Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/829,924, filed May 31, 2013, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates to customizable dishware, particularly customizable plates having transparent spaces for removable and/or re-usable decals and designs. 
         [0004]    2. Background 
         [0005]    It is a common practice for consumers to decorate their tables for holidays, birthdays, weddings, dinner parties, or other events. Often, people look to match the colors and themes of a season or the decor of a room, or decorate for special occasions or “just because.” Part of decorating a table can involve selecting tableware, such as plates. 
         [0006]    Generally, consumers cannot have all of the plates they want due to a lack of cabinet space, limited discretionary income, or limited design options. For example, if someone wanted to have table decor for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter in addition to standard everyday tableware, they would spend a great deal on each set and would struggle to keep them stored due to limited living space storage. Even if the consumer did have extensive cabinet space, unlimited funding, and all of the designs they would desire, they would likely still find it difficult to rationalize the purchase due to the infrequency of use. 
         [0007]    Additionally party planners, as a whole, have very limited table design options for the events they organize, due to their limited storage space. With the recent popularity of personalization, the party planners cannot meet the needs of their customers in a cost-effective manner. For design purposes, including a variety of colors and themes, it can be problematic for party planners to maintain and store plates of many different looks. In addition to limited colors and themes, they also cannot have a personalized table setting on hand and stored for every event, such as plates with a photo of every bride and groom they assist in planning Along with storage space the cost per personalized plates are very high. Personalized settings could end up costing the consumer thousands versus hundreds in many instances. All in all, this would be too expensive for most consumers. 
         [0008]    Paper plates with personalized designs that may be appropriate for a specific event can be available. However, the design options are limited and often have to be purchased in bulk. Even if the design fits the event and the personalization could be fulfilled, it could be noted that most people would prefer to use higher-quality plates, especially at special events such weddings, baptisms, and bar/bat mitzvahs. Some may also find disposable plates to be environmentally unfriendly. Paper plates, over-all, get “hot” on the bottom and some people would not want to “cut” into the images/photos on top of the plate. Additionally, there may be some concern over food safety. 
         [0009]    It can also be desirable to customize plates with a personal design, photographs and/or customized text. For example, a baby&#39;s first birthday would be cause for a family celebration. However, for a birthday party having  30  invited guests, for example, it would be too expensive to purchase a melamine fired plate for everyone attending, and paper plates come with some overriding concerns on food safety due to ink, personal concerns on cutting “into” a photograph and “hot” bottoms which could lend itself to another safety concern. 
         [0010]    What is needed is a customizable tableware system comprising plates that have a transparent central section and decals that can be selectively and removably applied to the underside of the transparent central section of the plate, such that a decal&#39;s design shows through the transparent central section of the plate. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1   a  depicts a top view of an embodiment of the present device having a substantially circular geometry. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1   b  depicts a top view of an embodiment of the present device having a substantially square geometry. 
           [0013]      FIG. 1   c  depicts a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0014]      FIG. 2  depicts a top view of an embodiment of a decal. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of a decal being applied to the underside of a plate. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  depicts an embodiment of a decal being applied to the underside of a plate with the use of an application tool. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  depicts a top view of an embodiment of a substantially circular plate having a decal applied to its underside, such that a decal&#39;s design is visible though a plate&#39;s central substantially transparent section. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  depicts a plurality of decals that can be selectively applied to the underside of a plate. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  depicts an embodiment of a storage container for decals for the present device. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8   a  depicts another embodiment of the present device for a bowl. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8   b  depicts another embodiment of the present device for a drinking vessel. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  depicts a method of providing plates and/or decals to users. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]      FIG. 1   a  depicts a top view of one embodiment of a dish in the present device. In some embodiments a dish can be a plate  100 , which can have a substantially circular geometry. In other embodiments, a plate  100  can have a substantially rectangular geometry, such as a substantially square, as shown in  FIG. 1   b.  However in other embodiments, a plate  100  can have a substantially elliptoid, octagonal, or any other known and/or convenient geometry. In some embodiments, a plate can be fabricated from a polymer, glass, or any other known and/or convenient material. 
         [0024]    In some embodiments, a plate  100  can have a substantially planar central portion  102  surrounded at its edges by a rim  104  or perimeter portion  104 . As shown in the side view of  FIG. 1   c,  a rim  104  can have a slight curvature and be raised above the plane of a substantially planar central portion  102 , but in other embodiments can be substantially planar, ridged, scalloped, or have any other known and/or convenient configuration. In some embodiments, the surface of a rim  104  can be angled relative to a central portion  102 . As shown in  FIG. 1   c,  a rim  104  can be raised to approximately 30-degrees above the plane of a substantially planar central portion  102 , but in other embodiments can have any other known and/or convenient angle. 
         [0025]    A plate  100  can have at least one substantially transparent region  106 . In some embodiments, substantially the entirety of a plate  100  can be substantially transparent. In alternate embodiments, a central portion  102  can be a substantially transparent region  106 , while a rim  104  surrounding a central portion  102  can be substantially opaque, substantially translucent and/or transparent. In other embodiments, a portion or substantially the entirety of a rim  104  can be substantially or entirely transparent. A substantially transparent region  106  of a plate  100  can be fabricated from glass, plastic, or any other known and/or convenient substantially transparent or translucent material. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  depicts a decal  200 . A decal  200  can have a substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface. In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a decal  200  can have substantially the same geometry as a substantially transparent region  106 , but in other embodiments can have any other known and/or convenient geometry. A decal  200  can be fabricated from vinyl, film, plastic, paper, or any other known and/or convenient material. The upper surface of a decal  200  can display a design  202 . A design  202  can be printed, painted, drawn, etched, or otherwise deposited by any other known and/or convenient method onto a decal  200 . A design  202  can include text, pictures, patterns, shapes, colors, logos, or any other known and/or convenient design element. In some embodiments, a design  202  can be a photograph and name of a person celebrating a birthday; a holiday design displaying a Christmas scene; a pattern that can match the pattern of a tablecloth or other table linens; or any other known and/or convenient design. In some embodiments, users can purchase or acquire prefabricated decals  200  that can have preselected designs  202 . In other embodiments, decals  200  can be customized by a user with a custom design  202 . 
         [0027]    The upper surface of a decal  200  can be configured to selectively and removably coupled with the underside of a plate  100  at a substantially transparent section  106 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , a substantially transparent section  106  can be a central portion  102  of a plate  100 , such that a design  202  can be seen through a central portion  102  of a plate  100 . In some embodiments, a non-permanent repositionable adhesive  204  that allows a decal  200  to stick to the underside of a plate  100  can be applied to the upper side of a decal. In other embodiments, a decal  200  can be fabricated from a material that can removably attach to the underside of a plate  100  through static cling. In alternate embodiments, a decal  200  can be coupled with the underside of a plate  100  with magnets, snaps, clips, or any other known and/or convenient connection mechanism on a decal  200  and/or plate  100 . 
         [0028]    In some embodiments, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a decal  200  can be selectively applied to a substantially transparent region  106  of a plate  100 . In use, a user can couple the upper surface of a decal  200  directly to the underside of a plate  100  at a substantially transparent region  106  of a plate  100 . As shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , a user can apply a decal  200  to the underside of a substantially transparent region  106 , which can be a central portion  102 , of a plate  100  using a decal&#39;s removable adhesive substance  204 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a user can use an application tool  400 , such as a squeegee, flat-edged card, or any other known and/or convenient implement to press out wrinkles or air bubbles between a decal  200  and a plate  100 , such that substantially the entire top surface of a decal  200  is directly against the underside of a plate  100 . 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , after a decal  200  has been applied to the underside of a plate  100 , a design  202  on the upper side of a decal  200  can be visible through a substantially transparent region  106  of a plate  100  when a plate  100  is viewed from above. A plate  100  can be used to display or serve food without the food touching a decal  200 , because a decal  200  can be on the underside of a plate  100  rather than on the upper side of a plate  100  that comes into contact with food. 
         [0030]    A user can choose to remove a decal  200  at any time and/or replace a decal  200  with a different decal  200  having a different design  202 , such as the embodiments of decals  200   a - 200   d  shown in  FIG. 6 . In some embodiments, a user can have a selection of different decals  200  with designs  202  for different occasions, and can select and replace decals  200  to customize a plate  100  without needing to replace an entire plate  100 , thereby saving storage space and the expense of purchasing new plates with different designs for each occasion. 
         [0031]    A decal  200  can be removed from a plate  100  at any time. A user can remove a decal  200  from a plate  100  when a plate  100  is to be washed in a dishwasher. However, in some embodiments a user can choose to retain a decal  200  on a plate  100  when washing the upper side of a plate  100  by hand because a decal  200  is on the underside of a plate  100 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , decals  200  that are not presently coupled with a plate  100  can be stored in a storage device  700 . In some embodiments, a storage device  700  can be a portfolio, but in other embodiments can be a wallet, a lidded container, a folder, an album, a book, an envelope, or any other known and/or convenient container. In some embodiments, a storage device  700  can have a plurality of pages  702  that can be fabricated from a similar material to that of a substantially transparent section of a plate  100 . A user can selectively couple a decal  200  with a page  702  in a manner similar to that of applying a decal  200  to a plate  100 , as described above. A user can couple decals  200  to pages  702  to store decals  200 , such that a user has an option of removing a decal  200  from a storage device  700  to apply a decal  200  to a plate  100  at any time. 
         [0033]      FIG. 8   a  depicts another embodiment of the present device where a dish can be a bowl  800 . In such embodiments, a bowl  800  can have a substantially transparent section  106 , which, as shown in  FIG. 8   a , can be a central bottom portion  802 . In other embodiments a substantially transparent section  106  can be walls  804  of a bowl  800 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 8   b  depicts another embodiment of the present device where a dish can be a drinking vessel  806 . As shown in  FIG. 8   b , a drinking vessel  806  can be a mug and can have a substantially transparent section  106  at its central base portion. In other embodiments, a drinking vessel  806  can be a stemmed or stemless wine glass, tumbler, cocktail glass, tall drinking glass, or any other known and/or convenient configuration. In still further alternate embodiments, a dish can be a platter and/or any other known and/or convenient devise capable of presenting and/or retaining food and/or liquid. 
         [0035]      FIG. 9  depicts a method of providing plates  100  and/or pre-made or custom decals  200  to a user. At  902 , a system such as a website running on a server can receive an order for one or more plates  100  and/or one of more different dishes. A system can have a selection of different plates  100  available to order, such as substantially circular plates  100  shown in  FIG. 1   a  and substantially square plates  100  shown in  FIG. 1   b.  Plates can also have color rims and/or be disposable. 
         [0036]    At  904 , a system can receive an order for one or more decals  200 . A system can have a selection of decals  200  with different pre-made designs  202  available to order. In some embodiments, a system can also, or alternatively, display options for a user to create and order decals  200  with a user-customized design  202  and/or a user&#39;s modification of a pre-made design  202 . A system can have options to upload, input or customize text, colors, photographs, shapes, patterns, or any other known and/or convenient design element(s)  202 . 
         [0037]    At  906 , a user&#39;s order of plates  100  and/or decals  200  can be manufactured/produced on-demand and/or pre-manufactured/pre-made, fulfilled and provided to a user. In some embodiments, ordered decals  200  with pre-made designs  202  can be shipped from a warehouse. In other embodiments, decals  200  can be produced on demand when ordered. In some embodiments, ordered decals  200  can be printed with a user-selected or user-customized design  202  after a user&#39;s order has been placed. In some embodiments, decals  200  can be shipped to the user in a storage device  700 , such as a portfolio shown in  FIG. 7 , and/or an application tool  206  can be included with a user&#39;s order. 
         [0038]    Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention as described and hereinafter claimed is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 1