US20140263365A1

US20140263365A1 - Stable and Stackable Tray with Receptacle for Beverage Container and Thumbholds for Secure Grip

Info

Publication number: US20140263365A1
Application number: US14/214,741
Authority: US
Inventors: Steven Mark Tollen; Eli Martin Hazan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-03-15
Filing date: 2014-03-15
Publication date: 2014-09-18

Abstract

A stackable food and beverage service apparatus for use by a person to support food and a beverage in a single hand with ergonomic thumb holds for grip support. The apparatus comprises an upper surface on one side and a recessed surface on the other side. The recessed surface is for holding food, whereas the upper surface includes a beverage receptacle and two opposing thumb holds offset to either side of the beverage receptacle. A user can securely grip the apparatus with the left or right thumb while the fingertips support the bottom of the recessed surface. A raised rim around the periphery keeps food in the recessed surface and separated from the beverage receptacle and the thumb holds.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

This application claims priority benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/791,212, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference in the present Application.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Portions of this disclosure contain material in which copyright is claimed by the applicant. The applicant has no objection to the copying of this material in the course of making copies of the application file or any patents that may issue on the application, but all other rights whatsoever in the copyrighted material are reserved.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to a stackable food support device with beverage holding capacity and ergonomic thumb holds for grip support.
At a party, picnic, social function or gathering that either employs a buffet or stations for the service of food and beverages, it has been extremely difficult for a person to accumulate and support both food and beverage in a secure and ergonomic fashion such that the person can hold the food and beverage with one hand while being able to consume the food and beverage using the other. To do so, the partygoer would have to either set the food plate and/or beverage container down on a table or other surface in order to be able to ingest one or the other providing there is ample, convenient space for the partygoer to put down the plate and/or beverage container. Otherwise, the partygoer may end up standing around with a plate of food in one hand and the beverage container in the other. This predicament makes it extremely difficult for the partygoer to eat the food on the plate since the other hand is occupied with a drink. It also makes it impossible to entertain and greet another guest or simply shake hands. This forces the partygoer to choose between having either a beverage or food, but not both at any given time, in order to be socially active in a social setting.
Although other devices have been designed over the course of time, none of them have given a person the ability to accommodate both food and beverages in one surface in a completely secure and comfortable manner with one hand while keeping the other hand free to handle a utensil or to perform other tasks such as shaking the hand of another person. These other devices still leave the user feeling insecure in the ability to prevent accidents and spilling on their own. Other devices, whether with a receptacle mounted on the side or at the center of the food surface plate, are complicated to handle and are still unstable. They require the user to balance the surface or tend to be otherwise unwieldy if the food and beverage aren't distributed evenly.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,802,693 is specific to supporting a particular beverage container of certain size or shape primarily in the center of the plate. Due to the design, the beverage container will shift according to plate balance and leveling. This center placement does not make it easy for the palm of the hand to support the flat bottom center portion of the entirety of the device, thusly rendering it unstable. Furthermore, the division of sections on the top or face of the plate immediately limits the user and throws off the weight balance as food or other items are placed on the plate. Most of the surface of the device is occupied by either negative space for gripping or the beverage compartment, leaving a minimal surface area for food stuffs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,052 requires not only support, but for the user to balance the plate between either thumb and fore-finger on one side or by holding it from the beverage container itself which is located in a receptacle in the center of the device. Accidental tilting of the plate could cause substantial tipping of the food stuffs either toward the user onto his or her person, or away from the user onto others and onto the floor, etc. Moreover, as there is no lip surrounding the opening for the beverage receptacle, food stuffs may get pushed towards and adhere to the beverage vessel itself or spill through the opening when the beverage is removed from the opening.
The present invention is particularly adaptable for use in an ergonomic, stackable, disposable tray configuration which can hold both food and a beverage while being supported in a balanced, secure and comfortable manner with one hand. The present invention allows the user to have a “free” hand to be used for handling a utensil to consume the food and beverage held on the tray, as well as to interact with others in a social setting using a free hand.
This invention provides an ergonomic and stable stackable food surface and beverage receptacle inclusive in one device. The device has two corresponding and opposed thumb holds so either a left-handed or right-handed person can easily and safely secure the surface in one hand while eating, drinking and socializing using the other. The surface may include a lip or rim around the perimeter to prevent food from sliding off or spilling. The beverage receptacle will be at one end of the food surface, to the center and proximate both of the thumb hold openings. The beverage is placed in the receptacle allowing the user to place food for consumption on the tray surface with their other hand. The user may the use the free hand to alternate between: (a) taking a drink of the beverage and replacing it in the receptacle on the tray; (b) using a utensil to eat; (c) shake hands or perform other social actions with the free hand; or (d) use the free hand for any other purpose as desired while still comfortably holding the tray with the food and beverage in one hand.
In one embodiment, the device of the present invention may be manufactured from materials such as cardboard, paper, polystyrene, plastic, metal (e.g. aluminum), wood (e.g. bamboo), hardened rubber, composite material, glass, porcelain or fiberglass, as well as any other disposable materials that are either first generation or recycled. Dividers of different shapes and sizes might be added to the surface to separate foods. Construction could be readily adaptable to existing plates by the use of a die or other device, which would manipulate an existing disposable plate of paper, plastic, etc.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a simple, inexpensive and disposable food surface plate or tray in which to insert a beverage container that may be adaptable at any time for various users of various beverage types. In another embodiment, due to the stability and security provided by the ergonomic thumb holds, there is provided an improved tray that holds food and beverages simultaneously, thereby permitting the user to have a free hand. In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides an improved ergonomic tray with beverage receptacle which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
The present invention offers a unique combination of features and the secure, ergonomic grip system at a reasonable cost and without substantial investment in redesigning current tray manufacturing systems. Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the detailed description of the preferred manifestation of the invention, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to describe its operation, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show different embodiments of the present invention in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 4 shows a first side view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 5 shows a second side view of one embodiment of a tray;

FIG. 6 shows a top perspective view of one end of a tray with the cupholder and opposing thumbholds;

FIG. 7 shows a bottom perspective view of one end of a tray with the cupholder and opposing thumbholds;

FIGS. 8A-8D show various views of the tray with a user's hand holding the tray and the tray supporting food items and a beverage in a container;

FIGS. 9-10 show a top perspective view and a bottom perspective view respectively of an alternative embodiment of a tray; and

FIG. 11 shows a tray of FIGS. 1-8 with dividers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Throughout the FIGS. 1-11, like elements of the invention are referred to by the same reference numerals for consistency purposes.
The present invention provides an apparatus that allows a user to easily, securely and comfortably hold food and beverage for consumption in one hand while being able to fully engage in normal activities encountered in a social setting with the other hand. This device not only allows the user to easily, comfortably and securely hold both food and beverage with one hand, but also allows a person to have a hand free to interact with others in a social environment without the need to find a table or other surface on which to place food, a beverage or both. The device is referred to throughout the specification as a tray or a plate, but it should be understood that these terms are not intended to be limiting with respect to the functionality of the device.
A tray 100 of the present invention is polygonal, meaning that it may take on any shape, including but not limited to an oval, a circle, a square, a rectangular or a free form design. Tray or plate 100 comprises a recessed portion or surface 105 formed in a majority of the surface area of tray 100 to one side, and an upper portion or surface 110 contiguously formed around a rim 115 of the recessed portion. Recessed surface 105 comprises an area for holding food stuffs, whereas upper surface 110 comprises an area with a beverage receptacle 120 and two openings 125 a-b to accommodate either one of a user's thumb. A large portion of tray 100 is allocated to recessed surface 105 for holding food. While recessed surface 105 may be less than 50%, it's preferable that it occupy at least 50% and up to 80% or more of the surface area of the present device to maximize the food that can be supported in a single serving by tray 100.
In FIG. 1, rim 115 surrounding recessed portion 105 forms a bowl-shaped area to prevent spilling of food stuffs from tray 100. FIGS. 1-7 show recessed portion 105 is generally kidney bean shaped and approximately 9 inches across in the longer dimension and 7.5 inches across the dimension where the side bends in towards the center. In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-10, tray 100 is generally oval shaped and approximately fourteen inches in length and nine and one half inches in width. In yet another alternative embodiment, the tray is approximately fifteen inches in length and ten inches in width. It should be understood that the specific dimensions of tray 100 may be altered while retaining the general functionality of a well-balanced tray being supported by one hand. An opening at the side where tray 100 is supported by the hand includes a beverage receptacle 120 for a cup located proximate the thumb openings to ensure the stability of the tray even when the cup is full of liquid and is placed in beverage receptacle 120.
FIG. 2 shows a top view of tray 100. As can be seen in FIG. 2, upper surface 110 of tray 100 includes circular beverage receptacle 120 and two openings 125 a-b that work as thumb holds, each being offset to either side of beverage receptacle 120. Openings 125 a-b can be configured in various shapes with the objective being to provide a passage in tray 100 through which a user's thumb may be comfortably inserted to allow easy positioning of the hand to support tray 100. Stability is provided by either a user's left or right thumb on top in combination with the fingers on the same hand below, depending on which opening is used. Beverage receptacle 120 can be in various shapes and sizes to accommodate beverage containers of various shapes and sizes. In the oval shaped embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, tray 100 is approximately 12.5 inches across from rim 115 to edge 130 at the side of beverage receptacle 120 and 10 inches across from one side of rim 115 to the other on either side of recessed surface 105. In the same embodiment, circular beverage receptacle 110 is approximately three inches in diameter, and each opening for the user's thumb is generally in the shape of an equilateral triangle with each leg of the triangle being approximately two inches.
FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of tray 100. Recessed surface 105 is shown protruding below upper surface 110 and is generally flat on the bottom. Rim 115 has an upwardly rounded shape formed around the entire periphery of tray 100 including around recessed surface 105. A flat edge 130 surrounds the outer portion of rim 115. Flat edge 130 is visually appealing and when combined with rounded rim 115 and the different levels of recessed surface 105 and upper surface 110 provides structural rigidity to tray 100 minimizing the risk of bending or breaking under the weight of food or other items placed on tray 100. In FIG. 3, it can be seen that a continuous recessed surface sidewall 135 of recessed surface 105 is slightly tapered from rim 115. Also shown in FIG. 3 is downward protruding beverage receptacle sidewall 140. Beverage receptacle sidewall 140 may be tapered between upper surface 110 and a lower edge of beverage receptacle sidewall 140 to add stability while holding a beverage container placed in tray 100. In addition, tapering of recessed surface sidewall 135 and receptacle sidewall 140 allows for two or more trays to be stacked one on top of another in a nested manner while keeping the stack stable and using a minimum amount of space between stacked trays.
The bottom of openings 125 a-b are also visible in FIG. 3. Like beverage receptacle 120, each of openings 125 a-b may have a downward protruding opening sidewall 145 a-b. Opening sidewalls 145 a-b may also be tapered, although the depth of such sidewalls should be sufficiently shallow and rounded to avoid interfering with a comfortable position that a user's hand occupies when inserting a thumb through opening 125 to grasp tray 100.
The resulting stackability of tray 100 from the design elements described improves packaging options for wholesale, retail and display purposes. It should be understood that the size and shape of the different elements are for the purpose of this description, but can be readily adjusted according to manufacturing and market needs. The invention can be produced as a generic device or branded and logoed based on market needs and tastes.
FIGS. 4-5 show two different side views of tray 100 in an upside down orientation. In these views, the relative depths of receptacle sidewall 140, opening sidewall 145 and recessed surface sidewall 135 can be seen. The depth of receptacle sidewall 140 and recessed surface sidewall 135 are approximately the same at approximately 0.75 inches while opening sidewall 125 is relatively, much smaller at approximately 0.25 inches.
FIGS. 6-7 show top and bottom perspective views respectively of one end of tray 100 with beverage receptacle 120 and opposing thumbhold openings 125 a-b. In these views, the configuration of beverage receptacle 120 and openings 125 a-b can be seen.
FIGS. 8A-8D show various views of tray 100 with a user's hand holding tray 800 and tray 100 supporting food items and a beverage in a container. A user's left thumb is inserted through opening 125 a while the user's left hand index finger wraps around recessed surface sidewall 135 on the bottom of tray 100 while the user's other left hand fingertips contact and support the bottom of tray 100 from below recessed surface 105. In all views of FIGS. 8A-8D, the user is able to hold tray 100 with the left hand supporting food in recessed surface 105 and a drink in a container inserted in beverage receptacle 120 while leaving the right hand free to handle a utensil or perform other actions as desired. It should be understood that the user could alternatively insert a right thumb through opening 125 b to hold tray 100 thereby leaving the left hand free.
FIGS. 9-10 show a top perspective view and a bottom perspective view respectively of an alternative embodiment of tray 100. In tray 100 in FIGS. 9-10, recessed surface 105 is round in shape and sidewall 135 is much less pronounced. In addition, beverage receptacle sidewall 140 and opening sidewalls 145 a-b are also much less pronounced while rim 115 is raised above upper surface 110 around the outside periphery of recessed surface 105 on the side of tray 100 farthest away from beverage receptacle 120. In this alternative embodiment, edge 130 does not include an extended flat portion as in the first embodiment.
Any embodiment of tray 100 can be constructed with disposable materials. These materials include, but are not limited to, pressed or formed paper, injection molded or pressed plastic or molded inexpensive wood/cardboard products such as bamboo. Tray 100 can be constructed from either first generation or recyclable materials. Alternatively, tray 100 can be constructed with more durable and permanent materials such as wood, metal, heavier and rigid plastic, porcelain or china.
As shown in FIG. 11, tray 100 may be optionally configured with one or more dividers 1200, thereby dividing recessed surface 105 into two or more sub-areas. An example of tray 100 with dividers 1200 is shown in FIG. 11. The sub-areas created by dividers 1200 may be of different shapes and sizes. One of ordinary skill in the art would be able to readily arrange dividers 1200 of different configuration to maximize the efficiency for holding different types of food items in the different sub-areas.
When the embodiment of tray 100 shown in FIGS. 1-8 and 11 is in use, a user can take a tray 100 from a stack, or however they may be displayed at the user's discretion. Whether left or right hand, the user will place the appropriate thumb through either of thumb openings 125 a-b, and lightly grip the device between thumb, inserted through opening 125 a-b and contacting the top of upper surface 110, and fingertips of the same hand supporting tray 100 from below by contacting the bottom of recessed surface 105. Alternatively, for the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-10, when at thumb is inserted through either opening 125 a-b, the thumb contacts upper surface by receptacle 120 and the palm of the same hand rests comfortably underneath tray 100, covering a significant portion of recessed surface 105, offering complete comfort and stability to avoid spillage, imbalance and general unwieldiness. The user will then proceed to fill recessed portion 105 with foodstuffs and insert a beverage container in beverage receptacle 120 on upper surface 110. With tray 100 in a single hand securely and comfortably holding both food and drink, the user is free to navigate a social setting with confidence, ready to use the free hand to eat and drink, and engage in social interactions as desired or required. The user may alternate between eating and drinking without needing to find a horizontal surface such as a table or ledge to be able to eat and drink with ease.
While the invention has been described with respect to the figures, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Any variation and derivation from the above description and drawings are included in the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for holding food and a beverage container with one hand, comprising:

an upper surface on a first side of the apparatus and extending around a periphery of the apparatus;

a recessed surface on a second side of the apparatus and surrounded by the upper surface extending around the periphery;

a beverage receptacle in the upper surface on the first side; and

a pair of openings in the upper surface on the first side to either side of the beverage receptacle in a shape permitting a user's thumb to pass through.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 configured in a shape from among the group comprising: (a) circular; (b) oval; and (c) rectangular.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 constructed of a material from among the group comprising: (a) cardboard; (b) paper; (c) polystyrene; (d) plastic; (e) metal; (f) wood; (g) hardened rubber; (h) composite; (i) glass; (j) porcelain; and (k) fiberglass.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the material is either first generation or recycled.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one divider in the recessed surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one divider creates at least two sub-areas in the recessed surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a flat edge portion extending around the periphery of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a recessed surface sidewall positioned between the upper surface and the recessed surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a beverage receptacle sidewall extending down from the upper surface at the periphery of the beverage receptacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the recessed surface sidewall is tapered between the upper surface and the recessed surface.

11. A method of using an apparatus for holding food and a beverage container with one hand, comprising:

providing an upper surface of the apparatus on a first side of the apparatus wherein the upper surface extends around a periphery of the apparatus;

providing a recessed surface on a second side of the apparatus surrounded by the upper surface extending around the periphery;

providing a beverage receptacle in the first side of the upper surface; and

providing a pair of openings in the first side of the upper surface to either side of the beverage receptacle;

inserting a thumb of a user through one of the openings in the upper surface and contacting the upper surface with the thumb; and

contacting and supporting a bottom surface of the recessed surface with one or more of the user's fingertips.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is configured in a shape from among the group comprising: (a) circular; (b) oval; and (c) rectangular.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is constructed of a material from among the group comprising: (a) cardboard; (b) paper; (c) polystyrene; (d) plastic; (e) metal; (f) wood; (g) hardened rubber; (h) composite; (i) glass; (j) porcelain; and (k) fiberglass.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the material is either first generation or recycled.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one divider in the recessed surface.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one divider creates at least two sub-areas in the recessed surface.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises a flat edge portion extending around the periphery of the apparatus.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises a recessed surface sidewall positioned between the upper surface and the recessed surface.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises a beverage receptacle sidewall extending from the upper surface at the periphery of the beverage receptacle.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the recessed surface sidewall is tapered between the upper surface and the recessed surface