Heating element lunch box

• US 6,144,016 A
• Filed: 06/21/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tomika Garvin
• Original Assignee: Tomika Garvin
• Inventors: Garvin, Tomika
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fuqua, Shawntina T.
• Application Number:
  US09/336,851
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 219/387, 219/429, 219/432, 219/433, 220/592.23, 206/550, 206/541, 206/545
• US Class Current: 219/387
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/20 Lunch or picnic boxes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2483 with electrical heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/10 with special adaptation for travelling, e.g. collapsible

Abstract

A temperature insulated lunch box having an upwardly open heated food chamber and an upwardly open unheated food chamber. A cover closes the food chambers. The heated food chamber has a nestable container having a closure. The lunch box includes an electrical circuit including a heating element which is optionally a radiant heating element, a battery, a switch controlling power to the heating element, an externally accessible connector for receiving AC power and a power converter which charges the battery from the AC source. The lunch box has a downwardly open chamber located beneath the food chambers. The downwardly open chamber contains legs which fold out to support the lunch box on an environmental surface, and a tray having pockets for storing cloths and retainers for retaining flatware. The tray is releasably held to the walls of the downwardly open chamber by a spring biased fastener.

Claims

1. A lunch box having

a first internal chamber for carrying food, wherein said first internal chamber opens upwardly and has a floor and a first peripheral wall projecting upwardly from said floor, and wherein said lunch box includes insulating material disposed to retard transfer of heat into and out of said first internal chamber,

a first cover having a manually removable attachment element disposed to engage and be manually released from engagement with said peripheral wall of said first internal chamber,

a downwardly open chamber disposed beneath said first internal chamber, wherein said downwardly open chamber has a peripheral wall projecting below said floor of said first internal chamber, and

legs having means for moving between a stowed position wherein said legs are contained within said downwardly open chamber and a deployed position wherein said legs project downwardly from said downwardly open chamber when said first internal chamber is oriented to open upwardly.

2. The lunch box according to claim 1, further comprising means for heating said first internal chamber.

3. The lunch box according to claim 2, wherein said heating elements are disposed within said first peripheral wall of said first internal chamber.

4. The lunch box according to claim 2, wherein said heating elements are disposed within said first cover of said first internal chamber.

5. The lunch box according to claim 2, wherein said means for heating said first internal chamber comprise an electrical heating source, a battery, and circuitry connecting power from said battery to said electrical heating source.

6. The lunch box according to claim 5, wherein said circuitry includes an external terminal disposed to receive power from an external source and to conduct power from the external source to said heating source.

7. The lunch box according to claim 6, wherein said circuitry includes a power converter disposed to receive alternating current power from said external source and to charge said battery from said power converter.

8. The lunch box according to claim 5, wherein said circuitry includes a switch for controlling said electrical heating source, said switch having an externally accessible control element.

9. The lunch box according to claim 5, wherein said electrical heating source is a resistive heating element.

10. The lunch box according to claim 5, wherein said electrical heating source comprises a radiant heater which emits both visible light and heat energy in invisible form.

11. The lunch box according to claim 1, further comprising a removable container dimensioned and configured to be received and stored within said first internal chamber.

12. The lunch box according to claim 11, wherein said removable container has a second cover dimensioned and configured to close and adhere to said container and to be received within said first internal chamber when said cover is installed on said container.

13. The lunch box according to claim 1, further comprising an upwardly open second internal chamber for carrying food disposed beside said first internal chamber, wherein said heating source is arranged to heat only said first internal chamber when operating.

14. The lunch box according to claim 13, wherein said second internal chamber has a divider and said peripheral wall has internal grooves for slidably receiving said divider.

15. The lunch box according to claim 1, further comprising a tray dimensioned and configured to be received and held within said downwardly open chamber, wherein said tray has a manually releasable engagement element selectively securing said tray within and releasing said tray from said downwardly open chamber.

16. The lunch box according to claim 15, wherein said manually releasable engagement element comprises a projection and a spring biased to urge said projection into locking engagement with said wall of said downwardly open chamber.

17. The lunch box according to claim 15, wherein said tray has means for retaining flatware.

18. The lunch box according to claim 15, wherein said tray has pockets formed thereon, for receiving and retaining cloths.

19. The lunch box according to claim 1, further comprising a carrying handle fixed to said first peripheral wall of said first internal chamber.

20. The lunch box according to claim 1, further comprising a carrying strap fixed to said first peripheral wall of said first internal chamber.

21. A lunch box having:

a first internal chamber for carrying food, wherein said first internal chamber opens upwardly and has a floor and a first peripheral wall projecting upwardly from said floor, and wherein said lunch box includes insulating material disposed to retard transfer of heat into and out of said first internal chamber, and a first cover having a manually removable attachment element disposed to engage and be manually released from engagement with said peripheral wall of said first internal chamber;

heating elements disposed to heat said first internal chamber, a battery, circuitry connecting power from said battery to said electrical heating source, an external terminal disposed to receive power from an external source and to conduct power from the external source to said heating source, a power converter disposed to receive alternating current power from said external source and to charge said battery from said power converter, and a switch for controlling said electrical heating source, said switch having an externally accessible control element;

an upwardly open second internal chamber disposed beside said first internal chamber, wherein said heating source is arranged to heat only said first internal chamber when operating;

a downwardly open chamber disposed beneath said first internal chamber and said second internal chamber, wherein said downwardly open chamber has a peripheral wall projecting below said floor of said first internal chamber and said second internal chamber;

legs having means for moving between a stowed position wherein said legs are contained within said downwardly open chamber and a deployed position wherein said legs project downwardly from said downwardly open chamber when said first internal chamber is oriented to open upwardly;

an upwardly open second internal chamber for carrying food disposed beside said first internal chamber, wherein said heating source is arranged to heat only said first internal chamber when operating;

a downwardly open chamber disposed beneath said first internal chamber and said second internal chamber, wherein said downwardly open chamber has a peripheral wall projecting below said floor of said first internal chamber and said second internal chamber;

legs having means for moving between a stowed position wherein said legs are contained within said downwardly open chamber and a deployed position wherein said legs project downwardly from said downwardly open chamber when said first internal chamber is oriented to open upwardly;

a removable container dimensioned and configured to be received and stored within said first internal chamber, wherein said removable container has a second cover dimensioned and configured to close and adhere to said container and to be received within said first internal chamber when said cover is installed on said container;

wherein said second internal chamber has a divider and said peripheral wall has internal grooves for slidably receiving said divider.

22. The lunch box according to claim 21, wherein said heating elements are radiant heaters which emit both visible light and heat energy in invisible form, and are disposed within said first cover of said first internal chamber.