GB2259239A

GB2259239A - A plate with means for receiving and holding a cup

Info

Publication number: GB2259239A
Application number: GB9207790A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chi Man Lam; Chi Cheung Lam
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-09-03
Filing date: 1992-04-09
Publication date: 1993-03-10
Also published as: CA2067604A1; CN2128089Y; JPH0655476U; GB9207790D0

Abstract

An item of tableware eg. a plate (1') comprises means adapted to receive and hold eg. a cup (2') or glass, in which the means may be a recess (6) or a opening (4') which is preferably provided in an area which is raised above the normal plane of the surface of the item. <IMAGE>

Description

A plate with means for receiving and holding a cup The present invention relates to an innovation in tableware, in particular to an innovation of tableware such as plates and dishes.

The plate or dish (hereinafter referred to only as a plate) is the most generally used kind of tableware. It is usually used for a single purpose. There are, of course trays used for carrying cups, however, the cups are simply put on these trays. The forms and function of these trays are the 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 always very small. When users 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, when 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.

The present invention seeks to provide the users with a kind of plate in which the cup may be rationally received and held in the plate to meet the needs of cup holding on picnics, dinner parties and dinners taken in travelling vehicles.

According to the present invention there is provided a plate including means adapted to receive and hold a cup, the means comprising an opening in the plate, or a recess in a raised portion raised above the plane of the plate.

Preferably, said means is a round opening and may be provided in said raised portion. Said opening may be provided on a recessed surface of said raised portion, in which case, an annular flat surface may be provided between said round opening and the periphery of said raised portion.

Preferably, the recess forms a surface which is somewhat higher that the surface of the plate. In a preferred embodiment, the surface of the plate is divided into a plurality of sections by means of partitioning bars.

The portion between the raised portion and the said plane of the plate is preferably tapered into a conical surface.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the plate according to the invention, with a cup in a raised position, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the plate as shown in figure 1, with a cup being received and held in the plate, Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cup receiving portion of the plate, Figure 4 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, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the plate according to the invention, with another kind of cup being shown in phantom lines for illustrative purpose, Figure 6 is a fragmetary section view of the cup receiving portion of the plates shown in figures 4 and 5, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a plate with cup receiving portion and food partitioning ribs; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the plate shown in figure 7 with a cup being received and held in the plate.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the drawings, figures 1, 2 and 3 show a first embodiment of the invention while figure 4, 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to figures 1, 2 and 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 a variety of forms. It may be an opening 4 or a raised surface or boss 3 having a sunken surface or recess 6 or a combination of these two forms.

The seat can also be designed to suit either cups for general use or cups for special use. If it is to be designed to suit cups for general use, i.e. the cups 2 with the top diameter larger than the botton diameter, the cup seat can be designed to be a round opening 4, the diameter of which is larger than the bottom diameter and smaller than the top diameter of the cup 2. It is generally designed to be able to clamp the upper part of the cup 2 when it is in use.

That is to say, when the plate 1 is being held in hand, the centre of gravity of the cup 2 with drink is near or under the plate surface. When the hand holding the plate 1 is near the cup 2, the case will be similar to that when the cup 2 is held by the hand. When the plate 1 is put down, it will be the cup 2, which first comes into contact with the floor (or the table surface). When the plate 1 is taken up, it will be the plate 1 which rises first and the cup 2 which is clamped afterwards. 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 1 has juice, then in order to prevent the cup 2 from being polluted by the juice and the juice from flowing out through the round opening 4, the opening 4 is provided on the boss 3 protruding upward from the bottom of the plate 1.

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 1, the round opening 4' of the plate 1', as shown in figures 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 1' is mainly used for short cups with ears, or cups with equal or nearly equal 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. The 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, these partition bars may be in the form of reinforced ribs 5 to improve the rigidity of the plate, as shown in figures 7 and 8.

For the above-mentioned plate, the seats may be designed to fit a special purpose cups and the opening, the boss and the sunken surface can be designed to have different forms without departing from 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 travelling vehicles, it is, in most cases, a kind of disposable tableware, stamped or suction moulded from paper or plastic. All the parts protruding out from the plate such as the bosses, partition ribs and edges are made in tapered form. Thus the area of the top surface of the plate is far larger than that of the bottom surface of the plate.

Such construction has three advantages, namely: 1. Convenience in taking dinner, readiness for cleaning; 2. The work piece is easy to be released from the dies during manufacture; 3. These plates are easily piled-up in storage because of their taper formed construction.

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 travelling 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.

Claims

1. A plate including means adapted to receive and hold a cup, the means comprising an opening in the plate, or a recess in a raised portion raised above the plane of the surface of the plate.

2. A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means is a round opening.

3. A plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein said round opening is provided in said raised portion.

4. A plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein said round opening is provided on a recessed surface of said raised portion.

5. A plate as claimed in claim 4, including an annular flat surface provided between said round opening and the periphery of said raised portion.

6. A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess forms a surface which is somewhat higher that the surface of the plate.

7. A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface of the plate is divided into a plurality of sections by means of partitioning bars.

8. A plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion between the raised portion and the said plane of the plate is tapered into a conical surface.

9. A plate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.