초록 ▼

A container useful for keeping food or beverages warm or cold includes a combination lid and tray door assembly. The lid and tray are both coupled to the container and to each other. The tray may be pivoted independently of the lid into a table top position and it may be separated from the container

A container useful for keeping food or beverages warm or cold includes a combination lid and tray door assembly. The lid and tray are both coupled to the container and to each other. The tray may be pivoted independently of the lid into a table top position and it may be separated from the container and used as a separate tray. The tray and lid are also pivotable together as an integral door assembly, and the lid is pivotable independently of the tray when the tray is removed or deployed as a table top. The overall height of the container is less than the overall length and the overall width so that the container has a low, stable center of gravity which permits it to be used on an unstable surface, such as an automobile seat, and so that the container does not obstruct movement or view of occupants of an automobile when it is used in an automobile. A handle of the container includes a holder for wrapping a power cord thereon, and, when disposed in a downward stowed position, provides a clearance between the bottom of the door and a supporting surface when the container is turned on its side to be used as a front opening cooler or warmer. The thermoelectric engine of the cooler/warmer is constructed as an integral cassette which can be installed or removed from the main body of the container in one piece. Finally, a finned heat sink used in the thermoelectric engine in conjunction with a centrifugal fan is formed as an oblique parallelogram to produce uniform air flow velocity across the width of the heat sink.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A container comprising:a main body having a base wall and four sidewalls extending from said base wall so as to define a product receiving compartment;a lid member constructed and arranged to be movable with respect to said main body between (1) a closed position closing

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A container comprising:a main body having a base wall and four sidewalls extending from said base wall so as to define a product receiving compartment;a lid member constructed and arranged to be movable with respect to said main body between (1) a closed position closing off said product receiving compartment and (2) an opened position permitting access to said product receiving compartment; anda tray member constructed and arranged to be movable with respect to said main body and said lid member between (1) a stowed position whereby said tray member is engaged with and movable with said lid member between said closed position and said opened position and (2) a deployed position wherein said tray member is engaged with said main body to present a generally upwardly facing supporting surface and said lid member is movable between said opened position and said closed position independently of said tray member.