GB2450147A

GB2450147A - Coaster

Info

Publication number: GB2450147A
Application number: GB0711552A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Alan Marney; Frazer George Halliday; Jamie Christopher Farrell
Original assignee: GINGER PIE Ltd
Current assignee: GINGER PIE Ltd
Priority date: 2007-06-14
Filing date: 2007-06-14
Publication date: 2008-12-17
Also published as: GB0711552D0

Abstract

A pad or coaster 10 for a flat-bottomed drinking glass comprises a planar element for locating beneath the glass and means for removably attaching the element to the glass. The pad may include an upstanding rim 11 or flange having an annular resilient member 13 for gripping the lower portion of the wall of the glass.

Description

* * 2450147 Glass Bottom Pad This invention relates to pads for

disposition, in use, beneath a flat-bottomed drinking glass.

It is already known to provide beer mats, soft paper mats or doilies and the like for placement, in use, beneath drinking glasses, partly for presentational purposes and partly to provide some protection against the glass being accidentally broken on a hard supporting surface.

Known mats or doilies may also have a secondary purpose in absorbing liquid spilt from the glass or froth from the head of the drink and which may have run down the outer wall of the glass.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a device compnsing a pad for a flat-bottomed drinking glass, the pad comprising an essentially planar element for locating in use beneath the glass and means for removably attaching the element to the glass.

Preferably, for removable attachment of the element to the glass, at least part of the peripheral region of the element is provided with an upstanding rim or flange which is resiliently engagable with the lower part of the wall of the glass. However, the element may simply be provided with Suction or other means for engagement with the base of the glass.

A pad according to the present invention is preferably formed from a resilient plastics or rubber material, for example by injection moulding, and is adapted, directly or indirectly, for engagement with the bottom or bottom wall portion of the glass. Where the device according to the invention includes an outer upstanding rim or flange, indirect engagement with the glass may be by virtue of an annular resilient membrane applied to the inner surface of the rim or flange, for resilient compression between the rim or flange and the lower portion of a glass, or the rim or flange may itself be resiliently radially displaceable by contact with the glass, whereby the device is removably attached to the glass by direct resilient gripping. Optionally, the internal wall surface of the upstanding rim or flange may be provided with ribs or other projections continuously or discontinuously placed circumferentially around the rim or flange.

Optionally, devices according to the invention may contain an absorbent material which may be removable, or may themselves include pores or interstices for absorption of liquid by capillary action but which can nevertheless readily be cleaned by, for example, holding in a running stream of water.

One or more surfaces of devices according to the invention may carry a design, logo, indicia or other material capable of being viewed indirectly through the bottom of the glass or directly. Such material can be formed as part of the initial moulding of the article or can be subsequently added, for example by screen printing or by the use of self-adhesive labels or the like.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of a device according to the invention; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the device shown in Figure 3.

The device shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a circular base pad 10 and a peripheral upstanding rim II. A compressible, resilient inner membrane 13 is applied to the bottom of the device; the membrane itself has an annular upstanding flange the inner wall of which tapers outwardly to define a frusto-conical inner shape to the device whereby, in use, a glass can be received by the device and will grip the device by virtue of contact between the lower wall portion of the glass and the tapered sides of the membrane.

With reference now to Figures 3 and 4, the device again has a circular base 21 with an upstanding annular wall 22; the upper edge of the wall is provided with four (in the embodiment shown) inwardly-directed resilient curved projections 23 which, on placing a glass in the device, are outwardly radially deflected and cause the device to grip the bottom of the glass.

In either embodiment as illustrated, advertising materials or any other design, logo or indicia can be applied to the upper surface of the pad for viewing through the bottom of the glass, or to the underside of the pad or to the upstanding peripheral wall.

Claims

Claims I. A device comprising a pad for a flat-bottomed drinking glass,

the pad comprising an essentially planar element for locating in use beneath the glass and means for removably attaching the element to the glass.
2. A device according to claim 1, in which at least part of the peripheral region of the element is provided with an upstanding rim or flange which is resiliently engagable with the lower part of the wall of the glass.
3. A device according to claim 1, in which the element is provided with Suction or other means for engagement with the base of the glass.
4. A device according to any preceding claim, formed from a resilient plastics or rubber material and adapted, directly or indirectly, for engagement with the bottom or bottom wall portion of the glass.
5. A device according to claim 4 including an outer upstanding rim or flange, the inner surface of the rim or flange including an annular resilient membrane for resilient compression in use between the rim or flange and the lower portion of the glass.
6. A device according to claim 4, in which the internal wall surface of the upstanding rim or flange is provided with ribs or other projections continuously or discontinuously placed circumferentially around the rim or flange.
7. A device according to any preceding claim, the device comprising an absorbent material.
8. A device according to claim 7, in which the absorbent material is removable from the device.
9. A device according to any preceding claim in which one or more surfaces of the device carries a design, logo, indicia or other material capable of being viewed indirectly through the bottom of the glass or directly.