Abstract:
An apparatus includes a plate defining a surface for holding food and further defines at least one opening therein. A collapsible beverage holder fits within the at least one opening defined within the surface of the plate and moves between a collapsed configuration responsive to the apparatus being placed on a surface and an un-collapsed configuration responsive to the apparatus being lifted off the surface by the plate. A plurality of flexible latching tabs secures the collapsible beverage holder to an edge of the at least one opening. The plurality of flexible latching tabs further comprises at least one locking member for engaging the edge of the at least one opening to removeably secure the collapsible beverage holder to the plate. A flexible member interconnects the at least one locking member to the collapsible beverage holder. The flexible member enables the at least one locking member to be moved between a first position for inserting and removing the collapsible beverage holder from the plate and a second position for securing the collapsible beverage holder to the plate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/359,083, filed on Nov. 22, 2016, entitled COMBINED PLATE AND COLLAPSIBLE BEVERAGE HOLDER, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,675,190, issued on Jun. 13, 2017 (Atty. Dkt. No. COGT-33262), which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/263,436, filed on Dec. 4, 2015, entitled COMBINED PLATE AND COLLAPSIBLE BEVERAGE HOLDER (Atty. Dkt. No. COGT-32869), the specifications of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to plates, and more particularly, to plates including an integrated beverage container holder. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    At many parties and events where food and beverages are served, there may be insufficient tables and chairs to accommodate all invited guests. In these cases, guests are usually tasked with holding a plate of food and a beverage while standing and attempting to eat the food and drink the beverage with only two hands. This typically results in an almost impossible balancing task or having to find a place to set down the beverage in order to eat the food. Napkins and eating utensils also contribute to this common party dilemma experienced by almost everyone. 
         [0004]    Numerous efforts have been made toward solving this dilemma by combining a plate with a means for holding the beverage. Each of these efforts have various shortcomings that provide particular limitations for the combined plate and beverage holder. These shortcomings have usually involved the design and location of the beverage holder in relation to the plate and resulted in two basic solutions. First, if the bottom of the beverage container sits at the level of the plate to allow the apparatus to sit flat on a table, the center of gravity of the beverage container extends far above the plate, and, if not securely held by the beverage holder extending considerably above the surface of the plate, is unstable and prone to tipping and spilling. The large difference in various diameters of beverage containers further exacerbates this problem of securely holding the beverage container in an upright fashion. Second, if the bottom of the beverage container sits below the level of the plate to solve the tipping and spilling problem noted above, the plate must have legs or other means of elevation to raise it so that the plate and beverage holder can be placed on the table without tilting the plate and spilling the beverage within the beverage holder. 
         [0005]    Each of these two solutions significantly increase the space required for the integrated plate and beverage holder in a cabinet, drawer, or dishwasher because of the extension of the beverage holder above or below the plate. Additionally, without a handle of some sort, the combined weight of the plate filled with food and a beverage container within the beverage holder makes the apparatus both heavy and awkward to carry with one hand. 
         [0006]    Prior art solutions have attempted to address these issues using a telescoping beverage holder configured similarly to a large collapsible cup. However, such collapsing configurations suffer from several problems that greatly diminish their usefulness for this purpose. First, most collapsing beverage holders utilize a number of conically shaped tapering sidewalls (“hollow frustums”), each successively decreasing in diameter. A hollow frustum of a cone (truncated cone) is a shape similar to a cylinder, except that the circular end planes are of unequal sizes and each of the circular end planes&#39; center points are positioned directly above each other. This design creates a draft angle that requires the circular area of the top opening to be quite large in relation to the circular area required for the beverage container to rest flat on the floor of the bottom sidewall. Second, the various coupling mechanisms generally used for collapsible beverage holders are either (a) a friction fit between the two adjacent sidewalls, or (b) a flange on the top of one sidewall that fits over a ledge on the bottom of another sidewall. Each of these methods further increase the draft angle required for the sidewalls, and thus further increase the area of the top opening which decreases the stability of the beverage container while in the beverage holder. Third, the draft angle must be yet further increased for both methods in order to provide sufficient clearance between the frustums to prevent binding, catching, and locking up as the frustums are collapsed or un-collapsed, causing tilting of the bottom frustum. This is fatal to the desired function as it results in tilting the beverage container and spilling its contents as the plate is either lifted from or placed on a table. 
         [0007]    Thus, prior art solutions in practice require a draft angle so large for acceptable functioning of their collapsible beverage holders that the beverage container can tilt and spill even within their collapsible holders, whether collapsed or un-collapsed. It also requires significantly more surface area of the plate be devoted to the telescoping beverage holder, thereby increasing the size, weight, and cost of the combined plate and beverage holder. Fourth, both coupling mechanisms, friction fit and flange, operate only as a limit to telescopic extension of the sidewalls. Neither coupling mechanism in practice prevents rotation of the sidewalls, which allows the plate to spin around the axis of the sidewalls, resulting in spilling both food and beverage. Fifth, neither coupling mechanism, friction fit or flange, prevents tilting of the sidewalls with respect to each other and the plate, thereby causing instability for both the plate and food as well as the beverage. The friction fit requires significant pressure to actually lock the sidewalls in place and can then be very difficult to dislodge in order to unlock and collapse the sidewall. The inherent design of the flanges either suffers from the same problem or is free to tilt with little interference. Sixth, both coupling mechanisms, friction fit and flange, operate only to prevent extension of the sidewalls beyond a specified point as they extend downward from the largest sidewall. However, when collapsing the sidewalls, there is no limiting constraint and the smaller sidewalls can separate from the larger sidewalls, coming completely apart and possibly lost. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The present invention, as disclosed and described herein, in one aspect thereof, comprises an apparatus including a plate defining a surface for holding food and further defines at least one opening therein. A collapsible beverage holder fits within the at least one opening defined within the surface of the plate and moves between a collapsed configuration responsive to the apparatus being placed on a surface and an un-collapsed configuration responsive to the apparatus being lifted off the surface by the plate. A plurality of flexible latching tabs secures the collapsible beverage holder to an edge of the at least one opening. The plurality of flexible latching tabs further comprises at least one locking member for engaging the edge of the at least one opening to removeably secure the collapsible beverage holder to the plate. A flexible member interconnects the at least one locking member to the collapsible beverage holder. The flexible member enables the at least one locking member to be moved between a first position for inserting and removing the collapsible beverage holder from the plate and a second position for securing the collapsible beverage holder to the plate. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    For a more complete understanding, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the top side of the plate with integrated beverage holder; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a bottom side of the plate with integrated beverage holder; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the collapsible beverage holder including snap tabs for securing the collapsible beverage holder to the plate; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of the plate with integrated beverage holder in a collapsed position; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of the collapsible beverage holder; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of a top sidewall; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a middle sidewall; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of a bottom sidewall; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of the securing tabs within the collapsible beverage holder. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers are used herein to designate like elements throughout, the various views and embodiments of a combined plate and collapsible beverage holder are illustrated and described, and other possible embodiments are described. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in some instances the drawings have been exaggerated and/or simplified in places for illustrative purposes only. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the many possible applications and variations based on the following examples of possible embodiments. 
         [0020]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a top perspective view and a bottom perspective view of the plate and beverage holder device  102 . The plate and beverage holder device  102  includes a plate component  104  including one or more compartments for holding food. A plate peripheral flange  106  surrounds the edge of the plate component  104  and maintains food within the plate compartment. While the illustrations of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  illustrate only a single plate compartment, it will be appreciated that any number of food compartments may be utilized for separating and containing food within the plate component  104 . The plate component  104  is of sufficient size to hold an appropriate amount of food with the plate peripheral flange  106  extending upward and outward from the outer rim to contain the food on the plate. In one embodiment, the plate component  104  may be 12 inches wide and the plate peripheral flange  106  may be 1 inch in height. In another embodiment, a plurality of thumb grips  114  are located on the periphery of the plate component  104  next to the aperture raised rim  112 . They are knurled and indented to fit the thumb for secure, comfortable, and ergonomic lifting of the plate and beverage holder device  102 . In yet another embodiment, the plate component  104  may include a plurality of vertically disposed utensil slots  116  where utensils can be inserted while serving and carried until required for use. 
         [0021]    The shape and design of the plate component  104  may vary considerably as dictated by the intended market. For example, the plate component  104  may be of any shape, such as oval, rhomboid, rectangular, circle, square, triangle, etc. The plate peripheral flange  106  may be of any height, angle, or curved and its surface area could have any number of smaller segments with raised ridges similar to the plate peripheral flange  106  to separate various foods, dips, condiments, etc., within the interior surface area of the plate. 
         [0022]    The plate and beverage holder device  102  may be made of plastic or any other sufficiently rigid and strong material such as high-strength plastic, paper board, metal, or the like. The plate and beverage holder device  102  can be manufactured by means of injection molding from various selected polymers to provide high strength and low weight with attractive colors while also making it microwave safe, dishwasher safe, food safe, and BPA free. A material with a smooth finish and low coefficient of friction is selected so that minimum friction is produced between the sidewalls of the beverage holder component  108  as it moves between collapsed and un-collapsed positions. The tabs  110  used to hold the beverage container  404  firmly in place can be in the form of three separate pieces or a singular circular ring with tabs  110  located approximately 120° apart as more particularly illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The tabs  110  are used for securing the can, bottle, or cup within the beverage holder component  108 . The tabs  110  are made from a material that is durable, flexible, and has good compression set resistance (memory) in order to retain their position at right angles to the aperture raised rim  112  extending inward toward the longitudinal axis  111  of the beverage holder component  108 . The position of the tabs  110  provides an upper limit to prevent the middle sidewall  504  and the base sidewall  506  from separating from the top sidewall  502 . The tabs  110  provide three equidistant points of contact with the beverage container  404  to prevent it from tipping. The extended height of the beverage holder component  108  below the plate component  104  is sufficient to lower the center of gravity of the beverage container  404  placed within the beverage holder component  108 , thereby increasing the stability of the beverage container  404  and eliminating the possibility of spilling the beverage. 
         [0023]    A beverage holder component  108  moves between a first fully collapsed position and a second fully un-collapsed position for supporting a beverage container  404  such as a can, bottle, or cup along a longitudinal axis  111  through the center of the area for containing the beverage container  404 . The beverage holder component  108  attaches to the plate component  104  using a locking mechanism, attachment with a band containing a bayonet or other locking mechanism, or other mating means so that the beverage holder component  108  can be easily removed for cleaning and storage and then replaced for a next use. In an alternative embodiment, the beverage holder component  108  may be integrated with the plate component  104  rather than being removable. The beverage holder component  108  is affixed to an aperture raised rim  112  in the plate component  104  and is of sufficient size to securely hold a wide variety of beverage containers  404 , such as about 3.5 inches in diameter and about 4.5 inches in height when fully un-collapsed as the plate component  104  is lifted, and such as about 1.5 inches in height when fully collapsed when its base rests on the same surface plane as the bottom of the plate component  104 . 
         [0024]    In an alternative embodiment, such as that illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the beverage holder component  108  may be secured to the plate component  104  using a plurality of snap tabs  302 . The snap tabs  302  include an angular surface  304  that causes the snap tab  302  to bend inward when pressed against an edge  306  of the aperture raised rim  112 . A retaining ledge  308  engages the edge  306  of the raised rim  112  to prevent the beverage holder component  108  from being easily removed from the plate component  104 . Additionally, teeth  310  on the snap tabs  302  engage teeth  312  on the bottom side of the edge  306  of the aperture raised rim  112  to serve as an anti-rotation element. When the teeth  310  of the beverage holder component  108  engage the teeth  312  of the aperture raised rim  112  of the plate component  104 , the beverage holder component  108  is prevented from rotating in the aperture raised rim  112  and the plate component  104  is held in a fixed position. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is illustrated a side view of the plate component  104  and the beverage holder component  108  sitting on a surface  402  such as a table, counter, ledge, etc. When placed on a surface  402 , the beverage holder component  108  automatically moves to the fully collapsed position such that the bottom of the beverage holder component  108  and the bottom of the plate component  104  are aligned on a single plane with each other. This allows the entire plate and beverage holder device  102  to be placed flat on a level surface  402  so that the beverage container  404  within the beverage holder component  108  is thus maintained in a stable position. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is illustrated a perspective view of only the beverage holder component  108  in the fully extended position. The fully extended position would be automatically configured when the beverage holder and plate device  102  is lifted from a surface  402  such as that illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The beverage holder component  108  is comprised of a number of collapsible hollow frustum sections  502 - 506  (hereinafter “sidewalls”) having only a very slight draft required for an injection molding tool to eject the plastic sidewalls. A top sidewall  502  having a top sidewall rim  508  engages and affixes to the aperture raised rim  112  ( FIG. 1 ) of the plate component  104 . One or more middle sidewalls  504  interconnects the top sidewall  502  with a base sidewall  506 . The base sidewall  506  defines a base ledge  510  for supporting the bottom of a beverage container  404 . The size of the sidewalls from the top sidewall  502  to the base sidewall  506  successively decreases in diameter so as to enable the lower sidewalls to nest within the above sidewalls. The beverage holder component  108  may be manufactured separately from the plate component  104 , assembled, and either attached permanently to the plate component  104  with a locking mechanism or attached with a snap-in locking element or other type of mount so that it can be easily removed for cleaning or storage and then replaced for a next use. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is illustrated a perspective view of the top sidewall  502 . The top sidewall  502  defines a hollow frustum having an open center wherein the top edge has a slightly larger diameter than the bottom edge. The top sidewall  502  defines three vertical guide channels  602  located 120° apart from each other that extend vertically from the top of the top sidewall  502  to the bottom of the top sidewall  502  and protrude outward from the inside diameter of the top sidewall  502 . The guide channels  602  may be cylindrical in nature but could also take on other shapes as well. The top sidewall  502  also includes three smaller stop channels  604  similar to the guide channels  602  running vertically along the top sidewall  502  except that the lower extension limit of the stop channel  604  has a base or floor  606  to create a stop for a pin associated with a middle sidewall  504 . The guide channels  602  and stop channels  604  alternate and are located equidistant at 60° along the inside of the top sidewall  502 . 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , there is illustrated the middle sidewall  504 . The middle sidewall  504  also defines a hollow frustum having an open center wherein the top edge has a slightly larger diameter than the bottom edge. The middle sidewall  504  defines three stop channels  702  and three pins  704  each located equidistant and alternating at 60° around the middle sidewall  504 . The three stop channels  702  extend from a top edge of the middle sidewall  504  and have a bottom of the stop channels  702  defined by a base or floor  706 . The stop channels  702  may be cylindrical in nature but may also take on other shapes as well. The stop channels  702  are located 120° apart from each other and protrude outward from the inside diameter of the middle sidewall  504 . The stop channels  702  further create exterior guide members  706  on the exterior surface of the middle sidewall  504 . The exterior guide members  706  have a horizontal cross-sectional area sufficiently smaller than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the guide channels  602  of the top sidewall  502  to allow the guide members  706  to slide effortlessly from the top of the top guide channel  602  to the bottom of the top guide channel  602 . The three pins  704  extend outward from the outside diameter of the middle sidewall  504  with horizontal cross-sectional areas sufficiently smaller than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the stop channels  604  of the top sidewall  502  to allow the pins  704  to slide effortlessly from the top of the top sidewall  502  to the floor  606  of the stop channel  604  of the top sidewall  502 . The contact with the floor  606  of the stop channel  604  provides a lower limit to the extension of the middle sidewall  504 . While the present embodiment has described the use of only a single middle sidewall  504 , multiple middle sidewalls  504  having a similar configuration may be utilized. In this case, the pins  704  of a second middle sidewall  504  would engage the stop channels  702  of the first middle sidewall  504  rather than the stop channels  604  of the top sidewall  502 . Additional middle sidewalls  504  could be added in a similar manner. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 8  there is illustrated the base sidewall  506 . The base sidewall  506  defines a hollow frustum having an open center wherein the top edge has a slightly larger diameter than the bottom edge. The base sidewall  506  has no guide channels or stop channels. The base sidewall  506  only defines three pins  802  each located equidistant at 120° that extend outward from the outer diameter of the base sidewall  506 . The pins  802  have a horizontal cross-sectional area sufficiently smaller than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the stop channels  702  of the middle sidewall  504  to allow the pins  802  to slide effortlessly from the top to the floor of the stop channel  702  of the middle sidewall  504 . The base sidewall  506  further defines a base ledge  510 . The base ledge  510  in one embodiment defines an aperture  806  therethrough although the aperture  806  may be of various diameters or nonexistent. The base ledge  510  must extend at approximately a right angle inward from the base edge of the base sidewall  506  a sufficient distance to allow a beverage container  404  to sit flat and securely thereon. 
         [0030]    The external guide channels system defined by the beverage holder component  108 , consisting of the guide channels, stop channels, guide members, and pins described above, permits the beverage holder component  108  to extend and collapse automatically without hanging, catching, interfering, or binding resulting in the spillage of a food or beverage. The external guide channel system enables the telescoping sidewalls to slide on the external guide channel system to collapse automatically as the plate is lowered onto a table so that the plate can rest flat and stably. When the apparatus is lifted, the telescopic beverage holder component  108  automatically extends downward to provide additional stability for the beverage container  404  while in motion and to allow the user to grasp the beverage holder component  108  with either hand while resting the plate on the forearm of the grasping hand. This provides additional stability and convenience while holding the plate. 
         [0031]    The design of the external guide channel system also provides additional functions and benefits. First, the external guide channels provide vertical grips to enable the fingers of a user to grasp the beverage holder component  108  more securely. When a user grasps the fully extended beverage holder component  108 , the vertical guide channels, guide members, and pins sliding therein operate to lock the sidewalls in a vertically aligned position. This is necessary to prevent them from twisting sideways in a circular manner parallel to the plate. Without locking the sidewalls in a vertically aligned position relative to the plate, if the plate were to tilt for any reason, the plate could spin off the forearm and spill the contents. Second, the guide members travelling vertically and in close tolerance to the guide channels greatly decreases the amount of tilt that is possible between the sidewalls when fully extended. Third, the extended beverage holder component  108  enables the user to grasp it with a single hand around the extended beverage holder component  108 , thereby freeing the other hand to eat food, open doors, drink the beverage, carry eating utensils, or greet and shake hands with other individuals. 
         [0032]    Many features incorporated into the design of the beverage holder component  108  operate together to collectively reduce the draft angle required. This produces numerous benefits to its basic function—collapsing and un-collapsing flawlessly. It reduces the diameter of the top of the top sidewall  502  relative to the diameter of the base ledge  510  which must be large enough to allow standard beverage containers to rest flat on its surface. This more upright draft angle provides a tighter fit at the top to insure the beverage container  404  remains stable and upright on its base. Reducing the top diameter of the top sidewall  502  also decreases the diameter of the aperture raised rim  112  which results in more usable area for serving food on the plate  104  and also in a smaller total area for the combined plate and beverage holder device  102  that reduces the size, weight, and cost. The design also allows it to securely hold most common beverage containers  404  including cans, bottles, cups, and stemware. The design further enables it to hold many different shapes and sizes of containers such as square or elliptical bases with vertical container walls. Many other beverage holders are limited to round bases and conical shaped containers. 
         [0033]    The beverage holder component  108  slides open on the external guide channel system to extend automatically using only gravity&#39;s pull when the plate  104  is lifted. Additionally, the beverage holder component  108  slides on the external guide channels to collapse automatically as the plate  104  is lowered onto a table or another horizontal surface  402 . The automatic adjustment of the telescopic beverage holder component  108  provides a number of advantages. It eliminates the necessity for legs to raise the plate  104  height to offset the height of the un-collapsed length of the beverage holder component  108  extending three or more inches below the bottom of the plate  104 . The automatic adjustment also allows the beverage holder component  108  to expand to a lower and more secure position to prevent spillage when the plate is not placed on a table such as when a user is walking or standing and eating. When the beverage holder component  108  is collapsed, the automatic adjustment feature also provides a profile height only slightly greater than the plate  104  height in order to decrease the volume required for placement in a cabinet, drawer, or dishwasher. The assembled plate and beverage holder device  102  nests and stacks easily to conserve storage space, even more so with the beverage holder component  108  removed. 
         [0034]    Inexpensive disposable inserts that take the form of and fit within the interior portion of the plate  104  can also be used to contain the food and prevent the food from direct contact with the plate  104 . The inserts may be made of paper, plastic, plastic film, or other material that could be either a single or multiuse application. The inserts could also be produced from recyclable plastic or with a biodegradable material. This provides several environmentally friendly options such as using the plate and beverage holder device  102  alone and washing it for reuse or using an insert that can be washed and reused, properly disposed of, or recycled at the user&#39;s discretion. The inserts may be configured with various partitions designed for different items such as a bowl with higher sides for soups, cereals, or other liquids, smaller partitions for dips or condiments, raised slots to hold tacos, or any other configuration that enhances the service of a particular type of meal. The inserts may also be transparent and include advertising, licensed college or sports logos, etc., or any other wording, decoration, or pictures such as for a birthday party or other special celebration (collectively “decorations”) with the design affixed to the bottom of the insert facing upwards to prevent scratching from eating utensils or contact with food. Likewise, such decorations could also be affixed directly to the underside of a transparent plate  104 . Decorations could also be affixed to the top eating surface of the insert or plate if they were durable and safe for direct food contact. This would obviate the requirement for a transparent plate  104  or insert and the plate  104  could therefore be any color or combination of colors. 
         [0035]    Various types of covers may also be used with the plate component  104  to prevent food splattering while microwaving, to keep food warm by heat retention, for storage in the refrigerator, and to protect the food from dirt, insects, etc., after it is placed on the plate but before eating. Such covers may be made of many different plastics to match the desired effects of the cover. Further, the cover can be made from any colored, transparent, or translucent plastic material. The covers may also be made in various thicknesses and styles to provide a desired effect. The cover materials may comprise flexible plastic with edges that snap over the side of the plate component  104  or they may be made in a more rigid plastic with the edge designed to sit on and/or fit over the peripheral upper rim of the plate component  104 . 
         [0036]    It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the quantity and dimensions of the sidewalls, guide channels, stop channels, and pins work in any number of configurations that may be optimized to allow the sidewalls to slide effortlessly without binding in any manner. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the various sizes and shapes of the plate component  104  as well as the various locations of the aperture to receive the beverage holder component  108  can vary in any combination that provides a functional device. 
         [0037]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that this combined plate and collapsible beverage holder device provides a superior plate and drink holder combination for use at parties and events, either indoors or outdoors, where people are moving around rather than being at a single seating location. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive manner, and are not intended to be limiting to the particular forms and examples disclosed. On the contrary, included are any further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope hereof, as defined by the following claims. Thus, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such further modifications, changes, rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, and embodiments.