FOOD CARRYING BAG FOR SUBMARINE SANDWICHES AND ELONGATED FOOD ITEMS

Abstract

A food carrying bag is provided having the dimensions to accommodate carrying a submarine sandwich or any other elongated food item in a horizontal orientation within the food carrying bag. The food carrying bag has a front panel, a back panel, and two opposite closed side ends with an opening along the top of the bag. In one embodiment, the food carrying bag includes a bottom gusset on the bottom panel. Alternatively, the food carrying bag includes a bottom gusset on the bottom panel and side gussets on the side panels. The food carrying bag includes handles that can be attached to the top of the bag or that can be cut out of an upper portion or region of the food carrying bag. The height of the food carrying bag is shorter in height and the width is accommodates most submarine sandwiches and elongated food items.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to an improved carrying bag for holding food items. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved food carrying bag designed for submarine sandwiches and other elongated food items in order to maintain an orientation of the elongated food item in a horizontal direction during the transportation and carrying of the submarine sandwich or other elongated food item instead of in the standard vertical orientation which causes the contents of the submarine sandwich or other elongated item to shift down and fall out.

BACKGROUND

It is well known that submarine sandwiches are one of the most popular type of sandwiches for people to consume. A plethora of restaurants and fast casual dining locations offer various combinations of submarine sandwiches. However, with the popularity of this type of sandwich, a major problem still exists with respect to the carrying and transport of these types of sandwiches.

Most sandwich shops only have food carrying bags for submarine sandwiches that are meant to be carried vertically. This causes the sandwich to fold over and extra toppings or sauce falls to the bottom of the bag. Further, it is easy for the submarine sandwich to slide out of this type of bag. Taking the sandwich in and out of the bag often causes the food carrying bag to break apart. Most people experience a great deal of frustration at finding that their sandwich may be soggy because the sauces have shifted downwards while held vertically and soaked the whole sandwich. Further, it is very frustrating to find the contents of one's sandwich spilled out upon removing the submarine sandwich from the bag used to hold the sandwich. Additionally, these bags may not have room if a customer would like to add other food items to the bag, such as cookies or chips, which are examples of food items that are also commonly sold at sandwich shops.

Another issue with existing options available for food carrying bags that one finds at sandwich shops or the like is that the dimensions of the food carrying bags do not fit a submarine sandwich correctly. Usually, they are not wide enough so that the sandwich can be laid horizontally Alternatively, while some bags may be very wide and may allow for a submarine sandwich to be placed horizontally in the bag, these types of bags usually are also overly large and rather bulky to carry. A customer usually does not want to have to carry an overly large or tall bag in order to fit his or her submarine sandwiches and accompanying food items. There are some variations of food carrying bags that may lend themselves for a sandwich to be held horizontally, but they are also open on one end or both ends and have the same problems as the vertically oriented sandwiches in that the contents of the sandwich spill out easily.

Some sandwich shops and restaurants provide elongated boxes that have a top lid and may be used to hold a submarine sandwich. The disadvantage of using boxes or another more rigid container is that they tend to be more costly for the restaurant or sandwich shop to purchase than a paper bag. Another disadvantage for using boxes to hold submarine sandwiches is that they require more storage space and are also more difficult to put together for an employee as compared to a paper bag, which is easier to open and close. Also, it is easier to carry items in a bag with handles rather than carrying individual boxes of food, which is why stores usually still provide customers with a carrying bag even if their food is also contained within a box.

Accordingly, an alternative is needed to existing, conventional bags that may allow a consumer to carry a submarine sandwich horizontally so that the ingredients contained between the bread of the sandwich can stay in place. Further, the bag should not be overly costly to produce and manufacture and should have the appropriate dimensions to suit a typical submarine sandwich.

SUMMARY

Embodiments are provided herein for a food carrying bag that is particularly adapted for holding a submarine sandwich in a horizontal orientation. In one embodiment, the food carrying bag includes a front panel, a back panel, and a bottom panel. The front panel and back panel are connected along at least two opposite ends of the front and back panels, whereby the at least two opposite ends of the front and back panels are closed ends. The bottom panel includes a bottom gusset that allows the bottom panel to expand and provides additional space within the food carrying bag. The front panel, back panel, and the bottom panel, in combination, define an interior cavity within the food carrying bag, whereby in an expanded position, the interior cavity is adapted to contain the submarine sandwich positioned in a horizontal orientation within the food carrying bag. In one embodiment, a height of the front and back panel is no more than 7 inches in height and a width of the front and back panels is at least 13 inches and no more than 16 inches wide in order to accommodate the submarine sandwich when positioned in the horizontal orientation.

In another embodiment, a food carrying bag is described herein that is particularly adapted for carrying a submarine sandwich in a horizontal orientation. The food carrying bag has a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, and side panels. The bottom panel has a bottom gusset that allows the bottom panel to expand and provides additional space within the food carrying bag. The bottom panel may connect to one or more edges of the front and back panels. Additionally, the side panels on each side of the food carrying bag each include a side gusset that allows the food carrying bag to expand when opened as well. The front panel, back panel, the bottom panel, and side panels, in combination, define an interior cavity, whereby in an expanded position, the interior cavity is adapted to contain the submarine sandwich positioned in the horizontal orientation within the food carrying bag. A height of the front and back panel is no more than 7 inches in height and a width of the front and back panels is at least 13 inches and no more than 16 inches in order to accommodate the submarine sandwich when positioned in the horizontal orientation.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an exemplary submarine food carrying bag in use in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial illustration of a front view of an exemplary submarine food carrying bag in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a pictorial illustration of a top view of the exemplary submarine food carrying bag of FIG. 2 in an expanded position in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a pictorial illustration of a bottom view of the exemplary submarine food carrying bag of FIG. 2 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a pictorial illustration of a top view of a second embodiment of an exemplary submarine food carrying bag in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a pictorial illustration of front view of the embodiment of an exemplary submarine food carrying bag a shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, among others, are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).

The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the upper limit of a range (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number),” this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm and upper limit is 100 mm.

Certain terminology and derivations thereof may be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, words such as “upward,” “downward,” “left,” and “right” would refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similarly, words such as “inward” and “outward” would refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. References in the singular tense include the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise noted.

The present disclosure is generally drawn to an improved food carrying bag that is suitable for elongated food items, especially submarine sandwiches. The food carrying bag, as described in one or more embodiments, may be characterized in that its dimensions are particularly adapted to best fit a submarine sandwich in its width and height.

Further, the food carrying bag may have only one opening along a top portion of the food carrying bag and may be closed or sealed on both ends of the food carrying bag, so as to prevent a submarine sandwich (or other food item) from sliding out either side. The food carrying bag may further be characterized in that it may be expanded to define an interior volume suitable for holding a submarine sandwich in a horizontal orientation as opposed to an upright, vertical orientation which has multiple problems as noted above. It is noted that the terms “submarine” and “sub” may be used interchangeably throughout this description to refer to a submarine sandwich. Further details are provided below with references to the Figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates a non-limiting embodiment of a food carrying bag 100 in use and held by a user, such as user 101. Food carrying bag 100 functions as a bag that can hold and contain multiple items. Food carrying bag 100 may be particularly suited for holding submarine sandwiches in a horizontal position or orientation as shown in FIG. 1. User 101 may be any type of consumer who purchases submarine sandwiches 160 and has been provided with a food carrying food carrying bag 100 having one or more advantageous and unique features as described further herein. It is noted that food carrying bag 100, as used throughout this description, may be interchangeably referred to herein as “sandwich bag” or solely “bag.”

It is an object of these embodiments to provide for a food carrying bag, like food carrying bag 100, capable of holding submarine sandwich 160 as shown in FIG. 1 and other elongated food items in a horizontal position while being carried or transported in the bag. In particular, food carrying bag 100 may be particularly useful for submarine sandwiches, however, any other type of elongated food item may also find benefit in being carried in food carrying bag 100 because it may be maintained in a horizontal direction. Such elongated food items may include, without limitation, tacos, burritos, hot dogs, or any other type of elongated food item (including desserts).

As shown in FIG. 1, the submarine sandwich 160 as located within the food carrying bag 100 is comfortably oriented in a horizontal orientation within the interior of food carrying bag 100. Submarine sandwich 160 is illustrated in broken lines to show that the submarine sandwich 160 is hidden within the interior of the food carrying bag 100. The height and width of the food carrying bag 160 (e.g. height 126 and width 128 as shown in FIG. 2) are custom made to comfortably fit the length of the submarine sandwich 160 in a horizontal orientation. As discussed above, most food carrying bags for submarine sandwiches are not adequate to hold the submarine sandwiches in a horizontal position and this causes many problems for the owner of the submarine sandwich 160. As noted above, the submarine sandwich 160 often has its interior components fall or slide out in the bag when carried in a vertical position. Also, it becomes easy for the submarine sandwich 160 to be crushed or folded in half. Food carrying bag 100 may alleviate and prevent such problems for the user.

FIG. 2 shows food carrying bag 100 in a flattened or fully closed position and FIG. 3 shows food carrying bag 100 in its fully opened or expanded position whereby in its expanded position, the interior cavity 114 is at its maximum. For compact storage and to minimize space needed to store the food carrying bag 100, food carrying bag 100 may be maintained in its closed position, and upon use, may be opened or expanded to hold items inside of the bag 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, food carrying bag 100 includes front panel 120 and back panel 122. Front panel 120 and back panel 122 are joined along each side end 104 and 106. The left end 104 and the right end 106 may be closed or sealed. In a preferred embodiment, the only opening for accessing the interior of the food carrying bag 100 is provided at the top side 110 of the front panel 120, as shown in FIG. 2, and along the top side 130 of the back panel 122, as shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly, the front panel 120 and the back panel 122 are not joined shut at the top opening in order to allow access to the interior cavity 114 of the food carrying bag 100. The top opening for accessing the interior of food carrying bag 100 may span the width 128 of food carrying bag 100 from end to end (i.e. from end 104 to end 106). This configuration for having sealed or closed ends 104 and 106 and a single opening spanning the top edges of food carrying bag 100 may assist in preventing any items within the food carrying bag 100 from sliding or falling out. In addition to the above, front panel 120 includes bottom end 108 and back panel 122 includes bottom end 112 (i.e. as best seen in FIG. 4).

FIG. 2 further illustrates a height 126 of food carrying bag 100 and width 128 of food carrying bag. In particular, height 126 defines or measures the height of front panel 120 and back panel 122 and ultimately the height 126 of the overall food carrying bag 100. Further, width 128 defines or measures the width of front panel 120 and back panel 122 and the width 128 of the overall food carrying bag 100.

In some embodiments, the width 128 of front panel 120 and back panel 122 may be equivalent to the width of the bottom panel 118 of the food carrying bag 100. In other embodiments, the width 128 of front panel 120 and back panel 122 may be different from the width of the bottom panel 118.

It is an intention of this invention that the dimensions of food carrying bag 100 may be particularly suitable for a food product, like a submarine sandwich, to be maintained in a horizontal orientation when transporting and carrying the submarine sandwich in food carrying bag 100. Usually, most sandwich shops will sell submarine sandwiches that are about 12 inches long. While these shops do also sell smaller sized submarine sandwiches as well as larger submarine sandwiches, one of the more popular sizes for a submarine sandwich tends to be the 12-inch-long submarine sandwich. Accordingly, it may be desirable that the width 128 of food carrying bag 100 to be at least 13 inches wide. Additionally, the width 128 of food carrying bag 100 may range to approximately about 16 inches in length in order not to be excessively wide. A preferred width 128 for food carrying bag 100 may be, without limitation thereto, approximately 15½ inches. Other dimensions for the width 128 of food carrying bag 100 are feasible and are also in keeping with the spirit of this invention.

It is noted that many people purchase only 6-inch-long submarine sandwiches. In one non-limiting embodiment, the width 128 of such as submarine food carrying bag 100 may range from 7 inches-8 inches to accommodate a smaller submarine sandwich, whereby the submarine sandwich is about 6 inches or less long.

With respect to height 126, food carrying bag 100 preferably has a shallower height than conventional bags for sandwiches and food items. It is an object of the invention that a user does not have an overly cumbersome, bulky bag and reducing the height 126 of food carrying bag 100 may assist in accomplishing this feature. Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment, height 126 of food carrying bag 100 may be no greater than approximately 6-8 inches in height. Further ranges for height 126 of food carrying bag 100 may include a range from on or about 5-6 inches in height. It may be preferable for food carrying bag 100 to be no shorter than 4½ inches in height to also allow room for additional food items within its interior cavity 114. For example, it is common for a user to purchase additional food items along with a submarine sandwich 160, such as one or more cookies, bags of chips, or other food items. Other dimensions for height 126 are also possible in alternative embodiments.

The dimensions of food carrying bag 100 are thus appropriately sized for most conventional submarine sandwiches. Height 126 may be at least as tall as a small sized bag of chips which is usually 1 to 2 ounces and may range from 4 to 8 inches in height. It should be possible for items such as a smaller bag of chips and/or cookies or other snack items (e.g. chocolates, chocolate bars, snack bars, gum, mints, or any other type of food or snack item) to also fit within the interior cavity 114 of food carrying bag 100, even while a sandwich is maintained in its horizontal position within the interior cavity 114 of food carrying bag 100. These other food and snack items may be placed on top of or to the side of the sandwich while in the horizontal position within the interior 114 of food carrying bag 100. Accordingly, food carrying bag 100 may accommodate multiple stacked items within its interior cavity 114.

As noted above, FIG. 3 shows a top view of food carrying bag 100 in an expanded position. FIG. 3 illustrates the interior cavity 114 of food carrying bag 100 as well as the inside view of the bottom panel 118 of food carrying bag 100. Bottom panel 118 of food carrying bag 100 may be more easily seen in FIG. 4 described further below.

In one embodiment, a bottom gusset 116, as shown in FIG. 3, may be included on the bottom panel 118 of the food carrying bag 100. The bottom panel 118 is thus able to expand and the inclusion of the bottom gusset 116 provides additional material and in turn, additional space within the food carrying bag 100 for fitting food items comfortably within the food carrying bag 100. A gusset, as understood by one or ordinary skill in the art, is a fold that may be placed on a bottom or side of a bag, such as food carrying bag 100. Additional material may be used to create a gusset, such as gusset 116, in either a bottom or side of a bag, such as food carrying bag 100. FIGS. 5-6 include a food carrying bag 100 having a side gusset 150 as well as a bottom gusset 116 on the bottom panel 118.

Bottom gusset 116 may extend along the width of the underside of the bottom panel 118 of food carrying bag 100. When food carrying bag 100 is in its fully closed position, bottom gusset 116 may be folded up and in an inwardly direction of the food carrying bag 100. When food carrying bag 100 is in its fully expanded position, bottom gusset 116 and bottom panel 118 may be fully expanded.

FIG. 3 illustrates that when expanded, food carrying bag 100 is able to stand upright on its own on a table or other level surface. Thus, a user can place food carrying bag 100 flat on a surface with the expanded bottom panel 118 and food carrying bag 100 may remain upright and self-supported on a table or other surface, such as a car seat or car floor.

When in use, a user may open food carrying bag 100 by pulling apart front panel 120 and back panel 122 from its top sides 110 and 130 to access the interior cavity 114 to place items within the interior cavity 114. In one non-limiting embodiment, upon being pulled apart from its top sides 110 and 130 along the top opening of food carrying bag 100, a user may notice that the bottom panel 118 expands to become a flat surface when the food carrying bag 100 is pulled apart.

FIG. 4 shows bottom panel 118 in more detail. In FIG. 4, food carrying bag 100 is flipped over in an expanded position so that its top sides 110 and 130 are on the table surface and its expanded bottom panel 118 is exposed in this particular view. The bottom gusset 116 is more visible in FIG. 4. Bottom gusset 116, as shown in a non-limiting embodiment, is a pre-formed fold line in the bottom panel 118 of food carrying bag 100. Bottom gusset 116 may allow bottom panel 118 to fold upwards and inwards within the body of food carrying bag 100 when food carrying bag 100 is in its closed position. Bottom panel 118 extends from end 104 to another end 106 of food carrying bag 100 and is substantially the same width 128 as that of food carrying bag 100.

As shown in FIG. 1-FIG. 4, in one non-limiting embodiment, food carrying bag 100 may include two handles. In particular, handle 102 may be connected or affixed to front panel 120 and handle 103 may be connected or affixed to back panel 122. Any means known in the art for affixing the handles 102 and 103 may be used, including, without limitation, via adhesives, such as glue or tape or any other means of adhesively connecting handles 102 and 103 to front panel 120 and back panel 122. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1-FIG. 4, handles 102 and 103 may be substantially centrally located along top sides 110 and 130. However, it is also possible to position handles 102 and 103 in alternative positions along top sides 110 and 130. Handles 102 and 103 are also shown in the FIGS. 1-4 as being less than the full width 128 of food carrying bag 100, however, in alternative embodiments, handles 102 and 103 may extend to the full width 128 or substantially extend to the full width 128 of food carrying bag 100. In one non-limiting embodiment, handles 102 and 103 may each be about 5 inches wide and 3 inch high.

Further, in other embodiments, food carrying bag 100 may have means to grasp the bag 100 in the form of cut holes that are cut into an upper region or portion of front panel 120 and back panel 122, such as cut out holes 140 shown in FIGS. 5-6. The use of cut out holes, such as cut out holes 140, with food carrying bag 100, as opposed to separately affixed handles 102 and 103, may be a means to reduce cost associated with the manufacturing of food carrying bag 100. That being said, having handles 102 and 103 may be stronger as cut holes, especially with paper bags, are often are weaker at their edges and may be easily torn. One of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that any other type of handles may be included other than those shown or mentioned above, with varying designs and shapes. In some embodiments, handles 102 and 103 may be made of string or plastic or other types of materials without limitation. Even in some embodiments, the handles 102 and 103 may be eliminated entirely and a user may grip the food carrying bag 100 from its top and/or bottom.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of food carrying bag 100. Food carrying bag 100 as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 includes a bottom gusset 116 as well as side gussets 150 on each end 104 and 106 of the food carrying bag 100. The front panel 120 and the back panel 122 connect to each bottom edge of the bottom panel 116, and also connect to each edge of the side panels 170.

The side gussets 150 (or embedded side folds) may provide additional room within the interior cavity 114 of the food carrying bag 100 for items, such as submarine sandwich 160 and other food items, to be comfortably placed within an interior of the food carrying bag 100. The food carrying bag 100 may include side panels 170 on each end 104 and 106 of the food carrying bag 100, whereby the side gussets 150 are folds integrated into the side panels 170 of the food carrying bag 100 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 5 shows food carrying bag 100 in its expanded position with the side gussets 150 and bottom gusset 116 fully expanded. In such an expanded state, the interior cavity 114 of the food carrying bag 100 is open and ready to receive food items, such as a submarine sandwich 160 and other items. FIG. 6 shows food carrying bag 100 in its collapsed or closed position with the side gussets panels 170 and side gussests 150 collapsed as well as the bottom panel 116 collapsed. The bottom panel 116 is collapsed and folds upwards, and the food carrying bag 100 is flattened out. This may be useful when food carrying bag 100 needs to be folded up and stored in a flattened state so as not to take up room.

The height 126 and width 128 of the food carrying bag 100 shown in FIGS. 5-6 may be in accordance with the height 126 and width 128 discussed above with respect to FIGS. 2-4.

Accordingly, even with the side gussets 150 and the bottom gusset 116, the dimensions of food carrying bag 100 may be particularly suitable for a food product, like a submarine sandwich 160, to be maintained in a horizontal orientation when transporting and carrying the submarine sandwich in food carrying bag 100. Accordingly, it may be desirable that the width 128 of food carrying bag 100 to be at least 13 inches wide to accommodate a submarine sandwich 160 that is about 12 inches long. Additionally, the width 128 of food carrying bag 100 may range to approximately about 16 inches in length in order not to be excessively wide. A preferred width 128 for food carrying bag 100 may be, without limitation thereto, approximately 15½ inches. Other dimensions for the width 128 of food carrying bag 100 are feasible and are also in keeping with the spirit of this invention.

For smaller submarine sandwiches 160 that are about 6 inches long, the food carrying bag 100 as shown in FIGS. 5-6 may have a width of at least 7 inches wide and may not exceed 8-9 inches in its width.

With respect to height 126, food carrying bag 100 as shown in FIGS. 5-6 having side gusset 150 and bottom gusset 116, may preferably have a shallower height than conventional bags for sandwiches and food items. To avoid an overly cumbersome, bulky bag, the height 126 of the food carrying bag 100 may be about 4 inches in height to 8 inches in height to also allow room for additional food items within its interior cavity 114. For example, it is common for a user to purchase additional food items along with a submarine sandwich 160, such as one or more cookies, bags of chips, or other food items. Other dimensions for height 126 are also possible in alternative embodiments.

In some alternative embodiments (not shown in Figures), food carrying bag 100 may be reclosable. Accordingly, food carrying bag 100 may include a zipper, a slide seal, or other type of reclosable mechanism. In one embodiment, food carrying bag 100 may include a press fit seal (not shown) so that a user may pull apart the top of food carrying bag 100 at its top opening and then press the two top sides 110 and 130 shut by pressing along the press fit seal to enable the food carrying bag 100 to be reclosable.

In one embodiment, food carrying bag 100 may be made of paper. It should preferably not be too expensive to produce. Further, it may be recyclable and/or biodegradable. It is noted that any other type of material other than paper may be used to form and make food carrying bag 100. Alternatively, food carrying bag 100 may be made of plastic.

In another preferable embodiment, the food carrying bag 100 shown in FIGS. 1-5 may be made of silicone, which may make the food carrying bag 100 environmentally friendly, because the user is able to reuse a silicone food carrying bag 100 numerous times and wash as many times as needed. Accordingly, a user may purchase a reusable food carrying bag 100, whether the food carrying bag 100 is made of paper, plastic, or silicone, with the idea of reusing the food carrying bag 100 for multiple trips to the sandwich shop or store on different occasions. The store or manufacturer of the food carrying bag 100 may want to include logos and designs highlighting a particular brand or location. Accordingly, any logo or design may be placed on either or both sides of food carrying bag 100 and be visible to the consumer. Further, the food carrying bag 100 may be opaque or may be transparent such that the interior contents are visible from the exterior of the food carrying bag 100.

In FIGS. 1-6, food carrying bag 100 has a substantially rectangular shape, as this may lend itself to accommodating the size and shape of elongated food items, especially submarine sandwiches. However, the shape may be modified to include other shapes as long as the overall food carrying bag 100 may still maintain a submarine sandwich in its horizontal orientation.

The food carrying bag 100 described above in one or more non-limiting embodiments may include several benefits and advantages in its structure and design over existing bags or containers. As noted above, food carrying bag 100 may include suitable dimensions that accommodate the size and shape of most submarine sandwiches. Further, food carrying bag 100 may allow a user to carry and transport a submarine sandwich in its horizontal orientation so that the contents of the submarine sandwich do not spill out into the bag easily as would be the case if the food carrying bag is held upright or in a vertical orientation when being transported or carried. The width of the food carrying bag 100 may enable the bag to accommodate at least a 12-inch submarine sandwich, but as discussed above, alternative widths are contemplated.

Additionally, the height of submarine food carrying bag 100 may enable it to accommodate stacking multiple snack and food items without having the food carrying bag 100 become overly bulky or cumbersome to carry as the height is still a shallower height. The handles further enable a user to easily carry the food carrying bag 100 and the folded seam allows the bag to be folded for compact storage when not in use. On the outside of food carrying bag 100, any logos or brand names or pictures may be included that are unique to the eatery or restaurant or other establishment that is providing the food carrying bag 100 to a customer.

Further, food carrying bag 100 may be used to carry many other types of elongated food items other than a submarine sandwich and still maintain the orientation of these elongated food items in the horizontal position, which is desirable to keep these items in place. Many other benefits and advantages may be foreseen with such an improved carrying bag.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The present invention according to one or more embodiments described in the present description may be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive of the present invention.

Claims

1. A food carrying bag particularly adapted for holding a submarine sandwich in a horizontal orientation, the food carrying bag comprising: a front panel;a back panel, wherein the front panel and back panel are connected along at least two opposite ends of the front and back panels, wherein the at least two opposite ends of the front and back panels are closed ends; anda bottom panel that includes a bottom gusset that allows the bottom panel to expand and provides additional space within the food carrying bag,wherein the front panel, back panel, and the bottom panel, in combination, define an interior cavity,wherein in an expanded position, the interior cavity is adapted to contain the submarine sandwich positioned in the horizontal orientation within the food carrying bag,wherein a height of the front and back panel is no more than 7 inches in height and wherein a width of the front and back panels is at least 13 inches and no more than 16 inches wide in order to accommodate the submarine sandwich when positioned in the horizontal orientation.

2. The food carrying bag of claim 1, further comprising, a top opening formed by a top side of the front panel and a top side of the back panel.

3. The food carrying bag of claim 1, wherein the food carrying bag is adapted to carry any other type of elongated food item in the horizontal orientation in addition to the submarine sandwich.

4. The food carrying bag of claim 1, wherein the food carrying bag comprises silicone, wherein the food carrying bag is reusable.

5. The food carrying bag of claim 1, further comprising, handles attached to one or more top edges of the front panel and the back panel.

6. The food carrying bag of claim 5, wherein the handles are centrally located on the one or more top edges of the front panel and the back panel.

7. The food carrying bag of claim 1, further comprising, cut out handles that are cut out of an upper portion of the front panel and the back panel of the food carrying bag.

8. The food carrying bag of claim 7, wherein the cut out handles are centrally located on the upper portion of the front panel and the back panel of the food carrying bag.

9. The food carrying bag of claim 1, wherein the food carrying bag accommodates one or more additional items that are placeable within the interior cavity of the food carrying bag above the horizontally oriented submarine sandwich.

10. A food carrying bag particularly adapted for holding a submarine sandwich in a horizontal orientation, the food carrying bag comprising: a front panel;a back panel, wherein the front panel and back panel are connected along at least two opposite ends of the front and back panels, wherein the at least two opposite ends of the front and back panels are closed ends; anda bottom panel that includes a bottom gusset that allows the bottom panel to expand and provides additional space within the food carrying bag,wherein the front panel, back panel, and the bottom panel, in combination, define an interior cavity,wherein in an expanded position, the interior cavity is adapted to contain the submarine sandwich positioned in the horizontal orientation within the food carrying bag,wherein a height of the front and back panel is no more than 7 inches in height and wherein a width of the front and back panels is at least 7 inches wide and no more than 8 inches wide in order to accommodate the submarine sandwich when positioned in the horizontal orientation.

11. The food carrying bag of claim 10, wherein the submarine sandwich is about 6 inches or less in length.

12. The food carrying bag of claim 10, wherein the food carrying bag further comprises one or more handles attached to a top edge of the front panel and to a top edge of the back panel, and further wherein the one or more handles are centrally located along the top edge of the front panel and along the top edge of the back panel.

13. The food carrying bag of claim 10, further comprising, cut out handles.

14. The food carrying bag of claim 13, wherein the cut out handles are centrally located on an upper portion of the front panel and an upper portion of the back panel.

15. A food carrying bag particularly adapted for carrying a submarine sandwich in a horizontal orientation, the food carrying bag comprising: a front panel;a back panel;side panels on each side of the food carrying bag, wherein the side panels each comprise a side gusset; anda bottom panel having a bottom gusset that allows the bottom panel to expand and provides additional space within the food carrying bag, wherein the front and back panels connect to one or more sides of the bottom panel,wherein the front panel, back panel, the bottom panel, and side panels, in combination, define an interior cavity,wherein in an expanded position, the interior cavity is adapted to contain the submarine sandwich positioned in the horizontal orientation within the food carrying bag,wherein a height of the front and back panel is no more than 7 inches in height and wherein a width of the front and back panels is at least 13 inches and no more than 16 inches in order to accommodate the submarine sandwich when positioned in the horizontal orientation.

16. The food carrying bag of claim 15, wherein the food carrying bag is adapted to carry any elongated food item in the horizontal orientation.

17. The food carrying bag of claim 15, wherein the food carrying bag comprises silicone, wherein the food carrying bag is reusable.

18. The food carrying bag of claim 15, further comprising, handles attached to one or more top edges of the front panel and the back panel.

19. The food carrying bag of claim 15, further comprising, cut out handles that are cut out of an upper portion of the front panel and the back panel of the food carrying bag.

20. The food carrying bag of claim 15, wherein in a closed position, the bottom panel of the food carrying bag folds upward and causes the food carrying bag to flatten out.