EP3903648B1

EP3903648B1 - A kit for laying a table and a method for realisation of the kit

Info

Publication number: EP3903648B1
Application number: EP21170892.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Danilo CASADEI
Original assignee: Grafiche Mdm Srl
Current assignee: Grafiche Mdm Srl
Priority date: 2020-04-30
Filing date: 2021-04-28
Publication date: 2023-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 2041-04-28
Also published as: IT202000009487A1; EP3903648C0; EP3903648A1

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the sector of the so-called personal or domestic articles, more specifically for the table, in particular placemats, kitchenware and napkins; notwithstanding the designation of technical sector, the invention is applicable regardless of the place of use. In greater detail the invention relates to a kit for laying a table on a rest surface and the realisation thereof. The kit comprises a placemat and at least an item of cutlery. Generally the kit comprises a fork, a knife, a napkin and possibly a spoon and/or small spoon or chopsticks the food and a napkin.
The placemats, usually small single-place tablecloths, represent a versatile, practical and/or economical solution, often of the single-use type, thus facilitating the management and limiting the possibility of transmission of pathogen agents among users. The apparatus is completed by items of cutlery and napkins which are progressively more often supplied in special packages in order to prevent any contamination before use thereof; the napkins are also single-use, as the cutlery might also be.
All of these elements can be produced in multiple materials, among which the placemats and napkins are often made of light paper while the cutlery is made of a plastic material or wood.
When laying a table a placemat is necessary, generally collected from a stack of placemats, with the package containing the cutlery and the napkin then being opened. In the case of re-usable cutlery, after washing it has to be repackaged.
The above-described solutions produce an increase in waste, do not guarantee the hygiene of all the apparatus, and complicate its preparation and/or increase its costs. For example, the packages of cutlery increase the production costs and often become a waste material and, during the collection of a placemat from the stack, the users come into contact with the placemats of other people.
US4800108A obviates some of the drawbacks of these solutions by providing a kit comprising a placemat with a pouch for receiving the cutlery. The placemat is folded in several folds thus facilitating the packaging thereof and improving the hygienic conditions of conservation of the placemat, which has a face not turned towards the outside, and cutlery. However the kit of US4800108A does not guarantee the closing of the placemat, which can therefore partially open, and requires the use of glues and special operations to form the internal bag for the cutlery.
DE4335279A1 discloses a wrapping of cutlery formed by a sheet folded in a bag-like manner and with the terminal edges joined; once the sheet has been opened out it can be used as a napkin. This solution improves the hygiene conditions of conservation of the napkin and the cutlery but does not guarantee the complete closure of the napkin, as the upper side can open, being necessarily only folded; also, the user might not notice that the opening has taken place in the event that the upper side has been newly folded down. Further, there is a strong risk that the step of opening the wrapping might jeopardise the integrity of the napkin, especially when the dimensions of the napkin are larger; this, for example, is because in DE4335279A1 the separable connection zones intersect with one another.
A first aim of the present invention is to provide a kit for laying a table that guarantees the hygienic conditions of all the components thereof during the period of conservation, prior to use. A further aim is to reduce or present the use of material for packaging the kit for laying a table and/or glues or adhesives. A further aim is to facilitate the opening of the kit in order to lay a place, while guaranteeing a good seal of the closures during the period of conservation.
These and other aims, which will be obvious to the expert in the sector from a reading of the following text, are attained by means of a kit for laying a table on a rest surface according to claim 1, of a placemat for accommodating at least an item of cutlery according to claim 9 or a method for realising a kit for laying a table on a rest surface according to claim 7 or 10.
In accordance with the disclosure of the present document, the kit comprises at least an item of cutlery and a placemat which has a face for contacting a rest surface when it is used. The placemat is advantageously folded to accommodate the at least an item of cutlery in a condition of conservation and comprises a first and a second closure, both openable and comprising partial perforations of superposed layers of placemat; each partial perforation is folded together with a corresponding partial perforation of each of the remaining superposed layers of placemat.
Specific embodiments of the invention will be described in the following part of the present description, according to what is set down in the claims and with the aid of the accompanying tables of drawings, in which:

figures from 1 to 5 illustrate, in views from above, steps of an embodiment of a method for creating a placemat for accommodating at least an item of cutlery according to the invention;
figure 6 illustrates, in a view from above, a step of an embodiment of a method for realising a kit for laying a table on a rest surface according to the invention;
figure 7 is a view from above of a step following the step of figure 6 as well as an embodiment of the kit for laying a table on a rest surface according to the invention;
figure 8 is a view from above of a sheet or placemat with a fold;
figure 9 is a view from above of a sheet or placemat with three folds;
figures from 10 to 13 illustrate, in views from above, or axonometric, in the case of figure 13, steps of an embodiment of a method for realising a kit for laying a table on a rest surface according to the invention, as well as the kit thus-obtained;
figure 14 is a view from above of a portion of a placemat in which a closed embodiment can be seen, according to the invention;
figure 15 is a photograph of an embodiment of partial perforations, with a hand (M), which is not part of the invention, moving two layers of placemat away from one another.

With reference to the appended tables of drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a kit for laying a table on a rest surface.
An embodiment of the kit (1) comprises at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) and a placemat (2), preferably a sheet made of paper and/or a plastic material.
The placemat (2) has a first face (21) and a second face (22), opposite the first face (21); the second face (22) contacts the rest surface in a use condition.
In a condition of conservation, the placemat (2) is folded to accommodate the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) which, preferably, comprises a fork (3) or a knife (4) or a spoon (5) or a small spoon or chopsticks (7) for the food or a combination of two or more thereof. In general the placemat (2) also accommodates a napkin (6).
According to an embodiment of the kit (1) the placemat (2) also accommodates at least a toothpick and/or at least a wipe, for example of the scented and/or moistened type.
At least the first face (21) is preferably for food use, for example using colourants that are for food use and/or the surface has been treated and/or processed for food use.
The placemat (2) is advantageously folded in one or more folds (24, 25) and has only the second face (22) thereof facing, at least partially, towards the outside.
For example when the placemat (2) has only one fold, as in figures 8 and 14, the second face (22) is completely external while with a plurality of folds, as in figure 7, the second face (22) is only partially external. In the attached tables of drawings, for example in figure 2, the one or more folds (24, 25) are traced in broken lines.
The folded placemat (2) forms layers of placemat (2), i.e. is folded on itself, and comprises a first closure (27) and a second closure (28), both openable. In figures 5, 6, 7 and 13, the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) are schematically represented while figure 14 and figure 15 detail respective embodiments.
At least a first fold (24) of the one or more folds (24, 25), the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) advantageously retains the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) between layers of placemat (2).
The folded placemat (2) is configured in such a way that the unfolding thereof causes the opening of the first closure (27) and the second closure (28).
Both the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) very advantageously comprise partial perforations of superposed layers of placemat (2), each partial perforation being folded together with a corresponding partial perforation of each of the remaining superposed layers of placemat (2).
The partial perforations, once folded together, unite the various layers and prevent the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) from crossing the side on which they are realised.
Further, the folded placemat (2) has a first side (26) open to enable access between two layers of placemat (2). The first side (26) enables easily moving away the layers of the placemat (2), thus detaching the partial perforations folded together and causing the opening of the first closure (27) and/or of the second closure (28). This effect can be seen in figure 15. The whole first side (26) is preferably open, as shown in the accompanying figures. This is particularly preferable when the placemat (2) has a plurality of folds while, in the case of one fold alone, it might be made in a central area of the first side (26), a further closure, preferably of the type of the first closure (27).
Further, the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) are opposite one another with respect to the first fold (24) and with respect to the first side (26).
The embodiment described above guarantees the seal of the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) and an easy opening of the placemat (2), minimising the risk of it breaking.
As illustrated by way of example in figure 7, the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) each form a barrier directly facing the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) and which locates between the item of cutlery and the outside environment in a respective direction. Likewise the one or more folds (24, 25) acts as a barrier directly facing the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) and which locates between the item of cutlery and the outside environment in a respective direction.
The first closure (27) and the second closure (28) are very preferably realised on the margin, in general in proximity of the edge. This presents a double advantage: on the one hand the risk of contamination of the first face (21) is reduced, and on the other hand, given a same thickness, or extension, of the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7), the angle defined by the layers of the placemat (2) facing one another is reduced, in proximity of the first closure (27) and the second closure (28). In other words the folded placemat (2) is less inflated in proximity of the first closure (27) and the second closure (28), thus stressing the partial perforations less.
The first closure (27) and the second closure (28) preferably follow the profile of the edge, for example they have a straight profile in the case of a rectangular placemat (2) and with the one or more folds (24, 25) parallel to the sides.
A second fold (25) of the one or more folds (24, 25), together with the first fold (24), the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) preferably retain the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) between layers of placemat (2) on all sides of the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) with the first fold (24) and the second fold (25) both transversal with respect to the first closure (27) and the second closure (28). In this way the first fold (24) and the second fold (25) cooperate with the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) to retain the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) along mutually transversal directions; for example in figure 7: the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) is laterally retained by the first fold (24) and the second fold (25), from above by the second closure (28) and from below by the first closure (27). In other words the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) is retained in a closed volume, or substantially closed, by the above-mentioned elements.
In this case the first side (26) can advantageously be completely open, thus facilitating the unfolding of the folded placemat (2).
The partial perforations are preferably in the form of tabs; the tabs extend from an attachment zone to the layer of placemat (2) in a transversal direction with respect to the first fold (24), and, possibly, to the second fold (25).
As can be observed in figures 14 and 15, the tabs preferably have an elongate shape, for example rectangular, with the long sides, transversal with respect to the first fold (24), and, possibly, to the second fold (25). Figures 14 and 15 enable observing how the tabs are folded together. In particular figure 14 illustrates a portion of a placemat (2) which has only one first fold (24), as can be seen at the bottom on the right. Figure 14 illustrates two rows of tabs that are elongate and conformed in an arrow shape and which are detached from the layer of placemat (2) along the continuous segments. To schematically represent the folding together of the tabs towards the inside of the sheet, some slits are visible at the end of the arrows and the ends of the arrows have a more marked portion.
The first closure (27) and the second closure (28) preferably comprise a plurality of rows of partial perforations. Each therefore comprises a first row and a second row of partial perforations; each of the rows preferably extends from the first side (26) to the opposite side, with the tabs of the first row being dealigned with respect to the tabs of the second row. It is in fact preferable for both the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) to cover the whole side so as to reduce the risk of contamination.
With more rows the risk that the distancing of the layers of placemat (2), due to the stresses produced by the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7), will cause the opening of the first closure (27) and/or the second closure (28), is reduced.
Further, the more the partial perforations are staggered row-by-row, the more the first closure (27) and/or the second closure (28) form a line of closure that is practically continuous with respect to the outside. In the case of a continuous line of closure the non-folded-together areas of a row lie at folded-together lines of the other row or rows.
The kit (1) preferably also comprises a napkin (6), and at least the first fold (24), the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) retain the napkin (6) between layers of the placemat (2); the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) very preferably comprises a fork (3) and a knife (4) or chopsticks (7) for the food.
The at least a toothpick and/or the at least a wipe are preferably retained in a like way by the placemat (2).
The second face (22) preferably has at least a first indicator (29) for indicating the first side (26), i.e. the side which enables access to the user's hands, thus facilitating the unfolding of the placemat (2). In an embodiment the first indicator (29) is half-moon-shaped, as shown in figure 13.
In a preferred embodiment the placemat (2) has two folds in a wallet-fashion, as illustrated by way of example in figures 3 and 4, relative to a rectangular placemat (2) with the folds parallel to the long sides.
The invention also relates to a method for realising a kit (1) for laying a table on a rest surface, according to claim 1.
Such a method comprises steps of:

providing a sheet which has a first face (21) and a second face (22), opposite the first face (21);
providing at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7);
arranging the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) on the first face (21), as shown for example in figure 10;
folding the sheet one or more times so as to have:
- only the second face (22) thereof facing, at least partially, towards the outside,
- the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) between layers of sheet and
- a first side (26), a second and a third side of the folded sheet open in order to permit access between two layers of sheet, with the second side and third side opposite one another with respect to the first side (26) and to a first fold (24);
closing the second side and the third side partially perforating the superposed layers of sheet and folding together the superposed partial perforations of both the second side and the third side.

Figure 12 illustrates the sheet after the step of folding the sheet described in the foregoing and the step of closing the second side and the third side is illustrated by the passage from figure 12 to figure 13.
Preferably, in the step of providing a sheet, a sheet is provided that has at least a first indicator (29) on the second face (22) which is positioned so as to be near the first side (26) on the termination of the step of folding the sheet once or more. Alternatively, the first indicator (29) can be added, for example printed or glued, in one of the successive steps.
In the step of folding the sheet one or more times, the sheet is preferably folded at least twice so as to have a second fold (25) which, together with the first fold (24), retains the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7), between layers of placemat (2).
During the step of closing the second side and the third side, the margins of the sides are preferably perforated, and very preferably the perforations are realised in proximity of the edge.
During the step of closing the second side and the third side, partial perforations in the form of tabs are preferably realised which extend from an attachment zone to the layer of placemat (2) in a transversal direction with respect to the first fold (24), and, possibly, to the second fold (25). The tabs very preferably have an elongate shape, for example rectangular, with the long sides, transversal with respect to the first fold (24), and, possible, to the second fold (25).
During the step of closing the second side and the third side, several rows of partial perforations are preferably realised. Rows are realised that preferably extend from the first side (26) to the opposite side and/or with the tabs of a first row dealigned with respect to the tabs of a second row.
During the step of arranging the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) on the first face (21), a fork (3) or a knife (4) or a spoon (5) or a small spoon or chopsticks (7) for the food or a combination of two or more thereof are preferably provided. In this step a napkin (6) is very preferably arranged.
In an embodiment of the method, during this step at least a toothpick is also arranged and/or at least a wipe, for example of a scented and/or moistened type.
In the step of providing a sheet, the sheet is preferably rectangular and in the step of folding the sheet one or more times the sheet is folded in a wallet-fashion, as can be seen in figures 3 or 4. The sheet is very preferably folded parallel to the long sides a first time in order to face a first part of the first face (21) on a second part of the first face (21) and a second time in order to face a third part of the first face (21) on a part of the second face (22) which is on a back of the first part of the first face (21). The at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) is very preferably arranged on the second part.
The invention also relates to a placemat (20) - bag for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) which can represent a semi-finished workpiece of the kit (1) but which is also an autonomous product; for example it can be used in canteens that have re-usable cutlery and that can therefore autonomously provide the kit (1), after the cutlery has been washed.
The placemat (20) is preferably configured to accommodate at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7), from among a fork (3), knife (4), spoon (5), small spoon, chopsticks (7) for the food or a combination thereof. The placemat (20) is very preferably configured to accommodate a fork (3) and a knife (4) and napkin (6) or even to accommodate chopsticks (7) for the food and a placemat (6). In a preferred embodiment the placemat (20) is configured to accommodate at least a toothpick and/or at least a wipe, for example of a scented and/or moistened type.
The placemat (20) for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) can be obtained by appropriately tweaking the above-described method, i.e. by postponing the step of arranging the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) on the first face (21) and realising the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) at different times.
The placemat (20) for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) has a first face (21) and a second face (22), opposite the first face (21), for contacting a rest surface in a use condition.
The placemat (20) is advantageously folded on folds and has only the second face (22) thereof facing, at least partially, towards the outside, the folded placemat (20) forming layers of placemat (20).
Further, the folded placemat (20) comprises a first closure (27) that is openable and a first fold (24) and a second fold (25), opposite one another with respect to the first closure (27), which together with the first closure (27) unite layers of placemat (20) so as to form a bag for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7). The first closure (27) is on the bottom of the bag and is thus opposite the opening (A) of the bag.
The first closure (27) advantageously comprises partial perforations of the superposed layers of placemat (20). Each partial perforation is folded together with a corresponding partial perforation of each of the remaining superposed layers of placemat (20).
Further, the folded placemat (20) has a first side (26) that is open to enable access between two layers of placemat (20), the first side (26) being interposed between the opening (A) of the bag and the first closure (27).
As will be illustrated below in the description, further characteristics of the placemat (20) for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) are directly derivable by the above description relating to the placemat (2) of the kit (1).
If the placemat (20) is used to accommodate at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) for realising a kit (1) for laying a table on a rest surface, the method comprises steps of:

providing a placemat (20) for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) as described above;
providing at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7);
arranging the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) internally of the bag through the opening (A) of the bag;
closing the opening (A) of the bag by partially perforating the superposed layers of placemat (20) and folding the superposed partial perforations together.

Preferred embodiments are directly derivable from the description of the method made in the foregoing.
In fact a technician in the sector will understand how the methods and the placemat (20) for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) enable obtaining the kit (1) described herein above and how some characteristics are directly derivable therefrom. For example, the kit (1) preferably does not comprise glues or adhesives, the placemat (20) does not comprise glues or adhesives and the methods do not include use of glues and adhesives. The preferred embodiments of the partial perforations as described above also unite all the embodiments of the invention.
It is understood that the above has been described by way of non-limiting example and that any constructional variants are considered to fall within the protective scope of the present technical solution, as claimed in the following.

Claims

A kit (1) for laying a table on a rest surface, the kit (1) comprising at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) and a placemat (2) which has a first face (21) and a second face (22), opposite the first face (21), for contacting a rest surface in a use condition and which is folded to accommodate the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) in a condition of conservation, wherein:
- the placemat (2) is folded in one or more folds (24, 25) and has only the second face (22) thereof facing, at least partially, towards the outside, the folded placemat (2) forming layers of placemat (2);

- the folded placemat (2) comprises a first closure (27) and a second closure (28), both openable;

- at least a first fold (24) of the one or more folds (24, 25), the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) retain the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) between layers of placemat (2);

- the unfolding of the folded placemat (2) causes the opening of the first closure (27) and the second closure (28);

- both the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) comprise partial perforations of superposed layers of placemat (2), each partial perforation being folded together with a corresponding partial perforation of each of the remaining superposed layers of placemat (2);

- the folded placemat (2) has a first side (26) that is open to enable access between two layers of placemat (2);
characterized in that
the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) are opposite one another with respect to the first fold (24) and with respect to the first side (26).
The kit (1) of claim 1, wherein a second fold (25) of the one or more folds (24, 25), the first fold (24), the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) retain the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) between layers of placemat (2) on all sides thereof and wherein the first fold (24) and the second fold (25) are both transversal with respect to the first closure (27) and the second closure (28).
The kit (1) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the partial perforations are in the form of tabs which extend from an attachment zone to the layer of placemat (2) in a transversal direction with respect to the first fold (24), and, when dependent on claim 2, to the second fold (25).
The kit (1) of claim 3, wherein the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) each comprise a first row and a second row of partial perforations each extending from the first side (26) to the opposite side, with the tabs of the first row being dealigned with respect to the tabs of the second row.
The kit (1) of any one of the preceding claims, comprising a napkin (6), wherein at least the first fold (24), the first closure (27) and the second closure (28) retain the napkin (6) between layers of the placemat (2) and wherein the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) comprises a fork (3) and a knife (4) or chopsticks (7).
The kit (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second face (22) has at least a first indicator (29) to indicate the first side (26).
A method for realising a kit (1) for laying a table on a rest surface, according to claim 1, comprising steps of:
- providing a sheet which has a first face (21) and a second face (22), opposite the first face (21);

- providing at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7);

- arranging the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) on the first face (21);

- folding the sheet one or more times so as to have only the second face (22) thereof facing, at least partially, towards the outside, to have the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) between layers of sheet and to have a first side (26), a second and a third side of the folded sheet open in order to permit access between two layers of sheet, with the second side and third side opposite one another with respect to the first side (26) and to a first fold (24);

- closing the second side and the third side partially perforating the superposed layers of sheet and folding together the superposed partial perforations of both the second side and the third side.
The method of claim 7, wherein in the step of providing a sheet, the sheet is rectangular and in the step of folding the sheet one or more times, the sheet is folded parallel to the long sides a first time in order to face a first part of the first face (21) on a second part of the first face (21) and a second time in order to face a third part of the first face (21) on a part of the second face (22) which is on a back of the first part of the first face (21), the item of cutlery being arranged on the second part.
A placemat (20) for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) which placemat has a first face (21) and a second face (22), opposite the first face (21), for contacting a rest surface in a use condition, wherein:
- the placemat (20) is folded on folds and has only the second face (22) thereof facing, at least partially, towards the outside, the folded placemat (20) forming layers of placemat (20);

- the folded placemat (20) comprises a first closure (27) that is openable;

- a first fold (24) and a second fold (25), opposite one another with respect to the first closure (27), together with the first closure (27) unite layers of placemat (20) so as to form a bag for accommodating at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7), the first closure (27) being on the bottom of the bag and opposite the opening (A) of the bag;

- the first closure (27) comprises partial perforations of superposed layers of placemat (20), each partial perforation being folded together with a corresponding partial perforation of each of the remaining superposed layers of placemat (20);

- the folded placemat (20) has a first side (26) that is open to enable access between two layers of placemat (20),
characterized in that
the first side (26) is interposed between the opening (A) of the bag and the first closure (27).
A method for realising a kit (1) for laying a table on a rest surface comprising steps of:
- providing a placemat (20) according to claim 9;

- providing at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7);

- arranging the at least an item of cutlery (3, 4, 5, 7) internally of the bag through the opening (A) of the bag;

- closing the opening (A) of the bag by partially perforating the superposed layers of placemat (20) and folding the superposed partial perforations together.