PLATE WITH MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND HOLDING A CUP

ASSIETTE PORTE-VERRE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
A novel plate or dish for receiving and holding a cup
is disclosed and is particularly suitable at picnics, with take-
out meal services and when eating on moving vehicles such as
planes or trains. Further, the plates or dishes of this
invention and which include means for receiving and holding a cup
can be made, if desired, of any disposable material and can be
conveniently stacked one on top of the other for storage
purposes. The means for receiving and holding a cup located on
the plate or dish is in the form of an opening, or a recessed
surface of a raised surface on the plate or dish, or a
combination thereof. As an opening, it is preferably circular
so as to receivingly engage a conical cup; the circular opening
preferably being provided on a raised surface of the plate. The
plate may also be divided into several sections by means of
partition bars so that different food items, in addition to the
cup, can be placed in different compartments on the plate.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A plate comprising means for receiving and holding a cup,
said cup receiving and holding means being in the form of an
opening, or a recessed surface of a raised surface on the
plate, or a combination thereof.
2. A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cup receiving
and holding means is a round opening.
3. A plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein said round opening
for receiving and holding a cup is provided on a raised
surface of the plate.
4. A plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein said round opening
for receiving and holding a cup is provided on a recessed
surface of a raised surface of the plate, and wherein an
annular flat surface is provided between said round opening
and said raised surface.
5. A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cup receiving
and holding means is formed by a recessed surface of a
raised surface which is some what higher than the surface of
the plate.
6. A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate is
divided into several sections by means of several
partition bars.
7. A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion
between the raised surface and the bottom surface is tapered
into a conical surface.

Description

20~7604
PLATE WITH MEANS FOR RECEI_ING QND HOLDING A CUP
BACKGROUND QF THE INVENrION
The present invention relates to an inncvation of
tableware, in particular to an innovation of tablew~re such
as plates and dishes.
The plate or dish (~lereinafter refer to a plate
only) is the most generally used kind of tableware. It is
usually used for a single purpose. There are, of course
trays used in carrying cups, however, the cups are simply
put on these trays. The forms and function of these trays
are same as those of the single purpose plates. In case
picnics and dinner parties are held or when dinners are
taken in an aeroplane, on a train, or other vehicles, there
are usually no tables. Even if there may be dinner tables in
such case, the tables are ~lways very small. When use~s need
to have their dinner in a constantly moving condition, they
have to hold the plate with food in one hand. It is very
inconvenient for the user to have a cup full of drink in
hand. If the cup is put in the plate, the food is likely to
contact and make the cup dirty. Moreover, wherl the user
walks with the plate in hand, the cup, especially a tall
cup, is likely to fall off, or the drink is likely to spill
out from the cup.
Summar~ of tlle inventLon
the object of the present in-entiorl is to provide
the users with a kind of plates in which the cup ma~ be
rationally received and held in the plate to meet the needs
of cup holding on picnics, dinner parties and dinners taken
in traveling vehicles.
The invention is c~laracteri~e(l in that a means for
receiving and holding a cul~ is F~lov;de(l in the plate. Such
means for receiving and lloldill~ the c~ ay ~e in a variety
of forms. It may be an opening or a boss having a sunken
surface or a combination of ttlese two forms.
Brief descriPtion of the drawin~_
preferred embodiments of the invention will now be
described by way of examples with referencé to the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
fig. 1 Is a perspective view of an embodimerlt of
the plate according to the invention, with a cup in a raised
position,
fig. 2 Is a perspective view of the plate as shown
in fig. 1, With a cup being received an~ ~leld itl the plate,
,

2067604
fig. 3 Is a fraglllerltary section~l view of the cup
receiving portion oL the plate,
fig. ~ Is a perspective view of a second
embodiment of the plate according to the invention, with a
cup being shown in phantom lines for illustrative purpose,
fig. 5 Is a perspective view Or a second
embodimen-t of the plate according to the invention, with
another kind of cup being shown in phantom lines for
illustrative purpose,
fig. 6 Is a fragmentary sectional view of the cup
receiving portion of the plates shown in figs. 4 And 5,
fig. 7 Is a perspective view of a plate with cup
receiving portion and food partitioning ribs; and
fig. 8 Is a perspective view of the plate shown in
fig.7, with a cup being received and held in the plate.
Detailed descri~)tion of the Preferred embodiment_
referring now in more detail to the drawings, in
which like reference numerals represent like parts
throughout the drawings, fi~s. 1, 2 And 3 show a first
embodiment of the invention while fig. 4, 5 And 6 show a
second embodiment of the inverltion.
Referring to figs. 1, 2 ~nd 3, the outstanding
feature of the plate 1 involved in this invention is that a
receiving means or seat for a cup 2 is provided on the plate
1. This seat for the cup may be in n variety of forms. It
may be an opening ~ or a raised surface or boss 3 having a
surlken surface or recess 6 or a conlbillatiorl of these two
forms .
The sent carl also be (~c-.si~ ell lo xuit either cups
for general use or cups for special use. lf` it is to be
designed to suit cups for general use, I.e. The cups 2 with
the top diameter larger than the bottom diameter, the cup
seat can be designed to be a round openillg 4, the diameter
of which is larger than the bottom diameter and smaller than
the top diameter of the cup 2. It is generally desi~ned to
be able to clamp the upper part of the cup 2 wllen it is in
use.
That is to say, when the plate 1 is bein~ held in
hand, the center of gravity of the cup 2 with drink is near
or under the plate surface. Wherl ttle harld holding the plate
1 is near the cup Z, the case will be similar to that wher
the cup 2 is held by the harld. Wherl l;lle I~Late 1 is put down,
it will be the cup 2, which first conles into contact with
the floor (or the table surface). Wherl the plate 1 is taken
up, it will be the plate 1 whicll rises first and the cup 2

20676~
. . .
which is clamped a~terwards. Any possible inclination will
have no influence on -the cup 2, and will not cause spilling
out of drink from the cup 2.
If the food on the plate l has juice, then in
order to prevent the cup 2 from being polluted by the ~juice
and the iuice from flowing out th~ough ~he round opening 4,
the opening 4 is provided on the boss 3 protruding upward
from the bottom of the plate l.
If the suitability for cups 2' with equal or
larger bottom diameter is desired, then in order to enlarge
the range of applications of the plate l, the round opening
4' of the plate l', as shown in figs. 4, 5 And 6, is
provided on the sunken surface or recess 6 of the raised
surface or boss 3'. Between the round opening 4' and the
boss 3', an annular flat surface is formed, in which a short
cup, for example, a coffee cup may be fixed.
If the plate l' is mainly used for short cups with
ears, or cups with equal or nearly e~ual top and bottom
diameters, then the opening is not necessary. It is
sufficient to have a boss simply with a sunken (usually a
round) surface.
All the space on the plate except the round
opening may be used to contain food. lhe space may be
designed to have different forms and be separated into
several portions by means of partition bars. If the plate is
made of paper or plastic, tt1ese l~nrtitlon bnrs n~ay be in the
form of reinforced ribs 5 to improve the rigidity of the
plate, as shown in figs. 7 And 8.
For the above-mentioned p~ate, tl~e seats may be
designed to fit a special purpose C~ S nnd the opening, the
boss and the sunken surface can be designed to have
different forms without departirlg Irolll the scope of the
present invention.
As the plate of the present invention is mainly
used for serving picnics, dinner parties, self-serve dinners
and dinners taken in traveling vetlicles, it is, in most
cases, a kind of disposable tableware, stamped or suction
moulded from paper or plastic. All tt1e parts protruding out
from the plate such as the bosses, partition ribs and edges
are made in tapered form. Thus the area of the t~op surface
of the plate is far larger than that of the bottom surface
of the plate.
Such construction tlas ttlree advarltages, namely: l.
Convenience in takin~ dinner, readiness for cleaning; 2. The
work piece is easy to be released ~rom the dies during
manufacture; 3. These plates are easily piled-up in storage
because of their taper formed construction.
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20S760~
However these are not the most important
advantages. Therefore this invention does neither repel
other food containing plates made of iron material using
other technology of manufacture nor the plates used
repeatedly in other cases.
This invention provides the users, who hold dinner
parties, picnics, take self-serve dinners and dine on a
traveling vehicle, with a kind of plates which has good
function of adaption to the cups. The manufacture
technology of the plate is very simple, whilst the cost of
manufacture is very low. The construction of the plate is
rational and it is convenient to pile up the plates for
storage. These plates are particularly suitable as
disposable tableware.
,.~

Representative Drawing