Food plate with beverage container receiving portion

Abstract

A food dish includes a food-holding portion and, at one edge, a beverage receiving portion formed by a parabolic arcuate wide-mouth opening having a recess perimeter that has a depending skirt portion about its entire length, which receives a beverage container and allows a user to easily hold a beverage secured against the skirt and the food plate together in one hand, freeing the other hand for other activities.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device for allowing a user to easily hold a beverage container, which may have various sizes and shapes and a food plate together at the same time using the same hand while maintaining direct and continuous control over the beverage container at all times, with the two functions of a beverage container holder and a food plate realized in a single device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART INCLUDING INFORMATION DISCLOSED UNDER 37 C.F.R. 1.97 and 1.98

At social functions and parties, it is common for people to be served food and beverages. It is also common for such gatherings to offer only very limited spaces where people can conveniently set down either their food plate or their beverage container. Often, a person will hold a food plate in one hand and a beverage container in the other. If the person wants to pick up food from the food plate, the person typically must set the beverage container down somewhere, often on the floor or the ground, in order to have a free hand to pick up food from the food plate or to shake another person's hand, or the like. It would be most useful to be able to hold the beverage container and a food plate in one hand simultaneously and securely. As it happens, a number of efforts to provide related devices are described in patents and published patent applications. All of these efforts fail in one way or another. Most fail egregiously by requiring the user to relinquish control over the beverage container to the device itself, which frequently results in an unstable arrangement, or the need for the user to have full use of both hands in order to separate the beverage container from the device, which is counter to a person's natural instinct, that is, the desire to maintain maximum control over the beverage container at all times. This, in turn, requires setting the container down, reducing the utility of such devices, for if the user can easily set the beverage container down on a table or the like, then tables are readily available and a device for holding a food plate and a beverage container easily in one hand is not needed, but when such devices are set down, many of them are not stable, or tend to rest at an angle that is not parallel to the table top or other surface. Many prior art devices are esthetically unpleasing and, while perhaps suitable for use at a picnic or while camping, would not be desirable at a more formal social function. The device of the present invention will lie flat on a flat surface, has a pleasing esthetic appearance and is therefore suitable for use for any occasion or social setting, all of which increases the marketability of the present invention. The device of the present invention is highly suited to extended use while socially interacting with others, whereas many related prior devices appear to be oriented to simply carrying a drink from one place to another, where a table or other surface will be conveniently available.

U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2010/0308059 A1, disclosing an invention by Berg, was published on Dec. 9, 2010 and discloses a Handle Device for Plate comprising a tray having a handle in the form of a semi-cylindrical shape fastened to the bottom surface of the plate. The handle originally lies flat against the bottom of the plate, but can be pivoted downwardly into a vertical position underneath the plate. The beverage container is held underneath the plate against the handle. There is no aperture through which the beverage container is passed. This design makes it very awkward to set the plate down on a table. It also makes it impossible to accommodate dramatically different sizes of beverage containers because the entire length of the upper edge of the handle is fastened to the plate. Nor is it clear how a user could readily disengage the beverage container from the handle with one hand since the handle appears to be about as wide as the user's hand, so the entire hand would have to disengage from the handle or the user would have to somehow slip his hand around the beverage container, thereby disengaging it from the handle. This appears to be an impractical design. Further, the device of Berg cannot lie flat on a flat surface and in fact cannot be set down at all when its handle is deployed into the usage position.

U.S. Design Pat. No. D595,093 S, issued to McComas on Jun. 30, 2009, discloses a Compartmented Plate with Caddy comprising a tray having a cup-holder opening portion adjacent to one end of the tray. The cup-holder portion is substantially circular, with two arcuate arms that do not quite meet at the perimeter of the tray, leaving a slot-like opening. The thickness of the cup-holder well is the same as the thickness of the enlarged perimeter of the tray, likely for increasing rigidity. Most of the thickness of the cup-holder projects upwardly above the general level of the tray. This device requires that the user very carefully insert the beverage container into the cup holder and requires that a tumbler or cup be inserted from the top of the tray, but a beverage container having a stem would require the stem to be inserted through a receiving slot. It does not appear that there is any mechanism by which the user can grasp the beverage container in the cup holder with the same hand that is holding the combination plate. Thus, in use the user loses contact with, and hence, control over, the beverage container and must therefore surrender its control to the plate. The circular cross section cup holder renders it suitable for holding only a tapered beverage container having a diameter close in size to the diameter of the cup holder, so the device cannot be used with a variety of shapes and sizes of beverage containers. Using this device with a full beverage container results in a substantial cantilevered load on the user's hand because the beverage container, the heaviest item is located at the farthest point away from the user's grasp. As a result, this device will cause user fatigue in a short time. Furthermore, removal of the beverage container from the plate will result in a rapid shift in its center of gravity, causing the plate to jerk unless the user carefully controls it to account for the change in balance. Finally, in order to hold this device securely, the user's thumb must be placed into the same area of the plate where food will be placed. All these limitations reduce the utility and marketability of this design.

U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2009/0152157 A1, disclosing an invention by Schaaper et al., was published on Jun. 18, 2009 and discloses a Serving Tray comprising a tray having an upstanding side wall portion about its entire perimeter, which lies at an oblique angle to the floor of the tray. Both the tray and the side wall portion include a very shallow arcuate indentation that allows a server to hold the tray with the arcuate indentation pressed against the crook of his elbow while grasping the opposed perimeter portion of the tray with his corresponding hand. Other than simply placing a beverage container directly onto the serving tray and thus surrendering control of the beverage container to the tray; there is no mechanism that would allow the user to maintain continuous and direct control over the beverage container while holding the tray at the same time using the same hand. Further, the upstanding side wall portion about the perimeter of the tray extends upward and outward from the floor of the tray; so that any beverage container placed into close proximity with the outside perimeter of the tray would require a tapered shape that is opposite from the shape of most beverage containers because many beverage containers have a taper that is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. This device was never intended to be used as a food plate and it clearly cannot provide the utility of the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,284,675 B2, issued to Chang on Oct. 23, 2007 for a Food Plate discloses a flat rectangular sheet of material bowed along both its length and width to form a generally concave shape as seen from above having a circular opening near a corner of the tray which will hold a tapered beverage container having a diameter somewhere along its length that is close to the diameter of the opening in the tray. The device cannot be used with beverage containers of different shapes, e.g., a wine glass or conventional bottle, and does not allow the user to maintain direct control over the beverage container at all times. The device is intended to be held at the end of the tray farthest from the beverage container, thus creating a large and unstable cantilevered load that will cause user fatigue quickly. As with Caddy and McComas, above, the removal of the beverage will container result in a shift in the center of gravity of the tray, perhaps resulting in spillage. This device is clearly lacking in the esthetic appeal that would allow it to be suitable for use at any but the most informal venues.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,799 B1, issued to Hamre on Feb. 21, 2006, discloses a Hand Held Service Tray comprising a food tray having a well for receiving a beverage container. The well includes a floor or bottom wall, which includes a slot 52 for receiving, for example, the stem of a wine glass. The side wall of the well is circular in horizontal cross sections and tapered toward the bottom wall, allowing the beverage container wells to be stacked. The beverage container well is located adjacent to the edge of the tray. The use of a beverage container well having a flat bottom limits use of the device to very limited sizes of beverage containers, for if too tall a container is placed in the well, it may topple over since it is not intended that the user hold the beverage container. Similarly, the diameters of beverage containers that will fit in the beverage container well are very limited. If the beverage container well diameter is too large, it will not contact the beverage container except on the bottom, making the arrangement unstable and vulnerable to spillage. The only effective way to overcome these limitations would be to make a variety of models of trays, each with a different diameter and depth of beverage container well, which is unlikely to be an appealing idea for either manufacturers or users. Further, the deep beverage container well extends quite substantially below the general plane of the tray. Consequently, this device will not rest flat on a flat surface, such as a table, even without a beverage container inside it, thereby decreasing both its utility and its marketability.

Published Patent Application Number U.S. 2005/0161453 A1, disclosing an invention by Corrieri, was published on Jul. 28, 2005 and discloses a Combination Food and Beverage Plate Combination Plate comprising a plate having a circular opening at one end, save for a very short outermost arc portion of about 5-8° of arc. The circular cup holder portion is thickened relative to the plate, including a depending tapered portion and an upward projecting portion above the surface of the plate. A slot formed by the incomplete closure of the arcuate arms of the circular opening allows a stem of a wine glass, for example, to be inserted into it so that the beverage glass portion of the wine glass can be seated in the beverage aperture. In use, the user's thumb is placed on top of the plate, while the user's fingers lie under the plate along the plate rim and a recessed compartment. That is, it is intended that the cantilevered weight of the plate must be supported by the user's thumb, which will quickly result in user fatigue. A beverage container is held in position by frictional engagement of its side walls with the tapered sleeve 30. It is specifically contemplated that the sleeve 30 holds the beverage container without aid from the user and the description of the placement of the user's hand does not involve any contact between the user's hand and the tapered sleeve that holds the beverage container. Therefore, this design requires the user to surrender control of the beverage container to the plate and strictly limits the sizes, i.e., the diameters and shapes of beverage containers, thereby decreasing the utility and marketability of this device.

U.S. Published Patent Application Number US 2004/0099670 A1, disclosing an invention by Michaeli and published on May 27, 2004, discloses a Buffet Plate comprising a plate having an outwardly and upwardly sloped side wall and a circular recess for receiving a beverage container. The circular recess is bounded by a partial sleeve that projects downwardly at approximately 90° from the top surface of the plate and that is rigidly connected to the plate. The user's thumb is placed on the top surface of the plate while the fingers are placed underneath the plate to secure a grip on the beverage container, which is an awkward and unnatural grip that is sure to lead to fatigue. This design does not allow the user to maintain continuous control of the beverage container at all times using the same hand. The user must alternate between holding the beverage container using the free hand that is not holding the food plate, or else the user must transfer control of the beverage container to the plate so that the free hand can be used to consume food from the plate. The grip on the plate is different from the way that one would ordinarily hold a plate and is less secure after the beverage container has been removed because the plate can only be securely and naturally gripped when a beverage container is present in the circular recess designed to hold it. The circular recess for receiving a beverage container is designed with an open end that is slightly smaller in width compared to the diameter of the recess. The circular recess cannot readily receive beverage containers of various sizes because beverage containers that are too large will not fit and beverage containers that are too small will fall through the opening. Most beverage containers, for example, a soda can or tumbler, must be inserted though the top of the circular recess and removed the same way, that is, they cannot be moved horizontally into or out of the receiving circle, which is a natural function of the present invention. All of these limitations result in a design that is awkward to use and is therefore unlikely to be successful in the marketplace.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,141 B1, issued to Cinque on Mar. 9, 2004, discloses a One-hand Refreshment Center comprising a roughly circular plate with a deep well having open ends on the side of the well for holding food containers and an extension portion formed by outwardly convergent tangent lines terminating in a beverage container well. The beverage container well has three depending legs, each with an inwardly pointed perpendicular foot portion for engaging the bottom of a beverage container. This device can hold only beverage containers of a limited number of sizes and shapes and is not designed for the user to maintain continuous control of the beverage container and food plate with one hand while inserting or removing the beverage container from the plate using the same hand. The user must therefore surrender control of the beverage container to the plate, i.e., the plate actually controls the beverage container. Further, this device would be expensive to manufacture and lacks esthetic appeal needed to succeed in the marketplace, thereby decreasing the desirability and thus the marketability of this device.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,890 B1, issued to Persson on Feb. 17, 2004, discloses a Beverage Holding Plate comprising a plate having a very shallow flat-bottomed well portion for holding a standard sized beverage container, e.g., an aluminum drink can. This flat-bottom design does not hold the beverage container in a stable manner and can only accept beverage containers of limited sizes and dimensions. Further, this design requires the user to surrender control of the beverage container to the plate and also requires the beverage container to be placed in an unstable and top-heavy condition, leaving the user concerned about the beverage container from toppling over and making a mess. All of these limitations make this design undesirable and awkward to use.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,625, issued to Gibbar on Aug. 26, 2003, discloses a Drink Vessel Holder comprising an upstanding circular cross section side wall forming a collar, which may be cylindrical or downwardly tapered, which is fixed to the upper surface of a plate for receiving and holding a beverage container. The user does not and likely cannot hold the beverage container in the resulting beverage container well portion, and must therefore surrender control of the beverage container to the plate. The user must lift the beverage container up and out of the container sleeve in order to drink from it, which would be inconvenient. Further, only a limited number of shapes and sizes of beverage containers can be seated in the beverage container sleeve. This limitation can only be overcome by supplying different collars for different shapes and sizes of beverage containers, a logistical difficulty. In this case too, the beverage container is placed into an unstable and top-heavy conditions that is amplified further with a tall beverage container, which will cause the user to always be concerned about its toppling over and making a mess. All of these limitations and deficiencies make this design undesirable and awkward to use.

U.S. Design Pat. No. D473,757 S, issued to Schwartz on Apr. 29, 2003, discloses a Serving Tray comprising a tray having a circular opening near its center, with a long slot extending from the circular opening through the perimeter of the tray. The lip of the circular opening is the highest point on the tray, the same height as the reinforcing web members on the tray, with a lower reinforcing rib running about the perimeter of the circular opening along the bottom surface of the tray. The cup holder portion, being near the center of the tray, does not allow the user to engage or hold the beverage container with his hand and therefore, the user must surrender control of the beverage container to the plate. Further, the circular opening makes it suitable only for tapered or stemmed beverage containers of limited sizes and any beverage container except a stemmed glass can only be inserted through the top of the opening and cannot be inserted into the cup holder from the side. All these limitations reduce the utility and marketability of this device.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,914, issued to Schmidt on Feb. 8, 2000, discloses a Hors D'Oeuvre Tray comprising a food tray having a circular opening about one-third of the distance across the face of the tray for receiving a beverage container with a very wide tapered slot running between the circular opening and the perimeter of the tray. This design is optimally suited for use with a stemmed beverage container, but the reference also indicates that a flat bottom beverage container can be placed onto the flat surface surrounding the circular opening. This design does not allow the user to grip the beverage container and tray at the same time using only one hand. Because the cup holder portion is circular, only a limited number of sizes and shapes of beverage containers can be used and if the beverage container does not fit into the circular opening, then it must be balanced precariously on the adjacent flat surface of the tray, which could result in spillage. Further, the beverage container must be tapered from a larger top diameter to a smaller bottom diameter, or this device cannot be used, thereby diminishing its utility and its marketability.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,011, issued to Xu on Sep. 7, 1999, discloses a Food Plate with Thumb and Beverage Container Apertures for Gripping and Holding with One Hand comprising a tray with a circular cup-receiving portion having a raised circular portion with a hole at the center and a plurality of serrated lines 17 forming a plurality of triangular tab sections that are pressed downward to form a cup holder portion of the plate relatively close to an edge of the plate. The triangular tabs grip a beverage container. The user is supposed to place his fingers about the beverage container and his thumb through a thumb hole and onto the top surface of the plate. This arrangement requires the user to surrender control of his beverage container entirely when trying to retrieve it because he must disengage his hand entirely from the beverage container, remove his thumb from the thumb hole and then reach around the plate and on top of the plate to grasp the beverage container again. Further, as is the case with so many of these devices, the beverage container holder is a circular hole, which is only suitable for holding tapered cups of limited diameters, since the beverage container must be tapered from a larger top diameter to a smaller bottom diameter, or this device cannot be used, thereby diminishing its utility and its marketability.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,264, issued to Lipkowitz on Jun. 23, 1998 discloses a Wine Tasting Pallet having a cup-holder portion with three circular holes of a relatively small diameter, which can only receive a stemmed beverage container inserted through a slot leading into the circular hole. This device will not accept a normal sized beverage container and is specifically designed for use with stemmed wine glasses only. Therefore, it clearly cannot provide the utility of the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,678, issued to Chen on Mar. 17, 1998, discloses a Two-In-One Paper Dish and Cup Holder comprising a tray having a cup-holder portion at one end, which consists of a circular aperture for receiving a beverage container. A flap forms a bottom in the cup holder, which can be removed to accommodate a lager cup. This device, however, can only hold tapered beverage containers of limited size and shape and the user must surrender control of the beverage container to the plate once it is placed into the cup holder portion. Further, it is intended that to be stable, the user must insert his thumb through a thumb hole and rest his thumb on the top surface of the plate, making it awkward to remove his hand from the tray. The user therefore cannot hold the beverage container and the plate together at the same time using one hand thereby decreasing the desirability and thus the marketability of this device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,593, issued to Wiens on Sep. 3, 1996, discloses a combination food and Beverage Plate resembling a painter's pallette and comprising a circular opening on one end for holding a beverage cup. This flat bottom design does not hold the beverage container in a stable manner and can only accept beverage containers of limited sizes and dimensions. Furthermore, the user must surrender control over the beverage container once it is placed into the cup holder portion. This design requires that the beverage container be placed into an unstable and top-heavy condition that is made worse when tall beverage containers are used, which causes the user to always be concerned about its toppling over and making a mess. All of these limitations make this design undesirable and awkward to use.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,070, issued to McSpadden on Sep. 13, 1994, discloses a Portable Food Tray with Cup Holder comprising a raised cylindrical portion having side walls extending above the floor of the tray for receiving a beverage container. The bottom wall of the cup-holder portion is serrated for easy removal so that the device can accommodate taller beverage containers. The area adjacent to the side wall underneath the top surface of the tray is void, allowing the user to grip the beverage container from underneath the tray, which is awkward at best. Because the resulting opening in the tray is circular and the upstanding sleeve is cylindrical when the bottom wall of the cup holder portion is removed, this design can only be used for tapered beverage containers having circular cross sections and containers small enough to fit into the circular opening. If the serrated portion of the beverage sleeve is removed to accommodate a taller beverage container, this design can only be used for a tapered beverage container having a bottom diameter small enough to fit into the cup holder portion and top diameter large enough to be captured by the cup holder portion. The user cannot remove the beverage container from the tray with the same hand that is holding the tray itself without first transferring control of the tray and the beverage container to the free hand, thereby forcing the user to surrender direct control of the beverage container to the try. All of these limitations diminish the desirability and hence marketability of this design.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,750, issued to Moller on Feb. 9, 1993, discloses a Party Dish, comprising a food tray having a circular aperture for receiving a tapered beverage container in which the bottom of the container has a smaller diameter than the top of the container. The container holder portion is only the thickness of the plate itself. A user must surrender control of the beverage container to the plate when the beverage container is placed into the cup holder, that is, only the plate controls the beverage container and the user cannot hold the beverage container. Only tapered beverage containers can be received in the circular hole and they cannot be inserted into the hole from the side, only from the top. Therefore, this device requires the user to carefully insert and withdraw the beverage container vertically into and out of the cup holder, thereby reducing both its utility and its marketability.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,161, issued to Kimishima on Aug. 24, 1993, discloses a Device for Holding a Glass comprising a sleeve enclosed at the bottom end that can hold a beverage container. The device has a protrusion on one side at its top edge that includes a loop through which a user can insert his thumb. When the thumb is held vertically, the beverage container in the cup holder will lean against the base of the user's thumb, thereby keeping the beverage container upright. The user can then have the tip of the thumb and his fingers free to grasp a wholly separate food plate. This device does not combine a food plate and beverage container holder into a single device; requires the user to assume and maintain an awkward position with his hand and thumb; requires the user to cantilever the food plate over his fingers, secured only by his thumb on the top surface of the plate; and does not allow the user to maintain in-contact control over his beverage container with one hand while also holding the food plate in the same hand, which are all natural functions of the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,743, issued to Costarella et al. On May 4, 1993, discloses a Drinking Vessel Supporting Plate for One Hand comprising a plate having a circular aperture in its very center with a uniform crown around the perimeter of the plate, creating a corresponding circular channel about the aperture on the bottom of the plate, which is intended to allow the user to balance the entire plate on his fingertips. The user must surrender control of the beverage container to the plate when the beverage container is placed into the cup holder, that is, only the plate controls the beverage container and the user cannot hold the beverage container directly. Holding this device as intended is awkward and unnatural, as no person regularly walks around at a social function with their fingers pointing up and the hand elevated above the elbow. As is the case with many of these devices, this design is both odd in appearance and odd to use, thereby diminishing its utility and its marketability.

All of the above designs suffer from problems that make them unattractive or unusable for the purposes intended. None allows the user to have contact with and complete control over the beverage container at all times with one hand. They do not allow the user to conveniently place the beverage container in a holder and remove it from the holder with one and the same hand while maintaining continuous contact with and control over the beverage container. None can accommodate a wide variety of shapes and sizes and non-uniform sizes of beverage containers. And they are often not appropriate for every type of social setting where food and drink may be served.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a principal objective of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that allows a user to hold a food plate and a beverage container of a wide variety of shapes and sizes in one hand and to remove or replace the beverage container from the food plate with the same hand.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that readily allows a user to maintain constant contact with, and total control over the beverage container at all times, even when engaging the beverage container with the food plate portion of the device itself and when disengaging the beverage container from the food plate portion of the device, all the while using the same hand.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that readily accommodates a wide variety of shapes and sizes and non-uniform sizes of beverage containers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that is easy to hold, even when the plate is filled with food and the beverage container is full by encouraging the user through its design to place his index finger around the beverage container and on the top surface of the plate, thereby avoiding a cantilevered load that must be supported by the user's thumb in much of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can lie flat on a flat surface, thereby increasing both the utility of the device and the appearance of utility of the device, both of which increase marketability of the device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that has a pleasing esthetic appearance suitable for extended use while interacting socially with others at any occasion or social setting regardless of how formal or informal such occasion may be, thereby increasing the universe of events for which it is suitable and its esthetic appeal, both of which increase the marketability of the device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that allows the user to maintain secure control over the beverage container at all times with one hand by holding the beverage container and the food plate together at the same time using only one hand, and, when holding the food plate portion alone with the other hand, engaging the beverage container into the beverage receiving portion or removing the beverage container from the beverage container receiving portion with the other hand, increasing the user's sense of security in handling both the beverage container and the food plate, both of which increase the marketability of the present invention.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can be stacked or nested with other food plates with beverage container receiving portions of the same type.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can be manufactured inexpensively from a variety of suitable materials.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can be placed on a flat level surface in a stable and level manner parallel with the surface upon which it is placed and that can therefore be used in the same manner as a standard conventional plate, whether disposable or not.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food plate with beverage container receiving portion that can be used by either a right-hand user or a left-handed user with equal convenience.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a food plate having a wide-mouth arcuate recess at one edge, which may be a segment of a circle or some other generally arcuate shape when viewed in a top view and in which the preferred embodiment is a parabola. The wide-mouth arcuate, preferably parabolic, recess is necessary to insure that a wide variety of beverage container sizes and shapes can be brought into close proximity with the food plate, so that both the food plate and the beverage container can be held at the same time using the same hand.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the best mode currently known to the inventor for carrying out his invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a food plate with beverage container receiving portion according to the present invention shown in use with a beverage container having a tapered circular cross-section sidewall;

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1 shown in use.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the top with the right side closer to the viewer.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an edge view of the device of FIG. 1 looking at device toward the edge having the arcuate opening, i.e., a rear view.

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the device of FIG. 1 shown in use with a stemmed beverage container.

FIG. 8 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a left side view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the device being used with a cylindrical beverage container having a diameter similar in size to the opening of the mouth of the beverage receiving recess.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the device being used with a cylindrical beverage container having a diameter smaller than the opening of the mouth of the beverage receiving recess.

FIG. 12 is a bottom right-hand isometric view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an alternative embodiment of the device of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction ridges.

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an alternative embodiment of the device of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction ridges.

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the top with the right side closer to the viewer employing a high friction gripping surface in the beverage container receiving portion.

FIG. 16 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the high friction gripping surface as in FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an alternative embodiment of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction ridges.

FIG. 18 is left side view of the device of FIG. 1 showing an alternative embodiment of FIG. 1 employing gripping friction ridges.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along lines 19-19 of FIG. 16 showing the rear surface of the depending skirt portion of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the top with the right side closer to the viewer showing an alternative embodiment in which the arcuate recess has no depending skirt or upstanding collar, relying on the edge of the arcuate opening in the device for receiving a beverage container.

FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the top with the right side closer to the viewer showing an alternative embodiment in which the arcuate recess for receiving a beverage container is bounded by an upstanding collar portion.

FIG. 22 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 1 viewed from the top with the right side closer to the viewer showing an alternative embodiment in which the arcuate recess for receiving a beverage container is bounded by a depending skirt portion and an aligned upstanding collar portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 a food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 includes a food-holding plate portion 12 having a rim 14 about its perimeter. In FIG. 1, the left side of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 20 is visible and in the FIG. 2, the right side is visible. The rim 14 is upwardly convex, stiffening the plate portion 12 so that it can bear more weight than could be borne by a flat sheet of the same material and has an upper surface 15. The plate portion 12 includes a downwardly and inwardly sloping side wall 16, further strengthening the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 20 and providing a bowl or the like having a bottom wall 18, which is flat or substantially flat, which is intended to hold food or other items. The beverage container receiving portion 20, formed integrally with the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, includes a wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 and a depending skirt portion 24 along the whole length of the arcuate recess perimeter 26. The depending skirt portion 24 depends downwardly at an angle lying in a range of 90° to about 95° relative to the general plane of said plate portion, with an over-center angle on the depending skirt portion 24 being a preferred embodiment and tending to project the lower or bottom edge 51 of the depending skirt portion 24 outwardly, i.e., outwardly from the plate portion 12, with the preferred angle being about 3° over-center, which facilitates stacking or nesting multiple units and facilitates usage.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 the user's right hand 28 is shown using the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 20 by curling his fingers about the beverage container 30, with his index finger 32 wrapped about the beverage container 30 above and in contact with the beverage container receiving portion 20 of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, his middle finger 34 wrapped about the beverage container 30 below and in contact with the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, his ring finger 36 similarly engaged in the normal manner with the beverage container 30 below the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and in contact with his middle finger 34 and his pinkie finger 38 curled up along the bottom wall 40 of the beverage container 30. Alternatively, the pinkie finger 38 can be aligned with the other fingers. The user's thumb 42 is opposed to the fingers 32, 34, 36 and 38 in the usual manner and grips the beverage container 30. The fingers 32, 34, 36 and possibly 38, together with the thumb 42 clamp the beverage container 30 against the skirt portion 24, deforming and bending the skirt portion 24 to more or less conform to the shape of the beverage container 30, although only two points or lines of contact between the beverage container 30 and the skirt portion 24 are needed to achieve a firm and secure hold on both the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and the beverage container 30. A beverage container 30 having a diameter less than the smallest arc in the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 will have only one point or line of contact with the portion 20, while a beverage container 30 having a diameter greater that the smallest arc in the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 will have two points or lines of contact, as described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 7, 10, 11.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 5, the rim 14 includes a perimeter 44 and a parallel first embossed groove 46 and a second parallel embossed groove 48, defining the junction between food holding plate portion 12 and the side wall 16 for increased rigidity and to define a tunnel 45 (as best seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 12) that the user inserts a finger into, preferably and naturally the middle finger 34. In the preferred embodiment, the tunnel 45 is a gap between the depending skirt portion 24 and the plate portion 12, as defined by the arcuate top edge or ridge 49 along the length of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22, which is arcuate, but is not circular or semi-circular, but is preferably a parabola, or which may resemble a parabola, which is essential for accommodating beverage containers of various sizes and shapes, since only one or two points of actual natural contact, that is, prior to any deformation of the skirt portion 24 by the user's hand 28, which causes the points of contact to become lines of contact, is required in order for a user to securely hold the beverage container against the skirt portion 24. In the preferred embodiment, the parabolic wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 is defined by the general equation y=ax²+bx+c, where a, b and c are constants and the x and y values define the resulting shape of the parabola. This equation can be simplified by setting b and c equal to -0-, resulting in the equation y=ax². In the preferred embodiment, the value for x at the intersection point of the perimeter and the recess perimeter 76 is equal to one-half of the width of the arcuate opening 47, falling within a range of about 3-5 cm (1.18-1.97 inch) with the preferred distance being 3.96 cm (1.56 inch). In the preferred embodiment, the value for y at the intersection point of the perimeter and the recess perimeter 76 is equal to the depth of the arcuate opening 74, which falls within with a range of about 2-5 cm (0.78-1.96 inch), with the preferred depth being 3.5 cm (1.38 inches). These values for x and y may be larger or smaller in any direction to create a wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 of any desired size and shape, but the preferred values for x and y create a wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 that is well suited for most sizes and shapes of beverage containers. Entering the preferred values for x and y into the simplified equation for a parabola yields a preferred value for “a” equal to 0.223 cm⁻¹ (0.57 inch⁻¹). Likewise, entering values for x in the range of 3-5 cm and values for y in the range of 2-5 cm into the simplified equation for a parabola yields a value for “a” within the range of 0.08-0.555 cm⁻¹ (0.2-1.41 inch⁻¹). Thus the preferred embodiment for the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 is a parabola defined by the equation y=ax², where “a”=0.223 cm⁻¹ (0.57 inch⁻¹). Expressed alternatively, the width of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 presents an angle 43 about the perimeter 44 lying in a range of about 30°-95° of the perimeter 44, of a circular plate, with the preferred arc of the opening 22 being 56°. The wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 must be approximately within the prescribed range in order to allow beverage containers of widely varying size to be received and seated in the arcuate recess that forms the beverage container receiving portion 20. Too small an opening will not allow certain beverage containers to be received and too large an opening will prevent meaningful contact between the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and a beverage container. In any case, of course the opening 22 must be wider than the diameter of any beverage container that the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 can receive. This structure allows the user to easily hold the top and bottom surfaces of the tunnel 54 easily, thereby securing the beverage container 30 against the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10. Alternatively, the arcuate opening 47 may be a segment of a circle or other shape that presents a mouth and an opening that allows a beverage container to be moved into contact with a recess in the plate 10. The tunnel 45 is parallel to and coextensive with the depending skirt portion 24. As best seen in FIG. 3, the skirt portion 24 of the beverage receiving portion 20 is tapered slightly outward from the food-holding plate portion 12 from its top edge, or ridge, 49 to its bottom edge 51, which allows the skirt portion 24 to accommodate tapered beverage containers 30 more readily, but is not absolutely required since the skirt portion 24 in the preferred embodiment is moderately flexible and deformable under slight force from the user. The desirable outward and downward taper is in a range of 2°-10°, with the preferred taper being about 3° over perpendicular from the general plane of the bottom wall 18. This small taper in the depending skirt portion 24 provides increased strength, thereby keeping the plate portion 12 flat when the weight of the food is added to the plate portion 12.

As seen in FIGS. 4, 6, 8, 9, the lower edge 46 of the skirt portion 24 is even with and defines a straight line with the lower surface 50 of the bottom wall 18 of the plate portion 12, insuring that the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 will lie level when placed on a flat surface. That is, the bottom edge 51 of the depending skirt portion 24 and a bottom surface 51 of said plate portion 12 extend below the rim 14 of said plate by the same distance, whereby the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 will lie level when placed on a flat level surface. Alternatively, the skirt portion may be longer than the depth of the food plate portion if a shallower food portion is desired, or if a longer skirt is desired, but it has been found that the preferred embodiment is stable and level when placed on a flat level surface, which provides the user with a sense of security regarding the beverage container in using the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, secure in the understanding that food is not going to fall from the food plate 10 and liquids in the plate portion 12 are not going to spill when the food plate 10 is set down on a flat horizontal surface, such as a table, thereby increasing the esthetic appeal and the marketability of the food plate 10. Further, as best seen in FIG. 4, the perimeter 44, upper surface 15 and the top edge 49 of the skirt portion 24 lie along a straight line parallel to the bottom wall 18 of the plate portion 12, so the top edge of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 is straight across the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, making it parallel to the line defined by the bottom edges or surfaces of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, providing a pleasing symmetry.

Referring to FIG. 7, the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 is shown in use with a stemmed wine glass 52, showing how readily the skirt portion 24 allows for easy gripping of a beverage container 52 having a diameter much smaller than the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening of the beverage container receiving portion 22. In this case, the thumb 42 clamps the stem of the wine glass 54 against the arcuate recess perimeter 26 using the same grip as shown in FIG. 1. Although the thumb 42 as shown in FIG. 7 is located substantially closer to the arcuate recess perimeter 26 when compared to the location of the thumb 42 shown in FIG. 1, the direction and orientation of the thumb 42 and the fingers 32, 24, 26 and 38 are the same regardless of the size of the beverage container 30, 52 or 62 being held in the receiving portion 22.

Referring to FIG. 10, a cylindrical beverage container 56, having a much larger diameter than the beverage container 30 in FIG. 1 is shown, with a diameter of about 8.3 cm (3.28 inches). In this case, the beverage container 56 has two points of contact, 58, 60, with the depending skirt portion 24 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26, which may become lines of contact if the skirt portion 24 is deformed, with the arcuate recess perimeter 26 being tangential to the cylindrical beverage container 56, resulting in a gap 82 at the root of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 of the preferred embodiment that is approximately 0.8 cm (0.31 inch) and a gap 90 at the intersection point of the perimeter and the recess perimeter 76 that is approximately 0.09 cm (0.035 inch). These are sufficient to allow the beverage container 56 and the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 to be held together securely and easily, just as is shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 11, a substantially smaller beverage container 62 having a diameter of about 7.25 cm (2.87 inches), is shown in contact with the arcuate recess perimeter 26. In this case, the beverage container 62 has two points of contact 78, 80 with the depending skirt portion 24 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26, which are in a different location than the location of the points of contact 58, 60 showing in FIG. 10. The two points of contact 78, 80 between the beverage container 62 and the depending skirt portion 24 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 will become lines of contact if the depending skirt portion 24 is deformed, with the arcuate recess perimeter 26 being tangential to the cylindrical beverage container 56, resulting in a gap 84 at the root of the wide-mouth accurate opening 22, that is approximately 0.43 cm (0.17 inch), and a gap 92 at the intersection point of the perimeter and the recess perimeter 76 that is approximately 0.37 cm (0.146 inch). These gaps are sufficient to allow the beverage container 62 and the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 to be held together securely and easily, just as shown in FIG. 1 with a much larger beverage container 30.

The basic shape of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 is not essential and it may be made in any desirable convenient shape, e.g., oval, octagonal, square, and so forth. Various types and numbers of embossed lines, side walls and so forth may be employed for stiffening if desired. It may be made from plastic, pressed paper or paperboard, or any other suitable material. It may be made by any convenient means, including, for example, molding, pressing, and so forth. The skirt portion may include one or more slits to facilitate its flexibility. The thickness of the material of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 may be uniform, but the beverage container receiving portion may be thicker for greater strength if desired.

Referring to FIG. 12 a bottom view of the tunnel 45 is shown.

Referring to FIGS. 13, 14, an alternative embodiment of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 includes an upper surface left side patch of friction ridges 64 and an upper surface right side patch of friction ridges 66 on the top surface 31 of the beverage container receiving portion 20. Corresponding bottom left and right patches of friction ridges 68, 70 respectively are formed on the bottom surface 33 of the beverage container receiving portion 20, as shown in FIG. 14. These friction ridges, which consist of a plurality of friction ridges, may be integrally formed by means of molding, pressing, or the like or by any other known process, such as, for example, adhering a separate friction material on the top surface 31 or the bottom surface 33 of the beverage container receiving portion 20. As shown, the opposing surfaces, that is, the left side patches of friction ridges 64, 68 have identical shapes and sizes, as do the right side patches 66, 70. Alternatively, such patches of friction ridges may be formed on only the top surface or bottom surface, or may have different sizes and shapes on the upper surface or bottom surface, or may be continuous along the top surface 31 or the bottom surface 33. The friction ridges 64, 66, 68, 70 are located adjacent to the ends 25, 27 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26.

Referring to FIGS. 15, 16, a high friction open celled plastic friction strip 72, or other high friction strip, is integrally formed or affixed to the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 side of the depending skirt portion 24 of the beverage container receiving portion 20. The friction strip 72 may be integrally formed by means of molding, or the like, or by any other know process such as adhering a separate friction strip 72 to the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 of the depending skit portion 24 of the beverage container receiving portion 20. The friction strip 72 may be made from particles or from an open or a closed cell foam plastic material, or may be a plurality of friction ridges molded into the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10. The friction strip 72 increases the contact area and friction between the skirt portion 24 and any beverage container, thereby requiring less force by the user to maintain a secure grip on the beverage container and the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10. Alternatively, the friction strip 72 may occupy only a portion of the skirt portion 24 or may consist of two or more segments distributed along the skirt portion 24.

Referring to FIGS. 17, 18, 19, in an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, friction ridges 86 are formed along the outer surface 88 of the depending skirt portion 24 along its right-hand rear surface 87 and, as shown in FIG. 18, in the same alternative embodiment, the friction ridges 86 are shown along the left-hand rear surface of the depending skirt portion 24 and these friction ridges continue about the whole of the rear surface 88 of the depending skirt portion 24, as shown in FIG. 19. The structure of all the friction ridges or surfaces 64, 66, 68, 70, 86 serve to facilitate gripping the plate, thereby providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier and provides a more secure grip, thereby increasing user perception of quality of the device and thereby increasing marketability of the plate.

Referring to FIG. 20, an alternative embodiment of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 relies on the edge 90 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 to receive the beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62, that is, there is no depending skirt or the like. In this embodiment, the user will hold the beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62 and secure it by having his index finger on the top surface of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and his middle finger against the lower surface of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10.

Referring to FIG. 21, there is shown an alternative embodiment of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 that includes an upstanding collar portion 92 that rises above the general plane of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10. The upstanding collar portion 92 replaces the depending skirt portion 24 in this embodiment and follows the arcuate perimeter 26 of the arcuate opening 22 in the same fashion as the preferred depending skirt portion 24. In use of this alternative embodiment, typically the user's index finger 32 is wrapped around the collar portion 92 and the beverage container to hold both items securely.

Referring to FIG. 22, another alternative embodiment of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 includes both an upstanding collar portion 92 and the depending skirt portion 24, which are vertically aligned to produce an effectively single vertical member. The upstanding collar portion 92 rises above the general plane of the rim 14 of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 by a distance that is preferably the same as the distance that the depending skirt portion 24 is below the general plane of the rim 14 of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10. The upstanding collar portion 92 is aligned with the depending skirt portion 24 and extends throughout entire length of the arcuate recess perimeter 26, although either or both of the depending skirt portion 24 and the upstanding collar portion 92 could occupy only one or more segments of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 and still function adequately. The upstanding collar portion 92 can be covered with a friction surface on either surface, if desired. The upstanding collar portion 92 on the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 increases the surface area that a user will utilize in holding a beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62 by providing a gripping surface for holding the beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62 both above and below the rim 14 of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, which will normally utilize the users index finger 32 to hold the beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62 above the rim 14 and his middle finger 34 to hold the beverage container 30, 52, 56 or 62 below the rim 14, making for a very secure grip.

In the preferred method of use of the preferred embodiment as shown, for example in FIG. 3, the user will move the beverage container into the arcuate recess of the plate 10 until the beverage container engages the depending skirt portion 24, preferably sliding the index finger 32 along the arcuate recess perimeter 26 of the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 along the top surface 31 and preferably sliding the middle finger 34 along the bottom surface 33 of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 into and through the tunnel 45, thereby gripping the depending skirt portion 24 along its rear surface 88 (as best seen in FIG. 19). Thus, the tunnel 45 receives and accommodates the middle finger 34, but may also accommodate any or all of a user's fingers. In this configuration, the index finger 32 and the middle finger 34 are adjacent to each other in the normal curled disposition of the hand, and are separated only by the thickness of the plate 10 material, which is minimal. Thus, the posture of the hand 28, whether the left hand or the right hand, is entirely natural and comfortable. The user's index finger 32, ring finger 36 and pinkie finger 38 preferably remain in contact with the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 at all times, that is, before, during and after engagement of the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 with the depending skirt portion 24 in the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22, with only the middle finger 34 being partially removed from contact with the beverage container 30, 56, 62 in order for it to contact the depending skirt 24, thereby insuring that the user retains complete and continuous control over the beverage container 30, 56 or 62 throughout the process of securing the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 against the plate 10 and removing the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 from contact with the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10. Importantly, the user's thumb 42 grips the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 in opposition to the fingers 32, 34-38 in the normal gripping position, thereby insuring a continuous firm and secure grip on both the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 and on the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 at the same time. The depending skirt portion 24 is moderately deformable and flexible and can be moderately deformed by the user's grip during use due to the materials normally used in the manufacture of disposable plates and saucers, and although this characteristic may improve the performance of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, this characteristic is not required for the successful use of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, which can be used easily and successfully without any deformation of the depending skirt portion 24.

Referring again to FIGS. 15, 17, 18, in an alternative embodiment, the a thickened portion 35 on the right side of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 adjacent to the wide-mouth arcuate opening is provided along the top surface 31 and a corresponding thickened portion 39 on the left side of the arcuate recess perimeter 26 adjacent to the wide-mouth arcuate opening is provided along the top surface 31. These thickened portions 35, 39 increase the structural strength of the beverage container receiving portion of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and increase the user's perception of the utility and quality of the device 10, thereby increasing its marketability. That is, the thickened portions 35, 39 increase the structural strength and facilitates gripping the plate, providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of the plate.

In use, the user of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 will alternate between holding the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 with a beverage container 30, 56, or 62 engaged with the wide-mouth arcuate opening 22 at the same time using the same hand, or holding the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 in one hand and the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 in the other hand. When the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 and the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 are held together in one hand, the other hand is free to use for eating from the plate 12 or for other actives. To drink from the beverage container 30, 56, or 62, the user will take hold of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 using the hand that is opposite of the hand holding the beverage container 30, 56 or 62 and the plate 10, allowing the user to disengage the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 from the plate 10 so that the contents of the beverage container 30, 56, or 62 can be consumed. Thus, the user has complete and direct contact with and control over the beverage container at all times during use of the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 and never surrenders control over the beverage container 30, 56 or 62. These actions are all completely natural, seamless and intuitive for the user.

In use, the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 allows the user to securely hold any of a wide variety of shapes and sizes of beverage containers, while at the same time easily engaging or disengaging the beverage container 30 or the like to and from the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 without surrendering direct control of the beverage container 30 or the like. Thus, while holding the beverage container 30 or the like and the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10 together with the same hand, the other hand is free to shake hands with other patrons of an event, or to pickup and eat food from the food plate with beverage container receiving portion 10, or to do otherwise with the free hand.

While the present invention has been described in accordance with the preferred embodiments thereof, the description is for illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A plate comprising:

a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter and a substantially flat plate portion for holding products;

b. a beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portion in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion comprising an arcuate recess and a depending skirt portion along said arcuate recess, wherein said wide-mouth arcuate opening presents an opening lying in a range of 30°-95° of said perimeter of the plate.

2. A plate in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a tunnel between said plate portion and said beverage container receiving portion, said tunnel lying under a top surface of said beverage container receiving portion for receiving and accommodating one or more fingers of a user.

3. A plate in accordance with claim 2 wherein said tunnel is parallel to and coextensive with said arcuate recess.

4. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said depending skirt depends from said beverage container receiving portion at an angle lying in a range of 90° to about 95° relative to the general plane of said plate portion such that a bottom edge of said depending skirt portion projects outwardly from said plate portion.

5. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wide-mouth arcuate opening presents an opening of 56° of said perimeter of the plate.

6. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bottom edge of said depending skirt portion and a bottom surface of said plate portion extend below a rim of the plate by the same distance, whereby the plate will lie level when placed on a flat level surface, thereby increasing the marketability of the plate.

7. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said recessed portion is a parabola defined by the equation y=ax2+bx+c with x lying in a range of 3-5 cm and −3 to −5 cm and y lying in the range of 2-5 cm.

8. A plate in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means for increasing friction on at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of a rim of the plate adjacent to said recessed portion at each of two ends of said recessed portion.

9. A plate in accordance with claim 8 wherein said friction means further comprises a plurality of friction ridges, whereby gripping the plate is facilitated, providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of the plate.

11. A plate in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a thickened portion of each of two ends of an upper surface of said arcuate recess, whereby gripping the plate is facilitated, providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of the plate.

12. A plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said perimeter of said plate portion further comprises an upper surface and said perimeter upper surface and a top edge of said skirt portion lie along a straight line parallel to a bottom wall of said plate portion, whereby the top edge of the plate is straight across the plate.

13. A plate comprising:

a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter and a substantially flat plate portion for holding products;

b. a beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portion in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion comprising an arcuate recess and a depending skirt portion along said arcuate recess; and

c. a tunnel between said plate portion and said beverage container receiving portion, said tunnel lying under a top surface of said beverage container receiving portion for receiving and accommodating one or more fingers of a user.

14. A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said tunnel is parallel to and coextensive with said arcuate recess.

15. A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said depending skirt depends from said beverage container receiving portion at an angle lying in a range of 90° to about 95° relative to the general plane of said plate portion such that a bottom edge of said depending skirt portion projects outwardly from said plate portion.

16. A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said bottom edge of said depending skirt portion and a bottom surface of said plate portion a bottom extend below a rim of the plate by the same distance, whereby the plate will lie level when placed on a flat level surface, whereby marketability of the plate is increased.

17. A plate in accordance with claim 13 wherein said perimeter of said plate portion further comprises an upper surface and said perimeter upper surface and a top edge of said skirt portion lie along a straight line parallel to a bottom wall of said plate portion, whereby the top edge of the plate is straight across the plate.

18. A plate comprising:

a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter and a substantially flat plate portion for holding products;

b. a beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portion in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion comprising an arcuate recess and a depending skirt portion along said arcuate recess for receiving a beverage container and a corresponding upstanding collar portion along said arcuate recess, wherein said depending skirt portion and said upstanding collar portion are vertically aligned with one another for receiving a beverage container, thereby increasing the user's perception of security regarding the beverage container and thereby increasing marketability of the plate, wherein said arcuate opening presents an opening lying in a range of 30°-95°of said perimeter of the plate;

c. a tunnel between said plate portion and said beverage container receiving portion, said tunnel lying under a top surface of said beverage container receiving portion for receiving and accommodating one or more fingers of a user, wherein said tunnel is parallel to and coextensive with said arcuate recess;

d. means for increasing friction on at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of a rim of the plate adjacent to said recessed portion at each of two ends of said recessed portion, whereby gripping the plate is facilitated, providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of the plate; and

e. a thickened portion of each of two ends of an upper surface of said arcuate recess, whereby gripping the plate is facilitated, providing a user with a sense that the plate is studier and thereby increasing marketability of the plate.

19. A plate in accordance with claim 18 wherein said depending skirt depends from said beverage container receiving portion at an angle lying in a range of 90° to about 95° relative to the general plane of said plate portion such that a bottom edge of said depending skirt portion projects outwardly from said plate portion.

20. A plate in accordance with claim 18 wherein said perimeter of said plate portion further comprises an upper surface and said perimeter upper surface and a top edge of said skirt portion lie along a straight line parallel to a bottom wall of said plate portion, whereby the top edge of the plate is straight across the plate.

21. A plate comprising:

a. a plate portion comprising a perimeter and a substantially flat plate portion for holding items; and

b. a beverage container receiving portion comprising a recessed portion in said perimeter of said plate, said recessed portion further comprising an arcuate parabolic shape.