Resealable divided plate

Abstract

A multi-compartment plate system including upper and lower plates each having an outer perimeter surrounding first and second compartments, the compartments disposed on an obverse side of the plates, each plate defining a respective recess extending about the periphery of its second compartment, and each plate having a raised rim extending about the periphery of its first compartment, the rim being contoured to nest within the recess of the second compartment of the other plate, such that when the upper plate is inverted and rotated with respect to the lower plate, the first and second compartments of the upper plate engage the opposing second and first compartments of the lower plate, respectively, to form a nested covered plate defining two separate, covered containers.

1 . A multi-compartment plate system comprising: 
 upper and lower plates each having an outer perimeter surrounding first and second compartments, the compartments disposed on an obverse side of the plates;    each plate defining a respective recess extending about the periphery of its second compartment; and    each plate having a raised rim extending about the periphery of its first compartment, the rim being contoured to nest within the recess of the second compartment of the other plate, such that when the upper plate is inverted and rotated with respect to the lower plate, the first and second compartments of the upper plate engage the opposing second and first compartments of the lower plate, respectively, to form a nested covered plate defining two separate, covered containers.    
   
   
       2 . The plate system of  claim 1  wherein the recess and the raised rim each comprise a substantially convex portion adjacent a substantially concave portion, wherein the concave portion of the recess of each of the first compartments engages the convex portion of the rim of each of the second compartments to form a releasable seal between the upper and lower plates.  
   
   
       3 . The plate system of  claim 2  wherein the releasable seal is substantially liquid-tight.  
   
   
       4 . The plate system of  claim 2  wherein the releasable seal is substantially air-tight.  
   
   
       5 . The plate system of  claim 1 , wherein the plates further comprise a third compartment disposed between the first and second compartments.  
   
   
       6 . The plate system of  claim 5 , further comprising a number of ventilation holes extending through at least one of the containers.  
   
   
       7 . The plate system of  claim 1 , further comprising a graspable tab extending from the outer perimeter of at least one of the plates for separating the plates.  
   
   
       8 . The plate system of  claim 1  wherein a reverse side of the plates is contoured to receive and engage the obverse side of the plates to facilitate nested stacking.  
   
   
       9 . A multi-compartment feeding plate comprising: 
 a first compartment disposed on an obverse side having a raised rim extending about the periphery of the first compartment; and    a second compartment disposed on the obverse side having a recess extending about the periphery of the second compartment;    wherein the recess of the second compartment is sized and configured for sealing engagement with the raised rim of the first compartment of an additional multi-compartment feeding plate, comparable to said multi-compartment feeding plate, to form a covered plate defining two separate, covered containers.    
   
   
       10 . The plate of  claim 9  wherein the recess and the raised rim each comprise a substantially convex portion adjacent a substantially concave portion, wherein the convex portions and concave portions of the recess are adapted for engaging the opposing concave and convex portions of the raised rim of the additional multi-compartment feeding plate, respectively, to form a interlocking seal.  
   
   
       11 . The plate system of  claim 9  wherein a reverse side of the plates is contoured to receive and engage the obverse side of the plates to facilitate nested stacking.  
   
   
       12 . The plate of  claim 9 , further comprising a third compartment disposed between the first and second compartments.  
   
   
       13 . The plate of  claim 12 , further comprising a number of ventilation holes extending through at least one of the compartments.  
   
   
       14 . The plate of  claim 9 , further comprising a graspable tab extending from the perimeter of at least one of the plates.  
   
   
       15 . The plate of  claim 9  wherein the plate is formed from a sheet of thermoplastic material.  
   
   
       16 . The plate of  claim 9  wherein the plate is formed from a thermoplastic material by a manufacturing method consisting of injection molding, blow-molding, composite injection molding and compression molding.  
   
   
       17 . The plate of  claim 16  wherein the plate is thermoformed by the application of at least one of vacuum and pressure.  
   
   
       18 . The plate of  claim 16  wherein the plate thermoplastic material comprises a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polystyrenes, and polypropylenes.  
   
   
       19 . The plate of  claim 9  wherein the plate has a wall thickness of from about 0.25 millimeters to about 3.0 millimeters.  
   
   
       20 . The plate of  claim 9  wherein the plate has a wall thickness of from about 0.25 millimeters to about 1.0 millimeters.