An active foodware system includes a visual-stimulating component for displaying information related to a plurality of sensing components, such as load cells, sensing weight of food on respective dining surfaces of supporting dining plates. A mechanical structure supports and positions the dining plates in a constrained relationship to each other, and cavities in the mechanical structure may unattachedly mate with the dining plates. A wireless communication component wirelessly sends weight data to the visual-stimulating component, such as a mobile phone or tablet computer. The system is configured to determine calories of the food, and the system may include a camera for sensing the food or a diner. The visual-stimulating component may display information other than information provided by a scale, and auditory and haptic stimuli may also be provided.

The present invention relates to a method for decorating a drinking or eating vessel, the method comprising: a. providing: i. a drinking or eating vessel, wherein the vessel comprises an inner surface that defines a volume for receiving a liquid or a solid food and an outer surface comprising a polymeric coating; and ii. a transfer sheet, wherein the transfer sheet comprises a printed decoration; and iii. a supporting means comprising a recess for receiving the vessel; and b. arranging the vessel within the recess of the supporting means thereby defining a lower portion of the outer surface of the vessel occluded from contact with the transfer sheet and an upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel for contacting the transfer sheet; and contacting the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel and the supporting means with the transfer sheet under at least a partial vacuum, wherein the printed decoration is transferred from the transfer sheet to the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel, and wherein the supporting means reduces stretching of the transfer sheet from the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel to the lower portion of the outer surface of the vessel. Also described are associated uses, an apparatus, and drinking or eating vessels obtainable by the methods of the invention.

A cover for a dinner plate charger made of material or fabric in a circular shape with a sewn, glued or otherwise adhered elastic band at the bottom to hold it fast around the dinner plate charger.

The present invention concerns a method of connecting an item of dishware (1) to a contactlessly readable electronic information carrier (2) comprising the steps: providing the item of dishware (1), wherein the item of dishware (1) comprises a material selected from a group consisting of glass, ceramic and plastic or a combination thereof, and attaching the information carrier to the item of dishware. Contactlessly readable electronic information carriers applied to a self-adhesive carrier film are known. They can also be adhesively bonded to an item of dishware for identification thereof. In comparison according to the invention the above-mentioned method is further developed in that it further includes the steps: applying a cover layer of printing ink in such a way that the cover layer at least portion-wise covers a surface of the information carrier and the cover layer extends over a portion, which is not covered by the information carrier, on the surface of the item of dishware.

A food serving system includes a top serving portion and a bottom serving portion removably nested under the top serving portion. The bottom serving portion includes a closeable compartment with a door operatively connected to the closeable compartment to optionally occlude and unocclude an opening of the closeable compartment. A food serving system includes a serving tray including a top serving portion and a bottom serving portion. The bottom serving portion includes a closeable compartment with a door operatively connected to the closeable compartment to optionally occlude and unocclude an opening of the closeable compartment. The top serving portion is formed within the door of the bottom serving portion.

In one embodiment, a system for aiding a user to control nutritional intake includes a portions management (PM) plate having a base with one or more compartments each having an open top, and a cover having one or more cutouts each corresponding to an open top of a compartment of the base, the cover being rotatably mounted relative to the base to varying degrees of alignment of the cutouts to the corresponding open tops of the compartments to thereby selectively occlude or expose the open tops and control the amount of food that can be inserted into the one or more compartments for support on a platter over which the portions management plate is disposed. An app for use with a smart phone or the like can also be included and used in conjunction with the physical PM plate, or with a virtual PM that can be displayed by the app.

A tableware set includes one tableware group including a plurality of pieces of tableware and another tableware group including a plurality of pieces of tableware different from the one tableware group, wherein a pattern including different specific colors is drawn on a common portion of each piece of tableware in the one tableware group, and a pattern, in which all the specific colors colored on the common portion of each piece of tableware in the one tableware group are colored, is drawn on each piece of tableware in the other tableware group, so as to readily coordinate pieces within the tableware set by using any piece to replace a broken piece of the same group, without disturbing coordination of color combinations, and without making color combinations boring.

A unique, versatile system of providing decorative dinnerware articles (plates, bowls, platters, and the like) with viewable designs on demand is provided. Such an article (as well as system) includes at least one transparent top component of a suitable polymer construction that nests with a lower component such that the two connect reliably in a manner that a user may place a decoration of his or her choosing between both component such that the design may be viewed through at least the top component (the lower component may be transparent, as well, if desired). In this way, a user has the capability of utilizing such a nested dinnerware configuration for the purpose of serving food or any other end-use available with such articles while simultaneously providing any desired design that can be displayed through at least the transparent top component.

A smart apparatus system includes one or more food and liquid smart tableware apparatuses that each have a processor, memory, and a weight sensor. The smart apparatuses communicate with a cloud server and one or more caretaker computing devices. The caretakers can input physical information for the user including weight. The smart apparatus system can determine the healthy weight range for the user and determine a recommended feeding schedule. The smart apparatus system can remind the caretakers to feed the user, monitor the quantity of food and liquid that are placed in the smart tableware apparatuses and the consumption of the food and water by the user and transmit reports to the caretaker's computing device(s). The smart tableware apparatus system can maintain the recommended feeding schedule to keep the user within the healthy weight range or adjust the feeding schedule to bring the user's weight within the healthy weight range.

Certain embodiments of the present invention include a retainer, a lid, and a sensor, where the sensor is configured to detect information about the retainer, the lid, or the contents in the retainer. The sensor also may be configured to communicate with an internal or external computer system, thereby facilitating showing the detected information as a representation via a display element. In certain embodiments, the system may include an action element such as an open/close lid opening assembly configured to permit automatically or manually opening or closing a drink aperture or another type of dispensing aperture.