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US 5,348,218 AGranted
Concession tray
AssigneeAlpha Products, Inc.
InventorsJames P. Haire, Steven Attman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A concession tray comprises a base panel, side panels and end panels. The end panels are relatively higher than the side panels. The tray includes a cup holder which comprises adjacent portions of the base panel and an end panel, respectively. In cooperation with portions of the end panel, the cup holder stably supports a broad range of sizes of beverage cups. The concession tray is formed from paperboard having a thickness of at least 0.026 inches and the maximum linear dimension of any side of the tray does not exceed about 13.5 inches.
Claims20
A concession tray for carrying food items and cups, comprising:
- a base panel, side panels hinged to said base panel about fold lines, and end panels hinged to said base panel about fold lines;
- said end panels intersecting said side panels and forming a folding structure at the intersections whereby said tray may be selectively set in a folded configuration wherein said tray is substantially flat with said side and end panels lying substantially adjacent to said base panel or in an erected configuration with said side panels and end panels substantially perpendicular to said base panel;
- a cup holder associated with at least one of said end panels, said cup holder comprising a first part formed of a portion of said one end panel and hinged to said one end panel about a fold line, and a second part formed of a portion of said base panel and hinged to said base panel about a fold line, whereby said cup holder may be selectively set in a retracted position with said first part substantially coplanar with said one end panel and said second part substantially coplanar with said base panel or an extended position with said first part substantially perpendicular to said one end panel and substantially parallel to said base panel and said second part substantially perpendicular to said base panel and substantially parallel to said one end panel;
- wherein said end panels are higher than said side panels in said erected configuration and said second part of said cup holder is substantially as high, in said extended position, as said side panels;
- said end panels comprising extended portions which are attached to said side panels, whereby said end panels form relatively high portions on each side of the intersections of said end panels and adjacent side panels, whereby said relatively high portions on each side of the intersections may engage at two points a cup placed in said cup holder;
- wherein said tray is constructed of paperboard having a minimum thickness of 0.026 inches and the length and width of said base panel of said tray each does not exceed about 13.5 inches.
3 more elements
A concession tray for carrying food items and cups, comprising:
- a base panel, side panels hinged to said base panel about fold lines, and end panels hinged to said base panel about fold lines;
- said end panels intersecting said side panels and forming a folding structure at the intersections whereby said tray may be selectively set in a folded configuration wherein said tray is substantially flat with said side and end panels lying substantially adjacent to said base panel or in an erected configuration with said side panels and end panels substantially perpendicular to said base panel;
- a cup holder associated with at least one of said end panels, said cup holder comprising a first part formed of a portion of said one end panel and hinged to said one end panel about a fold line, and a second part formed of a portion of said base panel and hinged to said base panel about a fold line, whereby said cup holder may be selectively set in a retracted position with said first part substantially coplanar with said one end panel and said second part substantially coplanar with said base panel or an extended position with said first part substantially perpendicular to said one end panel and substantially parallel to said base panel and said second part substantially perpendicular to said base panel and substantially parallel to said one end panel;
- wherein said end panels are higher than said side panels in said erected configuration and said second part of said cup holder is substantially as high, in said extended position, as said side panels;
- said end panels comprising extended portions which are attached to said side panels, whereby said end panels form relatively high portions on each side of the intersections of said end panels and adjacent side panels, whereby said relatively high portions on each side of the intersections may engage at two points a cup placed in said cup holder;
- wherein the length and width of said base panel of said tray each does not exceed about 13.5 inches.
3 more elements
A concession tray for carrying food items and cups, comprising:
- a base panel, side panels hinged to said base panel about fold lines, and end panels hinged to said base panel about fold lines, said end panels intersecting said side panels and forming a folding structure at the intersections whereby said tray is movable between a folded substantially flat configuration and an erected configuration with said side panels and end panels substantially perpendicular to said base panel;
- a cup holder associated with at least one of said end panels, said cup holder comprising a first part formed of a portion of said one end panel and hinged to said one end panel about a fold line and a second part formed of a portion of said base panel and hinged to said base panel about a fold line, wherein in said erect configuration of said tray, said cup holder may be selectively set in a retracted position with said first part substantially coplanar with said one end panel and said second part substantially coplanar with said base panel or an extended position with said first part substantially perpendicular to said one end panel and substantially parallel to said base panel and said second part substantially perpendicular to said base panel and substantially parallel to said one end panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.