At various social functions such as parties, picnics, spotting events, etc., where food and beverages are consumed, it is generally desirable for attendees to be able to use trays or plates which can support both food and beverages (contained in a cup or glass) and which can be handled by a single hand leaving the other hand free to consume the food or beverage.
Plates or trays which have been designed to accommodate both food and beverages have been previously implemented. One design simply designates a space atop a plate but requires that the cup be balanced upon the plate and is not securely maintained.
Other plates or trays have an opening defined along the plate or tray which accommodates a cup being inserted into the opening. The cup itself or a sleeve or portion of the plate or tray surrounding the inserted cup may then be grasped or held by the user to allow for balancing of the plate or tray along with the cup with a single hand. However, such a design may make the stacking, storage, and/or transport of multiple plates or trays difficult due to the unusual configuration for accommodating the cup. Moreover, such a design fails to accommodate a number of differently shaped cups, such as a wine glass which has a stem portion extending between a bowl portion and a foot portion (i.e., the base of the wine glass which enables the glass to stand freely).
Accordingly, there is a need for a plate or tray which can securely retain a cup or a glass of various configurations, such as wine glasses, and which can be easily stacked or stored.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds