Portable food service assembly

Abstract

A portable food service assembly includes a support and a plate non-threadedly attached to, and detached from, the support. The assembly includes eating utensils and accessories, and can readily be carried by an individual from one place to another with one hand, and can be readily supported and held without tipping on a support surface, including in a compartment of a cupholder. All the components of the assembly are disposable, biodegradable, and, if desired, reusable.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A portable food service assembly, comprising:
 an upright support configured to be gripped by a user's hand; and   a plate having at least one compartment for containing food, the plate being detachably mounted on the support with a non-threaded fit, the plate being supported by the support and being carried by the user's hand.   
     
     
         2 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support is elongated along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the plate and the support are non-threadedly connected to each other by axial movement relative to each other along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The food service assembly of  claim 2 , and an annular projection on one of the plate and the support, and an annular recess on the other of the plate and the support, and wherein the recess receives the projection with mechanical interference when the plate and the support are press fit. 
     
     
         4 . The food service assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the plate and the support projection are interconnected with mechanical clearance in a loose fit. 
     
     
         5 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , and a container for containing a liquid, the container being mounted on one of the plate and the support. 
     
     
         6 . The food service assembly of  claim 5 , and a plurality of resiliently yieldable elements arranged in an annulus for adjustably receiving and holding the container on the plate when the cup is inserted between the elements. 
     
     
         7 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , and an adapter having one part press fit with the plate, and another part press fit with the support. 
     
     
         8 . The food service assembly of  claim 7 , and serrated edges between at least one of the adapter parts and one of the plate and the support, for interconnecting the adapter between the plate and the support. 
     
     
         9 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support has slots through which eating utensils are received and supported. 
     
     
         10 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support is elongated along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the support is extendable and collapsible along the longitudinal axis, and is flexible and tiltable relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         11 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support is elongated along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the support is curved in an annulus around the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         12 . The food service assembly of  claim 5 , and a cover fixedly mounted on top of the plate, the cover holding the container in a fixed position on the plate, the cover having a handle by which the entire assembly can be held and carried from place to place. 
     
     
         13 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , and additional plates mounted on the support, the plates having different outer dimensions and being stacked one above another, 
     
     
         14 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support has a base that is magnetically attractable to a support surface. 
     
     
         15 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , and a clamp attached to the support for clamping the assembly on a support surface when not carried by the user's hand. 
     
     
         16 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support has a handle portion sized to be gripped by the user's hand, and a holder portion for direct placement in a cup-shaped compartment of a cupholder when not carried by the user's hand, the holder portion having a tapered shape configured to be adjustably received in the compartment. 
     
     
         17 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , and a tapered adapter for direct and adjustable placement in a cup-shaped compartment of a cupholder when not carried by the user's hand, and wherein the support has a holder portion received in a bore of the adapter. 
     
     
         18 . The food service assembly of  claim 1 , and a cap for opening and closing the hollow support, and a tether for connecting the cap to the hollow support, the tether having annular rings, and the cap and the hollow support having annular grooves for receiving the rings. 
     
     
         19 . A portable service assembly, comprising:
 a carrier for carrying at least one container for containing at least one of liquids and foodstuffs; and   a cover securely mounted to the carrier for securing the at least one container on the carrier, and having a handle for holding and carrying the carrier with the at least one container from place to place.   
     
     
         20 . The portable service assembly of  claim 19 , and a support connected to the carrier for direct placement in a cup-shaped compartment of a cupholder.