Abstract:
A tray or platform for carrying stemmed containers. The invention further relates to a multipurpose stemware holder tray for holding, stabilizing and carrying filled stemmed glasses or stemmed containers in an upright position. The invention furthermore relates to a multipurpose stemware holder tray that rests on the palm and forearm of a user in a carrying position for securely retaining and controlling stemmed containers and for avoiding spillage and other types of accidents.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a tray or platform for holding, controlling, stabilizing and carrying items such as glassware. More specifically, the invention relates to a multipurpose stemware holding tray that rests on the palm and wrist of a user in a carrying position for retaining stemmed glassware or stemmed containers in an upright position to reduce spillage during transportation. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Serving trays have been used for centuries for carrying beverages, food, accessories, etc., and in modern times, used in many places including dining rooms, restaurants, bars, special events, and the like. There presently exist various inventions related to specialty trays developed for compartmentalizing the tray, for carrying specific items, and trays which are adapted for retaining glassware when the same is positioned thereon. The problem with these serving trays is that a user has to use both hands to carry such a tray and then set it down in order to serve customers or serve the items placed on the tray with one hand while having to balance the tray with their other hand. Sometimes attempts at this particular dexterity leads to spills and/or other accidents that can cost a business a lot of money for cleanup, glassware breakage, cleaning customer clothing and the like. 
         [0003]    Perhaps one of the biggest problems with carrying items on a serving tray is the problem of limited space for a business or the like that serve beverages such as alcoholic beverages. When there is limited space, servers for a business or the like face the daunting problem of trying to balance items on their tray. This task can become even more difficult if a server bumps into a customer or another employee because of overcrowding. It is even more difficult for these servers to try and balance containers on their tray of the stemmed variety that hold alcoholic beverages such as wine. In the case of stemmed containers falling off a serving tray containing alcoholic beverages such as red wine, clean-up can be very messy because the wine can stain carpets, or even worse, stain the clothing of customers. Additionally, stemmed glassware that falls off a tray can create safety issues because broken glass can get all over the place and can be difficult to clean up and/or spot especially in a crowded room with dimmed lighting. Moreover, spilled wine can cost a business or the like a lot of money since a bottle of wine can be very expensive. Similarly, stemmed glassware can be very expensive to replace, especially if a business or the like uses high quality stemmed glassware to go along with the expensive wine they are serving. 
         [0004]    There have been suggestions in the prior art of devices by which a user can hold a plate and a stemmed glass in one hand, leaving the other hand free. One suggestion is shown in Streames, UK Patent No. 1,126,304, which shows a relatively thin serving tray quite similar to a painter&#39;s pallet having a key hole slot at one end to hold a stemmed wine glass and at the other end a thumb hole. The user places their thumb through the thumb hole to the upper side of the tray and supports the bottom on the tray with the remaining fingers of the hand. The problem with this invention is that it allows a user to only carry one stemmed wine glass and the thumb hole does not allow for even and stable gripping of the serving tray. 
         [0005]    To more evenly distribute the weight of the tray and contents, grasping surfaces on the bottom of the tray have been proposed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,346,070 and 5,429,231 issued to McSpladden disclose a cup like portion for holding a drink container that is grasped by the user&#39;s hand to support the tray and contents but offers no solution for holding stemmed glassware. Moreover, holding the tray is not only tiring but also requires forearm inclination for maintaining proper horizontal orientation to avoid spillage. A further approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,026 issued to Bradley wherein a serrated conical handle is provided on the bottom surface of the tray for grasping by the user. The tray includes food areas and a single slotted glass holder for supporting stemmed glassware. The tray is adapted to be additionally supported by the forearm of the user. Nonetheless, the handle must be tightly and continuously grasped to prevent wobbling about the longitudinal or roll axis. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,144 issued to Gabriella Hagelberg describes a serving tray with a number of recesses in the form of bowls for components of a meal. A recess is provided for at least one dish and one is provided for a drinking vessel. A hole extends through Hagelberg&#39;s tray in a shape and size to form an opening for the insertion of the thumb of a hand so that the tray can be carried with the thumb on the upper side of the tray while the hand is placed under the tray bottom to support the underside of the tray. However, the thumb hole is in a corner to allow the hand to go under the tray and is not balanced at all. Finally, it is not left hand/right hand symmetrical. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,685 issued to Michael French sets forth a plate-type tray with a tapered plate section and a single slotted glass holder for supporting stemmed glassware. No provision is made for carrying a separate plate therein nor is there a provision for a thumb recess nor is there right hand/left hand interchangeability. 
         [0008]    To further overcome the above difficulties and disadvantages, various serving trays for holding both food and drinks with a single hand have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,858 issued to White discloses a service tray wherein a pair of openings are included in a rear wall of the tray to enable a user to hold both the tray and a beverage container. The cantilevered weight is borne entirely by the user&#39;s wrist. A similar tray is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,266 issued to D&#39;Oliveira wherein the user grips an end portion of a tray having discrete areas for nesting a beverage glass and a food plate. The weight is also borne entirely by the user&#39;s wrist and requires constant gripping pressure. Further, any inadvertent wrist movement can result in instability or spillage. 
         [0009]    In light of the shortcomings in the prior art, a multipurpose stemware holder tray is desired that overcomes the problems noted above and is adapted to conveniently hold items and also retain a plurality of stemmed containers in a manner that is comfortable as well as stable. Furthermore, a multipurpose stemware holder tray is desired that is left hand/right hand interchangeable and can be held steadily and firmly with just a single hand. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention provides a multipurpose stemware holder tray for holding stemmed glassware or stemmed containers, food, various accessories, and the like which is stably held by one hand of a user that increases stemware holder tray stability to avoid spillage and other accidents. The multipurpose stemware holder tray can be conveniently held by either hand since it is right hand/left hand interchangeable. The multipurpose stemware holder tray includes a base structure that is substantially flat having a front and back side. The base structure of the tray further includes an opening that forms a handle for gripping with four fingers. The front side of the tray includes a surface area that can be used to carry items such as a notepad, a pen, bottles, food, accessories and the like. The user holds the multipurpose stemware holder tray by positioning the back side thereof on the palm of a user&#39;s hand in a carrying position and then the user inserts his or her fingers through the opening of said base structure for gripping the handle which is intended to add further support and stability when holding the tray for serving purposes. The bottom portion of the tray is also supported on the forearm of the user to add even further support and stability. The back side of the tray further includes a plurality of circular like protrusions for preventing said tray from resting flat on a surface making it easy and convenient to pick up when stored away. The outer perimeter of the tray includes a plurality of slot-accessible circular openings (i.e., more than one) for accepting and holding stemmed glassware or stemmed containers in an upright or downright position. When a stemmed container such as a wine glass, a martini glass or a margarita glass is inserted upright through a slot-accessible circular opening, the bowl of the container supported on the tray around the circular hole of the slot as to avoid spillage or other types of accidents such as a wine glass falling off said tray. 
         [0011]    The present invention also provides for a multipurpose stemware holder tray that can be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
         [0012]    The present invention is a new multipurpose stemware holder tray which consists of lightweight material that is of a strong, durable and reliable construction. 
         [0013]    An even further feature of the present invention is to provide a new, low-cost multipurpose stemware holder tray. 
         [0014]    Still yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a new multipurpose stemware holder tray that allows a user to have one hand free for serving purposes and avoid having to rest the tray on another surface while serving customers. 
         [0015]    Even still another feature of the present invention is to provide a multipurpose stemware holder tray that provides a stable and stationary place for stemmed containers such as wine glasses, martini glasses or margarita glasses to be placed thereon as to avoid spillage and other types of accidents while a user is carrying the tray to serve customers. 
         [0016]    Accordingly, for a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the various uses attained by the invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the multipurpose stemware holder tray. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the multipurpose stemware holder tray. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a back perspective view of the multipurpose stemware holder tray. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    With reference to the drawings, there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , a multipurpose stemware holder tray  10  adapted for holding food, accessories, various items, and the like on the front side  11  thereof. Furthermore, the preferred embodiment of the invention used to hold a plurality of stemmed glassware and/or stemmed containers on the outer portion of the tray  10  having a plurality of slot-accessible circular openings  25 . Of course the tray  10  can include slot-accessible circular openings  25  on the outer portion of said tray  10  which can hold more or less stemmed glassware and/or stemmed containers than what is depicted in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         [0021]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 , the tray  10  includes a base structure having a front portion  11  that further includes a top portion  15  and a bottom portion  17 , and has a reference line  50  running from left  29  to right  31  of said base structure and is evenly distanced from said top portion  15  and bottom portion  17 . As further illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 , the preferred embodiment of the invention has a top portion  15  and a bottom portion  17  having a surface area that can be conveniently used to carry various items such as a notepad, pens, bottles, food, accessories and the like. The outer perimeter of the tray  10  also includes a plurality of slot-accessible circular openings  25 . Each of the slots  25  includes a narrow passage way  27  that allows stemmed containers such as a stemmed wine glass or the like to pass through and rest securely on the circular base rim  26  in an upright or down right position. If the stemmed wine glass or the like is inserted in an upright position through a slot  25 , the bottom part of the bowl is supported on the circular base rim  26  which helps to prevent spillage and also helps to prevent the wine glass or the like from falling off the tray  10 . If the stemmed wine glass or the like is inserted in a downright position through slot  25 , the foot of the wine glass or the like is supported on the front base portion  11  of the tray  10 . The slots  25  could also include a rubber coating or the like, called a rubber coated rim  28 , for securely holding and padding the bowl or foot of a stemmed container for added stability and control. 
         [0022]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the tray  10  includes a base structure having a back portion  12  that further includes a top portion  15  and a bottom portion  17 , and has a reference line  50  running from left  29  to right  31  of said base structure and is evenly distanced from said top portion  15  and bottom portion  17 . The base structure of the tray  10  further includes an opening  23  that forms a handle  21  for gripping with four fingers and is located just directly above the reference line  50 . 
         [0023]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the tray  10  can be conveniently held by a user by positioning the backside  12  thereof on the palm of the user&#39;s hand in a carrying position, located approximately on or just below the reference line  50  and evenly distanced from the left side  29  and right side  31  of the tray. The tray  10  can also be conveniently held by either hand since it is right hand/left hand interchangeable. Once the tray is positioned on the palm of the user&#39;s hand, the user then inserts four fingers through the opening  23  of the base structure gripping the handle  21  with the four fingers which adds further support and stability when holding the tray  10  for serving purposes. The rear portion of the tray  19  can also be supported on the forearm of the user to add even further support and stability when carrying items on the tray  10  for serving purposes. The backside  12  of the tray  10  further includes a plurality of circular like protrusions  33  for preventing the tray  10  from resting flat on a surface making it easy and convenient to pick up the tray  10  when it is being stacked or stored away on a flat surface. 
         [0024]    As further illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the backside  12  of the tray  10  includes a wrist/palm grip  35  preferably made of rubber like material but can be made of any other type of material preferred by the manufacturer of the tray  10 . The handle  21  for gripping is covered by the same rubber like material used on the wrist/palm grip  35  but can also be covered by any type of material preferred by the manufacturer of the tray  10 . The backside  12  of the tray could also include thumb notch grips  37  located directly above the reference line and preferably made of rubber like material for increased gripping performance and stability control when carrying items on the tray  10  for serving purposes. Similarly, the thumb notch grips  37  could also be made of any other type of material preferred by the manufacturer of the tray  10 . 
         [0025]    The various embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice and use the invention and are exemplary of the fact that other arrangements may be employed in practicing the invention which has been set forth herein for purposes of exemplification. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments or illustrated drawings set forth herein for descriptive purposes, but is to the limited only by the scope of the attached claim or claims, including a full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.