Abstract:
A carrier for covering and transporting baked goods or other food products includes a base for supporting a pie, cake, cupcakes, or other baked goods. A cover is configured to be attached to the base to generally enclose the carrier, thereby protecting the baked goods for transport or storage. The cover is formed with a flexible membrane that makes it collapsible for more convenient storage.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/703,138 filed Feb. 9,2010, and claims the benefit of prior U.S. application Ser. No. 61/151,802 filed Feb. 11, 2009, the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to containers for carrying cakes, cupcakes, pies, and other baked goods. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It can be very useful to have a container specifically configured to hold cakes, cupcakes, pies, or other baked goods for transport from one location to another. Unfortunately, these specific-purpose containers tend to be large and bulky and therefore take up an inordinate amount of space when not in use. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a carrying device that can be collapsed for storage when not in use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The preferred version of the present invention includes a base for supporting a pie, cake, cupcakes, or other baked goods. A cover is configured to be attached to the base to generally enclose the carrier, thereby protecting the baked goods for transport or storage. The cover is formed with a flexible membrane that makes it collapsible for more convenient storage. 
         [0005]    In some versions of the invention, handles are incorporated into the cover, the base, or both. In some examples, handles at the lower rim of the cover include surfaces that engage mating surfaces on the base in order to hold the cover to the base. 
         [0006]    Depending on the size of the carrier, one or more internal plates may be provided. In some examples, the carrier includes two internal plates that are configured to be stacked one on top of the other. The upper plate preferably includes collapsible supports enabling the plate to lie substantially flat against the lower plate for storage within the carrier when the cover is collapsed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a baked goods carrier, shown in an expanded position. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an upper and lower tray that are optionally included within a preferred baked goods carrier. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the preferred carrier of  FIG. 1 , the section being taken along a plane bisecting the upper handle longitudinally. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the preferred carrier as in  FIG. 3 , shown with the carrier in a collapsed position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is sectional view of an exemplary carrier, formed in a round shape and configured as a pie carrier. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective view of a preferred cupcake insert tray. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a side view of an upper tray configured as attached to a lower tray insert. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    Several preferred versions of the baked goods carrier are shown in the illustrations and described below. It should be understood that the carrier as shown and described is ideally suited for baked goods, but that the use of the term “baked goods” is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to items that are baked. Rather, the carrier may work equally well for other transportable items, especially other food items prepared other than by baking For the sake of simplicity, however, the description that follows will generally refer to pies, cakes, cupcakes or other baked goods. 
         [0016]    The preferred carrier  10  generally includes a base  20 , a tray (described below), and a cover  40 . In some versions the base and the tray may be consolidated as a single component or, alternately stated, the carrier may have a base without an additional tray. Preferably, however, the base  20  is generally planar and can be used to support a tray  30  having features that are tailored for carrying particular food items. A preferred cupcake tray, for example, is configured differently from a preferred pie tray and in each case the tray is configured to rest on top of the base. 
         [0017]    One or more locks  42  are provided on the cover  40 . The locks are pivotally mounted on the cover and configured with an internal cavity that is shaped to receive a peripheral flange  41  integrally formed in the base. The flange may further have a detent that snaps into a groove within the lock to securely hold the lock in place. Though the preferred version includes pivotally mounted locks secured to the cover, a variety of alternate locking structures are possible. For example, the locks may be mounted to the base and pivotally engage the cover, reversing the orientation described above. Yet other sliding, snapping, or other fasteners are also possible to hold the cover to the base. 
         [0018]    The cover is preferably formed in three sections to facilitate the ability of the cover to collapse. A lower section  43  is generally rigid and terminates in a peripheral rim that engages the base. An upper section  45  is also generally rigid and forms the top of the cover, while a central section  44  joins the upper section to the lower section. As illustrated in the figures, the upper section  45  is formed with a top portion and downwardly extending sidewalls. In the case of a carrier having a circular foot print as illustrated, the upper section is shaped generally as an inverted bowl. In a preferred version, both the upper section and the lower section are formed from a clear plastic, allowing a user to see the baked goods stored within the carrier. The central section is formed from a relatively more flexible material such as silicone. A pair of living hinges  46 ,  47  are provided within the central section in order to facilitate bending of the central section in order to collapse the cover. 
         [0019]    Most preferably, the living hinges are provided at a location that is very closely adjacent the location where the central section joins the upper and lower sections. By forming the living hinges very close to the rigid materials, the central section can be formed from a thicker and more durable layer of material. While the thicker material will be more difficult to fold, the close proximity of the rigid material near the living hinges helps to facilitate bending at the location of the hinge. 
         [0020]    The upper section of the tray may optionally include a handle  48 . Preferably the handle is centrally located at the top of the tray. In other versions, however, the handle may be omitted or secured to other locations. For example, a pair of handles may be provided along the sides of the cover, secured to the rigid lower section. 
         [0021]    The tray  30  may be in the form of a cupcake tray, as illustrated. Because cupcakes are relatively short, some versions of the invention may include a lower cupcake tray  31  and one or more additional upper cupcake trays  32 . The cupcake trays include a plurality of cavities  33  that are configured to hold cupcakes. In general, the cavities have a substantially circular lower portion that is sized and configured to receive a standard cupcake. An upper portion of the cavity has a somewhat larger circular area and further includes a pair of opposing lobes  34 ,  35 . The lobes provide an open space between the sidewalls of the cavity and a portion of a cupcake inserted into the cavity to allow a person to insert fingers into the cavity to remove a cupcake. 
         [0022]    The cupcake tray may optionally include one or more legs  36  to allow additional trays to be stacked on top of a lower cupcake tray. In a preferred version, the legs have an upper axle that is pivotally secured within a receiving well formed on a bottom side of the cupcake tray. A lower portion of the leg includes a tab  38  that is configured to be received within a corresponding slot  39  formed on an upper side of the tray. As shown, three legs are provided at locations generally evenly spaced about the periphery of the cupcake tray. Any number of legs may be used, however, and the legs may alternatively be located at any location within the interior of the tray. Likewise, the legs may be configured to extend upward from a lower tray and engaging an upper tray rather than legs extending downward from an upper tray. When not in use, the legs are pivotable toward the center of the tray to a position that is substantially parallel with the plane of the tray, thereby allowing the upper tray to be stacked relatively flat on top of the lower tray. 
         [0023]    The container is preferably designed to facilitate storage of the container in an efficient manner. The location of the living hinges and the dimensions of the trays and cover are selected for the most compact storage. In a preferred version, at least two cupcake trays  31 ,  32  are provided. The cupcake trays are formed so that they can nest within one another in a storage position. If the legs are pivotally secured to the upper tray, then in a stored nesting position the lower tray  31  will nest within the upper tray  32  because there are no legs to interfere with nesting. 
         [0024]    The versions as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5  are configured with a height that is suitable to enclose two or more inner trays of cupcakes and the like, or a tall cake or other such item. The nested trays form a height hl above the base, and the living hinges and the dimensions of the upper and lower sections of the cover are configured so that the cover can be collapsed and secured to the base with the nested trays inside the carrier. Preferably, this nesting collapsed configuration is created by the dimensional relationships as illustrated. The lower living hinge  48  is formed adjacent the top edge of the lower carrier section  43  such that the lower living hinge  48  has a height h3 above the rim of the carrier. In addition, the upper living hinge  47  is formed at a location such that it will fold at a location having a height greater than or equal to the height hl of the trays, in order to provide clearance above the nested trays. In order to provide the most compact storage, the upper living hinge is approximately at the height hl when the cover is collapsed. Accordingly, the upper living hinge must be located at a distance h2 below the top of the tray that is less than or equal to the difference between the height of the lower living hinge and the height of the nested trays. 
         [0025]    In other versions of the invention this height relationship among the living hinges and trays may be modified, though it may result in the inclusion of more than two living hinges or a reduction in the diameter of the trays. In the preferred version as described above, only two living hinges are provided. 
         [0026]    The tray may be configured differently for different baked goods. For example, a cake tray  60  may be used. A preferred cake tray is generally planar and fits within the perimeter of the base  20 . As shown, the cake tray includes a plurality of radially extending shallow slots or markings  62  originating at the center of the tray. The slots are useful for a visual slicing guide when cutting the cake. 
         [0027]    A pie tray may also be incorporated although, in a preferred version, the pie carrier does not have a separate tray but rather uses only the base. In the illustrated example of a pie carrier, the base  70  includes a plurality of ribs  72  forming wedge shapes  73  indicative of pieces of pie. The ribs are formed from a non-skid material such as rubber, thereby allowing a pie pan to be placed directly on the base in order to reduce the likelihood of the pie pan sliding on the base during travel. 
         [0028]    In the illustrated pie carrier, the base includes a peripheral sidewall  74  that is preferably inclined radially outward from the center of the base. The planar bottom section of the base includes a diameter extending across the base from the corners formed at the base of the inclined sidewalls. The peripheral sidewall terminates in a generally horizontal flange  75  that is configured to receive the cover  80 . 
         [0029]    The cover is formed in three sections as discussed above, including a rigid lower section  82 , a flexible central section  83 , and a rigid upper section  84  forming a dome. The cover in the pie carrier generally does not need as much height as that of the cupcake carrier or cake carrier, and in the preferred version the lower section is much shorter than in the cupcake version. In this case, the upper section  84  includes a diameter that is less than the diameter of the planar bottom section of the base. In the illustrated version, the upper section has a diameter that is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the planar bottom section of the base. An upper living hinge is provided within the flexible section of the cover such that a first folding location is provided within the diameter of the planar bottom section of the base. A lower living hinge is provided within the flexible section of the cover, with the lower living hinge being adjacent the lower rigid section. Most preferably, the lower and upper living hinges are provided at locations spaced apart from one another such that in the collapsed position the central flexible section forms an inclined wall that is generally parallel to the inclined wall  74  of the base. This is generally accomplished by limiting the height of the lower rigid section of the cover so that extends only a short distance above the top of the base. 
         [0030]    In yet other versions, the carrier may be substantially square or rectangular rather than round. Examples are shown in the perspective sectional views of  FIGS. 6 and 7 , showing these alternative peripheral shapes (with the missing cutaway half being a mirror image of the portion illustrated). The square or rectangular versions generally have rounded corners to best facilitate folding along the living hinges, but otherwise may be configured in the manner as described above. 
         [0031]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.