A plate comprising an extension member, a slip-resistant material, and two underside rims is provided. The extension member protrudes from a circumference of the plate’s body and the slip-resistant material is coupled to a bottom surface of the plate between the two underside rims. The extension member provides a location where a user can securely grip the plate when carrying or holding the plate. The slip-resistant material helps prevent the plate from sliding off a surface, such as the top of a beverage container, when the plate is being held or carried. As such, the plate is designed to help prevent food or utensils from falling off of the plate.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a plate and more specifically to a slip-resistant plate that may help prevent food and beverage spillage during use.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Many social activities, such as cocktail parties, involve people consuming food and beverages while standing and/or walking. Often, the food at such activities is served on a small plate (e.g., a cocktail plate), and the drinks are served in a beverage container (e.g., a champagne flute, a beer glass, or a can). If a partygoer wishes to eat and drink while standing, they must either hold the plate and the beverage container in separate hands or precariously balance the plate on top of the beverage container. This presents a challenging balancing act for partygoers.

To begin, it can be very difficult for a person to eat food from a plate while balancing the plate on top of a beverage container. While eating, the person’s attention is directed away from appropriately balancing the plate on the top of the beverage container. Also, the act of removing food from the plate may cause the plate to become unbalanced. Furthermore, if one wishes to shake another’s hand, give a hug, or hand over a business card, the person’s attention is again directed away from maintaining the plate’s balance. If the plate is not appropriately balanced, the person risks dropping the plate, any utensils placed on the plate, and/or food on the plate. Dropping or spilling these items would subject the plate holder to embarrassment or even injury.

Much of the challenge of balancing the typical cocktail plate arises from its design. The typical cocktail plate is small, made of a material with a low coefficient of friction, and only has a single underside ring or rim. Thus, when placed on the top of a beverage container, the plate may easily slide, which increases the chances for the plate or items placed on the plate to fall to the ground.

In addition, the typical cocktail plate requires the person to hold their thumb on the circumference of the plate’s top surface, which is adjacent to the food on the plate. Given the small size of the plate, there is a risk that the person will accidently place his or her thumb into the food on the plate, creating a mess on the person’s hands that must be cleaned up. Further, if one wishes to use a utensil to eat the food, the utensil must be precariously balanced on the edge of the plate when not in use. Placing a utensil in such a position further increases the risk of food spillage or of a utensil falling to the ground.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art devices discussed above. The invention described includes several embodiments of a slip-resistant plate that is designed to help the user maintain the proper balance of the plate by reducing the plate’s movement when the plate is positioned on an upper surface of a beverage container such as a champagne flute, beer glass, or wine goblet. To begin, the slip-resistant plate may include multiple, preferably concentric, underside rims that are coupled to or integrally formed from the bottom surface of the plate. When the upper surface of a beverage container is positioned between two such concentric underside rims, the slip-resistant plate preferably is movement-restricted by the “wall” formed by the rims. This in turn may assist the user in maintaining the appropriate balance of the plate. Furthermore, a high-density, slip-resistant material (e.g., a closed-cell foam) may be affixed to the bottom surface of the plate and positioned between two underside rims. The slip-resistant material may have a high coefficient of friction to help prevent the plate from moving when positioned upon the upper surface of the beverage container. Further, the slip-resistant material may be shaped to accommodate the rim of a beverage container such as a champagne flute, a wine goblet, or a beer mug. Together, compared to a traditional cocktail plate, these features may help prevent the slip-resistant plate or items placed upon the slip-resistant plate from falling to the ground when the plate is balanced on the upper surface of a beverage container.

The slip-resistant plate may also include an extension member that helps the user control the plate’s movement. The extension member may be a protrusion extending outwardly from a body of the plate whereupon the user may securely grip the plate. By providing the user a convenient, secure gripping location, the user is less likely to drop the slip-resistant plate. Moreover, the extension member may include a depression or a groove adapted to accommodate a utensil such that the user is less likely to knock the utensil off of the plate.

These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1illustrates a slip-resistant plate1(hereinafter, the “plate 1”) that food, utensils, or other items may be placed upon. The plate1may be used at a table, or it may be held by a person that is standing or walking. The plate1may be adapted such that it may be positioned on the upper surface of a beverage container (seeFIG.3), which may allow the user to hold a beverage container and the plate1with one hand as the user walks or stands.

A body5of the plate1may be composed of glass, plastic, or other materials that would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The body5may be substantially circular, although other shapes for the body5(such as an oval, a square, or a rectangle) are foreseeable. A top surface10of the body5may be substantially planar, or the top surface10may have sides that slope downwardly until a predetermined point on the top surface10to form a more bowl-like structure. If present, the sloping sides may assist the user in retaining food or other items near a center15of the plate1, which in turn may help reduce the risk that food or other items will spill from the plate1.

To assist the user in holding and balancing the plate1, the plate1may include an extension member20. The extension member20may be formed as a substantially planar protrusion extending outwardly from a circumference25of the body5. The size of the extension member20is not limited, although it is preferably large enough (e.g., has a large enough surface area) such that a typical user may grip the extension member20with at least two fingers. As a non-limiting example, the extension member20may extend about one-fourth of an inch (about ¼ inch) to about eight inches (about 8 inches) outwardly from the circumference25of the body5. As further non-limiting examples, the extension member20may extend about 0 inches to about 2 inches, or about 2 inches to about 4 inches, or about 4 inches to about 6 inches, or about 6 inches to about 8 inches outwardly from the circumference25.

Advantageously, because the extension member20protrudes beyond the circumference25, the extension member20may provide the user with a location to grip the plate1that is adjacent to where food is placed on the plate1. In addition, since the extension member20may be substantially planar, the extension member20may allow the user to control the plate1with his or her thumb. In some embodiments of the invention, the extension member20may be contoured to the shape of a typical user’s finger shape to assist the user in gripping the plate1more securely. In other embodiments, the extension member20may have a slip-resistant surface to help prevent the plate1from slipping from the user’s grip.

The extension member20may include a depression or a groove30positioned thereon. As non-limiting examples, the groove30may extend from an edge35of the extension member20towards the center15of the plate1, or the groove30may extend from the circumference25of the plate1and towards the center15. The groove30may be formed as a cylindrical recess in the top surface10, although the groove30is not limited to a particular shape. The width and the depth of the groove30may be adapted such that at least a portion, such as a handle portion, of at least one utensil (not illustrated) may be received therein, which in turn may help secure the at least one utensil on the plate1. When a utensil is received within the groove30, sides40may help prevent the utensil from sliding around the surface of the plate by restricting the motion of the utensil along at least one axis. In some embodiments of the invention, the groove30may have a slip-resistant surface that may help prevent the utensil from sliding out of the groove30as the plate is moved. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the extension member20and/or the plate1may have more than one groove30positioned thereon.

Turning toFIG.2, the plate1may include a bottom surface45with underside rims50and55. The rims50,55may be provided as thin concentric rings that project outwardly from the bottom surface45and may be integrally formed with or coupled to the bottom surface45. The rim55may be positioned within and substantially surrounded by the rim50such that a channel60is formed between the rims50,55. For example, the rim50may define an outer boundary of the channel60and the rim55may define an inner boundary of the channel60. In addition, the rims50,55may be positioned and sized such that an upper surface of a beverage container (not illustrated) may be received and contained in the channel60. When the upper surface of a beverage container is received and contained within the channel60, the rims50,55may act as barriers to prevent the movement of the plate1by restricting the motion of the plate along at least one axis.

A width W of the channel60(as defined by the distance between the rims50,55) may substantially correspond to a thickness of a rim of a particular beverage container (e.g., a beer stein or champagne glass), or the width W may be sized such that the plate1can be used with a variety of beverage containers. As a non-limiting example, the width W may substantially correspond to a thickness of a rim of a standard champagne glass such that when the rim of the champagne glass is received in the channel60, the rim of the champagne glass is proximate to or abuts the rims50,55. In addition, the width W of the channel60may be substantially constant, or the width W may vary.

While the rims illustrated inFIG.2are substantially circular, in other embodiments of the invention the shape of the rims50,55may be adapted to mirror the overall shape of the plate1as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, if the plate1is substantially square-shaped, the rims50,55may also be substantially square-shaped. In yet other embodiments of the invention, the plate1may have a single rim or more than two rims.

InFIG.3, the plate1is positioned upon an upper surface70of a representative glass75. The glass75may be a wine glass, a beer glass, a stein, a cocktail glass, or another drinking vessel as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Here, the glass75is positioned such that the upper surface70contacts the slip-resistant material65affixed to the bottom surface45of the plate1. Further, the upper surface70is received within the channel60and positioned between the rims50,55. Together, the rims50,55, the channel60, and the slip-resistant material65may assist the user in balancing the plate1on the upper surface70. As stated previously, the rims50,55may restrict the movement of the upper surface70along at least one axis. If the plate1moves a predetermined distance within the channel60, one of the rims50or55may contact a lip80of the glass75, which may help prevent further movement of the plate. At the same time, the slip-resistant material65may help prevent the plate1from moving relative to the glass75due to the high coefficient of friction of the slip-resistant material65. Advantageously, as compared to traditional plates, these features may help a user more easily balance the plate1on a glass75.

As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention is not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications, applications, variations, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. Many such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses in applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present inventions are deemed to be covered by the inventions which are limited only by the claims which follow.