SERVING PLATE AND A CLOSEABLE CONTAINER FORMED THEREWITH
A plate having a top wall, a bottom wall and a side wall extending between the top and bottom walls is disclosed herein. The top wall defines at least one bendable area that includes a wire loop. The bendable area may be bent upwardly or downwardly about a fold line relative to the top wall. Two identical plates can be secured together by the one ore more bendable areas to form a food storage container that a user can use to carry left-over food. The plate includes interlocking members on the bottom wall. The interlocking members are used when plates or storage containers made from the plates are stacked together. The interlocking members prevent the plates or food storage containers from rotating relative to each other or from sliding laterally off the stack.
This application claims the benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/372,026, filed Aug. 8, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates generally to a party or picnic plate. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a party or picnic plate formed of a paper or plastic material. Specifically, the disclosure relates to a plate including interlocking members that allow a plurality of identical plates to be stacked so that they will not rotate or slide sideways relative to each other and which, with a second identical plate can be transformed to a portable storage container for left-over food.
BACKGROUND INFORMATIONConventional disposable plates cannot be used to transport left-overs unless a length of aluminum foil or plastic wrap is used to cover the food. If such foil or plastic wrap is not available then any food remaining on a plate after a party, picnic, or reception must either be thrown away or transferred into a different separate food container so that it made be saved and transported. This means that unless foil, plastic wrap or separate food storage containers are taken to an event, all left-overs must be thrown out. Furthermore, one of more problematic things about conventional food storage containers is that a user must move his/her food from their plate and into the food storage container. This can be a messy operation.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure relates to an improved disposable or reusable plate that may be conveniently and safely transformed into a food storage container by using another identical plate and without the use of additional tools or materials such as aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a plate having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall that extends between the top wall and the bottom wall is disclosed herein. The top wall defines at least one bendable area that includes a bendable wire loop. The bendable area is bent upwardly or downwardly about a fold line relative to the top wall of the plate to lock a pair of plates together. Two identical plates can be engaged with each other to form a food storage container that allows a user to carry left-over food therein. The plate may include one or more interlocking members on the bottom wall. These interlocking members can be used to secure a stack of plates together such that the plates will not rotate or slip sideways relative to each other. The interlocking members may also be used to secure a stack of storage containers made from the plates together so that the storage containers will not rotate or slide laterally relative to each other.
In one aspect, the present disclosure may provide a plate comprising a top wall; a bottom wall; a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall; wherein the bottom wall and side wall bound and define a food containing area adapted to receive food therein; and at least one bendable area defined by the top wall, wherein the at least one bendable area is selectively bendable upwardly or downwardly relative to the top wall about a fold line.
In another aspect, the present disclosure may provide a plate comprising a top wall; a bottom wall; a side wall that extends between the top wall and the bottom wall; wherein the bottom wall and side wall bound and define a food containing area adapted to receive food therein; and at least one interlocking member provided on the bottom wall.
In another aspect, the present disclosure may provide a method comprising steps of providing a first plate comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, wherein the bottom wall and side wall bound and define a food containing area; and at least one bendable area is defined in the top wall, where the at least one bendable area is selectively bendable upwardly or downwardly relative to the top wall about a fold line; providing a second plate comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, wherein the bottom wall and side wall of the second plate bound and define a food containing area; and at least one bendable area is defined in the top wall of the second plate, where the at least one bendable area of the second plate is selectively bendable upwardly or downwardly relative to the top wall of the second plate about a fold line; placing the top wall of the first plate in contact with the top wall of the second plate; folding the at least one bendable area of the first plate upwardly to contact the second plate; folding the at least one bendable area of the second plate downwardly to contact the first plate; and securing the first and second plates together with bendable areas of the first and second plates to form a first storage container.
The method may further comprise a step of rotating the first plate relative to the second plate about a vertical axis passing through the bottom wall of the first plate and bottom wall of the second plate; and moving the at one least bendable area of the first plate out of alignment with the at least one bendable area of the second plate.
The method may further comprise rotating the first plate rotates until the at least of one bendable area of the first plate is orientated at about 45 relative to the at least on bendable area of the second plate.
The step of providing the first plate may include providing a wire loop on the at least one bendable area of the first plate and wherein the method further includes deforming the wire loop when folding the at least one bendable area upwardly.
The step of providing the second plate includes providing a wire loop on the at least one bendable area of the second plate and wherein the method further includes deforming the wire loop on the second plate when folding the at least one bendable area downwardly.
The step of providing the first plate further comprises providing at least one interlocking member on the bottom wall of the first plate; and he step of providing the second plate comprises providing at least on interlocking member on the bottom wall of the second plate, wherein the at least one interlocking member on the second plate is complementary to the at least one interlocking member of the first plate.
The method may further comprise providing a second storage container identical to the first storage container and stacking the second storage container on a top of the first storage container and interlocking the at least one interlocking member on the bottom wall of the second plate of the second storage container with the at least one interlocking member on the bottom wall of the first plate of the first storage container.
A sample embodiment of the invention is set forth in the following description, is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONWith primary reference to
As depicted in
As indicated above, the bottom wall 14 may include at least one interlocking member. The at least one interlocking member may be formed in the material of the bottom wall 14 when plate 10 is fabricated. In other instances, the one or more interlocking members may be applied to one or both of an interior surface and an exterior surface of the bottom wall 14. As shown in the attached figures a plurality of first interlocking members 16 and second interlocking members 17 may be provided on bottom wall 14. First interlocking members 16 may be convexly grooved and second interlocking members 17 may be concavely grooved. First and second interlocking members 16, 17 may be substantially identical in size and shape and be configured to be complementary to each other. The purpose for the complementary nature of interlocking members 16, 17 will be discussed later herein.
As shown in
The interlocking member 16 is complementary to the interlocking member 17. Consequently, when one plate 10 is stacked on another plate 10, the interlocking member 16 on the exterior surface of the bottom wall 14 of the top plate 10 receives the interlocking member 17 provided on the interior surface of the bottom wall 14 of the bottom plate 10 therein. A plurality of plates 10 may thus be nested with each other and the interlocking arrangement between interlocking members 16 and interlocking members 17 keeps the plurality of plates 10 in contact with each other. The interlocking members 16, 17 also prevent relative rotation between the plates 10 in the stack and also aids in preventing individual plates from sliding off the nested stack. The later feature will be of greater importance when the plates 10 are of a shallower depth than the bowl-like shape of the plates in the attached figures.
The interlocking members 16 and 17 are arranged in an annular ring interiorly of the lower circular edge 19 of the bottom wall 14. As depicted in
Furthermore, as depicted in
The top wall 13 extends radially outwardly from the upper circular edge 18 of the side wall 15 to the edge 11. The edge 11 may terminate in a flange member 21, where the flange member 21 extends outwardly and downwardly from top wall 13 so that a terminal edge of the flange member 21 is located a distance below the top wall 13. This is shown in
As shown in
As depicted in
The wire 23C used in loop members 23 may be a flexible steel, a memory alloy, a flexible plastic, or any other suitable material. However, in another instance, the wire loop member 23 may form part of one continuous wire loop that is provided around the entire outer perimeter of the plate 10. The loop member 23 may be embedded into the material used to form top wall 13 or may be a separate component that is placed in contact with the exterior surface of the top wall 13 and is secured thereto by any suitable means. Although not shown herein, it will be understood that loop members 23 may, alternatively be provided on an interior or upper surface of each bendable area 24 instead of being provided on an exterior or lower surface of each bendable area 24.
As depicted in
Plate 10 may be used in the conventional manner to hold a quantity of food in the food containing area thereof, for example. In other instances, however, two substantially plates 10 may be combined with each other to form a storage container 25 as is illustrated in
As shown in
Then, as depicted in
A plurality of storage containers may be stacked one on top of the other. For example,
As depicted in
As depicted in
The top wall 130 extends radially outwardly from the upper circular edge 180 of the side wall 150 to the edge 110. A flange member 210 may extend outwardly and downwardly from edge 110 so that a terminal edge of the flange member 210 is located a distance below the top wall 130 of the plate 100. This is shown in
Two plates 100 may be used in a similar manner to plates 10 to form a storage container. However, because there are no interlocking members 16, 17 on plate 100, there is nothing to stop storage containers formed from plates 100 to slide or rotate relative to each other when stacked.
It is readily understood that the plates 10, 100 may be made from a paper product, plastic, metal or any suitable bio-degradable eco-friendly material. Furthermore, plates 10, 100 may be fabricated in any number of ways including but not limited to using a molding machine or a press machine.
While plates 10, 100 have been described as being useful for holding food and for being combined to form a food storage container 25 it will be understood that the plate and storage container may be used for any number of other purposes.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration set out herein are an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
Claims
1. A plate comprising:
- a top wall;
- a bottom wall;
- a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall; wherein the bottom wall and side wall bound and define a food containing area adapted to receive food therein; and
- at least one bendable area defined by the top wall, wherein the at least one bendable area is selectively bendable upwardly or downwardly relative to the top wall about a fold line.
2. The plate of claim 1, further comprising a wire loop provided on the at least one bendable area.
3. The plate of claim 2, wherein the wire loop is embedded in the at least one bendable area.
4. The plate of claim 2, wherein the wire loop is attached to an underside or a top side of the at least one bendable area.
5. The plate of claim 2, wherein the wire loop has an L-shape.
6. The plate of claim 1, further comprising at least one interlocking member provided on the bottom wall.
7. A plate comprising:
- a top wall;
- a bottom wall;
- a side wall that extends between the top wall and the bottom wall; wherein the bottom wall and side wall bound and define a food containing area adapted to receive food therein; and
- at least one interlocking member provided on the bottom wall.
8. The plate of claim 7, wherein the at least one interlocking member comprises a first interlocking member and a second interlocking member, and wherein the first interlocking member is provided on an interior surface of the bottom wall and the second interlocking member is provided on an exterior surface of the bottom wall.
9. The plate of claim 8, wherein the first interlocking member is a depression and the second interlocking member is a ridge.
10. The plate of claim 8, wherein the first interlocking is a ridge and the second interlocking member is a depression.
11. The plate of claim 7, wherein the at least one interlocking member forms a depression in an interior surface of the bottom wall and forms a ridge in an exterior surface of the bottom wall.
12. The plate of claim 7, wherein the at least one interlocking member forms a ridge in an interior surface of the bottom wall and forms a depression in an exterior surface of the bottom wall.
13. A method of forming storage container, comprising steps of:
- providing a first plate comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, wherein the bottom wall and side wall bound and define a food containing area; and at least one bendable area is defined in the top wall, where the at least one bendable area is selectively bendable upwardly or downwardly relative to the top wall about a fold line;
- providing a second plate comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, wherein the bottom wall and side wall of the second plate bound and define a food containing area; and at least one bendable area is defined in the top wall of the second plate, where the at least one bendable area of the second plate is selectively bendable upwardly or downwardly relative to the top wall of the second plate about a fold line;
- placing the top wall of the first plate in contact with the top wall of the second plate;
- folding the at least one bendable area of the first plate upwardly to contact the second plate;
- folding the at least one bendable area of the second plate downwardly to contact the first plate; and
- securing the first and second plates together with bendable areas of the first and second plates to form a first storage container.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of:
- rotating the first plate relative to the second plate about a vertical axis passing through the bottom wall of the first plate and bottom wall of the second plate;
- moving the at one least bendable area of the first plate out of alignment with the at least one bendable area of the second plate.
15. The method of claim 14, comprising rotating the first plate rotates until the at least of one bendable area of the first plate is orientated at about 45 relative to the at least on bendable area of the second plate.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of providing the first plate includes providing a wire loop on the at least one bendable area of the first plate and wherein the method further includes deforming the wire loop when folding the at least one bendable area upwardly.
17. The method claim 13, wherein the step of providing the second plate includes providing a wire loop on the at least one bendable area of the second plate and wherein the method further includes deforming the wire loop on the second plate when folding the at least one bendable area downwardly.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of providing the first plate further comprises providing at least one interlocking member on the bottom wall of the first plate; and he step of providing the second plate comprises providing at least on interlocking member on the bottom wall of the second plate, wherein the at least one interlocking member on the second plate is complementary to the at least one interlocking member of the first plate.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a second storage container identical to the first storage container and stacking the second storage container on a top of the first storage container.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising interlocking the at least one interlocking member on the bottom wall of the second plate of the second storage container with the at least one interlocking member on the bottom wall of the first plate of the first storage container.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 16, 2016
Publication Date: Feb 8, 2018
Inventor: William Battaglia (North Haledon, NJ)
Application Number: 15/381,708