Portable package carrying case

Abstract

A portable package carrying case can be used to carry a plurality of food containers. Various versions of the case are provided. Methods for carrying food containers are also provided. The cases and the methods enable containers to be easily secured in the case, preferably while the containers remain at least partially visible, and also enable the containers to be easily removed from the case.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A case comprising:
 a first side;   a second side configured to reversibly move between an open configuration and a closed configuration relative to the first side; and   wells in the case formed by the closed configuration of the second side relative to the first side, each of the wells comprising a top end, a bottom end and a circumferential wall,   wherein the first side forms a first portion of the top end of each of the wells, a first portion of the bottom end of each of the wells, and a first portion of the circumferential wall of each of the wells,   wherein the second side forms a second portion of the top end of each of the wells, a second portion of the bottom end of each of the wells, and a second portion of the circumferential wall of each of the wells.   
     
     
         2 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the top end of each of the wells consists of the first and second portions of the top end, the bottom end of each of the wells consists of the first and second portions of the bottom end, and the circumferential wall of each of the wells consists of the first and second portions of the circumferential wall. 
     
     
         3 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein, for each of the wells, the first and second portions of the top end have identical dimensions relative to each other, the first and second portions of the bottom end have identical dimensions relative to each other, and the first and second portions of the circumferential wall have identical dimensions relative to each other. 
     
     
         4 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sides have identical dimensions relative to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein each of the wells is a cylinder. 
     
     
         6 . The case of  claim 5 , wherein the first side forms a half of the cylinder, and the second side forms the other half of the cylinder. 
     
     
         7 . The case of  claim 1 , comprising slots in at least one of the first or second side, each of the slots forms an opening through the circumferential wall of a corresponding well. 
     
     
         8 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein each of the wells has a uniform circumference from the top end to the bottom end, the case comprises packages of food positioned in the wells, and the packages of food have a circumference equal to the uniform circumference of each of the wells. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 inserting packages into a first side of a case; and   connecting a second side of the case to the first side to form a closed configuration of the case, the connecting of the second side forms wells in the case, each of the wells comprising a top end, a bottom end and a circumferential wall, the first side forms a first portion of the top end of each of the wells, a first portion of the bottom end of each of the wells, and a first portion of the circumferential wall of each of the wells, and the second side forms a second portion of the top end of each of the wells, a second portion of the bottom end of each of the wells, and a second portion of the circumferential wall of each of the wells, the closed configuration at least partially encloses the packages in the case.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising moving the case from the closed configuration to an open configuration by disconnecting at least a portion of the second side from the first side. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of the packages is cylindrical and comprises food, and each of the wells is cylindrical. 
     
     
         12 . A case comprising:
 a top wall;   a bottom wall;   a side wall that extends from the top wall to the bottom wall;   wells formed by the top, bottom and side walls, each of the wells having an opening that extends from the top wall of the case to the bottom wall of the case; and   securing members extending perpendicular to the top and bottom walls of the case,   wherein, for each of the wells, one of the securing members is positioned on one side of the opening and another one of the securing members is positioned on an opposite side of the opening.   
     
     
         13 . The case of  claim 12 , wherein the securing members reversibly connect and disconnect to at least one of the top wall, the bottom wall, or the side wall of the case. 
     
     
         14 . The case of  claim 12 , wherein the securing members are flexible and configured to deflect from an original position to a bent position that allows insertion of a package into a corresponding well and configured to regain the original position to at least partially enclose the package within the corresponding well. 
     
     
         15 . The case of  claim 12 , comprising cylindrical packages of food positioned in the wells. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 removing from a case at least one selected securing member of a plurality of securing members connected to the case, the case comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall that extends from the top wall to the bottom wall, and wells formed by the top, bottom and side walls, each of the wells has an opening that extends from the top wall of the case to the bottom wall of the case, and for each of the wells, one of the plurality of securing members is positioned on one side of the opening and another one of the plurality of securing members is positioned on an opposite side of the opening;   inserting packages into at least one selected well of the case; and   securing the packages in the case by reconnecting to the case the at least one selected securing member which was removed from the case, the reconnecting of the at least one securing member at least partially encloses the packages in the at least one selected well.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising removing at least one of the packages from the case by (i) removing at least one of the plurality of securing members and (ii) then removing the at least one of the packages from one of the wells adjacent to the at least one of the plurality of securing members which is removed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each of the packages is cylindrical and comprises food. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 inserting packages into one or more wells in a case comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall that extends from the top wall to the bottom wall, the wells are formed by the top, bottom and side walls, each of the wells has an opening that extends from the top wall of the case to the bottom wall of the case, and for each of the wells, a securing member that is flexible is positioned on one side of the opening and another securing member that is flexible is positioned on an opposite side of the opening, the inserting of the packages comprising deflecting at least one of the securing members from an original position to a bent position; and   securing the packages in the case, the securing of the packages comprising the original position being regained by the at least one of the securing members which was deflected.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising removing a selected package from the case, the removing comprising exerting force on the selected package through a slot in the side wall of the case, the slot positioned on an opposite side of the well from the opening. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each of the packages is cylindrical and comprises food. 
     
     
         22 . A case comprising:
 a first unit comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and first wells, each of the first wells having an opening that extends from the top wall of the first unit to the bottom wall of the first unit;   a second unit comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and second wells, each of the second wells having an opening that extends from the top wall of the second unit to the bottom wall of the second unit, the second unit connected to the first unit such that the opening of each of the second wells faces an opposite direction relative to the opening of each of the first wells; and   securing members extending perpendicular to the top walls and the bottom walls,   wherein, for each of the first and second wells, one of the securing members is positioned on one side of the opening and another one of the securing members is positioned on an opposite side of the opening.   
     
     
         23 . The case of  claim 22 , wherein the securing members reversibly connect and disconnect to at least one of the first unit or the second unit. 
     
     
         24 . The case of  claim 22 , wherein the securing members are flexible and configured to deflect from an original position to a bent position that allows insertion of a package into a corresponding well and configured to regain the original position to at least partially enclose the package within the corresponding well. 
     
     
         25 . The case of  claim 22 , comprising cylindrical packages of food positioned in at least one of the first well or the second well. 
     
     
         26 . A method comprising:
 removing from a case at least one selected securing member of a plurality of securing members connected to the case, the case comprising a first unit comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and first wells, each of the first wells having an opening that extends from the top wall of the first unit to the bottom wall of the first unit, the case further comprising a second unit comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and second wells, each of the second wells having an opening that extends from the top wall of the second unit to the bottom wall of the second unit, the second unit connected to the first unit such that the opening of each of the second wells faces an opposite direction relative to the opening of each of the first wells, and for each of the first and second wells, one of the plurality of securing members is positioned on one side of the opening and another one of the plurality of securing members is positioned on an opposite side of the opening;   inserting packages into at least one selected well; and   securing the packages in the case by reconnecting to the case the at least one selected securing member which was removed from the case, the reconnecting of the at least one securing member at least partially encloses the packages in the at least one selected well.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , comprising removing at least one of the packages from the case by (i) removing at least one of the plurality of securing members and (ii) then removing the at least one of the packages from one of the wells adjacent to the at least one of the plurality of securing members which is removed. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein each of the packages is cylindrical and comprises food. 
     
     
         29 . A method comprising:
 inserting packages into one or more wells in a case comprising a first unit comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and first wells, each of the first wells having an opening that extends from the top wall of the first unit to the bottom wall of the first unit, the case further comprising a second unit comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and second wells, each of the second wells having an opening that extends from the top wall of the second unit to the bottom wall of the second unit, the second unit connected to the first unit such that the opening of each of the second wells faces an opposite direction relative to the opening of each of the first wells, and for each of the first and second wells, a securing member that is flexible is positioned on one side of the opening and another securing member that is flexible is positioned on an opposite side of the opening, the inserting of the packages comprising deflecting at least one of the securing members from an original position to a bent position; and   securing the packages in the case, the securing of the packages comprising the original position being regained by the at least one of the securing members which was deflected.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein each of the packages is cylindrical and comprises food.