This invention relates to carriers, and manufacturing methods, and particularly to hand-held carriers and methods used in carrying and distributing foods, including beverages, and other objects such as cylindrical or other containers, and further relates to advertising means and methods using such carriers and methods.
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/213,938 filed Aug. 9, 2002, and of Ser. No. 10/662,265, filed on Sep. 15, 2003.
A problem of long standing is that of distributing food from distribution stands, stores, restaurants, etc., to people to carry to a distant site at which the food is to be eaten. It is difficult for one to carry much more than one or two beverage cups, or one cup and one item of solid food, if only the hands are available for use in carrying the food.
Food carriers are used when more substantial quantities of food must be carried. However, because the carriers must be relatively low in cost, they usually are relatively flimsy and are easily deformed to cause the food to spill from the carrier.
One type of prior carrier has a pair of foldable trays secured to a central support panel with a hand-hold used for carrying the device. The trays have beverage-receiving holes for use in carrying up to four full beverage cups. An auxiliary tray with a long slot in the bottom is fitted onto the central support panel with the panel extending through the slot. The auxiliary tray typically is used for holding solid foods such as hot dogs. The auxiliary tray can rest upon the tops of the beverage containers below it. The carrier thus can be used to carry food and beverages for several people.
The foregoing type of carrier has several disadvantages.
One disadvantage is that several different motions are required in order to unfold the flattened carrier and prepare it for use. This makes the carrier relatively slow and intricate to use.
Another disadvantage is that the container often will not stand up on a horizontal surface by itself. This makes it more difficult and slower to load the food into the carrier.
It has been suggested that such carriers be used to carry advertising for sponsors who supply the carriers. By doing this the relatively higher costs of the carriers are paid by advertisers. Thus, it is desirable to maximize the surface area available for such advertising without excessive increases in cost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a carrier and method which eliminate or alleviate the foregoing disadvantages.
In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a food and/or beverage carrier which is relatively quick and easy to unfold and set up, and thus speeds the food and beverage distribution process.
It is another object to provide such a carrier which is relatively sturdy and easy to load and unload, thus further speeding and smoothing the distribution of beverages and food.
It is a further object to provide such a carrier with an increased surface area for displaying advertising.
It is an additional object to provide a carrier which is relatively economical to make, and is sturdy and reliable in use.
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects are met by the provision of a carrier having a central support panel with folded receptacles on opposite sides, each of the receptacles consisting of a folded side-wall structure which unfolds to provide a side wall, and a plurality of folded horizontal support panels in the form of flanges which unfold to form a bottom for each receptacle.
In one specific embodiment, the horizontal panel has at least one holding hole for receiving and holding a beverage cup.
Although the specific embodiment described immediately above is good for holding tapered beverage cups whose upper portion will engage with the edge of the hole to hold it in the carrier, another embodiment preferably is used for carrying non-tapered containers, such as cylindrical beverage cans and bottles, and similarly shaped articles. In this embodiment, the trays or receptacles have flat bottoms without holding holes to support the objects. Preferably, the carrier also has retractable side barriers or fixed dividers to support upright containers to sit upright on the flat bottom and prevent the containers from tipping sideways. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, a six-bottle or can carrier is provided.
A holding structure preferably is provided to hold the panels relative to the side wall to support the load to be carried.
In another embodiment, the holding structure includes a tab on one of the parts which engages the other part.
In a further embodiment, the panels or flanges are selectively secured together and folded so as to support the panel structure under a load.
Preferably, the flanges are structured so as to automatically enter the confines of the side wall when the side wall is unfolded so that the carrier is unfolded and set up for use in a single motion.
In another embodiment of the invention, in each receptacle there are two vertically spaced-apart horizontal panels connected to one another, each having at least one beverage-receiving hole aligned with a similar hole in the other panel to support and hold a beverage container.
An optional auxiliary tray is provided. It has a slot in the bottom through which the central panel is inserted. This tray can be used to hold solid food items, with the tray resting on either the tops of beverage containers held in the trays, or on the upper edges of the side-walls.
In another embodiment, the auxiliary tray has the same construction as the main carrier except that it has no beverage cup holes and it has a central recess which fits over the central support panel of the carrier. This auxiliary tray can be used independently as a solid food carrier.
In an embodiment having a flat bottom for supporting cylindrical containers, etc., and which has one or more fixed or retractable side barriers, the barriers serve as dividers to divide each receptacle of the carrier into two o three or more different compartments. One or all compartments can be used to carry beverage cans or bottles, or some compartments for cans or bottles and the others for solid foods or other objects.
The carrier is relatively quick and easy to use in serving foods and beverages. The food server prepares the food to the customer's order. Then, he or she merely unfolds the side-wall structure and places the carrier on a flat surface. Then the server loads the carrier with food and/or beverages. Because the carrier stands erect on its own, the server can use both hands to load the food into the carrier.
A six-pack carrier for beverage or other bottles and cans has two fixed dividers which unfold automatically when the carrier is unfolded.
If the order is only for liquid foods, such as soup or beverages, the beverage-containing cups are inserted into the receiving holes in the trays, or placed on the flat bottom wall of the receptacles, and the carrier is grasped by the handle and carried away by the customer.
If the order also includes solid foods, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, bags of peanuts, potato chips, popcorn, etc., then the auxiliary tray is slipped downwardly onto the central support panel, the sold food is placed in the auxiliary tray, and the customer grasps the handle and carries all of the good items away with one hand.
If the order includes only solid food items, they can be placed in the carrier trays, as long as they are large enough not to pass through the beverage-receiving holes.
In the embodiment having flat bottomed receptacles with optional retractable side barriers, virtually any type of beverage container can be carried, whether tapered cups, cylindrical cans or bottles, or other shapes. Food can be carried side-by-side with beverages by use of the pop-up side barriers to prevent the beverages from tipping over.
Alternatively, or in addition, the solid food items can be carried in one of the auxiliary trays described above.
Food distribution using the carriers of the invention is made faster and easier, both for the servers and the customers, in many different types of events and locations. For example, the carrier can be used to advantage in distributing food from concession stands in baseball, football, tennis and other stadiums; in basketball and other indoor sports arenas; at picnics, indoor and outdoor political and other meetings, and conventions; at self-serve or other carry-out restaurants; at parties and other social gatherings, and at virtually any function or location where food must be carried by the consumer.
Advantageously, the carrier bears the advertisements of one or more sponsors who either supply the carriers for free or defray some of their cost. The advertising can include tear-off coupons good for credit against the purchase of merchandise in order to promote the sale of the merchandise.
Advantageously, the carrier of the present invention has an increased exterior surface area for displaying such advertising.
A notable increase in the available advertising space is created by the construction feature in which the central support panel structure consists of a single panel folded in the middle to form a hinge between the two panels formed by the fold, with a foldable receptacle secured to each of the separate panels. Advertising is printed on the inside facing surfaces of the two panels. A message is displayed on the outside of the carrier advising the user about the interesting materials to be seen by swinging the two halves of the carrier apart.
Advantageously, the carrier can be formed from a single paperboard sheet or blank which can be scored to form separation lines and fold lines. The central support panels, and the foldable receptacle side and bottom walls are all hinged together. The blank advantageously has one surface which is finished and suitable for high quality printing. Preferably, all of the advertising material can be printed on the one surface in one printing operation. Then, the parts are separated along the separation lines, and folded along the fold lines, with selected panels being glued together in selected locations, to form the final folded carrier product.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from or explained in the following description and drawings.
Referring first to
Extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central panel 22 are two trays 30 and 32 for carrying beverages in up to four cups, such as the cup 62, or solid foods.
Also shown in
When the customer orders solid food as well as several beverages, the auxiliary tray 70 is fitted down over the central support panel 22 which extends through the slot 78, and the auxiliary tray 70 slides downwardly until it rests on top of the beverage cups or the upper edges 52 of the trays 30 and 32. A hand-hole 34 is provided in the central support panel 22 and the entire assembly can be carried from a concession stand to the seats in a stadium or the like by using only one hand inserted through the hand-hole 34.
When the customer returns to his or her seat, the customer removes the solid foods from the tray 70, slips the tray 70 off of the central support panel 22, and then removes the beverages from the trays 30 and 32 to distribute to the people for whom the food was ordered.
Advantageously, both the base of the carrier, consisting of the central support panel 22 and the trays 30 and 32, and the auxiliary tray 70 fold flat for compact storage at the concession stand. As it will be explained in greater detail below, the base unit is particularly advantageous in that it can be unfolded very quickly and easily and stands erect on its own so that it can be loaded with beverages very quickly, thus enhancing the efficiency of the food servers using them.
Also in accordance with the present invention, the carrier has an enlarged surface area for the display of advertising by advertisers who buy and supply the carriers to the food vendors or distributors, thus maximizing the advertising value to the advertisers.
The preferred carrier base shown in
Referring now to both
As it is shown most clearly in
Typically, the beverage cups are tapered so that they are slightly smaller at the bottom than at the top, and the holes 48 and 50 are dimensioned so as to hold the cup 62 with its upper rim 64 somewhere above the horizontal panel 46, but below the upper edge 57 of the tray 32.
The tray 30 on the other side of the central support panel 22 has a construction which is the mirror image of that shown for the tray 32. Thus, it has a side wall formed of sections 41, 43 and 45, and a horizontal support panel 47 with holes 49 and 51 for receiving beverages. Another tab 54 is used to secure the side wall to the panel 26 with adhesive or the like.
When it is desired to unfold the carrier base, the food server merely inserts his or her fingers into the corners of the folded side walls and pulls in the direction indicated by the arrow 82 in
Referring now to
As it is shown in
The projection from the long lateral side 42 has a fold line 86 at one end and a tab 84 which is adhesively attached to the projection 100 extending from the bottom edge of the panel 40.
The projections 56 and 58 are not secured to one another and the projection 56 slides over the top of the projection 58 during unfolding.
The projection 58 from the side wall section 44 has a fold line at 98 and a tab 96 extending underneath the horizontal support panel 46. Preferably, the tab 96 is adhesively secured to the panel 46 so as to provide a means for automatically pulling the panel 46 downwardly into the space between the side walls 40, 42 and 44 as the tray is unfolded.
Referring now to
Thus, a single unfolding motion by the food server is all that is necessary to set up the food tray for loading. The horizontal panels 46 and 47, even when they are in the angular position shown in
The carrier base construction makes it strong and easily able to support the heavy weight of multiple full cups of beverages, as well as solid foods piled into the auxiliary tray 70. This is particularly so because of the folding vertical side wall construction with the horizontal support panels which hold the side walls in the desired shape.
Although it is preferred that the carrier base be used for carrying beverages, there is no reason why it cannot also be used to carry solid food items, such as hot dogs and hamburgers, if they are large enough so that they will not fall through the holes in the bottoms of the trays.
In fact, a version of the carrier base shown in
Two trays 107 and 109 are secured adjacent the bottom edge of the central support panel 22. The tray 107 has a side wall with panels 40, 42 and 44, as described above. Similarly, the tray 109 has a side wall formed of panels 41, 43 and 45, also as described above.
As it is shown in
An upper opening and a lower opening are provided in order to support each beverage cup. The side support provided by two separate spaced locations bearing upon the sides of the cup helps to increase the stability of the cup as it is being carried.
The folding structure 108 thus described is secured to the side walls by a pair of tabs 134 cut from the material of the panel 112, as shown in
The carrier base shown in
In unfolding the carrier base, the food server merely pulls on opposite corners of the side walls, as in the
The extra openings 118, 122, 126 and 130 formed in the upper wall of each tray helps to stabilize the beverage containers when they are resting on a horizontal surface waiting for the carrier to be lifted upwardly.
When the carrier is lifted upwardly, the weight of the beverage cups pulls the structures 108 downwardly and causes the extending tabs 134 to be seated in the notches 136 in the side wall portions 42 and 43 so as to lock the cup holding portions 108 to the side walls to form a strong and sturdy carrier.
Alternatively, instead of the tabs 134 and notches 136, folding projections such as projections 56, 58, 80, 88 and 100 shown in
Although it is not shown in
The side wall portion is formed by a strip 146 which is separate from the remainder of the structure, although it could be formed as an integral extension of that structure in the manner of the embodiment shown in
The strip 146 has end portions 150 and 154 which are secured to the panel 28 adjacent its bottom edge at the fold line 148.
Additionally, the two halves of the auxiliary carrier 141 are formed from a single blank or two separate parts are secured together at the top edges 143, so that two panels 142 and 144 are draped over the top edge of the central support panel 22. The panels 142 and 144 have holes 34 positioned to be aligned with the hole 34 in the base unit so that a unitary hand-hole 34 is formed for the combined carrier.
The two panels 142 and 144 are not secured together except at the top edges 143 so that the central support panel 22 of the base unit can fit readily into the opening between the panels 142 and 144.
Thus, the auxiliary carrier 141 rides “piggyback” on the base unit.
The auxiliary carrier 141 has separate utility. When a customer orders only solid foods, or whenever the lack of beverage-receiving holes is not a detriment, the carrier 141 can be used alone. Thus, improved carrying of solid foods as well as liquids is provided. Alternatively, the auxiliary carrier 141 can have beverage-cup receiving holes so as to provide extra beverage carrying capacity.
The height of the auxiliary unit 141 should be selected so that it allows ample room for the cups held in the cup receptacle openings in the base unit to extend a reasonable distance above the bottom of the base unit.
Referring to
A hand hole is provided at 214 with foldable tabs 216 extending into the hole. When the tabs 216 are folded over by the insertion of a hand into the hole, they partially cover the upper edges of the hole so as to provide a smoother, broader surface to make the carrier more comfortable to carry.
An auxiliary slotted bottom tray, indicated in dashed lines schematically at 70 in
The receptacles 164 and 166 differ from those shown above in
Each of the receptacles has a folding side wall structure including three side walls. Receptacle 164 has side walls 168, 170 and 172, and receptacle 166 has side walls 174, 176 and 178. The end of side wall 172 is glued to the edge of a flap 205 extending from the edge of panel 204, and the end of side wall 174 is glued to another flap 207 extending from the edge of panel 206 (also see
In addition, tabs 201 and 203 (see
The central support panel structure 162 actually consists of a single panel having two sections 204 and 206 (see
The solid bottom structure includes a transverse support panel 242 (see
Referring now to
The pop-up side barriers 182 and 184 are formed as cutouts from the bottom portion of the panel 204 and of the transverse panel 242.
The structure 182 is shown in the “up” position to form a side-barrier to hold an object 218 such as a beverage can or bottle or cup in the compartment formed by the side barrier to prevent the object 218 from tipping over in the carrier.
The other side barrier structure 184 is shown in the “down” position, i.e., folded flat so as to permit solid food or other objects to be carried in the second compartment of the receptacle 164.
It should be understood that the structures of the bottom and pop-up barriers also are provided in the receptacle 166, but are not shown in the drawings completely in order to avoid redundancy.
The pop-up barrier structure 184 includes a first panel 196 hinged at its top edge to the panel 204, having a fold line at 198, and a semicircular cutout 195 to conform to the surface of a cylinder when it is popped up into barrier-forming position.
The structure 184 also has a portion 202 joined to the panel 196 at a fold line 200, and to the transverse panel at 197.
The structure 182 leaves a cutout hole 192 in the lower portion of the panel 204 when it is raised, and has a section 190 and a fold line 193 which allows it to be pulled or pushed upwardly through the hole in the bottom to the position shown in
Thus, when the carrier 160 is used, either one of the side barrier structures 182 and 184 may be raised to its upright position to form a cylindrical object-holding compartment. The other side barrier structure can be left unfolded as shown in
If desired, both side barriers 182 and 184 can be left unfolded so as to give a completely “solid” support bottom to hold objects in the receptacle. For example, if three beverage cans will fit side-by-side in the receptacle, they can be placed in the receptacle without raising the side barriers and they will support each other and prevent the others from toppling over.
Virtually all of the side walls and exterior panels of the carrier preferably bear advertising, since it is advertising which facilitates the provision of the carrier to the consumer at no cost, and at a moderate cost or no cost to the food purveyor. For example, advertising appears at 220 on the upper panel 210, on the sides such as at 222 and 224 (also see
In addition, advertising space advantageously is provided on the interior facing surfaces of the panels 204 and 206. This advertising is accessed by merely swinging the two panels 204 and 206 apart at the hinge 208, as illustrated in
The surface 206 shown in
Preferably, on the outside surface of the carrier 160, a legend appears informing the user of the advertising and gifts appearing on the inside panels so as to urge the user to spread the panels apart to see what is there.
By this means, the effective advertising surface area of the carrier has been greatly augmented, at minimal cost.
It should be noted that the central panel structure 162 having two panels hinged along their upper edges is a construction which is usable with each of the different embodiments of the invention shown in this patent application. In fact, the upper tray 141 of the embodiment shown in
The bottom edge of the side panel 176 is folded over to form the broad long flap 230 to act as part of the holding panel structure. A corner area 240 of a first corner piece 238 is secured to a portion 246 of the bottom of the panel 242 with adhesive. A fold line is formed at 243 and 236. The corner piece 238 is formed as an extension of the lower edge of the side wall 178. (Also see
It should be understood that the bottom structure shown in
The corner pieces provide linkages which help to pull the panel 242 downwardly when the side walls are unfolded, and to strengthen the holding structure and the bottom of the receptacle.
The pop-up barriers for the receptacle 166 are shown, in part, at 250 and 252, with fold lines 254 and 256, semi-circular cut-out edges 258 and 260, and the area 249 of panel 242 between the barrier structures. All of these parts are shown in their folded up position so they form part of a “solid” bottom.
The holding panel structure 186 for the receptacle 164 is not shown in
The holding structure 186 amply supports the transverse panel 242 so as to form a strong bottom with convertible pop-up side barriers to separate it into two compartments.
By now it should be apparent that the term “solid” bottom refers to a bottom portion that has no large holes in the areas for supporting containers in contrast to those shown in the embodiments of
The structure has side walls 264, 266 and 268, and the structure 270 has a panel 272 with a fold line 273, and a vertical panel 274 when popped-up. Semi-circular cutouts are provided at 276 and 278 to provide lateral support for containers in either of the two compartments formed by the barrier structure 270.
Although the use of the single pop-up barrier structure or divider 270 in the “up” position commits both compartments to use with side barriers, the single structure 270 shown in
Advantageously, the structure permits all graphic matter on the carrier to be printed by printing only one surface of the sheet 279.
The upper surface of the sheet 279 is treated by adding an acrylic finish to make it smoother than raw fiberboard, whereas the other side of the sheet is left raw. This gives the upper surface a better appearance, but saves the cost of coating both sides. The acrylic finish also makes the fiberboard stronger and more liquid-resistant.
The vertical panels are shown at 204 and 206, and the fold line between them is shown at 208.
Advertising is printed on each of the surfaces 210 and 212, 168, 170 and 172, 174, 176 and 178, and on each of the panels 204 and 206. Advantageously, this is all done in one printing operation, usually including two to four color separation printing steps, without the extra cost of turning the sheet over to print on the other side.
Separation lines are formed at 290, 292, 288, at the edges of the pop-up barriers, and elsewhere where separation is desired. Fold lines are provided at 208, 284 and 286, at the junctions between the side panels 168, 170, 172, etc., and wherever else folds are to be made.
Then, the sheet 279 is sent to the automatic fabrication equipment in which scrap such as the panel 282 and other unneeded material is removed. The panels 210 and 212 are folded along lines 284 and 286 onto the surfaces of the panels 204 and 206 underneath the ones shown in
The side wall structures are folded and secured at the left edge to the tab 205 or 207 with adhesive to complete the foldable side wall structure. The corner tab portions 232234, 235, 239 and 240 are folded and adhered to the surfaces to which they must adhere, and the side wall structures are folded flat against the central panel structure 162.
It should be noted that the side walls of the carrier shown in
Of course, the height of the side walls can be adapted to the needs of a particular usage for the carrier.
Although the carrier structures described above can be used to carry six bottles or cans of liquids such as beverages,
As in the other carriers described herein, a foldable receptacle is provided extending from the lower portion of each of the panels 304 and 306.
One receptacle includes side walls 308, 310 and 312, as well as a bottom structure and foldable dividers 328 and 330 to divide the receptacle into three compartments, each of which is designed to hold a bottle such as the bottle 342 or a can or other similarly shaped object.
The second receptacle has side wall panels 314, 317 and 315 (see
The side wall 314 is secured to the panel 306 by gluing it to a flap 348 which extends from the side of the panel 306. Similarly, the side wall panel 312 is glued to the panel 304 by means of a flap 348 extending from the side of the panel 304. Flaps 349 and 353 (see
The bottom construction for the second of the two receptacles is illustrated in
A pair of long flanges 316 and 318 extend, respectively, from the outside side wall panel 317 and the central panel 306. (See
Other relatively short flanges 320 and 322 extend, respectively, from the shorter side walls 314 and 315 of the receptacle. Each of the long flanges 316 or 318 has a tab or flap 324 or 326 at one end which is secured with adhesive to one of the flanges 320 or 322, as shown in
The bottom structure of the first receptacle is the same as that of the second receptacle, and has been given the same reference numerals.
As it is shown in
Of course, other structures shown elsewhere herein also can be used to hold the receptacles open.
The dividers 328, 330, 340 and 341, are formed as cutouts from the panels 304 and 306, as it is apparent form
Advantageously, the bottom edges 336, 338 of the dividers are spaced upwardly from the bottom of the vertical panels so as to give clearance for the flanges 318 to rotate downwardly from the folded-up position to a horizontal position when the carrier is unfolded.
The carrier shown in
The glue points in the embodiment shown in
The carrier 360 includes a central support structure 362 consisting of a panel folded at edge 367 to form vertical panels 364 and 366. Panels 368 and 369 (also see
Two receptacles are formed by side wall panels 372, 374 and 376, and 378, 380 and 377 which are adhesively secured to the panels 364, 366 by flaps 404 and 406, respectively.
The bottom structure consists of four flanges 384, 388, 394 and 398, with the flanges being secured together at opposing corners 392 and 396 of the bottom structure. One end of each of the flanges 394 and 398 is trimmed diagonally, and fold lines are provided at 400 and 402. The bottom structure is partially folded along those lines as shown in
The flange 384 is larger than the other flanges, and extends outwardly far enough to completely cover the bottom and engage the opposite side wall (and, optionally, the other side walls) of the receptacle so that it spans and covers the entire bottom of the receptacle. An upturned flanged edge 386 helps grip the inner wall against which it bears so as to help hold the flange 384 down while objects are being placed in the receptacles.
A relatively short hand or finger hole 370 is provided near the top of the center support structure 362. The sides of the hole 370 advantageously extend relatively close to the side edges of the relatively narrow central support structure.
The bottom construction shown in
The tab 414 is glued to the flange 412, and the tab 420 is glued to the flange 418, as shown in
When the carrier is completely folded, the flanges fold up flat along the fold lines 424 and 426, as well as the fold lines between each of the flanges and the side wall panel which it extends from.
The flanges are shaped and dimensioned so that they just clear one another as the carrier is being unfolded, or slightly interfere with one another. Then, when the bottom is completely unfolded, the edges of the panels abut against one another to make a tight-fitting bottom panel construction, as shown in
The bottom construction shown in
The carrier 440 includes a central support structure 442 consisting of a panel folded at the middle forming the top edge 443 of the carrier and forming two vertical panels 446 and 448. Panels 444 and 445 (see
One receptacle consists of side walls 452, 454 and 456 folded over to form a rectangular side wall structure and glued to the central panel 448 by means of a flap 461.
Similarly, the other large compartment is formed by side walls 458, 460 and 462 folded over and secured to the panel 446 by means of a flap 459 which is glued onto the wall 458. Two dividers 464 and 466 are provided. They are formed as cut-outs from the panels 448 and 446, respectively. Each has an end flap 468 or 470, respectively, which is glued to the long side wall 454 or 460. This effectively divides the receptacle into two smaller compartments.
The bottom construction is similar in some respects to that of the carrier shown in
A flange 496 extending from the side wall 458 and a flange 500 extending from the side wall 462 are glued, respectively, to the tabs 494 and 498 with fold lines at 497 and 499, respectively. Similarly, flanges 472 and 474 have end tabs 479 and 481 which are glued to flanges 483 and 477.
The section 482 of flange 475 is narrower than the section 483 and a lateral edge is formed at 490 with a beveled corner at 493.
Similarly, the portion 485 of flange 473 is wider than the portion 484, and a lateral edge is formed at 492. The corner is beveled at 495.
When the carrier is fully unfolded, the flanges 473 and 475 are pushed downwardly by the weight of the object placed in the compartment, or by the hand of someone assembling the carrier, and the two lateral edges 492 and 490 of the two flanges 473 and 475 engage one another and lock together to hold the compartment open. The bottom flanges of the other compartment have a corresponding locking structure.
The bottom edges of the two dividers 464 and 466 are located upwardly from the bottom of each compartment so as to give adequate room for the flanges 472 and 474 to swing downwardly to lock together to form the bottom of the carrier when the carrier is unfolded.
Because the opposing long flanges of each of the two compartments of the carrier overlap one another and interlock, the bottom is strong and holds itself open while objects are being loaded into the carrier.
The carrier 502 includes a central support structure 504 with a panel folded at 505 to form two vertical panels 508, 510, with a hand hole 511. Panels 506 and 513 (
There are two large receptacles in the carrier. One is formed by side walls 512, 514 and 516 glued to a flange 534 extending from the panel 510.
The other receptacle is formed by side wall panels 518, 520 and 522, with a flange 532 extending from the panel 508 and glued to the panel 518.
Each of the bottom walls of the two receptacles has a pair of beverage cup-receiving holes 524, 526 and 528, 530.
Referring now to
Each of the broad panels 532 and 534 has three projections 540 or 544, respectively, which extend outwardly by a short distance to engage with holes 542 and 546 (see
In
In addition to the advantages described above for the carrier 502, the projections 540 and their receiving holes improve the ability of the panels 532 and 534 to stay down after being unfolded and the projections fitted into the holes, thus facilitating loading of the carrier.
The materials of which the carrier of the present invention can be made need not be expensive. Ordinary, medium weight fiberboard is believed to be sufficient for most purposes. For example, it can be 0.20 S.U.S. recycled newspaper material. If waterproofing beyond the acrylic coating is necessary, a further waterproof coating can be applied on both the inside and outside surfaces.
It is within the realm of the invention also to make the carriers out of flexible plastic materials.
If desired, the carriers can be made of plastic materials that are easily washable so that the carriers can be reused.
The invention, in its various embodiments, well satisfies the objectives set forth above. The carrier is easy and quick to unfold, stands upright on its own to allow the service worker maximum utilization of his or her hands to load food and/or beverages into the carrier, and provides a solid, strong, safe carrying means for both liquid and solid foods. Moreover, the invention provides a relatively large amount of exterior advertising space.
The carrier of the invention also is relatively inexpensive to make, in that it can be made from a single sheet of material, has a relatively low number of glue-points, and bears all the printing on one side of the blank.
In the solid-bottom version of the invention, a variety of different types of beverage or other containers can be carried, both cylindrical containers and tapered containers. Solid objects can be carried next to containers of liquid, or in the auxiliary tray attachable to the carrier.
The invention also is advantageous in that the central support panel structure is formed of hinged-together panels which are printed on the inside facing surfaces so that additional advertising displays can be placed on those surfaces.
The solid-bottomed embodiments can be used for carrying beverages, such as soft drinks, beer, hot or iced tea or coffee, hot soup, and many other objects other than food, such as blood or other fluids in hospitals, flower pots, cans of oil or fuel additives for automobiles or motorcycles, and, in general, a wide variety of objects which will fit into the carrier.
It should be understood that when the term “food” is used in the claims of this patent application, unless otherwise stated, the term includes all forms of food including liquid, solid, granular, and other forms.
The above description of the invention is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes or modifications in the embodiments described may occur to those skilled in the art. These can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10737612 | Dec 2003 | US |
Child | 11900027 | Sep 2007 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10213938 | Aug 2002 | US |
Child | 10737612 | Dec 2003 | US |
Parent | 10662265 | Sep 2003 | US |
Child | 10737612 | Dec 2003 | US |