MULTI-PURPOSE DRAWSTRING CARRIER
A drawstring carrier for carrying an object may include a mat and a drawstring positioned at a peripheral region of the mat. The drawstring may be drawn to a first drawn state in which the mat is drawn to secure around the object from at least two sides of the mat and such that in the first drawn state a first exposed portion and a second exposed portion serve as handles for the drawstring carrier. The drawstring may include a third exposed and a fourth exposed portion positioned at a fourth side of the mat opposite from the third side. The mat may be oval or circular in shape. Food and food containers, pans, trays may be carried by or used on the carrier, as well as vases, flower pots. Carrier may also serve as a baby changing station and dirty diaper wrapper and disposer.
The present invention is related to the field of food and beverage holders and carriers, carriers for flower pots, vases and other round, oval, rectangular or odd shaped objects, and also to the field of food trays, placemats, napkins, and other types of objects for food, flatware, or food container table settings.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONVarious types of bags, cases, boxes and carriers are known. Pans or trays of food, particularly when hot, can be difficult to carry, particularly since there is a need to maintain their top surface in or near a horizontal position to avoid tilting and spillage. Also, placemats and napkins for food, plates, trays, cutlery and food are well known, however bags, placemats and napkins do not provide a convenient and safe means of carrying or transporting the food, plates, trays and cutlery. In addition, there is a need for an article that can be used both as a carrier food, flatware, and/or food containers and as a placemat or receiver for an individual table setting.
Many other types of objects, containers for objects, vases, flower pots and the like are also preferably carried so as to avoid tilting of the object or container and/or to avoid banging the object being carried into other nearby objects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA drawstring carrier for carrying an object is disclosed. The drawstring carrier may include a mat of a material suitable for serving as a placemat so that food can be conveniently and comfortably consumed directly from the placemat or from a plate, bowl, pan or other container containing food or a liquid placed on the placemat. The drawstring carrier may include the mat shaped and sized to receive the object and to have a peripheral region, a drawstring positioned at the peripheral region of the mat and comprising a first exposed portion positioned at a first side of the mat and a second exposed portion positioned at a second side of the mat opposite from the first side, and the drawstring configured such that when drawn to a first drawn state the drawstring draws the mat to secure around the object from at least two sides of the mat and such that in the first drawn state the first exposed portion and the second exposed portion are positioned and configured to serve as handles for the drawstring carrier.
A person may wish to carry items on the carrier before or after eating or taking food from the tray, pan, plate, bowl, saucer or cup positioned on the mat of the carrier. Drawstring carrier can serve both as a carrier for food, flatware, pans, trays and/or other food containers and as a placemat or receiver for a table setting for one or more people.
Drawstring carrier can also serve as baby changing station, including as a single use baby changing surface. After the baby is changed on the drawstring carrier in the flat position, the dirty diaper, dirty wipes and other refuse can be conveniently and hygienically disposed of by pulling on the two exposed portions, or, if provided, on the four exposed portions of the drawstring to close the drawstring carrier around the refuse items. If the drawstring carrier is designed as a single use carrier then the entire package may be discarded.
The drawstring may be a closed loop. The drawstring may include a third exposed portion positioned at a third side of the mat and a fourth exposed portion positioned at a fourth side of the mat opposite from the third side, such that in a second drawn state the drawstring draws the mat to secure around the object from at least four sides of the mat and such that in the second drawn state the third exposed portion and the fourth exposed portion are positioned and configured to serve as handles for the drawstring carrier.
The mat may be oval in shape or circular in shape. The mat may include a fabric material, a plastic material, a paper material or a combination of the foregoing. The peripheral region of the mat may include a hem on the mat configured to receive the drawstring therethrough. The carrier may be disposable after a single use.
The mat may be configured as a placemat sized to accommodate a plate or a small tray.
The drawstring may be configured to be drawn to the first drawn state when both the first exposed portion and the second exposed portion are pulled away from the mat.
The drawstring may include a third exposed portion positioned at a third side of the mat and a fourth exposed portion positioned at a fourth side of the mat opposite from the third side, such that in a second drawn state the drawstring draws the mat to secure around the object from at least four sides of the mat and such that in the second drawn state the third exposed portion and the fourth exposed portion are positioned and configured to serve as handles for the drawstring carrier wherein the drawstring is configured to be drawn to the second drawn state when both the third exposed portion and the fourth exposed portion are pulled away from the mat.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, which refers to the accompanying drawings.
With reference to the Drawings, the features thereof are described below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTIONWhile described herein as having “sides”, mat 30 and thus carrier 20 need not be rectangular or square when in the flat position. For example, as illustrated in
Also, an odd number of exposed portions, for example three exposed portions or five exposed portions, may be provided. In a similar vein, the exposed portions need not be disposed at opposite sides of carrier 20 and need not be provided in pairs. For example, if three exposed portions are provided, the exposed portions need not be provided on opposite sides of the carrier 20.
In the spread out position of carrier 20 illustrated in
As illustrated in
For example, as shown in
Drawstring 40 need not be elastic. According to another embodiment however, drawstring 40 is elastic. Drawstring 40 may be made of various materials, such as textiles, cloth fabrics, plastic, vinyl, rubber, leather, paper or a combination of the foregoing.
Further, objects to be conveniently carrier by drawstring carrier 20 need not be food trays, plates or food related items, nor need they be flower pots, vases and plant related items. Such items are provided as examples only to illustrate the concept that carrier 20 may be used to conveniently and safely carry items in a manner relative free of tilting so as to avoid spilling the contents thereof. Thus, as illustrated in
In addition to preventing tilting or spillage, carrier 20 may also be used to avoid banging or collision of the objects being carried with other items. That is, as illustrated in
Drawstring carrier 20 may be sold with or used with objects intended to be carried to avoid tilting, or fragile objects that need to be carrier carefully to avoid collision with other objects. Thus, drawstring carrier 20 may be sold as a single use item, such as with a flower pot or vase or other type of ceramic, glass or porcelain vessel, or may be sold individually wrapped or packed several to a package for varied uses by the end user.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations, combinations of features and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A drawstring carrier for carrying an object, the drawstring carrier comprising:
- a mat shaped and sized to receive the object and including a peripheral region, the mat configured to lie flat when unfolded; and
- a drawstring positioned at the peripheral region of the mat and comprising a first exposed portion positioned at a first side of the mat and a second exposed portion positioned at a second side of the mat; and
- the drawstring configured such that when drawn to a first drawn state the drawstring draws the mat to align with and to secure around the object at a portion of the mat facing a bottom surface of the object and at the first side and the second side of the mat and such that in the first drawn state the first exposed portion and the second exposed portion are positioned and configured to serve as handles for the drawstring carrier.
2. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the drawstring is a closed loop.
3. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the drawstring comprises a third exposed portion positioned at a third side of the mat and a fourth exposed portion positioned at a fourth side of the mat opposite from the third side, such that in a second drawn state the drawstring draws the mat to secure around the object from at least four sides of the mat and such that in the second drawn state the third exposed portion and the fourth exposed portion are positioned and configured to serve as handles for the drawstring carrier.
4. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the mat is oval in shape.
5. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the mat is circular in shape.
6. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the mat comprises a fabric material.
7. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the mat comprises a plastic material.
8. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the mat comprises a paper material.
9. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the peripheral region of the mat includes a hem on the mat configured to receive the drawstring therethrough.
10. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the drawstring carrier is disposable after a single use.
11. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the mat is configured as a placemat sized to accommodate a plate or a small tray.
12. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the drawstring is configured to be drawn to the first drawn state when both the first exposed portion and the second exposed portion are pulled away from the mat.
13. The drawstring carrier of claim 12, wherein the drawstring comprises a third exposed portion positioned at a third side of the mat and a fourth exposed portion positioned at a fourth side of the mat opposite from the third side, such that in a second drawn state the drawstring draws the mat to secure around the object from at least four sides of the mat and such that in the second drawn state the third exposed portion and the fourth exposed portion are positioned and configured to serve as handles for the drawstring carrier wherein the drawstring is configured to be drawn to the second drawn state when both the third exposed portion and the fourth exposed portion are pulled away from the mat.
14. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the second side of the mat is opposite from the first side.
15. The drawstring carrier of claim 1, wherein the drawstring draws the mat to secure around the object from a portion of the mat facing an upper edge of a side of the object.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 24, 2011
Publication Date: Dec 27, 2012
Inventor: Naama Jacoby (Forest Hills, NY)
Application Number: 13/168,501
International Classification: B65D 33/12 (20060101); B65D 33/06 (20060101);