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Cup holder for a plate

Cup holder for a plate description/claims

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to disposable tableware, and more particularly, to a cup holder for a plate.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

A widely used practice at many parties and social functions is to serve a guest food items on a plate along with a beverage in a cup. If a table or other horizontal support surface is unavailable, the guest may try using the hand that is holding the cup to move food from the plate to his or her mouth. In addition, the guest may sometimes attempt to balance the cup on the plate to free one hand for eating or some other purpose. Such practices tend to be awkward and can frequently result in spillage or other undesirable consequences. The same type of situation is encountered at sporting and other entertainment events where people consume refreshments with no table nearby regardless of whether they may be standing or sitting while eating.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plate includes a cup holder located on a bottom of the plate and substantially near a center of the plate, the cup holder having a cylindrical shape for receiving a top portion of a cup so that when the top portion of the cup is inserted into the cup holder, the cup and the plate are substantially secured to each other when the cup is in an upright position.

The plate may be disposable. The plate may be made of styrofoam, plastic or paper. The cup may be disposable. The cup may be made of styrofoam, plastic or paper. The plate may be made of porcelain, stoneware, glass, wood or carved stone. The cup may be made of porcelain, stoneware, glass, wood or carved stone. The plate may have an oval, triangular, square, rectangular, star or semicircular shape.

A top of the plate may include a raised rail along its perimeter for preventing food from falling off the plate. The cup holder may have a depth of about a sixteenth of an inch to about two inches. The cup holder may include a catch for fastening to an upper lip of the cup.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plate includes a cup connector located on a bottom of the plate and substantially near a center of the plate, the cup connector having a cylindrical shape for receiving a top portion of a cup so that when the top portion of the cup is inserted into the cup connector, the cup and the plate are substantially secured to each other when the cup is held in an upright position.

The plate may be disposable. When the plate is disposable, it may be made of styrofoam, plastic or paper. The cup may be disposable. When the cup is disposable, it may be made of styrofoam, plastic or paper. The cup connector may have a depth of about a sixteenth of an inch to about two inches.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plate includes a cup holder formed integrally into a bottom of the plate and substantially near a center of the plate, the cup holder having a cylindrical shape for receiving a top portion of a cup so that when the top portion of the cup is inserted into the cup holder, the cup and the plate are substantially secured to each other when the cup is in an upright position.

The cup holder includes a catch for fastening to an upper lip of the cup. The cup holder has a depth of about a sixteenth of an inch to about two inches.

The foregoing features are of representative embodiments and are presented to assist in understanding the invention. It should be understood that they are not intended to be considered limitations on the invention as defined by the claims, or limitations on equivalents to the claims. Therefore, this summary of features should not be considered dispositive in determining equivalents. Additional features of the invention will become apparent in the following description, from the drawings and from the claims.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cup holder for a plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cup holder and the plate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the plate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a side view of the cup holder and the plate of FIG. 1 before being merged with a cup according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a side view of the cup holder and the plate of FIG. 1 after being merged with the cup of FIG. 4A according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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