Device for transporting food

Abstract

Device (1) for transporting foodstuffs, comprising at least one flat base (2) on which the foodstuffs can be arranged at least indirectly, and at least one wall (4) connected to an edge (3) of the base (2), characterized in that at least one vertical recess (10) is formed on the wall (4) and is open on a side facing away from the base (2) for maintaining a mobile radio terminal (12) partially inserted therein.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The invention relates to a device for transporting foodstuffs, comprising at least one flat base on which the foodstuffs can be arranged at least indirectly, and at least one wall connected to an edge of the base. State of the art

[0002] Devices for transporting food are known in a variety of forms. For example, it is known to transport food in fast-food restaurants, cafeterias, canteens, and the like using a tray from a food serving area to a desired seat. Furthermore, it is known to transport food in a folding box, such as a pizza box.

[0003] Such devices have a flat base on which the food can be placed indirectly, for example, via plates, napkins, or packaging in the case of a tray-shaped device, or directly in the case of a folding box, for example. Furthermore, such devices have a wall connected to an edge of the base, which usually completely encloses the base to prevent the food from sliding off the base during transport. Disclosure of the invention

[0004] An object of the invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned at the outset with novel possible uses.

[0005] This object is achieved by the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are presented in the dependent claims, the following description, and the figures, whereby these embodiments, each taken individually or in combination of at least two of these embodiments, may represent an advantageous and / or further developing aspect of the invention.

[0006] A device according to the invention for transporting foodstuffs has at least one flat base on which the foodstuffs can be arranged at least indirectly, and at least one wall connected to an edge of the base, wherein at least one vertical recess is formed on the wall, which is open on a side facing away from the base, for maintaining a mobile radio terminal partially inserted therein.

[0007] According to the invention, a device for transporting food is provided which, in addition to its transport function, has a holding function for maintaining a mobile radio terminal upright. A user of the device according to the invention, while consuming food arranged directly or indirectly on the floor, is thus able to partially insert their mobile radio terminal, for example a smartphone, into the vertical recess in the wall section, so that the mobile radio terminal is held upright by the wall section or the vertical recess. The user can then, for example, read information from the mobile radio terminal or watch a video without having to hold the mobile radio terminal in one hand.Instead, the user has both hands free to consume the food, which is particularly advantageous when using cutlery or manually handling food, such as burgers or French fries. Compared to conventional devices for transporting food, the device according to the invention thus offers a novel usage option, which will be highly appreciated by potential users of the device according to the invention.

[0008] The base of the device is flat and can have a flat upper surface on which the food can be arranged at least indirectly, and / or a flat lower surface with which the device can be arranged on a surface, for example, a table. The base can, for example, be rectangular. The base can, for example, be made partially or entirely of a metal, a metal alloy, a plastic, a ceramic, a composite material, or cardboard.

[0009] The wall of the device can be arranged partially or completely circumferentially on the base. The wall of the device can, for example, be integrally or monolithically connected to the edge of the base of the device. The wall can, for example, be made partially or completely of a metal, a metal alloy, a plastic, a ceramic, a composite material, or cardboard. The wall of the device can be designed solely as a lateral boundary or additionally for manual handling of the device.

[0010] The vertical recess formed on the wall of the device can have a constant opening width across its height. Alternatively, the opening of the vertical recess can increase continuously or gradually from the floor. The vertical recess is preferably designed such that a mobile radio terminal partially inserted therein is arranged at an inclination angle to the horizontal within a range of 45° to 90°, in particular 60° to 85°. Two or more vertical recesses can also be arranged spaced apart from one another on the wall of the device, wherein the recesses can be of the same or different designs.The vertical recesses can be designed such that the mobile radio terminal is arranged in the recesses at different angles of inclination to the horizontal, so that a user can partially insert the mobile radio terminal into the vertical recess in which the mobile radio terminal is arranged at an inclination as desired by the user.

[0011] The device according to the invention, which can be referred to as a transport device, for transporting foodstuffs can be produced by new manufacturing or by processing a conventional device. The latter can be brought about, for example, by at least one vertical recess being formed on a conventional transport device, for example by material removal, punching, cutting out or the like. Accordingly, a further subject of the invention can be a method for producing a device for transporting foodstuffs, according to which at least one vertical recess for maintaining a mobile radio terminal partially inserted therein is formed on a wall of the conventional transport device which is connected to an edge of a flat base on which the foodstuffs can be arranged at least indirectly.

[0012] A user of the device can place the device in front of them on a surface, such as a table, such that the vertical recess runs perpendicular to the user's line of sight. This ensures that a mobile device partially inserted into the vertical recess is optimally aligned for the user.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment, the vertical recess is arranged at an angle. This allows the mobile radio terminal partially inserted into the vertical recess to be arranged at an angle corresponding to the vertical recess. Preferably, the vertical recess is designed to be inclined away from an access area of ​​the device facing a user of the device.

[0014] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one horizontal recess is formed on an edge section of the base, which merges into the vertical recess at the edge of the base. The mobile radio terminal partially inserted into the vertical recess can thereby also be partially inserted into the horizontal recess on the base of the device, so that the mobile radio terminal stands on a surface, for example a table, on which the device is arranged. This prevents the mobile radio terminal from partially standing on the base of the device, which could lead to the mobile radio terminal being tilted to the side and, in the worst case, falling sideways out of the vertical recess. The vertical recess and the horizontal recess form a single recess on the edge of the device. The horizontal recess forms an extension of the vertical recess.

[0015] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the device is designed as a tray. Such trays are frequently used in fast-food restaurants, cafeterias, canteens, and the like. The wall of the device can completely enclose the base of the device. In a rectangular tray, the wall can be lower on the long sides of the device than on the transverse edges of the device. The wall sections formed on the transverse edges of the device can serve for manual handling of the device.

[0016] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the wall has at least one handling section on which the vertical recess is formed. The handling section is used for manual handling of the device and can, for example, be arranged on a transverse side or a transverse edge of the device. When a user of such a device designed as a tray places the device in front of them on a surface, for example a table, the transverse edges of the device are usually arranged running in the user's line of sight, while the longitudinal edges of the device are arranged running transversely to the user's line of sight. The vertical recess on a transverse edge of the device then also runs transversely to the user's line of sight, so that a mobile radio terminal partially inserted into the recess is optimally aligned for the user.

[0017] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the handling section is L-shaped in cross-section, wherein the handling section has a handle section pointing away from the floor and running parallel to the floor. The vertical recess preferably extends through the entire handling section, i.e. partially through its handle section. As a result, a larger contact surface is provided with the handle section, against which the mobile radio terminal partially inserted into the vertical recess can lean at least from the rear, such that the mobile radio terminal can be held securely and permanently upright. The handling section also has a connecting section connecting the handle section to the floor of the device, which runs transversely to the handle section and the floor of the device.

[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the device is designed as a folding food box. For example, the device can be designed as a pizza box, also called a pizza carton. Such a folding food box has a wall arranged circumferentially on the base of the device, which wall extends exclusively transversely to the base of the device. If the folding food box has a pivotably arranged lid, the vertical recess is preferably arranged on an end section of a section of the wall extending in the user's viewing direction, facing away from the pivot connection between the lid and the rest of the device.

[0019] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the vertical recess is arranged closer to an access area of ​​the device facing a user of the device than to an area of ​​the device facing away from the user. The access area is understood to be a side of the device that a user positions facing themselves when using the device in order to have access to the foodstuffs arranged at least indirectly on the floor of the device via this side.

[0020] In the following, the invention is explained by way of example with reference to the attached figures using preferred embodiments, wherein the features explained below can represent an advantageous and / or further developing aspect of the invention both individually and in different combinations with one another. Short description of the characters

[0021] It shows: Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a device according to the invention; Fig. 2 a schematic transverse side view of the Fig. 1 shown device with mobile radio terminal arranged thereon; Fig. 3 a schematic longitudinal side view of the Fig. 2 shown device; Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a device according to the invention; and Fig. 5 a schematic plan view of another embodiment of a device according to the invention from above. Detailed description of the characters

[0022] In the figures, identical or functionally identical components are provided with the same reference numerals. A repeated description of such components may be omitted in detail to avoid unnecessary repetition.

[0023] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention for transporting foodstuffs (not shown). The device 1 is shown in plan view in Fig. 1 from above. The Fig. The device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is designed as a tray. The device 1 is made monolithically from a plastic. The device 1 is rectangular. Alternatively, the device 1 can be designed as a folding food box, although this is not shown.

[0024] The device 1 has a flat and rectangular base 2 on which the foodstuffs (not shown) can be arranged at least indirectly.

[0025] Furthermore, the device 1 has a wall 4 which is connected to an edge 3 of the base 2 and arranged circumferentially on the base 2. The wall 4 has an L-shaped cross section. The wall 4 has Fig. 1 each have a handling section 5 which is consequently also L-shaped in cross section.

[0026] The respective handling section 5 has a handle section 6 pointing away from the base 2 or outwards and running parallel to the base 2, and a connecting section 7 connecting the handle section 6 to the base 2 and running transversely to the base 2. The top and bottom in Fig. The longitudinal sections of the wall 4 shown in Fig. 1 each have a section 6 pointing away from the base 2 or outwards, running parallel to the base 2, and a connecting section 9 connecting the section 8 to the base 2 and running transversely to the base 2.

[0027] On wall 4 or on its left in Fig. 1 shown handling section 5 is a on a side facing away from the floor 2 and the viewer of Fig. 1 facing side open vertical recess 10 for maintaining a partially inserted therein, in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The vertical recess 10 can be formed as shown in the Fig. 1 to 3 must not be inclined or arranged inclined.

[0028] At a left in Fig. 1, a horizontal recess 11 is formed which merges into the vertical recess 10 at the edge 3 of the base 2, so that the recesses 10 and 11 form a single continuous recess.

[0029] The vertical recess 10 and the horizontal recess 11 are arranged closer to a not shown user of the device 1 facing, in Fig. 1 below shown access area of ​​the device 1 is arranged as on a side facing away from the user, in Fig. 1 area of ​​the device 1 shown above.

[0030] Fig. 2 shows a schematic transverse side view of the Fig. 1 with a mobile radio terminal 12 arranged thereon in the form of a smartphone. The mobile radio terminal 12 is arranged in a Fig. 2 tilted to the left out of the vertical position partially in the vertical recess 10 and the not in Fig. 2 horizontal recess visible.

[0031] Fig. 3 shows a schematic longitudinal side view of the Fig. 2 shown device 1. The mobile radio terminal 12 is shown in a front view, wherein it can be seen that the front of the mobile radio terminal 12 is largely exposed and thus visible.

[0032] Fig. Figure 4 shows a schematic plan view of another embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention. The device differs from the device shown in the Fig. 1 to 3, two vertical recesses 10 are formed on the wall 4 and two horizontal recesses 11 are formed on the base 2, which merge into the respective vertical recess 10 at the edge 3 of the base 2. The vertical recesses 10 and horizontal recesses 11 are formed diagonally opposite one another on the device 1. As a result, it is equivalent for a user whether he uses the device 1 according to the Fig. 4 or in a position perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of Fig. 4 imaginary axis is positioned in front of you, rotated by 180°. To avoid repetition, please refer to the above description of the Fig. 1 to 3.

[0033] Fig. Figure 5 shows a schematic plan view of another embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention. The device 1 differs from the device shown in the Fig. 1 to 3, two vertical recesses 10 are formed on the wall 4 and two horizontal recesses 11 are formed on the base 2, which merge into the respective vertical recess 10 at the edge 3 of the base 2, and that the vertical recesses 10 and the horizontal recesses 11 are formed centrally on the transverse sides of the device 1. As a result, it is equivalent for a user whether he uses the device 1 according to the Fig. 5 or in a position perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of Fig. 5 imaginary axis is positioned in front of you, rotated by 180°. To avoid repetition, please refer to the above description of the Fig. 1 to 3. List of reference symbols 1 device 2 floor 3 edge of 2 4 wall 5 handling section of 4 6 handle section of 5 7 connecting section of 5 8 Section of 4 9 Section of 4 10 vertical recess 11 horizontal recess 12 mobile terminal

Claims

[1] Device (1) for transporting foodstuffs, comprising at least one flat base (2) on which the foodstuffs can be arranged at least indirectly, and at least one wall (4) connected to an edge (3) of the base (2), characterized by that at least one vertical recess (10) is formed on the wall (4) which is open on a side facing away from the floor (2) for maintaining a mobile radio terminal (12) partially inserted therein. [2] Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the vertical recess (10) is arranged at an incline. [3] Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that at least one horizontal recess (11) is formed on an edge section of the base (2), which merges into the vertical recess (10) at the edge (3) of the base (2). [4] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the device (1) is designed as a tray. [5] Device (1) according to claim 4, characterized by that the wall (4) has at least one handling section (5) on which the vertical recess (10) is formed. [6] Device (1) according to claim 5, characterized by that the handling section (5) is L-shaped in cross-section and has a handle section (6) pointing away from the base (2) and running parallel to the base (2). [7] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the device (1) is designed as a folding food box. [8] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the vertical recess (10) is arranged closer to an access area of ​​the device (1) facing a user of the device (1) than to an area of ​​the device (1) facing away from the user.

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