초록 ▼

A disposable plate for carrying and serving food is disclosed. One particular aspect of the invention includes a plate with a substantially circular food-contact area with a substantially oval rim periphery. The rim is formed to make the plate easy to hold, with grooves adapted to accommodate finge

A disposable plate for carrying and serving food is disclosed. One particular aspect of the invention includes a plate with a substantially circular food-contact area with a substantially oval rim periphery. The rim is formed to make the plate easy to hold, with grooves adapted to accommodate fingers and/or thumbs. The present invention may be designed to segment the food storage areas of the plate into multiple compartments by using a divider wall. Also, the food-contact area can be slightly domed to force food to shift to the outer portion of the food-contact area and inhibit the food from slipping to the middle of the plate, thus keeping the plate center from sagging.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A disposable plastic plate comprising: a circular base; a rim having a continuous inner periphery disposed about the entire rim, an oval outermost periphery, and a pair of opposing handles positioned between the inner periphery and the outer periphery; a sidewall having a low

What is claimed is: 1. A disposable plastic plate comprising: a circular base; a rim having a continuous inner periphery disposed about the entire rim, an oval outermost periphery, and a pair of opposing handles positioned between the inner periphery and the outer periphery; a sidewall having a lower circular edge integral with the base and an upper edge integral with the inner periphery of the rim; and, a flange downwardly depending from the entire outer periphery of the rim, wherein the sidewall and the base define an internal angle, and wherein the internal angle at a first major axis is less than the internal angle at a minor axis of the rim. 2. The disposable plastic plate of claim 1, wherein a terminal flange edge resides below both the inner periphery of the rim and the upper edge of the sidewall and above the lower edge of the sidewall. 3. The disposable plastic plate of claim 1, wherein a terminal flange edge resides below both the inner periphery of the rim and the upper edge of the sidewall and above the base. 4. The disposable plastic plate of claim 1, wherein the rim and the flange collectively define an annular cavity positioned below the rim. 5. The disposable plastic plate of claim 1, wherein the plate is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of plastics including thermoplastics and thermosets. 6. The disposable plastic plate of claim 1, wherein a portion of the rim cooperates with the flange to define an annular cavity positioned below an underside of the rim. 7. The disposable plastic plate of claim 1, wherein the internal angle increases outward moving along the sidewall from an area proximate a minor axis of the oval rim toward an area of the sidewall proximate a major axis of the oval rim. 8. The disposable plastic plate of claim 1, wherein the sidewall has an intermediate region between the first major axis and the minor axis, and wherein the internal angle at a portion of the intermediate region is greater than the internal angle at the first major axis. 9. The disposable plate of claim 1, wherein the sidewall has an intermediate region between the first major axis and the minor axis, and wherein the internal angle at a portion of the intermediate region is greater than the internal angle at the minor axis. 10. A disposable plastic plate comprising: a circular base; a rim having a continuous inner periphery disposed about the entire rim, an oval outermost periphery, and a pair of opposing handles positioned between the inner periphery and the outer periphery; a sidewall having a lower circular edge integral with the base and an upper edge integral with the inner periphery of the rim; and a flange downwardly depending from the entire outer periphery of the rim, wherein the rim comprises a first raised area and a second raised area, the first raised area located adjacent the upper edge of the sidewall and the second raised area located adjacent the outer periphery of the rim, and wherein the first raised area and the second raised area are separated by an indentation that is recessed with respect to the first raised area and the second raised area, and wherein the rim further comprises a first depression and a second depression located between the inner periphery and the outer periphery thereof, each depression being recessed relative to the first raised area and the second raised area, wherein the indentation extends between the first depression and the second depression and has a first end adjacent the first depression and a second end adjacent the second depression. 11. The disposable plastic plate of claim 10, wherein the second raised area is annular. 12. The disposable plastic plate of claim 10 wherein the rim and the flange collectively define an annular cavity positioned below the rim. 13. The disposable plastic plate of claim 10, wherein the plate is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of plastics including thermoplastics and thermosets. 14. The disposable plastic plate of claim 10, wherein the first raised area and the second raised area have substantially similar heights with respect to the base. 15. The disposable plastic plate of claim 10 wherein the second raised area extends around the entire outer periphery of the rim. 16. The disposable plastic plate of claim 10, wherein the depression has a width measured from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the rim that is greater than a width of the indentation measured from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the rim. 17. The disposable plastic plate of claim 10, wherein the first depression is located on the first handle and the second depression is located on the second handle. 18. The disposable plastic plate of claim 10, wherein the base is slightly domed proximate a center of the base. 19. The disposable plate of claim 10, wherein a first axis and a second axis generally perpendicular to the first axis define a general plane of the base, and wherein a first distance, measured between the outer periphery of the rim and the outer periphery of the base along the first axis, is greater than a second distance, measured between the outer periphery of the rim and the outer periphery of the base along the second axis, and a third distance, measured between the inner periphery of the rim and the outer periphery of the rim along the first axis, is greater than a fourth distance, measured between the inner periphery of the rim and the outer periphery of the rim along the second axis. 20. The disposable plate of claim 19, wherein the opposing handles are both aligned with the first axis such that the first distance and the third distance are measured across one of the handles. 21. The disposable plate of claim 10, wherein a first axis and a second axis generally perpendicular to the first axis define a general plane of the base, and wherein a first distance, measured between the outer periphery of the rim and the outer periphery of the base along the first axis, is greater than a second distance, measured between the outer periphery of the rim and the outer periphery of the base along the second axis, and the opposing handles are both aligned with the first axis such that the first distance is measured across one of the handles. 22. The disposable plate of claim 10, wherein the first depression and the second depression are recessed relative to the outer periphery of the rim and extend at least a portion of a distance between the inner periphery and the outer periphery. 23. A disposable plastic plate comprising: a circular base; a rim having a continuous inner periphery disposed about the entire rim, an oval outermost periphery, and a pair of opposing handles positioned between the inner periphery and the outer periphery; a sidewall having a lower circular edge integral with the base and an upper edge integral with the inner periphery of the rim; and a flange downwardly depending from the entire outer periphery of the rim, wherein the rim comprises a first raised area and a second raised area, the first raised area located adjacent the upper edge of the sidewall, and the second raised area located adjacent the outer periphery of the rim, and wherein the first raised area and the second raised area are separated by an indentation that is recessed with respect to the first raised area and the second raised area, wherein the rim further comprises a first depression and a second depression located between the inner periphery and the outer periphery thereof, each depression being recessed relative to the first raised area and the second raised area, and wherein the second raised area is annular and extends around the entire rim and the first raised area extends around a portion of the rim extending from the first depression to the second depression. 24. The disposable plastic plate of claim 23, wherein the indentation extends between the first depression and the second depression and has a first end adjacent the first depression and a second end adjacent the second depression. 25. The disposable plastic plate of claim 23, wherein the plate is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of plastics including thermoplastics and thermosets. 26. The disposable plastic plate of claim 23, wherein the first depression and the second depression extend between the second raised area and the inner periphery of the rim. 27. A disposable plastic plate comprising: a circular base; a rim having a continuous inner periphery disposed about the entire rim, an oval outermost periphery, and a pair of opposing handles positioned between the inner periphery and the outer periphery; a sidewall having a lower circular edge integral with the base and an upper edge integral with the inner periphery of the rim; and, a flange downwardly depending from the entire outer periphery of the rim, wherein the sidewall forms an internal angle with the base and wherein the internal angle increases outward moving along the sidewall from an area proximate a minor axis of the oval rim toward an area of the sidewall proximate a major axis of the oval rim.