INTERCONNECTABLE DINNER PLATES WITH INTEGRATED RIM ELEMENT

Abstract

Interconnectable table- or dinnerware articles each include an integrated rim element for releasably interconnecting the dinnerware. The rim element is a small local extension of a rim and takes the form of a U-shaped grip or slide element with an upper and a lower radial lip length L1, L2 and a thickness T. The upper lip and lower lip form a mouth opening with a width D for sideways sliding over the rim of a central dinner plate, wherein the rim element has a circular width B. On an inner side the rim element of an outer dinnerware item has a concave shape fitting exactly into the convex shape of the rim of the supporting central dinner plate. Both the upper radial lip and the lower radial lip of the rim element have an upstanding curvature that corresponds with the curvature of the rim of the central dinner plate.

Claims

1. Dinner plate with an integrated element for creating a set of several identical dinner plates for a safer, easier and more efficient serving out food and drinks to guests, wherein during serving one of these dinner plates is situated in the middle (the central plate) and the other dinner plates (the outer dinner plates) are temporarily connected at the rim of said central dinner plate, wherein the dinner plates are all identical and therefore interchangeable, so every dinner plate can function as the central dinner plate, wherein the waiter/waitress easily holds and carries the set of interconnected dinner plates with just one hand, wherein said integrated rim element is executed as a U-shaped rim element and is a small radial local extension of the rim (6) of the dinner plate, wherein said rim is a circular slightly upstanding one with an outer radius R, wherein said integrated rim element is executed as a U-shaped grip or slide element with an upper radial lip with length L1 and thickness T and a lower radial lip with length L2 and thickness T, wherein said upper lip and said lower lip form a mouth opening with a mouth width D for sideways sliding over mentioned rim of the central dinner plate with thickness d, wherein D > d, wherein said U-shaped rim element has a circular width B, wherein the inside of said U-shaped rim element of the outer dinner plate has a concave shape Cc that fits exactly into the convex shape Cv of the rim of the supporting central dinner plate with the stated radius R (R=Cv), \wherein both the upper radial lip and the lower radial lip of the U-shaped rim element of the outer dinner plate have a curvature C1 respectively C2, that corresponds with the curvature C3 of the rim of the supporting central dinner plate.

2. Dinner plate(s) as in claim 1, wherein the material of said dinner plates is a tough and shock proof material.

3. Dinner plate(s) as in claim 1, wherein said length L1 is approximately 80% of length L2.

4. Dinner plate(s) as in claim 1, wherein width D of the U-shaped rim element is approximately 110% of the thickness d of the circular upstanding rim of the dinner plate.

5. Dinner plate(s) as in claim 1, wherein the radius R has a size that is comparable to that of conventional dinner plates with a circular slightly upstanding rim in which the dimensions and design of the dinner plate do not differ from those of a conventional dinner plate, with exception of the integrated rim element.

6. Dinner plate(s) as in claim 1, wherein the circular width B of the U-shaped grip element is between 5 and 15% of the circumference of the dinner plate (2 x Л x R), preferably 10%.

7. Dinner plate(s) as in claim 1, wherein said material of the dinner plates is a plastic polymer, glass, ceramics, porcelain, metal, wood, paper or cardboard.

8. Dinner plate(s) as in claim 1, wherein the dinner plates are saucers, pastry dishes, cups and saucers, serving trays or any other dish-shaped table ware.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0012] The embodiment of the interconnectable dinner plate according to the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing with figures, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a waiter supporting a set of temporarily interconnected dinner plates according to the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 shows an oblique projection of a set of interconnected dinner plates;

[0015] FIG. 3 shows a top view over the line III - III of FIG. 2;

[0016] FIG. 4 shows an oblique projection of the procedure for interconnecting two dinner plates by using the U-shaped rim element being part of the rim of said dinner plate;

[0017] FIGS. 5A - 5C show the procedure for interconnecting two dinner plates;

[0018] FIG. 6 shows an oblique view of the U-shaped rim element of one of the outer dinner plates hooked onto the rim of the central dinner plate;

[0019] FIG. 7 shows a cross section over the line VII - VII of FIG. 6;

[0020] FIG. 8 shows another side view of the U-shaped rim element of one of the dinner plates hooked onto the rim of the central dinner plate; and

[0021] FIG. 9 shows a cross section over the line IX - IX of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The reference numbers that are used in the text and in the figures of this document refer to specific parts of the dinner plates. These reference numbers remain the same throughout this document.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a waiter 1 carrying a set of interconnectable and identical dinner plates 2, being several outer dinner plates 4, that are grouped and connected around one centrally placed dinner plate 3 to form the set of interconnected dinner plates 2.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows an oblique projection of the set of the dinner plates 2. More and at a bigger scale herewith the integrated U-shaped rim elements 5 extended from the rims 6 of all dinner plates 3,4 are shown. The central dinner plate 3 is held by the waiter or waitress 1 at the black arrow. The outer dinner plates 4 are connected by sliding their U-shaped rim elements 5 over the rim 6 of the central dinner plate 3.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a top view over the line III - III of FIG. 2.

[0026] FIG. 4 represents an oblique projection of the procedure for interconnecting one outer dinner plate 4 to the central dinner plate 3. The integrated U-shaped rim element 5 of the outer dinner plate 4 slides over the rim 6 of the central dinner plate.

[0027] FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C represent the procedure for interconnecting the dinner plates step-by-step in magnified cross sections. The U-shaped rim element 5 has an upper lip 7 with length L1 and thickness T and a lower lip 8 with length L2, wherein L2 > L1. This is done for easy positioning of the U-shaped rim element 5 of the outer dinner plate 4 relative to the rim 6 of the central dinner plate 3 and therefore easily sliding the rim of the central dinner plate 6 into the mouth opening 9 of the U-shaped rim element 5. The mouth opening 9 of the U-shaped rim element 5 of the outer dinner plate 4 has an internal width D and the rim 6 of the central dinner plate 3 has a thickness d, wherein D > d and width D is approximately 110% of thickness d.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows an oblique side view of the U-shaped rim element 5 of one of the outer dinner plates 4 hooked onto the rim 6 of the central dinner plate 3 with a reference to the line VII-VII.

[0029] FIG. 7 shows a cross section over the line VII-VII of FIG. 6. The inside 10 of the U-shaped rim element 5 of the outer dinner plate 4 has a concave shape Cc that fits exactly into the convex shape Cv of the rim 6 of the supporting central dinner plate 3 with the stated radius R (R=Cv).

[0030] FIG. 8 shows another oblique side view of the U-shaped rim element 5 of one of the outer dinner plates 4 hooked onto the rim 6 of the central dinner plate 3 with a reference to the line IX-IX.

[0031] FIG. 9 shows a cross section over the line IX-IX of FIG. 8. The upper radial lip 7 has a curvature C1 and the lower radial lip 8 has a curvature C2 that both correspond with the curvature C3 of the rim 6 of the supporting central dinner plate 3.

[0032] However, it is obvious that modifications to the before described dinner plates with the inventive rim element can be made, but these shall remain within the field and scope of this invention.