FOOD SUPPORT DEVICE

Abstract

 Food holder, destined as means for the presentation and for human consumption of products, which are made up of a one piece set, including a part (1) in the way of a shovel to hold the products (5) of application and a part (2) in the way of a handle for its handling, having at the lower part at least and preferably three supporting points (3) for the seating, between which the centre of gravity of the set is situated, conferring stability to the holder when empty and when filled.

Description

[0001] The object of the invention refers to a holder destined to the incorporation on it of any kind of products for human consumption, serving as a means for the display and the consumption of the mentioned products in a practical and hygienic way, as well as being very comfortable for the users.

[0002] For the manipulation and the consumption of the food the habitual utensils, called cutlery, such as a spoon and a fork are well known, but they are nevertheless not appropriate for the presentation and/or display of the products to be consumed, being this more the function of other objects, such as dishes, casseroles, trays, etc...

[0003] The presentation of food is also known in small individual portions, which can be simple products or complex ones, having the mentioned portions fixed on holders in the shape of snack picks, which restricts the application to solid products and in any case the portions prepared this way shall be situated on a plate or tray which preserves the hygiene of the food product held on it.

[0004] Another presentation way for food portions is on a base of bread or biscuits, which can be consumed with the presented product itself, having this way also the limitation of being applicable only to solid products or semi-solid ones and with the need to support the portions on a dish or tray to guarantee the hygiene.

[0005] A solution which is also known is the use of bivalve animal shells, such as mussels, to put in them the food portions to consume. This solution is even applicable to liquid products or products with sauce, but they have the inconvenience that the supporting stability of the shells is reduced, so that if they are used for liquid products these can be spilled easily, being it necessary to place the shells on dishes or trays, so that the spilled products do not stain the surface of the furniture or of the place of application. On the other hand, the consumers have to take the shells with their hands, which gives rise to bothersome dirtying of the hands and to the risk of getting burnt if the products are hot.

[0006] Before all this, according to the present invention, a holder is proposed to place solid food and/or drinks on, both to be displayed and for consumption, having been developed the mentioned holder in function of some features which give it advantageous character for the use in the mentioned application.

[0007] This holder, object of the invention, is made up of a one piece set, preferably made of plastic material, including a part destined to hold the food and a part for its manipulation, including at least and preferably, three supporting points at the lower part, between which the gravity centre of the set remains defined.

[0008] Even though the realization of this holder is foreseen to be preferably of plastic material, so that it can be disposed of, it can also be carried out in any other material, including all kinds of metal, glass, stoneware, porcelain, composites, etc...

[0009] The part destined to holding the product to be consumed is a shovel, which can have different shapes and dimensions, defining a variable concavity in function of the products the holder is destined to hold on the support. This part can moreover incorporate special conformations, such as picks or lugs, to hold certain products.

[0010] The manipulation part is a conformation projecting from any point of the shovel periphery, determining a handle which allows the handling of the support without having to touch the part holding of the food.

[0011] The supporting points can remain defined by the shapes of the shovel and the handle, or by accessory conformations defined to such end, making up a distribution of the supports which allow the complete stable fixing of the holder in its seating.

[0012] This way a really simple holder is obtained and which allows the use for any kind of food, both liquid and solid, without the danger that they get spilt because of the unstable seating.

[0013] The supports which confer the stability, determine moreover punctual contact areas with the supporting surface, which assures a hygienic character of the holder on any supporting surface, due to the reduced contact with the same. In this sense, the supporting points are moreover foreseen moved towards the extreme parts, with which the central area of the shovel, which is the place which touches the user's mouth for the consumption of the food, remains completely free of contact with the supporting surface.

[0014] Nevertheless, it has to be taken into account that the logic application disposition of these supports will be to situate them on a tray or similar element, being it even possible to present them inside the containers which are formed in packaging means and at the same time on tray for its posterior use.

[0015] The making-up of plastic allows the holder to be introduced in microwave ovens, which makes them also appropriate for the application with products to be consumed hot.

[0016] The structural and manufacturing simplicity, makes that the cost of this holder is moreover quite cheap, allowing its realization as disposable element and with advantageous application, in that concept, for prepared food portions, in catering services, bars, self-services, at home, etc...

[0017] The constructive realization of the holder can adopt appropriate shapes for the piling up, allowing to reduce considerably the storage space.

[0018] On the other hand, the realization possibility is foreseen according to shapes which can be combined together with others on some holders, to make up circular or lineal associations, which reduces the space they occupy in the practical application.

[0019] The holder can be of a size capable of incorporating products such as fish, sausage, meat, etc..., combining the main product with other holders holding other related edible products, allowing this way an advantageous practical exposition disposition.

[0020] The holder can also be foreseen of a protecting cover on the area where the products to be taken in are placed, in articulated assembly or according to any other disposition of the mentioned cover, which makes the conservation capacity of the products greater.

[0021] In view of all of this, the mentioned holder, object of the invention, certainly has some very advantageous features, acquiring own life and preferable character for the purpose to which it is destined.

Figure 1 shows a practical realization of the preconized holder in perspective.

Figure 2 is a sectioned side view of the holder containing a food product accommodated on its shovel.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are respective side views of the holder, according to three realizations, having the shovel different depths.

Figure 6 is a perspective of the holder according to a realization with the handle leaving from a decentered position respect to the shovel.

Figure 7 is a perspective of the holder according to a realization with three supporting points formed by respective lower prominences.

Figure 8 is a perspective of the holder according to a realization with the handle forming an alteration in which a transversal supporting bar is incorporated.

Figure 9 is a perspective of the holder according to a realization with the handle formed by two bent branches which determine supporting points with their ends.

Figure 10 is a perspective of the holder according to a realization which incorporates a conformation in arch associated to the handle, whose ends determine supporting points.

Figure 11 is a perspective of the holder according to a realization with the bent handle and incorporating at the end a transversal supporting bar.

Figure 12 is a perspective of the holder according to a realization with the shovel foreseen of a pick to hold the products.

Figure 13 is a perspective of the holder according to a realization with the shovel foreseen of a small lug for the product maintenance.

[0022] The invention refers to a holder destined to the exposition and consumption of solid products and/or drinks for human consumption, particularly for the incorporation of food portions, such as snacks, in the way some products are presented.

[0023] This holder is made up of a set in one only piece, whose realization is preferably foreseen of plastic material, although it can be carried out in any other kind of material, such as metal, glass, stoneware, porcelain, composites, etc..., determining a part (1) in the shape of a shovel, to hold the food products of application, and a part (2) as a handle, for its manipulation when used.

[0024] The mentioned set is complemented with some seating supports (3), which determine at least and preferably three contact points with the supporting surface (4), in a distribution in the way that the centre of gravity of the whole holder set remains within the mentioned supports (3).

[0025] In this way the holder shows complete stability in its seating, being it possible to use it to hold any kind of product (5), solid, liquid, doughlike, granulated, etc..., with the possibility to collect the corresponding product (5) with the holder itself, such as a ladle or spoon, or to pour the product (5) in the holder which is held on a seating surface (4).

[0026] The supports (3) can remain defined at a point by the lower convexity of the shovel (1), as it can particularly be observed on figures 2 to 5, and at other points by means of a certain shape of the handle (2), either directly as in figure 9, or incorporating complementary means, for example a bar (6) as in figures 8 and 11, or an arch (7) in figures 10 and 12.

[0027] The mentioned supporting points (3) can also be determined by means of projections (8), particularly defined for that function, and which can be in the shovel (1) or in the handle (2), in the dimension of the necessary height in each case, so that the shovel seat (1) remains horizontal on the plane of the supporting surface (4).

[0028] The mentioned supports (3) establish in any case punctual or lineal contact areas with respect to the seating surface (4), which reduces to a minimum the possible pollution transmission from that seating surface (4) to the holder. And to the effects of completely guaranteeing the hygiene in its use, the supporting points (3) are foreseen moved respect to the central area of the shovel (1) towards the ends, which avoids that the user's mouth has to get in touch with the mentioned points (3) to consume the product (5) held in the holder.

[0029] The shovel (1) can adopt different shapes in function of the products (5) to which the holder is destined, being it possible to determine from a deep concavity till an almost flat shape, as the one represented on figures 3, 4 and 5, according to the degree of fluidity or solidity of the products (5) of application and the amount of the same to be held in the holder.

[0030] The shape of the shovel (1) can also be determined according to appropriate shapes to establish circular, lineal, etc... associations with multiple holders, as it results with certain polygonal configurations, which allows to establish display dispositions, using the supports and occupying little space.

[0031] The shovel (1) can moreover be foreseen with complementary conformations to hold certain products (5) of application. The accessory conformations in this sense can be of any kind, such as for example in the shape of a pick (9) as observed on figure 12, or in the shape of lugs (10) as observed on figure 13.

[0032] The handle (2) can also adopt several shapes, leaving from a centred position or from a decentered position respect to the shovel (1), determining or not an area (11) particularly configured as a handle at the outer part.

[0033] The mentioned handle (2) can even be double, leaving from opposed parts of the shovel (1), for the manipulation of the holder with both hands; determining in any case some holding means which allow to handle the holder without having to touch the user's hand the shovel (1) in which the products (5) to be consumed are situated, which allows a completely clean and hygienic handling, with comfort even in the application of hot products. The handle (2) can also be used to incorporate advertising motives, allowing to particularize the holder, referring to commercial Trademarks or events of application, being it also possible to foresee it with conformations, holes and/or grooves, to hold accessory elements, such as information posters on the products (5) or to hold complementary utensils.

[0034] The realizations of the food holder represented on the drawings are in no case limitative, but simple practical examples, being it possible to vary the shapes according to any other kind of configuration without altering the concept of the invention, whose essentially is a holder made up of a part (1) in the way of a shovel to hold the products (5) of application and at least a part (2) in the way of a handle for the handling, determining the set at least three supporting points (3) which establish punctual or lineal contacts with the seating surface (4), defining these supports (3) preferably supporting points (3), between which the centre of gravity is situated, in the way that the holder is completely stable by itself.

[0035] One realization way of the holder is as a disposable element, being incorporated for its application on a tray or similar element or even in containers which are made up as packaging means and at the same time as a tray for its use; being it foreseen that on the shovel (1) of the holders some complementary false covering means can be incorporated, such as a folding assembly or any other solution.

Claims

1. Food holder destined as means to incorporate a product for human consumption, characterized in that it is made up of a set in one only piece, preferably of disposable plastic material, determining a part (1) in the way of a shovel to place the mentioned product (5) in it and a part (2) having the function of a handle for the handling of the holder, in whose set at least and preferably three supporting points (3) remain defined at the lower end for the seating, between which the centre of gravity of the mentioned set remains established, giving this way a stable character to the holder, both when empty and with charge.

2. Food holder, according to the first claim, characterized in that the supports (3) determine punctual or linear contact areas with the seating surface (4), remaining the mentioned supports (3) moved respect to the central area of the shovel (1) towards the ends.

3. Food holder, according to the first and second claims, characterized in that the supports (3) are determined by the particular configuration of the shovel (1) and the handle (2) or by prominent conformations (8) defined to such end.

4. Food holder, according to the first claim, characterized in that the shovel (1) determines a concavity with variable depth, in function of the features of the products (5) for which the holders are destined.

5. Food holder, according to the first claim, characterized in that the shovel (1) can be configured according to association shapes for their positioning combination between different supports according to circular, polygonal or mixed line dispositions.

6. Food holder, according to the first claim, characterized in that the shovel (1) can incorporate special conformation, such as picks (9), lugs (10) or similar means to build an only piece with the holder itself, to hold the products (5) of application.

7. Food holder, according to the first claim, characterized in that the holder can incorporate complementary false means, such as means to cover the part (1).

8. Food holder, according to the first and third claims, characterized in that the handle (2) can incorporate particular conformations such as bars (6) or arches (7), to determine the supports (3) that correspond.

9. Food holder, according to the first claim, characterized in that the handle (2) can determine an area (11) configured as the handle itself at the extreme part.

Drawing