Patent Publication Number: US-7721892-B2

Title: Adaptable tote for beverage cups and plates

Description:
Priority claimed to Provisional application 60/644,221 filed Jan. 14, 2005 

   FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The invention is concerned with devices that allow the carrying of two or more beverage cups or food containers in a convenient manner. At sporting events, commonly one person will buy drinks and food for a small group. The present invention is a simple arm carrier for beverages for use at sporting events and such. 
   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   Often friends and associates attend sporting events or picnics in small groups. At such events, ordinarily one person will obtain drinks and food from the concession stand for one or two people in addition to his own food and drinks. Thus a person obtaining the drinks and food will be required to carry multiple drinks and possibly one or more plates of food. This can be quite inconvenient. The spilling and wasting of the newly purchased food is common. While many food items can be packed in paper bags it is relatively difficult to safely transport soft drinks even with covers on the cups. For these reasons, there is a relatively large art, for example D 426,431; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,979,657; 5,704,671; and 5,743,389; addressing the problems of transporting soft drinks and coffee at sporting venues and such. 
   The present invention is an adaptable arm tote or carrier which is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to use. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The invention is a beverage cup tote which is a construct with an enlarged first end attached with bridge section to an enlarged second end. There is a first hole in the first enlarged end, and a second hole in a second enlarged end. The bridge section length is about 3.5 inches to 6.5 inches. The first hole and second hole are rectangular or round to receive typical food containers or beverage cups. The bridge section length is about 3.5 inches to 6.5 inches. The width between the holes and the outer perimeter is about three quarters inch to one and one-half inches. A thumb hole may be incorporated into the bridge section. 
   The bridge section has a clip passage and either symmetrical or asymmetrical quarter circle trimmings. A pair of constructs may be affixed with each other with a pin clip through a clip passage, or with glue, staples, adhesives, or cohesive to produce a generally X shaped combination construct. That pin clip has one or more curved wings(s) which will hold workpiece plate(s). The glue, adhesives, or cohesive maybe covered with release paper. However, a pair of beverage cup totes may be manufactured as a combination construct by the manufacturer to produce a strengthened unit, or manufactured as a generally X shaped combination construct unit with cup openings on each branch of said X-shaped construct. 
   Likewise, the invention is a process for carrying beverages and food with adaptable totes with the steps of acquiring the beverages or food and assembling the appropriate form of tote(s) according to the types and sizes of the food containers. The purchased beverages or food are placed in the adaptable tote. That tote for beverages or food is a semi-rigid construct with a an enlarged first end with a first hole, and an enlarged second end with a second hole. The two ends are connected with a bridge section. That bridge section may either symmetrical or asymmetrical quarter-circle trimmings. 
   The first hole and second hole are sized such to receive typical beverage cups or rectangular food containers. The process continues whereby the food or beverages are placed into or upon either or both said first hole and said second hole, The tote with drinks is placed upon the forearm or in the hand and transported to place of consumption. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  shows a top view of the semi-rigid beverage cup (drink) tote. 
       FIG. 2  shows that a pair of drink totes can be used in combination to carry the drink cups. 
       FIG. 3  shows a pin clip in operation. 
       FIG. 4  shows a cross section view of a single drink tote with a side view of pin clip. 
       FIG. 5  shows clip with wings with bent ends. 
       FIG. 6  show the underside of tote which is shown in this figure as a dumbbell shaped construct. 
       FIG. 7  shows that two pairs of totes can be used to carry up to 8 cups. 
       FIG. 8  demonstrates that the inventive tote has the flexibility to carry items other than cups and plates. 
       FIG. 9  shows that an optional cutlery holder hole may be manufactured within the semi-rigid construct. 
       FIG. 10  shows a optional variant combination for a pair of generally X shaped combination constructs. 
       FIG. 11  shows an optional means to attach a clip to a tote. 
       FIG. 12  shows an alternate means of attaching a pair of totes. 
       FIG. 13  shows an X-shaped combination tote. 
       FIG. 14  shows a combination tote. 
       FIG. 15  shows a top view of the semi-rigid beverage cup (drink) tote with asymmetrical quarter circle cuts. 
       FIG. 16  shows a pair of drink totes with asymmetrical quarter circle cuts affixed with each other. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1  shows a top view of the semi-rigid beverage cup (drink) tote  10 . Drink tote  10  is a flat construct with an enlarged first end  12  and an enlarged second end  14 . Enlarged first end  12  is attached to enlarged second end  14  with bridge section  16 . An optional clip passage  18  pierces at mid point of bridge section  16 . First hole  20  is in the first enlarged end  12 . A second hole  22  is in second enlarged end  14 . The first hole  20  and the second hole  22  are sized such to receive typical beverage cups. Optionally a means is provided to hold more securely the workpiece beverage cups within the holes. Radial cuts  26  around the circumference of hole  20  will bend down as the workpiece cups are urged into it. Of course, there are means other than radial cuts to secure a cup in carrier holes. Bridge section  16  may have quarter circle trimmings  56 . The semi-rigid construct width  21  between first hole  20  is in first enlarged end  12  and its outer edge is between about three quarters inch and one and one/half inches Semi-rigid construct width  23  between second hole  22  in said second enlarged end  14  and its outer edge is between about three quarters inch and one and one/half inches. The bridge length  29  measured between first hole  20  and second hole  22  is between about 3.5 inches and 6.5 inches. The drink tote  10  could be made of any of several semi flexible flat materials easily cut in a cutting press, such as compressed chipboard, corrugated paper, or plastic. 
     FIG. 2  shows that a pair of drink totes  10  can be used in combination to carry the drink cups. An attachment means, such as pin clip  28  is pushed through the clip passage  18  to connect a pair of drink totes  10 . Pin clip  28  affixes the pair of drink tokes  10  in a generally X shaped combination construct  11 . First holes  22  are shown. Second holes  20  are shown with radial cuts  26 . Pin clip  28  will not only affix the pair of drink totes  10  together but also will attach a plastic or paper plate or other container to the pair of totes  11 . An alternative means such as staples  39  or glue may be used to manufacture two totes  10  as a unit to strengthen the construct by having the two bridges cross Quarter circle trimmings  56  allows the transported cups to be placed with interference from the bridge  16 . 
     FIG. 3  shows that be pin clip  28  will not only affix the pair of drink totes  10  together but also will attach a plastic or paper plate  30  (shown in outline) to the pair of totes shown as generally X shaped combination  11 . 
     FIG. 4  shows a cross section view of a single drink tote  10  with a side view of pin clip  28 . An outline of workpiece cup  34  is shown placed holes  20  or  22 . Clip  28  with has wings  32  and clip key  38 . Clip wings  32  holds a workpiece plate  30  (shown in section) on the tote  10 . 
     FIG. 5  shows clip  28  with wings  32  and with bent ends  42 . Clip key  38  has clip knobs  40 . Wings  32  are connected by axial section  44  to clip key  38 . Wings  32  and clip key  38  are at right angles in this particular embodiment but could be at any number of other angles. 
     FIG. 6  shows the underside of tote  10  which is shown in this figure as a dumbbell shaped construct. Clip knobs  40  will rest in indentations  36 . In this figure, clip passage  18  is at a right angle to clip key  38 . Clip key  38  affixes clip  28  to tote  10 .  FIG. 6  illustrates that holes such as  62  may be rectangular to receive workpiece  65  which is a typical container configuration for cooked French fries. This rectangular form of hole  62  may be modified by radial cuts  66  on hole  68 . Such radial cuts allow the placement of round cups  34 . 
     FIG. 7  shows that two pairs of totes  10 , shown as  11   a  and  11   b , can be used to carry up to 8 drinks in cups  34 . Generally X shaped combination  11   a  will carry 4 drinks in one customer hand  50  while generally X shaped combination  11   b  may be carried on the customer forearm  52 . Note, quarter circle trimmings  56  allow for the ease of placement of cups  34  in generally X shaped combination  11 . 
     FIG. 8  demonstrates that tote  10  has the flexibility to carry items in addition to or instead of cups  34  and plates  30 . The vendor would likely be supplied with totes  10  with holes  20  and  22  sized accordingly with his product inventory. Vendor products such as “Snow Cones”  34   c , ice cream cones  34   b  and soups cups  34   a  are readily transported by X shaped combination  11 , if properly sized holes  20  and  22  are provided. By having a selection of totes  10  available, the vendor can freely adapt each construct  11  as needed for each individual product sale. 
     FIG. 9  shows that an optional cutlery holder hole  22   c  may be manufactured within the width  21  or  23  of the semi-rigid construct into either or both of totes  10   a  and  10   b . Likewise,  FIG. 9  shows that construct  10  may have different sized holes as shown in  10   a  and  10   b  to form combination construct  11 . Holes  20   b  are smaller than hole  20   a . Of course, different sized holes may be in a single construct  10 . 
     FIG. 10  is a variant use for a pair of generally X shaped combination constructs  11 . Bottom combination constructs  11   b  has smaller holes  20   b . Bottom constructs  11   b  may be used in combinations with upper generally X shaped combination constructs  11   a  which has larger holes  20   a . The pair  11   a  and  11   b  used in combination can easily carry up to four cups  34  of beverages (shown in outline}. The bottom construct and top construct lend stability to the transport of the cups shown in outline as  34  when carried by customer hand  30 . An elongated carrier clip  38   b  shows an alternative means to carry cups  34 . 
     FIG. 11  shows an optional means to attach a clip to a tote. Cohesive dot  58  is covered by optional release paper  59 . Modified clip  60  has a disk part  78 . After release paper  59  is removed; disk part  78  may be affixed to glue dot  58  and be a useful part of tote  10 . 
     FIG. 12  shows an alternate means of attaching a pair of totes  10 . Cohesive dot  58  has optional release paper  59  removed. One of the pair of totes  10   b  is flipped over and placed such that dot  58   b  directly contacts dot  58   a  which is attached in a central portion of tote  10   a  so that cohesive dots  58   a  and  58   b  are pressed together to produce an X shaped construct  11 . 
     FIG. 13  shows a combination tote  71 . This figure shows the X-shaped construct  11  manufactured as generally X shaped combination construct unit with cup opening on each branch of the X-shaped construct. This combination tote  71  can be cut as a unit out of a single piece of one of several semi flexible flat materials easily cut in a cutting press, such as corrugated paper or plastic. In this embodiment an optional clip passage  18  with clip  28  is illustrated. Note, construct  71  is only a single layer of materials whereas the combination units such as in  FIG. 2  has two layers that reinforce each other. 
     FIG. 14  shows a combination tote  15 . This figure shows that the X-shaped construct  11  can be produced as a single unit. This combination tote  15  has a smaller hole  27  which smaller hole may be used as a thumb hole or a hole for cutlery. In this embodiment an optional clip passage  18  with clip  28  is illustrated. 
     FIG. 15  shows a top view of the semi-rigid beverage cup (drink) tote  110 . Drink tote  110  is a flat construct with an enlarged first end  112  and an enlarged second end  114 . Enlarged first end  112  is attached to enlarged second end  114  with bridge section  116 . One or more glue dots  118  are placed within bridge section  116  as a means to affix a second beverage cup (drink) tote  110  to make a single unit. First hole  120  is in the first enlarged end  112 . A second hole  122  is in second enlarged end  114 . The first hole  120  and the second hole  122  are sized such to receive typical beverage cups. The quarter circle trimmings  156  in bridge section  116  are asymmetrical to allow a wider bride section  116  to allow a pair of totes  110  to be carried on a bigger forearm. 
     FIG. 16  shows that a pair of drink totes  110  with asymmetrical quarter circle cuts can be used in combination to carry the drink cups using attachment means (in this case one or more glue dots). First holes  122  and second holes  120  are shown. Asymmetrical quarter circle trimmings  156  allows the transported cups to be placed upon a wider upper arm.