초록 ▼

An aid is provided for dining in situations where a food holding receptacle (such as a plate) and a beverage container must be simultaneously supported by a single hand. The food holding receptacle is stably mountable on an upright beverage container. The user holds a lower portion of the beverage c

An aid is provided for dining in situations where a food holding receptacle (such as a plate) and a beverage container must be simultaneously supported by a single hand. The food holding receptacle is stably mountable on an upright beverage container. The user holds a lower portion of the beverage container in one hand and uses the other hand to take food items from the receptacle that is supported on the beverage container. In order to drink from the beverage container the user removes the receptacle from the beverage container and drinks from the beverage container. The food holding receptacle is stably mounted on the beverage container in loose-fitting relationship so the receptacle can be repeatedly mounted on and demounted from the beverage container in a facile manner. The food holding receptacle may also be used to stably support a beverage container following inversion of the receptacle.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A food holding receptacle for use in combination with a beverage container, said food holding receptacle stably mountable on the beverage container in loose-fitting relationship, said receptacle comprising: a base having a hole of a first perimeter; said hole partially, but not completely, penetr

1. A food holding receptacle for use in combination with a beverage container, said food holding receptacle stably mountable on the beverage container in loose-fitting relationship, said receptacle comprising: a base having a hole of a first perimeter; said hole partially, but not completely, penetrable by the beverage container;said base having a first surface facing upward and comprising a first food holding section surrounding said hole;a collar extending upwardly from said base having a first opened lower end having a lower perimeter and a second opened upper end having an upper perimeter, said upper end and said lower end defining an inner surface, said collar joined to said base in substantially fixed relationship such that said lower perimeter is substantially coincident with said first perimeter, said collar being devoid of a compartment for receiving food items;wherein said collar is adapted to surround an upper portion of an outer surface of the beverage container wherein a portion of the beverage container penetrates said hole to provide the loose-fitting relationship between said receptacle and the beverage container when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container, wherein a tolerance is provided between portions of the outer surface of the beverage container and said inner surface when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container, said tolerance contributing to the loose-fitting relationship that allows said receptacle to be wiggled while sitting stably on the beverage container. 2. The receptacle as described in claim 1 wherein: the upper portion of the outer surface of the beverage container has specified external dimensions; andsaid collar configured to fit over and rest upon the upper portion of the beverage container. 3. The receptacle as described in claim 1 wherein said inner surface is non-cylindrical. 4. The receptacle as described in claim 1 wherein: said receptacle comprises one of a plurality of substantially identical receptacles, the top section of a first one of said receptacles being disposed to nest with the bottom section of a second one of said receptacles in a generally complementary relationship, both said receptacles oriented in the same direction. 5. The receptacle as described in claim 1 wherein said receptacle is a plate, a bowl, a dish, or a tray. 6. The receptacle as described in claim 1 wherein: said base has an outer edge; and,a rim attached to said base at said outer edge. 7. The receptacle as described in claim 1 wherein said loose-fitting relationship between said receptacle and the beverage container allows said receptacle to be readily rotated in a spinning manner relative to the beverage container about a vertical axis while said receptacle is stably mounted on the beverage container. 8. The receptacle as described in claim 1 wherein said receptacle is freely mountable on the beverage container. 9. The receptacle as described in claim 6 wherein said receptacle has a first food holding orientation and a second food holding orientation that is obtainable by rotating said receptacle essentially 180° about a horizontal axis with respect to said first food holding orientation; said base having a second surface surrounding said hole;said second surface facing upward and serving as a second food holding section when said receptacle is in said second food holding orientation;a circumferential barrier adjacent to and surrounding said hole; said barrier extending upwardly from said base when said receptacle is in said second food holding orientation;said rim comprising a first rim segment and a second rim segment;said first rim segment joined to and extending above said base when said receptacle is in said first food holding orientation;said second rim segment joined to and extending above said base when said receptacle is in said second food holding orientation, andwherein said food holding receptacle in said second food holding orientation can stably support the beverage container when placed in said collar. 10. The receptacle as described in claim 9 wherein said receptacle comprises a first receptacle of a set of substantially identical receptacles, the underside of said first receptacle complementary to the upper side of a second receptacle from said set of receptacles and disposed to nest with said upper side of said second receptacle, both said receptacles oriented in the same direction. 11. A food holding receptacle adapted for selectively mounting on a beverage container in a stable yet loose fitting manner, comprising: a base having an upward facing surface; said upward facing surface comprising a food holding section,said base having a hole of a first perimeter passing therethrough;a collar, devoid of a food holding compartment, joined to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, said collar defined by a first opened lower end and a second opened upper end, said lower end being larger than said upper end, said collar also having a generally smooth inner surface that extends from said upper end to said lower end, said inner surface also having a vertical cross sectional profile that has at least one arcuate portion, which is positioned between said upper end and said lower end, and a suspension region, which is positioned between said upper end and said lower end, said suspension region possessing a surface area that is less than the surface area of said inner surface,said collar adapted to surround an upper portion of an outer surface of the beverage container wherein only said suspension region rests on the beverage container to provide a loose-fitting relationship between said receptacle and the beverage container when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container, said beverage container penetrating said hole only in part. 12. The food holding receptacle as described in claim 11 characterized in that said receptacle can be repeatedly stably mounted on and demounted from the beverage container in a facile manner in a dining situation, wherein essentially no force other than that due to gravity acts on said receptacle during the mounting, essentially no force other than that required to overcome the force of gravity on said receptacle is applied to said receptacle during the demounting, and no active engagement occurs between the receptacle and the beverage container during said mounting. 13. The food holding receptacle as described in claim 11 wherein said receptacle is stably mountable on said beverage container regardless of whether or not the beverage container has a protruding lip, tab, or threading at its upper end. 14. A food holding receptacle adapted to be mountable on a beverage container, the receptacle comprising: a base with a hole therethrough;an open tubular collar joined at a first end to said base and surrounding said hole,said collar extending upwardly from said base,said collar having an inner surface with a suspension region from which said receptacle is suspendible, said suspension region possesses a surface area less than the surface area of said inner surface,wherein said suspension region is comprised of one or more projections from said inner surface with innermost sections that gradually approach an imaginary central axis that is orthogonal to said base as a function of upward distance from the center of said hole, wherein different sets of horizontally disposed segments of said projections, which are defined by the intersection of multiple imaginary horizontal planes with said inner surface, limit the extent to which different beverage containers can penetrate said hole when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container. 15. The food holding receptacle as described in claim 14 wherein said one or more projections are elongated and arranged in a generally up-down direction along said inner surface. 16. The food holding receptacle as described in claim 14 wherein said one or more projections are elongated and arranged in a generally horizontal direction along said inner surface. 17. The food holding receptacle as described in claim 14 wherein the shortest horizontal distance from a point along a central axis of said collar to any of said one or more projections decreases as the vertical distance of the point on said central axis from the plane of said hole increases. 18. The food holding receptacle as described in claim 11, wherein the center of gravity of the receptacle when mounted on the beverage container generally lies below said suspension region. 19. The receptacle as described in claim 1, wherein said inner surface has a vertical cross sectional profile that is a combination of linear and non-linear segments. 20. The receptacle as described in claim 1, wherein said inner surface has a cross sectional profile that is arcuate. 21. The receptacle as described in claim 1, wherein said inner surface has a cross sectional profile that comprises a combination of interconnected arcuate segments. 22. A food-holding receptacle adapted for mounting on a beverage container comprising: a base having a hole of a specified perimeter, said base having a first surface facing upward and comprising a first food holding section surrounding said hole;a collar connected to said base and extending upwardly from said perimeter; said collar having an inner surface and only partly penetrable by the beverage container when the beverage container is in an upright orientation and is inserted into said hole from underneath said receptacle;said collar contoured to provide a suspension region that is disposed around said inner surface, said suspension region having a surface area that is less than that of said inner surface; andsaid collar having a first opened lower end having a lower perimeter and a second opened upper end having an upper perimeter, said upper end and said lower end defining said inner surface, said collar joined to said base in substantially fixed relationship such that said lower perimeter is substantially coincident with said perimeter of said hole, and said collar being devoid of a food holding compartment;whereby said receptacle is predisposed to suspend loosely and stably from a portion of an outer surface of the beverage container when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container. 23. The food-holding receptacle as described in claim 22 wherein said collar is contoured to provide multiple independent suspension regions on said inner surface; each of said suspension regions horizontally disposed around said inner surface when said receptacle is in a first food-holding orientation, said suspension regions each having a surface area that is less than that of said inner surface;wherein said suspension regions are spaced at predetermined vertical levels within said collar;wherein said suspension regions are configured to allow one of said suspension regions to rest stably and loosely on a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container; andwhereby said receptacle is predisposed to suspend loosely and stably at one of said suspension regions from a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container. 24. The food-holding receptacle as described in claim 22 wherein when said receptacle is stably mounted on the beverage container a gap occurs between part of said inner surface and a horizontally adjacent part of the outer surface of the beverage container below the level of said suspension region. 25. The food-holding receptacle as described in claim 22 wherein when said receptacle is stably mounted on the beverage container a gap occurs between part of said inner surface and a horizontally adjacent part of the outer surface of the beverage container above the level of said suspension region. 26. A food-holding receptacle for mounting on a beverage container when said receptacle is in a first food-holding orientation and the beverage container is in its upright, beverage-holding orientation, the receptacle comprising: a base having a hole of a specified perimeter, said base also having a first surface facing upward and comprising a first food holding section surrounding said hole when said receptacle is in said first food-holding orientation;a collar connected to said base and extending upwardly from said perimeter when said receptacle is in said first food-holding orientation, said collar only partly penetrable by the beverage container when the beverage container in said upright orientation is inserted into said hole from underneath said receptacle when said receptacle is in said first food-holding orientation said collar defined by a first opened lower end having a lower perimeter and a second opened upper end having an upper perimeter, said upper end and said lower end defining an inner surface, said collar joined to said base in substantially fixed relationship such that said lower perimeter is substantially coincident with said perimeter of said hole, said collar being devoid of a food holding compartment; andwhereby said receptacle is predisposed to suspend loosely and stably from a portion of the outer surface of said beverage container. 27. The food-holding receptacle as described in claim 26 wherein said receptacle provides multiple independent suspension regions interior of said collar; wherein said suspension regions are spaced at predetermined vertical levels within said collar when said receptacle is in said first food-holding orientation;wherein said suspension regions are configured to allow one of said suspension regions to rest stably and loosely on a portion of the outer surface of said beverage container when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container; andwhereby said receptacle is predisposed to suspend loosely and stably at one of said suspension regions from a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container. 28. A food-holding receptacle adapted for mounting on a beverage container, comprising: a base having a hole of a specified perimeter, said base having a first surface facing upward and comprising a first food holding section surrounding said hole;a collar connected to said base extending upwardly from said perimeter, said collar having an inner surface;wherein said collar is only partly penetrable by the beverage container when the beverage container is inserted into said hole from underneath said receptacle;wherein said collar symmetrically surrounding an imaginary axis extending through center of said hole and orthogonal to said first surface;wherein an imaginary plane containing said imaginary axis vertically intersects said collar to produce two intersection curves on opposite sides of said collar;said collar configured such that each of said intersection curves extends monotonically downward as a function of increasing horizontal distance from said imaginary axis, beginning at an upper part of said collar and continuing downward for a first predetermined distance at a first average slope, then continuing downward at a second average slope for a second predetermined distance, and then continuing downward at a third average slope for a third predetermined distance until said intersection curves reach said perimeter; each of said first slope and said third slope greater than said second slope;said collar configured to rest stably and loosely on a portion of the outer surface of said beverage container when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container. 29. The food-holding receptacle as described in claim 28 wherein said collar is contoured to provide multiple suspension regions on said inner surface; each of said suspension regions horizontally disposed around said inner surface and defined by a discrete portion of said curves;wherein said suspension regions are spaced at predetermined vertical levels within said collar;wherein said suspension regions are configured to allow one of said suspension regions to rest stably and loosely on a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container; andwhereby said receptacle is predisposed to suspend loosely and stably at one of said suspension regions from a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container. 30. A food-holding receptacle adapted for mounting on a beverage container, comprising: a base having a hole of a specified perimeter, said base having a first surface facing upward and comprising a first food-holding section surrounding said hole;a collar connected to said base and having an inner surface with a generally upright bottle-shaped contour having a neck section connected at its lower end to a shoulder section that, in turn, is connected to a body section that is attached at its lower end to said base at said perimeter, wherein the average slope of the inner surface of said collar at said neck section and the average slope of the inner surface of said collar at said body section are each greater than the average slope of the inner surface of said collar at said shoulder section;wherein said bottle-shaped contour configured to provide a suspension region on said inner surface that is adapted to rest loosely and stably on a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container;wherein said suspension region is horizontally disposed around said inner surface. 31. The food-holding receptacle as described in claim 30 wherein said bottle-shaped contour is configured to provide multiple suspension regions on said inner surface; wherein each of said suspension regions horizontally disposed around said inner surface;wherein said suspension regions spaced at predetermined vertical levels within said collar;wherein said suspension regions configured to allow one of said regions to rest stably and loosely on a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container when said receptacle is mounted on the beverage container; andwhereby said receptacle is predisposed to suspend loosely and stably at one of said suspension regions from a portion of the outer surface of the beverage container. 32. The food holding receptacle as described in claim 26 wherein said base also has a second surface that faces upward and comprises a second food holding section surrounding said hole when said receptacle is rotated essentially 180° about an horizontal axis and relative to said first food-holding orientation, said base also having a first rim projecting upwardly from said base when said second surface is facing upward, said first rim being adjacent to and surrounding said hole, and a second rim located adjacent to an outer edge of said base, said second rim configured to prevent food items from falling off said receptacle when said first surface is facing upward and alternatively when said second surface is facing upward.