Patent ID: 7562787

Claim:
A beverage holder and transport system comprising: a first plate, the first plate having a first plurality of cup apertures extending through the first plate; a first handle assembly coupled to the first plate, the first handle assembly adapted to suspend the first plate in a horizontal orientation therefrom when a first handle portion of the first handle assembly is being held in the hand of a person. a container, the container including an open end; one or more attachment mechanisms, the one or more attachment mechanisms adapted to removably secure the plate to the container proximate the open end wherein the plurality of apertures overlie the container, the one or more attachment mechanisms being actuatable between secured and unsecured positions without appreciable canting of the plate relative to the container, each of the one or more attachment mechanisms including (i) a first portion of an attachment mechanism comprising (a) opposing first and second hooks, the first and second hooks adapted to fixedly clip over opposing portions of a rim of the container proximate the container's open end and (b) a spanning member coupling the first and second hooks, and (ii) a second portion of the attachment mechanism attached to the plate, the second portion comprising a latch adapted to securely couple and decouple the plate to the first portion; and wherein the coupled combination of the plate, the one or more attachment mechanisms, the container and the handle can be lifted simultaneously by way of the handle alone without any additional support of beverage holder and transport system.