Patent Application
20180099782
The present principles relate to dinnerware and the storage of the same. More particularly, it relates a dinnerware design that enables the nesting of a place setting for more efficient storage.
Cabinet space in a household or even a commercial environment is usually a commodity. As such, the efficient use of space is a constant requirement in order to safely store, for example, many place settings of dinnerware in limited space.
Prior to the present principles, there is no known dinnerware design that is directed at such space saving concepts.
According to an implementation, the set of nesting dinnerware includes a bow, a mug and a plate. The bowl has an upper opening, an interior diameter of said upper opening, and a height. The mug has a height and a total width including a mug handle and a partial width that does not include the mug handle. The plate has a base configured to be positioned over the upper opening of the bowl. The mug is sized to fit within the bowl, and once the mug is inserted into the bowl, the base of the plate is positioned over the upper opening of the bowl.
According to another implementation, the nesting dinnerware includes a plurality of bowls, a plurality of mugs and a plurality of plates. The bows have an upper opening, an interior diameter of the upper opening, and a height. The mugs have a height and a total width including a mug handle. The plates have a base configured to be positioned over the upper opening of the bowl. A first mug fits within a first bowl in either an upright or rotated position, and once the first mug is inserted into the first bowl, the base of a first plate is positioned over the upper opening of the first bowl creating a first nested set of dinnerware. A second mug is positioned within a second bowl, and a second plate is positioned over the second bowl creating a second nested set of dinnerware. The second set of nested dinnerware can be stacked on top of the first set of nested dinnerware.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present principles will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The present principles may be better understood in accordance with the following exemplary figures, in which:
The present principles are directed to the storage of dinnerware.
The present description illustrates the present principles. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the present principles and are included within its spirit and scope.
All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the present principles and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions.
Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present principles, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.
Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present principles, as well as other variations thereof, means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, and so forth described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present principles. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment”, as well any other variations, appearing in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
In accordance with this implementation, the mug 14 is turned on its side and inserted into the opening 18 of the bowl (See
According to another aspect of the present principles plate 16 includes an underside recess 20 having a length or diameter Pd that is configured to be slightly larger than the outer diameter BD of the bowl 12. (See
It will be further appreciated that once one place setting is nested as shown in
In this implementation, the total mug width MWT is configured to be less than the interior bowl diameter Bd such that the mug 104 can be inserted into the bowl 102 in an upright position (See
Once the mug 102 is positioned within the bowl 102, the plate 106 is positioned over the bowl such that the angled surface 110 fits within the opening 108 and rests therein to close or complete the nesting of the mug within the bowl. It will be appreciated that the range in diameter of the angled surface is such that the same will be smaller than the interior diameter Bd of the bowl 102 at its lowest or base, and as the diameter of the angled surface 110 increases, at a predetermined point the same is equal to and then greater than the interior diameter Bd of the bowl 102. As such, the angled surface of the bowl fits perfectly into the bowl opening 108 to enclose the mug within the bowl, and such that the plate 106 does not slide off or have any tendency to move in any direction.
As with the previously described implementation, once nested as shown in
Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present principles is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art without departing from the scope or spirit of the present principles. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present principles as set forth in the appended claims.
