Food serving tray

Abstract

The present invention relates to a food serving tray to be used at formal and informal parties. The food serving tray could be made from plastic, ceramic, glass, or other similar material. The food serving tray has a beverage compartment, a handle and a food compartment to allow an individual to pick-up and carry food and a beverage in one hand.

1 . A food serving tray, comprising:
 a beverage receptacle;   a food receptacle; and   a handle protruding outwardly from an outer edge of the tray, the handle being configured to provide a generally horizontal portion for gripping by an individual.   
   
   
       2 . The food serving tray of  claim 1 , wherein the handle includes a plurality of support structures. 
   
   
       3 . The food serving tray of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of support structures are ribs that extend across the handle and join with the food receptacle. 
   
   
       4 . The food serving tray of  claim 1  wherein the handle is substantially co-planar with the upper surface of the food tray. 
   
   
       5 . The food serving tray of  claim 1  where the handle further comprises at least one of the group consisting of ergonomic spacing between the ribs, bumps, ridges, and coatings. 
   
   
       6 . The food serving tray of  claim 1  further comprising a coating on the ribs. 
   
   
       7 . The food serving tray of  claim 6 , wherein the coating is a rubberized coating. 
   
   
       8 . The food serving tray of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper surface and a lower surface with the handle extending outwardly from the upper surface, and wherein the lower surface and the upper surface are sufficiently spaced to allow the thumb and fingers of a person to grip the handle on opposite sides, when the lower surface is resting on an object, without disturbing the lower surface's contact on which said lower surface has been placed. 
   
   
       9 . The food serving tray of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the beverage receptacle is slightly larger than the diameter of a standard aluminum beverage can. 
   
   
       10 . The food serving tray of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a second food receptacle. 
   
   
       11 . A food serving tray comprising:
 a beverage receptacle;   a food receptacle;   a handle, wherein the handle is substantially co-planar with the upper surface of the food serving tray; and   wherein the handle contains support structures that extend from the edge of the handle to the food receptacle.   
   
   
       12 . The food serving tray of  claim 11 , where the support structures are ribs. 
   
   
       13 . The food serving tray of  claim 12 , further comprising ergonomic spacing between ribs. 
   
   
       14 . The food serving tray of  claim 11 , further comprising a coating on the handle, configured to provide increased grip to an individual using the tray. 
   
   
       15 . The food serving tray of  claim 11 , where the food serving tray is formed from at least one of glass, plastic and ceramic material. 
   
   
       16 . The food serving tray of  claim 11 , where the food serving tray is configured to stack with similar food serving trays. 
   
   
       17 . The food serving tray of  claim 11 , where the food receptacle has a clam-shaped or scalloped design. 
   
   
       18 . A food serving tray, comprising:
 a beverage receptacle;   a food receptacle; and   a handle protruding outwardly from the tray, the handle including a plurality of ribs.   
   
   
       19 . The food serving tray of  claim 18 , wherein the ribs extend across the handle and join with the food receptacle. 
   
   
       20 . The food serving tray of  claim 18 , wherein the beverage receptacle is configured to provide support to an aluminum can.