Universal food-holding receptacle for use with beverage containers of diverse shapes and sizes

In a food holding receptacle for mounting on a beverage container held in a user's hand, said receptacle having a first specified food holding orientation, said receptacle having a rim that is upwardly oriented when said receptacle is in said first specified food holding orientation, said rim extending around the outer edge of said receptacle, the improvement comprising the ability of said receptacle, in said first specified food holding orientation, to be stably mounted, in loose-fitting relationship, on multiple beverage containers of diverse shapes and sizes, taken one beverage container at a time, wherein each of said beverage containers is in its respective beverage holding orientation and whereby said receptacle can be repeatedly mounted on and demounted from the beverage container in a facile manner;

• and
• wherein said receptacle further comprises:
• a base having a hole therethrough, said hole having a first perimeter;
• a food holding section horizontally adjacent said hole when said receptacle is in said first specified food holding orientation;
• and
• a collar having an inner surface defined by a first end having a second perimeter that coincides with said first perimeter of said hole such that said collar is joined to said base in a substantially fixed relationship and a second end having a third perimeter that is smaller than said first perimeter and said second perimeter.

In combination, a food holding receptacle and a beverage container, said receptacle having a first specified food holding orientation, said beverage container having a specified beverage holding orientation, said beverage container being one of multiple beverage containers of diverse shapes and sizes, wherein said receptacle is stably mountable, in a loose fitting relationship, on each of said multiple beverage containers, taken one beverage container at a time, said receptacle comprising:

• a base;
• a hole through said base, said hole having a first perimeter;
• and said hole being only partially penetratable by each of said multiple beverage containers;
• said base having a food holding section when said receptacle is in said first specified food holding orientation;
• a collar joined to said base, said collar extending upwardly from said perimeter when said receptacle is in said first specified food holding orientation;
• said collar provided with an inner surface defined by a first end having a second perimeter that coincides with said first perimeter of said hole such that said collar is joined to said base in a substantially fixed relationship and a second end having a third perimeter that is smaller than said first perimeter and said second perimeter, said inner surface having a universally accommodating form disposed to rest on, and partially surround, a portion of the outer surface of each of said multiple beverage containers of diverse shapes and sizes, taken one beverage container at a time, said inner surface extending vertically above said hole when said receptacle in said first specified food holding orientation is mounted on said beverage container in said beverage holding orientation;
• and whereby a single food holding receptacle of specific dimensions is stably mountable on said multiple beverage containers of diverse shapes and sizes, taken one beverage container at a time.

An arrangement wherein both a beverage container and a food holding receptacle are simultaneously supported by a single hand of a diner wherein said beverage container, in its specified beverage holding orientation, is held in the diner's hand and said receptacle, in its specified food holding orientation, is stably mounted on said beverage container in loose fitting relationship, said beverage container being one of multiple beverage containers of diverse shapes, diverse sizes, or diverse shapes and sizes, said receptacle stably mountable on each of said multiple beverage containers taken one at a time;

• and
• wherein said receptacle further comprises:
• a base having a hole therethrough, said hole having a first perimeter;
• a food holding section horizontally adjacent said hole when said receptacle is in said first specified food holding orientation;
• and
• a collar having an inner surface defined by a first end having a second perimeter that coincides with said first perimeter of said hole such that said collar is joined to said base in a substantially fixed relationship and a second end having a third perimeter that is smaller than said first perimeter and said second perimeter.

A universal food holding receptacle that facilitates supporting both said receptacle and an upright beverage container by a single hand of a diner in stand-up and similar dining situations, all parts of said receptacle being in fixed spacial relationship relative to each other before and during mounting of said receptacle on, and during and after demounting of said receptacle from, said beverage container, said receptacle comprising:

• a dining plate having a first specified food holding orientation and a second specified food holding orientation, wherein said second specified food holding orientation is obtained by rotating said receptacle when in said first specified food holding orientation essentially 180° about a horizontal axis;
• said receptacle in said first specified food holding orientation stably mountable on an upright beverage container that is held by a diner's hand, and, said receptacle, in said second specified food holding orientation, able to stably support an upright beverage container when said receptacle is held by a diner's hand;
• and
• wherein said receptacle further comprises:
• a base having a hole therethrough, said hole having a first perimeter;
• a food holding section horizontally adjacent said hole when said receptacle is in said first specified food holding orientation;
• and
• a collar having an inner surface defined by a first end having a second perimeter that coincides with said first perimeter of said hole such that said collar is joined to said base in a substantially fixed relationship and a second end having a third perimeter that is smaller than said first perimeter and said second perimeter.

In combination a beverage container and a universal food holding receptacle, wherein said receptacle comprises:

• a base having a hole therethrough, said hole having a first perimeter;
• a food holding section horizontally adjacent said hole when said receptacle is in a first specified food holding orientation;
• a collar having an inner surface defined by a first end having a second perimeter that substantially coincides with said first perimeter of said hole such that said collar is joined to said base in a substantially fixed relationship and a second end having a third perimeter that is smaller than said first perimeter and said second perimeter;
• wherein when said receptacle is in a receptacle having said first specified food holding orientation it is mounted in loose-fitting relationship on said beverage container, which has a first end and a second end, said beverage container being at least one of a beverage can, a stemware glass, a non-stemware glass, a mug and a frusto-conical cup;
• wherein said receptacle is substantially invariant in shape during its use in dining;
• and
• wherein said inner surface of said container is configured to engage said first end of said beverage container between said first end of said collar and said second end of said collar such that no part of said beverage container extends through said second end of said collar.