CUP HOLDER FOR A PLATE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to disposable tableware, and more particularly, to a cup holder for a plate.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

A widely used practice at many parties and social functions is to serve a guest food items on a plate along with a beverage in a cup. If a table or other horizontal support surface is unavailable, the guest may try using the hand that is holding the cup to move food from the plate to his or her mouth. In addition, the guest may sometimes attempt to balance the cup on the plate to free one hand for eating or some other purpose. Such practices tend to be awkward and can frequently result in spillage or other undesirable consequences. The same type of situation is encountered at sporting and other entertainment events where people consume refreshments with no table nearby regardless of whether they may be standing or sitting while eating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plate includes a cup holder located on a bottom of the plate and substantially near a center of the plate, the cup holder having a cylindrical shape for receiving a top portion of a cup so that when the top portion of the cup is inserted into the cup holder, the cup and the plate are substantially secured to each other when the cup is in an upright position.

The plate may be disposable. The plate may be made of styrofoam, plastic or paper. The cup may be disposable. The cup may be made of styrofoam, plastic or paper. The plate may be made of porcelain, stoneware, glass, wood or carved stone. The cup may be made of porcelain, stoneware, glass, wood or carved stone. The plate may have an oval, triangular, square, rectangular, star or semicircular shape.

A top of the plate may include a raised rail along its perimeter for preventing food from falling off the plate. The cup holder may have a depth of about a sixteenth of an inch to about two inches. The cup holder may include a catch for fastening to an upper lip of the cup.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plate includes a cup connector located on a bottom of the plate and substantially near a center of the plate, the cup connector having a cylindrical shape for receiving a top portion of a cup so that when the top portion of the cup is inserted into the cup connector, the cup and the plate are substantially secured to each other when the cup is held in an upright position.

The plate may be disposable. When the plate is disposable, it may be made of styrofoam, plastic or paper. The cup may be disposable. When the cup is disposable, it may be made of styrofoam, plastic or paper. The cup connector may have a depth of about a sixteenth of an inch to about two inches.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plate includes a cup holder formed integrally into a bottom of the plate and substantially near a center of the plate, the cup holder having a cylindrical shape for receiving a top portion of a cup so that when the top portion of the cup is inserted into the cup holder, the cup and the plate are substantially secured to each other when the cup is in an upright position.

The cup holder includes a catch for fastening to an upper lip of the cup. The cup holder has a depth of about a sixteenth of an inch to about two inches.

The foregoing features are of representative embodiments and are presented to assist in understanding the invention. It should be understood that they are not intended to be considered limitations on the invention as defined by the claims, or limitations on equivalents to the claims. Therefore, this summary of features should not be considered dispositive in determining equivalents. Additional features of the invention will become apparent in the following description, from the drawings and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cup holder for a plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cup holder and the plate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the plate of FIG. 1;

FIG.4 A is a side view of the cup holder and the plate of FIG. 1 before being merged with a cup according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a side view of the cup holder and the plate of FIG. 1 after being merged with the cup of FIG. 4 A according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a cup holder for a plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a cup holder for a plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of a cup holder for a plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cup holder 120 for a plate 110 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the plate 110 on which food is served includes the cup holder 120 on a bottom thereof. The plate 110, which is concave but mainly flat, also includes a raised edge or rail 130 formed along its perimeter to prevent food from falling off the plate 110.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the plate 110 including the cup holder 120 and FIG. 3 is atop view of the plate 110. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plate 110 is circular. The plate 110 may have, for example, a nine inch outer diameter (indicated by the outer circle or edge) and, for example, a six-and-a-half inch inner diameter (indicated by either of the inner dashed circles). The cup holder 120 is cylindrical and may have, for example, a two to five inch inner diameter. A depth D of the cup holder 120 may be, for example, about a sixteenth of an inch to about two inches. It is to be understood, however, that the depth D may be of any length that is appropriate for the purpose of adequately holding a cup and the plate 110 together.

It is also understood that although inner and outer diameters have been presented for the plate 110, these are for exemplary purposes only and the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the inner diameter of the cup holder 120 is not limited to the exemplary size presented. For example, the inner diameter of the cup holder 120 could further vary according to an outer diameter of a top portion of a cup that may be inserted into the cup holder 120 as will be discussed hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 4 A and 4B. Further, the cup holder 120 may have a shape that is suitable to the shape of a cup it is

designed to receive. Thus, for example, the cup holder 120 may be square, rectangular or oval so that it can receive cups having respective shapes.

It is further understood that although the cup holder 120 is shown as being located substantially near a center of the plate 110, it is contemplated that the cup holder 120 can be located in other positions not near the center of the plate 110 but that are suitable for enabling the plate 110 to be sufficiently balanced when a cup is inserted into the cup holder 120.

It should also be understood that although the plate 110 is shown as having a circular shape, the plate 110 may have a variety of shapes. For example, the plate 110 may have an oval, triangular, square, rectangular, star or semicircular shape. In addition, the top of the plate 110 may include a variety of segregated areas formed by recesses or by raised inner borders for enabling different types of foods to be stored therein.

Further, it is to be understood that, when in disposable form, the plate 110 and the cup holder 120 may be formed of a variety materials, including, but not limited to, styrofoam, plastic and paper. When not disposable form, the plate 110 and the cup holder 120 may be formed of porcelain, stoneware, glass, wood or carved stone.

The plate 110 and the cup holder 120 may be formed integrally or separately and then joined together.

FIGS. 4 A and 4B are side views of the plate 110 and the cup holder 120 before and after being merged with a cup 140 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the cup 140, which has an outer diameter at a top portion thereof that is suitably sized to fit into the inner diameter of the cup holder 120, is in an

upright position. The cup 140 may be placed in the upright position by a person who simply holds the cup 140 in one of their hands. Once the cup 140 is in the upright position, the person may maneuver the plate 110 using their other hand and position the plate 110 over the cup 140 so that the cup 140 may be inserted into the cup holder 120. Once in the cup holder 120 (as shown in FIG. 4B), the person may use their free hand (the hand not holding the cup 140 and the plate 110) to engage in a variety of activities such as eating food off the plate 110, opening a door or shaking another person's hand.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a cup holder 520 for a plate 510 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the cup holder 520 includes a catch 530 for fastening to an upper lip 540 of a cup 550 so that the cup 550 may be further secured to the plate 510 when the cup 550 is inserted into the cup holder 520.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a cup holder 620 for a plate 610 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the cup holder 620 is similarly shaped to the cup holder 120; however, here the cup holder 620 is formed integrally into the bottom of the plate 610.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a cup holder 720 for a plate 710 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the cup holder 720 includes a catch 730 for fastening to an upper Hp 740 of a cup 750 so that the cup 750 may be further secured to the plate 710 when the cup 750 is inserted into the cup holder 720.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a cup holder for a plate enables a person to easily hold a plate of food and a cup that is full of a beverage in one hand at the same time. By enabling a person to hold the plate and the cup in one hand, their other hand is free to engage in a variety of activities as described above. In addition,

by placing the cup under the plate, the bottom of the plate prevents spillage of the contents of the cup. Further, by including a raised rail on the sides of the plate, the spillage of food is also prevented.

It is contemplated that the cup holder for a plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will find use in a variety of food serving activities such as casual indoor dining, outdoor cookouts or barbeques and sporting events.

It should be understood that the above description is only representative of illustrative embodiments. For the convenience of the reader, the above description has focused on a representative sample of possible embodiments, a sample that is illustrative of the principles of the invention. The description has not attempted to exhaustively enumerate all possible variations. That alternative embodiments may not have been presented for a specific portion of the invention, or that further undescribed alternatives may be available for a portion, is not to be considered a disclaimer of those alternate embodiments. Other applications and embodiments can be implemented without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is therefore intended, that the invention not be limited to the specifically described embodiments, because numerous permutations and combinations of the above and implementations involving non-inventive substitutions for the above can be created, but the invention is to be defined in accordance with the claims that follow. It can be appreciated that many of those undescribed embodiments are within the literal scope of the following claims, and that others are equivalent.