WO1995032653A1

WO1995032653A1 - Dining platter

Info

Publication number: WO1995032653A1
Application number: PCT/FR1995/000715
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michel Caldi
Original assignee: Michel Caldi
Priority date: 1994-06-01
Filing date: 1995-06-01
Publication date: 1995-12-07
Also published as: FR2720615A1; FR2720615B1

Abstract

A dining platter comprises a tray (10), recesses (26 to 32) projecting from the bottom side thereof for receiving food and a handle (20) for receiving a goblet. The handle is arranged in the vicinity of one end (18) of said tray. Said recesses (26, 32) provide an unrestricted central area (42) through which the user can pass his hand so that the lower side of the tray means rests on his wrist of forearm.

Description

MEAL DEVICE

The present invention relates to a meal-taking device which allows the user to hold with one hand several containers capable of containing various dishes and a cup or glass containing a drink.

This type of device is very useful for receptions where guests are not seated, for example vernissages, lunches, buffets, but also in all situations where the user wants to eat but where the availability of a table is not possible as well as in several public places, such as station halls, trains, stadiums, cinema queues, and also quite simply in front of the television.

In the present description, the term "container" used below refers to any object which may contain food whatever its shape or the material of which it is composed, for example dish, tray, cardboard plate, this list does not being not limiting.

The term "goblet" used below refers to any type of object that may contain liquids whatever its shape or the material of which it is composed, such as glass itself, goblet, stemware, etc.

In patent application PCT / FR 93 25127, such a meal-taking device has already been described which, by its conformation, is better suited for use for the consumption of beverages and food which can be contained in containers of relatively large size. limited, such as foods that are served with drinks during cocktails or aperitifs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a meal-taking device which adapts better to taking a complete meal comprising the various dishes usually served and the drink and ensuring improved comfort in using the device.

To achieve this goal, the meal-taking device is characterized in that it includes:

- Tray means having a length extending between a first and a second end and defining a central part extending between the first and second ends and lateral parts extending on either side of the central part,

- At least two housings, each housing having an open end opening into a lateral part of said tray and a bottom, each housing being intended to receive food; and

- gripping means having a sufficient height to allow manual gripping and having a first open end opening into the central part of the plate means and a second end, said housings and said gripping means protruding from the underside of the means forming a tray, the second end of the gripping means and the bottoms of said housings being arranged substantially in the same plane, said first end of the gripping means being closer to the second end of the tray means than to the first end thereof , said gripping means being capable of receiving cup-forming means, the portion of the central part of the plate means extending between the gripping means and said first end of the plate means having a lower face set back relative to the bottoms said accommodation, pa r what the underside of said portion of the central part of the tray means rests on the forearm and / or the wrist of the user when the latter grasps the gripping means.

It is understood that thus the means forming a tray with their different housings capable of constituting containers for food are much better maintained insofar as the user keeps them in place, on the one hand by the gripping means and on the other part by the support of a part of the lower face of the central part of the tray which is supported on the wrist and possibly on a part of the forearm. This better support makes it possible to give the tray a larger dimension and therefore to have containers of increased size and number.

According to a first embodiment, the device comprises at least four housings distributed symmetrically with respect to the central part of the plate and each housing is shaped to receive food. According to an alternative embodiment, the plane containing said plate and the plane in which the second end of the gripping means are arranged and the bottoms of said housings make a dihedral angle less than 30 degrees, the apex of the dihedron being closer to said second end from the set than from the first.

Thus, when the meal-taking device rests on a table, the user can more conveniently engage his hand to come and grasp the gripping means without having to lift the meal device beforehand. According to another alternative embodiment, the plate-forming means, the housings and the gripping means are produced by perforated structures.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear better on reading the following description of several embodiments of the invention given by way of nonlimiting examples. The description refers to the appended figures in which:

- Figure 1 is a top view of a first embodiment of the meal-taking device comprising several containers suitable for receiving food; - Figure 2 is a side view of the device of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 4 is a top view of the second embodiment of the invention; and - Figures 5, 6 and 7 show a third embodiment of the invention respectively in top view from the front and from the side.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, we will describe a first embodiment of the meal-taking device. This essentially consists of tray means constituted by a solid tray 10 of rectangular shape in the example described, of length L and width 1. The tray 10 has a central zone 12 extending in the direction of its length L identified by dotted lines and two lateral parts 14 and 16 arranged on either side of the central part 12. The plate proper has a substantially constant thickness. For the convenience of the description, it will be considered that the plate has, along the direction of its length, a first end 18 and a second end 19. In the central zone 12, near the first end 18, there are gripping means 20 which preferably have a frustoconical shape flared upwards and which have a bottom 22. The upper end of the means grip 24 is open and opens into the upper face of the plate 10. In each lateral zone 14 and 16, there are housings such as 26, 28, 30 and 32 which all have a bottom bearing the general reference 34. The housings which used to receive food directly or indirectly can have any suitable form. According to a characteristic of the invention, the bottom 22 of the gripping means 20 and the bottoms 34 of the housings 26 to 32 are arranged substantially in the same plane PP 'which is parallel to the plate 10. Thus, it is possible to place the device for taking meals on a table, the device then resting on the bottoms 22 and 34, but, preferably, it is possible to hold the device in the hand. In fact, in the zone 36 surrounding the gripping means 20, sufficient space is provided for the user to be able to enter the gripping means 20 conveniently manually. Furthermore, it can be seen that the portion of the central part 12 which s extends between the gripping means 20 and the second end of the plate 19 is released. Thus, the lower face 10a of this part of the tray can rest on the wrist and possibly on the user's forearm. This ensures very good maintenance in position of the meal-taking device.

In a preferred embodiment, the tray is square (L = 1 = 20 cm). More generally 1 and L are between 15 and 30 cm. The depth of the housings is 5 cm or more generally between 3.5 and 7 cm.

It is of course possible to provide containers 26 to 32 having shapes different from those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Likewise, it is possible to provide, as described in the PCT patent application already mentioned, that the gripping means 20 which have a frustoconical shape and which are also intended to receive a glass or a cup allow the establishment of a stemmed glass. For this, the side wall of the gripping means has a slot 38, shown in dotted lines, which extends as far as the central part 40 of the bottom 22 and up to the first end 18 of the plateau. It is thus possible to insert the base of the glass through this slot, the glass proper resting on the periphery of the upper end of the gripping means.

It is understood that with this arrangement, there is effectively good support of the plate in all directions due to the gripping of the gripping means 20 and due to the support of the plate in the central region thereof.

It goes without saying that, in the central portion 42 serving for the support, it is possible to provide a container shown in dotted lines at 44 provided that this container has a depth substantially less than that of the containers themselves 26 to 32. The general rectangular shape of the plate 10 is only one embodiment. This shape could be circular, oval, etc.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. According to this embodiment, the plate 10 forms a dihedral angle a with the plane PP 'containing the bottom 34 of the housings and the second end 22 of the gripping means 20. Preferably, this dihedral angle is less than 30 degrees. Thus, when a user wants to grasp the meal-taking device, while it rests on a table, he can conveniently engage his hand under the tray 10 from the end 19 between the containers.

In addition, according to this embodiment, this device comprises a first container 80 which extends between the end 18 and the gripping means 20 and partly on either side thereof in the lateral zones by presenting a general shape of an arc. Two other receptacles or housings 82 and 84 are provided in the lateral zones 16 and 18. These housings have a substantially rectangular opening and they have the shape of a truncated pyramid. However, the gripping means are much closer to the end 18 than to the end 19 so that the portion 40 of the central zone has a lower face which allows the support of the wrist and possibly of the front arms.

It goes without saying that this configuration of the housings intended to receive the food could be used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, that is to say in the case where the plate is parallel to the plane containing the housings. In addition, it is understood that according to these embodiments, since the housings have a solid wall and a bottom, the food can be placed directly in these housings. However, it would not go beyond the invention if the food was previously placed in containers, these containers being in turn arranged in the housings.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 7, we will describe a third embodiment of the meal-taking device.

The plate forming means 10 ′ are no longer constituted by a solid plate but by a structure formed by two substantially rectangular frames 100 and 102. Each frame 100 and 102 is completed by a cross member respectively referenced 104 and 106 defining half-frames 102a, 102b and 100a, 100b.

The two frames 100 and 102 are connected together by a part 106 of substantially circular shape open at 108. This part is closer to the end 18 of the plate means than to their end 19. In addition, at their end 19, the two frames 100 and 102 are connected by a plate element 110.

Each half-frame 100a, 100b, 102a, 102b is completed by a structure, for example constituted by braces 112, 114, which thus defines the equivalent of a housing 116 with a bottom 118. These structures forming housing play the same role that the housing of Figures 1 to 4. They are intended to receive containers containing food. The gripping means 20 'are constituted by the substantially circular part 106 and by a structure preferably constituted by the rod 120 substantially perpendicular to the part 106, one end of which is secured to this piece and the other end of which is secured to a circular bottom 122. Halfway up the rod 120, it is also possible to provide a semi-circular piece 124. This assembly forms the gripping means 20 ′ and is used to receive a glass or a cup. This glass can be a stemmed glass thanks to the presence of the opening 108 in the part 106. According to the invention, the bottoms 118 of the housings and the bottom 122 of the gripping means are arranged in the same plane, preferably parallel. to the one that contains frames 100 and 102. It is also understood that, when the user manually grasps the gripping means 20 ′, the plate 110 is supported on his wrist, in accordance with the invention.

To facilitate gripping of the gripping means, provision may be made for the longitudinal axes X and X 'of the frames 100 and 102 not to be parallel, but to converge towards the end 18 of the means forming the plate 10.

It also goes without saying that the structural elements (frames, braces, etc.) which define the housings 116 could have another configuration. They could for example have the shape of a cylinder or a truncated cone.

Claims

1. Meal-taking device, characterized in that it comprises:

- tray means (10, 10 ') having a length extending between a first (18) and a second (19) end and comprising a central part (12) extending between the first and second ends and parts lateral (14, 16) extending on either side of the central part,

- At least two housings (26 to 32, 60, 62, 116) each housing having an open end opening into a lateral part of said tray means and a bottom (34), each housing being intended to receive food at least directly; and

- gripping means (20, 20 ') having a sufficient height to allow manual gripping and having a first open end opening into the central part of said plate and a second end, said housings and said gripping means protruding from the underside of said tray means, the second end of the gripping means and the bottoms of said housings being arranged substantially in the same plane, said first end of the gripping means being closer to the second end of said tray means than to the first end of the latter, said gripping means being able to receive cup-forming means, the portion of the central part of the plate extending between the gripping means and said first end of the plate having a lower face set back relative to the bottoms said housings, whereby the underside of said portion of the central portion of the plate comes to bear on the forearm and / or the wrist of the user when the latter grasps the gripping means.

2. A meal-taking device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least four housings (26 to 32) distributed symmetrically with respect to said central part (12).

3. Meal-taking device according to claim 2, characterized in that the portion of said central part (12) extending between the gripping means (20) and the first end (18) of the tray has an additional housing ( 44) whose depth is substantially lower than that of the housings (26 to 32) of the lateral parts.

4. Meal-taking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said gripping means (20, 64) have a flared tapered shape and are provided with a bottom.

5. Meal-taking device according to claim 4, characterized in that the frustoconical side wall of the gripping means (20, 64) has a slot extending over its entire height, one of the ends of said slot extending up to at the first end of said tray and the other end of the slot extending into said bottom.

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a housing extending between said first end (18) and said gripping means (20) and on either side of said gripping means, and at least two other housings (82, 84) opening into said lateral zones (16, 18).

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a first housing (80) extending between the gripping means (20) and said second end (18) and extending at least partly from and another of said gripping means in the general shape of a semicircle, and two other housings (82, 84) disposed respectively in each of said lateral zones (14, 16).

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said plate (10) and the plane (PP ') containing said second end (22) of the gripping means as well as the bottom (34) of said housings make a dihedral angle less than 30 degrees.