초록 ▼

A beverage hold and transport system is described typically for transporting a plurality of cups of coffee or other beverages. In one system, one or more trays can be suspended from an upper tray that is adapted to be carried by a person using a single hand thereby increasing the number of beverages

A beverage hold and transport system is described typically for transporting a plurality of cups of coffee or other beverages. In one system, one or more trays can be suspended from an upper tray that is adapted to be carried by a person using a single hand thereby increasing the number of beverages the person can transport. In another system, a mechanism for removably attaching a container to the bottom of the tray is provided such that any spills from the beverages contained in the tray are directed into the container and not on to a surface therebelow.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. 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

I claim: 1. 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. 2. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of cup apertures comprise six apertures. 3. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 1, further including a plurality of legs extending downwardly from a bottom surface of the first plate. 4. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 1, wherein (i) the first plate is substantially rectangular having a plate length and plate width, (ii) the opening is also substantially rectangular having a opening length and an opening width and (iii) the opening width at a mouth of the container being greater than the plate width and the opening length at the mouth being greater than the plate length. 5. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 1, wherein the first handle assembly comprises (i) an inverted U-shaped member including a substantially horizontal handle portion and opposing vertical leg portions, the vertical leg portions extending through respective handle apertures in the plate, and (ii) a pair of end stops, each end stop being secured to a respective end of the vertical leg portions and having a width wise dimension greater than a diameter of the respective handle aperture. 6. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 5, wherein the first handle assembly located substantially proximate the center of the plate. 7. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 1, wherein each latch mechanism includes a key latch attached to a distal end of a rotatable shaft with a finger hold being attached to the shaft proximate an opposing end thereof, the shaft extending through a latch aperture in the plate. 8. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 1, further comprising: a second plate, the second plate having a second plurality of cup apertures extending though the second plate; a second handle assembly coupled to the second plate, the second handle assembly adapted to suspend the second plate in a horizontal orientation therefrom when a second handle portion of the second handle assembly is being held in the hand of a person; and one or more hooks depending downwardly from the second plate, the one or more hooks being positioned to hook around the first handle wherein the first plate pivotally hangs therefrom beneath the second plate. 9. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 8, wherein the one or more hooks comprises a pair of hooks, the pair of hooks being located at the ends of respective legs of an inverted U-shaped member, the respective legs passing though hook apertures in the second plate. 10. The beverage holder and transport system of claim 7, wherein the shaft and associated key latch are biased upwardly. 11. The beverage holder of claim 1, wherein the one or more attachment mechanisms comprise two attachment mechanisms. 12. A beverage cup holder for transporting a plurality of beverage filled receptacles, the holder comprising: a first tray, the tray having a first plurality of receptacle apertures extending therethrough; a second tray, the second tray having a second plurality of receptacle apertures extending therethrough, the second tray being removably and pivotally coupled with the first tray substantially directly beneath the first tray; a first handle attached to the first tray and adapted to permit a user to carry the combination of the first and second trays by way of the handle with a single hand; and a second handle, the second handle being handle attached to the second tray and being adapted to permit the user to carry the second tray by way of the handle with the single hand sans the first tray. 13. The beverage holder of claim 12, further comprising one or more hooks depending from a bottom of the first tray, the one or more hooks being positioned to hook around the second handle. 14. The beverage holder of claim 13, wherein the one or more hooks comprises a pair of hooks, the pair of hooks being located at the ends of respective legs of an inverted U-shaped member. 15. The beverage holder of claim 12, wherein the first and second trays comprise plates. 16. The beverage holder of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of beverage receptacles apertures comprises four or more apertures and wherein the second plurality of beverage receptacles comprises four or more apertures. 17. The beverage holder of claim 12, further comprising: a container, the container including an open end; and one or more attachment mechanisms, the one or more attachment mechanisms adapted to removably secure the second tray to the container proximate the open end wherein the second plurality of apertures overlie the container, the one or more attachment mechanisms being actuatable between secured and unsecured positions without appreciable movement of the second tray relative to the container.