Portable storage device and table

Abstract
A device includes a main container unit and top container units that can be stored inside the main container unit. A lid doubles as a lid and as a table to support food thereon. Legs support the lid on the top container units.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to the general art of storage containers, and to the particular field of storage containers which serve multiple purposes.




2. Discussion of the Related Art




Camping, canoeing, tailgating, hiking and the like are becoming ever more popular. Many people engaging in these activities enjoy bringing food along and picnicking. This requires a convenient container for, not only food, but for food preparation and serving utensils as well.




Accordingly, the container art has many examples of containers that can be used to store food in a manner that is convenient for being brought along on some of the above-mentioned activities.




However, most of the known containers are intended primarily for the single purpose of storing and transporting food. However, a problem with such food containers is their lack of storage areas suitable for storing utensils used to prepare and serve food. Such utensils are often merely thrown into the container in a haphazard manner. This often leads to omitting one or more utensils and/or having the utensils lost or unorganized, or even duplicating some utensils while omitting others.




Therefore, there is a need for a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food.




Still further, it is not always easy to find a convenient and comfortable place to serve and/or consume food during some of the above-mentioned activities. Often, people carry blankets or the like to sit on. This not only requires carrying extra gear, it may not be comfortable.




Therefore, there is a need for a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which is also suitable for serving food.




While the art does contain examples of portable storage and table devices, these devices are often inconvenient and cumbersome to set up and to knock down and generally have many interconnected parts. The many interconnected parts may not always smoothly co-operate with each other in the most efficient manner, and may even jam during set up or knock down, thereby complicating a procedure that should be as easy as possible. Still further, the many parts of some known containers may make the overall unit heavy and cumbersome.




Still further, many interconnected parts may make cleaning the overall unit difficult. Still further, many parts of the unit may take up space that otherwise could be used to store food and/or utensils.




Still further, many of the known storage units do not conveniently store utensils in the unit. This creates the possibility of omitting a needed utensil during the packing procedure.




Therefore, there is a need for a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which efficiently stores utensils between uses.




Still further, many known container units do not provide ready access to utensils stored in the unit when the unit is being used to support food. The unit must be completely emptied and repacked thereby creating the possibility that something will be unavailable when needed, or left behind.




Therefore, there is a need for a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which provides easy access to the storage area when the unit is being used to support food.




PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION




It is a main object of the present invention to provide a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food.




It is another object of the present invention to provide a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which is also suitable for serving food.




It is another object of the present invention to provide a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which also efficiently stores utensils between uses.




It is another object of the present invention to provide a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which provides easy access to the storage area when the unit is being used to support food.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




These, and other, objects are achieved by a portable storage device and table that includes a main container unit and which has top containers that collapse into the main container unit for storage and which has a lid that doubles as a table in a use configuration. The parts of the device are arranged so that storage space is efficiently used and presented in the set up configuration for easy access.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a side elevational view of a portable storage device and table of the present invention in a set up or use configuration.





FIG. 2

is an end elevational view of the portable storage device and table of the present invention in the set up or use configuration.





FIG. 3

is a top plan view of the portable storage device and table of the present invention in the set up or use configuration.





FIG. 4

is an exploded perspective view of the portable storage device and table of the present invention.





FIG. 5

is a perspective view of the portable storage device and table of the present invention in the set up or use configuration.





FIG. 6

is a perspective view of a lid/table of the portable storage device and table of the present invention.





FIG. 7A

is a plan view of a mounting bracket used in the portable storage device and table of the present invention.





FIG. 7B

is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket.





FIG. 7C

is a view of an end of the mounting bracket.





FIG. 8

is a view which shows an enlarged section indicated by line


8





8


in

FIG. 2

of a mounting element used to securely attach a mounting bracket to a top container of the portable storage device and table of the present invention.





FIG. 9

is a view which shows an enlarged section indicated by line


9





9


in

FIG. 2

of a slidable attachment between a mounting bracket and a main container unit of the portable storage device and table of the present invention.





FIG. 10

is a view which shows an enlarged section indicated by line


10





10


in

FIG. 2

of a latch for releasably attaching a lid to a main container unit of the portable storage device and table of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.




As shown in the figures, the present invention is embodied in a portable storage device and table


10


comprising a main container unit


12


which includes sides


14


and


16


, ends


18


and


20


, a bottom


22


, an open top


24


, handles, such as handle


26


, an outer surface


28


, and an inside surface


30


. Food, utensils, and the like are conveniently stored in the main container unit


12


, and are easily accessed through the open top


24


for packing or use. As will be understood from this disclosure, the space inside the main container unit


12


is efficiently used so a great deal of material can be placed inside the main container unit


12


along with cooling material or the like.




Main container unit


12


further includes a plurality of sleeves, such as sleeve


40


, on inside surface


30


of main container unit


12


. Each sleeve


40


has an open top, such as open top


42


, located near open top


24


of main container unit


12


and serves a purpose that will be understood from the following discussion. The main container unit


12


further includes a plurality of fastener accommodating holes, such as fastener accommodating hole


43


, located near the open top


42


of each sleeve


40


.




The main container unit


12


further includes a plurality of stop elements, such as stop element


44


, mounted on the inside surface


30


of the main container unit


12


. Each stop element


44


is mounted on the inside surface


30


of main container


12


unit near an open top


42


of a sleeve


40


.




Device


10


further includes two top containers


50


and


52


, which are used to store and dispense items, including food, utensils and the like. Each top container


50


,


52


includes sides


54


and


56


, ends


58


and


60


, a bottom


62


, an open top


64


, an inside surface


66


and an outside surface


68


. As will be understood from the teaching of this disclosure, the top containers


50


,


52


are oriented to present the open top


64


thereof in a direction that makes access to the interior of the respective top container


50


,


52


easy even when the overall device


10


is in a use or set-up configuration.




Each top container


50


,


52


further includes a plurality of leg accommodating blocks, such as leg accommodating block


70


, fixed to inside surface


66


of the respective top container


50


,


52


near open top


64


of the top container. Each top container


50


,


52


further includes a plurality of fastener mounts, such as fastener mount


72


, in each end


58


,


60


of each of each top container


50


,


52


. In the preferred embodiment, there are four fastener mounts


72


in each container, two in each end


58


,


60


of each top container


50


,


52


. As shown in

FIG. 8

, each fastener mount


72


includes a washer


74


and a fastener


76


.




Device


10


further includes a plurality of mounting brackets, such as mounting bracket


80


, connecting each of the top containers


50


,


52


to main container unit


12


. A mounting bracket


80


is shown in

FIGS. 7A-7C

and includes an elongate body


82


having side edges


84


and


86


, first and second ends


88


and


90


, and a longitudinal dimension


92


extending between ends


88


and


90


of elongate body


82


. An elongate slot


94


extends along longitudinal dimension


92


of each elongate body


82


from adjacent to first end


80


of elongate body


82


toward second end


90


of the elongate body


82


and is spaced from the second end


90


to define a landing


96


between second end


90


and end


98


of slot


94


. Landing


96


is planar as shown in FIG.


7


C and is connected to the remainder of body


82


by a connection portion


100


so landing


96


is contained in a plane that is offset from a plane containing the remainder of body


82


. A mounting hole


102


is defined through elongate body


82


in landing


96


near second end


90


of the elongate body.




Each mounting bracket further includes a stop element


104


on one side edge of the elongate body


82


. Each stop element


104


includes a linear edge


106


extending from the side edge of the elongate body


82


, an outer edge


108


spaced from the side edge of the elongate body


82


and a second edge


109


connecting outer edge


108


to the side edge of the elongate body


82


at a location spaced from linear edge


106


.




Device


10


further includes a plurality of first fastener units, such as first fastener unit


110


, securely attaching the second end


90


of each mounting bracket


80


to a respective top container


50


,


52


via an associated one of the fastener mounts


72


in each top container


50


,


52


. As shown in

FIG. 8

, the first fastener units


110


include the above-discussed elements


72


,


74


and


76


.




Device


10


further includes a plurality of second fastener units, such as second fastener unit


112


, slidably attaching an associated one of said mounting brackets


80


to the main container unit


12


and fitting through an associated one of the fastener accommodating holes


43


in the main container unit


12


and through elongate slot


94


in the associated mounting bracket


80


so the associated mounting bracket


80


will slide with respect to the second fastener


112


and with respect to said main container unit


12


so the device


10


can be set up and collapsed with top containers


50


,


52


moving between a deployed position shown in

FIG. 5 and a

stored position inside main container unit


12


. Each second fastener unit


112


is positioned with respect to an associated one of sleeves


40


on main container unit


12


so first end


88


of the associated mounting bracket


80


is positioned adjacent to open top


42


of the associated sleeve


40


whereby the associated mounting bracket


80


will slide into the associated sleeve


40


to be in a stored configuration and slide out of the associated sleeve


40


to be in a deployed configuration. In this manner, the brackets


80


are stored inside the sleeves


40


so that moisture or the like does not damage the brackets


80


. A stop element


104


on the associated mounting bracket


80


abuts a corresponding stop element


44


on main container unit


12


when the associated mounting bracket


80


is in the deployed configuration to keep the associated mounting bracket


80


in the deployed configuration. The sleeves


40


are large enough to accommodate the brackets


80


as well as the stop elements


104


. As can be understood from the foregoing, the linear edge


106


of each stop element


104


engages a corresponding element


44


to support the top containers


50


,


52


in the deployed configuration. Thus, the brackets


80


can move to permit the stop elements to clear and engage the elments


44


as required to move the device


10


into the deployed configuration and into the stored configuration.




As shown in

FIG. 9

, the second fastener units


112


include a fastener element


113


extending through slot


94


in bracket


80


and is attached to a mount element


114


on sides


14


and


16


of the main container unit


12


. Washers, such as washer


116


are also included in the fastener unit


112


.




Device


10


further includes a lid


120


which includes a planar body


122


with side edges


124


and


126


, end edges


128


and


130


, a top surface


132


, a bottom surface


134


, and corners, such as corner


136


, at the intersections of the side edges


124


,


126


and the end edges


128


,


130


. A rim


140


includes sections


140


′ on end edges


128


and


130


and sections


140


″ on side edges


124


and


126


of planar body


122


of lid


120


. Lid


120


further includes latches, such as latch


142


, on the end edges


128


,


130


and latch


144


on side edges


126


of planar body


122


of lid


120


. Latches


142


and


144


lock against the outside surface


28


of the main container unit


12


to lock the lid


120


to the main container unit


12


when the device


10


is closed and are also shown in FIG.


10


. As indicated in

FIG. 6

, a plurality of sponge strips, such as strip


145


, are defined in top surface


132


of lid


120


. The sponge strips


145


assist a cleaning process of the lid


120


after the lid


120


has been used to support food thereon.




Each top container


50


and


52


has a plurality of leg mounts, such as leg mount


150


, one of which is located at each corner of planar body


122


.




Device


10


further includes a plurality of legs, such as leg


160


, for supporting the lid


120


on the top containers


50


,


52


in a manner shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

. Each leg


160


includes one end


169


releasably received in a leg mount


150


in an in-use configuration, and a second end


162


in a leg accommodating block


70


in a respective top container


50


,


52


in the in-use configuration. As can be seen in

FIG. 4

, legs


160


can include a plurality of sections, including sections


164


and


166


, which are releasably connected together. In this manner, the legs can assume any of a plurality of lengths to support lid


120


at any of a plurality of heights above top containers


50


,


52


as desired.




As can be understood from

FIGS. 3 and 5

, the open tops


64


of top containers


50


and


52


and open top


24


of main container unit


12


are oriented to open in the same direction and lid


120


extends over the open tops


64


of top containers


50


,


52


and open top


24


of main container unit


12


in the in-use configuration. This orientation of elements permits easy access to the interiors of the top containers


50


,


52


and the main container unit


12


even when the lid


120


is in the in-use configuration. Still further, referring to

FIGS. 1-3

, it can be seen that a portion of the open tops


64


of top containers


50


,


52


and open top


24


of main container unit


12


extend beyond lid


120


in the in-use configuration so access to the interior of the top containers and the main container unit is further eased, even when the device is in the in-use configuration. Still further, as can be understood from

FIG. 3

, when the device


10


is in the in-use configuration, the lid


120


and the top containers


50


,


52


protect the inside of the main container unit


12


while still permitting access thereto when desired. The device


10


can be manufactured from suitable aluminum or plastics-type materials if desired.




It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.



Claims
  • 1. A portable storage device and table comprising:a) a main container unit which includes (1) sides, ends, a bottom, an open top, handles, an outer surface, and an inside surface, (2) a plurality of sleeves on said inside surface of said main container unit, each sleeve having an open top located near said open top of said main container unit, (3) a plurality of stop elements, each stop element being mounted on said inside surface of said main container unit near an open top of a sleeve, (4) a plurality of fastener-accommodating holes defined through said sides of said main container, each of said fastener-accommodating holes being positioned near an open top of a sleeve, and (5) a plurality of handles located on said outside surface of said main container; b) two top containers, each top container including (1) sides, ends, a bottom, an open top, an inside surface and an outside surface, (2) a plurality of leg accommodating blocks fixed to said inside surface of each said top container near said open top of said top container, and (3) a plurality of fastener mounts in each said end of each said top container; c) a plurality of mounting brackets connecting each of said top containers to said main container unit, each of said mounting brackets including (1) an elongate body having side edges, first and second ends, and a longitudinal dimension extending between said ends of said elongate body, (2) an elongate slot extending along said longitudinal dimension of each said elongate body from adjacent to said first end of said elongate body toward said second end of said elongate body, (3) said elongate slot having an end spaced from said second end of said elongate body and defining a landing between said end of said elongate slot and said second end of said elongate body, said landing being planar and offset from a plane containing a remainder of said elongate body and being connected to the remainder of said elongate body by a connecting portion, (4) a mounting hole through said elongate body near said second end of said elongate body, and (5) a stop element on one side edge of said elongate body; d) a first fastener securely attaching said second end of each said mounting bracket to a respective top container via an associated one of said fastener mounts in each said top container; e) a second fastener slidably attaching an associated one of said mounting brackets to said main container unit and fitting through an associated one of said fastener accommodating holes in said main container unit and through the elongate slot in said associated mounting bracket so said associated mounting bracket will slide with respect to said second fastener and with respect to said main container unit, said second fastener being positioned with respect to an associated one of said sleeves on said main container unit so said first end of said associated mounting bracket is positioned adjacent to said open end of said associated sleeve whereby said associated mounting bracket will slide into said associated sleeve to be in a stored configuration and slide out of said associated sleeve to be in a deployed configuration, said stop element on said associated mounting bracket abutting a corresponding stop element on said main container unit when said associated mounting bracket is in said deployed configuration to keep said associated mounting bracket in the deployed configuration; f) a lid which covers said open tops of said top containers and said main container in said stored configuration and is removed from said tops in said in-use configuration, wherein the lid includes (1) a planar body with side edges, end edges, a top surface, a bottom surface, corners at intersections of said side edges and said end edges, (2) a rim on said end edges and on said side edges of said planar body of said lid, (3) latches on said end edges and said side edges of said planar body of said lid, and (4) a leg mount located at each corner of said planar body; and g) a plurality of legs, each leg including (1) one end releasably received in a leg mount in an in-use configuration, and (2) a second end in a leg accommodating block in a respective top container in the in-use configuration.
  • 2. The portable storage device and table as described in claim 1 wherein each said leg includes a plurality of segments releasably connected together in the in-use configuration.
  • 3. The portable storage device and table as described in claim 2 further including a plurality of sponge strips defined in said top surface of said lid.
  • 4. The portable storage device and table as described in claim 3 wherein each of said elements on said mounting brackets includes a linear edge connected to a respective side edge of the body of said mounting bracket, an outer edge spaced from said side edge of said body of said mounting bracket and a second edge connecting said outer edge of said stop element to said side edge of said body of said mounting bracket at a location spaced from said linear edge of said stop element.
  • 5. The portable storage device and table as described in claim 3 wherein said open tops of said top containers and said open top of said main container unit are oriented to open in the same direction and said lid extends over said open tops of said top containers and said open top of said main container unit in the in-use configuration.
  • 6. The portable storage device and table as described in claim 5 wherein a portion of said open tops of said top containers and said open top of said main container unit extend beyond said lid in the in-use configuration.
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Number Name Date Kind
344212 Stephens Jun 1886 A
1510763 Canal Oct 1924 A
1883632 Duvall et al. Oct 1932 A
1893747 Kennedy Jan 1933 A
2504479 Wilhoite et al. Apr 1950 A
2723175 Berry Nov 1955 A
4436353 Tucker Mar 1984 A
5660310 LeGrow Aug 1997 A
5913270 Price Jun 1999 A