Patent Publication Number: US-2023148773-A1

Title: Spill-proof plate

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Serial No. 63/264,181, filed on Nov. 17, 2021, entitled “SPILL-PROOF PLATE,” currently pending, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a top plan view of a slip-resistant plate constructed according to the teachings of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a bottom plan view of the slip-resistant plate of  FIG.  1   ; and 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view of the slip-resistant plate of  FIGS.  1  and  2   , the slip-resistant plate positioned on an upper surface of a drinking glass. 
     
    
    
     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 
     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a slip-resistant plate  1  (hereinafter, the “plate 1”) that food, utensils, or other items may be placed upon. The plate  1  may be used at a table, or it may be held by a person that is standing or walking. The plate  1  may be adapted such that it may be positioned on the upper surface of a beverage container (see  FIG.  3   ), which may allow the user to hold a beverage container and the plate  1  with one hand as the user walks or stands. 
     A body  5  of the plate  1  may be composed of glass, plastic, or other materials that would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The body  5  may be substantially circular, although other shapes for the body  5  (such as an oval, a square, or a rectangle) are foreseeable. A top surface  10  of the body  5  may be substantially planar, or the top surface  10  may have sides that slope downwardly until a predetermined point on the top surface  10  to form a more bowl-like structure. If present, the sloping sides may assist the user in retaining food or other items near a center  15  of the plate  1 , which in turn may help reduce the risk that food or other items will spill from the plate  1 . 
     To assist the user in holding and balancing the plate  1 , the plate  1  may include an extension member  20 . The extension member  20  may be formed as a substantially planar protrusion extending outwardly from a circumference  25  of the body  5 . The size of the extension member  20  is 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 member  20  with at least two fingers. As a non-limiting example, the extension member  20  may extend about one-fourth of an inch (about ¼ inch) to about eight inches (about 8 inches) outwardly from the circumference  25  of the body  5 . As further non-limiting examples, the extension member  20  may 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 circumference  25 . 
     Advantageously, because the extension member  20  protrudes beyond the circumference  25 , the extension member  20  may provide the user with a location to grip the plate  1  that is adjacent to where food is placed on the plate  1 . In addition, since the extension member  20  may be substantially planar, the extension member  20  may allow the user to control the plate  1  with his or her thumb. In some embodiments of the invention, the extension member  20  may be contoured to the shape of a typical user’s finger shape to assist the user in gripping the plate  1  more securely. In other embodiments, the extension member  20  may have a slip-resistant surface to help prevent the plate  1  from slipping from the user’s grip. 
     The extension member  20  may include a depression or a groove  30  positioned thereon. As non-limiting examples, the groove  30  may extend from an edge  35  of the extension member  20  towards the center  15  of the plate  1 , or the groove  30  may extend from the circumference  25  of the plate  1  and towards the center  15 . The groove  30  may be formed as a cylindrical recess in the top surface  10 , although the groove  30  is not limited to a particular shape. The width and the depth of the groove  30  may 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 plate  1 . When a utensil is received within the groove  30 , sides  40  may 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 groove  30  may have a slip-resistant surface that may help prevent the utensil from sliding out of the groove  30  as the plate is moved. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the extension member  20  and/or the plate  1  may have more than one groove  30  positioned thereon. 
     Turning to  FIG.  2   , the plate  1  may include a bottom surface  45  with underside rims  50  and  55 . The rims  50 ,  55  may be provided as thin concentric rings that project outwardly from the bottom surface  45  and may be integrally formed with or coupled to the bottom surface  45 . The rim  55  may be positioned within and substantially surrounded by the rim  50  such that a channel  60  is formed between the rims  50 ,  55 . For example, the rim  50  may define an outer boundary of the channel  60  and the rim  55  may define an inner boundary of the channel  60 . In addition, the rims  50 ,  55  may be positioned and sized such that an upper surface of a beverage container (not illustrated) may be received and contained in the channel  60 . When the upper surface of a beverage container is received and contained within the channel  60 , the rims  50 ,  55  may act as barriers to prevent the movement of the plate  1  by restricting the motion of the plate along at least one axis. 
     A width W of the channel  60  (as defined by the distance between the rims  50 ,  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 plate  1  can 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 channel  60 , the rim of the champagne glass is proximate to or abuts the rims  50 ,  55 . In addition, the width W of the channel  60  may be substantially constant, or the width W may vary. 
     While the rims illustrated in  FIG.  2    are substantially circular, in other embodiments of the invention the shape of the rims  50 ,  55  may be adapted to mirror the overall shape of the plate  1  as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, if the plate  1  is substantially square-shaped, the rims  50 ,  55  may also be substantially square-shaped. In yet other embodiments of the invention, the plate  1  may have a single rim or more than two rims. 
     A slip-resistant material  65  may be affixed to the bottom surface  45  of the plate  1 . The slip-resistant material  65  may be positioned within the channel  60 , within the rim  50 , or elsewhere on the bottom surface  45 . For example, the slip-resistant material  65  may partially cover the bottom surface  45  within the channel  60 , may substantially cover the entirety of the bottom surface  45  within the channel  60 , or may substantially cover the bottom surface  45  contained within the rim  50 . The slip-resistant material  65  may be composed of a substance with a high coefficient of friction including, but not limited to, a high-density closed-cell foam. If composed of a substance with a high coefficient of friction, the slip-resistant material  65  may generate a high static frictional force between the bottom surface  45  of the plate  1  and another surface, such as the upper surface (e.g., rim) of a beverage container. Advantageously, a high static frictional force may help prevent the plate  1  from falling off the beverage container, since the friction force will help prevent the movement of the plate  1  relative to the upper surface of the beverage container. In turn, this may also help prevent utensils or food from spilling off the plate and onto the ground. 
     In  FIG.  3   , the plate  1  is positioned upon an upper surface  70  of a representative glass  75 . The glass  75  may 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 glass  75  is positioned such that the upper surface  70  contacts the slip-resistant material  65  affixed to the bottom surface  45  of the plate  1 . Further, the upper surface  70  is received within the channel  60  and positioned between the rims  50 ,  55 . Together, the rims  50 ,  55 , the channel  60 , and the slip-resistant material  65  may assist the user in balancing the plate  1  on the upper surface  70 . As stated previously, the rims  50 ,  55  may restrict the movement of the upper surface  70  along at least one axis. If the plate  1  moves a predetermined distance within the channel  60 , one of the rims  50  or  55  may contact a lip  80  of the glass  75 , which may help prevent further movement of the plate. At the same time, the slip-resistant material  65  may help prevent the plate  1  from moving relative to the glass  75  due to the high coefficient of friction of the slip-resistant material  65 . Advantageously, as compared to traditional plates, these features may help a user more easily balance the plate  1  on a glass  75 . 
     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.