Holding Element for at Least One Object

The present invention relates to for at least one object according to the preamble of claim 1.

DE 200 15 438 U1 discloses a holding element for an object which can be attached to a corresponding support profile. In this case, the corresponding support profile is a plate edge, to which the holding element can be fixed by means of a clamping zone forming an accommodating element. The holding element according to DE 200 15 438 U1 has a dish-shaped holding zone as a first point of support for an object and an opening for inserting the stem of a glass, with the glass then resting in the holding zone. Another option disclosed in the publication for using the holding element is to place a breakfast egg in the holding zone and present it attached to a plate, ready to be eaten.

The disadvantage here is that the holding element projects laterally from the plate edge, thereby occupying more space than a conventional plate. This is impractical in use and, when eating the egg placed in the holding element, may lead to the table being soiled, for example. Users find that handling a plate with an attached holding element containing a glass, an egg or similar, is impractical.

A further disadvantage is that the prior art holding device can only accommodate one object at a time, i.e. a glass or a breakfast egg. In the case of a breakfast egg, for example, the spoon has to be stored or transported separately.

The invention is based on the task of providing a holding element which is more practical, safer and more hygienic to handle than the prior art holding element. Further, the holding element should be of simple construction and, from a technical point of view, should not be excessively costly to produce.

The invention solves this task with the features of claim 1. Other embodiments of the invention will be described in the subsequent subclaims.

A holding element according to the invention for at least one object has a body with an outer surface whose limiting edge forms, at least partially, a point of support for accommodating at least one object. The accommodating element for the edge of the support profile is contrived on the lower limiting edge of the outer surface, which is disposed opposite the upper limiting edge.

The support profile may be a plate edge, for example. The holding element can be attached to the plate edge in such a way that the lower edge of the outer surface rests at least partially on the plate edge. The upper edge then serves to accommodate the object, a breakfast egg, for example.

The holding element may be attached to the plate edge in such a way that it does not project at all, or only slightly, beyond the edge. Hence this arrangement is space-saving, compared to prior art holding elements. Furthermore, a breakfast egg accommodated in this way can be eaten safely and cleanly, as any debris falling over the side of the holding element remains in the plate.

The holding element is prevented from slipping onto the plate by, for example, a flange which projects outwards from the lower edge of the outer surface, which, in the attached position, abuts against the plate edge. The lower edge, or portions of the same, may then rest freely on the surface of the plate, so that the holding element can easily be removed. The flange can also be provided with lateral spurs, which, together with the lower edge of the outer surface, define a slit-shaped accommodating element for the plate edge. These spurs may be elastically flexible, so that a clamp holding is created.

The holding element is of a very simple construction, and can be made from various materials as one piece, i.e. inexpensively from a production point of view. Merely as examples, possible materials include metal, ceramic or plastic. A holding element could equally be produced as a disposable article made in cardboard, for example.

The invention can, for example, make an ideal addition for items of cutlery used on a daily, or infrequent, basis. The simple construction and functionality leave scope for creativity in terms of shape, materials and colour, so that the spectrum of applications may go far beyond the preferred field of use as a dining utensil.

The holding element may have a slit-shaped holding opening in one part of the outer surface by means of which the holding element can be attached to the corresponding surface of the support profile in such a way that this surface forms the base portion of the holding element. This solution has several simultaneous, very substantial advantages. On the one hand, the holding element can be contrived as a hollow body, making it easy to clean well when this is required.

Another advantage is that when the holding element is used to accommodate a breakfast egg by means of the first point of support, the eggshell can be put in the holding element when this latter is attached to the edge of a plate, for example. The plate edge also forms, for the time the holding element is attached to it, a base for the holding element, thereby offering an egg cup in the traditional sense which can additionally hold eggshell debris. In contrast to conventional egg cups, from which pieces of shell are difficult to remove, the holding element according to the invention can easily be removed from the plate edge and the eggshell debris can fall directly into a disposal bin standing ready under the plate. The holding element can be used in this instance as a mini table disposal bin.

Further, at least one slit-shaped point of support may be provided, which follows a wave-shaped curved path. This embodiment of the point of support means that, with the holding element according to the invention, elongated objects in particular can be held in place in very advantageous fashion without them working themselves out of the holding element of their own accord.

A solution of this type means that, as a result of the curved path of the slit-shaped point of support, there are at least two resting points for the object to be accommodated, thereby providing said optimum stowing.

The holding element may have a cylindrical outer surface. This substantially improves the production process and the ring-shaped point of support is created when generating the basic body of the holding element with no need for further working steps for this purpose. In this way, the holding element can also be cut directly from a tube, which makes high volume production possible.

It is also particularly advantageous if at least parts of the outer surface of the holding element can be elastically deformed to a limited extent. This means the holding element can adapt to variously sized objects for stowage, for example. Elasticity in the outer surface additionally generates a clamping effect which improves the hold on the objects.

A slit-shaped opening in the outer surface can additionally contribute to the elastic deformability of the latter.

The insertion of a dish into the ring-shaped point of support opens up numerous opportunities for other uses, such as, for example, the holding element being attached to a cup or a plate where it may serve to hold a tea bag or a slice of lemon. One might also fill the dish with sugar, honey, jam, pepper or salt, ready for consumption, which would be very useful at breakfast served in a hotel, in particular. The dish could obviously be subdivided into several segments for the purpose of accommodating different things.

The holding element may further be provided with a spout so that, if a dish is inserted into the ring-shaped point of support, any liquid in the dish can be poured off.

An item of cutlery may be inserted into the slit-shaped point of support. In the case of the aforementioned use as a holding element for an egg, this may be the spoon required to eat the egg. It is further possible to provide several slit-shaped points of support so that several items of cutlery and/or napkins as required for a menu can be provided directly by the plate.

The holding element may be made from a deformable material so that it can be rolled or folded up when not in use. Several holding elements may also be contrived so that they can be inserted inside each other or stacked together. Naturally, one might also want to use disposable variations made of cardboard or other recyclable materials in order to overcome the problem of storage entirely.

At this point only a few examples of possible uses of the holding element according to the invention will be mentioned. It is conceivable, for example, to use several holding elements as stacking feet for ready-to-serve plates of food, as used for warming up in microwaves, or as support for a grill or spit, i.e. for slotting into the grill height setting facility, for hanging over the edge of a pan to cook eggs and extract them from the boiling water individually, as a holding element for salt and pepper dispensers, as an ashtray, or indeed as an advertising support for use in, in particular, restaurants or hotels for the purpose of publicising the name of the establishment.

In particular, use as a tea light holder is also possible, or as a holder for vases or inserts for decorative purposes. The support profile may also be a wall profile from which the holding element is suspended.

The invention will be described below with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a holding element according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is, compared to the view in FIG. 1, a modified embodiment of a holding element in a spatial view;

FIG. 3 is another holding element according to the invention, shown in a three-dimensional view;

FIG. 4 is a first possible use of a holding element according to the invention, shown in an exploded view;

FIG. 5 is another possible use of a holding element according to the invention, shown in a perspective view;

FIG. 6 is a modified embodiment of a holding element compared to the embodiment in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is the realisation of another possible use of a holding element;

FIG. 8 is a holding element for an egg and several items of cutlery;

FIG. 9 is a modified holding element compared to the embodiment of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a holding element according to the invention;

FIG. 11 is a holding element according to the invention, containing an egg;

FIG. 12 is a pair of two holding elements according to the invention, enclosing a glass insert; and

FIG. 13 shows a holding element according to the invention slotted into a wall profile.

The first embodiment of a holding element according to the invention, seen in FIG. 1 and designated overall as 9 comprises a prismatic body 9a with an outer surface 10 which is essentially contrived as a cylinder which is open on one side. Cylindrical outer surface 10 has an end-to-end slot 15 along its longitudinal extension, which gives limited elasticity to outer surface 10, and hence to holding element 9 overall. This elasticity can be used to hold an object in an easily removable manner, for example a napkin, which is then held secure in holding element 9 with no chance of it falling out.

On the top side of holding element 9 an approximately ring-shaped point of support 6 is formed by the upper limiting edge 20 of outer surface 10. This point of support 6 can serve to accommodate a breakfast egg, for example, which can be reliably held in place by the elasticity of outer surface 10. Further, holding element 9 has two slit-shaped points of support 7 and 8 disposed on top of each other in relation to their axial extension and running in the circumferential direction of outer surface 10. Each of these points of support 7,8 may serve to accommodate another object such as an item of cutlery introduced from the side into outer surface 10. Slit-shaped points of support 7,8 are contrived to run along approximately the same path, one above the other in outer surface 10.

On the lower side of holding element 9, opposite point of support 6, there is an accommodating element 22 for a support profile to which holding element 9 can be attached. Accommodating element 22 is formed by a lower limiting edge 24 of outer surface 10, and more specifically by two circular-shaped sections of this lower limiting edge 24, which extend in the circumferential direction on both sides of perpendicular longitudinal slot 15 and rest against the profile edge. These two parts of lower limiting edge 24 are separated from each other by a flange 26 which projects downwards from outer surface 10 and is disposed on the side of the circumference of outer surface 10 positioned opposite longitudinal slot 15. Two spurs 16, 17 adjoin flange 26 at each side, which also extend in the circumferential direction below lower limiting edge 24. Together with lower limiting edge 24, spurs 16 and 17 define a slit-shaped holder opening 12 as accommodating element 22, into which a corresponding surface of the support profile, i.e. one which matches holding opening 12, can be inserted, so that holding element 9 can be detachably but securely fixed in place as a result of spurs 16,17 resting against the underside of the corresponding surface.

The support profile may be the edge of a plate, for example, to which holding element 9 is attached, with the lower edge 24 of the outer surface resting against it. Flange 26 then rests against the outer edge of the plate and prevents holding element 9 from slipping inwards onto the surface of the plate, thereby ensuring the holding element 9 is held securely in place.

Whereas, in the embodiment shown here, accommodating element 22 is formed by slit-shaped holding opening 12, which is delimited on the underside by spurs 16 and 17, one may dispense with spurs 16 and 17 so that accommodating element 22 is defined only by the lower limiting edge 24 of outer surface 10 and lateral flange 26. In this case, holding element 9 is not clamped on, but merely attached at the side to the edge of the support profile so that sections of the lower limiting edge 24 rest on the plate edge and flange 26 abuts against this edge at the side. This offers the advantage of easy removability. Hence there are many design options for flange 26, with or without spurs 16,17, depending on the use of holding element 9. Further, point of support 6 may also be formed solely by part-sections of upper limiting edge 20.

Compared to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 shows a modified variation of a holding element 9. Only one slit-shaped point of support 7 has been contrived in outer surface 10 so that, in addition to first ring-shaped point of support 6 formed by the upper limiting edge 20 of outer surface 10, one further point of support 7 is available to accommodate appropriate objects such as items of cutlery. It is also significant that the holding element shown in FIG. 2 has no slots along the axial longitudinal extension of outer surface 10. The lower limiting edge 24 of outer surface 10 lies along a plane which is sloped compared to upper edge 20.

The holding element of FIG. 3 is also contrived without a slot, but it has two slit-shaped points of support 7 and 8. In contrast to the variant illustrated in FIG. 1, where the slit-shaped points of support 7,8 were contrived in outer surface 10 above each other and running along approximately the same path, these slit-shaped points of support 7,8 are positioned at opposite sides of outer surface 10.

A first possibility for using a holding element according to the invention is shown in the context of the exploded illustration in FIG. 4. Outer surface 10, which is provided with only one slit-shaped point of support 7, features a ring-shaped point of support 6 which is used here to accommodate an object 1 in the shape of a dish. It may hold salt for a breakfast egg, for example, or butter, honey, jam or similar products, whilst holding element 9 is fixed to a plate by means of holding opening 12.

FIG. 5 illustrates another variant of how a holding element 9 according to the invention may be used. Shown here is a holding element 9 with a slit-shaped point of support 7 into which an object 3 is inserted in the example shown here, the object being an item of cutlery, more precisely a spoon. Ring-shaped point of support 6 accommodates a dish 1 as already mentioned in connection with FIG. 4. In outer surface 10 of holding element 9 there is a holding opening 12 running approximately in the axial direction of holding element 9 and functioning as accommodating element 22, which is used to place holding element 9 over the edge of a cup 11, to be considered, in this case, as corresponding surface 11.

With reference to the option described in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5 of using ring-shaped point of support 6 for inserting and holding a dish 1, and placing the holding element as a whole on a cup 11, the embodiment of FIG. 6 represents a further development. In this case, outer surface 10 of holding element 9 is provided with a spout 18 in the region of the upper ring-shaped point of support 6 fitted with dish 1, which spout can be used to drain liquid from dish 1. In this way, dish 1 can be filled with lemon juice, for example, which can be added to a beverage in cup 11 in a dosed fashion via spout 18. Together with outer surface 10 of holding element 9, part of spout 18 also forms, holding opening 12 for attaching the holding element to cup 11.

A preferred use of a holding element 9 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 7. Here, holding element 9 accommodates a breakfast egg 2, placed on ring-shaped point of support 6. Holding opening 12 serves to fix holding element 9 to a corresponding surface 11, which, in the majority of cases, is a plate 11. Plate 11 forms a base for holding element 9, so that eggshell debris from egg 2, for example, can be collected there and then disposed of easily by sliding holding element 9 off the plate edge. The spoon can be inserted into slit-shaped point of support 7, although this is not illustrated in FIG. 7 for the purpose of clarity.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show two variations of embodiments of a holding element 9 according to the invention which are similar and only differ in one detail. Both holding elements 9 can, for example, be attached to the edge of a plate 11 by means of holding opening 12. A breakfast egg can be held in place by means of ring-shaped point of support 6. Holding elements 9 each have two slit-shaped points of support 7,8, each of which accommodates an item of cutlery 4,5. It can be seen that slit-shaped points of support 8 have a curved contour, thereby creating two points of rest 13 and 14 on which an item of cutlery 5, a fork in this case, rests. Cutlery item 5 is therefore held securely and reliably in place. The difference between holding elements 9 of FIGS. 8 and 9 resides in the second slot-shaped point of support 7. In the example shown in FIG. 8, there are, in the upper portion of outer surface 10, two diametrically opposed slots, together forming the slot-shaped point of support 7 with two points of rest, not designated in further detail, for the item of cutlery 4 placed in it, in this case a knife. In FIG. 8, the slots run approximately perpendicular to the circumferential direction of ring-shaped point of support 6, i.e. in the axial direction of holding element 9.

In the holding element 9 of FIG. 9, slot-shaped point of support 7 is only contrived as a slot starting out from ring-shaped point of support 6 on one side. On the diametrically opposite side of holding element 9 this slot is a slot-shaped opening in outer surface 10, into which knife 4 is inserted.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a further variant of an embodiment of a holding element 9 according to the invention. This has a cylindrical outer surface 10. As in the embodiments described above, the upper limiting edge 20 of outer surface 10 forms a first point of support 6, to accommodate an egg, for example, or dish-shaped container. Holding element 9 also has a point of support 7 in its outer surface 10, which is contrived here in a slit shape and extends, in a curved wave shape, in the circumferential direction around outer surface 10. Due to the slit-shaped and slightly curved design of this point of support 7 it forms at least two points of rest 28 and 30 for an item of cutlery 32 as an example of an object to be inserted here for the purpose of holding said item securely in place. Accommodating element 22 is formed by the lower limiting edge 24 of outer surface 10 and serves to attach holding element 9 to a plate 34.

To guarantee support on the plate edge, outer surface 10 is provided with a flange 26. This flange may also have one or two laterally projecting spurs 16 or 17 which, when holding element 9 is used to hold a napkin, prevent any rolling away onto the base. Flange 26 can also, however, be provided with a flat surface for this purpose, which is not shown in this Figure.

FIG. 11 shows a different embodiment of a holding device 9 according to the invention. Outer surface 10 takes the shape of an Easter bunny so that this holding element 9 looks very decorative on the edge of a plate. It also has a ring-shaped point of support 6 hidden behind the upper body of the bunny, which accommodates an egg 36. Like the previous embodiments, accommodating element 22 serves to attach holding element 9 to a plate. In this case, flange 26 was formed by the Easter bunny's legs, thereby ensuring an aesthetic design for this element, too.

Holding element 9 can also be designed to hold a tea light, for example, at its upper opening, i.e. in the ring-shaped point of support 6 formed by the upper limiting edge 20 of outer surface 10. On the inside of outer surface 10 there may be a step to prevent the tea light from slipping downwards, so that the upper edge of the case of the tea light coincides with the upper limiting edge 20. The step can also be formed by a snap ring placed in a circumferential groove on the inside of the outer surface so that its inner edge is raised with regard to outer surface 10.

FIG. 12 shows an arrangement of two holding elements 9 according to the invention placed one above the other, with upper holding element 9 accommodating a burning tea light in the manner described above. This upper holding element 9 is placed on top of a glass cylinder 38 which is inserted into the upper opening of an identically contrived lower holding element 9. Glass cylinder 38 is therefore held in place between the two holding elements 9 and can be used to accommodate decorative material such as a flower, or similar. In the region of the lower limiting edges 24 of outer surfaces 10 of holding elements 9 an elastic ring 40 is placed on the respective holding element 9 so that the slit-shaped holding opening 12 is hidden.

The next Figure shows how a holding element 9 according to the invention is attached to a profile strip 42. This latter has an approximately L-shaped cross-section, with a rearwardly sloping and upwardly extending small edge portion 46 adjoing the horizontal portion 44 of the L. Holding element 9 is placed on this small edge portion 46 in such a way that edge 46 is accommodated in holding opening 12.

In a similar manner as in the preceding Figure, a glass insert 48 holding a tea light is inserted into the upper opening of holding element 9, which is limited by the upper limiting edge 20 of outer surface 10. The burning wick of the tea light is thus protected from draughts. At the same time, the unit comprising holding element 9 and glass insert 48 forms a decorative element which can easily be attached to, and removed from, support profile 42.

In all the embodiments described, it is possible that the lower limiting edge of flange 26, including spurs 16,17, lies along one plane and therefore serves to position holding element 9 on a level surface. This plane may lie parallel to the upper limiting edge 20 of outer surface 10. The direction of extension of the slot of holding opening 12 is inclined slightly upwards in relation to this plane.

The present holding element 9 can be made from any material, including steel for example. One might also use a flexible material allowing the holding element to be rolled or folded up when not in use. Furthermore, holding elements 9 stacked on top of each other may be placed onto a rod-shaped holder for storage.

Number	Date	Country	Kind
20 2007 006 822.0	May 2007	DE	national
20 2007 006 839.5	May 2007	DE	national
20 2007 008 002.6	Jun 2007	DE	national

Holding Element for at Least One Object

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