Party kit for serving guests (party in a box)

A serving platform for holding and dispensing tableware and utensils at a party or other such function. A covering made from cloth or other suitable material is disposed over a container. The container is preferably a knock-down box. The covering has a plurality of pockets attached thereto for dispensing utensils such as knives, forks or spoons or for dispensing napkins or other tableware. The pockets are disposed along the sides of the container and may be divided into subpockets. The covering may be fitted around the bottom surface of the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to tableware kits and more 
specifically to a tableware kit which includes a knock-down container that 
assembles into a tableware serving platform. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Parties are a popular way to gather with friends and relatives, to escape 
from the rigors of everyday life and relax. People throw parties to 
celebrate religious and secular holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, 
weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, the Super Bowl and many other occasions. 
Parties are usually accompanied by a cornucopia of food and drink. It 
would be desirable to provide an attractive serving platform so that the 
tableware is readily accessible to the party goers. It would also be 
desirable if the serving platform could be transported disassembled to the 
site of the party, or alternatively assembled and used as a carrier for 
transporting the tableware and utensils to and from the party. 
The prior art has provided various devices that operate as serving 
platforms at parties and other functions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,373 entitled 
CONVERTIBLE TABLE AND BAR issued to Beriou, et al. on Jul. 22, 1952 is 
exemplary. This device is a foldable piece of furniture. When open, the 
device serves as a table and bar. When folded, the device provides storage 
for liquor bottles and the like. The disadvantage of this device is that 
is does not provide easy access to party utensils and tableware and 
furthermore it is a fairly large, unattractive and clumsy device. 
The prior art has also provided many devices designed for carrying 
tableware to remote locations. The common picnic basket is a well known 
example. A disadvantage of the common picnic basket is that it is 
relatively unattractive and would look out of place at a party celebrating 
a wedding anniversary or other such function. Another disadvantage of a 
picnic basket is that it does not double as a serving platform nor can it 
be brought to the party disassembled. 
Several prior art patents have attempted to overcome the disadvantages of 
the common picnic basket. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,999 entitled 
PICNIC BASKET issued on Feb. 19, 1985 to Behar discloses an apparatus 
formed from cloth material which can serve as a picnic basket and double 
as a tablecloth. This device suffers from several disadvantages. First, it 
is a relatively complicated device and therefore relatively difficult and 
expensive to manufacture. The cloth member comprises nine separate panels 
which are folded and connected into the desired configuration. A separate 
handle member is then affixed. Furthermore, this device does not provide a 
serving platform upon which tableware can be placed. 
Another prior art device is disclosed in U.S Pat. No. 5,110,193 entitled 
PORTABLE TRAVEL PANTRY issued on May 5, 1992 to McClenning. This patent 
discloses a box-like structure having compartments for storing utensils 
and having external handle means. A disadvantage of this device is that it 
does not provide an external means for storing utensils so the utensils 
are not readily accessible. 
Yet another prior art device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,812 
entitled COMBINED PICNIC BAG AND TABLECLOTH issued on Jul. 6, 1982 to 
Trinkner. This device is a circular cloth cover having a draw string 
around its peripheral edge. A pocket is attached to the center of the 
cloth cover. The cover can serve as a tablecloth. When the draw string is 
pulled taut, the cover takes the shape of a bag. This device suffers from 
the disadvantage of not providing a serving platform. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
serving platform for holding and dispensing tableware and utensils which 
can substantially overcome the problems of the prior art. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is an attractive serving platform for holding and 
dispensing tableware and utensils at a party or other such function. A 
knock-down container is provided that is assembled at the site of the 
party. A flexible cover is formed from cloth material and has a number of 
pockets for retaining utensils and tableware sewn to one surface. The 
flexible cover is draped over the container so that it covers the top 
surface and the sides of the container. The pockets are located on the 
portion of the cover that is draped over the sides of the container. One 
or more of the pockets are divided into subpockets for holding forks, 
knives, etc. The cover is attached to the bottom of the container thereby 
forming an attractive serving platform. In the preferred embodiment, the 
serving platform presents a flat top surface upon which plates or 
tableware may be positioned. In a second embodiment, a slot-shaped 
aperture is cut into the top surface of the container and into the 
corresponding portion of the cover. In this embodiment, plates can be 
placed into the aperture so that the plates are displayed in a 
substantially vertical orientation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the serving platform 10 of 
the present invention is depicted. The serving platform 10 is particularly 
well suited for dispensing various tableware items such as disposable 
plates 14, bowls, cups 15, eating utensils 16, napkins 18, etc. at 
parties, picnics or other such gatherings. The serving platform 10 
generally comprises a knock-down box which is covered by a tablecloth-like 
covering 20 fitted over the container. The covering 20 has pockets 22, 24 
disposed along each side of the box. In the preferred embodiment, the 
serving platform 10 is provided as a kit which can be assembled at the 
site of the party or event. In addition to the knock-down box and 
covering, the kit would include the utensils, plates, bowls, napkins, and 
cups etc. The serving platform has a flat top surface 26 upon which the 
plates 14 and bowls, cups 15 or other tableware can be stacked. As 
depicted, the covering 20 includes elastic or other like means which 
enables the covering 20 to be placed over the box in a fitted manner. An 
embodiment where the covering 20 simply drapes over the sides of the 
container is also contemplated. As shown, the pockets can be used for 
holding the eating utensils 16 such as plastic knives, folks and spoons, 
as well as napkins 18 and other tableware. The pockets can also be divided 
into subpockets which operate as an organizer for retaining the knives, 
forks and spoons. The pockets may be sewn or likewise attached to the 
covering. 
As depicted in FIG. 2, the box 28 is a rectangular knock-down box and lid, 
both fabricated from cardboard or like material, such containers being 
well known in the art. Since the lid is removable, used tableware such as 
plates, forks and knives or trash, etc. can be placed inside the box 28 at 
the conclusion of the party or affair and removed from the site. Although 
the box 28 is depicted as rectangular, other box shapes are possible. 
Alternatively, a container and removable lid both molded from plastic or 
any other rigid material can be used in place of the knock-down box if 
desired. 
FIG. 3 shows the covering 20 spread out flat for illustrating the preferred 
embodiment in greater detail. The covering 20 shown is preferably 
manufactured from cloth or vinyl covered cloth material, but it is also 
possible to manufacture the cover 20 from any other very thin flexible 
plastic or material that can be folded to wrap around the box. This allows 
the covering to be folded and placed inside the box after the party. To 
enhance the party atmosphere, the covering may be decorated in a festive 
manner with party or other indicia. The covering shown has two pockets 24 
for dispensing napkins or the like and two pleated pockets 22 which form a 
plurality of subpockets for dispensing utensils. As shown, the four 
pockets are situated on the covering so that each of the four pockets is 
disposed along one of the four sides of the box when the covering is 
placed over the box. It is contemplated that coverings may be provided 
having more than four or less than four pockets. In the preferred 
embodiment, the pockets are pieces of cloth material that are sewn onto 
the covering 20. As depicted, the pockets are rectangular, but other 
pocket configurations are possible. This embodiment is merely exemplary 
and modifications thereof are within the scope of the invention. For 
example, the pockets may be attached to the cover 20 using hook and loop 
fasteners. Also, separate pouches or pockets may be attached instead of 
dividing a pocket into subpockets. 
In the present embodiment, the invention is designed for dispensing 
tableware for about twenty five to one hundred people. Accordingly, the 
assembled box has a length of about 26", a width of about 25", and a 
height of approximately 7". Alternatively, a larger box 28 and covering 20 
designed for dispensing tableware for about one hundred to two hundred 
people is possible. The assembled box 28 of this embodiment has a length 
measuring approximately 31" and a width measuring approximately 25". These 
dimensions are merely exemplary, and other sized serving platforms are 
within the scope of the invention. 
Referring to FIG. 4, a second embodiment of the serving platform 10 of the 
present invention is shown. This embodiment provides a box lid and 
covering each having a slot or aperture 30. The aperture 30 is sized to 
retain plates 22 in an upright position, i.e. in a direction that is 
substantially perpendicular to the top surface of the serving platform 10. 
The covering 20 is positioned over the box so that the aperture in the 
covering is aligned with the aperture in the box lid. As shown, the 
aperture 30 is shaped as an ellipse, although it could be circular, 
rectangular or another configuration so long as typical plates can pass 
through and be retained in an upright position. It is contemplated that 
the slot-shaped aperture 30 is just wide enough to retain plates 22 in a 
generally vertical orientation as depicted in FIG. 4. 
It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely 
exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make modifications and 
variations to these embodiments utilizing functionally equivalent elements 
to those described herein. Any and all such modifications as well as 
others which may be apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to 
be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended 
claims.