Saucer suitable to be used with cups of different size

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a saucer (1) that can be indiscriminately used with cups of different size (for instance, coffee cups, tea cups or cappuccino cups, milk cups), while assuring that said cups are firmly held on said saucer. In the top surface of the saucer according to the invention a plurality of concentric recessed portions (5a,5b,5c) of different size (D1,D2,D3) are provided, each of said recessed portions being bounded by a peripheral raised edge (7a,7b,7c) suitable to hold a cup having a bottom of corresponding size.

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to a saucer suitable to be used with cups and coffee cups of different size.

[0002] The present invention can be advantageously employed in the field of professional food services, such as bars and restaurants, and, more generally, in all those applications requiring the use of a large number of cups and coffee cups of different size for serving drinks such as coffee, tea, cappuccino, milk and the like.

[0003] According to prior art, saucers comprise a flat or slightly concave body made of glass, majolica, ceramic or china, having for instance a substantially circular shape.

[0004] In the top surface of said body - i.e. in the supporting surface for the cups - a recessed portion, so-called "depression", is provided, which portion typically has a circular shape and is suitable to receive the bottom of a cup, which is firmly held in position by the peripheral edge of the "depression" itself.

[0005] It is clear that, in order to firmly hold a cup, the "depression" diameter must be substantially the same as - or anyhow slightly greater than - the diameter of the cup bottom. According to prior art, to this aim each cup is furnished with a saucer having a "depression" of proper size.

[0006] In professional environments, such as bars and restaurants, wherein a large number of different dinks - coffee, tea, cappuccino, milk - are served in cups of different size, this involves the need of having always available a large number of different saucers, which represents a non negligible constraint.

[0007] The main object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawback of prior art by providing a saucer that can be indiscriminately used with cups of different size, while assuring that said cups are firmly held on said saucer.

[0008] This object is achieved by a saucer according to the invention, as claimed in the appended claims.

[0009] Thanks to the provision of a plurality of concentric recessed portions having different diameters on its surface, the saucer according to the invention allows to receive and firmly hold cups having bottoms of different diameters.

[0010] Thanks to the fact that the depth of said concentric recessed portions decreases as their diameter increases, the recessed portions having a smaller diameter are not a hindrance to the positioning of a cup in a recessed portion of greater diameter.

[0011] As a consequence, the saucer according to the invention can be indifferently used in conjunction with, for instance, a coffee cup, a tea cup or a milk cup.

[0012] Advantageously, the possibility of using the same saucer with different cups represents an economic saving for barkeepers, restaurateurs and other food service professionals.

[0013] Further features of the invention will clearly appear from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

• Figure 1 is a top plan view of the saucer according to the invention;
• Figures 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views along the plane II-II of the saucer of Figure 1, shown in conjunction with a coffee cup and with a milk cup, respectively.

[0014] With reference to Figure 1, the saucer 1 comprises a slightly concave body 3, having a substantially circular shape. Said body 3 is made of glass, majolica, ceramic, china or similar material.

[0015] According to the invention, a plurality of concentric recessed portions 5a,5b,5c, having different diameters D1,D2,D3, are provided in the top surface of said body 3 - i.e. in the surface serving as supporting plane for the cups.

[0016] Preferably, as shown in Figure 1, said recessed portions 5a,5b,5c are provided at the centre of the surface 3a of the body 3, even if it would be conceivable to provide said recessed portions at an eccentric position.

[0017] As it can be clearly seen in Figures 2 and 3, starting from the centre of the saucer 1 and heading to the outer rim thereof, the first recessed portion 5a, having the smallest diameter D1, is bounded by a peripheral raised edge 7a, which allows to hold cups having a bottom with a diameter substantially equal to D1 on the saucer 1, within the recessed portion 5a.

[0018] The following recessed portion 5b extends starting from the top of the raised edge 7a of the first recessed portion 5a, which recessed portion 5b is concentric to said first recessed portion 5a and has a greater diameter D2. Said second recessed portion 5b is also bounded by a peripheral raised edge 7b, allowing to hold cups having a bottom with a diameter substantially equal to D2 on the saucer 1, within the recessed portion 5b.

[0019] Finally, the following recessed portion 5c having the greatest diameter D3 extends starting from the top of the raised edge 7b of the second recessed portion 5b, which recessed portion 5c is concentric to the previous ones. Said third recessed portion 5c is also bounded by a peripheral raised edge 7c, allowing to hold cups having a bottom with a diameter substantially equal to D3 on the saucer 1, within the recessed portion 5c. Said peripheral circular raised edge 7c, which is the most external one, directly merges into the outer portion of the top surface 3a of the body 3.

[0020] In the saucer shown in Figures 1 - 3, the peripheral raised edges 7a,7b,7c have a circular shape; accordingly, the recessed portion 5a having the smallest diameter D1 will be disc-shaped, while the following recessed portions 5b,5c, having greater diameters D2,D3 will be ring-shaped.

[0021] As the diameter of the recessed portions increases, each recessed portion having a greater diameter extends starting from the top of the raised edge of the previous portion, whereby their depth decreases accordingly.

[0022] Advantageously, in this way the recessed portions having a smaller diameter do not interfere with the bottom of the cups received in the recessed portions having a greater diameter, since the former ones are at a greater depth than said bottom.

[0023] Preferably, as shown in Figure 2, the first recessed portion 5a is suitable to receive and hold coffee cups Ta and to this purpose it has a diameter D1 of about 35 - 40 mm.

[0024] The second recessed portion 5b is suitable to receive and hold tea cups or cappuccino cups and to this purpose it has a diameter D2 of about 50 - 55 mm.

[0025] Finally, the third recessed portion 5c, as can be seen in Figure 3, is suitable to receive and hold milk cups Tc and to this purpose it has a diameter D3 of about 60 - 65 mm.

[0026] Always with reference to Figure 3, it is to be noted that, since the recessed portions 5a,5b are at a depth greater than the recessed portion 5c that receives the cup Tc, they do not interfere in any way with the bottom of the cup Tc and they are of no hindrance to the correct positioning of the cup Tc into the recessed portion 5c.

[0027] Although the invention is disclosed with reference to three concentric recessed portions, it is to be noted that it is also conceivable to manufacture a saucer having a different number - either lower or greater - of recessed portions.

[0028] It is also to be noted that, even if the invention can be particularly embodied as a saucer for cups and coffee cups, it could be also be employed as a coaster for glasses of different diameter or for other similar purposes.

[0029] Furthermore, even if the invention has been disclosed with reference to saucers with a body of circular shape and to recessed portions also of circular shape, it is also possible to conceive saucers and/ore recessed portions having a different shape, e.g. square or elliptic.

Claims

1. Saucer (1), comprising a flat or slightly concave body (3), characterized in that a plurality of concentric recessed portions (5a,5b,5c) of different size (D1,D2,D3) are provided in the top surface (3a) of said body (3), each of said recessed portions being bounded by a peripheral raised edge (7a,7b,7c).

2. Saucer (1) according to claim 1, wherein each recessed portion (5b,5c) extends starting from the top of the peripheral raised edge (7a,7b) of the adjacent recessed portion with smaller diameter.

3. Saucer (1) according to claim 1, wherein said recessed portions (5a,5b,5c) are provided at the centre of said top surface (3a) of said body (3).

4. Saucer (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said peripheral raised edges (7a,7b,7c) have a circular shape and bound recessed portions (5a,5b,5c) with different diameters (D1,D2,D3).

5. Saucer (1) according to claim 4, wherein three of said recessed portions (5a,5b,5c) are provided.

6. Saucer (1) according to claim 5, wherein a first recessed portion (5a) has a diameter (D1) of about 35 - 40 mm, so as to receive and hold a coffee cup.

7. Saucer (1) according to claim 5, wherein a second recessed portion (5b) has a diameter (D2) of about 50 - 55 mm, so as to receive and hold a tea cup or cappuccino cup.

8. Saucer (1) according to claim 5, wherein a third recessed portion (5c) has a diameter (D3) of about 60 - 65 mm, so as to receive and hold a milk cup.

9. Saucer (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said body (3) is made of glass, majolica, ceramic, china or similar material.

10. Saucer (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said body (3) has a circular shape.

Drawing