GB2275178A - Support Device - Google Patents

Abstract

A support device is designed to allow a vessel such as a hot mug, to which it is attached, to be placed safely on a heat sensitive surface. A support device 14 has a base mat 15 and three integral fingers 16 extending upwardly from its periphery at equiangularly spaced intervals therearound. The innermost portions of the fingers lie on an imaginary diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter X (Fig. 1) of a mug (12, Fig. 1) so that the fingers flex outwardly as a mug is pushed between them and the spring in the material exerts sufficient pressure to grip the sides of the mug and retain the support device thereon as the mug is picked up. The invention extends to a combination of such devices with a stand (20, Fig 3) and (30, Fig. 6) for supporting a set of the devices. <IMAGE>

Description

SUPPORT DEVICE This invention relates to an insulating support device, particularly but not exclusively for attachment to a mug.

An object of the invention is to provide an insulating support device for a vessel, such as a mug, cup, glass, bowl or plate, which is easily attachable to the vessel so that it will remain attached thereto as the vessel is picked up and used to drink from, but which can be easily detached therefrom when required.

Accordingly, the invention provides a support device comprising a base mat at least the bottom of which is of insulating material, and which is formed at spaced intervals around its periphery with at least two separate, upwardly extending, integral fingers having portions adapted to engage the sides of a vessel when the bottom of that vessel is engaged with the top of the base mat, the material of said fingers being sufficiently springy to allow limited inward and outward movement of the fingers relative to one another.

The support device allows a hot vessel, to which it is attached, to be placed safely on a heat sensitive surface.

Preferably, the base mat and fingers are made from plastics, metal or other material having an attractive finish, with a heat insulating material firmly attached to the bottom of the base mat. Alternatively the mat is itself made from a heat insulating material.

With advantage, the support device is provided in combination with a substantially vertically sided mug, the outer diameter of the mug being slightly greater than the imaginary diameter of the space defined between the inner surfaces of the portions of the fingers adapted to engage the sides of the mug in their rest position, so that the fingers are flexed outwardly as the mug is pushed between them and the spring in the material exerts a slight pressure to grip the sides of the mug, sufficient to retain the support device on the mug as it is picked up.

Preferably, there are three equiangularly spaced fingers.

Preferably, each finger includes a concave inwardly facing shape and preferably is bent into reverse curves so as to be substantially S-shaped with a concave inwardly facing lower part and a convex inwardly facing upper part.

Preferably, the fingers extend upwardly for less than one quarter of the height of the mug.

It is clear that a number of different sized support devices would have to be supplied for different sized mugs or other vessels, but the flexing can be sufficient to accommodate minor variations of mug size about the size specified for each support device.

In another aspect, the invention provides the support devices in combination with a stand designed to support a plurality of the support devices in stacked relationship.

Embodiments of support device and stands therefor will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a side view of a support device attached to a mug, Figure 2 is a perspective view from one side and below of the mug and support device of Figure 1, but on a slightly enlarged scale, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a stand accommodating a plurality of the support devices, Figure 4 is a plan view of the stand of Figure 3 but on a reduced scale, Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but showing a slightly modified support device, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of another form of stand accommodating in stacked relationship a plurality of the support devices as shown in Figure 5.

A mug 12, has substantially vertical sides 13, of circular section of outer diameter X. A support device 14, comprises a base mat 15, having three separate integral fingers 16, extending upwardly from its periphery at equiangularly spaced intervals therearound. The support device, or at least the fingers thereof, are formed from slightly springy material for example a plastics material or silver or other metal or alloy of an attractive appearance, which is sufficiently springy to allow the fingers to move outwards from their rest position. In their rest position, the innermost portions of the fingers lie on an imaginary circle of diameter X minus 1 to 3%. The material is sufficiently springy/elastic to allow the mug to be pushed between the fingers until the bottom of the mug engages the top of the base mat.Because of the spring of the material the fingers will grip the sides of the mug and retain the support device to the mug until they are pulled apart.

The bottom of the base mat has adhered thereto a layer 17 of heat insulating material of slightly smaller diameter than the base mat 15.

Each finger 16 is in the form of an S when viewed from one side so that it defines at the lower part 18 a smooth, concave inwardly facing, curve and at the upper part 19, a smooth, convex inwardly facing curve. The fingers will normally be sized relative to the mug so that they move outwards by about 1 mm as the mug is pushed between them.

This range could for example be 0.5 to 3 mm.

As seen in Figures 3 and 4 a stand 20, for supporting a plurality of support devices 14 on their sides, has a Csection having a base part 21, and two opposite arms 22 defining between them a channel for receiving the support devices. The base part 21 has two ledges 23, adapted to support the weight of the device by supporting one each of two of the fingers 16, and defining between them a deeper channel 24 of a depth to just avoid contacting the lower side edges of the insulating layers 17 of the support devices.

The channel 24 has further slots 25, cut into it in which the edges of the base mats are located. The stand 20, can be attached to a wall and could be rotated through 900, relative to the position shown in which the base portion 21 is intended to be horizontal, if further means were provided to prevent the support devices falling out of the stand.

The support device 14 shown in Figure 5 is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 3 but with an aperture 29 of triangular shape cut in its central portion. An alternative stand 30, is shown in Figure 6 having a base 31, and a central upstanding rod 32, of triangular section sized to just be accommodated in the aperture 29. A plurality of support devices, of the kind shown in Figure 5, are located one on top of the other, supported on the base 31 and with the rod 32 extending through their apertures 29. Because of the triangular nature of the aperture, the support devices can only be arranged on the rod with their respective fingers one above the other and supported on each other.

Claims (13)

1. A support device comprising a base mat at least the bottom of which is of heat insulating material, and which is formed at spaced intervals around its periphery with at least two separate, upwardly extending, integral fingers having portions adapted to engage the sides of a vessel when the bottom of that vessel is engaged with the top of the base mat, the material of said fingers being sufficiently springy to allow limited inward and outward movement of the fingers relative to one another.

2. A device according to claim 1 having three equiangularly spaced fingers.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which each finger includes a concave inwardly facing shape.

4. A device according to claim 3 in which each finger is bent into reverse curves so as to be substantially S-shaped with a concave inwardly facing lower part and a convex inwardly facing upper part.

5. A device according to any of claims 1 to 4 in which the base mat and fingers are made from plastics, metal or other material having an attractive finish, with a heat insulating material firmly attached to the bottom of the base mat.

6. In combination a support device according to any of claims 1 to 5 and a substantially vertically sided mug, the outer diameter of the mug being slightly greater than the imaginary diameter of the circle defined between the inner surfaces of the portions of the fingers adapted to engage the sides of the mug in their rest position, so that the fingers are flexed outwardly as the mug is pushed between them and the spring in the material exerts sufficient pressure to retain the support device on the mug as it is picked up.

7. A combination according to claim 6 in which the fingers extend upwardly for less than one quarter of the height of the mug.

8. A plurality of support devices each according to any of claims 1 to 6, in combination with a stand adapted to support such plurality of devices.

9. A combination according to claim 8 in which the stand is C-shaped having a base and two arms, the base being shaped to receive and locate a plurality of the support devices.

10. A combination according to claim 8 in which the stand is arranged to support the devices stacked one above the other and in which each device is formed with a triangular aperture designed to receive a triangular sectioned rod forming part of the stand.

11. A support device substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. In cömbination a support device and a mug substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 or 5 of the accompanying drawings.

13. In combination a plurality of support devices and a stand substantially as described herein or as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 or Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.