GB2212711A - Bases adapted to engage and retain items such as plate - Google Patents

Abstract

A device which will allow children, handicapped people, etc, who have limited manual dexterity, to manipulate objects such as plates when they are placed upon a smooth surface, such as a table, comprises a first member having a circular base 1 which is adhesively attached to the smooth surface. A cylindrical part 5 of base 1 has a downwardly angled collar 6 with at least two gaps 7 provided around its circumference, the edges of the gaps have inclinded edges 9. A second member 10 has an upper receiving face to which are attached a variety of additional items, such as a plate. The sides 11 have at least two inwardly extending lugs 13. When the second member is placed on top of the first member and a downward pressure is applied, the collar 6 is inwardly deformed so allowing the lugs to locate under the collar. In order to change the plate, the second member is rotated until the lugs are in alignment with the gaps 7 of the first member and an upward pressure is applied. <IMAGE>

Description

RELATING TO BASES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND RETAIN ADDITORY ITEMS.

There are many situations where objects placed upon a flat receiving surface are liable to slide easily over that surface when someone tries to use or manipulate that object, for a normal adult, such unwanted movement can be prevented or controlled by holding the object with one hand while the other hand carries out the desired task associated with the object.

Such a solution is not possible when the person involved is a child of such an age who has not yet developed the motor co-ordination or finger dexterity necessary to carry out the basic skills of holding the object stationary with one hand while the free hand carries out a completely different task. kn example of this inability to carry out a duality of simple skills is evident in the case of a young child attempting to feed itself while it is sat at the table of a high-chair, the table or tray of the chair is usually made of a plastic material which offers little or no frictional adhesion between the surface of the tray and the cup, feeding bowl, plate ,etc which contains the child's food. When the child attempts to push an eating utensil into the food in an effort to feed itself, the container slides away easily in the direction of the force applied such that the child is unable to retrieve any food and may eventually throw the container and contents onto the floor in an act of frustration or the container itself is forced over the edge of the tray as the child pursues its food in a vain attempt to self-feed. The above situation can be repeated many times over when toys or items of an educational nature are placed upon the tray or table.

Other examples of the frustrative nature of this situation are reflected in the cases of invalid and handicapped people who find it impossible to control the movement of cookery utensils such as trying to mix the contents of a bowl when that bowl is sliding in an uncontrolled manner over the smooth working surface of a kitchen, trying to turn the pages of a book, operating a tin opener, etc or in fact any operation where a force applied to an object causes that object to slide away from the person. Such restrictions placed upon the invalid and the handicapped prevent that person from attaining some degree of selfexpression and develppment such that a-brake is applied to their quality of life.

The situations as described not only affect the young and the handicapped, a greater burden is placed upon those who have to minister to them, in that greater vigilance is need and they have to be constantly at hand to take part in the facilitating process; in nursuries, hospitals and nursing homes, this help may not be immediate, thereby increasing the anger and frustration of those in need of help.

The present invention relates to the problems as disclosed of securing a a variety of inter-changeable items onto smooth surfaces which offer little frictional resistance to sliding movement and has for its object an improvement therein such that a first member is attached to the said surface and is adapted to receive a second member placed on top of it and which is secured to it by a downward movement, the said second member will incorporate a variety of feeding, culinary, educational items, etc.

the removal of the second member from the first member can only be understaken by a person having reasonable physical ability.

The invention will comprise, for example, a base component or first member, being a one-piece construction, having an upper cylindrical portion which is centrally located upon a circular, lower base, the height of the said first member being kept to a minimum to provide a low profile in order to keep it unobstrusive and also hygienic by allowing easy cleaning.

Immediately below the upper surface of the cylindrical portion and extending around the circumference, the material protrudes in a downwardly angled manner thus providing a collar having a convex curved surface, the thicknes of the material is sufficient to allow it to be inwardly yieldable when lateral pressure is exerted, the collar has two or more gaps provided within its circumference, these gaps may be disposed at 90 degrees to each other, the exact location of these gaps may be indicated on the upper facing periphery of the circular base portion by means of arrow heads or similar markers, these gaps in the collar are wege shaped with the greater width being at the upper edge of the collar and the narrower width at the lower edge, the width of the narrower edge being pre-determined, due to this profile, the ends of the collar which are exposed by the gap are inclined. The underside surface of the circular base is coated with an adhesive of the instant/impact type which will allow the base to be easily affixed to any smooth surface, in order to prevent the inadvertant adhesion of the base during storage or initial handling, the adhesive is protected by a non-adhesive backing material which can be peeled off immediately prior to fixing it to the surface.

The second member which comprises the invention consists of a circular plate having a flat upper receiving surface to which may be attached the item that is to be held, a number of these plates will be made available each with a different item attached,the underside of the plate is recessed so forming a rimmed edge which protrudes inwardly, this protrusion is further extended at two particular places by means of lugs, such lugs being disposed at 90 degrees to each other similar to the gaps provided in the collar of the first member, the lugs themselves are generally rectar,çlilar n shape and have a width equal to that of the pre-determined width of the gaps in the collar of the first member, the location of these lugs is indicated on the outer edge of the plate by means of arrow heads or similar markers.

When actually using the invention, the adhesive protective backing layer is removed to allow the base of the first member to be stuck to any smooth surface, the second member will have the desired item, which may for example be a child's feeding dish, permanently attached to it, is placed over the lower member and a downward pressure is applied, this causes the inward facing lugs to bend the collar of the first member inwards such that the lugs slip over the collar and are secured beneath it. When it is desired to replace the second member holding the child's feeding dish with, for example a mixing bowl, the circular plate is turned through a number of degrees until the arrow markers are aligned with the corresponding arrows of the first member, upward movement of the second member allows the lugs to pass through the gaps in the collar so freeing the feeding dish.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings which accompar.y this application, in which : FIG. 1. shows a Plan View of the base component member.

FIG. 1A.. shows an Elevational View of the base component viewed from direction X in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2. shows a Plan View of the plate component member, viewed from the ur.derside, as indicated by arrow Y.

FIG. 2A. shows and Slevational View of the plate component.

The base component member 1 has its under surface, or a part of it, covered by an instant/impact type of adhesive 2 which is protected prior to use by means of a non-adhesive backing 3 which can be peeled off when it is required to attach the base to a surface; extending from the upper edge 4 of the cylindrical part 5, is a downwardly angled collar 6 having a convex surface, this collar extends around most of the circumference of the cylinder, gaps 7 are provided at two locations, these locations being disposed at 90 degrees to each other and are indicated by means of arrow-heads or similar markers 8 around the edge of the circular base, the edges of the collar 9 which are exposed on either side of the gaps 7 are shaped to provide inclined edges.

The circular attachable plate component 10 which will fit downwardly onto the base component, has a flat receiving surface onto which can be fixed the requisite item, the edges of this plate extend downwards to provide side 11, the lower edge of this side extend inwards to form rim 12, at two locations around this rim are further extending lugs 13, being rectangalar in shape with their width being approximate to the width of the gaos 7 of the base component; around the outer surface of side 11 of the plate, are provided two arrow-head markers 14; in order to facilitate the easy removal of the plate component from the base component, the arrow-head marKers will have horizontal ribbing 15.

Claims (7)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A base adapted to receive additory items, comprising first member having a circular base adhesive attachable to a smooth surface, a central cylindrical portion having a downwardly angled and curved collar around its circumference, said collar being capable of inward yeildability and having two gaps therein; secono additory members comprising a circular plate having a recessed underside with inwardly protruding lugs capable of being securely located under the collar of the first member when downward pressure is applied.

2. A base adapted to receive additory items as claimed in claim 1 in which the gaps in the collar of the first member are disposed at 90 degrees to each other and are wedge shaped with the greater width at the upper edge of the collar and the narrower width at the lower edge.

3. A base adapted to receive additory items as claimed in claim 1 in which the inwardly pretruding lugs are disposed at 90 degrees to each other.

4. A base adapted to receive additory items as claimed in any previous claims in which the width of the inwardly pretruding lugs of the second member is equal to the width of the narrowest part of the @aps in the collar of the first member.

5. A base adapted to receive additory items as claimed in which arrow or similar markers on the rim of the circular base of the first member are aligned with similar markers on the outer edge of the second member to low disengagement of the two members.

6. A base adapted to receive additory items as claimed or which the underside of the base of the first member in @@@@@ with an instant/impact type of adhesive which is protected against inadvertant adhesion by means of a non-adhesive backing material.

7. A base adapted to receive additory items substantially as herein described and as illustrated by the drawing which accompany this specification.