Food Dish With Abutment to Drinking Glass Top
A dish with a body having an upper surface comprising a first material suitable to contact food and a lower surface. The dish also has a member attached to the lower surface where the member includes a second material, differing from the first material, and where the member has at least one dimension that is between two and four inches so as to abut to a circle having a diameter of four inches or less.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present embodiments relate to food dishes and are more preferably directed to dishes for use in combination with a drinking glass, such as a champagne or wine glass.
Certain meals or social gatherings often bring together good times with food and beverages, and many of these occasions involve the use of certain glassware including dishes and glasses. In many instances, the dishes include small plates and the glasses are used to serve beverages such as wine or champagne. At events of this sort, participants often desire to partake in all of these offerings, and typically find themselves holding a dish with one hand and a glass with another. These activities therefore occupy both of the person's hands, whereupon the person is required to place either the dish, the glass, or both down in order to further serve themselves or to otherwise free a hand for various uses, such as a gesture, a handshake, a touch, or the like.
The present inventors have discovered an apparatus and method for improving upon the above contexts. Such inventive aspects are borne out in the preferred embodiments, as discussed below.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one preferred embodiment, there is a dish with a body having an upper surface comprising a first material suitable to contact food. The dish also has a lower surface and a member attached to the lower surface, where the member includes a second material, differing from the first material, and where the member has at least one dimension that is between two and four inches so as to abut to a circle having a diameter of four inches or less.
Other embodiments and aspects are also disclosed and claimed.
A preferred embodiment methodology for using the dish 10, for example in combination with the glass G, is now described. In use, preferably the upper rim RG of the drinking glass G is brought into abutting contact with the surface 16S (see also,
Note further that the cooperative and abutting relationship illustrated in
Given the preceding, one skilled in the art may now further appreciate the use of the dish 10 in an environment that includes, for example, both food and drink. In such an instance, the glass G may be filled with a desirable beverage while food items, garnishes, or the like may be placed upon the upper surface 10US of the dish 10; in addition, the dish 10 may be oriented to rest upon the glass G by abutting the surface 16S of the gasket with the upper rim RG of the drinking glass 10. Thus, a person may carry, move, transport, stand with, or set upon a table or the like, the collective balancing assembly of the combination of the dish 10 atop the glass G. In this manner, the person while holding the assembly may be afforded free use of one of their hands, and while the assembly is at rest upon a table or the like then less surface area is consumed as compared to placing the dish 10 and the glass G separately on such a table. Note also that various preferred embodiment aspects further facilitate the methodology described above. For example, the length dimensions of the dish 10 provide for an area that is suitable for foods (e.g., appetizers) while not becoming unruly in span or attempted balance. As another example, the upward rounded corners 121 through 124 of the dish 10 provide additional apparatus for retaining food on the upper surface 10US while a person maneuvers with the assembly of the dish 10 atop the glass G, thereby giving the person greater confidence in movement while certain assurance that food on the dish 10 is less likely to fall or be spilled. As another example, the size range provided for the toroid shape of the gasket 14 is sufficient to accommodate most typical beverage glasses. Note, however, that such ranges may be further adjusted by one skilled in the art given the inventive teachings herein. In addition, a toroid is preferable for the gasket 16 in certain embodiments, for example as it may facilitate greater efficiency in hand cleaning the dish 10 and also provides an aperture in its center so that insignia or the like may be placed at the center of the lower surface 10LS of the dish 10 and still be viewed through the aperture, while still providing the abutting structure to accommodate the upper rim RG of the glass G. In an alternative embodiment, however, the gasket 16 may be disk shaped, that is, with no aperture in its center.
The present embodiments have been shown to relate to food dishes and are more particularly to dishes for use in combination with a drinking glass, such as a champagne or wine glass. While various alternatives have been provided according to preferred embodiments, still others are contemplated and yet others may be ascertained by one skilled in the art. For example, while certain dimensions and shapes have been described, one skilled in the art may find suitable alternatives under certain circumstances. As another example, certain materials also may be altered by one skilled in the art. Given the preceding, therefore, one skilled in the art should further appreciate that while the present embodiments have been described in detail, various substitutions, modifications or alterations could be made to the descriptions set forth above without departing from the inventive scope, as is defined in part by claims below.
Claims
1. A dish, comprising:
- a body having an upper surface comprising a first material suitable to contact food and a lower surface; and
- a member attached to the lower surface and comprising a second material, differing from the first material, wherein the member has at least one dimension that is between two and four inches so as to abut to a circle having a diameter of four inches or less;
- wherein the body has a lower surface opposite the upper surface;
- wherein the lower surface comprises a continuous raised ridge;
- wherein the member is aligned within an interior area of the continuous raised ridge; and
- wherein the member has a depth greater than a depth of the continuous raised ridge whereby the member provides a lowermost surface, beyond the continuous raised ridge, upon which the dish will rest when the dish is placed atop a contact area.
2. The dish of claim 1 wherein the member comprises ethylene vinyl acetate.
3. The dish of claim 1 wherein the member comprises an annulus having an outer diameter of four inches or less and an inner diameter of two inches or more.
4. The dish of claim 1 wherein the member comprises an annulus having an outer diameter of five inches or less and an inner diameter of two inches or more.
5. The dish of claim 1 wherein the upper surface comprises upward turned corners.
6. The dish of claim 1 wherein the upper surface comprises a concave surface.
7-8. (canceled)
9. The dish of claim 1 wherein the continuous raised ridge presents a circular shape on the lower surface.
10. The dish of claim 1 wherein the member comprises foam.
11. The dish of claim 1 wherein the member comprises rubber.
12. The dish of claim 1 wherein a first edge of the dish is within five inches of an opposing second edge of the dish.
13. The dish of claim 1 wherein the body has equal length edges, wherein each edge is five inches or less.
14. The dish of claim 1 wherein the body comprises a circle having a diameter of five inches or less.
15. A method of abutting a dish and a beverage vessel, comprising:
- placing food on an upper surface of a body of the dish, the dish comprising a first material suitable to contact the food and the dish further comprising a lower surface, wherein the lower surface comprises a continuous raised ridge; and
- abutting a rim of the beverage vessel to a member attached to the lower of the dish, wherein the member is aligned within an interior area of the continuous raised ridge and has a depth greater than a depth of the continuous raised ridge whereby the member provides a lowermost surface, beyond the continuous raised ridge, upon which the dish will rest when the dish is placed atop a contact area;
- wherein the second material differs from the first material; and
- wherein the member has at least one dimension that is between two and four inches so as to abut to the rim of the vessel.
16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising moving the dish and the beverage vessel from a first location to a second location with the rim abutted to the member.
17. The method of claim 15 and further comprising dispensing a beverage into the beverage vessel.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the beverage vessel comprises a circular upper rim having a perimeter between two and four inches.
19. The dish of claim 1 wherein the continuous raised ridge has an interior perimeter shape matching an outside perimeter shape of the member.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the continuous raised ridge has an interior perimeter shape matching an outside perimeter shape of the member.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 5, 2012
Publication Date: Jul 11, 2013
Applicant: THIRSTYSTONE RESOURCES,INC. (GAINESVILLE, TX)
Inventors: Laurie Elizabeth Leahy (Lewisville, TX), Mary A. Martinez (Denton, TX)
Application Number: 13/343,853
International Classification: A47G 19/02 (20060101); B65B 3/04 (20060101);