Plate And Cup Assembly

Abstract

A plate and cup assembly for attaching a cup to a plate includes a food plate that has an opening extending through the food plate. A cup is provided and the cup is insertable upwardly through the opening in the food plate. A lid is insertable into the opening in the food plate and the lid releasably engages the cup when the cup is inserted upwardly through the opening for retaining the cup on the food plate. The lid has a straw opening extending through the lid to facilitate a drinking straw to be extended through the straw opening and into the cup for drinking the beverage contained in the cup when the cup is retained on the food plate.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A plate and cup assembly for facilitating food and a beverage to be carried together, said assembly comprising:
 a food plate being configured to have food positioned on said food plate, said food plate having an opening extending through said food plate;   a cup being configured to contain a beverage, said cup being insertable upwardly through said opening in said food plate;   a lid being insertable into said opening in said food plate, said lid releasably engaging said cup when said cup is inserted upwardly through said opening for retaining said cup on said food plate, said lid having a straw opening extending through said lid wherein said straw opening is configured to facilitate a drinking straw to be extended through said straw opening and into said cup for drinking the beverage contained in said cup when said cup is retained on said food plate; and   a closure being hingedly coupled to said lid, said closure being positionable in a closed position for closing said straw opening in said lid, said closure being positionable in an open position for exposing said straw opening.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said food plate has a basal wall and a first perimeter wall extending upwardly from a perimeter of said basal wall wherein said first perimeter wall is configured to inhibit the food from falling off of said food plate, said food plate having a second perimeter wall extending upwardly from said basal wall, said opening extending through said basal wall, said opening being centrally positioned on said basal wall, said second perimeter wall surrounding said opening, said second perimeter wall having a height being less than the height of said first perimeter wall, said first perimeter wall angling outwardly from said perimeter of said basal wall. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said cup has an outer wall, said outer wall having an inside surface, an outside surface and a top edge, said outside surface having a lip extending outwardly from said outside surface, said lip extending around a full circumference of said outer wall, said lip being spaced from said top edge, said lip abutting a bottom surface of said basal wall of said food plate when said outer wall of said cup is inserted upwardly through said opening in said food plate, said inside surface of said outer wall having a threaded portion being positioned adjacent to said top edge of said outer wall, said cup having a handle being disposed on said outside surface of said outer wall for carrying said cup. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lid has a top wall and an exterior wall extending downwardly from said top wall, said exterior wall being continuously arcuate about said top wall such that said lid has a cylindrical shape, said exterior wall having an angled portion angling outwardly from said top wall such that said lid has a conical shape, said exterior wall having a vertical portion extending downwardly from said angled portion, said vertical portion having an outside surface, said outside surface being threaded, said exterior wall having a lip extending outwardly from an intersection between said angled portion and said vertical portion. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 said food plate has a basal wall and a first perimeter wall extending upwardly from a perimeter of said basal wall wherein said first perimeter wall is configured to inhibit the food from falling off of said food plate, said food plate having a second perimeter wall extending upwardly from said basal wall;   said cup has an outer wall, said outer wall having an inside surface and a top edge, said inside surface of said outer wall having a threaded portion being positioned adjacent to said top edge of said outer wall; and   said lip on said exterior wall of said lid rests on an upper edge of said second perimeter wall when said lid is inserted into said opening in said food plate, said outside surface of said exterior wall of said lid threadably engaging said threaded portion of said inside surface of said outer wall of said cup for retaining said cup on said food plate, said straw opening extending through said top wall of said lid, said straw opening being offset from a center of said top wall.   
     
     
         6 . The assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said closure has a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally coupled to said top wall of said lid, said closure having a knob extending downwardly from said closure, said knob being positioned closer to said second end than said first end, said knob extending into said straw opening when said closure is in said closed position, said knob being removed from said straw opening when said closure in said open position. 
     
     
         7 . A plate and cup assembly for facilitating food and a beverage to be carried together, said assembly comprising:
 a food plate being configured to have food positioned on said food plate, said food plate having an opening extending through said food plate, said food plate having a basal wall and a first perimeter wall extending upwardly from a perimeter of said basal wall wherein said first perimeter wall is configured to inhibit the food from falling off of said food plate, said food plate having a second perimeter wall extending upwardly from said basal wall, said opening extending through said basal wall, said opening being centrally positioned on said basal wall, said second perimeter wall surrounding said opening, said second perimeter wall having a height being less than the height of said first perimeter wall, said first perimeter wall angling outwardly from said perimeter of said basal wall;   a cup being configured to contain a beverage, said cup being insertable upwardly through said opening in said food plate, said cup having an outer wall, said outer wall having an inside surface, an outside surface and a top edge, said outside surface having a lip extending outwardly from said outside surface, said lip extending around a full circumference of said outer wall, said lip being spaced from said top edge, said lip abutting a bottom surface of said basal wall of said food plate when said outer wall of said cup is inserted upwardly through said opening in said food plate, said inside surface of said outer wall having a threaded portion being positioned adjacent to said top edge of said outer wall, said cup having a handle being disposed on said outside surface of said outer wall for carrying said cup;   a lid being insertable into said opening in said food plate, said lid releasably engaging said cup when said cup is inserted upwardly through said opening for retaining said cup on said food plate, said lid having a straw opening extending through said lid wherein said straw opening is configured to facilitate a drinking straw to be extended through said straw opening and into said cup for drinking the beverage contained in said cup when said cup is retained on said food plate, said lid having a top wall and an exterior wall extending downwardly from said top wall, said exterior wall being continuously arcuate about said top wall such that said lid has a cylindrical shape, said exterior wall having an angled portion angling outwardly from said top wall such that said lid has a conical shape, said exterior wall having a vertical portion extending downwardly from said angled portion, said vertical portion having an outside surface, said outside surface being threaded, said exterior wall having a lip extending outwardly from an intersection between said angled portion and said vertical portion, said lip on said exterior wall resting on an upper edge of said second perimeter wall when said lid is inserted into said opening in said food plate, said outside surface threadably engaging said threaded portion of said inside surface of said outer wall of said cup for retaining said cup on said food plate, said straw opening extending through said top wall, said straw opening being offset from a center of said top wall; and   a closure being hingedly coupled to said lid, said closure being positionable in a closed position for closing said straw opening in said lid, said closure being positionable in an open position for exposing said straw opening, said closure having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally coupled to said top wall of said lid, said closure having a knob extending downwardly from said closure, said knob being positioned closer to said second end than said first end, said knob extending into said straw opening when said closure is in said closed position, said knob being removed from said straw opening when said closure in said open position.