

2. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a non-planar gable structure enclosing a top portion of the interior cavity.

3. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 2, wherein the gable structure comprises an upstanding ridge spanning at least a portion of the length of the housing.

4. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 3, wherein the ridge extends to a maximum height that is at least about 10% of the overall height of the housing.

5. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 4, wherein the ridge extends to a maximum height that is between about 15% and 45% of the overall height of the housing.

6. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 5, wherein the ridge extends to a maximum height that is about 40% of the overall height of the housing.

7. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 3, wherein the upstanding ridge defines a handhold aperture therethrough.

8. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 3, wherein the gable structure further comprises a pair of upstanding panels located proximate opposing ends of the ridge.

9. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 8, wherein each of the panels includes a slot opening for receiving a corresponding end of the ridge.

10. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein the housing, the racks, and the sleeve are manufactured from a recyclable material.

11. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein each of the discrete cells defines a rounded rectangular shape.

12. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the discrete bounded cells of a rack located immediately above the sleeve comprises a throughhole aperture to expose a bottom portion of the food tray received therein to the elongated sleeve.

13. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 12, wherein at least one of the modular food trays is supported in one of the racks, such that a bottom surface of the tray is suspended at a distance from the elongated sleeve.

14. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, further comprising a plurality of insulators positioned between the walls of the housing and the food-tray-retention assembly.

15. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 14, wherein at least one of the insulators comprises a cushioned pad encased in insulating material.

16. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein the sleeve is positioned between adjacent racks in the stacked configuration.

17. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein the sleeve is positioned immediately on top of a topmost rack in the stacked configuration.

18. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein each of the racks includes a face panel extending across a space between two opposing side walls, and wherein the cells comprise apertures bounded by surface material of the face panel.

19. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein the temperature control member comprises a cooling element located within an interior space of the sleeve.

20. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the modular food trays comprises a main body and a lip extending outwardly from the main body, and wherein the main body is received within an open space of one of the cells of one of the racks, with the lip overhanging a surface of the rack between adjacent cells.

21. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein each of the racks consists essentially of a single contiguous planar blank folded into a three dimensional structure.

22. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein the housing consists essentially of a single contiguous planar blank folded into a three dimensional structure.

23. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 1, wherein the sleeve is located in a position to promote heat transfer via natural convection current.

24. A ready-meal shipping container, comprising:

a housing comprising a plurality of walls bounding an interior cavity; and

a food-tray-retention assembly, comprising:

at least one rack located within the interior cavity of the housing, the rack including one or more discrete bounded cells for receiving modular food trays; and

an elongated sleeve positioned adjacent the rack and configured to receive a temperature control member in a position to promote heat transfer between the temperature control member and modular food trays received in the cells,

wherein the housing further comprises a non-planar gable structure enclosing a top portion of the interior cavity.

25. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 24, wherein the gable structure comprises an upstanding ridge spanning at least a portion of the length of the housing.

26. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 25, wherein the ridge extends to a maximum height that is at least about 10% of the overall height of the housing.

27. The ready-meal shipping container ofclaim 26, wherein the ridge extends to a maximum height that is about 40% of the overall height of the housing.

28. A packaged ready-meal assembly, comprising:

a housing comprising a plurality of walls bounding an interior cavity; and

at least one rack located within the interior cavity of the housing, the rack having a planar surface defining one or more discrete openings;

one or more food trays containing pre-cooked food and positioned in the one or more openings and held spaced from one another by the rack; and

an elongated sleeve spanning the rack and positioning a cooled substance in spaced relation to the one or more food trays.

29. The packaged ready-meal assembly ofclaim 28, wherein the housing further comprises a non-planar gable structure enclosing a top portion of the interior cavity.

30. The packaged ready-meal assembly ofclaim 28, wherein the sleeve is exposed to a surface of each of the one or more food trays.

31. The packaged ready-meal assembly ofclaim 28, wherein the sleeve is located in a position to promote heat transfer between the cooled substance and the one or more food trays via natural convection current.