BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to disposable food containers and, more particularly, a disposable plate and bowl combination.

A disposable plate lacks the volumetric depth to contain food that is semifluid or fluid in consistency, such as soup, while a disposable bowl lacks sufficient planar surface area to support solid food, like crackers or a sandwich, say to accompany the soup. Both bowls and plates are typically needed when eating, and each demands a user use one hand to be manipulate each, thus making it cumbersome and impracticable for a user to handle and eat from both simultaneously.

As can be seen, there is a need for a disposable plate and bowl combination that solves the inconvenience of handling two function through separate products by and combining them in disposable form. The present invention is adapted to conveniently combine both functions, accommodate solid and semifluid or fluid contents yet require only one hand to use, and be disposable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a bowl and plate combination includes the following: a plate base; a bowl base coplanar with but discontinuous of the plate base; and an inverted V-shaped bowl wall interconnecting the plate base and the bowl base by way of the two leg ends of the inverted V-shaped bowl wall.

In another aspect of the present invention, the bowl and plate combination includes the following: the inverted V-shaped bowl wall circumscribes the bowl base, wherein the plate base, the bowl base, and the inverted V-shaped bowl wall are made of a unitary disposable material, wherein each leg of the inverted V-shaped bowl wall is oriented at an angle of incidence relative to the plate base or bowl base, respectively, of more than ninety degrees and less than one hundred and ten degrees; and a plate wall along a periphery of the plate base, wherein the plate wall is angled upward and away from the plate base, wherein the plate wall has a height that is one-half or less of the inverted V-shaped bowl wall.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of a stack configuration of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the stack configuration of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a bowl and plate combination is provided. The plate portion of the bowl and plate combination may have a plate base with peripheral plate walls. Within those peripheral plate walls may be a bowl base, which is separated from the plate base by inverted V-shaped bowl walls so that the plate and bowl based are coplanar yet discontinuous. In certain embodiments, the bowl base and the plate base may not be coplanar. The inverted V-shape enables the nesting of a plurality of bowl and plate combinations in a stacked configuration.

Referring now to Figures 1 through 7, the present invention may include a disposable plate and bowl combination 50. Each disposable plate and bowl combination 50 may have a planar plate base 14, 30 and a bowl base 20, 36 disposed along a portion of the planar plate base 14, 30, thereby embodying a plate portion (14, 30) and separate a bowl portion (20 or 36) in a single article through separated but coplanar plate and bowl bases 14/20 or 30/36.

Each bowl base 20, 36 has a bowl wall 18, 34 that extends upwardly therefrom to an upper bowl edge 16, 32, respectively, further defining the bowl portion (20 or 36). Each bowl wall 18, 34 may have a bowl wall height and define an angle of incidence from its respective bowl base 20, 36. This bowl angle of incident may be between eighty and ninety degrees. Each bowl wall 18, 34 may be defined by an inverted V-shape portions 17 that separates the plate and bowl bases 14/ 20 or 30/36, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and thereby affording a hollow portion along an underside of each bowl wall 18, 34, whereby a stacked configuration of a plurality of disposable plate and bowl combinations 50 is enabled.

Each plate base 14, 30 has a plate wall 12, 28 that extends upwardly therefrom to an upper plate edge 10, 26, respectively, further defining the plate portion (14, 30). Each plate wall 12, 28 may have a plate wall height equal to or less than half of the bowl wall height. Each plate wall 12, 28 may define an angle of incidence from its respective plate base 14, 30 of between fifty-five and sixty-five degrees so that the plate wall 12, 28 extends away from the plate base 14, 30.

The surface area of the plate base 14, 30 may be two to four times that of the surface area of the bowl base 20, 36. The material of the disposable plate and bowl combinations 50 are disposable materials, including as but not limited to extruded polystyrene foam, plasticized materials or the like. The material of the disposable plate and bowl combinations 50 may also have the properties needed to form the various shapes of the plate and bowl portions - including but not limited to round and square shapes. The bowl portions may be three to four inches in diameter (for round bowls), while the square bowls may be three to four inches in width.

A method of using the present invention may include the following. The disposable plate and bowl combination 50 disclosed below may be provided. Solid food products 22, such as cake, chips and/or dip may be supported on the plate base 14/30. Semifluid of fluid food products 24, like soup, can be contained within the bowl walls 18, 34 of the bowl portions. When not in use, a plurality of disposable plate and bowl combinations 50 may be nested in a stacked configuration, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.