Abstract:
A beverage container holder is provided, consisting of an elongated body having a planar upper support surface having alternative engagement mechanisms on opposing ends thereof. At one end an aperture is formed, having an elongated ledge-like support that extends downwardly to a horizontally-extending terminus that underlies a portion of the aperture to receive and retain a beverage container—both cylindrical and goblet-shaped. At an opposing end and at a midpoint of the planar upper support surface, a pair of apertures cooperates with the thumb and fingers of a user&#39;s hand, to position and secure a food plate against an upper surface of the beverage container holder. The thumb and fingers extend through the apertures from a position below the holder, and in gripping the food plate, the user is also grasping the holder—which in turn may be carrying a beverage container held within the beverage-receiving aperture.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/946,833, which was filed on Nov. 15, 2010, which was a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/161,246, which was filed on Jul. 27, 2005, which claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/521,960, filed Jul. 27, 2004; all identified applications are incorporated by reference herein for all that they contain. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to holders, and more specifically to beverage container holders for use with food plates. More specifically, the present invention relates to a beverage container holder that engages with a user&#39;s hand in a manner that permits one hand through the leverage design to simultaneously support a plate of food and the holder containing a beverage container. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     When dining, particularly in buffet or stand-up, party settings, a guest is often called upon to simultaneously hold both a plate and a beverage container. This may occur while in a buffet line obtaining food and beverages, or while moving about an event, mingling with other guests, while food is being served. 
     On such occasions that guest is not likely to have direct or consistent access to a table or counter for beverage placement in order to fill or eat from their plate. This situation makes it difficult for guests to enjoy the party or event while mingling with other guests without worrying about spilling their food, their beverage or both. Some guests resort to having another guest hold their beverage, or put it down at a “safe” location while eating and mingling, only to have trouble remembering where that “safe” place was when it comes time to take a drink. 
     Various cup-holders are known, for example, U.S. Letters Pat. No. 2,719,414 to Davis discloses a cup holding device that is detachably secured to a plate for use when eating away from a table. Although this device may work well in some instances, the plates on which it is used must be of sufficiently strong construction as will support the weight of the beverage-filled cup hanging from its side along with the weight of the food on the plate itself. 
     Most disposable paper and plastic plates are not strong enough to support this combined weight and therefore the Davis device would be useless in cases where these weaker types of disposable plates are provided for an event. In addition, the beverage container is solely supported by the ring holder, requiring the use of tapered beverage containers—precluding the use of glasses or most cans. 
     Attachment of the holder to the plate may also present some problems when it comes time to re-fill the container or to refill, dispose of, or exchange the plate when food service is complete. Additionally, construction of the device is potentially complicated and expensive with respect to the spring loaded connection member. 
     A patent to Boatwright (U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,170) discloses a combination plate and cup holding device that has a curved supporting member that is received by and held against an edge of the plate. A handle extends under a bottom surface of the plate, and may be gripped by the user to secure the supporting member against the plate. 
     The Boatwright device also depends upon the strength of the plate construction for some, if not all, of the success of the device. In addition, the Boatwright device does not provide flexibility with respect to changes in plate size—the supporting member defines a certain arc length and radius, and may not work well with larger or smaller plate sizes. Additionally, the Boatwright cup holder, like the previously noted Davis device, can only be used with tapered beverage containers, and not straight-sided glasses or cans. The construction of the device is also potentially complicated and expensive with respect to the curves and angles that must be constructed to adequately support the plate and cup. 
     Norris (U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,240) modifies disposable plates by adding handles to the bottom of the plates, permitting a person to hold the plates from the bottom while holding beverage containers with the same hand. This device requires either the modification of existing disposable plates or the manufacture of new disposable plates with the handles. The handles proposed to be added to the bottom of the plates are not adjustably sized to be flexible in relation to varying sizes of hands. The likelihood that the use of the newly modified plates will replace the use of common, familiar, and economical plates is very small which detracts from the feasibility of this device. 
     A need exists for a simple and economically feasible alternative to spilling or being forever on the hunt, by which a person can comfortably and securely simultaneously carry and use a plate, or other food container, and a beverage container, without dependence on locating a separate surface upon which to place their beverage container while eating from the plate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder that is reliable and economical, and that can be used by either the left or right hand to hold a beverage container while holding a common reusable or disposable plate or food container in the same hand simultaneously. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder with an elongated body having at one end, a receptacle of sufficient size to retain various sizes of reusable or disposable tapered beverage containers, and including a support member for the bottom of non-tapered beverage containers, such as cans and glasses. The elongated body having at the opposite end a means by which the fingers of the hand or the whole hand can, by leverage and pivot action, securely support the device against overturning when a beverage container is retained in the beverage container aperture and regardless of whether a plate or food container is being held in that hand. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder that provides a centrally located aperture through which the thumb of a user&#39;s hand must extend, enabling the user to securely hold the rim of the plate or food container, and provide the pivot point for the leverage action used to resist the overturning forces applied by the beverage container. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder that can be used to retain a variety of common reusable or disposable cups, glasses, cans or bottles—including such containers as possess non-tapered sides. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder that is compatible with a variety of common reusable or disposable plates or food containers, and is not dependent upon the size, shape or strength of the plate or food container for the successful use of the holder. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder that, by not in fact holding the plate, allows the user the flexibility to hold or remove the food plate from their hand without affecting the ability of the hand to securely retain the beverage container including the beverage. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder that can be easily and economically manufactured of several different materials and in several different styles making it reusable or disposable, and appropriate for casual or formal occasions. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage container holder that is stackable in bulk for easy packaging for sale or distribution. 
     The present invention fulfills a pressing, long-felt need by providing a means by which one hand can now perform the tasks that previously required two hands. The user can now simultaneously hold a plate of food and a beverage in one hand while freely moving about a room. The user can now eat from the plate or drink from the beverage container without having to place either item on a table or counter, or have a companion guest hold the beverage, permitting the user to eat from the plate. The device can be stacked and packaged in bulk for distribution in various quantities. 
     The present invention accomplishes the foregoing with a pivot and leverage based design that is sturdy, reliable, simple and flexible for use by the right or left handed user, without excessive costs for manufacture, without dramatic changes in the manner in which the plate is held by the hand, and without requiring a change in the use of common and economical reusable or disposal plates and cups, which are already in wide use. 
     These objects, as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon review of the description of non-limiting illustrative embodiments and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a beverage container holder in use in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view, with a plate shown in phantom, showing a pivot and leverage manner of engagement between a user&#39;s hand and a beverage container holder in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a beverage container holder in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of a beverage container holder in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of a beverage container holder in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative design for a beverage container holder in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6  showing a beverage container holder of an alternative design. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view, with portions shown in phantom, of an alternative design for a beverage container holder in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view, with portions shown in phantom, taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8  showing a beverage container holder of an alternative design in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. In  FIG. 1 , a beverage container holder  10  is shown supporting a beverage cup  14  and the fingers of a hand support a food plate  18 . The cup  14  is received within a beverage container aperture formed in the beverage container holder  10 , and is supported within the beverage container aperture  22  by a suspended hanger  24 . 
     The food plate  18  is gripped by a user&#39;s hand  28 , and a pair of retention apertures—a finger aperture  32  and a thumb aperture  34 —are formed in the beverage container holder  10  for this purpose. When gripping a food plate  18  in the hand, the user  28  extends a pair of fingers  38  through the finger aperture  32  and a thumb  42  through the thumb aperture  34 . The food plate  18  is received between the pair of fingers  38  and the thumb  42 , with a segment of the rim  44  of the food plate  18  resting against an upper surface  46  of the beverage container holder  10  which is resting in the palm of the user&#39;s hand  28 . 
       FIG. 2  provides additional details in regard to the manner by which a pair of fingers  38 , the thumb  42  of the user&#39;s hand  28 , and beverage holder  10  together cooperate to grip and support the food plate  18  (shown in phantom in  FIG. 2 ). The thumb  42  extends through the thumb aperture  34  and out over the rim of the plate  44 . From this superposed position, the thumb  42  presses and holds the food plate  18  against the upper support surface  46  of the beverage container holder  10 . Additionally, the thumb aperture  34  rests around and against the base of the user&#39;s thumb  42  as the pivot point for the leverage action of the beverage container. 
     Additional support of the food plate  18  is provided by the pair of fingers  38  that extend through the finger aperture  32  and to a centrally-located position beneath the food plate  18 . To enable the full extension of the other two fingers of the hand beneath the food plate  18 , an outward bend  48  is formed in the beverage container holder  10  adjacent the lower aperture  32 . 
     The outward bend  48  results in a portion of the food and beverage container holder  10  being spaced from the plane defined by the interface of the food plate  18  and the adjacent upper surface  46  of the beverage container holder  10 . This spacing provides a location for the pair of fingers  38  to extend beneath the food plate  18  and for the other two fingers of the hand to extend around and further support the bottom of the plate. A second, inward bend in proximity to a terminus of the beverage container holder  10  defines a finger support shelf  58  that retains the beverage container holder against overturning forces by extending under the fingers of hand  38  and cooperating with the thumb aperture  34  and the thumb  42  in the leverage action of the beverage container holder. The two fingers of the hand  38  rest against the finger support shelf  58  during their engagement with a bottom surface of the food plate  18 . 
     In this manner the fingers, thumb, and hand of the user  28 , and the beverage container holder  10 , form a unitary assembly. Therefore, since the food plate  18  is never physically attached to the beverage container holder  10 , while gripped as described above, a secure and stable platform is provided for the food plate  18 . Such stability is of immense value as food is added to and removed from the food plate  18  during food service at parties and other social events. 
     Additional structural details of the beverage container holder  10  are shown in  FIG. 3 . The suspended hanger  24  is shown extending from a pair of support ears  68  that engage an upper surface of the beverage container holder  10  adjacent the beverage container aperture  22 . The suspended hanger  24  is otherwise not connected to the food and beverage holder  10 , enabling for the simplified fabrication and storage thereof. 
     The outward bend  48  and the inward bend  54  lie substantially adjacent the finger aperture  32 , and are separated by a deflected border  72  (see  FIG. 4 ). As is best shown in  FIG. 5 , the finger support shelf  58  is canted relative to the deflected border  72 . The finger support shelf  58  angles back towards the plane defined by the interface between the beverage container holder  10  and the food plate  18  when the latter is positioned thereon. 
     Just prior to use, the beverage container holder  10  is positioned over the left or right hand of the user  28 , with the hand in a palm-up orientation. The hand of the user  28  is brought into position beneath the beverage container holder  10 , which is received by entry of the thumb  42  and the fingers  38  into the thumb aperture  34  and the finger aperture  32 , respectively. The majority of users choose to insert the third and fourth fingers into the finer aperture  32 . However, for users with a smaller hand the insertion of additional fingers into the finger aperture  32  is also contemplated by the present invention. 
     Upon proper finger and thumb positioning, the bottom surface of the beverage container holder  10  lies against the palm and wrist of the user  28 . The food plate  18 —full, empty or somewhere in-between, may then be placed in the palm of the user&#39;s hand  28  above the upper surface  46  of the beverage container holder  10 , resting against both it and upon the extended fingers  38  of the user  28 . The thumb  42  is then placed over the plate rim  44  to secure the food plate  18  in place upon the upper surface  46  of the beverage holder  10  in the palm of the user&#39;s hand  28 . At this point food can be placed upon or removed from (or both) the food plate  18 . 
     The beverage cup  14  (or other type of beverage container) can be placed into the beverage container aperture  22 . The hand of the user  28  at this point is capable of supporting both the food plate  18  and the beverage cup  14  through use of the beverage container holder  10  because of the pivot and leverage design in accordance with the present invention. The other hand of the user (not shown in the Figures) remains free to be used for eating and drinking, as well as to secure other food or drink—both of which are being held by the user&#39;s hand  28  utilizing the beverage container holder  10 . The otherwise destabilizing weight of the beverage cup  14  is countered by the pivot and leverage action of the fingers and thumb insertion into their respective apertures of beverage holder  10 , which then straddles the hand of the user  28 . Further stability is obtained by the positioning of the thumb  42  against the rim  44  of the food plate  18  when it is placed in the hand of the user  28 . 
     In a presently preferred embodiment, the beverage container holder  10  is fabricated by cutting and bending a plastic material, preferably of approximately 3/32-inch thickness. Returning once again to  FIGS. 3-5 , the beverage holder  10  has an overall length of approximately 10½ inches, and a width of approximately 4½ inches at the beverage container aperture  22  that narrows to about 3⅝ inches at the outward bend  48  that lies adjacent the finger aperture  32 . The distance from the initial portion of the outward bend  48  to the tip of the finger support shelf  58  is approximately 9/16 inch and consists of a deflected border  72  of length 1 inch and the finger support shelf  58  that extends approximately 2¼ inches along its central axis. 
     The finger aperture  32  and the thumb aperture  34  both measure approximately 2½ inches in diameter, and the beverage container aperture  22  approximately 2⅞ inches in diameter. The suspended hanger preferably extends downwardly approximately 2¾ inches, with the support ears  68  extending approximately ⅜ inch outward from the edge of the beverage container aperture  22 . 
     An alternative design utilizing a beverage container holder  80  is shown in  FIG. 6 . A substantially u-shaped finger support shelf  82  is formed at a first end  84  of the beverage container holder  80 , and consists of a finger aperture  86  extending inward from the first end  84  and a finger support shelf  82  that is attached to and extends below opposing sides of the finger aperture  86 . 
     A thumb aperture  92  is formed in the beverage container holder  80  at a central location therein. The location of the finger aperture  86  and the thumb aperture  92  enable the thumb and fingers of a user&#39;s hand (not shown in  FIG. 6  or  7 ) to be received by the beverage container holder  80  in a manner similar to that discussed above in the context of an alternative design. A raised ring  94  is circumferentially formed about and immediately adjacent the thumb aperture  92 . The raised ring  94  provides structural reinforcement to the thumb aperture  92  and comfort for the thumb extending through it. In addition, the material forming the raised ring  94  projects above the adjacent holder surface  96  of the beverage container holder  80 . 
     The beverage container aperture  22  remains located within the beverage container holder  80  at a location distant and opposite from the finger aperture  86 . A cup-like member  102  is formed within the container aperture  22  and extends below the beverage container holder  80 . The cup-like member  102  is preferably of substantially the same diameter as the beverage container aperture  22 —both capable of receiving beverage containers (not shown) having typical diameters (not super-sized). As is best described with reference to  FIG. 7 , a central drainage opening  106  is formed in a bottom  108  of the cup-like member  102 . The central drainage opening  106  enables the quick drainage of any spills or sweating liquid that might form upon the surface of a chilled beverage. 
     In a presently preferred embodiment the alternative, beverage container holder  80  is fabricated out of a plastic of approximate thickness ⅛ inch (this measurement and all of the following are approximate in nature and meant to provide an example, and should not be viewed in any manner as a limitation(s)). Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the beverage container holder  80  is 10 inches in length and, at its widest, is 4½ inches in width, narrowing at the first end  84  to 3½ inches in width. The diameter of the thumb aperture  92  is 2½ inches and the beverage container aperture  22  is 3 inches. The raised ring  94  projects approximately ⅛ inch above the surrounding holder surface  96 . The cup-like member  102  has a depth of approximately 3 inches, with the drainage opening  106  having a ¼ inch diameter. 
     The finger aperture  86 , if viewed from a side elevation, has a height of 1 inch, a width of 2⅛ inches, and a depth of approximately 1¼ inches. The finger support shelf  82  measures approximately ⅝ inch wide. 
     Another alternative design using a beverage container holder  80  is shown in  FIG. 8 . This alternative design is similar to the design shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  with certain changes discussed below. 
     In this alternative beverage holder design a ledge-like beverage container support  108  is formed and extends downwardly from the edge of the container aperture  22 , with a terminus thereof horizontally extending to underlie a portion of the beverage container aperture  22 . The ledge-like beverage container support provides support to a cylindrical beverage container  111  as well as a goblet-shaped beverage container  112 —both of typical diameters (not super-sized). In a presently preferred embodiment the ledge-like beverage container support  108  is approximately ⅝-inches in width and downwardly extends approximately 2½ inches, and horizontally extends an additional 1¼ inches. 
     The terminus of the horizontally-extending section of the ledge-like beverage container support  108  has a v-shaped indentation  110  formed therein to receive the stem portion of the goblet-shaped container  112 , such as a wine glass, enhancing the stability of the glass while received within the beverage container. 
     As is best described with reference to  FIG. 8 , the beverage container holder  80  has an opening  109  formed in the beverage container aperture  22 . The opening  109  allows passage of the stem of goblet-shaped beverage containers  112  through the beverage container holder  80 , permitting seating within the beverage container aperture  22 . 
     My invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments thereof, which provides a beverage container holder that is of great novelty and utility. Various changes, modifications, and alterations in the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof. It is intended that the present invention encompass such changes and modifications.