Patent Application
20170202281
The present invention relates to articles incorporating suction cups and more specifically, to a selectively actuatable suction cup construction that can be incorporated into an article, such as a kitchen accessory (e.g., a combined trivet and oven mitt product) or other product.
Many products incorporate one or more suction cups to allow the product to be releasably secured to a surface. As is known, a suction cup is an object that uses the negative fluid pressure of air or water to adhere to nonporous surfaces, creating a partial vacuum. The working face of the suction cup is made of elastic, flexible material and has a curved surface. When the center of the suction cup is pressed against a flat, non-porous surface, the volume of the space between the suction cup and the flat surface is reduced, which causes the air or water between the cup and the surface to be expelled past the rim of the circular cup. The cavity which develops between the cup and the flat surface has little to no air or water in it because most of the fluid has already been forced out of the inside of the cup, causing a lack of pressure. The pressure difference between the atmosphere on the outside of the cup and the low-pressure cavity on the inside of the cup keeps the cup adhered to the surface.
Suction cups are incorporated into a vast number of different commercial products, including but not limited to, automotive accessories, bathroom accessories, kitchen accessories, sporting goods, etc.
There are a wide array of different types of kitchen tools and accessories, including but not limited to, utensils, cutting boards, thermometers and other accessories meant to improve and/or make a cooking experience safer. A number of accessories are designed to protect a person from the high temperatures that are generated during cooking. One popular kitchen accessory is an oven mitt. An oven mitt or oven glove is an insulated glove or mitten usually worn in the kitchen to easily protect the wearer's hand from hot objects such as ovens, stoves, cookwear, etc.
An oven mitt can be formed of any number of materials, including fabric gloves, that consist of heat insulation surrounded by cotton fabric, usually consisting of decorative patterns. Newer oven gloves are often treated with silicone, which makes them resistant to water and stains, or made of stronger synthetic materials, such as, Kevlar or Nomex.
Yet another common kitchen accessory is a trivet. A trivet is an object that is placed between a serving dish or bowl, and a dining table, usually to protect the table from heat or water damage.
A trivet can also refer to a tripod used to elevate pots from the coals of an open fire. Metal trivets are often tripod-like structures with three legs to support the trivet horizontally in order to hold the dish or pot above the table surface. An at least three-legged design is conventionally optimal because it eliminates wobbling on uneven surfaces. Modern trivets are made from metal, wood, ceramic, fabric, silicone or cork. Some commercially available trivets/pot holders incorporate suction cups into the constructions; however, the suction cups have a traditional construction.
Trivets and oven mitts are often used together when cooking and handling hot pots or pans; however, since they are two distinct separate accessories, it can at times be cumbersome and take up space to use the two in succession, etc.
The present invention is directed to a selectively actuatable suction cup construction that can be incorporated into any number of different articles (products). In other words, the suction cup can be placed in an actuated mode (“on” mode) or in an inactive (“off” mode). For example, the present teachings can be incorporated into a kitchen accessory that is configured to be used as a trivet and as an oven mitt. The accessory is formed of a flexible body comprised of a first part and a second part that are coupled to one another along peripheral edges thereof so as to form an interior space defined therebetween and configured to receive a hand of a wearer. The first part includes an opening that provides an entrance to the interior space to allow the accessory to be used as an oven mitt. The accessory also includes a plurality of concave shaped suction cup caps formed along a bottom surface of the first part.
A plurality of complementary suction cups is formed along a bottom surface of the second part. Each suction cup has a through hole passing therethrough from the bottom surface to a top surface of the second part. The suction cup caps are in registration with the suction cups such that in a trivet mode of operation, a load applied to the second part causes the suction cups to seat against the suction cup caps to close off the through holes formed in the corresponding suction cups, thereby allowing the suction cups to secure the accessory to a surface of an object (due to the suction cups being in the actuated mode).
In an oven mitt mode of operation, the underside of the first part is spaced from the second part at least in a region above the suction cups by the user's hand, thereby rendering the suction cups inoperable due to the through holes being open.
In accordance with the present invention, a selectively actuatable suction cup construction is disclosed and is configured to be incorporated into an article of manufacture. The drawings attached hereto and the following description describe a number of different articles of manufacture; however, the scope of the present invention is not limited to articles of manufacture described and illustrated herein. Instead, one of skill in the art will readily appreciate that the selectively actuatable suction cup construction can be incorporated into other articles as well. In general, the selectively actuatable suction cup construction allows the article to have either an actuated mode (“on mode”) in which the suction cup is capable of securely attaching to a surface (of an object) and an inactive mode (“off mode”) in which the suction cup is not capable of attaching to the surface.
For purpose of illustration only, the selectively actuatable suction cup construction is described and shown as being incorporated in a kitchen accessory. More specifically,
The product 100 comprises a first part 200, which can be thought of as being an upper part, and a second part 300, which can be thought of as being a lower part. As shown in
The first and second parts 200, 300 can be formed of any number of different materials so long as the materials are suitable for the present use. More specifically, the material has to be flexible and has to withstand the heat that is generated from hot objects (e.g., hot pots and pans) that are placed in intimate contact therewith. In one exemplary embodiment, the first and second parts 200, 300 comprise molded silicone parts.
The first and second parts 200, 300 are attached to one another using any number of traditional techniques. For example, the first and second parts 200, 300 can be attached to one another along the overlying peripheral edges 205, 305. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment between the two parts 200, 300 is achieved by stitching the two parts 200, 300 together along the peripheral edges 205, 305 thereof (e.g., using DTM (dye to match) stitching). The stitching is shown in the figures and is identified with reference character 101 (the stitching 101 can be contained in a molded channel 103 as shown). As described below, the product 100 has a central access opening to allow a user to place his or her hand within a hollow interior (interior space) formed between the first and second parts 200, 300. The central access opening is identified at 105 in the figures and, as described below, comprises an opening formed in the first part 200.
With reference to
As previously mentioned, the first part 200 has an opening 105 formed therein and preferably, opening 105 is formed centrally. The opening 105 can be formed to have any number of different shapes and sizes; however, the opening 105 should be configured and sized to receive a hand of the wearer. It will therefore be appreciated that since different people have different sized hands, the product 100 can come in more than one size, such as small, medium and large. Alternatively, the product 100 can come in a single unisex size.
In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 105 has an oblong shape with curved ends. As shown, the curved ends are spaced from the peripheral edge 205. As shown in
The body 202 of the first part 200 has a first (top) face or surface 207 and an opposing second (bottom) face or surface 209. As shown in
However, it will be appreciated that the foregoing arrangement of suction cup caps 250 is merely exemplary in nature and not limiting of the present invention. Thus, the suction cup caps do not have to be formed in a linear manner nor do they have to extend across the width of the body 202. The suction cup caps 250 can thus be arranged according to another orderly pattern or can be arranged in a random pattern across the bottom surface of the body 202. In addition, there does not have to be distinct sets of suction cup caps 250 but instead, the suction cup caps 250 can be grouped singularly or in other uniform or non-uniform groups.
It will also be understood that the bottom surface 209 can be formed without suction cup caps 250 so long as the bottom surface 209 is capable of being placed in intimate contact with the second part 300 and function in the manner described below. In this alternative embodiment, the bottom surface 209 can be an at least substantially planar surface or in another embodiment, the bottom surface 209 can have a series of raised portions that contact selective portions of the second part 300.
The illustrated first part 200 has an oval shape; however, it will be understood that the first part 200 can be formed to have any number of other shapes, including circular, triangular, square, etc.
With reference to
As shown in
The body 302 also includes first and second end portions 320, 330 that are located at the first and second ends 304, 306, respectively. The first and second end portions 320, 330 can contain modified surfaces along the first surface 310. More specifically, as shown, the first end portion 320 can contain a plurality of raised ribs 340 that are arranged parallel to one another and similarly, the second end portion 330 also contains a plurality of raised ribs 340 that are arranged parallel to one another. Since the body 302 has an oval shape, the lengths of the raised ribs 340 vary with the ribs 340 closest to the ends 304, 306 being shorter than the ribs 340 closest to the central area 315. The heights of the ribs 340 are preferably at least the same so that the tops of the raised ribs 340 lie in the same plane. The tops of the raised ribs 340 can be rounded. The spacing between the ribs 340 can be the same (as shown) or can vary.
The ribs 340 provide stability to the user and enhance the grip of the user when the user's hand is inserted into the accessory 100. However, the ribs 340 are not necessary and the accessory 100 can equally be formed without the ribs 340 and/or the ribs 340 can be arranged in different patterns.
Between the central area 315 and each of the first and second end portions 320, 330, there are first and second intermediate portions 345, 355, respectively. The first intermediate portion 345 lies between the first end portion 320 and the central area 315 and the second intermediate portion 355 lies between the second end portion 330 and the central area 315. Similar to the first part 200, the second part 300 includes a plurality of suction cup features.
As shown in
The suction cups 350 are arranged such that a first set (e.g., 3 suction cups) is arranged within the first intermediate portion 345 and a second set (e.g., 3 suction cups) is arranged within the second intermediate portion 355. It will be appreciated that the suction cups 350 of the first set are preferably arranged linearly and similarly, the suction cups 350 of the second set are preferably arranged linearly. The suction cups 350 thus extend across a width of the body 302.
However, it will be appreciated that the foregoing arrangement of suction cups 350 is merely exemplary in nature and not limiting of the present invention. Thus, the suction cups do not have to be formed in a linear manner nor do they have to extend across the width of the body 302. The suction cups 350 can thus be arranged according to another orderly pattern or can be arranged in a random pattern across the bottom surface of the body 302. In addition, there does not have to be distinct sets of suction cups 350 but instead, the suction cups 350 can be grouped singularly or in other uniform or non-uniform groups.
Unlike the suction cups 250, the suction cups 350 have through holes 357 formed therethrough. More specifically, the through hole 357 is an air flow passage that passes from the first surface 310 to the second surface 312. In other words, the through hole 357 is open along the top surface 310 and the bottom surface 312. The through hole 357 is formed centrally within the suction cup 350. The suction cup 350 also has a corresponding structure formed along the top surface 310. More specifically, each suction cup 350 has a curved roof portion 360. The curved roof portion 360 has a convex shape that is formed along the top surface 310. The through hole 355 passes centrally through the curved roof portion 360. The through hole 355 is thus open within the curved roof portion 360 and the bottom suction cup portion 350.
The curved roof portion 360 is not a requirement for the suction cup construction and instead the top surface of the second part 300 can be a planar surface or be a surface that does not have any discrete structures formed therealong. When the first part 200 includes suction cup caps 250, the curved roof portions 360 help to locate the suction cup caps 250. Since each suction cup cap 250 has a concave surface, the convex shaped roof portion 360 has a complementary shape and serves to locate the suction cup cap 250 to cause a mating between the concave suction cup 250 and the convex roof portion 360, thereby closing off the through hole formed in the suction cup.
For reasons discussed below, the number of suction cups 350 equals the number of suction cups 250 and the suction cup caps 250 are placed in registration with the suction cups 350 in that one suction cup caps 250 lies above one corresponding suction cup 350.
As shown the body 302 can be symmetric in nature about a center axis that extends across a width of the body 302. As shown in
Use of the Product 100 as a Trivet
With reference to
The curved nature of the curved roof portion 360 and the suction cup caps 250 are complementary to allow the suction cup caps 250 to seat against the curved roof portions 360, thereby covering up the through holes 357 of the suction cups 350.
This action causes the suction cup caps 250 to cover up the through holes 357 passing through the suction cups 350, thereby allowing the suction cups 350 to work and operate as suction cups. The trivet (product 100) will thus be able to adhere to the load since the suction cups 350 work.
It will be understood that the loading bearing object (e.g. pot or pan) is placed on the bottom surface of the second part 300.
Thus, to use the accessory 100 as a trivet, the user places the first part 100 facing downward on a support surface, such as a table or countertop. In this orientation, the suction cups 350 face upward. The user then places a hot object (such as a pan or pot) on top of the suction cups 350 to cause the suction cups 350 to adhere to the bottom surface of the hot object. In this manner, the object can be detachably attached to the accessory 100. The actuation of the suction cups 350 causes the attachment between the two.
Use of the Product 100 as an Oven Mitt
With reference to
The presence of the wearer's hand within the interior space (between the first and second parts 200, 300) prevents the suction cup caps 250 from covering the through holes 357 since the parts 200, 300 are separated by the presence of the user's hand therebetween. Since the through holes 357 are left uncovered, air can freely flow through the through holes 357 and exit and the top surface 310 of the body 302. This passage of air prevents the suction cups 350 from adhering to any surface, such as a handle of a pot or pan. Thus, the product 100 can be freely used as an oven mitt without worrying about the suction cups 350 adhering to any surface and causing the oven mitt to adhere to such surface which is not desired.
It is to be understood that like numerals in the drawings represent like elements through the several figures, and that not all components and/or steps described and illustrated with reference to the figures are required for all embodiments or arrangements. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
As discussed herein, an “operable” suction cup, an “active” suction cup or a suction cup in the “on mode” is one in which the cavity which develops between the suction cup and a flat surface has little to no air or water in it because most of the fluid has already been forced out of the inside of the cup, causing a lack of pressure (as a result of the through hole being covered). The pressure difference between the atmosphere on the outside of the suction cup and the low-pressure cavity on the inside of the suction cup keeps the suction cup adhered to the surface.
Conversely and as discussed herein, an “inoperable” suction cup, an “inactive” suction cup or a suction cup in the “off mode” is one in which the cavity which develops between the suction cup and a flat surface is not evacuated and instead, there is air or water in it because the through hole of the suction cup is uncovered and air can freely flow into the this cavity. As a result, there is a lack of low pressure on the inside of the suction cup and the suction cup cannot adhere to the surface.
Various modifications and changes can be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, as set forth in each and any of the following claims.
