U.S. patent application number 12/633977 was filed with the patent office on 2011-06-09 for party plate.
Invention is credited to Tim Lehman, Jim Vernes.
Application Number | 20110132914 12/633977 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44081021 |
Filed Date | 2011-06-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110132914 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vernes; Jim ; et
al. |
June 9, 2011 |
PARTY PLATE
Abstract
A party place setting that facilitates the manipulation of food
and drink with a single hand. Such place settings are of sturdy
manufacture to allow for the support of food and drink with one
hand via the place setting. The place setting may be manufactured
from materials that lend to environmentally friendly practices.
Inventors: |
Vernes; Jim; (Henderson,
NV) ; Lehman; Tim; (Laguna Niguel, CA) |
Family ID: |
44081021 |
Appl. No.: |
12/633977 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/575 ;
206/217; 220/574 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/575 ;
206/217; 220/574 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/03 20060101
A47G019/03; A47G 19/06 20060101 A47G019/06 |
Claims
1. A plate, comprising: at least one food compartment; and an
integrated multi-use cup holder, wherein the cup holder is
separated from the at least one food compartment by a raised edge,
the plate being manufactured from material sturdy enough to allow a
user of the plate to support both food and drink in the plate with
one hand.
2. The plate of claim 1, wherein the plate is round.
3. The plate of claim 1, wherein the plate is rectangular.
4. The plate of claim 1, wherein the plate is manufactured from a
biodegradable polystyrene composition that accelerates
decomposition and disintegration.
5. The plate of claim 1, wherein the at least one food compartment
has a sloped edge.
6. The plate of claim 1, wherein the at least one food compartment
includes advertising.
7. The plate of claim 2, wherein the cup holder includes beveled
teeth.
8. The plate of claim 3, wherein the cup holder includes multiple
levels.
9. The plate of claim 1, wherein the cup holder includes a cut away
area.
10. The plate of claim 1, wherein the molding of the plate allows
for stacking of the plate with multiple other plates of the same
design.
11. The plate of claim 10, wherein the molding of the plate
includes a lug to further aid in stacking of the plate with
multiple other plates of the same design.
12. The plate of claim 11, wherein the lug creates enough friction
between the surface of the plate with the surface of another plate
from the multiple other plates of the same design such that there
is resistance with respect to removal of the plate from the other
plate, but not so much resistance as to prevent removal.
13. The plate of claim 12, wherein the lug and corresponding
friction creates a snap-tight fit.
14. The plate of claim 1, wherein the plate includes a plurality of
food compartments, each of the food compartments being symmetrical
to one another.
15. The plate of claim 8, wherein each of the multiple levels of
the cup holder is suited for a different sized beverage
container.
16. The plate of claim 9, wherein the cut away area allows for the
introduction of stem ware.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to party place
settings. More specifically, the present invention relates to
biodegradable place settings that allow for simultaneous
manipulation of food and drink.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Parties often involve food and drink in the context of
company and conversation. A party guest will inevitably find
themselves with a plate of food in one hand and a drinking glass in
the other. Upon encountering an old acquaintance or taking part in
an introduction, the party guest encounters a moment of social
awkwardness with respect to shifting food and drink to one hand to
thereby free the other for a handshake. Even after a successful
shift of food and drink to a single hand, the party guest must
maintain a precarious balance of hors d'oeuvres and wine concurrent
with the handshake and exchange of pleasantries.
[0005] Even absent an introductory handshake, it is often difficult
to utilize a dining utensil such as a fork or spoon in the same
hand as a drink while maintaining the balance and support of a
plate full of food in the other. The party guest must find a place
to temporarily place their drink or risk the embarrassment of a
spill. The personal experience of almost any party guest suggests
that at least one lost drink as a result of this process is a
certainty during the course of a party.
[0006] Notwithstanding a clumsy handshake or the possibility of an
embarrassing spill, most party hosts avoid using expensive or
permanent place settings. In many instances, a party host makes
such a choice to avoid breakage of a more expensive place setting.
The number of party guests, too, may simply outnumber the available
settings of `good china.` Regardless of the particular motivation,
many party hosts will utilize disposable place settings that avoid
breakage and are plentiful in number without incurring a
significant cost. These disposable place settings are often cheap
in price because they are cheap in material of manufacture. As a
result, these disposable place settings are often un-sturdy
(thereby leading to spills in their own right) and environmentally
unfriendly. These cheaply made and manufactured place settings are
often used once and then disposed of whereby they occupy landfills
for months if not years due to extended decomposition times.
[0007] There is a need in the art for a party place setting that
obviates the aforementioned problems associated with currently
available place settings. Such a place setting should facilitate
the manipulation of food and drink with a single hand. Such a place
setting should also be of sturdy manufacture and lend itself to
environmentally friendly practices.
SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED INVENTION
[0008] In one embodiment, a polystyrene plate is claimed. The
polystyrene plate includes a food compartment and an integrated
multi-use cup holder. The cup holder is separated from the food
compartment by a raised edge. Food and drink may be held by a user
of the plate with one hand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates a biodegradable party plate having a
rectangular configuration.
[0010] FIG. 1A illustrates an alternative view of the party plate
of FIG. 1 having a rectangular configuration.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a
biodegradable party plate and having a circular configuration.
[0012] FIG. 2A illustrates an alternative view of the party plate
of FIG. 2 having a circular configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Embodiments of the present invention provide for a party
place setting (i.e., a party plate) that facilitates the
manipulation of food and drink with a single hand. Such place
settings are of sturdy manufacture to allow for the support of food
and drink with one hand via the place setting. The presently
claimed place settings may further be manufactured from materials
that lend to environmentally friendly practices.
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a biodegradable party plate 100 having a
rectangular configuration. Party plate 100 includes multiple food
compartments 110-130 and an integrated, multiple-use cup holder
140. Cup holder 140 may hold cocktail glasses, stemmed glasses, 4.5
ounce water bottles, and 12 ounce cans. The integrated cup holder
140 of the party plate 100 of FIG. 1 allows the guest or user to
hold their food mid drink in one hand thereby leaving their other
hand free to eat and greet.
[0015] The party plate 100 of FIG. 1 is manufactured from
polystyrene, which is an aromatic polymer derived from styrene.
Being a thermoplastic substance, polystyrene is solid at room
temperature but flows when heated above its transition temperature,
which allows for molding. In its solid state, polystyrene can be
cast into molds with fine detail and can take on various colors.
The molding process also allows for the creation of smooth,
non-jagged edges along the side of the party plate 100. Molding may
also allow for stacking of multiple party plates 100, which may be
of use with respect to packing or storage.
[0016] The use of polystyrene allows for party plate 100 to be
sturdy and durable thereby avoiding breakage, which would otherwise
be encountered with heavy porcelain or china. The polystyrene is
also lightweight, especially when compared to prior art party
plates that are manufactured out of wood or acrylic. Because party
plate 100 is lightweight, this aids in the balance of food and
drink with a single hand.
[0017] The polystyrene of party plate 100 may be blended with
compositions intended to accelerate the decomposition and
disintegration of the plate 100 after use. An example of such a
polystyrene composition is Prime Impax 450 with Vanish, which is
available from Primex Plastics Corporation of Richmond, Ind.
Substances manufactured with Prime Impax with Vanish allow the
polystyrene to become `food` for micro-organisms in a landfill. The
microorganisms then "eat" the plate, which disappears in as little
as 180 days although usually within one year. Prior art party
plates manufactured from wood, acrylic, or other substances may
otherwise occupy a landfill for years.
[0018] The configuration and location of food compartments 110-130
further aids in the balancing of food and drink with a single hand
via the party plate 100. The food compartments 110-130 are
symmetrically configured with sloped edges lending to the ergonomic
control of the party plate 100. The generous area of the food
compartments 110-130 and the aforementioned sloped edges aid in
keeping food and sauces away from the fingers of a party guest.
[0019] One or more of food compartments 110-130 may include
advertising or other communications introduced to the plate 100
during the manufacturing process. For example, the manufacturer of
the party plate 100 may introduce their logo or trademark in one or
more of the compartments. Similarly, a party acquiring a large
number of plates 100 for a special event may request (as a part of
their order) that their corporate logo or some other message or
indicia of sponsorship be included in the compartment areas
110-130.
[0020] The cup holder 140 includes a number of levels 150A and 150B
that allow for the insertion and steady control of any number of
drinking instruments. For example, a first level may be best suited
for stem ware whereas a larger level may be better suited for a
water bottle or canned drink. In the case of stemware, the cup
holder 140 also includes a cut out area 160 to allow the `cup` of
the stemware to remain generally level with the rest of the plate
100 while the `stem` of the stemware dangles below the plate
100.
[0021] The cup holder 140 of party plate 100 also includes a raised
edge 170. The raised edge 170 in FIG. 1 is approximately one inch
in size. This raised edge 170 keeps food and sauces away from the
glass or other drinking instrument that may be located within the
cup holder 140.
[0022] FIG. 1A illustrates an alternative view of the party plate
100 of FIG. 1 having a rectangular configuration. Corresponding
elements from FIG. 1 are similarly numbered with respect to FIG.
1A.
[0023] FIGS. 1B and 1C illustrate a further embodiment of the party
plate 100 of FIG. 1 and having a rectangular configuration. The
party plate 100 of FIGS. 1B and 1C correspond to one another with
respect to FIG. 1B reflecting a plan view of the party plate 100
whereas FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the same. The party plate
100 embodiments of FIGS. 1B and 1C depart from that illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 1A in that the cup holder 140 omits levels 150A and
150B. The plate 100 still allows for the insertion and steady
control of any number of drinking instruments through the use of a
series of beveled teeth 180, which are similar to those teeth
illustrated in FIG. 2 below (240).
[0024] FIGS. 1B and 1C also illustrate a stacking lug 190. While
the plate 100 of FIGS. 1B and 1C include four stacking lugs
190--two of which are located near a side edge of the plate 100 and
an addition two in the cup holder 140--any number of lugs 190 may
be used. The stacking lugs 190 allow for a series of plates 100 to
be stacked upon one another to create a `snug` fit such that the
stacked plates 100 do not easily topple over or lose balance. The
lugs 190 create enough friction between the surfaces of different
plates 100 such that there is some resistance with respect to
removal but not so much as to prevent the same. The lugs 190 create
an effective `snap fit` allowing for easy coupling and
decoupling.
[0025] FIGS. 1B and 1C also illustrate a logo or advertising area
195. In the logo or advertising area 195, the name of a particular
manufacturer or seller of the plate 100 may be introduced. The logo
or advertising area 195 may be an actual part of the plate 100
whereby the name is introduced as a raised or depressed part of the
plate 100 surface during manufacturing. The logo or advertising
area 195 may also allow for introduction of a label that is affixed
by a party following manufacture of the plate 100. In some
embodiments, and as discussed above, the logo or advertising area
195 may be located as a part of a food compartment or food
compartments to allow for introduction of an advertisement or some
other message.
[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a
biodegradable party plate 200 and having a circular configuration.
Party plate 200 of FIG. 2 includes a food compartment area 210 and
multiple-user cup holder 220 like the party plate 100 of FIG. 1.
The party plate 200 of FIG. 2 is similar to the party plate 100 of
FIG. 1 with respect to polystyrene manufacture, biodegradable, and
molding.
[0027] Food compartment 210 is generally symmetrical and enjoys
generous size and sloped edges that allow for ergonomic control as
was the case of party plate 100 of FIG. 1. The cup holder 210 of
FIG. 2 also has a raised edge 230 like its counterpart in FIG. 1 to
prevent food and sauces from coming into contact with a drink or
beverage located within the cup holder 220.
[0028] Unlike cup holder 140 of FIG. 1, which uses a series of
levels 150 to manage control of a beverage, cup holder 220 of FIG.
2 uses a series of beveled teeth 240 to maintain control over a
particular beverage container. The cup holder 220 of FIG. 2 is
otherwise similar with respect to a cut out area 250 to allow for
insertion of stemware.
[0029] FIG. 2A illustrates an alternative view of the party plate
200 of FIG. 2 having a circular configuration. Corresponding
elements from FIG. 2 are similarly numbered with respect to FIG.
2A.
[0030] While not specifically illustrated, the party plate 200 of
FIGS. 2 and 2A may also include stacking lugs as discussed in the
context of FIGS. 1B and 1C. The party plate 200 of FIGS. 2 and 2A
may likewise include an advertising or logo area as was also
discussed in the context of FIGS. 1B and 1C.
[0031] While various embodiments have been described above, it
should be understood that they have been presented by way of
example only, and not limitation. The descriptions are not intended
to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set
forth herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment
should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary
embodiments. To the contrary, the present descriptions are intended
to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may
be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined
by the appended claims and otherwise appreciated by one of ordinary
skill in the art. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be
determined not with reference to the above description, but instead
should be determined with reference to the appended claims along
with their full scope of equivalents.
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