CN217771989U - Dining mat - Google Patents

Abstract

A placemat, comprising: a food grade silicone sheet member having a surface and a front face, the sheet member having a thickness of 1mm to 3mm; a fork profile, a spoon profile, a plate profile and a cup profile, respectively, imprinted on the plate such that the fork profile, the spoon profile, the plate profile and the cup profile extend a distance of 1mm to 3mm above the front face of the sheet member, and an imprinted rim extending around an outer edge of the sheet member, wherein the imprinted rim has a height extending upwardly from the front face in a range of 1mm to 3mm.

Description

Dining mat

Technical Field

The present invention relates to placemats, such as those used to teach infants, toddlers, and children the proper use of tableware, plates, bowls, and cups.

Background

As with many activities that children need to learn, it can be difficult to teach infants, toddlers, and children to properly feed on a table using non-plastic or "adult" tableware, plates, and cups. One strategy that assists in teaching proper diet and table usage is to use a mat with tableware, plate and cup placement indicators to properly use the table. However, even with the use of indicators, infants, toddlers, and children have difficulty learning the correct diet and table usage.

It will be understood that, if any prior publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in australia or in any other country.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

An embodiment of the utility model provides a meal pad, it includes: a sheet member (sheet member) having a front face made of a flexible material; one or more of a cutlery (cutlery item) profile, a plate profile, a napkin profile and a cup profile, which is embossed (embossed) on the sheet member such that the profile is raised above the front face of the sheet member. The broad interpretation of the term "cutlery" includes any type of cutlery such as knives, forks and any type of spoon.

One or more of the cutlery-like profile, the plate profile, the napkin profile, and the cup profile may provide tactile feedback to a user of the placemat. Such tactile feedback may help teach a user, such as a child, how and where to place cutlery, plates, and/or cups. The placemat may be a Mongolian Clilli placemat.

The placemat may also include an embossed border that extends around the outer edge of the flap member. The height of the embossing bezel may extend upward from the front face, ranging from 1mm to 3mm. The width of the embossing frame may be 5mm to 30mm. The placemat may also include an elastic band extending from the embossed border. When the placemat is rolled into a rolled configuration, the elastic band may be wound around the placemat to maintain the placemat in the rolled configuration. One or more of the cutlery-like profile, the plate profile, the napkin profile and the cup profile may extend above the front face of the sheet member by a distance up to the thickness of the sheet member. The sheet member may have a thickness of 1mm to 3mm. One or more of the cutlery-like profile, the plate profile, the napkin profile and the cup profile may have a width of 2mm to 5mm.

The placemat may include a fork profile, a spoon profile, a plate profile, and a cup profile. The fork profile and the spoon profile may be located on opposite sides of the tray profile. The cup profile may be adjacent the top of the scoop profile and the edge of the sheet member.

The placemat may include a fork profile, a spoon profile, a knife profile, a plate profile, a napkin profile, and a cup profile. The fork profile and the spoon profile may be located on opposite sides of the tray profile. The knife profile may be located adjacent to the scoop profile. The cup profile may be located between the top of the scoop profile and the edge of the sheet member. The napkin profile can be placed next to the fork profile. The napkin profile may be located between the fork profile and the edge of the sheet member. The fork contour may be located within the napkin contour. The knife profile may be located between the spoon profile and the dish profile.

The sheet member is generally rectangular in shape. The sheet member may be oval. The placemat may be made of food grade silicone material. The silicone material may be LFGB grade.

An embodiment of the utility model provides a meal pad, it includes: a sheet-like member of food grade silicone having a thickness of 1mm to 3mm and a front face; a fork profile, a spoon profile, a plate profile and a cup profile, each imprinted on the sheet-like member such that the fork profile, spoon profile, plate profile and cup profile extend a distance of 1mm to 3mm above a front face of the sheet-like member, and an imprinted rim extending around an outer edge of the sheet-like member, wherein the imprinted rim has a height extending upwardly from the front face in a range of 1mm to 3mm.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a placemat embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment ofbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the placemat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the placemat of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5a shows one embodiment of a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5B shows one embodiment of a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5c shows an embodiment of a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5d illustrates one embodiment of a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment ofbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows a plan view of another embodiment of a placemat.

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of another embodiment of a placemat.

FIG. 9 shows a plan view of another embodiment of a placemat.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a meal pad. Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a placemat 10. In one embodiment, the placemat 10 is a Mongolian Clilli placemat. The placemat 10 is formed from a sheet 12. The sheet 12 is a flexible material. By "flexible material" is meant a material that can be rolled, and moved without breaking, and that can return to a planar or planar orientation. The pliable material may be food grade silicone. The silicone may be FDA grade. The silicone may be LFGB grade. Extending around the edge of sheet 12 is a peripheral edge 20. The sheet 12 has a front face 16 and a back face 18. In use of the placemat 10, the back side 18 will be placed on a surface (e.g., a table) and a dish, plate, bowl, napkin, and/or cup placed on the front side 16. Sheet 12 has an upper edge 34, a top edge, a right edge 38, a left edge 40, and a bottom edge 36. In the present disclosure, directional terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", and "right" are referenced with respect to top edge 34, right edge 38, left edge 40, and bottom edge 36. For example, the term "rightward" refers to a direction toward the right edge 38.

In one embodiment, the placemat 10 has a height of about 200mm to about 310mm in the direction extending from the top edge 34 to the bottom edge 36 and a width of about 300mm to about 460mm in the direction extending from the left edge 40 to the right edge 38. In one embodiment, the placemat 10 is approximately 280mm in height extending from the top edge 34 to the bottom edge 36 and approximately 430mm in width extending from the left edge 40 to the right edge 38.

The sheet 12 has one or more of a cutlery-like profile, a plate profile, a napkin profile, and a cup profile. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the fork profile 26, spoon profile 28, plate profile 24 and cup profile 30 are embossed on the front face 16. The fork profile 26 and the spoon profile 28 are located on opposite sides of the tray profile 24. In one embodiment, the fork profile 26 and the spoon profile 28 are equally spaced from the tray profile 24. In one embodiment, the fork profile 26 and spoon profile 28 are spaced about 25mm from the circumference of the pan profile 24. The fork profile 26 is located to the left of the profile of the tray 24. The spoon profile 28 is located to the right of the profile of the tray 24.

The cup profile 30 is located above the scoop profile 28 and between the top edge 34. In one embodiment, cup profile 30 is located about 45mm to the left of right edge 38, about 35mm from top edge 34. The diameter of the tray profile 24 can be about 150mm to about 250mm. In one embodiment, the diameter of the tray profile 24 is about 180mm to about 200mm. In one embodiment, the diameter of the tray profile 24 is about 189mm.

The contours 24, 26, 28 and 30 are each formed by a respective stamped or raised portion 24a, 26a, 28a and 30a extending from the front face 16. The convex portions 24a, 26a, 28a and 30a are formed by embossing. As shown in fig. 2, the raised portion of the tray profile 24 defining the tray profile 24 has two side walls 25, each extending laterally from the front face 16. The sidewalls 25 are connected by a top 27. In cross section, the convex portion 24a forms a half-ellipse shape. The side walls 25 and the top 27 described for the raised portion 24a are also used to form each of the raised portions 26a, 28a and 30 a.

Referring to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, raised portions 24a, 26a, 28a, and 30a each extend a distance d from front face 16 ² The distance reaching the thickness d of the sheet 12 ¹ . Although only the convex portion 24a is shown in FIG. 6, the dimension d ² And d ³ And also for describing the relative dimensions of the raised portions 26a, 28a and 30 a. The thickness of the sheet 12 is relative to the direction extending from the front face 16 to the back face 18. Thickness d of sheet 12 ¹ Is in the range of about 1mm to about 3mm. In one embodiment, the thickness d ¹ About 2mm. About 1mm to about 3mm in thickness, both flexible and resilient to withstand normal use.

In one embodiment, the distance d between the raised portions 24a and 30a ² About 2mm. In one embodiment, the distance (i.e., height) d of the raised portions 26a and 28a ² About 1mm. In one embodiment, the width d of the raised portions 24a, 26a, 28a, and 30a ³ (i.e., the distance extending between sidewalls 25) is greater than distance d ² . In one embodiment, the width d ³ Is in the range of about 2mm to about 5mm. In one embodiment, the width d of the raised portions 24a and 30a ³ About 4mm. In one embodiment, the width d of the raised portions 26a and 28a ³ About 2mm. In one embodiment, the width d of the raised portions 24a and 30a of the scoop profile 28 and cup profile 30 ³ Greater than the width d of the raised portions 26a and 28a of the fork profile 26 and spoon profile 28 ³ . In one embodiment, the height d of the raised portions 24a and 30a of the scoop profile 28 and cup profile 30 ² Greater than the height d of the raised portions 26a and 28a of the fork profile 26 and spoon profile 28 ² . It should be noted that the cross-sectional views shown in fig. 2 and 5-6 are not drawn to scale, but are merely illustrative. d ² 、d ³ 、d ⁴ And d ⁵ Is in the range of 1mm to 5mm, provides resiliency to withstand normal use, sufficient tenting to provide tactile feedback, and also provides flexibility of the sheet 12.

In addition to providing a visual indication, the raised portions (e.g., 24a, 26a, 28a, and 30 a) provide tactile feedback to the user regarding the intended location where the cutlery, plates, bowls, and cups should be placed. This may be advantageous when training children to use cutlery, plates, bowls and cups, especially compared to a mat where the cutlery, plates, bowls and cup profiles are printed only on the mat and do not provide any tactile feedback. Raised portions, such as 24a, 26a, 28a and 30a, may also help to keep the contents of the placemat in place. For example, if a child or user accidentally bumps the knife, the raised portion 24a may help to hold the knife in its proper position. To assist in the visual indication, the raised portions 24a, 26a, 28a and 30a may be a different color than the front face 16. Each of the convex portions 24a, 26a, 28a, and 30a may have a different color from each other. The placemat shown in fig. 4 is blue, but the placemat of the present invention is not limited to any color.

A dinner pad with a fork profile 26 and a spoon profile 28 is shown. However, in some embodiments, scoop profile 28 may be replaced with a knife profile. Optionally, embodiments of the meal pad can have a fork profile, a knife profile, and a spoon profile.

Extending around the outer edge 20 is the rim 14. As shown in fig. 2, the bezel 14 has an inner side 22 and an outer side 21 extending laterally from the front face 16. The outer side 21 is continuous with the outer edge 20. In one embodiment, the outer edge 20 extends generally perpendicular to the plane of the front face 16. The outer side 21 extends transversely from the outer edge 20. The inner side 22 and the outer side 21 are connected by a plane 23. The plane 23 serves as a roof when the frame 14 is viewed in cross-section. The rim 14 may help contain any food or liquid that slides onto the placemat 10.

In cross-section, the frame 14 in fig. 2 is shown as forming a prism (frustum). Fig. 5a shows a cross-section of the rim 14, wherein the outer edge 20 and the outer side 21 are defined by the same surface of the rim 14 b. Fig. 5b shows that 14c is square in cross-section. Fig. 5c shows a frame 14d which is circular in cross-section. Fig. 5d shows a frame 14e that is rectangular in cross-section. The rim 14 may be stamped on the sheet 12. In one embodiment, the frame 14 is adhered to the sheet 12 as a separate component. It should be noted that each of the raised portions 24a, 26a, 28a and 30a may have a cross-section similar to the frame 14 shown in fig. 5a-5 d.

Referring to FIG. 6, the width d of the bezel 14 ⁵ Extending between the lateral side 21 and the medial side 22 in a range from about 5mm to about 30mm. In one embodiment, the width d of the bezel 14 ⁵ In the range of about 10mm to about 20 mm. In one embodiment, the width d of the bezel 14 ⁵ About 15mm. The bezel 14 projects a distance (i.e., height) d above the front face 16 ⁴ Ranging from about 1mm to about 5mm. In one embodiment, the height d ⁴ Is in the range of about 1mm to about 3mm. In one embodimentIn the table, height d ⁴ About 1.5mm. When height d ⁴ About 1.5mm, the thickness of the rim 14 from the back surface 18 to the flat surface 23 is about 3.5mm.

Impressing the rim 14 and the plate profile 24, the fork profile 26, the spoon profile 28, and the cup profile 30 onto the sheet 12 helps to increase the durability of the placemat 10. For example, the problem of ink or indicia rubbing over time can be eliminated without having to use the ink and indicia applied to the sheet 12 to form the tray profile 24, fork profile 26, spoon profile 28, and cup profile 30.

The placemat 10 is shown as being generally rectangular, but the invention is not limited to placemat 10 being rectangular. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the placemat 10a may be oval in shape. With the placemat 10a, the cup profile is located near the top of the spoon profile 28. One advantage of the oval shape is that the placemat 10a may be more compact. The placemat 10 may be square or any other polygonal shape.

Another embodiment of a placemat 50 is shown in fig. 7. The placemat 50 is similar to the placemat 10, and like reference numerals are used to describe the same features as the placemat 10. In addition to the fork profile 26, spoon profile 28, plate profile 24 and cup profile 30 shown in the placemat 10, the placemat 50 also has a napkin profile 56 and a knife profile 52. The napkin contour 56 is formed by an embossed or raised portion 58 and the knife contour 52 is formed by an embossed or raised portion 54.

The spoon profile 28 and knife profile 52 are located on the same side of the tray profile 24. The fork profile 26 is located on the opposite side of the spoon 28 and knife 52 profiles. In one embodiment, the fork profile 26 and the knife profile 52 are equally spaced from the tray profile 24. In one embodiment, the fork profile 26 and knife profile 52 are about 13mm from the circumference of the disc profile 24. In one embodiment, the knife profile 52 is about 13mm from the scoop profile 28, towards the right edge 38. The fork profile 26 is located to the left of the tray profile 24. The knife profile 52 and the spoon profile 28 are located to the right of the tray profile 24. The napkin profile 56 is located to the left of the fork profile 26. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 9, in a placemat 50a, the fork contours 26 may be placed within the napkin contours 56. Since the napkin is not always needed by the user, an advantage of placing the fork contours 26 within the napkin contours 56 is that the napkin pad 50a can be more compact.

As shown, the top left corner 42 of the placemat 10, 10a, 50, or 50a is imprinted with a strip 46. The band 46 is used to define an opening 48. In one embodiment, the bands 46 have the same thickness as the sheet 12. When the placemat 10, 10a, 50 or 50a is not in use, the user may roll up the placemat 10, 10a, 50 or 50a to place the placemat in a rolled configuration (not shown). The tape 46 may then be wrapped around one end of the rolled placemat 10, 10a, 50 or 50a to maintain the placemat 10 or 50 in a rolled configuration. Optionally, once the placemat 10, 10a, 50 or 50a is rolled up for the first time, the placemat 10, 10a, 50 or 50a may be folded in half so that the two rolled ends are joined together before one of the rolled placemat 10, 10a, 50 or 50a is passed through the opening 48. The strap 46 is elastic and helps to secure the rolled ends of the placemat in the opening 48. As shown in fig. 1 and 4, the strap 46 is shaped like a leaf logo 32. The shape of the band 46 may resemble any shape. The strap 46 is not required in all embodiments. When strip 46 is omitted, border 14 follows outer edge 20 around the upper left corner, e.g., the other three corners.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the disclosure, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments.

Claims (7)

1. A placemat, comprising:

a sheet-like member having a front face made of a flexible material;

one or more of a tableware-like contour, a plate contour, a napkin contour, and a cup contour imprinted on the sheet member such that the contour extends above the front face of the sheet member, wherein the one or more of the tableware-like contour, the plate contour, and the cup contour extends above the front face of the sheet member a distance up to the thickness of the sheet member;

an embossed border extending around the perimeter of the sheet member; and

an elastic band extending from the embossed border, wherein the elastic band is capable of rolling the placemat to maintain the rolled configuration of the placemat when the placemat is rolled in the rolled configuration.

2. The placemat of claim 1, wherein the placemat includes a fork profile, a spoon profile, a plate profile, and a cup profile,

wherein the fork profile and the spoon profile are located on opposite sides of the tray profile, and

wherein the cup profile is located adjacent to the top of the scoop profile and the edge of the sheet member.

3. The placemat of claim 2, wherein the placemat further includes a napkin outline.

4. The placemat of claim 3 wherein the napkin profile is adjacent to the fork profile.

5. The placemat of claim 3, wherein the fork contours are located within the napkin contours.

6. The meal pad of claim 1, wherein the meal pad is made of food grade silicone material.

7. A placemat, comprising:

a food grade silicone sheet member having a surface and a front face, the sheet member having a thickness of from 1mm to 3mm;

a fork profile, a spoon profile, a plate profile and a cup profile, which are respectively imprinted on the sheet-like member such that the fork profile, the spoon profile, the plate profile and the cup profile extend a distance of 1mm to 3mm above the front face of the sheet-like member, and

an embossed border extending around an outer edge of the sheet member, wherein the embossed border has a height extending upwardly from the front surface in a range of 1mm to 3mm; and

an elastic band extending from the embossed border, wherein the elastic band is capable of rolling the placemat to maintain the rolled configuration of the placemat when the placemat is rolled in the rolled configuration.

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