US20080135700A1

US20080135700A1 - Device for steadying a receptacle on a plane support

Info

Publication number: US20080135700A1
Application number: US11/987,056
Authority: US
Inventors: Alain Durand
Original assignee: Societe dEtudes et de Realisation Mecaniques SAS
Current assignee: D'ETUDES ET DE REALISATIONS MECANIQUES Ste; Societe dEtudes et de Realisation Mecaniques SAS
Priority date: 2006-12-08
Filing date: 2007-11-27
Publication date: 2008-06-12
Also published as: FR2909538B1; CA2613265A1; FR2909538A1

Abstract

The invention provides a device for steadying a receptacle against sliding movement thereof on a plane support, the device comprising a structure possessing at least one fastener means for fastening it at least temporarily on the plane support, and at least one open housing remote from the fastener means for receiving, without slack, a portion of the receptacle by the receptacle being put down on the support.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for steadying a receptacle on a plane support. It is particularly adapted to steadying a cooking receptacle such as a salad spinner or any hand-held instrument that needs to be held in one hand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Turning the handle of a salad spinner, and in particular of a spinner of large capacity, requires a considerable amount of force to be developed, including certain components that tend to cause the receptacle to move over the plane support (e.g. a kitchen work surface), which forces are difficult to counter using only one hand, given the masses and the inertias involved.
There therefore exists a need for a simple device for steadying the receptacle to help in countering the forces to which the device is subjected and that tend to cause it to slide on its support and thus interfere with turning the handle.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to propose a solution to this problem that is simple, making use of a steadying device that is easy to put into place and to remove, where appropriate, for clearing space on the work surface.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To this end, the invention thus provides a device for steadying a receptacle against sliding movement of the receptacle on a plane support, the device comprising a structure possessing at least one fastener means for securing it at least temporarily on the plane support and having at least one open housing remote from the fastener means to receive a portion of the receptacle without slack by the receptacle being put down on the support.
The device forms a fixed point against which the receptacle bears and thus eliminates at least one of the two degrees of freedom available to a receptacle placed on the support. This lightens the load put on one of the hands of the operator. The device should be adapted to the shape at least of the base of the receptacle, in particular in terms of the shape of the housing it presents.
For a receptacle that possesses a circular base or in a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned structure possesses a frame of stout wire defining a top circle and three bottom legs, each provided at its base with respective fastener means.
If emphasis is put on fastening the receptacle to the work surface in temporary manner, in order to be able to clear the work surface completely after the receptacle has been used, each of the fastener means is constituted by a suction-cup.
If there is no harm in leaving an element on the work surface, then the fastener means may be constituted by soleplates secured to the plane support and releasably receiving respective legs of the wire frame.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from the description given below of two embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an outside view of a first embodiment of the device of the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a variant of the FIG. 1 device co-operating with a salad spinner.

The device shown in FIG. 1 possesses a structure 1 of bent continuous wire or of wire segments that are interconnected by tubular connection bends, for example.
The structure defines a top circle 2 interrupted by three bottom legs 3, together forming a shape for supporting a bowl or a vase. Each leg 3 has a suction-cup 4 that is releasably held in this embodiment in a bottom loop 5 formed by each of the legs 3. The suction-cups form means for temporarily fastening the device on a horizontal work surface, providing its top surface is sufficiently smooth for suction-cups to adhere easily thereto, as is usually the case for kitchen work surfaces, even in catering establishments, which surfaces are either tiled or else made of a natural or synthetic material having a surface state that is smooth.
FIG. 2 shows a salad spinner 6 co-operating with the device of the invention to steady it on a plane support referenced P1 in the figure. The spinner is received in the circle 2 from above with practically no slack by putting the spinner down onto the plane P1. The absence of slack is the result of the diameter of the circle which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the receptacle body at the same height as the circle above the level of the plane P1. The circle 2 thus forms a kind of housing that receives the spinner 6, the frame 1 being held stationary relative to the support P1 by the above-described suction-cup means or by soleplates 7 that are permanently screwed to the plane P1 by screws represented by chain-dotted line 8, and that present respective collars onto which the loops 5 of the legs 3 can be snap-fastened sideways, given that each loop is open like a spring-clip.
The above-described invention can be applied to any instrument or device that is actuated manually and that it is desired to stabilize on a work surface while it is in use. This applies to a coffee grinder, a hand-driven mixer, etc.

Claims

1. A device for steadying a receptacle against sliding movement of the receptacle on a plane support, the device comprising a structure possessing at least one fastener means for securing it at least temporarily on the plane support and having at least one open housing remote from the fastener means to receive a portion of the receptacle without slack by the receptacle being put down on the support, wherein the structure possesses a wire frame defining the receptacle-receiving housing by a top circle and having three bottom legs, each provided at its base with a respective said fastener means.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein each fastener means is constituted by a suction cup.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein each fastener means is constituted by a soleplate fastened to the plane support and releasably receiving a respective leg of the frame.