Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Article held by receiver
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-10-02
Vidovich, Gregory M. (Department: 3729)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Article held by receiver
C150S107000, C150S108000, C206S545000, C206S549000, C220S915200, C224S148700, C224S153000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296165
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to portable carrying devices useful for storing, conveying and serving food and beverages, and in particular to soft-sided insulated coolers capable of such use.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Simple portable coolers formed of hard-walled metal or plastic and designed solely to maintain food and beverages at low temperatures are well known in the art. For example, hard-sided insulated containers, such as coolers and jugs, are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes by The Coleman Company of Wichita, Kans. Lightweight soft-sided devices which serve similar as well as additional functions such as serving food, holding beverage containers and holding a mobile or cellular telephone for easy retrieval would be desirable.
Such devices would make more convenient the conveyance of food, beverage and utensils to outdoor events such as beach outings, barbecues, picnics and football games, and at the same time would provide a convenient dining surface for serving the food and beverage. Another desired feature would be securing such a device to the seat of a car, van or truck to permit transport of the carrying device in a vehicle without danger of spillage or overturning of the contents in routine driving maneuvers.
For example, a portable carrying device modified by an attached tray would be capable of serving food by providing a table surface, thereby enhancing the utility of simple portable coolers. If further modified by a beverage holder, the cooler would then be capable of concurrently serving a beverage by securely holding a can or cup for ready consumption with the user's meal.
Such a tray and beverage holder combination could conveniently hold snacks or a sandwich while simultaneously serving drinks such as a carbonated beverage or juice, and would thus obviate the need for additional carriers and devices such as a ground cover or tarpaulin on which the food and beverage would ordinarily rest while eating and drinking. Moreover, such additional features would also maintain food and beverage well above ground level and thereby diminish the possibility of sand, dirt, crawling insects and the like contaminating the food and beverage. Therefore, such a multi-functional portable carrying device would improve the user's enjoyable and sanitary consumption of food and beverage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable carrying device which is capable of both storing, conveying and serving food and/or beverage. Thus, the present invention provides such a portable device having, for example, a base, a lid and four sidewalls including an insulative material and a liner shaped to fit the interior so as to form a food storage compartment, and also having at least one tray hingedly secured to the exterior of the food storage compartment. Optionally, in another embodiment of the present invention a beverage holder also can be hingedly secured to the exterior of the food storage compartment.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable device for storing, carrying and serving food which also can hold a cellular phone in a convenient manner. An embodiment of the present invention therefore provides a portable device as above described and also including a gusseted cell-phone holder which is fixedly secured to the exterior of the food storage compartment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable device that is suited for steady, safe transport in an automotive vehicle. Yet another embodiment of the present invention thus provides a portable device as above described but also including a seat-belt strap for securing the device to a vehicle seat including, for example, a tether portion which is secured to the exterior of a sidewall or the base of the device, and which when held by a seat-belt can maintain the device securely on the vehicle seat.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable device that is suited for comfortable carriage by hand or shoulder. Thus, an embodiment of the present invention provides a single handle portion which allows for ease of conveyance by hand and ready conversion of the handle into a shoulder strap to free the user's hands for other purposes.
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Brevard Maerena W.
Coleman Company, Inc.
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP.
Vidovich Gregory M.
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