US3054502A - Lunch pail - Google Patents

Description

C. L. MORRIS Sept. 18, 1962 LUNCH PAIL Filed Aug. 1'7, 1960 Corbin L. Mar/is INVENTOR.

9 BY WW fi ilnited States Eatent 3,054,502 LUNCH PAIL Corbin L. Morris, 434- lVioni-ovista Ave, Monrovia, Calif. Filed Aug. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 50,198 4 Claims. (Cl. 2064) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in lunch pails or boxes of the type accommodating a vacuum bottle, and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character wherein the Weight is so distributed as to prevent the pail from readily tipping over.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide, in a lunch pail of the aforementioned character comprising a box adapted to receive a vacuum bottle and having a removable food tray mounted therein, novel means for supporting said bottle and said tray, with the former beneath the latter, in said box.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved lunch pail or box of the character set forth which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, of light weight, attractive in appearance and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent resides in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a lunch pail constructed in accordance with the present invention with portions thereof broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a view in transverse section through the device;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the device with the cover and removable food tray omitted;

FIGURE 4 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail view in perspective of one of the vacuum bottle cradles.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a generally rectangular box of suitable dimensions and material which is designated generally by the reference character 6. The box 6 includes a bottom 7, a rear wall 8, a front wall 9 and end or side walls 10, the latter having ventilating openings therein as indicated at 11.

The box 6 further includes a cover 12 hingedly mounted for vertical swinging movement on the upper portion of the rear wall 8 thereof, as indicated at 13. The cover 12 is provided with a handle 14. Suitable latches 15 on the front wall 9 of the box secure the cover 12 in closed position.

Mounted in the lower portion of the box 6 is a pair of generally U-shaped cradles 16 for the reception of a conventional vacuum bottle 17. In the embodiment shown, the cradles 16 include flat, downwardly offset intermediate base portions 18 which rest on the bottom 7 of the box 6. The cradles 16 further include outturned end portions 19 which abut the walls 8 and 9 of the box 6 and which are adapted to receive thereon a removable food tray 20 for supporting said tray in the upper portion of said box over the vacuum bottle 17.

It is thought that the use of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, the cradles 16 may be fixed in the box 6 in any suitable manner. The construction and arrangement is such that most of the weight of the device is in the lower portion thereof, particularly when the vacuum bottle 17 is full. Thus, the pail is prevented from being easily tipped over. This also applies when the cover 12 is in open position "it a ace on the rear wall 8 of the box 6. With the tray 20 mounted above the bottle 17 the food in said tray will not be damaged should said bottle leak or be broken. Access to the vacuum bottle 17 is readily had by removing the food tray 20.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention 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 invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A lunch pail comprising, in combination, a generally rectangular, open box including a bottom, end walls, a front wall, a rear wall and a hinged cover on said rear wall, a pair of generally U-shaped cradles removably mounted transversely at longitudinally spaced points in the lower portion of the box and resting on the bottom, a vacuum bottle removably mounted in the cradles, and an open-top food tray vertically slidably removably mounted in the upper portion of the box and retained therein and closed by the cover when said cover is in closed position, said tray resting on the ends of the cradles and on the bottle and supported thereby in elevated position in the box and retaining said cradles in the box and the bottle in said cradles whereby, when the cover is open, the assembly comprising the tray, bottle and cradles may be removed leaving the box clear.

2. A lunch pail in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cradles include flat, generally U-shaped intermediate base portions receiving the vacuum bottle therein and resting on the box bottom for supporting said cradles against rocking movement thereon.

3. A lunch pail comprising, in combination, a generally rectangular, open box including a bottom, end walls, a front Wall, a rear wall and a hinged cover on said rear wall, a pair of generally U-shaped cradles removably mounted transversely at longitudinally spaced points in the lower portion of the box and resting on the bottom, a vacuum bottle removably mounted in the cradles, and an open-top food tray vertically slidably removably mounted in the upper portion of the box and retained therein and closed by the cover when said cover is in closed position, said tray resting on the ends of the eradles and on the bottle and supported thereby in elevated position in the box and retaining said cradles in the box and the bottle in said cradles whereby, when the cover is open, the assembly comprising the tray, bottle and cradles may be removed leaving the box clear, said cradles comprising flat outturned end portions engaged beneath the tray and abutting the front and rear walls of the box for retaining the cradle against lateral displacement therein and for preventing spreading of said cradles.

4. The combination of claim 3, said cradles further comprising flat, generally U-shaped intermediate base portions receiving the bottle therein and resting on the bottom for retaining said cradles against rocking movement.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 898,007 Rowe Sept. 8, 1908 1,773,663 Dickens Aug. 19, 1930 1,867,455 Humphrey July 12, 1932 2,783,874 Brown et al. Mar. 5, 1957 2,960,216 Brady Nov. 15, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 256,804 Great Britain Aug. 19, 1926

Images