The present invention relates generally to the field of food and beverage retaining assemblies of the type comprising in combination a serving plate for retention of food and a beverage holder for retention of a liquid, the structure of which enables the user to hold both the serving plate and the beverage holder in one hand, such that food may be taken from the serving plate by the free hand, and further wherein the beverage holder can be separated from and replaced onto the serving plate by the free hand.
Food and drink are often served at gatherings where seating is limited or non-existent, such as for example cocktail parties, tailgating events, outdoor parties of the like. Typically, the attendees are provided with plates or trays, often smaller than typical dinner plates, on which to place food and separate, self-standing beverage holders, such as glasses, cups, mugs, and wine glasses or similar stemware. In order to eat an item from the plate, the user must put down the beverage holder on a flat surface, carefully balance the beverage holder on an empty portion of the plate, or attempt to hold both plate and beverage holder in one hand in order to free up one hand to grasp the food. This may often result in spilling of the beverage, the food or both.
To address this problem two main approaches have been pursued. In the first solution, the plate is provided with a beverage holder receiving structure, such as a short annular wall extending upward from the plate surface into which the circular base or bottom of the beverage holder is placed. The wall limits lateral movement of the beverage holder on the plate in order to stabilize the beverage holder. This solution is not optimal in that the beverage holder receiving structure reduces the area on the plate available to receive food, does not work well when the diameter of the base or bottom of the beverage holders is significantly smaller than the diameter of the beverage holder receiving structure, and does not work at all with beverage holders having diameters greater than the beverage holder receiving structures, and in particular does not work well with stemware beverage holders having a high center of gravity, such as for example a full wine glass or champagne flute. Since with these devices the beverage holder is not secured to the plate, the user must support the bottom of the plate or hold the edge of the plate while continuously maintaining careful balance of the plate to avoid tipping the beverage holder.
A second solution is to provide the plate with an edge slot or a circular aperture, within the interior or extending from the edge, to receive the beverage holder. The edge slot is sized to receive the laterally-inserted small diameter stem of the stemware such that the larger upper beverage retaining portion of the beverage holder rests upon the top surface of the plate. In the aperture version, the aperture is only suitable with a beverage holder having a tapered or curved wall larger than its base, since the aperture must be sized to allow the base of the beverage holder to pass through while precluding the larger diameter upper portion of the beverage holder from passing completely through the circular aperture. Both of these designs significantly reduce the available area for food, cannot be used with beverage holders having a straight wall or a base larger than the upper beverage retaining portion, such as a champagne flute, will not allow different beverage holders to be used with a single plate, and present combinations with low stability.
It is an object of this invention to provide a food and beverage retaining assembly comprising in combination a serving plate mechanically interlocked with a releasable, baseless, stemmed beverage receptacle that effectively addresses the problems inherent in the plate and beverage holder combinations described above, wherein the combined plate and beverage receptacle does not significantly reduce the area available on the plate to receive food, can be used with beverage receptacles having upper beverage retaining portions of any shape or style, provides a stable and secure combination wherein the beverage receptacle is removably and replaceably mechanically interlocked with the plate, such that user can hold the combined plate and beverage receptacle by holding either the plate or the upper beverage retaining portion.
In brief summary, the invention in various embodiments is a food and beverage retaining assembly comprising the combination of a serving plate, a removable, baseless, stemmed beverage receptacle, and a securement fitting assembly, wherein the beverage receptacle is mechanically interlocked or mated with the serving plate in a manner that allows the beverage receptacle to be repeatedly removed and replaced without requiring the serving plate to be placed onto a horizontal surface. The beverage receptacle comprises an upper beverage retaining portion joined to a neck or stem. The upper beverage retaining portion may have various shapes and sizes, similar to the beverage retaining portions of stemmed beverage holders (e.g., wine glasses, champagne flutes, martini glasses) and non-stemmed beverage holders (e.g., cups, glasses, mugs). The plate comprises an upper surface to support food and, in a preferred embodiment, a stem receptacle or receiving socket extending upwardly from the upper surface which is structured to mechanically interlock with the free insertion end of the stem, the insertion end of the stem having a securement member structured to mechanically interlock with corresponding mating structure of the stem socket on the serving plate. Together the stem securement member and the stem socket define a securement fitting assembly such that the plate secures and retains the beverage receptacle. In an alternative embodiment, the beverage receptacle stem may be provided with a receiving socket and the serving plate provided with a post member to be received in the receiving socket.
In a preferred embodiment, the stem socket comprises an annular wall having a substantially L-shaped slot with a vertical segment extending to the upper surface of the annular wall and a horizontal segment extending along or within the annular wall. The securement member of the stem comprises a radially extending protrusion, such as a tab, post, pin, or the like, sized to fit within the L-shaped slot. Such a mating securement combination is often referred to as a bayonet coupling or fitting. To secure the beverage receptacle to the serving plate, the stem tab is aligned with the upper opening of the L-shaped slot, the stem is pushed downward into the annular wall of the stem socket, and the stem is rotated such that the tab is moved laterally into the horizontal segment. In this manner the beverage receptacle is secured to the serving plate and relative vertical movement is precluded. To remove the beverage receptacle from the serving plate, the stem is rotated in the opposite direction such that the tab is aligned with the vertical segment and the beverage receptacle is moved upwardly away from the serving plate so as to clear the stem socket.
As used herein, the term “serving plate” shall refer to any dinner plate, cocktail plate, party plate, or any similar tray device of any shape and size easily supported in one hand and structured to receive food thereon. The term “beverage receptacle” as used in herein shall refer to a baseless, stemmed receptacle for liquid having an upper beverage retaining portion joined to a neck or stem, preferably elongated, of much smaller transverse dimension or cross-section than the upper beverage retaining portion. The term “baseless” shall mean that the beverage receptacle lacks a physical structure capable of maintaining the beverage receptacle in an upright, liquid-retaining position on a horizontal surface. Thus, the baseless, stemmed beverage receptacle, when removed from the serving plate, cannot be placed onto a surface in the upright position, i.e., it cannot stand on its own. The term “mechanically interlocked” or its variations shall refer to a physical interconnection of mating structures, such as for example a tab and a slot, a pin or post and a slot, a short screw threading, or the like, as opposed to the joining of two objects by a friction fit. The term “securement fitting assembly” shall refer to a combination of physical structures present on the serving plate and the stem of the beverage receptacle that enable the beverage receptacle to be releasably mechanically interlocked with the serving plate.
The invention will now be described in detail in combination with the drawings. In general, the invention in various embodiments is a food and beverage retaining assembly comprising the combination of a serving plate 10 and a removable, baseless, stemmed beverage receptacle 20, as shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the stem socket 31 is structured to mechanically interlock with the insertion end 23 of the stem 22, the insertion end 23 of the stem 22 having a securement member 24 structured to mechanically interlock with the stem socket 31 on the serving plate 10. Together the stem securement member 24 and the stem socket 31 define a securement fitting assembly 30 that allows the beverage receptacle 20 to be readily disengaged from and reengaged with the serving plate 10 while eating and drinking.
As shown in
The securement member 24 of the stem 22 comprises a radially extending protrusion, such as a tab, as shown in
Alternatively, it is understood that other mechanical interlocking designs and structures are possible for the securement fitting assembly, such as for example the use of one or more mating helical thread segments disposed on the insertion end 23 of the stem 22, as shown in
With this structure, the beverage receptacle 20 is secured to the serving plate 10 in an easily releasable and replaceable manner, such that when the user desires to drink from the beverage receptacle 20, it is removed by rotating the beverage receptacle 20 and separating it from the serving plate 10. When a free hand is needed to remove food from the serving plate 10 or load food onto the serving plate 10, the beverage receptacle 20 is re-mounted onto the serving plate 10 as described. Because of the secure connection between the beverage receptacle 20 and the serving plate 10, the user may hold the combined assembly by the holding the underside of the upper beverage retaining portion 21 of the beverage receptacle 20 in addition to being able to hold the combined assembly by grasping the edge or supporting the bottom of the plate 10.
A mechanical interlocking design is preferable to a friction-fit design for several reasons. With a mechanical interlock design manufacturing does not have to be as precise, as the tolerances between the mating structures can be much greater than is possible for friction-fit structures. Securing and releasing the beverage receptacle 20 from the serving plate 10 is easier with a relatively looser mechanical interlock (turn and lift or insert and turn) than with a friction-fit (high resistance to both insertion and removal). Additionally, after multiple removals and insertions a friction-fit may become inadequate due to wearing, which can lead to accidental separation of the serving plate 10 when the user holds the combined device by the beverage receptacle 20.
In another embodiment, shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, to secure the stem 22 to the base 40, the second stem securement member 42 is aligned with the gap 46, and the insertion end 23 is inserted through the passageway 43 until the second stem securement member 42 clears the C-shaped collar 44. The stem 22 is then rotated with respect to the base 40 to align the first stem securement member 41 with the gap 46. The insertion end 23 is then further advanced though the passageway 43 until the first stem securement member 41 clears the C-shaped collar 44. The stem 22 is then rotated again with respect to the base 40 such that the first stem securement member 41 travels under the C-shaped collar 44. The stem 22 is thereby prevented from backing out of the passageway 43 by the first stem securement member 41 abutting against the contact surface 45 of the C-shaped collar 44.
Once the base 40 is attached to the stem 22 as described above, the beverage receptacle 20 can be attached to the serving plate 10 by insertion of the second stem securing member 42 into the stem socket 31, as described above.
In one embodiment of the base 40, as shown in
In another embodiment of the beverage retaining assembly, shown in
To attach the beverage receptacle 20 to the serving plate 10, the recesses 50 are aligned with mating tabs 55 on the collar 54, while the post socket 52 is aligned with the post 53. The base 40 is then inserted into the collar 54 such that the post 53 is inserted into the post socket 52 and the tabs 55 pass through the recesses 50. Thus, at least a portion of a top surface of the base 40 is disposed below a top edge of the collar 54. This is an unlocked position of the base 40.
To lock the base 40 to the serving plate 10, the base 40 is then rotated with respect to the serving plate 10 until the one or more stops 51 are disposed in abutting contact with one or more tabs 55, thereby preventing further rotation of the base 40 with respect to the serving plate 10. This is the locked position of the base 40. In this configuration, a bottom surface of the one or more tabs 55 is disposed in contact with an upper surface the base 40, thereby retaining the base 40 in contact with the upper surface 11 and locking the beverage receptacle 20 to the serving plate 10. In this position, at least a portion of a top surface of the base 40 is disposed below a top edge of the collar 54. In this configuration, the portion of the base disposed between the recesses 50 slides below the tabs 55 such that at least a portion of a top surface of the base is disposed below the tab. Therefore, at least a portion of the top surface of the base is disposed below the top edge of the collar 54.
In one embodiment of the unlocked position, the post 53 fits snugly into the post socket 52, thereby providing lateral stability to the beverage receptacle 20. This lateral stability prevents the beverage receptacle 20 from tipping over, wobbling, or otherwise becoming unstable with respect to the serving plate 10 while the beverage receptacle 20 is resting upon the serving plate 20. This improved lateral stability prevents spillage even if the user fails or forgets to rotate the base 40 into its locked position. In fact, the serving plate 10 can be tilted up to about 90° without the post socket 52 becoming dislodged from the post 53, even when the base 40 is in the unlocked position (although any food or beverages are likely to spill).
In another embodiment, shown in
In one embodiment, the sloped apron 60 is disposed above a bottom 12 of the serving plate 10 such that an annular wall of the collar 54 defines the side portions of a collection recess 63, and the sloped apron 60 defines a top portion of the collection recess 63. In another configuration, the bottom surface 12 of the serving plate 10 may be extended, thereby defining a bottom portion of the collection recess 63.
The drainage system further comprises one or more apertures 65 that are configured for draining fluid that accumulates inside the collar 54. Preferably, each aperture 65 is disposed in the sloped apron 60, and preferably disposed in proximity to the collar 54, which is the lowest part of the sloped apron 60. The apertures 65 may have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or any other shape suitable to drain fluid from the sloped apron 60 into the reservoir 63 as described below.
In use, any condensation, spillage, or other fluid running down the stem 22 and base 40, and any fluid spilling onto the stem 22 or base 40, is collected by the sloped apron 60. The fluid then runs down the sloped apron 60, away from the post 53 and toward the one or more apertures 65. The fluid then passes through the one or more apertures 65 and exits the upper surface 11 of the serving plate 10. For example, the fluid may flow down the stem 22 and/or base 40, flow through the one or more recesses 50, and onto a top surface of the sloped apron 60. The fluid then flows down the sloped apron 60 to the one or more apertures 65, where the fluid exits the serving plate 10.
In embodiments having a collection recess 63, the fluid exits through the one or more apertures 65 and enters into the collection recess 63. Thus, the drain system is configured to manage fluid on the beverage retaining assembly to prevent spillage, leakage, and the unwanted mixing of fluids with food on the serving plate 10. To promote proper drainage, one embodiment of the base 40 comprises a top surface that is sloped downwardly in a radial direction away from the stem 22. The base 40 may further comprise a bottom surface that generally matches and mates to the contours of a top surface of the sloped apron 60.
The foregoing embodiments are merely representative of the stabilizing mechanism for the dishware set and not meant for limitation of the invention. For example, persons skilled in the art would readily appreciate that there are several embodiments and configurations of fitting assemblies that will not substantially alter the nature of the stabilizing mechanism. Consequently, it is understood that equivalents and substitutions for certain elements and components set forth above are part of the invention described herein, and the true scope of the invention is set forth in the claims below.
Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §§ 119 (e) and 120, this application (a) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/698,598, filed on Mar. 18, 2022, which (i) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/162,612, filed on Jan. 29, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/967,674, filed on Jan. 30, 2020, and(ii) claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63/314,182, filed on Feb. 25, 2022; and(b) claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/454,277, filed on Mar. 23, 2023, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62967674 | Jan 2020 | US | |
63314182 | Feb 2022 | US | |
63454277 | Mar 2023 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17698598 | Mar 2022 | US |
Child | 18613854 | US | |
Parent | 17162612 | Jan 2021 | US |
Child | 17698598 | US |