Patent Publication Number: US-6910580-B1

Title: Portable condiment caddy

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/357,668, filed Feb. 19, 2002. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to containers for food products, and more particularly to a portable soft-sided pocketed case for containing, organizing, and transporting packets of food condiments, and other basic items such as napkins, straws and eating utensils. 
   2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
   When one purchases food products such as hamburgers, hotdogs, French fries, onion rings, and other sandwiches and foodstuffs, at a fast food restaurant, small flexible packets of condiments, such as catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, various sauces, salad dressings, etc., and small packets of salt and pepper are usually placed in the bag with the related food products. Often after leaving the restaurant, one discovers that the condiment packets or salt and pepper packets were not included, that they were not the kind requested, or that there is an insufficient amount. Eating utensils are also often accidentally left out, or they become easily broken before or during use. Some people prefer condiments of a brand that is different from the brand issued by the particular fast food establishment. 
   Because these problems are so common, many people keep a number of small condiment packets and basic related items such as salt and pepper packets, napkins, straws and plastic utensils in their automobile glove compartments, desk drawers, purses, or briefcases. However, the inventor is not aware of any convenient means for efficiently containing, organizing, and transporting these small condiment packets and basic items for convenience and handy availability. 
   Soft-sided lunch boxes and ice chests are known in the art, however they are designed primarily for containing and transporting sandwiches and beverages, and not particularly suited for containing, organizing, and transporting a number of small condiment packets and basic related items. Picnic baskets, and camping kits for kitchen articles are also known in the art, however they are designed primarily for containing and transporting sandwiches, bottles, cans, dishes and other items and, consequently, they are big and bulky, and not particularly suited for containing, organizing, and transporting a number of small condiment packets and basic related items. 
   Pitschka, U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,112 discloses a condiment container that attaches to other objects. In one embodiment of the invention, the condiment container is a portable and disposable container that adhesively attaches to the interior of a vehicle and includes a container body that holds the condiment. The container includes an attaching arm that rotatably couples to the container body, and has an adhesive material on one of its sides. A consumer can attach the container to a surface in a vehicle by rotating the arm away from the container body and abutting the adhesive side of the arm to the vehicle surface. 
   Derrickson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,268 discloses a case for carrying condiments, spices and other food items in an airtight and moisture proof environment. The case has slotted compartments in which resealable pouches are provided. The pouches are detachably fastened to the sides of these compartments. Various condiments, spices or other food items can be easily transported in the case for later use. 
   The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a portable soft-sided condiment caddy constructed particularly for containing, organizing, and transporting packets of food condiments, and other basic items such as napkins, straws and eating utensils, to provide convenience and handy availability. The caddy includes a left and right panel flexibly joined together by a hinged portion and a zipper extends around three sides of the panels. A plurality of open mesh pockets and several elastic strips are attached to the interior surface of the left and right panels. The open mesh pockets are sized to accommodate small flexible condiment packets of condiments, such as catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, various sauces, salad dressings, etc., of the type one receives from fast food restaurants, also salt and pepper packets, sugar or sweetener packets, and a quantity of toothpicks. The elastic strips hold additional condiment packets and one elastic strip is configured to hold knives, forks and spoons. An elongate pocket on the front cover holds straws and/or napkins. An optional transparent zippered money pocket on the front cover accommodates paper currency, coins, car keys, and other loose items. An elongate transparent zippered cargo pocket on the exterior of the right panel accommodates miscellaneous larger items. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable soft-sided condiment caddy for efficiently containing, organizing, and transporting small flexible condiment packets of condiments, such as catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, various sauces, salad dressings, etc., of the type one receives from fast food restaurants, also salt and pepper packets, sugar or sweetener packets, toothpicks and other items such as napkins, straws and eating utensils. 
   It is another object of this invention to provide a portable soft-sided condiment caddy that will hold a number of condiment packets and related basic items for convenience and handy availability. 
   Another object of this invention is to provide a portable soft-sided condiment caddy that allows the user to easily organize his or her supply of condiments and related items by placing particular types of the condiments and related items in selected pockets and elastic strips. 
   Another object of this invention is to provide a portable soft-sided condiment caddy that allows the type and quantity of condiments and related items contained therein to be easily seen and identified. 
   A further object of this invention is to provide a portable soft-sided condiment caddy that is compact in size and can be stored in a small space. 
   A still further object of this invention is to provide a portable soft-sided condiment caddy that is attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, and durable in use. 
   Other objects of the invention will become apparent from time to time throughout the specification as hereinafter related. 
   The above noted objects and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a portable soft-sided pocketed condiment caddy constructed particularly for containing, organizing, and transporting packets of food condiments, and other basic items such as napkins, straws and eating utensils, provides convenience and handy availability. The caddy includes a left and right panel flexibly joined together by a hinged portion and a zipper extends around three sides of the panels. A plurality of open mesh pockets and several elastic strips are attached to the interior surface of the left and right panels. The open mesh pockets are sized to accommodate small flexible condiment packets of condiments, such as catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, various sauces, salad dressings, etc., of the type one receives from fast food restaurants, also salt and pepper packets, sugar or sweetener packets, and a quantity of toothpicks. The elastic strips hold additional condiment packets and one elastic strip is configured to hold knives, forks and spoons. An elongate pocket on the front cover holds straws and/or napkins. An optional transparent zippered money pocket on the front cover accommodates paper currency, coins, car keys, and other loose items. An elongate transparent zippered cargo pocket on the exterior of the right panel accommodates miscellaneous larger items. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the condiment caddy in accordance with a preferred embodiment, shown in the open position. 
       FIG. 2  is an elevation view of the inside left-hand panel of the condiment caddy. 
       FIG. 3  is an elevation view of the inside right-hand panel of the condiment caddy. 
       FIG. 4  is an elevation view of the outside front panel of the condiment caddy. 
       FIG. 5  is an elevation view of the outside back panel of the condiment caddy. 
       FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the hinged side of the condiment caddy. 
       FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the unhinged side of the condiment caddy, shown in a closed position. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIG. 1 , a condiment caddy  10  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the open position. The condiment caddy  10  is a soft-sided carrying case that includes a left panel  11  and a right panel  12 , which are flexibly joined together by a hinged portion  13  which may or may not include a reinforcement spine. Referring additionally to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , in the preferred embodiment, a zipper  14  extends from the hinged portion  13  around three sides of the left and right panels  11  and  12 , such that when unzipped the side panels may be opened and, when zipped closed, the panels form an enclosed central compartment. In the preferred embodiment, the condiment caddy is approximately 11″ in length, 6¾″ wide and 1½″ thick, in its closed condition. 
   It should be understood that the zipper  14  may be a two-way zipper having two pull slides that can be opened from either end, or may be replaced with other suitable fastening means such as Velcro® strips, snap fasteners, or the like, which would substantially enclose the central compartment. 
   The left and right panels  11  and  12  are constructed of well-known suitable flexible fabric or synthetic materials, and may also include conventional stiffening materials that are covered with a fabric or synthetic material. In a preferred embodiment, the panels are constructed of nylon. Piping  15  may also be attached to the periphery of the left and right panels  11  and  12  by sewing or other conventional means. 
   As best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the left panel  11  and right panel  12  each have an interior surface  11 A and  12 A, respectively. A plurality of pockets  16  are permanently attached to the interior surfaces  11 A and  12 A of the left and right panels  11  and  12  by sewing or other conventional means. Each of the pockets  16  consists of a generally rectangular piece of open mesh material, preferably nylon netting, that is permanently attached to the interior surfaces of the panels along its side and bottom edges, and has an elastic strip  16 A sewn across its open top edge that allows items to be placed into the pockets. The openings in the mesh material are of sufficient size to allow the contents to be easily seen and identified, and the elastic strip  16 A prevents accidental removal of the contents from the pocket. 
   A pair of elastic strips  17  are permanently attached to the interior surface  12 A of the right panel  12  and each is secured thereon by sewing or other conventional means, so as to form two laterally adjacent expandable loops  17 A sized to receive additional flexible condiment packets C, as indicated in dashed line. The elastic loops  17 A grip the condiment packets C at their midsection and the elastic strips  17  are spaced vertically relative to one another such that the ends of the condiment packets held in their loops will not interfere with one another. 
   An elastic strip  18  is permanently attached to the interior surface  11 A of the left panel  11  and is secured thereon by sewing or other conventional means, so as to form three laterally adjacent expandable loops  18 A sized to receive the handle portions of eating utensils, such as a knife K, a fork F and a spoon S, as indicated in dashed line. The elastic loops  18 A are sufficiently taught so as to resiliently grip the handle portions and prevent them from accidentally falling out. 
   Small flexible packets of condiments, such as catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, various sauces, salad dressings, etc., of the type one receives from fast food restaurants, are generally of several standard, generally rectangular sizes. For example, most condiment packets are approximately 1⅜″ wide and from about 1¾″ to 3⅝″ length, and about {fraction (3/16)}″ to ¼″ thick. Rectangular salt and pepper packet from about ¾″ to 1¼″ wide, 1½″ to 1⅞ and artificial sweetener packets are generally about 1½″ wide, 2½″ about {fraction (1/16)}″ to ⅛″ thick. In the preferred embodiment, the sever accommodate the flexible condiment packets, salt and pepper packets, and sugar or sweetener packets, of the aforementioned sizes, and at least one pocket is of sufficient width to accommodate a quantity of toothpicks. 
   Thus, the user can easily organize his or her supply of condiments and related items by placing particular types of the condiments and related items in selected pockets. For example, one pocket may contain flexible condiment packets of catsup, another may contain mayonnaise, another may contain mustard, etc. Other pockets may contain salt and/or pepper packets, sugar or sweetener packets, or a quantity of toothpicks, etc. 
   Additional condiment packets C may also be placed in the loops  17 A of the elastic strips  17  and eating utensils such knives K, forks F and spoons S may be placed in the loops  18 A of the elastic strips  18 . The type and quantity of the items contained in the pockets  16  and the elastic strips  17 ,  18  can be easily seen and identified. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the left panel  11  has an exterior surface  11 B, which forms the front outer cover of the condiment caddy  10 . An elongate rectangular pocket  19  formed of a piece of suitable flexible fabric or synthetic material is permanently attached along its lateral and bottom edges to the exterior surface  11 B of the left panel  11  by sewing or other conventional means, leaving an open top edge  19 A that allows elongate items, such as straws and/or napkins to be placed into the pocket. In a preferred embodiment, the elongate rectangular pocket  19  has a vertical length approximately two-thirds the vertical length of the exterior surface of the left panel  11 . 
   Optionally, a second rectangular pocket  20  may be permanently attached along its lateral and top and bottom edges to the exterior of the pocket  19  described above by sewing or other conventional means. A zipper  21  extends across the upper portion of the pocket  20  from side to side, such that when unzipped the pocket may be opened to insert or remove items, and when zipped closed, the pocket forms an enclosed compartment. It should be understood that the zipper  21  may be replaced with other suitable fastening means such as Velcro® strips, snap fasteners, or the like. The pocket  20  may be used as a money pocket for storing paper currency and coins, car keys, and other loose items. In the preferred embodiment, the pocket  20  is formed of transparent material so that the contents may be easily seen and identified. In a preferred embodiment, the pocket  20  has a vertical length of approximately one-half the vertical length of the exterior surface of the elongate rectangular pocket  19 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the right panel  12  has an exterior surface  12 B, which forms the back outer cover of the condiment caddy  10 . An elongate rectangular pocket  22  formed of a piece of suitable flexible transparent material is permanently attached along its lateral and top and bottom edges to the exterior  12 B of the right panel  12  by sewing or other conventional means. A zipper  23  extends across the pocket  22  from side to side near its top end, such that when unzipped the pocket may be opened to insert or remove items, and when zipped closed, the pocket forms an enclosed compartment. It should be understood that the zipper  23  may be replaced with other suitable fastening means such as Velcro® strips, snap fasteners, or the like. The pocket  22  may be used as a cargo pocket for storing and transporting miscellaneous larger items. The transparent cargo pocket allows the contents to be easily seen and identified. 
   While this invention has been described fully and completely with special emphasis upon a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that within the scope of the claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.