Patent Abstract:
A disposable plate for carrying and serving food is disclosed. One particular aspect of the invention includes a plate with a substantially circular food-contact area with a substantially oval rim periphery. The rim is formed to make the plate easy to hold, with grooves adapted to accommodate fingers and/or thumbs. The present invention may be designed to segment the food storage areas of the plate into multiple compartments by using a divider wall. Also, the food-contact area can be slightly domed to force food to shift to the outer portion of the food-contact area and inhibit the food from slipping to the middle of the plate, thus keeping the plate center from sagging.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to devices for the carrying or serving of food and more particularly to sturdy disposable plates having integral handles, making the plate easier to carry and hold. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Disposable plates are usually designed with enough durability to be reused, but they are intended to be used only once and then discarded. Disposable plates are usually inexpensive to manufacture, sold in bulk quantities, and not typically fragile. In contrast, reusable plates are expensive to manufacture, sold in small sets (usually 4 or 8), and can be quite fragile. Because of these features, disposable plates are often utilized at buffets or picnics and the like, and for meals where a large number of people make it undesirable to use nondisposable or reusable plates. Typically, the disposable plates are stacked, one on top of another, for use at such events, so that a person may select a plate and then serve himself. 
     Disposable plates have a long history of use and have been manufactured from a number of distinct materials. Reusable plates made of materials such as glass or ceramic have different structural concerns than most disposable plates. For example, reusable plates are generally heavier and sturdier than their disposable counterparts, but may be susceptible to chipping or breaking. 
     Disposable plates evolved from durable or reusable plates made from a variety of materials. Pewter tableware was popular and affordable in the eighteenth century, although other materials were considered more desirable. Decorated glazed porcelain plates were also popular, whereas earthenware was seen as a disfavored material. Solid silverware was out of the price range of most people, however, silver-plated tableware made an affordable alternative. In the nineteenth century, a blue and white pattern was popular on plate designs from stoneware to bone china. Pyrex or borosilicate glass tableware with heat-resistant properties was introduced in the early 1900&#39;s. The perception of materials desirable for plates has changed since the beginning of the last century. The materials used in manufacturing and the selling price of a plate tend to help catagorize the plate as disposable or reusable. 
     Service style is the way that food is presented to guests or the type of service offered to guests. Service styles are as numerous as cultures and nations on earth. The styles of service can range from elegant and lavish to very informal. Disposable tableware has generally been best suited to informal service situations. 
     Plates and food containers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar expected and obvious structural configurations. The myriad of plate designs encompassed by the crowded prior art has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. The structural concerns of durable and reusable plates are significantly different than those of disposable plates. Some of the most general requirements of disposable tableware are that they are economical, easy to hold and carry, and that the plates deter the spilling of food. 
     Disposable plates have significant material distinctions. Low-cost tableware of light construction are customarily economically manufactured on a large production basis. Lightweight paper plates are well-suited for dry foods. A pulp paper heavy-duty product creates a better quality of paper plate: it is good for serving hot foods; it is heat and cut resistant; and, it is economical and cost efficient for a large group. Laminated foam dinnerware provides a degree of cut-resistance and is a durable alternative. The lamination keeps food from soaking through the plate while the foam insulates against heat transfer. Non-laminated plates are less expensive yet practical for light menus. Plastic tableware is another alternative available in several designs and levels of quality. Heavy-duty plastic tableware is sold in a wide variety of colors and is both heat and cut resistant. 
     There are several problems associated with plates today. Issues with durable plates include a relatively high price, a need to clean them after use, and the difficulty in carrying or transporting reusable plates that were not designed for mobility. Even disposable plates have long had structural problems. These problems include a lack of significant rigidity, buckling or sagging from the weight of its contents, food sliding about the plate, food becoming co-mingled with other incompatible food, and the plate being difficult to hold or carry. 
     In the past, some disposable plates have had a tendency to be less rigid than similar dimensioned traditional reusable plates. The relative lack of structural rigidity is manifested by such plates bending, sagging, or folding between the portions of the plate being held, particularly when the plates are toting a heavy load. The items on the plate may settle into the middle of the plate, making the plate sag or buckle at its center. This exacerbates the problem as the sagging middle of the plate draws food from the perimeter down into the center. Eventually a large share of the weight of the items on the plate is gathered in the small area around its center. Food items being spread out and settled on the outer edges of a plate&#39;s food-contact area would enhance a loaded plate&#39;s rigidity, but food sometimes gravitates toward the center of the plate and this has a tendency to bow it down, further inducing food to slide to the middle of the plate. 
     There has always been a need for disposable plates that allow for the segregation of items placed on the plate. On low friction surfaces, such as the food-contact area of a smooth plastic plate, food may slide around the plate while the plate is being carried. Separation helps avoid blurring particular culinary distinctions. Examples include grease mixing with gravy and destroying their individual culinary flavors, or the sauce of baked beans being absorbed to soggy a hamburger bun. There is a need to hold the solid food items in the position that they were placed on the plate. To solve this, those skilled in the art have provided plate dividers to form isolated compartments on the face of the food-contact area of the plate. The dividers could aid in keeping different food elements separate, but could also induce a propensity for the disposable plate to fold along the line of the divider. 
     Carrying a disposable plate causes yet another inconvenience. Traditionally, a plate&#39;s food-contact area and rim form concentric circles of increasing size. The rim of the plate lacks a solid spot to grab and hold onto the entirety. A small circular rim encircling the food area of the plate leaves little room to grasp the plate while it is full. This drawback is especially relevant when one attempts to serve food onto the plate with one hand while holding the plate with the other hand. There is typically no handle or convenient method of holding a flimsy disposable plate, particularly when the plate is loaded with food. Additionally, placing a hand underneath the plate and carrying the plate like a tray or platter has the disadvantage of transferring the heat of potentially hot food to the fingers of those holding the plate in this fashion. Trays, platters, and even some plates, however, do have handles, but these handles tend to be manufactured of the same smooth substance that make up the balance of the plate and may therefore be difficult to hold. 
     The present invention is provided to solve these and other such problems with prior art devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a light, inexpensive, easily carried, easily held, disposable plate or bowl for the carrying and serving of food. 
     An aspect of the disclosed invention is a bowl or plate having a substantially circular food-contact area for receiving the food items and a raised oval, elliptical, rounded end, or obround plate rim. The substantially circular and oval combination create a stylish and functional blend of features where the rim is narrow along the minor axis of its oval perimeter and wider along the major axis. The wider portions of the rim naturally form handles that are conducive to having two hands holding opposite sides of the oval, elliptical, rounded end, or obround plate rim. 
     Another embodiment of the invention is a plate having a domed food-contact area. By having a substantially circular food-contact area that is slightly domed, the rigidity of the food holding portions of the plate is enhanced. Structural integrity is increased as the weight of the supported load is spread to the periphery of the substantially circular food-contact area. Individual compartments of a compartmentalized plate can also incorporate this feature on a smaller scale by having compartments whose substantially circular food-contact area is pitched toward the outside periphery. 
     Another embodiment of the disclosed invention has handles on the rim to grip the plate. These handles can include finger and/or thumb grooves for ease of holding and carrying the plate. The handles and especially their thumb grooves can be dimensionally optimized to balance ease of use with plate rigidity. The finger grooves can be located on the rim or on the underside of the food-contact area, so as to promote the ability to carry the plate and its contents with one hand. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the plate has asymmetrical compartments formed by a dividing wall. Dividing walls are preferably “S” shaped to create two or more unequally sized compartments or sections. The dividing wall can be curved to discourage the plate from folding along a straight line of the dividing wall. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to better describe the features of the present invention, a number of drawing figures are appended hereto in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a plate, showing the substantially circular food-contact area with the oval rim of the plate; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the plate of  FIG. 1 , showing the thumb handles and finger tactile areas; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the plate of  FIG. 1  cut along the major axis, showing the domed food-contact area, sidewall, and the handle forming rim; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the plate of  FIG. 1  cut along the minor axis, showing the domed food-contact area, sidewall, and the rim; 
         FIG. 5  is a cut away view of the sidewall of the plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cut away view of the plate thumb handle of the plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a plate having a gusset in the thumb handles; 
         FIG. 8  is a cut away view of the plate thumb handle with a gusset of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a plate, showing a compartmental divider; 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of the plate of  FIG. 9 , showing the divided substantially circular food-contact area with the oval plate rim; 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of the plate of  FIG. 9  cut along the major axis; and 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of the plate of  FIG. 9  cut along the minor axis. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiment illustrated. 
     Referring generally to the appended  FIGS. 1–12 , the embodiment of  FIG. 1  is generally referenced by the number  10  in the following disclosure and drawings. Other components are similarly and consistently numbered throughout the specification and drawings. While the features of the present invention are preferred for use with thermoplastic containers, such as, for example, bowls, plates, food containers, and the like, manufactured by the SOLO CUP COMPANY of Highland Park, Ill., other such disposable materials for containers, bowls and plates may be capable of adaptation for implementation of these features as well. Some of the materials that can be used to manufacture disposable plates include, but are not limited to, plastics including thermoplastics and thermoset, fiber and molded fiber, foam, paper, cardboard, biodegradable materials, materials modified with lamination, fillers, or extenders and other plastic materials. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the disposable bowl or plate  10  has a substantially circular recessed surface or food-contact area  12  with a top side to receive food or other items to be put on the plate  10 . The underside of the substantially circular food-contact area  12  is shown as the surface where the plate  10  is set down, such as on a table or counter top. Both the top and underside of the substantially circular food-contact area  12  of the plate  10  are relatively smooth. The smooth top side of the substantially circular food-contact area  12  allows items placed on the plate  10  to slide around it, whereas the smooth bottom side can allow the plate  10  to slide or be pushed easily across a surface. The substantially circular food-contact area  12  forms an ideal location for the placement of a logo. A plate logo or brand indication may be helpful in creating brand name recognition for marketing the plate  10 . 
     Using one production method, a plate  10  having a sharp corner at the intersection of the circular food-contact area  12  and sidewall is formed. Using well-known thermoforming techniques, a radius, also known as a fillet, is imparted at this intersection to form a rounded corner. Some fluctuation has been found to occur such that the circular food-contact area  12  is not always perfectly round. The intent is, nonetheless, to produce a plate  10  having a circular food-contact area  12  and an elliptical rim  16  portion. 
     The disposable plate  10  is shown having a sidewall  14  whose lower end is integral with the substantially circular food-contact area  12 . The sidewall  14  loops around the entire perimeter of the substantially circular food-contact area  12  to keep food or other items from falling off the food-contact area  12 . The sidewall  14  is preferably positioned at an angle α slightly greater than perpendicular to the substantially circular food-contact area  12  for ease of placing food on the plate  10  and keeping the food from sliding off the plate  10 . The upper end of the sidewall  14  is also attached to the rim  16  of the plate  10 . The rim  16  of the plate  10 , shown in  FIG. 2 , has a substantially circular center which is just slightly larger than the diameter of the substantially circular food-contact area  12  to make up for the sidewall  14  obtuse angle α that is greater than 90 degrees, preferably in the range of 90 degrees to about 180 degrees. The outer perimeter of the rim  16  is substantially oval. The dissimilar shapes of the rim&#39;s substantially circular interior and oval perimeter give the server ready-made thumb handles  18  for gripping and holding the plate  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the widest portions of the rim  16  form thumb handles  18  and preferably include an indentation or depression on each end for the placement of the thumbs of the user. This indentation preferably narrows and wraps around the entire plate creating a curve in the curled-down rim  16 . The extra curve of the down-turned rim  16  adds rigidity to the plate  10 . Another benefit of this feature is to give the user a better grip on the thumb handles  18  of the plate  10 . The substantially circular food-contact area  12  has finger tactile areas  20  on the portion of the substantially circular food-contact area  12  nearest the thumb handles  18 . The finger tactile areas  20  are positioned so that the user can hold the plate  10  and carry its contents with one hand. The finger tactile areas  20  are located on the underside of the plate  10  for a user to feel where to optimally situate his or her fingers and to provide an enhanced plate gripping surface. For example, the user can place his or her thumb on top of either thumb handle  18  of the length of the oval rim  16 . The user&#39;s fingers naturally curl under the plate  10  and come to rest on the tactile area  20  on the bottom surface of the substantially circular food-contact area  12 . The fingers and thumb of the hand that is holding the plate  10  clench the plate  10  between the top of the thumb handles  18  of the rim  16  and the under side of the substantially circular food-contact area  12 . A preferred embodiment forms finger tactile areas  20  with concentric arcs on the substantially circular food-contact area  12  near the thumb handles  18  of the rim  16 . The finger tactile area  20  can also be a group of bumps, waves, a textured region, or the like, which achieves the purpose of grasping the disposable plate  10  in one hand. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the embodiment of the disposable plate shown is a cross-section of the plate of  FIG. 1 . The thumb handles  18  on the rim  16  of the plate  10  can be seen on each end of the cross-section of the plate  10 . The height of the sidewall  14  has been increased relative to the traditional standard of plate sidewalls. The increased length of the angled sidewall  14  provides the plate  10  with a deeper receptacle or food-contact area  12  to reduce the possibility of spilling the contents of the plate  10  because of the general portability and mobility requirements of disposable plate applications. 
     The sidewall  14  and rim  16  of the plate  10  have a contemplated purpose of maximizing structural strength and rigidity while fulfilling the ergonomic and ornamental intentions for disposable plates. The sidewall  14  height and angle α are preferably varied. The sidewall  14  can be highest near the thumb handles  18  and lowest at the midpoints of the sidewall  14 , between the two thumb handles  18 . The angle α between the food-contact area  12  and the sidewall  14  can also be dynamic. Preferably, the angle α is about 90 degrees or perpendicular at the midpoints of the sidewall  14 . The angle α can increase, toward, but less than 180 degrees, as the sidewall  14  approaches the thumb handles  18 . The angle α of the sidewall  14  neighboring the thumb handles  18  preferably decreases again to approximately 90 degrees along the line of the plate&#39;s major axis to provide for a strong and comfortable gripping location. 
     The rim  16  dimensions may also be varied. The rim&#39;s skirt, or vertical downturn flange  17 , can add rigidity to the plate  10 , wherein the rim  16  and the flange  17  cooperate to define an annular cavity  19  below an underside of the rim  16  (see  FIGS. 3–5 ). The rim  16  preferably has the least downturn nearest the midpoints of the sidewalls  14  and the most downturn nearest the thumb handles  18 . The described rim  16  configuration has structural benefits as well as providing the plate  10  a side view alignment of the end of the rim&#39;s skirt  17  that appears parallel to both the perimeter of the food-contact area  12  and parallel to the surface on which the plate  10  is placed. An example of the sidewall  14  and rim  16  height and angle α fluctuations can be readily observed by comparing  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 .  FIG. 5  is a cutaway view of the plate  10  between the major and minor axis in contrast to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , particularly showing a greater angle α. The angle α between the food contact area  12  and the sidewall  14  preferably changes around the perimeter of the plate  10  with an angle α nearly perpendicular at the thumb handles  18 , the angle α becoming larger and then approaching 90 degrees again near the minor axis. In another preferred embodiment, there are further undulations forming waves in the rim  16  and providing additional rigidity to the plate  10 , such as a groove  16   a  (see  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  5 ). 
       FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of the disposable plate  10  having a domed food-contact area  12 . The perimeter of the substantially circular food-contact area  12  can rest firmly on a table or other surface while the center of the food-contact area  12  is slightly raised. Various heights of the domed food-contact area surface  12  can optimize the plate&#39;s use for specific applications. The doming of the food-contact area  12  creates a greater resistance to the perpendicular gravitational force from the weight of the food or other items placed on the plate  10 . The domed food-contact area  12  guides food to drift toward the perimeter of its circle, particularly liquid or fluid items placed on the plate  10 . The drifting distributes the weight of the items on the plate  10  around the periphery of the substantially circular food-contact area  12 , allowing for a greater load. A domed substantially circular food-contact area  12  serves to draw a fluid foodstuff away from the food it is commingling with. For example, grease, which can be a necessary but an unwanted byproduct of meal preparation, will drain to the edges of the substantially circular food-contact area  12 , preserving the rest of the food, centered in the plate, from saturation. 
       FIG. 6  is a view of the plate&#39;s thumb handle  18 . The gripping portion  40  of the thumb handle  18  is widest along the major axis and progressively narrows into the rim further from the major axis, creating a lens-like shape. The gripping portion  40  is bowed slightly to curve downward and provide a convenient, comfortable resting spot for the pads of the user&#39;s thumbs on the top of the thumb handles  18 . The arch narrows and forms the rim further away from the major axis. The width and extended skirt vertical flange  17  downturn are preferably largest at the center of the thumb handles  18 . The angle β formed between the thumb handles  18  and the sidewall  14  is slightly greater than perpendicular, between 90 and 180 degree, preferably about 100 degrees. 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  show a perspective view of a plate  50  having a gusset  52  in the thumb handles  18  and a cross-section view of the thumb handle  18 , respectively. The thumb handles  18  are to be wide enough to suit individuals with large thumbs; however, wide thumb handles  18  provide less plate structure rigidity. As the thumb handle grips move away from the sidewall  14 , the moment of force, the product of force multiplied by the perpendicular distance, requires less force to deflect a given distance. Another problem with thumb handles are the hinge points. The thumb handles  18  meet the sidewall  14  to form a sharp corner or a hinge point. The hinge point is a high stress area and makes the product weak. The sharp corner may be broken down with a generous radius, but the sharp corner may look better, therefore, the gusset  52  may serve as design feature to correct the rigidity with the following purposes. First, it shortens the perpendicular line of force and second, the gusset  52  acts as a truss or a brace that takes some of the load of weight from the plate. Additionally, the gusset  52  serves as a stiffening feature. The gusset  52  softens the angle at the flex point where the thumb handles  18  meet the sidewall. The more gradual slope of the angles provided as a result of the gussets  52  add strength and increase the amount of force necessary to deflect the thumb handles  18 . The path of the plate material changes direction as it travels from the sharp corner to the bottom of the gusset  52 . This interruption in the path gives the product strength in that area. The gusset  52  is preferably centered in a portion of the thumb handle  18  around the major axis. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , one embodiment of the present invention is a plate  110  similar to that of  FIG. 1  with the addition of a curved dividing wall  122 . The curved dividing wall  122  creates distinct food receptacle compartments  112   a  of the food-contact area  112  on the plate  110 . The food receptacle compartments  112   a  serve to allow a diner to segregate the items placed on the plate  110  into two subcategories. This aspect is particularly useful when food or items are incompatible. The asymmetrical food receptacle compartments  112   a  formed by the curved dividing wall  122  serve the purpose of adding strength and rigidity to the plate  110 . The curve of the dividing wall  122  inhibits the plate  110  from bending along a straight line, rather the curved dividing wall  122  gives support to the food-contact area receptacle compartments  112   a  by strengthening the capacity of the food receptacle compartments  112   a  along the line of the curved dividing wall  122 . Also, configuring or positioning the curved dividing wall  122  along the general line of the major axis of the plate  110  increases the rigidity of the most likely location that such a plate  110  would collapse and fold under a heavy load, the center line along the plate&#39;s minor axis. A similarly positioned straight dividing wall would not provide this benefit. 
       FIG. 10  is a top view of the plate  110  of  FIG. 9 . From atop the plate  110 , the size and shape of the food receptacle compartments  112   a  show that one compartment is larger than the other. The food receptacle compartments  112   a  form two nearly kidney shaped dissimilarly sized hemispheres with the dividing wall  122  curving generally near the line of the plate&#39;s major axis. 
       FIG. 11  is a cross section view of the compartmentalized plate  110  of  FIGS. 9 and 10  cut along the major axis. This embodiment has a curved dividing wall  122  approximately half the height of the sidewall  114 . In a preferred embodiment, the angles of the dividing wall  122 , relative to the integrated portion of the food-contact area receptacle compartments  112 , and the sidewall  114  angles, are substantially similar. The curved dividing wall  122  is raised from the surface of the food-contact area and forms the food receptacle compartments. The dividing wall  122  can be relatively low in relation to the sidewall  114  or in another preferred embodiment, taller than the sidewall  114 . In yet another preferred embodiment, the food-contact area receptacle compartments  112  of a divided plate are maximized by having a relatively short dividing wall  122 , having angles nearly perpendicular to the food-contact area. 
     In  FIG. 12 , the angles and height of the curved dividing wall  122  relative to the food receptacle compartments  112  can be substantially different than the height and the angle of the sidewall  114  of the plate  110 . The height and angle of the curved dividing wall  122  can be greater or less than the sidewall  114  depending on the segregation requirements of the items to be stored in the food receptacle compartments  112 . The angles and height of the curved dividing wall  122  also determine the size of the food receptacle compartments  112 , where a large angle (about 120 degrees to 170 degrees) of a relatively high curved dividing wall  122  can minimize the size of the bottom area of the food receptacle compartments  112 . The absolute height of the curved dividing wall  122  is preferably similar to the height of the sidewall  114 , with a steep, nearly vertical angle, optimizing the segregation capacity of the food receptacle compartments  112  while retaining the food items on the plate  110 . 
     Other embodiments of a multi-compartment plate  110  can be fabricated under the same design concept, the food receptacle compartments  112  being separated by a curvy shaped dividing wall  122 . The number of compartments can be determined by the amount of separate food items the plate is designed to hold. The curved dividing wall  122  is positioned to strengthen the holding capacity of the food receptacle compartments  112 . The addition of the curved dividing wall  122  supports the structure of the plate  110  along its center line or minor axis. Holding a plate that is loaded with heavy items by the two thumb handles  118  at the ends of the major axis naturally puts the most amounts of strain directly on the minor axis, encouraging the plate  110  to fold along the center line. The curved dividing wall  122  increases the plate&#39;s tolerance for a heavier load. 
     Each of the food receptacle compartments  112  divided and partitioned by the curved dividing wall  122  can be separately pitched. The slope of any and every food receptacle compartment  112  can be of a varied and unique angle or direction to drain fluids to the edges of the food receptacle compartment  112 . The downward slant can be directed to the outer edge of the plate  110 , or for other applications, toward the middle of the plate  110 . The pitch of each food receptacle compartments  112  can be steep or gradual, depending again on the desired application. 
     While the specific embodiment has been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1