Patent Publication Number: US-7591496-B1

Title: Up-right carry-out

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   We have all at one time or another, experienced the problem of leaving our local bakery with our favorite decorated cake or lemon meringue pie placed in a conventional grocery bag and upon arrival at home find that during transit, the meringue of the pie has become dislodged from the top of the pie or the icing of the cake has become mashed due to the cake container falling over on its side and mashing the icing. 
   The most basic purpose of the Up-Right Carry-Out is to provide a uniquely designed carrier which can be made from a variety of materials and used to carry cakes and pies in an “upright” position once they have been placed in their respective containers. It also finds significant use in the “fast food” industry where it is desirable to keep the food within the various shaped containers separated. For example, a stop at a fast food chicken carry-out could readily result in a Styrofoam compartmented container having separate pockets or recessed areas for the chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and a muffin. Although the Styrofoam container is compartmented and includes a closing lid and is placed in a conventional paper or plastic bag, there is nothing that will insure that upon arrival at home that the respective items are not co-mingled and inter-mixed with one another due to spilling over into adjacent compartments during the travel home. 
   This one example relating to a fast food carryout is similarly experienced and repeated daily at the hamburger carryout, the pizza shop, bakery and many similar situations where it is desirable to maintain certain food products in a horizontal position during transit to ensure the items therein are kept stable and horizontal while being transported, thus helping to reduce or eliminate leaks or spills of the products therein. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is a uniquely designed “sling type” container carrier which can be made from a variety of materials including paper, plastic, cloth or other suitable material. As noted above, it has “sling type” design with a pocket positioned centrally on the “sling” in such a manner that when the pocket is filled with a product, i.e., a cake, pie, pizza or fast food container of food, the lengths of the two opposite sides of the sling are substantially equal and serve to engage the opposite ends of the pocket and securely hold the container therein. 
   Each end of the sling is provided with a cut-out which, when each are placed in close proximity with each other, serves as carrying handles, thus allowing a product that has been placed within the pocket, to be carried in an up-right manner. 
   As noted above, this carrier has many uses in that it can successfully be utilized for a variety of products, and as such, the pockets can be shaped in various sizes, lengths, widths and depths. The pocket can be square, round, rectangular, triangular or have an angular shape to conform to a particular product that it is intended to be used to carry in an up-right position. 
   DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART 
   A manual search of the pertinent classes and subclasses was conducted in the files of the U.S. Patent Office and revealed the following patents 
   U.S. D462,904—Issued to Mellon et al on Sep. 17, 2002—discloses a design patent wherein a container is inserted into a preformed carrier with handles for carrying prepared food. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 1,627,583—Issued to Thum on May 10, 1927—discloses an ice cream cone carrier that includes a pair of shelf elements 23 and 24 with openings 32 and 33 for receiving the cones 10 of an ice cream cone and is adhesively bonded to the interior surface of the rectangular sheet 15.
 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,683,678—Issued to Kitterman et al on Sep. 11, 1928—discloses a utility bag 5 that is cut to provide side flaps 6 and end flaps 7, the latter of which includes a draw string 9. The outer ends of the side flaps 6 are provided with mating members of snap fasteners 10 At the center of the bag is provided a flexible casing 12 that can include items such as soap, wash cloth, toilet articles and the like.
 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,971,322—Issued to Miller on Aug. 21, 1934—discloses “a sling sak” for carrying firewood. The carrier comprises a flattened tube 1 composed of flexible material, preferably strong and tough fiber paper and includes a handle at opposite ends of the folded tube.
 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,874—Issued to Ferrari on Nov. 3, 1942—discloses a carrying case adaptable for a plurality of forms including a florist box, candy box, shipping containers, hat or shoe boxes and the like. In the preferred form, an elongated blank having a pair of flaps extending from opposite sides and score lines with interlocking means on the flaps for providing an open box in the center thereof. Although it is disclosed as useful for carrying a cake or pie, there is no structure shown that will protect the cake or pie during transit.
 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,046—Issued to Roy et al on Aug. 22, 1967—discloses a carrier made of a single sheet of blank material such as reinforced paper. It includes end handle flaps a1, a1 that are provided with bottle overlay flaps a5 and a6 for engaging the necks of a bottle and retain them in a horizontal position during.
 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,673—Issued to Moore on Dec. 15, 1987—discloses a combination food carrier and amusement device comprising first and second panels having a removable bag member and a book secured to the inner surfaces thereof. First and second panels are provided with removable handle portions that enable the device to transport food items retained in a bag member. The bag member and the handle portions are disposable so that the device remains as a unique amusement device and book.
 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,258—Issued to Rossi on Aug. 3, 1993—discloses a handle assembly for an article carrier. The carrier includes a pair of flexible panel members 12 and 14 that are placed at right angles to each other. Panel member 14 includes a pair of cut-out areas forming a handle. A pocket 22 is used to receive a rigid base member 16 to serve as a base support member for supporting a food carrier 331 that is placed over rigid base member 16. Opposite ends of panel member 12 are tied into a knot to secure container 31 in place during transit.
 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,949—Issued to Mooney on Jun. 11, 1996—discloses a carrier for use by a person for carrying a load which is to be carried in an essentially horizontal position. The carrier 1 is in the form of a bag, which includes handles 9 and a plurality of openings in the lower end of the bag for receiving corners 7 of a container therein.
 
U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,992—Issued to Tsao on Oct. 9, 2001—discloses a foldable food and beverage carrying device that includes a base member 11 having an opening 10 formed therein for inserting a food container 2. A pair of handle members 12 are formed on opposite ends of the base member 11 and are interlockable to serve as a handle for carrying purposes.
 
   As can be seen from a review of this known prior art, there are a variety of carrier devices that include handles and are utilized for carrying a variety of devices, however, none of the above cited art discloses a carrier that includes a shaped pocket that is positioned on the interior surface of the carrier for receiving a food product in a container and maintains the food product in a horizontal position during transit thus preventing spilling or mashing of the product within the container. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the invention is to provide a carrier for food products in containers that will maintain the food products in a horizontal position while being carried. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier that is useful in carrying a variety of fast food products and maintain them in their respective positions while in transit. 
   A still further object of the invention is to provide a fast food carrier that can be made of either plastic, paper, or other suitable inexpensive material. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a carrier that includes a pocket for holding the fast food in a horizontal position and the pocket can be either glued or heat welded to the carrier. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide another embodiment of a fast food carrier that is a one piece construction and is disposable and inexpensive to manufacture. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a fast food carrier having a pair of handle portions and a pocket formed thereon by a three-sided weld with a fourth open side for receiving a container that is retained therein by one of the handle portions. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a fast food carrier that is easy to use and the container held therein is secured by the carrying handles, which keep it upright and stable. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a fast food carrier wherein the container secured therein is locked in place by the handles and can be readily carried with one hand. 
   These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent hereinafter. The instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters designate the corresponding parts throughout the several views. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the novel two-piece construction carry-out carrier to illustrate the positioning of a fast food container therein while carrying food therein 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of the two-piece construction carry-out carrier in its open position for receiving a container. 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view of the novel fast food carrier made of two-piece construction, illustrating three differently configured pockets in dash lines, however, only one configuration would be utilized per carrier. 
       FIG. 4  is another plan view, of an alternate type of construction, wherein the pocket is integrally formed with the remainder of the carrier and subsequently overlaid. 
       FIG. 5  is an illustration of an alternate two-piece construction carrier, illustrating the two pieces before they have been secured together to form the novel carrier. 
       FIG. 6  is a side view illustrating the carrier of  FIG. 5  after they have been joined by a three-sided peripheral heat weld. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown the novel fast food carrier  25  which includes a pair of oppositely disposed handle members  26 ,  27  that extend upwards from base portion  28  and are provided with finger slots  29  to complete the handle assembly. As indicated above carrier  25  is comprised of two basic members, a sling portion, comprised of elongated handles  26 ,  27  and an interconnected base portion  28  and an overlying pocket  35 . Base portion  28  is provided with an overlying pocket  35  that includes three closed sides with one side open for receiving a fast food container therein. The shape of pocket  35  may vary depending upon the intended use of carrier  25 . For example, the shape may be square, triangular rectilinear or circular of various depths and/or heights as more clearly set forth in  FIG. 3 . The entire carrier may be made from a commercial grade paper where the pocket is adhesively secured to the sling portion of the carrier or alternatively, the carrier made be constructed of a plastic film as used in the grocery bag industry. In this instance, the pocket  35  would be precut to the desired dimensions and subsequently heat welded to the sling portion. 
     FIG. 2  is a plan view of fast food up-right carrier  25 , there is shown oppositely disposed handle members  26 ,  27  with finger openings  29  for carrying carrier  25 . As shown, opposite side edges  26 E and  27 E each taper inward toward each other as they approach finger openings  29 . Centrally positioned on carrier  25  is pocket  35 . A container  30 , that will readily accommodate a pie or cake, (neither shown), depending on the intended use of the novel up-right carrier, is shown about to be positioned within pocket  35 . If the container  30 , to be received in pocket  35  was to be used for cakes, the pocket  35  that receives the cake container would have a height “H” that would be greater than the height of a pocket that was to receive a container holding a pie therein. Of course, the diameter or width of pocket  35  is determined by the size of the cake or pie that is intended to be carried therein, it is intended that the subject carrier will be manufactured in a variety of sizes to accommodate the needs of the fast food industry. 
     FIG. 3  is a plan view somewhat similar to  FIG. 2 , however, the outer edges  26 E and  27 E are slightly tapered toward center. Additionally, there are three different configurations for pocket  35 , a square bottomed pocket  35 SQ, a round bottomed pocket  35 R and a pie-shaped pocket  35 P. These are three examples of the configuration that pocket  35  may take, it is to be noted, however, that only one of these three different shapes would be used at any given time, they are alternative configurations. 
     FIG. 4  is a plan view of an alternative embodiment illustrating another way of making the pocket  35 . In this embodiment, carrier  25  comprises a length of material having a pair of handle portions  26  and  27  interconnected by a base portion  28 . Extending at a right angle to base portion  28  is the overlay material  350 M that will form pocket  35  once it is overlaid over base portion  28  and heat welded along three sides thereof to form pocket  35 . Although heat welding has just been described as the means of securing overlay  35  OM to base portion  28 , this would only be the case where a plastic film was utilized to manufacture the carrier  25 . If the carrier  25  were to be made of kraft paper, then pocket  35  would be attached to base portion  28  by means of a suitable adhesive applied around the periphery thereof to bond pocket  35  to the base portion of carrier  25 . 
   Again, overlaid portion  35 OM shows a dashed arcuate line  35 R which represents the shape of the pocket to be formed once overlaid over base  28 , however, this is merely exemplary, the shape of the pocket  35  may vary depending upon its intended use. 
     FIG. 5  is an illustration of the embodiment utilizing a two piece construction wherein each of the handle portions  26  and  27  are separate pieces, each of which includes a base portion  28 . Handle portion  26  is placed over handle portion  27  with the straight edge portions  26 E overlapping straight edge portions  27 E of handle portion  27 , a heat weld has then applied in one of the three shapes shown, i.e.  35 SQ, thus forming the pocket  35 SQ, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . As indicated above, the various shapes come in a variety of sizes to accommodate a wide range of products. In this embodiment, the material forming pocket  35 SQ is an integral part of base portions  28  of both handle portions  26  and  27  rather than a separate element as used in the earlier embodiment of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 . 
     FIG. 6  is a plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  after the heat weld has been applied thus joining handle portions  26  and  27  and forming pocket  35  thereon. Additionally, there is shown in longitudinal axis LA of the device. 
   It is believed that a review of the subject invention would be useful at this point. It is pointed out that applicant has provided a sling-type carrier that finds application in the fast food industry and can be successfully utilized to carry and maintain the contents therein in a horizontal position, thus eliminating spillage, or intermixing of the contents. The carrier can be conveniently made of either plastic film of kraft paper and can be made in a plurality of different sized shapes. It can be made with either a separate pocket portion that is adhesively attached to the handle portion or a pocket that is formed by a heat weld directly on the handle portion, thus simplifying its production. 
   While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than words of limitation and that changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the fill scope or spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims, and not by the foregoing specification.