Patent ID: 8857653

Claim:
A plate having a top side and a bottom side, the plate for releasably coupling to a flexible cup having a rim on a circular mouth, the circular mouth having a mouth diameter, the plate comprising: a body having shallow side walls oriented away from the bottom side to form a container for holding objects on the top side; a planar island formed proximate a middle of the plate, the planar island forming a recess on the bottom side of the plate; the recess on the bottom side of the plate formed with perimeter walls having an ovate perimeter and having a long axis and a short axis, wherein the long axis and short axis cross at substantially a ninety degree angle to one another proximate the middle of the plate, and wherein the perimeter walls surround the perimeter; a plurality of retaining lugs formed on the perimeter walls proximate to the short axis of the recess, wherein the lugs are sized and configured to extend beneath the rim of the cup when the cup is in a coupled position; and wherein the perimeter walls further comprise: a first portion of the perimeter walls at one end of the long axis of the recess, wherein the first portion includes the perimeter wall extending outwardly from the middle of the plate and thereby forming a first expansion zone on the bottom side, a second portion of the perimeter walls at the other end of the long axis of the recess, wherein the second portion includes the perimeter wall extending outward from the middle of the plate and thereby forming a second expansion zone on the bottom side, and wherein the first expansion zone and second expansion zone are sized and configured to receive portions of the rim of the cup when the cup is placed in a squeezed position for loading.