Food plate service cover

Abstract

A food service cover integrally constructed of a plastic material and including a top portion having radially extending stabilizing arms to hold a food plate stacked thereon and a side wall depending from the peripheral rim of the top portion and having a bottom peripheral lip carrying a protrusion ring to engage the outer rim of a food plate such that the food plate service cover is prevented from sliding on the food plate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A food plate service cover comprising a top portion having a peripheral rim, a side wall depending from said top portion and having a bottom peripheral lip, and protrusion means extending inwardly from said bottom peripheral lip and adapted to engage the under surface of an outer rim of a food plate service cover being integrally formed from a rigid plastic material such that said side wall is deformable to engage and disengage the outer rim of the food plate whereby engagement of the outer rim of the food plate by said protrusion means prevents sliding of said food plate service cover relative to the food plate, said peripheral lip of said side wall including a first annular contact portion adapted to engage the upper surface of the outer rim of the food plate and said protrusion means including a first annular wall extending downwardly from the outer edge of said contact portion and adapted to engage the side surface of the outer rim of the food plate, said first contact portion and said first wall defining a first snap ring, a second annular portion extending outwardly from said first annular wall and said protrusion means including a second annular wall extending downwardly from the outer edge of said second contact portion, said second contact portion and said second wall defining a second snap ring having a diameter greater than the diameter of said first snap ring, a third annular contact portion extending outwardly from said second annular wall and said protrusion means including a third annular wall extending downwardly from the outer edge of said third contact portion, said third contact portion and said third wall defining a third snap ring having a diameter greater than said second snap ring, said top portion including stabilizing means sloping downwardly from said peripheral rim toward the center of said top portion to define a surface for receiving a stacked food plate wherein said stabilizing means includes a plurality of radially extending arms, each of said arms having a plurality of radially spaced recesses in the upper surfaces thereof. 
     
     
       2. The food plate service cover as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of radially extending arms are equally angularly spaced. 
     
     
       3. The food plate service cover as recited in claim 1 wherein said plastic material is a thermoplastic polycarbonate resin. 
     
     
       4. A food plate service cover comprising a round top portion having a peripheral rim, and a side wall depending from said peripheral rim having a bottom peripheral lip adapted to engage a food plate, said top portion having stabilizing means disposed thereon having an upper surface sloping downwardly from said peripheral rim toward the center of said top portion whereby sliding of a food plate stacked on said food plate service cover is reduced, said stabilizing means including a plurality of radially extending arms, wherein each of said arms has a plurality of radially spaced recesses in the upper surfaces thereof to receive a depending leg of the stacked food plate. 
     
     
       5. The food plate service cover as recited in claim 4 wherein said top portion includes a centrally disposed cylindrical handle and an annular recess surrounding said handle, said radially extending arms being disposed between said annular recess and said peripheral rim. 
     
     
       6. The food plate service cover as recited in claim 4 wherein said food plate service cover is integrally formed of a thermoplastic polycarbonate resin. .Iadd. 7. A food plate service cover comprising a round top portion having a peripheral rim, and a side wall depending from said peripheral rim having a bottom peripheral lip adapted to engage a food plate, said top portion having stabilizing means disposed thereon and having an upper surface extending inwardly from said peripheral rim toward the center of said top portion whereby sliding of a food plate stacked on said food plate service cover is reduced, said stabilizing means including three circumferentially spaced radially extending means, each defining a plurality of radially spaced recesses therein to receive a portion of the stacked food plate. .Iaddend..Iadd. 8. The structure set forth in claim 7 wherein said radially extending means are equally spaced, and wherein said upper surface slopes downwardly from said peripheral rim toward the center of said top portion. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. The structure set forth in claim 8 wherein said food plate service cover is integrally formed of a polycarbonate resin. .Iaddend.