FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to accessories for use on a dinner table. More specifically, the present invention is a rotatable food holding platform that is connected to a napkin dispenser. The present invention is designed to uplift trays of food, so as not to encumber mobility of patrons eating at the dinner table.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When multiple people are eating at the same table, it can be difficult to consistently access sharable food items such as pizza, hors d'oeuvres, etc. Such foods are most often times brought on a hot tray. The hot tray is typically put in one place on the table, taking up a large amount of space and reducing the amount of space left for plates, silverware, condiments and napkins. Many times, the tray can only be accessed by one person who is forced to act as a server. This situation can be inconvenient, especially for those who are extremely hungry and those who don't feel comfortable with others handling their food. There is little to no space left for any extra items. There exists a need for a device that can better organize table accessories by providing an elevated support adaptor to support a pizza pan or other suitable device thereon. Currently, there are support devices which provide an elevated rotatable stand. These devices, however, fail to include a napkin dispenser with a rotatable, upper surface plate sized for supporting a tray thereon. Such features, however, are provided by the presented invention. With food kept out of the way and able to be conveniently accessed, extensive table space can be saved for other items such as salt, pepper, plates, and other table accessories. Patrons may also obtain napkins at any time, without asking for assistance from others or the server. When no food is ordered requiring a large tray, the space saving platform can be kept in the kitchen so as not to confuse dining patrons.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention, wherein the rotor is a shaft and the stator is a tubular support.
FIG. 3 is a right-side view of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken about line A-A in FIG. 3, wherein the rotor is a shaft and the stator is a tubular support.
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the present invention.
DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention relates generally to table accessories. More specifically, the present invention is a platform for holding/supporting food items at a table with an integrated napkin dispenser 1. The present invention provides each patron at the table easy access to the food items while simultaneously increasing available table space for plates and other table accessories. This is achieved by raising the surface which holds/supports the food items and integrating a napkin dispenser 1 directly underneath said surface.
Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention comprises the napkin dispenser 1, a holding platform 4, a rotation mechanism 5. The holding platform 4 is a flat vessel, which supports food items, dishes, pizza pans, utensils, plates, and other devices that may contain food items. The preferred holding platform 4 is a disk, although alternative shapes and designs may be utilized instead. Additionally, referring to FIG. 5, a diameter 14 of the holding platform 4 is preferably eight inches, although alternative sizing may also be used. The napkin dispenser 1 holds, stores, and distributes napkins. A variety of designs of napkin dispensers 1 may be used for the present invention, although a symmetric shape is preferred to prevent precession and to promote stability of the present invention. Additionally, the napkin dispenser 1 is the structure which supports and elevates the holding platform 4 in order to free up table space. The holding platform 4 is positioned parallel and adjacent to a top surface 2 of the napkin dispenser 1.
The rotation mechanism 5 mechanically couples the holding platform 4 to the napkin dispenser 1 and allows the holding platform 4 to rotate relative to the napkin dispenser 1. Referring to FIG. 3, the rotation mechanism 5 is positioned in between the napkin dispenser 1 and the holding platform 4, and comprises a rotor 6 and a stator 8. The stator 8 is the stationary element of the rotation mechanism 5 and is adjacently connected to the top surface 2. The rotor 6 is the rotating element of the rotation mechanism 5 and is adjacently connected to the holding platform 4. The rotor 6 is rotatably engaged to the stator 8 along a rotation axis 10, wherein a rotation axis 10 of the rotation mechanism 5 and is oriented normal to the top surface 2. The holding platform 4 is concentrically aligned with the rotation axis 10 as seen in FIG. 5. This ensures that the holding platform 4 rotates about the rotation axis 10, increasing the stability of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the preferred rotation mechanism 5 comprises a tubular support and a shaft, wherein the tubular support is the stator 8 and the shaft is the rotor 6. The tubular support is an elongated pipe-like structure that is sized to receive the shaft. The tubular support is oriented normal to the top surface 2. Additionally, the tubular support is concentrically positioned with the top surface 2 to ensure vertical stability. Vertical stability is essential in cases when food items are placed on the holding platform 4 in an asymmetric fashion, thus potentially tipping the present invention on its side. The shaft is an elongated cylinder that is oriented normal to the holding platform 4.
The shaft is rotatably and removably engaged into a shaft-receiving cavity 13 of the tubular support, allowing the shaft to rotate relative to the tubular support. Resultantly, the holding platform 4 is free to rotate relative to the napkin dispenser 1, about the rotation axis 10 of the rotation mechanism 5. Additionally, the rotation mechanism 5 provides an easy and quick means for separating the holding platform 4 from the napkin dispenser 1, ideal for cleaning and storage purposes. Furthermore, a length 7 of the shaft is preferably greater than a length 9 of the shaft-receiving cavity 13 as seen in FIG. 5. This ensures the that a top end of the tubular support does not touch a bottom surface of the holding platform 4 as this can increase frictional forces, wear and tear, and decrease the ease with which the holding platform 4 rotates. In general, the rotation mechanism 5 allows any patron at the table to rotate the holding platform 4 in order to position any food item on the holding platform 4 closer to him/her without external aid, i.e. other patrons at the table or the server. In alternative embodiments, the present invention may utilize alternative devices and mechanisms as the rotation mechanism 5.
Referring to FIG. 4, the present invention further comprises a grip enhancing coating 11. The grip enhancing coating 11 is a slip-resistant layer for the holding platform 4 to ensure food items, dishes, and trays do not easily translate on the holding platform 4. The grip enhancing coating 11 is superimposed over the holding platform 4. The grip enhancing coating 11 covers all the exposed surfaces of the holding platform 4, above and below, and is characterized by having a relatively high coefficient of friction. This prevents the food items from slipping on the top of the holding platform 4. It is important to cover the bottom surface of the holding platform 4 as this is what the patrons touch to rotate the holding platform 4. In one embodiment, the grip enhancing coating 11 is composed of heat-resistant matter to serve as an insulating layer. The heat-resistant matter prevents warm food items from heating up the holding platform 4, thus allowing patrons to touch and rotate the holding platform 4 without getting burned. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the grip enhancing coating 11 is composed of silicone matter. Silicone matter is the ideal composition because it is slip-resistant and a significant thermal insulator. Additional coating and layers may be used in conjunction and/or instead of the grip enhancing coating 11 to further decrease the chances of injury while using the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the present invention further comprises a plurality of legs 12. The plurality of legs 12 raises and supports the napkin dispenser 1. More specifically. The plurality of legs 12 is adjacently positioned to the napkin dispenser 1, opposite the rotation mechanism 5. Each of the plurality of legs 12 is adjacently and normally connected to a bottom surface 3 of the housing. Furthermore, it is preferred that the plurality of legs 12 is radially distributed around the bottom surface 3 for increased stability. Referring to FIG. 5, the plurality of legs 12 comprises four legs that are distributed about the four different corners of the housing for maximum stability. In another embodiment of the present invention, a weighted base may be attached to the bottom surface 3 of the napkin dispenser 1. The weighted base acts as an anchor for the present invention in order to prevent accidental tipping.
A variety of different designs may be used for the napkin dispenser 1. In the preferred embodiment, the napkin dispenser 1 comprises a housing and an at least one pushing mechanism. The housing is brick-shaped structure with a central cavity that is sized to receive the standard napkin. The pushing mechanism is internally integrated into the central cavity and applies a force for the napkins inside the housing. This positions the napkins towards an opening of the central cavity where patrons at the table may easily access and obtain.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Patent Grant
9468324
