Abstract:
A cup holder for holding a plurality of cups on a food tray comprises a pair of spaced apart lower tip extensions for fitting onto the food tray; a sidewall region extending upwardly from each lower lip extension; and a top plane region that connects both sidewall regions and extends: substantially perpendicular to the sidewall regions and substantially parallel to a flat upper surface of the food tray. This top plane region includes a plurality of spaced apart apertures that hold a beverage cup while transporting food and drinks on the food tray.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This is a perfection of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/945,598, filed on Feb. 27, 2014, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to cup holders for plates and food trays. It is especially concerned with devices adapted for use with typical food court trays that are generally rectangular and may come in several common sizes. Most importantly, the present invention allows existing food trays to be quickly fitted for carrying several (two or three) beverage cups on a tray with room to spare for still transporting food items thereon. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]    Numerous food and beverage trays are known and have been patent protected. In chronological order, these include: 
         [0004]    Eraut U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,934 showed a food service tray (with a clip-on holder for two beverages, said tray designed for affixing to the front seat of an automobile. 
         [0005]    Cramer U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,191 showed a lap tray with specially sized recesses to hold a food plate and cup. 
         [0006]    Dunn U.S. Pat. No. 2,875,940 showed a portable food container for a car seat in which a pair of beverage holders surrounds a recessed pocket for holding food. 
         [0007]    Farrell U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,251 disclosed an individualized plate and cup holder having a plurality of adjustable plate clips. 
         [0008]    Thomas U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,470 showed a food serving tray with a built in, partially raised integral holder for one cup. 
         [0009]    Florian U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,671 disclosed a food carryout tray designed to hold/carry differing sizes of beverage cups. 
         [0010]    Vigue U.S. Design Pat. No. D250,243 showed a feed/beverage tray combination able to integrally hold a beverage cup at each of the four tray corners. 
         [0011]    Distler U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,020 showed a dinner tray with at least two octagonal cup holders integrally formed along one side of the tray proper. 
         [0012]    Williams U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,232 showed a lidded food and beverage tray that, when flipped onto itself, forms a retention well for holding beverages. 
         [0013]    Rathjen U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,027 has a food plate and beverage holder combination with a truncated cone intended for holding stemmed glassware. 
         [0014]    Loh U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,636 showed a thermoplastic food and beverage tray/carrier that incorporates a drawer between the tray and frame sections. 
         [0015]    Hurtado et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,484,653 showed a food carrying tray with lockable tabs for forming two cup holders at opposite corners. 
         [0016]    Cannon et al. U.S. Pat. No. 8,176,855 has a food tray with foldable legs, said tray including one or more drink “bands” for affixing to adjacent sides at a corner intersection of the tray. 
         [0017]    Thornton Published U.S. Application No. 2013/0015097 showed a molded rubber or polymer extruded supplemental tray for fitting onto the typically sized, food carrying tray of a restaurant. The supplemental tray includes recesses for holding a plurality of beer cans and bottles. 
         [0018]    Finally, Ferreira PCT Application No. WO2013/115,662 showed a disposable cup fastener that temporarily affixes to a corner of a food carrying tray. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    This invention represents an improved way for making it safer to transport a plurality of drinks on the same (unmodified) food tray as is typically found in a fast food restaurant and/or food court. With these specially sized, raised cup holders, it is possible to rapidly affix a holder to the short or long sides of a food tray and safety (hands-free) carry a filly loaded tray to a table for handing out to anxious (hungry) family members. 
         [0020]    One embodiment includes a cup holder for either the short or long sides of a tray with two or possibly three apertures for holding restaurant-issued beverage containers (cups). A first alternative provides each aperture with known or subsequently developed tabs, spacers or the like for more firmly holding in place (for transport to a table) a plurality of cups that may be sized differently. Yet another alternative provides a tray cup holder that can be physically adjusted (i.e., spread longer/wider) to fit differently sized food trays or for using the same cup holder model to hold a plurality of cup/containers along either the short or long side of a food tray. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    Further features, objectives and advantages will become clearer from the following Detailed Description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a typical food court tray with markers indicating its depth D (or short) side and width W (or long) side; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is a front plan view of the typical tray from  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the  FIGS. 1 and 2  tray; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of one embodiment of two-cup holder according to this invention 
           [0026]      FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of one embodiment of three-cup holder according to this invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5A  is a top plan view of the holder from  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5B  is a top plan view of the holder from  FIG. 4B ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a front plan view of the  FIGS. 4A  and B holders; 
           [0030]      FIG. 7A  is a side view of the two-cup model holder from  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 7B  is a side view of the three-cup model holder from  FIG. 4B ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 8A  is a top plan view of the  FIG. 5A  holder, with two cups, affixed to a tray; 
           [0033]      FIG. 8B  is a top plan view of the  FIG. 5B  holder, with three cups, affixed to a tray; 
           [0034]      FIG. 9  is a front plan view of the holder, with cups, on a tray; 
           [0035]      FIG. 10A  is a side view of the holder and 2 cups depthwise on a typical tray; 
           [0036]      FIG. 10B  is a side view of the holder and 3 cups widthwise on the same tray; 
           [0037]      FIG. 11  is a top plan view showing a first alternative embodiment with one version of adjustable tabs for different sized cups; 
           [0038]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of a second alternative embodiment showing a variation with adjustable depth (or width); 
           [0039]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the second alternative embodiment from  FIG. 12 ; 
           [0040]      FIG. 14  is a top plan view of a third embodiment for a plurality of cups (as shown, nine cups); and 
           [0041]      FIG. 15  is a side view of the third alternative from  FIG. 14  with several cups held thereby. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0042]    It is an object of this invention to provide a holder for two or more cups on a pre-existing food tray such as those used in many fast food restaurants and/or mall food courts. 
         [0043]    Another object of the invention is to provide a food tray cup holder that is lightweight, easily shipped and stored when not in use and convenient to install and use. 
         [0044]    A further object of the invention is to provide a cup holder which is inexpensive to produce and yet relatively durable. 
         [0045]    Yet another object is to provide a cup holder, which, depending on the material and method of manufacture, may be made for repeated use, or used only once and disposed of (possibly even made from recyclable materials such as cardboard, metal, plastics, or combinations thereof). 
         [0046]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings. 
         [0047]    In the accompanying FIGURES, component elements common to the various embodiments are commonly numbered, though in the next hundred series. Furthermore,  FIGS. 1 through 3  show in various dimensional views, a typical food serving food tray  10  with a flat base area  12 , curved or rounded lip edge  14  and usually rounded corners  16 . Such trays are most often dimensioned to be wider W than they are deep D. The height H of such trays may vary but they rarely exceed one inch. A plurality of such trays are stacked and stored for repeated use. 
         [0048]    For  FIGS. 4A ,  5 A,  7 A,  8 A and  10 A, a first embodiment of cup holder according to this invention attaches depthwise, or to the short side S of a typical rectangular shaped food tray  10 . The cup holder itself, generally  20 , comprises a pair of spaced apart lower lip extensions  22  for fitting to the underside of a standard food tray  10 . These lip extensions  22  each curve to a sidewall region  24  sized to fit comfortably, though not necessarily “snugly”, against the food tray&#39;s overall height dimension H. The two sidewalls  24  then angle inwardly and substantially perpendicularly to form a top plane region  26  that should preferably extend substantially parallel to flat base area  12  of the food tray  10  over which cup holder  20  is installed. This embodiment of the shorter side cup holder  20  is shown with a pair of pre-cut, spaced apart cup holes, or apertures  28  through which a beverage cup is placed for holding while the user transports a tray full of food and drinks to an eating destination (open table and chairs) in a food court or otherwise. 
         [0049]    In  FIGS. 8A ,  9  and  10 A, same cup holder  20  is shown, in use (or in operation) holding two cups C, one in each of the two apertures  28 .  FIGS. 6 and 9  focus on the side views of this representative, two-cup holder  20 , first empty ( FIG. 6 ), then “in use” at  FIG. 9 . 
         [0050]    In a first alternate embodiment,  FIGS. 4B ,  5 B,  7 B,  8 B and  10 B show a three-cup variation of holder  120  with its corresponding lip extensions  122 , sidewall regions  124 , top plane region  126  and apertures  128  (now three in number for this longer variation for going across the broader width W of a typical food tray  10 . Once more, this holder  120  is meant to easily fit widthwise, across the far end, or the longer “side” of a typical tray with the carrier&#39;s hands positioned on either end of the shorter depth sides D. 
         [0051]    Unfortunately, even the carrying of a single cup with one&#39;s food items can become a precarious exercise. No matter what upper surface is employed on these trays, the general imbalance of a filled beverage cup (let alone multiple cups for the same food order) tends to lead one in an awkward balancing act from the counter where the food is served to the table where it will be eaten. Too often, these treks across crowded restaurants and/or food courts end in drink spills on or about the tray or worse. There have also been total losses of one or more drinks from the tray and onto the table, restaurant floor or, worst of all, on an unsuspecting family member or fellow customer in the purchaser&#39;s path to an open table and chair set. 
         [0052]    The independent, stand-alone cup holders of this invention do NOT require full integration into any one tray (food holder) design. Rather, these cup holders can be easily clipped over and onto a tray by the server before the rest of the food order is situated thereon. Alternately, a semi-filled food tray can be raised, kept somewhat level (i.e. parallel to the serving counter) and then slid sideways into these cup holder shapes, sizes and designs. Depending on the “give” of the material of construction, it may be more preferred to provide greater structural rigidity than to provide ease of optional installation around and about a plurality of food trays, all being commonly sized in depth. 
         [0053]    Should the same restaurant/food court have trays that vary (even ever so slightly) in depth, alternate versions of this invention may include adjustment means/clips/spreaders for fitting over a first tray about 10 inches deep, and then expand to fit over a second tray, up to 12 inches deep. 
         [0054]    Conversely, if more than two drinks are commonly served in a “family” order, the cup holders herein may be made to fit widthwise, across the outer rear region of a food tray (3 or 4 cups across) with the remainder of the food order situated in front of the beverages and closer to the body/chest area of the tray carrier. 
         [0055]    Another optional variation of this invention can include individualized cup adapters so that the diameter of an adult serving cup can be carried with the same tray holder as a child&#39;s size. See, for example, how the different cup depths of a “loaded” holder can be seen in  FIG. 10 : the left cup reaches down to the tray while the smaller serving size suspends partially above the flat upper surface  12  of serving tray  10 . 
         [0056]    That “option” is exaggerated further in the second alternative embodiment of  FIG. 11  wherein cup holder  220  includes with its top planar region  226 , apertures  228  with integral cup holding tabs  230  for holding a full beverage cup more securely white commuting to one&#39;s final eating destination. 
         [0057]    In some operations, it may be desirable to have a cup holder, like component  320  in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , that includes extension means  332  for giving ONE model of cup holder an ability to be stretched apart by spring action or by the implementation of a pair of spacer bars for spreading farther apart: either to accommodate the differing depths D of food trays in the same food court (from different food suppliers) or for allowing the same one model to be used multi-directionally, i.e., either depthwise or, when spread apart forth widthwise. 
         [0058]    Yet another variation is depicted in accompanying  FIGS. 14 and 15 . Therein, a standard sized, rectangular food tray  410  is fitted with just a cup holder ONLY option. In this case, the tray up adapter  420  contains in its top planar region  426  apertures  428  for comfortably holding up to nine representative cups (three cups C are shown, in place, in  FIG. 15 ). It is to be understood, however, that more or fewer variations may be included in a single cup holder tray adapter depending on the overall size/weight strength of said standardized food tray. 
         [0059]    Preferably, the cup holders of this invention can be made, as an integral one-piece unit, from molded plastics, rubberized materials (like most food serving trays, for instance). Or, they may be formed from sheet metal, like aluminum or stainless steel. If reuse is less of an issue, every reinforced cardboard alternatives may be considered. 
         [0060]    As will be apparent from the foregoing description, cup holders constructed in accordance with the present invention wilt be convenient to use and solve many problems associated with the transport of food items from service counter to table. Such holders will be light in weight and easily stored, particularly permitting the nesting (or stacking) of several holders together. 
         [0061]    While a number of modifications of the preferred form have been described above, it will be understood that many other variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.