Food and beverage container

Abstract

The present invention provides a carrier which includes a handle, a first support and a second support. The first and second supports are attached to each other and to the handle. Each support has a food aperture and beverage aperture which are located on the same sides of the first and second supports. The handle has a carrying aperture for carrying the carrier and an inside cavity for receiving promotional items. The carrying aperture of the handle is formed on the handle such that a center of the beverage aperture crosses the carrying aperture. The inside cavity is sized and configured to receive a three or five inch compact disk.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A carrier for food and beverages, the carrier comprising: 
 a) first and second supports, each support defines a top panel, an opposed bottom panel, a right portion and a left portion, each top panel has a food aperture and a beverage aperture, the food and beverage apertures of each of the supports are located on the right and left portions of each top panel, respectively; and    b) a handle defines a center, a bottom edge, a right side, a left side, a carrying aperture having a center and at least one inside cavity, the handle is attached to the first and second supports at the bottom edge, the center of the carrying aperture is offset from the center of the handle toward the left side.    
     
     
         2 . The carrier of  claim 1  wherein a first inside cavity is formed on the right side of the handle.  
     
     
         3 . The carrier of  claim 2  wherein a second inside cavity is formed on the left side of the handle.  
     
     
         4 . The carrier of  claim 3  wherein the first inside cavity is capable of holding a five inch compact disk.  
     
     
         5 . The carrier of  claim 3  wherein the second inside cavity is capable of holding a three inch compact disk.  
     
     
         6 . The carrier of  claim 5  wherein each inside cavity has a viewing hole.  
     
     
         7 . The carrier of  claim 1  wherein: 
 a) the handle defines an outboard surface; and  
 b) promotional indicia is positioned at the right side of the handle on the outboard surface of the handle.  
 
     
     
         8 . The carrier of  claim 7  wherein: 
 a) the first and second supports each define a side panel and an outboard surface; and  
 b) promotional indicia is positioned on the outboard surfaces of the side panels of the first and second supports.  
 
     
     
         9 . The carrier of  claim 8  wherein: 
 a) the food apertures define opposed lateral edges; and  
 b) each top panel further comprises at least one support panel attached to at least one of the lateral edges of the food apertures.  
 
     
     
         10 . The carrier of  claim 9  wherein promotional indicia is positioned on the support panels.  
     
     
         11 . The carrier of  claim 10  wherein perforations encircling the promotional indicia on the side panels and support panels form promotional cards.  
     
     
         12 . The carrier of  claim 11  wherein the promotional cards further comprise finger tabs attached to the promotional cards at an edge of the promotional card.  
     
     
         13 . The carrier of  claim 9  wherein the support panel(s) and top panel of the first support is formed from a unitary material, and the support panel(s) and the top panel of the second support is formed from a unitary material.  
     
     
         14 . The carrier of  claim 9  wherein: 
 a) the support panels define a first distal end and an opposed second distal end;  
 b) the first distal ends of the support panels are attached to respective lateral edges of the food apertures; and  
 c) the support panels further comprise locking tabs which are attached to the support panels at the second distal ends of the support panels, the locking tabs engage respective locking holes formed on the bottom panels of the first and second supports.  
 
     
     
         15 . The carrier of  claim 14  wherein the locking tab(s) of the first support has a L-shaped locking tab(s), and the locking tab(s) of the second support has a T-shaped locking tab(s).  
     
     
         16 . The carrier of  claim 1  wherein the beverage apertures of the first and second supports have a round configuration.  
     
     
         17 . The carrier of  claim 16  wherein: 
 a) the beverage aperture defines a center and an inner periphery; and  
 b) at least one of the beverage aperture of the first and second supports has a plurality of friction tabs directed toward the center of the beverage aperture and attached to the inner periphery of the beverage aperture(s).  
 
     
     
         18 . The carrier of  claim 17  wherein the friction tabs have a castellated configuration.  
     
     
         19 . The carrier of  claim 1  wherein the handle further comprises a protective covering attached to the carrying aperture.  
     
     
         20 . The carrier of  claim 1  wherein the carrier is fabricated from material selected from the group consisting of solid bleached sulfate paperboard, solid unbleached sulfate paperboard and corrugated paper.  
     
     
         21 . The carrier of  claim 20  wherein the paperboard is at least 0.020 inches thick.  
     
     
         22 . The carrier of  claim 21  wherein the corrugated paper is E-flute, F-flute or micro-flute.  
     
     
         23 . A blank for forming a carrier which may be loaded with food and beverages, the carrier having a handle with first and second supports on opposing sides of the handle, the blank having a width and length with the length extending along a longitudinal axis and the width being perpendicular thereto, the blank comprising: 
 a) nine panels and at least eight fold lines, including in a sequence beginning from a first distal end of the blank: 
 i) a first panel having a free edge forming the first distal end of the blank and having an interior edge extending across the width of the blank to form a first fold line;  
 ii) a second panel defining a first side panel of the handle of the carrier and having an aperture therein sized to allow fingers of a hand to enter the aperture and grip the handle, a centerline of the aperture being offset from the longitudinal axis, the second panel sharing the first fold line with the first panel and having a second fold line opposite thereto;  
 iii) a third panel defining a second side panel of the handle of the carrier, the third panel sharing the second fold line with the second panel and having a third fold line opposite thereto, the handle being formed when the second and third panels are folded and fastened together, the handle forming an inside cavity which is sized to fit the removable promotional material, the third panel having an aperture sized and located to align with the aperture in the second panel when the second and third panels are folded onto each other, the inside cavity is offset from the longitudinal axis opposite the aperture;  
 iv) a fourth panel defining a top panel of the first support of the carrier, the fourth panel having a beverage aperture, a food aperture, and at least one support panel with locking tab, the beverage aperture being located on the same side of the longitudinal axis as the aperture of the second and third panels, the fourth panel sharing the third fold line with the third panel and having a fourth fold line opposite thereto;  
 v) a fifth panel defining a side panel of the first support of the carrier, the fifth panel sharing the fourth fold line with the fourth panel and having a fifth fold line opposite thereto;  
 vi) a sixth panel defining bottom panels of the first and second supports of the carrier, the fifth panel having at least a corresponding number of locking hole(s) as support panels formed on the fourth panel, at least some of the locking hole(s) being sized and located to receive respective support panel locking tabs, the sixth panel sharing the fifth fold line with the fifth panel and having a sixth fold line opposite thereto;  
 vii) a seventh panel defining a side panel of the second support of the carrier, the seventh panel sharing the sixth fold line with the sixth panel and having a seventh fold line opposite thereto;  
 viii) an eighth panel defining a top panel of the second support of the carrier, the eighth panel having a beverage aperture, a food aperture, and at least one support panel with locking tab(s), with such locking tab(s) being received by locking hole(s) formed on the sixth panel, the food and beverage apertures of the eighth panel being located on the same side of the longitudinal axis as the food and beverage apertures of the fourth panel, the eighth panel sharing the seventh fold line with the seventh panel and having an eighth fold line opposite thereto;  
 ix) a ninth panel having a free edge forming the second distal end of the blank and having an interior edge extending across the width of the blank to form an eighth fold line.  
   
     
     
         24 . The blank of  claim 23  wherein the second and third panels are sized such that the handle formed therefrom may form another inside cavity which is offset from the longitudinal axis on the same side as the aperture.  
     
     
         25 . The blank of  claim 24  wherein the inside cavity opposite the aperture is sized to hold a five inch compact disc.  
     
     
         26 . The blank of  claim 24  wherein the inside cavity at the same side as the aperture is sized to hold a three inch compact disc.  
     
     
         27 . The blank of  claim 24  wherein the handle has at least one opening to view the removable promotional materials contained within the inside cavities.  
     
     
         28 . The blank of  claim 23  wherein each support panel further comprises at least one push down tab attached adjacent the locking tab.  
     
     
         29 . The blank of  claim 23  wherein at least some portion of the aperture formed on the handle crosses the centerline of the beverage apertures parallel to the longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         30 . The blank of  claim 23  wherein the locking tabs of the support panels formed on the fourth panel have a L shaped configuration, and the locking tabs of the support panels formed on the eighth panel have a T shaped configuration.