Patent Publication Number: US-11019898-B2

Title: Picnic food transportation assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Statement Regarding Federally Sponsored Research or Development 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to food transportation device and more particularly pertains to a new food transportation device for transporting a beverage, condiments, eating utensils and food items. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to food transportation devices. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a canister for containing a canned beverage. A can is hingedly coupled to the canister to store packaged condiments. The can is positionable between an open and closed position for opening and closing the canister, and the can is removable from the canister. A lid is hingedly coupled to the can, and the lid is positionable between an open position and a closed position for opening and closing the can. A plurality of boxes is each of the boxes is removably coupled to the canister and each of the boxes can contain respective ones of eating utensils and food items. Each of the boxes is selectively coupled together when the boxes are not coupled to the canister. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a picnic food transportation assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a left side phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a right side exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a top exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a plurality of boxes and a can being coupled together. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new food transportation device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the picnic food transportation assembly  10  generally comprises a canister  12  for containing a canned beverage  14 , such as a can of soda or other similar canned beverage  14 . Additionally, the canister  12  may contain a bottled beverage such as bottled water or the like. The canister  12  has a bottom wall  16  and an outer wall  18  extending upwardly therefrom, and the outer wall  18  has a distal edge  20  with respect to the bottom wall  16  defining an opening  22  into the canister  12 . A first hinge  24  is coupled to an outer surface  26  of the outer wall  18  of the canister  12  and the first hinge  24  is aligned with the distal edge  20  of the outer wall  18  of the canister  12 . 
     A handle  28  is coupled to the canister  12 , and the handle  28  has a central member  30  extending between a pair of outward members  32 . Each of the outward members  32  has a distal end  34  with respect to the central member  30 . Additionally, the distal end  34  of each of the outward members  32  is coupled to the outer wall  18  of the canister  12  having the central member  30  being spaced from the outer wall  18  and being vertically oriented. 
     A can  36  is hingedly coupled to the canister  12  to store packaged condiments  38 , such as single serving ketchup, mustard and other condiments  38 . The can  36  is positionable between an open and closed position for opening and closing the canister  12 , and the can  36  is removable from the canister  12 . The can  36  has a lower wall  40  and an outside wall  42  extending upwardly therefrom, and the outside wall  42  has a distal edge  44  with respect to the lower wall  40  defining an opening  46  into the can  36 . The lower wall  40  rests on the distal edge  20  of outer wall  18  of the canister  12  when the can  36  is positioned in the closed position. Additionally, the lower wall  40  is spaced from the distal edge  20  of the outer wall  18  of the canister  12  when the can  36  is positioned in the open position. 
     A first pin  48  is coupled to an outer surface  26  of the outside wall  42  of the can  36 . The first pin  48  is aligned with the lower wall  40  of the can  36  and the first pin  48  is horizontally oriented on the outside wall  42 . The first pin  48  rotatably engages the first hinge  24 , and the first pin  48  is removable from the first hinge  24  for removing the can  36  from the canister  12 . A second hinge  50  is coupled to an outer surface  26  of the outside wall  42  of the can  36 , and the second hinge  50  is aligned with the distal edge  44  of the outside wall  42  of the can  36 . 
     A lid  52  is hingedly coupled to the can  36 , and the lid  52  is positionable between an open position and a closed position for opening and closing the can  36 . The lid  52  has a lower surface  54 , an upper surface  56  and an outer edge  58  extending therebetween. The lower surface  54  rests on the distal edge  44  of the outside wall  42  of the can  36  when the lid  52  is closed. A second pin  60  is coupled to the outer edge  58  of the lid  52  and the second pin  60  is aligned with the lower surface  54  of the lid  52 . The second pin  60  is horizontally oriented on the outer edge  58  and the second pin  60  rotatably engages the second hinge  50 . 
     A plurality of retainers  62  is each coupled to the outside wall  42  of the canister  12 . Each of the retainers  62  comprises a leg  64  and a foot  66 . The leg  64  of each of the retainers  62  is coupled to the outside wall  42  of the canister  12  having the foot  66  of each of the retainers  62  being spaced from the outside wall  42 . Additionally, the foot  66  of each of the retainers  62  is directed upwardly. The retainers  62  are arranged on the outside wall  42  into a plurality of sets of the retainers  68 . Each of the sets of retainers  68  are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around the outside wall  42 . 
     A plurality of boxes  70  is provided and each of the boxes  70  is removably coupled to the canister  12 . Each of the boxes  70  can contain respective ones of eating utensils  72  and food items  74 . The food items  74  may be a hot dog or other type of food item commonly eaten outdoors or at a picnic. Each of the boxes  70  is selectively coupled together when the boxes  70  are not coupled to the canister  12 . Each of the boxes  70  has a rear wall  76 , a first lateral wall  78 , a second lateral wall  80  and a front wall  82 . The rear wall  76  of each of the boxes  70  is concavely arcuate with respect to the front wall  82  thereby facilitating the rear wall  76  of each of the boxes  70  to conform to the curvature of the outer wall  18  of the canister  12 . The plurality of boxes  70  includes a pair of lateral boxes  84  and a front box  86 , and the front box  86  has a perimeter that is greater than a perimeter of each of the lateral boxes  84 . 
     A plurality of receivers  88  is each coupled to the rear wall  76  of a respective one of the boxes  70 . Each of the receivers  88  insertably receives the foot  66  of a respective one of the retainers  62  on the canister  12  to releasably retain the respective box on the canister  12 . A plurality of first mating members  90  is each coupled to a respective one of the lateral boxes  84 . Each of the first mating members  90  is positioned on the front wall  82  of the respective lateral box  84 . A plurality of second mating members  92  is each coupled to a respective one of the can  36  and the front box  86 . Each of the first  90  and second  92  mating members may be respective ones of a hook and loop fastener or other similar releasable fastener. 
     The second mating member  92  on the can  36  is positioned on the outside wall  42  of the can  36 . Each of the second mating members  92  on the front box  86  is positioned on a respective one of the first  78  and second  80  lateral walls of the front box  86 . The first mating members  90  on each of the lateral boxes  84  releasably engage the second mating member  92  on a respective one of the first  78  and second  80  lateral walls when each of the front  86  and lateral  84  boxes are removed from the canister  12 . Additionally, the second mating member  92  on the can  36  releasably engages the first mating member  90  on the front wall  82  of the front box  86  when the front box  86  and the can  36  are removed from the canister  12 . 
     In use, the canned beverage  14  is positioned in the canister  12  and the can  36  is positioned in the closed position. The condiments  38  are positioned in the can  36  and the lid  52  is positioned in the closed position. The eating utensils  72  and the food items  74  are positioned in the respective boxes  70 . Thus, the handle  28  on the canister  12  is gripped and the canned beverage  14 , the condiments  38 , the utensils  72  and the food items  74  can all be carried simultaneously to a picnic site or other eating area. The can  36  is positioned in the open position to remove the canned beverage  14  from the canister  12 . Each of the boxes  70  is removed from the canister  12  and the boxes  70  are attached together with the first  90  and second  92  mating members. Additionally, the can  36  is removed from the canister  12  and the can  36  is coupled to the front box  86 . In this way the condiments  38 , the utensils  72  and the food item  74  are all positioned adjacent to each other and the canister  12  can be used as a drinking cup. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.