Patent ID: 7303172

Claim:
A secure dish holder system for securing an eating dish to prevent said eating dish from spilling comprising: a support structure having a top surface and a bottom surface; an eating dish having a topside and underside; an eating dish fastener attached to said underside of said eating dish; a dish holder that attaches to said support structure comprising: a top plate having a topside and an underside, said underside disposed adjacent to said top surface of said support structure; a top plate fastener attached to said topside of said top plate that engages said eating dish fastener and releasably holds said eating dish firmly to said top side of said top plate to prevent said eating dish from spilling; at least one post having a predetermined size that is connected to said top plate; a bottom plate having a topside and an underside, said bottom plate having at least one hole, said at least one hole having a size that is slightly greater than said predetermined size of said at least one said post, said at least one hole in said bottom plate being fitted over said post so that said bottom plate slides snugly along said post, said bottom plate having an inner portion that is located adjacent to said at least one hole and an outer portion that is located along an outer edge of said bottom plate that is on an opposite side of said bottom plate from said inner portion; and a compressible material connected to said outer portion of said topside of said bottom plate that generates a force at a location on said outer portion of said bottom plate when said compressible material is compressed against said bottom surface of said support structure that causes said bottom plate to wedge into a locked position against said at least one post so that application of a release force, that is at least equal to said force generated by said compressible material, to said underside of said bottom plate at said location on said outer portion of said bottom plate causes said bottom plate to move to a position that is substantially normal to said at least one post so that said bottom plate becomes unlocked, and moves in a direction away from said top plate, as said release force is gradually reduced, to release said dish holder from said support structure.