CONFIGURABLE FOOD DELIVERY SYSTEM

Abstract

A configurable food delivery system includes a foldable carrying case configured to carry a first insert tray and a second insert tray. The first insert tray and the second insert tray are configured such that the first insert tray and the second insert tray are stackable and the stacked first insert tray and second insert tray fit into the foldable carrying case when the foldable carrying case is in a closed position. The foldable carrying case is also configured such that both the first insert tray and the second insert tray can be supported by the foldable carrying case when the foldable carrying case is in an open position such that the first insert tray and second insert tray are not stacked. The foldable carrying case is configured to fold flat and the insert trays are configured to nest into each other when all container receptacles are empty.

Claims

1. A configurable food delivery system, comprising: a foldable carrying case configured to carry a first insert tray and a second insert tray, wherein the first insert tray and the second insert tray are configured such that the first insert tray and the second insert tray are stackable, and wherein the stacked first insert tray and second insert tray fit into the foldable carrying case when the foldable carrying case is in a closed position.

2. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein the foldable carrying case is configured such that both the first insert tray and the second insert tray can be supported by the foldable carrying case when the foldable carrying case is in an open position and the first insert tray and second insert tray are not stacked.

3. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein the first insert tray includes a plurality of container receptacles.

4. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, further comprising: a container configured to fit within one of the plurality of receptacles of the first insert tray.

5. The configurable food delivery system of claim 4, wherein the container is configured to maintain an interior temperature below an ambient temperature.

6. The configurable food delivery system of claim 4, wherein the container is configured to maintain an interior temperature equal to or above an ambient temperature.

7. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein the foldable carrying case is configured to fold flat, and wherein the first insert tray and the second insert tray are configured to nest into each other when all container receptacles are empty.

8. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein the foldable carrying case is configurable to fold into a three dimensional shape resembling a hull of a boat.

9. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, further comprising: a chopstick holder configured to attach one or more chopsticks to the foldable carrying case.

10. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein the foldable carrying case is constructed of, at least in part, a cardboard material or cardstock material.

11. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein the first insert tray and the second insert tray are constructed, at least in part, of a food grade plastic material.

12. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of container receptacles include an easy top removal cavity.

13. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein the first insert tray includes a receptacle configured to hold a bottle or a dipping cup.

14. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, wherein the foldable carrying case is configured to carry at least forty pounds.

15. The configurable food delivery system of claim 1, further comprising: a handle operable to lift the foldable carrying case.

16. A method, comprising: (a) folding a foldable carrying case from a flat shape to a three-dimensional shape; (b) placing a first insert tray and a second insert tray into the foldable carrying case, wherein the first insert tray is stacked on top of the second insert tray once both the first insert tray and the second insert tray are in the foldable carrying case; and (c) folding the foldable carrying case into a closed position, wherein the first insert tray and second insert tray are supported by the foldable carrying case when the foldable carrying case is in the closed position.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: (e) placing food into a container; and (f) inserting the container into a container receptacle, wherein the first insert tray comprises the container receptacle.

18. A method, comprising: (a) folding a foldable carrying case into an open position; (b) unstacking a first insert tray stacked on top of a second insert tray; (c) placing the first insert tray on a first portion of the open foldable carrying case; and (d) placing the second insert tray on a second portion of the open foldable carrying case, wherein the first insert tray and second insert tray are not stacked.

19. A configurable food delivery system, comprising: a first insert tray; a second insert tray; and a first means for carrying a first insert tray and a second insert tray when the first insert tray is stacked on the second insert tray; and a second means for supporting the first insert tray and the second insert tray when the first insert tray and the second insert tray are not stacked, wherein the first insert tray and the second insert tray include container receptacles.

20. The configurable delivery system of claim 19, wherein the first means is a foldable carrying case in a closed position, and wherein the second means is the foldable carrying case in an open position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The accompanying drawings, where like numerals indicate like components, illustrate embodiments of the invention.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view diagram of a configurable food delivery system.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a top down view diagram of a configurable food delivery system.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view diagram of a configurable food delivery system.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a bow facing view diagram of a configurable food delivery system.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view diagram of two configurable food delivery system insert trays

[0019] FIG. 6 is a top-down view diagram of two configurable food delivery system insert trays.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a bow facing view diagram of a configurable food delivery system insert tray.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a side view diagram of a configurable food delivery system insert tray.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a perspective view diagram of configurable food delivery system insert tray stacking.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view diagram of a foldable carrying case in a closed position.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a perspective view diagram of a foldable carrying case in an open position.

[0025] FIG. 12 is a top-down diagram of a foldable carrying case in a flat position.

[0026] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a delivery system packing process.

[0027] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a delivery system packing process.

[0028] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a delivery system unpacking process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Reference will now be made in detail to background examples and some embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the description and claims below, relational terms such as top, down, upper, lower, top, bottom, left and right may be used to describe relative orientations between different parts of a structure being described, and it is to be understood that the overall structure being described can actually be oriented in any way in three-dimensional space.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view diagram of a configurable food delivery system. The configurable food delivery system includes foldable carrying case 1, first insert tray 2, second insert tray 3, cooled container 4, cooled container 5, uncooled containers 6, uncooled containers 7, container lid 8, soy sauce bottle or dipping cup holder 9, and chopstick holder 10. In different embodiments, the quantity, size, and combination of containers may vary.

[0031] The first insert tray 2 and the second insert tray 3 are configured to be supported by foldable carrying case 1, when foldable carrying case 1 is in an open position. The insert trays include container receptacles of various sizes that are configured to receive various sizes of containers. Each container contains a lid to ensure that contents placed into the container do not fall out. The lids may be transparent so to allow the contents to be viewable while the container is closed. The lids may also include a lip so to easily allow for removal of the lid while the container remains in the insert tray container receptacle.

[0032] The cooled containers may include a space for a refrigerant, such as ice or a frozen bag, and then a perforated divider to separate the food contents from the refrigerant within the container. In this manner, the cooled container is configured to maintain an interior temperature below the ambient temperature.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a top-down view diagram of a configurable food delivery system. The top-down view clearly shows the cross-sectional area of the configurable food delivery system and of each container therein. The top-down view clearly shows how soy sauce bottle or dipping cup holder 9 can be used to store a bottle or a plurality of dipping cups. When used for delivering sushi cuisine, the consumer usually enjoys soy sauce with their sushi meal. To this end, the configurable food delivery system allows for placement of a soy sauce bottle or dipping cups in the soy sauce bottle or dipping cup holder 9.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a side-view diagram of a configurable food delivery system. This side-view diagram clearly illustrates how the first insert tray 2 and the second insert tray 3 can be supported by foldable carrying case 1. This side-view also illustrates that chopstick holders 10 are attached to the foldable carrying case 1 and are not connected to the first insert tray 2 nor the second insert tray 3.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a bow-facing view diagram of a configurable food delivery system. The bow-facing diagram illustrates the portion of the foldable carrying case 1 that prevents the first insert tray 2 and the second insert tray 3 from moving away from each other.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view diagram of two configurable food delivery system insert trays. FIG. 5 illustrates the insert trays without the containers installed. The container receptacles may vary based on desired use. The first insert tray 11 includes a cooled container receptacle 14, a plurality of uncooled receptacles 16, and a plurality of easy top removal cavities 17. The second insert tray 12 includes a cooled container receptacle 13, uncooled container receptacles 15 and soy sauce bottle or dipping cup holder 18.

[0037] In one embodiment, each container receptacle includes an easy top removal cavity. In another embodiment, only select container receptacles include an easy top removal cavity. The easy top removal cavity allows a user to easily place their finger tip under the lip of a container lid and lift the lid from the container while the container remains in the container receptacle of the insert tray.

[0038] In another embodiment, each insert tray is constructed of a food grade plastic. In one example, the food grade plastic is polyethylene terephthalate.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a top-down view diagram of two configurable food delivery system insert trays. FIG. 6 illustrates how each container snugly fits into each container cavity with its lid attached.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a bow facing view diagram of a configurable food delivery system insert tray.

[0041] FIG. 8 is a side view diagram of a configurable food delivery system insert tray.

[0042] FIG. 9 is a perspective view diagram of configurable food delivery system insert tray stacking. FIG. 9 illustrates how the first insert tray 20 is configured to stack on top of second insert tray 21. The stacking is possible in two scenarios. In a first scenario, when both insert trays are empty (no containers inserted), then the first insert tray can stack into the second insert tray so that the resulting stacked insert trays virtually occupy the volume of a single insert tray. This first scenario allows for easy and space efficient storage of the insert trays when not in use. In a second scenario, when both insert trays are full (containers inserted), then the first insert tray can stack on top of the second insert tray such that the bottom of the first insert tray container receptacles are supported by the containers inserted into the second insert tray. This second scenario allows for sturdy and space efficient packing of the insert trays when delivering food contents.

[0043] FIG. 10 is a perspective view diagram of a foldable carrying case in a closed position. When closed, the stacked insert trays, as described in FIG. 9, fit inside the foldable carrying case, such that the foldable carrying case can be moved without the first insert tray 2 or second insert tray 3 falling out of the foldable carrying case. Moreover, the insert trays are properly sized so that they do not move within the foldable carrying case 1, thereby preventing damage or breakage. In this manner, the foldable carrying case is configured to carry a first insert tray and a second insert tray, where the first insert tray and the second insert tray are configured such that the first insert tray and the second insert tray are stackable, and where the stacked first insert tray and second insert tray fit into the foldable carrying case when the foldable carrying case is in a closed position.

[0044] It is noted herein that the foldable carrying case may also be configured with a handle (not shown) so to allow carrying of foldable carrying case with one hand when closed.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a perspective view diagram of a foldable carrying case in an open position. When the foldable carrying case 1 is open the insert trays are revealed and removable. The first insert tray 2 can be separated from the second insert tray 3 and then placed such that the contents of the first insert tray 2 and the second insert tray 3 are contemporaneously accessible. This can be illustrated by referring back to FIG. 9, but in this case the insert trays are separated from each other instead of being stacked on top of each other. Once separated, the insert trays can be placed on top of the open foldable carrying case as illustrated in FIG. 1. In this manner, the foldable carrying case is configured such that both the first insert tray and the second insert tray can be supported by the foldable carrying case when the foldable carrying case is in an open position and the first insert tray and second insert tray are not stacked.

[0046] FIG. 12 is a top-down diagram of a foldable carrying case in a flat position. To provide cost efficient delivery of the foldable carrying case, it is beneficial that the foldable carrying case be transportable in a flat configuration. In the present invention, the foldable carrying case is configured such that it can be manufactured and shipped in a flat orientation, then upon receipt can be folded into a three-dimensional shape resembling a hull of a boat. For example, the foldable tab 30 may be folded to be perpendicular from the remainder of the foldable carrying case. In the same manner, each foldable tab can be folded to create the desired structure.

[0047] In one embodiment, the foldable carrying case is constructed of a cardboard or cardstock material. For example, the foldable carrying case may be constructed of cardboard with different thickness (3 ply and 5 ply) as well as hardened cardboard (3 ply).

[0048] In another embodiment, the foldable carrying case is constructed such that when closed it can support a weight of at least forty pounds. This feature is important because given the quantity of the contents stored in the foldable carry case the weight may easily reach forty pounds.

[0049] FIG. 13 is a flowchart 100 of a delivery system packing process. In step 101, the containers are filled with the desired contents. In step 102, the containers are inserted into the insert tray receptacles. In step 103, the first insert tray is stacked on top of the second insert tray. In step 104, the stacked insert trays are placed on top of the foldable carrying case. In step 105, the foldable carrying case is folded such that the stacked first insert tray and the second insert tray are enclosed within the foldable carrying case.

[0050] FIG. 14 is a flowchart 110 of a delivery system packing process. In step 111, the containers are filled with the desired contents. In step 112, the containers are inserted into the insert tray receptacles. In step 113, the first insert tray is placed on top of the foldable carrying case. In step 114, the second insert tray is placed on top of the first insert tray. In step 115, the foldable carrying case is folded such that the stacked first insert tray and the second insert tray are enclosed within the foldable carrying case.

[0051] FIG. 15 is a flowchart 120 of a delivery system unpacking process. In step 121, the foldable carrying case is opened. In step 122, the first insert tray is unstacked from the second insert tray. In step 123, the first insert tray is supported by a first portion of the foldable carrying case. In step 124, the second insert tray is supported by a second portion of the foldable carrying case, such that the first insert tray and the second insert tray are not stacked.

[0052] Although certain specific embodiments are described above for instructional purposes, the teachings of this patent document have general applicability and are not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations of various features of the described embodiments can be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.