Combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt

Abstract

A combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt for stadium concessions is provided. When present in an unfolded position, the combination is in the form of a food or beverage tray which is suitable for supporting various food and beverage items. When present in a folded position, the combination is in the form of a catching mitt which is suitable for catching a projectile object such as a baseball or the like. In the inventive method, a user grips the combination via a gripping arrangement, and folds the combination along a fold line to convert it from a tray into a catching mitt. The combination may then be used to catch a ball by retaining it between opposing panels of the structure. The inventive combinations are lightweight and economical, and may additionally be imprinted with team logos or messages to serve as marketing materials or souvenirs.

1 . A combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt, comprising:
 (a) first and second opposing panels, said panels being hingedly joined to each other along a fold line, wherein each of the first and second opposing panels has a floor having a top side and a bottom side;   (b) side walls extending outwardly from and around the top side of the floor, and forming at least one depression in at least one of the first and second opposing panels, which at least one depression is shaped to support a food or beverage item therein; and   (c) a gripping arrangement at the bottom side of the floor of each of the first and second opposing panels, wherein each gripping arrangement is suitable for receiving at least part of a human hand and securing the human hand to a panel, and wherein each gripping arrangement comprises a pocket, a sleeve, tubes, a band, a loop, or a cut-out shape;   wherein the combination is in the form of a food or beverage tray when in an unfolded position wherein the floor of the first panel and the floor of the second panel are positioned at substantially a 180° angle with respect to each other, and   wherein the combination is in the form of a catching mitt when in a folded position wherein the floor of the first panel and the floor of the second panel are positioned at an angle of less than 180° with respect to each other.   
   
   
       2 . The combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt of  claim 1  wherein, when the combination is in the form of a catching mitt, the at least one depression is capable of at least partially retaining an object between the first and second opposing panels. 
   
   
       3 . The combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt of  claim 1  which further comprises a raised lip along at least a portion of an outside perimeter of the side walls of at least one of the first and second panels. 
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . The combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt of  claim 1  which comprises at least one depression formed in both the first and second panels. 
   
   
       6 . The combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt of  claim 1  which comprises at least one material of plastic, molded pulp, paperboard, fiberboard, paperboard coated with plastic, corrugated cardboard, or a foam-like material. 
   
   
       7 . (canceled) 
   
   
       8 . The combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt of  claim 1  which comprises a single continuous sheet of material. 
   
   
       9 . The combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt of  claim 1  wherein the fold line comprises a hinge. 
   
   
       10 . The combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt of  claim 1  which is marked with a message, image, symbol, logo, or color. 
   
   
       11 . The combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt of  claim 1  wherein a side wall of the first panel is adjacent to a side wall of the second panel, and wherein the adjacent side walls of the first panel and the second panel are separated from each other by the fold line. 
   
   
       12 . A nested stack comprising a plurality of the combination food or beverage tray and catching mitts of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       13 . A combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt, comprising:
 (a) first and second opposing panels, said panels being hingedly joined to each other along a fold line comprising a hinge, wherein each of the first and second opposing panels has a floor having a top side and a bottom side;   (b) side walls extending outwardly from and around the top side of the floor, and forming at least one depression in at least one of the first and second opposing panels, which at least one depression is shaped to support a food or beverage item therein; wherein a side wall of the first panel is adjacent to a side wall of the second panel, and wherein the adjacent side walls of the first panel and the second panel are separated from each other by the fold line;   (c) a raised lip along at least a portion of an outside perimeter of the side walls of at least one of the first and second panels; and   (d) a gripping arrangement at the bottom side of the floor of each of the first and second opposing panels, wherein each gripping arrangement is suitable for receiving at least part of a human hand and securing the human hand to a panel, and wherein each gripping arrangement comprises a pocket, a sleeve, tubes, a band, a loop, or a cut-out shape;   wherein the combination is in the form of a food or beverage tray when in an unfolded position wherein the floor of the first panel and the floor of the second panel are positioned at substantially a 180° angle with respect to each other, and   wherein the combination is in the form of a catching mitt when in a folded position wherein the floor of the first panel and the floor of the second panel are positioned at an angle of less than 180° with respect to each other.   
   
   
       14 . A method comprising the steps of:
 I) providing a combination food or beverage tray and catching mitt comprising:
 (a) first and second opposing panels, said panels being hingedly joined to each other along a fold line, wherein each of the first and second opposing panels has a floor having a top side and a bottom side; 
 (b) side walls extending outwardly from and around the top side of the floor, and forming at least one depression in at least one of the first and second opposing panels, which at least one depression is shaped to support a food or beverage item therein; and 
 (c) a gripping arrangement at the bottom side of the floor of each of the first and second opposing panels, wherein each gripping arrangement is suitable for receiving at least part of a human hand and securing the human hand to a panel, and wherein each gripping arrangement comprises a pocket, a sleeve, tubes, a band, a loop, or a cut-out shape; 
 wherein the combination is in the form of a food or beverage tray when in an unfolded position wherein the floor of the first panel and the floor of the second panel are positioned at substantially a 180° angle with respect to each other, and 
 wherein the combination is in the form of a catching mitt when in a folded position wherein the floor of the first panel and the floor of the second panel are positioned at an angle of less than 180° with respect to each other; 
   II) gripping each gripping arrangement with at least part of a human hand to thereby secure the human hand to each panel; and   III) folding the combination along the fold line, such that the combination is converted into the form of a catching mitt.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  comprising the further step (IV) of catching and retaining an object between the first and second opposing panels. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the combination comprises at least one material of plastic, molded pulp, paperboard, fiberboard, paperboard coated with plastic, corrugated cardboard, or a foam-like material. 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the combination comprises at least one depression formed in both the first and second panels. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the fold line of the combination comprises a hinge.