Patent Application
20150250338
This invention generally relates to dishware, and more particularly to dishware with cooperative side dishes.
When serving and organizing meals, it is often desirable to separate or compartmentalize different fix-ins and ingredients. Multiple plates are often used to separate the fix-ins and ingredients. For example, when making a burrito, a central plate can be used for serving the tortilla, and side plates can be used to serve the fix-ins, such as salsa, guacamole, refried beans, etc. to be rolled up on the tortilla to form the burrito. Also, multiple plates are used to separate main entrees and side entrees to prevent the main entrees and side entrees from mixing.
Using multiple plates increases the number of dishes that need to be later cleaned, consumes additional table space, and makes carrying the different plates more difficult and time consuming. This can be particularly problematic when food is served at informal gatherings, such as barbeques and picnics, where there may not be a table suitable for keeping enough dishes needed to separate and compartmentalize various fix-ins, ingredients, and entrees. Also, carrying multiple dishes around during an informal gathering can be particularly difficult for an individual. Further, there may not be sufficient dining table space to accommodate multiple dishes.
Certain products attempt to address the issue of utilizing multiple dishes by associating side dishware with main dishware. However, such existing products fail to securely fasten side dishware to main dishware, causing spills, food loss, and loss of dishware. For example, some existing products use clip-on mechanisms, which generally require the use of two hands, and often fail to securely fasten the side dishes to main dishware.
The dishware, in accordance with the present invention, includes a main dish with side dishes attached to the main dish via slots in the main dish. The dishware greatly simplifies the dining experience, making it more convenient and easier for individuals to compartmentalize their food, and to carry multiple food items with ease. For example, the main dish can be used to carry an entrée, and each side dish can be used to carry side entrees, fix-ins ingredients, etc. As a result, carrying multiple food items (e.g., entrees, ingredients, fix-ins, etc.) can be accomplished with ease and with one hand. Further, carrying multiple food items can be accomplished without the need to make multiple trips, as would be required if each food item were served on separate dishes. The dishware can also save time and effort during clean up and storage, since fewer large dishes are used to serve food. This can save all users, including individual household users and established restaurants, substantial money savings from reduced water and energy usage.
According to one general aspect of the invention, the dishware includes a main dish having at least one slot near the edge of the main dish; and a side dish having a body for containing food, a bracket extending from the edge of the body, and a locking tab extending downwardly from the bracket. The locking tab is insertable into the at least one slot of the main dish so as to securely attach the side dish to the main dish.
In some embodiments, the body of the side dish has a tapered shape.
In some embodiments, the side dish is shaped so as to be stackable with identical side dishes.
In some embodiments, when the side dish is securely attached to the main dish, a bottom of the side dish is level-set with respect to the bottom of the main dish.
In some embodiments, the slot and the locking tab are each curved.
In some embodiments, the bracket extends at a downward incline when the side dish is attached to the main dish. The downward incline matches the downward incline of the edge of the main dish.
In some embodiments, the side dish further includes a top rim.
In some embodiments, the main dish and the at least one side dish are made from one of: glass, plastic, ceramic, wood, and metal.
In some embodiments, a plurality of side dishes are attachable to the main dish.
According to another general aspect of the invention, a main dish has at least one slot, and at least one side dish. The at least one side dish is attachable to the main dish via the at least one slot.
In some embodiments, the main dish has a plurality of slots, and the at least one side dish is one among a plurality of side dishes that are each attachable via a slot in the main dish.
In some embodiments, the side dish includes a body for containing food, and a locking tab connected to the body capable of being engaged in a slot of the main dish so as to attach the side dish to the main dish. The slot and the locking tab are each curved. The locking tab includes a bracket extending from the body to the locking tab. The bracket extends downward at an incline that matches a downward slope of the main dish.
In some embodiments, the side dish is stackable with identical side dishes.
In some embodiments, the side dish is attached to the main dish via the slot. Bottoms of the side dish and the main dish are co-planar, and so are mutually level-set on a flat surface.
In some embodiments, the side dish further includes a top rim.
In embodiments, the at least one slot is on an edge of the main dish.
For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating various embodiments of the present invention, in which:
In various implementations, the main dish 102 and the side dish 106 can be made from different materials, such as glass, plastic, ceramic, or combination of these or other materials. The main dish 102 and the side dish 106 can be made from materials of different thicknesses and strengths, so as to make them dishwasher and microwave safe. The main dish 102 and the side dish 106 can be manufactured using die-casting processes, computer numeric control (CNC) processes, and/or other manufacturing processes/techniques. The main dish 102 and the side dish 106 can be made of various sizes, proportions, shapes, and dimensions other than those shown.
The dishware 100 substantially reduces burdens in the kitchen that every day individuals face when preparing meals for guests and family. In an example use, dishware 100 makes serving meals, such as tacos, hamburgers, vegetable platters, meat platters, etc., much simpler by simplifying the separation of fix-ins and other ingredients. For example, fix-ins for tacos can be individually separated into separate side dishes 106 (e.g., within the food receptacle 110), while taco shells and tortillas can be served on the main dish 102. The fix-ins can be neatly and conveniently compartmentalized, without risk of the fix-ins inadvertently mixing with a neighboring fix-in on the same plate. Diners can then easily customize their meals by picking and choosing their fix-ins from the individual and separate side dishes 106.
Also, a number of side dishes 106 can be attached to the main dish 102 so that an individual can carry multiple foods in one trip and with one hand. This can help diners to carry multiple different dishes from one room to another with one hand instead of having to make multiple trips or try to carry multiple plates, which can result in accidental spills. Also, restaurant servers can carry more items with fewer hands, thereby enabling the server to serve more guests, and to thereby bring in greater revenues for the restaurant and increase the server's tip revenues.
In some embodiments, one or more side dishes 106 can be configured so as to hold other items instead of food, such as eating and serving utensils, so that diners can easily access those utensils. Additionally, or alternatively, a side dish 106 can be adapted to hold a cup for beverages, thus permitting a diner to carry food on the main dish 102, and a beverage within the side dish 106, all with one hand. This can also save a restaurant server's time and effort.
In some implementations, the main dish 102 and/or the side dish(es) 106 can include measuring indicia within the food receptacle 110. Measuring indicia can aid a user with accurately filling a dish with a desired amount of food. This can be useful to aid in portion control for dieting purposes, and/or to aid in cooking to allow a cook to accurately measuring ingredients.
The dishware 100 greatly simplifies the dining experience, making it more convenient and easier for individuals to compartmentalize their food, and to carry multiple food items with ease. The dishware 100 can also save time and effort during clean up and storage, since fewer large dishes are used to serve food. This can save all users, including individual household users and established restaurants, substantial money savings from reduced water and energy usage. Also, each side dish 106 can include a cover to store food for later consumption.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific sizes, shapes, or applications described.
It is to be understood that the disclosure in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features, regardless of whether a combination is explicitly described. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.
Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the invention, except as indicated in the following claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 61/966,766, filed on Mar. 4, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61966766 | Mar 2014 | US |
