Plate with cup attachment

Abstract

A dinner plate of conventional size and shape includes within its substantially planar bottom a coaxial central region having coupling means in the form of diametrically opposing, chordal grooves that mate with the outwardly curled rim of commonly available, flexible plastic drink cups. The coupling means holds the cup snugly against the bottom of the plate, enabling a user confidently to hold both in one hand, freeing his other hand and allowing considerable acentric loading of the plate with foods. Inserting the cup rim into the grooves requires squeezing it slightly and temporarily into an oval shape. Once released, the cup's resiliency enhances the snugness of the fit and the security of the coupling. In a preferred embodiment, the central region forms a slightly raised island in the center of the plate, the island creating a recess substantially flush with the bottom of the plate, thereby abetting use of the plates on horizontal surfaces and optimizing the nesting of multiple plates for storage and stacking. Segments of the walls of the recess include radially inward-extending lugs that fit under the cup rim and secure it against the bottom surface of the recess.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plate and cup combination comprising:
 a flexible cup comprising:
 walls forming an interior space and having a rim on a mouth at one end, the mouth having a mouth diameter and having a first shape when in a resting position and a second shape when in a squeezed position, 
 a bottom member coupled to the walls at the second end and formed narrower than the mouth diameter whereby a receptacle is made for holding a liquid, and 
 wherein the rim is outwardly curled; 
   a plate having a top side and a bottom side the plate for releasably coupling to the flexible cup, the plate comprising:
 a body having shallow side walls oriented away from the bottom side to form a container for holding objects on the top side, 
 wherein the bottom side of the body is formed with a receiving portion for receiving the rim of the cup, 
 wherein a portion of the body on the bottom side adjacent the receiving portion forms retaining lugs sized and configured to receive and hold at least a portion of the rim of the cup when the cup is in the resting position and sized and configured to require the cup to be in the squeezed position in order to enter the receiving portion, and 
 wherein a portion of the body on the bottom side forms at least two expansion zones sized and configured to receive a portion of the rim when the cup is in the squeezed position; and 
 wherein the retaining lugs and the rim are sized and configured such that the retaining lugs apply inward pressure to at least a portion of the rim when the mouth is in the resting position after having been introduced into the receiving portion while in the squeezed position and released. 
   
     
     
         2 . The plate and cup combination of  claim 1 , wherein the retaining lugs comprise a recess wall directed away from the bottom side and forming an angle of between 20 degrees and 50 degrees to a planar portion of the bottom side. 
     
     
         3 . The plate and cup combination of  claim 1 , wherein the plate comprises a circular shaped body. 
     
     
         4 . The plate and cup combination of  claim 1 , wherein the plate comprises a square shaped body. 
     
     
         5 . The plate and cup combination of  claim 1 , wherein the retaining lugs each comprise: recess walls forming an acute angle to a planar portion of the bottom side of the body of the plate. 
     
     
         6 . A product by process comprising a plate for releasably coupling to a flexible cup, the plate comprising a single piece formed by thermoforming, and wherein the single piece comprises:
 a body having shallow side walls oriented away from the bottom side to form a container for holding objects on the top side;   a planar island formed proximate a middle of the plate, the planar island forming a recess on the bottom side of the plate;   the recess on the bottom side of the plate formed with perimeter walls having a long axis and a short axis, wherein the long axis and short axis cross at substantially a ninety degree angle to one another proximate the middle of the plate, and wherein the perimeter walls surround the perimeter; and   a plurality of retaining lugs formed on the perimeter walls proximate to the short axis of the recess, wherein the lugs are sized and configured to extend beneath the rim of the cup when the cup is in a coupled position.   
     
     
         7 . The product by process of  claim 6 , wherein the perimeter walls comprise:
 a first portion of the perimeter walls at one end of the long axis of the recess, wherein the first portion includes the perimeter wall extending outwardly from the middle of the plate and thereby forming a first expansion zone on the bottom side;   a second portion of the perimeter walls at the other end of the long axis of the recess, wherein the second portion includes the perimeter wall extending outward from the middle of the plate and thereby forming a second expansion zone on the bottom side; and   wherein the first expansion zone and second expansion zone are sized and configured to receive portions of the rim of the cup when the cup is placed in a squeezed position for loading.