Patent Publication Number: US-2016229585-A1

Title: Food delivery system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/114,376, filed 10 Feb. 2015, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to food delivery systems and, more particularly, to a food delivery system providing food containers adapted to be stackable in a compact, stable configuration, wherein each food container is adapted to prevent airborne contamination of its contents. 
     Many container designs have been developed for protecting foodstuffs during transportation. A particular problem during transportation is efficiently utilizing storage space in a stable and safe manner. 
     Current food delivery systems waste valuable cargo bay space, especially because many of them required the use of a separate rack to prevent a plurality of stacked containers from being displaced during transportation, as they otherwise tend to be top heavy and thus dangerous. Furthermore, current food delivery systems are not sufficiently adapted to prevent airborne contamination, insects and dirty air from reaching the food stuff or product in the container. They are also very loud. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a food delivery system providing food containers adapted to be stackable in a compact, stable configuration, wherein each food container is adapted to prevent airborne contamination of its contents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a stackable delivery system having a food container includes a body having a side wall and a bottom wall defining a recess, wherein a peripheral body flange is perpendicularly joined along the side wall; a cooperating lid having a recessed base portion defined by a raised ridge, wherein a peripheral lid flange is perpendicularly joined along the raised ridge, wherein the peripheral lid flange is at least coextensive with the peripheral body flange during a sealing engagement of both peripheral flanges, and wherein the recessed base portion and the raised ridge are dimensioned to slidably receive a bottom wall and a portion of a sidewall of an identical food container; and a plurality of diametrically opposing divider notches provided by the side wall. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the stackable delivery system, includes a food container having a body having a side wall and a bottom wall defining a recess, wherein a peripheral body flange is perpendicularly joined along the side wall, and wherein the side wall provides a plurality of dolly slots; a cooperating lid having a recessed base portion defined by a raised ridge, wherein a peripheral lid flange is perpendicularly joined along the raised ridge, wherein the peripheral lid flange is at least coextensive with the peripheral body flange during a sealing engagement of both peripheral flanges, and wherein the recessed base portion and the raised ridge are dimensioned to slidably receive a bottom wall and a portion of a sidewall of an identical food container; a plurality of diametrically opposing divider notches provided by the side wall; a plurality of diametrically opposing corner chambers defined by the side wall and bottom wall, wherein each corner chamber circumscribes at least one flow hole disposed in the bottom wall; a tube nozzle provided by the cooperating lid, wherein the tube nozzle and the at least one flow hole can be aligned during the sealing engagement, and wherein the cooperating lid provides a centrally disposed exhaust port; a plurality of dividers, wherein opposing ends of each of the plurality of dividers are adapted to removably connect between two of the plurality of diametrically opposing divider notches, and wherein each divider provides a plurality of apertures; a treated air supplier having a flow tube for fluidly communicating with the tube nozzle; and at least one identical food container, wherein the at least one identical food container provides ventilation holes in the bottom wall, whereby the food containers and the at least one identical food containers are movable into a stackable configuration. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown with a cooperating lid removed; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a detail perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cutaway view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1 , and shown in a stacked configuration; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in a stacked configuration; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13  is a section detail view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a food delivery system providing food containers adapted to be stackable in a compact, stable configuration, wherein each food container is adapted to prevent airborne contamination of its contents. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 13 , the present invention may include a food delivery system  100  having a plurality of food containers  10 ,  38 , including a non-respiring container  10  and a respiring container  38 . Each food container  10  or  38  is in the form of a lower body  12 ,  40  and a cooperating lid  22 ,  58  respectively. Each lower body  12 ,  40  and cooperating lid  22 ,  58  provide a periphery body flange  14 ,  42  and a peripheral lid flange  82 ,  80 , respectively, that are adapted to have substantially matching peripheral dimensions so that when each body and cooperating lid are operatively engaged the associated peripheral flanges form a sealing engagement by being at least coextensive or wherein the peripheral lid flange extends beyond the periphery of the overlapped associated peripheral body flange, thereby providing a finger-hold for removing the lid from the body, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 8, 10 and 13 . The sealing engagement is adapted to prevent airborne contaminants, insects or dirty air from accessing the recess  15 . As a result, the shape and/or plan outline of the bodies and cooperating lids may be any shape or plan outline so long as the peripheral flanges function in accordance with the present invention as described herein. Similarly, the size of the bodies may vary as a function of the foodstuff they are to accommodate. 
     Each body may define a recess  15  defined by a bottom wall  17  and downwardly convergent side walls  19 . The side walls  19  and/or peripheral body flanges  14 ,  42  may provide a plurality of diametrically opposed divider notches  16 ,  44 . In certain embodiments, the bottom wall  17  may provide a plurality of ventilation holes  20 ,  48 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 13 , respectively. The side walls  19  may provide at a plurality of ventilations  18 ,  48 . The ventilations  18 ,  48  may be dimensioned and adapted to slidably receive a hand cart blade (not shown) so that an entire stacked configurations  34 ,  76  can be selectively engaged quietly moved via a hand truck, dolly or the like. 
     In certain embodiments, each body  40  of the respiring container  38  may provide diametrically opposed corner chambers  50  into which the bottom wall  17  and a concomitant recess space is provided, as illustrated in  FIGS. 10-13 . Each corner chambers  50  may be generally defined by an incongruous portion of the side wall  19  forming a protrusion-like shape, in that the side wall  19  associated with the corner chamber is increases the surface area of the recess  15 . The bottom wall  17  may provide at least one flow hole  52  circumscribed by the concomitant recess space. In the same embodiment of the respiring container  38 , the cooperating lid  58  may provide a tube nozzle  60  fluidly communicating with the associated corner chambers  50 , when the cooperating lid  58  and body  40  are operatively engaged. In some embodiments, the tube nozzle  60  and the at least one flow hole  52  align vertically. In some embodiments, the cooperating lid  58  provides a centrally disposed exhaust port  62  having a filter  64 . Each flow hole  52  may be dimensioned and adapted to slidably receive the tube nozzle  60  of the cooperating lid  58  of an identical food container  38 , 
     Each lid may provide a stepped down base portion  24  or  72  defined along a periphery by a raised peripheral ridge  32 ,  54 , respectively. The base portions and peripheral ridges may be dimensioned to snugly receive the bottom wall  17  and a portion of the side walls  19  of an identical body, forming a stacked configuration  34 ,  76  of at least two identical bodies, as illustrated in  FIGS. 8-10 and 13 . 
     The present invention may provide a plurality of dividers  26  that terminate in opposing divider connectors  28 . The plurality of dividers  26  may be adapted to provide lateral stability to the stacked configurations  34 ,  76 , preventing them from laterally displacing and thus overturning or tipping during transportation. Each divider connectors  28  may be adapted to removably connect to the divider notches  16 ,  44 , so as to define a plurality of storage compartments within the recess  15 . Each divider  26  may have a plurality of spaced apart apertures  30  that fluidly communicate adjacent storage compartments. 
     Referring to  FIG. 13 , the food delivery system  100  may include an adaptor  68  and humidifier  68  having a flow tube  70  for operatively engaging a tube nozzle  60  for supplying treated air  74  therethrough and into the at least one food containers  10 ,  38 , and through the stacked configuration  34 ,  76  via the plurality of apertures  30  and ventilation holes  20 ,  48 , and as a result, exhaust air  78  may exit the exhaust port  62 . 
     A method of using the present invention may include the following. The plurality of food containers  10 ,  38  disclosed above may be provided. A user would load each of the plurality of food containers  10 ,  38  with the dividers  26 , as needed. Then the user may load the recess  15  and/or plurality of storage compartments therein with product/food stuff and then place the appropriate cooperating lid  22 ,  58  so as to operatively engage the associated body. Then the user may stack the plurality of food containers  10 ,  38  into the stacked configuration  34 ,  76 , respectively, whereby the resulting stacks may be moved and loaded with a dolly or hand cart which they have been specifically designed for. As a result, two of the current carts/food rack delivery systems, side by side, house approximately a total of forty food containers, as compared to one stack of the present invention which would hold eighty-four food containers  10 ,  38  within the same storage space. 
     Also, the user may form a small stacked configuration to use as a step stool for when needing to un-stack taller stacked configurations. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.