Patent Application
20210316650
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The disclosure relates to container assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new container assembly for transporting food in a vehicle.
The prior art relates to container assemblies. Prior art container assemblies positionable on and engageable to a seat of a vehicle may comprise a box having a means of engaging a seatbelt, such as seatbelt openings, a bracket, or a strap. Prior art container assemblies also may comprise a box having straps that are configured to engage a seat of a vehicle,
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a box, which in turn comprises a bottom panel and a set of four perimeter panels. The bottom panel is rectangular. Each perimeter panel is hingedly engaged to a respective edge of the bottom panel and is selectively fixedly positionable perpendicularly to the bottom panel. The box is selectively positionable in a deployed configuration and a collapsed configuration. In the deployed configuration, a top of the box is open and configured for insertion of an article into the box. In the collapsed configuration, the perimeter panels are positioned proximate to and substantially parallel to the bottom panel. A respective perimeter panel has a pair of apertures positioned therein, which are configured for insertion of a safety belt of a vehicle to secure the box to an associated seat. A leveler is engaged to the bottom panel and is configured to level the box.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The set of four perimeter panels 16 comprises a pair of first panels 22 and a pair of second panels 24. The pair of first panels 22 are opposingly positioned on the bottom panel 14 and are configured to be sequentially folded toward the bottom panel 14, as shown in
A rim 30 is hingedly engaged to an upper limit 32 of each second panel 24. The rim 30 is selectively engageable to the pair of first panels 22. The rim 30 has a set of connecting slots 34 positioned therein. Each of a set of brackets 36 is selectively engageable to the rim 30 so that the bracket 36 extends outwardly from the box 12. Respective brackets 36 are configurable to retain an item positioned on the rim 30 that is larger than the top 20 of the box 12, such as a pizza container that is larger than the top 20 and which cannot be inserted into the box 12.
Each bracket 36 comprises a first segment 38, which is L shaped, and a second segment 40. The second segment 40 is configured to be inserted into a respective connecting slot 34 to engage the bracket 36 to the rim 30 with the first segment 38 extending outwardly from the box 12.
A respective perimeter panel 16 has a pair of apertures 42 positioned therein, which are configured for insertion of a safety belt of a vehicle to secure the box 12 to an associated seat. As shown in
A leveler 48 is engaged to the bottom panel 14 and is configured to level the box 12. The leveler 48 may comprise a bifold panel 50, as shown in
The bottom panel 14 has a set of adjustment slots 56 positioned in the lower face 54 thereof. A tab 58, which is coupled to and extends from a second end 60 of the bifold panel 50, is positioned to be selectively inserted into a respective adjustment slot 56 of the set of adjustment slots 56. The bifold panel 50 is configured to contact the seat to level the box 12. The present invention anticipates the leveler 48 comprising other leveling means, such as, but not limited to, extendable legs, inflatable bladders, and the like.
The assembly 10 also comprises a plurality of slats 62, which is selectively engageable to the bottom panel 14. Respective slats 62 are positioned to be engaged to the bottom panel 14 to selectively define a plurality of compartments 64. The compartments 64 are configured to separate articles positioned in the box 12, such as cups, containers, and the like. A variety of slats 62, as shown in
In use, when the box 12 is needed to store articles, the rim 30 is grasped in hands of the user and is motivated distally from the bottom panel 14 so that the second panels 24 extend to the planar configuration. The user then sequentially lifts the first panels 22 so that each is perpendicular to the bottom panel 14 and extends between the second panels 24, thereby frictionally locking the first panels 22 and the second panels 24 in position. The seatbelt is inserted through the pair of apertures 42 to secure the box 12 to the seat. The leveler 48 can be used to level the box 12, as required. The user then can position articles, such as food for delivery, in the box 12 for transport.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
