Food and Beverage Carrier
A disposable food and beverage carrier is disclosed. The food and beverage carrier is formed from a food carrier slidingly received on a handle portion of a beverage carrier. Beverage containers are placed in the beverage carrier and the food carrier is placed thereon. The food carrier compromises a generally rectangular enclosure for receipt of food items. After assembly of the food carrier onto the beverage carrier, a unitary structure is formed.
The present invention is directed to the field of portable, disposable carriers for food and beverages for use at restaurants, concessions stands at events, convenience stores or other locations where food and beverages are dispensed to customers. In particular, the present invention is directed to an improved carrier for food and beverage containers that provides a strong, durable and rigid carrier for safely transporting food and beverage containers.
Disposable food and beverage carriers of various designs and configurations are known in the prior art. The prior disposable carriers comprise various configurations, all of which suffer from various defects. The primary object of the present invention is to overcome these defects by providing an inexpensive yet rigid and stable carrier for food and beverage containers. Another object of the present invention is to provide a carrier that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Another object of the present invention is to provide a carrier that is easy to assemble and use by persons dispensing food and beverages at the point of sale or distribution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA disposable food and beverage carrier comprising:
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- a. A beverage carrier comprising a top plane and a bottom plane disposed generally parallel to each other, a plurability of generally axially aligned through holes in the top plane and the bottom plane and a handle portion generally aligned perpendicular to the top plane and bottom plane;
- b. A food carrier fabricated in a generally flat configuration comprising a bottom portion and side walls wherein the side walls are extended upward from the flat configuration to form a generally rectangular enclosure;
Wherein the food carrier comprises a slot adapted to be slidingly received on the handle portion of the beverage carrier so that the unitary structure of the food and beverage container is formed when the food carrier is placed onto the handle portion of the beverage carrier.
The present invention will now be described in terms of the presently preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many obvious modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.
The food and beverage carrier 10 is illustrated in the drawings. The food and beverage carrier 10 is disposable and it is contemplated that it will be fabricated from cardboard or other like material. The food and beverage carrier 10 comprises two primary components. The first is the beverage carrier 12. The second is the food carrier 14. As shown in
The beverage carrier 12 as manufactured is illustrated in
The base portion 16 is generally rectangular in shape and comprises a bottom plane 20 and a top plane 22 with side walls 21. The bottom plane 20 and the top plane 22 are generally parallel when the carrier 10 is assembled. The bottom plane 20 and the top plane 22 each comprise a plurality of through holes 24 which generally axially align when the carrier is opened from its manufactured state. The through holes 24 are adapted to receive a beverage container 16 as shown in
The handle portion 18 is illustrated in
The food carrier 14 is illustrated in detail in
In use, the beverage carrier 12 is first unfolded and one or more beverage containers 16 are placed in the through holes 24 therein. The food carrier 14 is unfolded and placed over the handle portion 18. The food carrier 14 will rest on the top of the beverage containers 16. Food items will then be placed in the enclosure 33 in the food carrier 14.
Claims
1. A disposable food and beverage carrier comprising: Wherein the food carrier comprises a slot adapted to be slidingly received on the handle portion of the beverage carrier so that the unitary structure of the food and beverage container is formed when the food carrier is placed onto the handle portion of the beverage carrier.
- c. A beverage carrier comprising a top plane and a bottom plane disposed generally parallel to each other, a plurability of generally axially aligned through holes in the top plane and the bottom plane and a handle portion generally aligned perpendicular to the top plane and bottom plane;
- d. A food carrier fabricated in a generally flat configuration comprising a bottom portion and side walls wherein the side walls are extended upward from the flat configuration to form a generally rectangular enclosure;
2. The food and beverage carrier of claim 1 wherein the handle portion has a slot therein for use in transporting the carrier.
3. The food and beverage carrier of claim 2 wherein the slot in the food carrier has a movable tab disposed therein.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 5, 2012
Publication Date: Jan 9, 2014
Inventor: Frank Picciolo (Monroe Twp., NJ)
Application Number: 13/542,207
International Classification: B65D 75/52 (20060101);