U.S. patent application number 13/199788 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-05 for food plate with beverage container receiving portion.
Invention is credited to Kevin W. Swallow.
Application Number | 20120000915 13/199788 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45398916 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120000915 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Swallow; Kevin W. |
January 5, 2012 |
Food plate with beverage container receiving portion
Abstract
A food dish includes a food-holding portion and, at one edge, a
beverage receiving portion formed by a parabolic arcuate wide-mouth
opening having a recess perimeter that has a depending skirt
portion about its entire length, which receives a beverage
container and allows a user to easily hold a beverage secured
against the skirt and the food plate together in one hand, freeing
the other hand for other activities.
Inventors: |
Swallow; Kevin W.; (Kansas
City, MO) |
Family ID: |
45398916 |
Appl. No.: |
13/199788 |
Filed: |
September 9, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/574 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/574 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/06 20060101
A47G019/06 |
Claims
1. A plate comprising: a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter
and a substantially flat plate portion for holding products; b. a
beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portion
in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion comprising
an arcuate recess and a depending skirt portion along said arcuate
recess, wherein said wide-mouth arcuate opening presents an opening
lying in a range of 30.degree.-95.degree. of said perimeter of the
plate.
2. A plate in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a tunnel
between said plate portion and said beverage container receiving
portion, said tunnel lying under a top surface of said beverage
container receiving portion for receiving and accommodating one or
more fingers of a user.
3. A plate in accordance with claim 2 wherein said tunnel is
parallel to and coextensive with said arcuate recess.
4. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said depending skirt
depends from said beverage container receiving portion at an angle
lying in a range of 90.degree. to about 95.degree. relative to the
general plane of said plate portion such that a bottom edge of said
depending skirt portion projects outwardly from said plate
portion.
5. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wide-mouth
arcuate opening presents an opening of 56.degree. of said perimeter
of the plate.
6. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bottom edge of
said depending skirt portion and a bottom surface of said plate
portion extend below a rim of the plate by the same distance,
whereby the plate will lie level when placed on a flat level
surface, thereby increasing the marketability of the plate.
7. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said recessed portion
is a parabola defined by the equation y=ax.sup.2+bx+c with x lying
in a range of 3-5 cm and -3 to -5 cm and y lying in the range of
2-5 cm.
8. A plate in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means for
increasing friction on at least one of an upper surface and a lower
surface of a rim of the plate adjacent to said recessed portion at
each of two ends of said recessed portion.
9. A plate in accordance with claim 8 wherein said friction means
further comprises a plurality of friction ridges, whereby gripping
the plate is facilitated, providing a user with a sense that the
plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of the
plate.
11. A plate in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a
thickened portion of each of two ends of an upper surface of said
arcuate recess, whereby gripping the plate is facilitated,
providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier and thereby
increasing marketability of the plate.
12. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said perimeter of
said plate portion further comprises an upper surface and said
perimeter upper surface and a top edge of said skirt portion lie
along a straight line parallel to a bottom wall of said plate
portion, whereby the top edge of the plate is straight across the
plate.
13. A plate comprising: a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter
and a substantially flat plate portion for holding products; b. a
beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portion
in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion comprising
an arcuate recess and a depending skirt portion along said arcuate
recess; and c. a tunnel between said plate portion and said
beverage container receiving portion, said tunnel lying under a top
surface of said beverage container receiving portion for receiving
and accommodating one or more fingers of a user.
14. A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said tunnel is
parallel to and coextensive with said arcuate recess.
15. A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said depending
skirt depends from said beverage container receiving portion at an
angle lying in a range of 90.degree. to about 95.degree. relative
to the general plane of said plate portion such that a bottom edge
of said depending skirt portion projects outwardly from said plate
portion.
16. A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said bottom edge of
said depending skirt portion and a bottom surface of said plate
portion a bottom extend below a rim of the plate by the same
distance, whereby the plate will lie level when placed on a flat
level surface, whereby marketability of the plate is increased.
17. A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said perimeter of
said plate portion further comprises an upper surface and said
perimeter upper surface and a top edge of said skirt portion lie
along a straight line parallel to a bottom wall of said plate
portion, whereby the top edge of the plate is straight across the
plate.
18. A plate comprising: a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter
and a substantially flat plate portion for holding products; b. a
beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portion
in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion comprising
an arcuate recess and a depending skirt portion along said arcuate
recess for receiving a beverage container and a corresponding
upstanding collar portion along said arcuate recess, wherein said
depending skirt portion and said upstanding collar portion are
vertically aligned with one another for receiving a beverage
container, thereby increasing the user's perception of security
regarding the beverage container and thereby increasing
marketability of the plate, wherein said arcuate opening presents
an opening lying in a range of 30.degree.-95.degree.of said
perimeter of the plate; c. a tunnel between said plate portion and
said beverage container receiving portion, said tunnel lying under
a top surface of said beverage container receiving portion for
receiving and accommodating one or more fingers of a user, wherein
said tunnel is parallel to and coextensive with said arcuate
recess; d. means for increasing friction on at least one of an
upper surface and a lower surface of a rim of the plate adjacent to
said recessed portion at each of two ends of said recessed portion,
whereby gripping the plate is facilitated, providing a user with a
sense that the plate is studier and thereby increasing
marketability of the plate; and e. a thickened portion of each of
two ends of an upper surface of said arcuate recess, whereby
gripping the plate is facilitated, providing a user with a sense
that the plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of
the plate.
19. A plate in accordance with claim 18 wherein said depending
skirt depends from said beverage container receiving portion at an
angle lying in a range of 90.degree. to about 95.degree. relative
to the general plane of said plate portion such that a bottom edge
of said depending skirt portion projects outwardly from said plate
portion.
20. A plate in accordance with claim 18 wherein said perimeter of
said plate portion further comprises an upper surface and said
perimeter upper surface and a top edge of said skirt portion lie
along a straight line parallel to a bottom wall of said plate
portion, whereby the top edge of the plate is straight across the
plate.
21. A plate comprising: a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter
and a substantially flat plate portion for holding items; and b. a
beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portion
in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion further
comprising an arcuate parabolic shape.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
SEQUENCE LISTING
[0003] Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is a device for allowing a user to
easily hold a beverage container, which may have various sizes and
shapes and a food plate together at the same time using the same
hand while maintaining direct and continuous control over the
beverage container at all times, with the two functions of a
beverage container holder and a food plate realized in a single
device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART INCLUDING INFORMATION DISCLOSED
UNDER 37 C.F.R. 1.97 and 1.98
[0005] At social functions and parties, it is common for people to
be served food and beverages. It is also common for such gatherings
to offer only very limited spaces where people can conveniently set
down either their food plate or their beverage container. Often, a
person will hold a food plate in one hand and a beverage container
in the other. If the person wants to pick up food from the food
plate, the person typically must set the beverage container down
somewhere, often on the floor or the ground, in order to have a
free hand to pick up food from the food plate or to shake another
person's hand, or the like. It would be most useful to be able to
hold the beverage container and a food plate in one hand
simultaneously and securely. As it happens, a number of efforts to
provide related devices are described in patents and published
patent applications. All of these efforts fail in one way or
another. Most fail egregiously by requiring the user to relinquish
control over the beverage container to the device itself, which
frequently results in an unstable arrangement, or the need for the
user to have full use of both hands in order to separate the
beverage container from the device, which is counter to a person's
natural instinct, that is, the desire to maintain maximum control
over the beverage container at all times. This, in turn, requires
setting the container down, reducing the utility of such devices,
for if the user can easily set the beverage container down on a
table or the like, then tables are readily available and a device
for holding a food plate and a beverage container easily in one
hand is not needed, but when such devices are set down, many of
them are not stable, or tend to rest at an angle that is not
parallel to the table top or other surface. Many prior art devices
are esthetically unpleasing and, while perhaps suitable for use at
a picnic or while camping, would not be desirable at a more formal
social function. The device of the present invention will lie flat
on a flat surface, has a pleasing esthetic appearance and is
therefore suitable for use for any occasion or social setting, all
of which increases the marketability of the present invention. The
device of the present invention is highly suited to extended use
while socially interacting with others, whereas many related prior
devices appear to be oriented to simply carrying a drink from one
place to another, where a table or other surface will be
conveniently available.
[0006] U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2010/0308059 A1,
disclosing an invention by Berg, was published on Dec. 9, 2010 and
discloses a Handle Device for Plate comprising a tray having a
handle in the form of a semi-cylindrical shape fastened to the
bottom surface of the plate. The handle originally lies flat
against the bottom of the plate, but can be pivoted downwardly into
a vertical position underneath the plate. The beverage container is
held underneath the plate against the handle. There is no aperture
through which the beverage container is passed. This design makes
it very awkward to set the plate down on a table. It also makes it
impossible to accommodate dramatically different sizes of beverage
containers because the entire length of the upper edge of the
handle is fastened to the plate. Nor is it clear how a user could
readily disengage the beverage container from the handle with one
hand since the handle appears to be about as wide as the user's
hand, so the entire hand would have to disengage from the handle or
the user would have to somehow slip his hand around the beverage
container, thereby disengaging it from the handle. This appears to
be an impractical design. Further, the device of Berg cannot lie
flat on a flat surface and in fact cannot be set down at all when
its handle is deployed into the usage position.
[0007] U.S. Design Pat. No. D595,093 S, issued to McComas on Jun.
30, 2009, discloses a Compartmented Plate with Caddy comprising a
tray having a cup-holder opening portion adjacent to one end of the
tray. The cup-holder portion is substantially circular, with two
arcuate arms that do not quite meet at the perimeter of the tray,
leaving a slot-like opening. The thickness of the cup-holder well
is the same as the thickness of the enlarged perimeter of the tray,
likely for increasing rigidity. Most of the thickness of the
cup-holder projects upwardly above the general level of the tray.
This device requires that the user very carefully insert the
beverage container into the cup holder and requires that a tumbler
or cup be inserted from the top of the tray, but a beverage
container having a stem would require the stem to be inserted
through a receiving slot. It does not appear that there is any
mechanism by which the user can grasp the beverage container in the
cup holder with the same hand that is holding the combination
plate. Thus, in use the user loses contact with, and hence, control
over, the beverage container and must therefore surrender its
control to the plate. The circular cross section cup holder renders
it suitable for holding only a tapered beverage container having a
diameter close in size to the diameter of the cup holder, so the
device cannot be used with a variety of shapes and sizes of
beverage containers. Using this device with a full beverage
container results in a substantial cantilevered load on the user's
hand because the beverage container, the heaviest item is located
at the farthest point away from the user's grasp. As a result, this
device will cause user fatigue in a short time. Furthermore,
removal of the beverage container from the plate will result in a
rapid shift in its center of gravity, causing the plate to jerk
unless the user carefully controls it to account for the change in
balance. Finally, in order to hold this device securely, the user's
thumb must be placed into the same area of the plate where food
will be placed. All these limitations reduce the utility and
marketability of this design.
[0008] U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2009/0152157 A1,
disclosing an invention by Schaaper et al., was published on Jun.
18, 2009 and discloses a Serving Tray comprising a tray having an
upstanding side wall portion about its entire perimeter, which lies
at an oblique angle to the floor of the tray. Both the tray and the
side wall portion include a very shallow arcuate indentation that
allows a server to hold the tray with the arcuate indentation
pressed against the crook of his elbow while grasping the opposed
perimeter portion of the tray with his corresponding hand. Other
than simply placing a beverage container directly onto the serving
tray and thus surrendering control of the beverage container to the
tray; there is no mechanism that would allow the user to maintain
continuous and direct control over the beverage container while
holding the tray at the same time using the same hand. Further, the
upstanding side wall portion about the perimeter of the tray
extends upward and outward from the floor of the tray; so that any
beverage container placed into close proximity with the outside
perimeter of the tray would require a tapered shape that is
opposite from the shape of most beverage containers because many
beverage containers have a taper that is larger at the top and
smaller at the bottom. This device was never intended to be used as
a food plate and it clearly cannot provide the utility of the
present invention.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 7,284,675 B2, issued to Chang on Oct. 23, 2007
for a Food Plate discloses a flat rectangular sheet of material
bowed along both its length and width to form a generally concave
shape as seen from above having a circular opening near a corner of
the tray which will hold a tapered beverage container having a
diameter somewhere along its length that is close to the diameter
of the opening in the tray. The device cannot be used with beverage
containers of different shapes, e.g., a wine glass or conventional
bottle, and does not allow the user to maintain direct control over
the beverage container at all times. The device is intended to be
held at the end of the tray farthest from the beverage container,
thus creating a large and unstable cantilevered load that will
cause user fatigue quickly. As with Caddy and McComas, above, the
removal of the beverage will container result in a shift in the
center of gravity of the tray, perhaps resulting in spillage. This
device is clearly lacking in the esthetic appeal that would allow
it to be suitable for use at any but the most informal venues.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,799 B1, issued to Hamre on Feb. 21,
2006, discloses a Hand Held Service Tray comprising a food tray
having a well for receiving a beverage container. The well includes
a floor or bottom wall, which includes a slot 52 for receiving, for
example, the stem of a wine glass. The side wall of the well is
circular in horizontal cross sections and tapered toward the bottom
wall, allowing the beverage container wells to be stacked. The
beverage container well is located adjacent to the edge of the
tray. The use of a beverage container well having a flat bottom
limits use of the device to very limited sizes of beverage
containers, for if too tall a container is placed in the well, it
may topple over since it is not intended that the user hold the
beverage container. Similarly, the diameters of beverage containers
that will fit in the beverage container well are very limited. If
the beverage container well diameter is too large, it will not
contact the beverage container except on the bottom, making the
arrangement unstable and vulnerable to spillage. The only effective
way to overcome these limitations would be to make a variety of
models of trays, each with a different diameter and depth of
beverage container well, which is unlikely to be an appealing idea
for either manufacturers or users. Further, the deep beverage
container well extends quite substantially below the general plane
of the tray. Consequently, this device will not rest flat on a flat
surface, such as a table, even without a beverage container inside
it, thereby decreasing both its utility and its marketability.
[0011] Published Patent Application Number U.S. 2005/0161453 A1,
disclosing an invention by Corrieri, was published on Jul. 28, 2005
and discloses a Combination Food and Beverage Plate Combination
Plate comprising a plate having a circular opening at one end, save
for a very short outermost arc portion of about 5-8.degree. of arc.
The circular cup holder portion is thickened relative to the plate,
including a depending tapered portion and an upward projecting
portion above the surface of the plate. A slot formed by the
incomplete closure of the arcuate arms of the circular opening
allows a stem of a wine glass, for example, to be inserted into it
so that the beverage glass portion of the wine glass can be seated
in the beverage aperture. In use, the user's thumb is placed on top
of the plate, while the user's fingers lie under the plate along
the plate rim and a recessed compartment. That is, it is intended
that the cantilevered weight of the plate must be supported by the
user's thumb, which will quickly result in user fatigue. A beverage
container is held in position by frictional engagement of its side
walls with the tapered sleeve 30. It is specifically contemplated
that the sleeve 30 holds the beverage container without aid from
the user and the description of the placement of the user's hand
does not involve any contact between the user's hand and the
tapered sleeve that holds the beverage container. Therefore, this
design requires the user to surrender control of the beverage
container to the plate and strictly limits the sizes, i.e., the
diameters and shapes of beverage containers, thereby decreasing the
utility and marketability of this device.
[0012] U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2004/0099670 A1,
disclosing an invention by Michaeli and published on May 27, 2004,
discloses a Buffet Plate comprising a plate having an outwardly and
upwardly sloped side wall and a circular recess for receiving a
beverage container. The circular recess is bounded by a partial
sleeve that projects downwardly at approximately 90.degree. from
the top surface of the plate and that is rigidly connected to the
plate. The user's thumb is placed on the top surface of the plate
while the fingers are placed underneath the plate to secure a grip
on the beverage container, which is an awkward and unnatural grip
that is sure to lead to fatigue. This design does not allow the
user to maintain continuous control of the beverage container at
all times using the same hand. The user must alternate between
holding the beverage container using the free hand that is not
holding the food plate, or else the user must transfer control of
the beverage container to the plate so that the free hand can be
used to consume food from the plate. The grip on the plate is
different from the way that one would ordinarily hold a plate and
is less secure after the beverage container has been removed
because the plate can only be securely and naturally gripped when a
beverage container is present in the circular recess designed to
hold it. The circular recess for receiving a beverage container is
designed with an open end that is slightly smaller in width
compared to the diameter of the recess. The circular recess cannot
readily receive beverage containers of various sizes because
beverage containers that are too large will not fit and beverage
containers that are too small will fall through the opening. Most
beverage containers, for example, a soda can or tumbler, must be
inserted though the top of the circular recess and removed the same
way, that is, they cannot be moved horizontally into or out of the
receiving circle, which is a natural function of the present
invention. All of these limitations result in a design that is
awkward to use and is therefore unlikely to be successful in the
marketplace.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,141 B1, issued to Cinque on Mar. 9,
2004, discloses a One-hand Refreshment Center comprising a roughly
circular plate with a deep well having open ends on the side of the
well for holding food containers and an extension portion formed by
outwardly convergent tangent lines terminating in a beverage
container well. The beverage container well has three depending
legs, each with an inwardly pointed perpendicular foot portion for
engaging the bottom of a beverage container. This device can hold
only beverage containers of a limited number of sizes and shapes
and is not designed for the user to maintain continuous control of
the beverage container and food plate with one hand while inserting
or removing the beverage container from the plate using the same
hand. The user must therefore surrender control of the beverage
container to the plate, i.e., the plate actually controls the
beverage container. Further, this device would be expensive to
manufacture and lacks esthetic appeal needed to succeed in the
marketplace, thereby decreasing the desirability and thus the
marketability of this device.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,890 B1, issued to Persson on Feb. 17,
2004, discloses a Beverage Holding Plate comprising a plate having
a very shallow flat-bottomed well portion for holding a standard
sized beverage container, e.g., an aluminum drink can. This
flat-bottom design does not hold the beverage container in a stable
manner and can only accept beverage containers of limited sizes and
dimensions. Further, this design requires the user to surrender
control of the beverage container to the plate and also requires
the beverage container to be placed in an unstable and top-heavy
condition, leaving the user concerned about the beverage container
from toppling over and making a mess. All of these limitations make
this design undesirable and awkward to use.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,625, issued to Gibbar on Aug. 26, 2003,
discloses a Drink Vessel Holder comprising an upstanding circular
cross section side wall forming a collar, which may be cylindrical
or downwardly tapered, which is fixed to the upper surface of a
plate for receiving and holding a beverage container. The user does
not and likely cannot hold the beverage container in the resulting
beverage container well portion, and must therefore surrender
control of the beverage container to the plate. The user must lift
the beverage container up and out of the container sleeve in order
to drink from it, which would be inconvenient. Further, only a
limited number of shapes and sizes of beverage containers can be
seated in the beverage container sleeve. This limitation can only
be overcome by supplying different collars for different shapes and
sizes of beverage containers, a logistical difficulty. In this case
too, the beverage container is placed into an unstable and
top-heavy conditions that is amplified further with a tall beverage
container, which will cause the user to always be concerned about
its toppling over and making a mess. All of these limitations and
deficiencies make this design undesirable and awkward to use.
[0016] U.S. Design Pat. No. D473,757 S, issued to Schwartz on Apr.
29, 2003, discloses a Serving Tray comprising a tray having a
circular opening near its center, with a long slot extending from
the circular opening through the perimeter of the tray. The lip of
the circular opening is the highest point on the tray, the same
height as the reinforcing web members on the tray, with a lower
reinforcing rib running about the perimeter of the circular opening
along the bottom surface of the tray. The cup holder portion, being
near the center of the tray, does not allow the user to engage or
hold the beverage container with his hand and therefore, the user
must surrender control of the beverage container to the plate.
Further, the circular opening makes it suitable only for tapered or
stemmed beverage containers of limited sizes and any beverage
container except a stemmed glass can only be inserted through the
top of the opening and cannot be inserted into the cup holder from
the side. All these limitations reduce the utility and
marketability of this device.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,914, issued to Schmidt on Feb. 8, 2000,
discloses a Hors D'Oeuvre Tray comprising a food tray having a
circular opening about one-third of the distance across the face of
the tray for receiving a beverage container with a very wide
tapered slot running between the circular opening and the perimeter
of the tray. This design is optimally suited for use with a stemmed
beverage container, but the reference also indicates that a flat
bottom beverage container can be placed onto the flat surface
surrounding the circular opening. This design does not allow the
user to grip the beverage container and tray at the same time using
only one hand. Because the cup holder portion is circular, only a
limited number of sizes and shapes of beverage containers can be
used and if the beverage container does not fit into the circular
opening, then it must be balanced precariously on the adjacent flat
surface of the tray, which could result in spillage. Further, the
beverage container must be tapered from a larger top diameter to a
smaller bottom diameter, or this device cannot be used, thereby
diminishing its utility and its marketability.
[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,011, issued to Xu on Sep. 7, 1999,
discloses a Food Plate with Thumb and Beverage Container Apertures
for Gripping and Holding with One Hand comprising a tray with a
circular cup-receiving portion having a raised circular portion
with a hole at the center and a plurality of serrated lines 17
forming a plurality of triangular tab sections that are pressed
downward to form a cup holder portion of the plate relatively close
to an edge of the plate. The triangular tabs grip a beverage
container. The user is supposed to place his fingers about the
beverage container and his thumb through a thumb hole and onto the
top surface of the plate. This arrangement requires the user to
surrender control of his beverage container entirely when trying to
retrieve it because he must disengage his hand entirely from the
beverage container, remove his thumb from the thumb hole and then
reach around the plate and on top of the plate to grasp the
beverage container again. Further, as is the case with so many of
these devices, the beverage container holder is a circular hole,
which is only suitable for holding tapered cups of limited
diameters, since the beverage container must be tapered from a
larger top diameter to a smaller bottom diameter, or this device
cannot be used, thereby diminishing its utility and its
marketability.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,264, issued to Lipkowitz on Jun. 23,
1998 discloses a Wine Tasting Pallet having a cup-holder portion
with three circular holes of a relatively small diameter, which can
only receive a stemmed beverage container inserted through a slot
leading into the circular hole. This device will not accept a
normal sized beverage container and is specifically designed for
use with stemmed wine glasses only. Therefore, it clearly cannot
provide the utility of the present invention.
[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,678, issued to Chen on Mar. 17, 1998,
discloses a Two-In-One Paper Dish and Cup Holder comprising a tray
having a cup-holder portion at one end, which consists of a
circular aperture for receiving a beverage container. A flap forms
a bottom in the cup holder, which can be removed to accommodate a
lager cup. This device, however, can only hold tapered beverage
containers of limited size and shape and the user must surrender
control of the beverage container to the plate once it is placed
into the cup holder portion. Further, it is intended that to be
stable, the user must insert his thumb through a thumb hole and
rest his thumb on the top surface of the plate, making it awkward
to remove his hand from the tray. The user therefore cannot hold
the beverage container and the plate together at the same time
using one hand thereby decreasing the desirability and thus the
marketability of this device.
[0021] U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,593, issued to Wiens on Sep. 3, 1996,
discloses a combination food and Beverage Plate resembling a
painter's pallette and comprising a circular opening on one end for
holding a beverage cup. This flat bottom design does not hold the
beverage container in a stable manner and can only accept beverage
containers of limited sizes and dimensions. Furthermore, the user
must surrender control over the beverage container once it is
placed into the cup holder portion. This design requires that the
beverage container be placed into an unstable and top-heavy
condition that is made worse when tall beverage containers are
used, which causes the user to always be concerned about its
toppling over and making a mess. All of these limitations make this
design undesirable and awkward to use.
[0022] U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,070, issued to McSpadden on Sep. 13,
1994, discloses a Portable Food Tray with Cup Holder comprising a
raised cylindrical portion having side walls extending above the
floor of the tray for receiving a beverage container. The bottom
wall of the cup-holder portion is serrated for easy removal so that
the device can accommodate taller beverage containers. The area
adjacent to the side wall underneath the top surface of the tray is
void, allowing the user to grip the beverage container from
underneath the tray, which is awkward at best. Because the
resulting opening in the tray is circular and the upstanding sleeve
is cylindrical when the bottom wall of the cup holder portion is
removed, this design can only be used for tapered beverage
containers having circular cross sections and containers small
enough to fit into the circular opening. If the serrated portion of
the beverage sleeve is removed to accommodate a taller beverage
container, this design can only be used for a tapered beverage
container having a bottom diameter small enough to fit into the cup
holder portion and top diameter large enough to be captured by the
cup holder portion. The user cannot remove the beverage container
from the tray with the same hand that is holding the tray itself
without first transferring control of the tray and the beverage
container to the free hand, thereby forcing the user to surrender
direct control of the beverage container to the try. All of these
limitations diminish the desirability and hence marketability of
this design.
[0023] U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,750, issued to Moller on Feb. 9, 1993,
discloses a Party Dish, comprising a food tray having a circular
aperture for receiving a tapered beverage container in which the
bottom of the container has a smaller diameter than the top of the
container. The container holder portion is only the thickness of
the plate itself. A user must surrender control of the beverage
container to the plate when the beverage container is placed into
the cup holder, that is, only the plate controls the beverage
container and the user cannot hold the beverage container. Only
tapered beverage containers can be received in the circular hole
and they cannot be inserted into the hole from the side, only from
the top. Therefore, this device requires the user to carefully
insert and withdraw the beverage container vertically into and out
of the cup holder, thereby reducing both its utility and its
marketability.
[0024] U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,161, issued to Kimishima on Aug. 24,
1993, discloses a Device for Holding a Glass comprising a sleeve
enclosed at the bottom end that can hold a beverage container. The
device has a protrusion on one side at its top edge that includes a
loop through which a user can insert his thumb. When the thumb is
held vertically, the beverage container in the cup holder will lean
against the base of the user's thumb, thereby keeping the beverage
container upright. The user can then have the tip of the thumb and
his fingers free to grasp a wholly separate food plate. This device
does not combine a food plate and beverage container holder into a
single device; requires the user to assume and maintain an awkward
position with his hand and thumb; requires the user to cantilever
the food plate over his fingers, secured only by his thumb on the
top surface of the plate; and does not allow the user to maintain
in-contact control over his beverage container with one hand while
also holding the food plate in the same hand, which are all natural
functions of the present invention.
[0025] U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,743, issued to Costarella et al. On May
4, 1993, discloses a Drinking Vessel Supporting Plate for One Hand
comprising a plate having a circular aperture in its very center
with a uniform crown around the perimeter of the plate, creating a
corresponding circular channel about the aperture on the bottom of
the plate, which is intended to allow the user to balance the
entire plate on his fingertips. The user must surrender control of
the beverage container to the plate when the beverage container is
placed into the cup holder, that is, only the plate controls the
beverage container and the user cannot hold the beverage container
directly. Holding this device as intended is awkward and unnatural,
as no person regularly walks around at a social function with their
fingers pointing up and the hand elevated above the elbow. As is
the case with many of these devices, this design is both odd in
appearance and odd to use, thereby diminishing its utility and its
marketability.
[0026] All of the above designs suffer from problems that make them
unattractive or unusable for the purposes intended. None allows the
user to have contact with and complete control over the beverage
container at all times with one hand. They do not allow the user to
conveniently place the beverage container in a holder and remove it
from the holder with one and the same hand while maintaining
continuous contact with and control over the beverage container.
None can accommodate a wide variety of shapes and sizes and
non-uniform sizes of beverage containers. And they are often not
appropriate for every type of social setting where food and drink
may be served.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0027] Therefore, it is a principal objective of the present
invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving
portion that allows a user to hold a food plate and a beverage
container of a wide variety of shapes and sizes in one hand and to
remove or replace the beverage container from the food plate with
the same hand.
[0028] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that readily
allows a user to maintain constant contact with, and total control
over the beverage container at all times, even when engaging the
beverage container with the food plate portion of the device itself
and when disengaging the beverage container from the food plate
portion of the device, all the while using the same hand.
[0029] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that readily
accommodates a wide variety of shapes and sizes and non-uniform
sizes of beverage containers.
[0030] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that is easy
to hold, even when the plate is filled with food and the beverage
container is full by encouraging the user through its design to
place his index finger around the beverage container and on the top
surface of the plate, thereby avoiding a cantilevered load that
must be supported by the user's thumb in much of the prior art.
[0031] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can lie
flat on a flat surface, thereby increasing both the utility of the
device and the appearance of utility of the device, both of which
increase marketability of the device.
[0032] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that has a
pleasing esthetic appearance suitable for extended use while
interacting socially with others at any occasion or social setting
regardless of how formal or informal such occasion may be, thereby
increasing the universe of events for which it is suitable and its
esthetic appeal, both of which increase the marketability of the
device.
[0033] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that allows
the user to maintain secure control over the beverage container at
all times with one hand by holding the beverage container and the
food plate together at the same time using only one hand, and, when
holding the food plate portion alone with the other hand, engaging
the beverage container into the beverage receiving portion or
removing the beverage container from the beverage container
receiving portion with the other hand, increasing the user's sense
of security in handling both the beverage container and the food
plate, both of which increase the marketability of the present
invention.
[0034] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can be
stacked or nested with other food plates with beverage container
receiving portions of the same type.
[0035] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can be
manufactured inexpensively from a variety of suitable
materials.
[0036] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can be
placed on a flat level surface in a stable and level manner
parallel with the surface upon which it is placed and that can
therefore be used in the same manner as a standard conventional
plate, whether disposable or not.
[0037] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can be
used by either a right-hand user or a left-handed user with equal
convenience.
[0038] These and other objects of the present invention are
achieved by providing a food plate having a wide-mouth arcuate
recess at one edge, which may be a segment of a circle or some
other generally arcuate shape when viewed in a top view and in
which the preferred embodiment is a parabola. The wide-mouth
arcuate, preferably parabolic, recess is necessary to insure that a
wide variety of beverage container sizes and shapes can be brought
into close proximity with the food plate, so that both the food
plate and the beverage container can be held at the same time using
the same hand.
[0039] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following description taken in connection
with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of
illustration and example, the preferred embodiment of the present
invention and the best mode currently known to the inventor for
carrying out his invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0040] FIG. 1 is a left side view of a food plate with beverage
container receiving portion according to the present invention
shown in use with a beverage container having a tapered circular
cross-section sidewall;
[0041] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1 shown in
use.
[0042] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed
from the top with the right side closer to the viewer.
[0043] FIG. 4 is a cross section view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG.
3.
[0044] FIG. 5 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1.
[0045] FIG. 6 is an edge view of the device of FIG. 1 looking at
device toward the edge having the arcuate opening, i.e., a rear
view.
[0046] FIG. 7 is a left side view of the device of FIG. 1 shown in
use with a stemmed beverage container.
[0047] FIG. 8 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1.
[0048] FIG. 9 is a left side view of the device of FIG. 1.
[0049] FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top view of the device of FIG. 1
showing the device being used with a cylindrical beverage container
having a diameter similar in size to the opening of the mouth of
the beverage receiving recess.
[0050] FIG. 11 is a fragmentary top view of the device of FIG. 1
showing the device being used with a cylindrical beverage container
having a diameter smaller than the opening of the mouth of the
beverage receiving recess.
[0051] FIG. 12 is a bottom right-hand isometric view of the device
of FIG. 1.
[0052] FIG. 13 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an
alternative embodiment of the device of FIG. 1 employing gripping
friction ridges.
[0053] FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an
alternative embodiment of the device of FIG. 1 employing gripping
friction ridges.
[0054] FIG. 15 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of
the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the top with the right side closer
to the viewer employing a high friction gripping surface in the
beverage container receiving portion.
[0055] FIG. 16 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the
high friction gripping surface as in FIG. 15.
[0056] FIG. 17 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1 showing
an alternative embodiment of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction
ridges.
[0057] FIG. 18 is left side view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an
alternative embodiment of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction
ridges.
[0058] FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along lines 19-19 of FIG.
16 showing the rear surface of the depending skirt portion of the
device of FIG. 1.
[0059] FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed
from the top with the right side closer to the viewer showing an
alternative embodiment in which the arcuate recess has no depending
skirt or upstanding collar, relying on the edge of the arcuate
opening in the device for receiving a beverage container.
[0060] FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed
from the top with the right side closer to the viewer showing an
alternative embodiment in which the arcuate recess for receiving a
beverage container is bounded by an upstanding collar portion.
[0061] FIG. 22 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed
from the top with the right side closer to the viewer showing an
alternative embodiment in which the arcuate recess for receiving a
beverage container is bounded by a depending skirt portion and an
aligned upstanding collar portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0062] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 a food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 includes a food-holding plate portion 12
having a rim 14 about its perimeter. In FIG. 1, the left side of
the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 20 is
visible and in the FIG. 2, the right side is visible. The rim 14 is
upwardly convex, stiffening the plate portion 12 so that it can
bear more weight than could be borne by a flat sheet of the same
material and has an upper surface 15. The plate portion 12 includes
a downwardly and inwardly sloping side wall 16, further
strengthening the food plate with beverage container receiving
portion 20 and providing a bowl or the like having a bottom wall
18, which is flat or substantially flat, which is intended to hold
food or other items. The beverage container receiving portion 20,
formed integrally with the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10, includes a wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 and
a depending skirt portion 24 along the whole length of the arcuate
recess perimeter 26. The depending skirt portion 24 depends
downwardly at an angle lying in a range of 90.degree. to about
95.degree. relative to the general plane of said plate portion,
with an over-center angle on the depending skirt portion 24 being a
preferred embodiment and tending to project the lower or bottom
edge 51 of the depending skirt portion 24 outwardly, i.e.,
outwardly from the plate portion 12, with the preferred angle being
about 3.degree. over-center, which facilitates stacking or nesting
multiple units and facilitates usage.
[0063] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 the user's right hand 28 is shown
using the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 20
by curling his fingers about the beverage container 30, with his
index finger 32 wrapped about the beverage container 30 above and
in contact with the beverage container receiving portion 20 of the
food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, his middle
finger 34 wrapped about the beverage container 30 below and in
contact with the food plate with beverage container receiving
portion 10, his ring finger 36 similarly engaged in the normal
manner with the beverage container 30 below the food plate with
beverage container receiving portion 10 and in contact with his
middle finger 34 and his pinkie finger 38 curled up along the
bottom wall 40 of the beverage container 30. Alternatively, the
pinkie finger 38 can be aligned with the other fingers. The user's
thumb 42 is opposed to the fingers 32, 34, 36 and 38 in the usual
manner and grips the beverage container 30. The fingers 32, 34, 36
and possibly 38, together with the thumb 42 clamp the beverage
container 30 against the skirt portion 24, deforming and bending
the skirt portion 24 to more or less conform to the shape of the
beverage container 30, although only two points or lines of contact
between the beverage container 30 and the skirt portion 24 are
needed to achieve a firm and secure hold on both the food plate
with beverage container receiving portion 10 and the beverage
container 30. A beverage container 30 having a diameter less than
the smallest arc in the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22
will have only one point or line of contact with the portion 20,
while a beverage container 30 having a diameter greater that the
smallest arc in the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 will
have two points or lines of contact, as described in more detail
below in connection with FIGS. 7, 10, 11.
[0064] Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 5, the rim 14 includes a perimeter
44 and a parallel first embossed groove 46 and a second parallel
embossed groove 48, defining the junction between food holding
plate portion 12 and the side wall 16 for increased rigidity and to
define a tunnel 45 (as best seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 12) that the
user inserts a finger into, preferably and naturally the middle
finger 34. In the preferred embodiment, the tunnel 45 is a gap
between the depending skirt portion 24 and the plate portion 12, as
defined by the arcuate top edge or ridge 49 along the length of the
wide-mouth arcuate opening 22, which is arcuate, but is not
circular or semi-circular, but is preferably a parabola, or which
may resemble a parabola, which is essential for accommodating
beverage containers of various sizes and shapes, since only one or
two points of actual natural contact, that is, prior to any
deformation of the skirt portion 24 by the user's hand 28, which
causes the points of contact to become lines of contact, is
required in order for a user to securely hold the beverage
container against the skirt portion 24. In the preferred
embodiment, the parabolic wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 is defined
by the general equation y=ax.sup.2+bx+c, where a, b and c are
constants and the x and y values define the resulting shape of the
parabola. This equation can be simplified by setting b and c equal
to -0-, resulting in the equation y=ax.sup.2. In the preferred
embodiment, the value for x at the intersection point of the
perimeter and the recess perimeter 76 is equal to one-half of the
width of the arcuate opening 47, falling within a range of about
3-5 cm (1.18-1.97 inch) with the preferred distance being 3.96 cm
(1.56 inch). In the preferred embodiment, the value for y at the
intersection point of the perimeter and the recess perimeter 76 is
equal to the depth of the arcuate opening 74, which falls within
with a range of about 2-5 cm (0.78-1.96 inch), with the preferred
depth being 3.5 cm (1.38 inches). These values for x and y may be
larger or smaller in any direction to create a wide-mouth arcuate
opening 22 of any desired size and shape, but the preferred values
for x and y create a wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 that is well
suited for most sizes and shapes of beverage containers. Entering
the preferred values for x and y into the simplified equation for a
parabola yields a preferred value for "a" equal to 0.223 cm.sup.-1
(0.57 inch.sup.-1). Likewise, entering values for x in the range of
3-5 cm and values for y in the range of 2-5 cm into the simplified
equation for a parabola yields a value for "a" within the range of
0.08-0.555 cm.sup.-1 (0.2-1.41 inch.sup.-1). Thus the preferred
embodiment for the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 is a parabola
defined by the equation y=ax.sup.2, where "a"=0.223 cm.sup.-1 (0.57
inch.sup.-1). Expressed alternatively, the width of the wide-mouth
arcuate opening 22 presents an angle 43 about the perimeter 44
lying in a range of about 30.degree.-95.degree. of the perimeter
44, of a circular plate, with the preferred arc of the opening 22
being 56.degree.. The wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 must be
approximately within the prescribed range in order to allow
beverage containers of widely varying size to be received and
seated in the arcuate recess that forms the beverage container
receiving portion 20. Too small an opening will not allow certain
beverage containers to be received and too large an opening will
prevent meaningful contact between the food plate with beverage
container receiving portion 10 and a beverage container. In any
case, of course the opening 22 must be wider than the diameter of
any beverage container that the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 can receive. This structure allows the user to
easily hold the top and bottom surfaces of the tunnel 54 easily,
thereby securing the beverage container 30 against the food plate
with beverage container receiving portion 10. Alternatively, the
arcuate opening 47 may be a segment of a circle or other shape that
presents a mouth and an opening that allows a beverage container to
be moved into contact with a recess in the plate 10. The tunnel 45
is parallel to and coextensive with the depending skirt portion 24.
As best seen in FIG. 3, the skirt portion 24 of the beverage
receiving portion 20 is tapered slightly outward from the
food-holding plate portion 12 from its top edge, or ridge, 49 to
its bottom edge 51, which allows the skirt portion 24 to
accommodate tapered beverage containers 30 more readily, but is not
absolutely required since the skirt portion 24 in the preferred
embodiment is moderately flexible and deformable under slight force
from the user. The desirable outward and downward taper is in a
range of 2.degree.-10.degree., with the preferred taper being about
3.degree. over perpendicular from the general plane of the bottom
wall 18. This small taper in the depending skirt portion 24
provides increased strength, thereby keeping the plate portion 12
flat when the weight of the food is added to the plate portion
12.
[0065] As seen in FIGS. 4, 6, 8, 9, the lower edge 46 of the skirt
portion 24 is even with and defines a straight line with the lower
surface 50 of the bottom wall 18 of the plate portion 12, insuring
that the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10
will lie level when placed on a flat surface. That is, the bottom
edge 51 of the depending skirt portion 24 and a bottom surface 51
of said plate portion 12 extend below the rim 14 of said plate by
the same distance, whereby the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 will lie level when placed on a flat level
surface. Alternatively, the skirt portion may be longer than the
depth of the food plate portion if a shallower food portion is
desired, or if a longer skirt is desired, but it has been found
that the preferred embodiment is stable and level when placed on a
flat level surface, which provides the user with a sense of
security regarding the beverage container in using the food plate
with beverage container receiving portion 10, secure in the
understanding that food is not going to fall from the food plate 10
and liquids in the plate portion 12 are not going to spill when the
food plate 10 is set down on a flat horizontal surface, such as a
table, thereby increasing the esthetic appeal and the marketability
of the food plate 10. Further, as best seen in FIG. 4, the
perimeter 44, upper surface 15 and the top edge 49 of the skirt
portion 24 lie along a straight line parallel to the bottom wall 18
of the plate portion 12, so the top edge of the food plate with
beverage container receiving portion 10 is straight across the food
plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, making it
parallel to the line defined by the bottom edges or surfaces of the
food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, providing
a pleasing symmetry.
[0066] Referring to FIG. 7, the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 is shown in use with a stemmed wine glass 52,
showing how readily the skirt portion 24 allows for easy gripping
of a beverage container 52 having a diameter much smaller than the
root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening of the beverage container
receiving portion 22. In this case, the thumb 42 clamps the stem of
the wine glass 54 against the arcuate recess perimeter 26 using the
same grip as shown in FIG. 1. Although the thumb 42 as shown in
FIG. 7 is located substantially closer to the arcuate recess
perimeter 26 when compared to the location of the thumb 42 shown in
FIG. 1, the direction and orientation of the thumb 42 and the
fingers 32, 24, 26 and 38 are the same regardless of the size of
the beverage container 30, 52 or 62 being held in the receiving
portion 22.
[0067] Referring to FIG. 10, a cylindrical beverage container 56,
having a much larger diameter than the beverage container 30 in
FIG. 1 is shown, with a diameter of about 8.3 cm (3.28 inches). In
this case, the beverage container 56 has two points of contact, 58,
60, with the depending skirt portion 24 of the arcuate recess
perimeter 26, which may become lines of contact if the skirt
portion 24 is deformed, with the arcuate recess perimeter 26 being
tangential to the cylindrical beverage container 56, resulting in a
gap 82 at the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 of the
preferred embodiment that is approximately 0.8 cm (0.31 inch) and a
gap 90 at the intersection point of the perimeter and the recess
perimeter 76 that is approximately 0.09 cm (0.035 inch). These are
sufficient to allow the beverage container 56 and the food plate
with beverage container receiving portion 10 to be held together
securely and easily, just as is shown in FIG. 1.
[0068] Referring to FIG. 11, a substantially smaller beverage
container 62 having a diameter of about 7.25 cm (2.87 inches), is
shown in contact with the arcuate recess perimeter 26. In this
case, the beverage container 62 has two points of contact 78, 80
with the depending skirt portion 24 of the arcuate recess perimeter
26, which are in a different location than the location of the
points of contact 58, 60 showing in FIG. 10. The two points of
contact 78, 80 between the beverage container 62 and the depending
skirt portion 24 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 will become
lines of contact if the depending skirt portion 24 is deformed,
with the arcuate recess perimeter 26 being tangential to the
cylindrical beverage container 56, resulting in a gap 84 at the
root of the wide-mouth accurate opening 22, that is approximately
0.43 cm (0.17 inch), and a gap 92 at the intersection point of the
perimeter and the recess perimeter 76 that is approximately 0.37 cm
(0.146 inch). These gaps are sufficient to allow the beverage
container 62 and the food plate with beverage container receiving
portion 10 to be held together securely and easily, just as shown
in FIG. 1 with a much larger beverage container 30.
[0069] The basic shape of the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 is not essential and it may be made in any
desirable convenient shape, e.g., oval, octagonal, square, and so
forth. Various types and numbers of embossed lines, side walls and
so forth may be employed for stiffening if desired. It may be made
from plastic, pressed paper or paperboard, or any other suitable
material. It may be made by any convenient means, including, for
example, molding, pressing, and so forth. The skirt portion may
include one or more slits to facilitate its flexibility. The
thickness of the material of the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 may be uniform, but the beverage container
receiving portion may be thicker for greater strength if
desired.
[0070] Referring to FIG. 12 a bottom view of the tunnel 45 is
shown.
[0071] Referring to FIGS. 13, 14, an alternative embodiment of the
food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 includes an
upper surface left side patch of friction ridges 64 and an upper
surface right side patch of friction ridges 66 on the top surface
31 of the beverage container receiving portion 20. Corresponding
bottom left and right patches of friction ridges 68, 70
respectively are formed on the bottom surface 33 of the beverage
container receiving portion 20, as shown in FIG. 14. These friction
ridges, which consist of a plurality of friction ridges, may be
integrally formed by means of molding, pressing, or the like or by
any other known process, such as, for example, adhering a separate
friction material on the top surface 31 or the bottom surface 33 of
the beverage container receiving portion 20. As shown, the opposing
surfaces, that is, the left side patches of friction ridges 64, 68
have identical shapes and sizes, as do the right side patches 66,
70. Alternatively, such patches of friction ridges may be formed on
only the top surface or bottom surface, or may have different sizes
and shapes on the upper surface or bottom surface, or may be
continuous along the top surface 31 or the bottom surface 33. The
friction ridges 64, 66, 68, 70 are located adjacent to the ends 25,
27 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26.
[0072] Referring to FIGS. 15, 16, a high friction open celled
plastic friction strip 72, or other high friction strip, is
integrally formed or affixed to the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22
side of the depending skirt portion 24 of the beverage container
receiving portion 20. The friction strip 72 may be integrally
formed by means of molding, or the like, or by any other know
process such as adhering a separate friction strip 72 to the
wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 of the depending skit portion 24 of
the beverage container receiving portion 20. The friction strip 72
may be made from particles or from an open or a closed cell foam
plastic material, or may be a plurality of friction ridges molded
into the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10.
The friction strip 72 increases the contact area and friction
between the skirt portion 24 and any beverage container, thereby
requiring less force by the user to maintain a secure grip on the
beverage container and the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10. Alternatively, the friction strip 72 may
occupy only a portion of the skirt portion 24 or may consist of two
or more segments distributed along the skirt portion 24.
[0073] Referring to FIGS. 17, 18, 19, in an alternative embodiment,
as shown in FIG. 17, friction ridges 86 are formed along the outer
surface 88 of the depending skirt portion 24 along its right-hand
rear surface 87 and, as shown in FIG. 18, in the same alternative
embodiment, the friction ridges 86 are shown along the left-hand
rear surface of the depending skirt portion 24 and these friction
ridges continue about the whole of the rear surface 88 of the
depending skirt portion 24, as shown in FIG. 19. The structure of
all the friction ridges or surfaces 64, 66, 68, 70, 86 serve to
facilitate gripping the plate, thereby providing a user with a
sense that the plate is studier and provides a more secure grip,
thereby increasing user perception of quality of the device and
thereby increasing marketability of the plate.
[0074] Referring to FIG. 20, an alternative embodiment of the food
plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 relies on the
edge 90 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 to receive the beverage
container 30, 52, 56 or 62, that is, there is no depending skirt or
the like. In this embodiment, the user will hold the beverage
container 30, 52, 56 or 62 and secure it by having his index finger
on the top surface of the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 and his middle finger against the lower
surface of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion
10.
[0075] Referring to FIG. 21, there is shown an alternative
embodiment of the food plate with beverage container receiving
portion 10 that includes an upstanding collar portion 92 that rises
above the general plane of the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10. The upstanding collar portion 92 replaces the
depending skirt portion 24 in this embodiment and follows the
arcuate perimeter 26 of the arcuate opening 22 in the same fashion
as the preferred depending skirt portion 24. In use of this
alternative embodiment, typically the user's index finger 32 is
wrapped around the collar portion 92 and the beverage container to
hold both items securely.
[0076] Referring to FIG. 22, another alternative embodiment of the
food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 includes
both an upstanding collar portion 92 and the depending skirt
portion 24, which are vertically aligned to produce an effectively
single vertical member. The upstanding collar portion 92 rises
above the general plane of the rim 14 of the food plate with
beverage container receiving portion 10 by a distance that is
preferably the same as the distance that the depending skirt
portion 24 is below the general plane of the rim 14 of the food
plate with beverage container receiving portion 10. The upstanding
collar portion 92 is aligned with the depending skirt portion 24
and extends throughout entire length of the arcuate recess
perimeter 26, although either or both of the depending skirt
portion 24 and the upstanding collar portion 92 could occupy only
one or more segments of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 and still
function adequately. The upstanding collar portion 92 can be
covered with a friction surface on either surface, if desired. The
upstanding collar portion 92 on the food plate with beverage
container receiving portion 10 increases the surface area that a
user will utilize in holding a beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62
by providing a gripping surface for holding the beverage container
30, 52, 56 or 62 both above and below the rim 14 of the food plate
with beverage container receiving portion 10, which will normally
utilize the users index finger 32 to hold the beverage container
30, 52, 56 or 62 above the rim 14 and his middle finger 34 to hold
the beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62 below the rim 14, making
for a very secure grip.
[0077] In the preferred method of use of the preferred embodiment
as shown, for example in FIG. 3, the user will move the beverage
container into the arcuate recess of the plate 10 until the
beverage container engages the depending skirt portion 24,
preferably sliding the index finger 32 along the arcuate recess
perimeter 26 of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 along the top
surface 31 and preferably sliding the middle finger 34 along the
bottom surface 33 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 into and
through the tunnel 45, thereby gripping the depending skirt portion
24 along its rear surface 88 (as best seen in FIG. 19). Thus, the
tunnel 45 receives and accommodates the middle finger 34, but may
also accommodate any or all of a user's fingers. In this
configuration, the index finger 32 and the middle finger 34 are
adjacent to each other in the normal curled disposition of the
hand, and are separated only by the thickness of the plate 10
material, which is minimal. Thus, the posture of the hand 28,
whether the left hand or the right hand, is entirely natural and
comfortable. The user's index finger 32, ring finger 36 and pinkie
finger 38 preferably remain in contact with the beverage container
30, 56, or 62 at all times, that is, before, during and after
engagement of the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 with the
depending skirt portion 24 in the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22,
with only the middle finger 34 being partially removed from contact
with the beverage container 30, 56, 62 in order for it to contact
the depending skirt 24, thereby insuring that the user retains
complete and continuous control over the beverage container 30, 56
or 62 throughout the process of securing the beverage container 30,
56, or 62 against the plate 10 and removing the beverage container
30, 56, or 62 from contact with the food plate with beverage
container receiving portion 10. Importantly, the user's thumb 42
grips the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 in opposition to the
fingers 32, 34-38 in the normal gripping position, thereby insuring
a continuous firm and secure grip on both the beverage container
30, 56, or 62 and on the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 at the same time. The depending skirt portion
24 is moderately deformable and flexible and can be moderately
deformed by the user's grip during use due to the materials
normally used in the manufacture of disposable plates and saucers,
and although this characteristic may improve the performance of the
food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, this
characteristic is not required for the successful use of the food
plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, which can be
used easily and successfully without any deformation of the
depending skirt portion 24.
[0078] Referring again to FIGS. 15, 17, 18, in an alternative
embodiment, the a thickened portion 35 on the right side of the
arcuate recess perimeter 26 adjacent to the wide-mouth arcuate
opening is provided along the top surface 31 and a corresponding
thickened portion 39 on the left side of the arcuate recess
perimeter 26 adjacent to the wide-mouth arcuate opening is provided
along the top surface 31. These thickened portions 35, 39 increase
the structural strength of the beverage container receiving portion
of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and
increase the user's perception of the utility and quality of the
device 10, thereby increasing its marketability. That is, the
thickened portions 35, 39 increase the structural strength and
facilitates gripping the plate, providing a user with a sense that
the plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of the
plate.
[0079] In use, the user of the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 will alternate between holding the food plate
with beverage container receiving portion 10 with a beverage
container 30, 56, or 62 engaged with the wide-mouth arcuate opening
22 at the same time using the same hand, or holding the beverage
container 30, 56, or 62 in one hand and the food plate with
beverage container receiving portion 10 in the other hand. When the
beverage container 30, 56, or 62 and the food plate with beverage
container receiving portion 10 are held together in one hand, the
other hand is free to use for eating from the plate 12 or for other
actives. To drink from the beverage container 30, 56, or 62, the
user will take hold of the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 using the hand that is opposite of the hand
holding the beverage container 30, 56 or 62 and the plate 10,
allowing the user to disengage the beverage container 30, 56, or 62
from the plate 10 so that the contents of the beverage container
30, 56, or 62 can be consumed. Thus, the user has complete and
direct contact with and control over the beverage container at all
times during use of the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 and never surrenders control over the beverage
container 30, 56 or 62. These actions are all completely natural,
seamless and intuitive for the user.
[0080] In use, the food plate with beverage container receiving
portion 10 allows the user to securely hold any of a wide variety
of shapes and sizes of beverage containers, while at the same time
easily engaging or disengaging the beverage container 30 or the
like to and from the food plate with beverage container receiving
portion 10 without surrendering direct control of the beverage
container 30 or the like. Thus, while holding the beverage
container 30 or the like and the food plate with beverage container
receiving portion 10 together with the same hand, the other hand is
free to shake hands with other patrons of an event, or to pickup
and eat food from the food plate with beverage container receiving
portion 10, or to do otherwise with the free hand.
[0081] While the present invention has been described in accordance
with the preferred embodiments thereof, the description is for
illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the scope
of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
* * * * *