WO2020060458A1

WO2020060458A1 - A dining assembly with a detachable dinner plate and a mat and uses thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2020060458A1
Application number: PCT/SE2018/050959
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mikael Bergström
Original assignee: Herobility Ab
Priority date: 2018-09-20
Filing date: 2018-09-20
Publication date: 2020-03-26

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dining assembly (1), especially for infants and children. The dining assembly (1) comprises a rubberlike dining mat (2) to be placed on and in sealed contact with an underlying surface by a smooth under surface of the mat (2). The mat (2) has a flexible perimeter wall (6) delimiting a bowl-like receptacle (8) thereon. The dining assembly (1) further comprises a dining plate (9) to be secured in the receptacle (8) of the mat (2). The plate (9) has a shape resulting in a sealed contact between the plate (9) and the receptacle (8) when the plate (9) is secured therein. The securing of the plate (9) in the receptacle (8) results in the creation of a negative air pressure between a bottom portion of the receptacle (8) and the underlying surface securing the mat (2) to the underlying surface. The invention also relates to uses of such a dining assembly (1).

Description

A DINING ASSEMBLY WITH A DETACHABLE DINNER

PLATE AND A MAT AND USES THEREOF

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dining assembly, especially for infants and children, comprising:

- a dining mat configured to be placed on an underlying sur face, such as a table surface, and having a rubberlike planar base portion provided with a smooth undersurface which is configured to be in sealed contact with said underlying sur face when the dining mat is placed thereon, wherein the din ing mat further has a flexible perimeter wall protruding from an upper surface of the base portion so as to delimit a bowl like receptacle on the base portion.

The invention relates to such a dining assembly of any conceiva ble type, which may be used at mealtime for instance by persons with disabilities. However, the invention relates especially to such a dining assembly to be used by infants and young children (here inafter: children) and such a dining assembly may be mentioned as a typical example without restricting the invention thereto. As a further example, a dining assembly of this type could be used for feeding a pet, such as a cat or a dog.

Such a dining assembly constitutes a combination of a dining placemat, for protecting the underlying surface, and a bowl or plate for containing the food during a meal. However, the main function of a dining assembly of this type to be used by children is to fixedly secure the bowl or plate to the underlying surface, usually a table surface, in order to prevent the child from emptying the food onto the table or throwing the bowl or plate down on the floor. BACKGROUND ART

A dining assembly of the type defined in the introduction is al ready known through the document US 9,462,903 B2. This docu- ment discloses a dining assembly (10) for infants and children which comprises a dining mat configured to be placed on an un derlying surface (see Fig. 1 ). The mat has a planar base portion (20) provided with a smooth undersurface (24) which is config ured to be in sealed contact with said underlying surface for se- curing the dining mat thereto. To remove the dining mat from the underlying surface, the undersurface of the base portion is peeled from the underlying surface, starting at an outer edge (22) of the base portion. The dining mat further has a flexible perimeter wall (28) protruding from an upper surface (26) of the base portion so as to delimit a bowl-like receptacle (32) on the base portion. This receptacle is configured to contain the food during a meal, i.e. it serves as a food bowl.

There is a constant strive for improving this type of products (baby products), especially in respect of usability and safety. Some of the most important features by a dining assembly of this type to be used by children are that it should be easily securable to and removable from the table by an adult, while it should not be pos sible for the child to remove it from the table during use. Further- more, a dining assembly of this type should be easy to clean as it is commonly used several times a day.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a dining assem bly, especially for infants and children, of the type defined in the introduction being improved in at least some aspect with respect to such dining assemblies already known, through for example said document. This object is according to the invention obtained by providing such a dining assembly which is characterized in that it further comprises:

- a dining plate configured to be inserted and secured in a lower securing position in the bowl-like receptacle of the din ing mat and having a bowl-like shape corresponding to that of said receptacle in such a way that a sealed contact is es tablished between an outer surface of the plate and an inner surface of the perimeter wall upon reaching said securing po- sition of the plate in the receptacle,

wherein the plate is configured to be moved down into the recep tacle to said securing position while applying an external pressure thereupon and by that make said flexible perimeter wall of the receptacle storing potential energy urging the plate in a direction away from the underlying surface upon removal of said pressure creating a negative air pressure in a first sealed volume between the part of the base portion of the mat constituting a bottom por tion of the receptacle and the plate lifting said bottom portion from the underlying surface while creating a second sealed volume with a negative air pressure between said part of the base portion and the underlying surface securing the mat to the underlying sur face.

This way of further securing the dining mat to the underlying sur- face by creating a negative air pressure between the bottom por tion of the receptacle and the underlying surface results in a safer securing of the dining mat to the underlying surface in comparison with that of dining assemblies of this type already known. This securing substantially reduces the risk that a child will manage to release the mat from the underlying surface during use of the din ing assembly, since the mat will still be secured to the underlying surface by said negative air pressure even if the child manage to peel the undersurface of the base portion from the underlying sur face at an outer edge of the base portion. According to an embodiment of the invention the dining plate is configured to be secured and held in said lower securing position by the negative air pressure in said first sealed volume main tained by the sealed contact between the outer surface of the plate and the inner surface of the perimeter wall. This way of se curing the dining plate in the receptacle of the dining mat by cre ating a negative air pressure between the bottom portion of the receptacle and the plate results in a safe, and still simple, secur ing of the plate in the receptacle, without the need for special securing components.

According to another embodiment of the invention the assembly comprises a releasing arrangement configured to be operable to at at least one location along the circumference of the perimeter wall separate this from the plate and by that break the sealed contact therebetween so as to open said first sealed volume to the ambient air and thereby allow removal of the plate from the receptacle. According to another embodiment of the invention the assembly comprises a releasing arrangement which has an air channel ex tending through the base portion of the mat between a first open ing to the ambient air and a second opening in the undersurface of the base portion, wherein the releasing arrangement further has a member configured to sealably close said first opening in an inactive state of the arrangement, and wherein the releasing arrangement is configured to be operable to move said member away from the first opening of the air channel so as to establish an air connection between the ambient air and the second open- ing allowing air to enter between the undersurface of the base portion and the underlying surface through said second opening and thereby allowing removal of the dining mat from the underly ing surface. According to another embodiment of the invention said member of the releasing arrangement is a tab-like member arranged at an outer surface of the perimeter wall, at an upper end thereof, the first opening of the air channel is arranged adjacent to said mem ber at said outer surface in such a way that said first opening is kept sealably closed by a part of the member blocking it in said inactive state of the arrangement, and the releasing arrangement is configured to be operated to open the first opening of the air channel so as to establish said air connection by applying an ex ternal force to said member in a first direction away from the first opening so that said blocking part of the member is moved away from said opening. This releasing arrangement enables quick and easy removal of the dining mat from the underlying surface.

According to another embodiment of the invention the releasing arrangement is configured to be operated to separate the perim- eter wall from the plate and by that break the sealed contact therebetween by applying an external pulling force to said mem ber in a second direction away from the perimeter wall so that the member and thereby a portion of the perimeter wall at which it is arranged is pulled away from the plate. This releasing arrange- ment enables quick and easy removal of the plate from the recep tacle.

According to another embodiment of the invention said member of the releasing arrangement is configured and arranged at the perimeter wall in such a way that movement of the member in said first direction to a position in which said blocking part of the mem ber has been moved away from said first opening is obstructed by an upper peripheral edge portion of the plate projecting over an upper edge of the perimeter wall when the plate is in said lower securing position. This releasing arrangement prevents removal of the dining mat from the underlying surface when the plate is secured in the receptacle which implies a safe securing of the dining mat to the underlying surface during use of the dining as sembly. According to another embodiment of the invention said member of the releasing arrangement is arranged at the outer surface of the perimeter wall close to an upper edge thereof, the first open ing of the air channel is arranged at said outer surface between the member and the base portion of the mat, said first direction is upwards away from said base portion, and said second direction is inclined downwards towards said base portion. This releasing arrangement has a simple and effective structure and is easily operated to release the dining plate from the receptacle and the dining mat from the underlying surface.

According to another embodiment of the invention said member is arranged at a position on the outer surface of the perimeter wall in which it is at least partially hidden under an upper peripheral edge portion of the plate projecting over an upper edge of the perimeter wall when the plate is in said lower securing position, so as to be difficult to reach and operate by a user, such as an infant or child, of the dining assembly. This positioning of the member reduces the risk that a child will manage to release the dining plate from the receptacle and the dining mat from the un derlying surface during use of the dining assembly.

According to another embodiment of the invention said member is arranged at a side of the outer surface of the perimeter wall intended to be faced away from the user of the dining assembly during use thereof. This positioning of the member reduces the risk that a child will manage to release the dining plate from the receptacle and the dining mat from the underlying surface during use of the dining assembly.

According to another embodiment of the invention the dining plate is made of a hard material and is by that configured to make the flexible perimeter wall into a rigid coherent unit when the plate is in said lower securing position, whereby external forces applied to the perimeter wall are distributed throughout the wall and to the base portion of the mat around the entire circumference of the wall. The securing of the dining mat to the underlying surface by the undersurface of the base portion being in sealed contact with said underlying surface is less sensitive to external forces applied to the perimeter wall when this is in the form of a rigid coherent unit. This enables positioning of the perimeter wall closer to an outer edge of the base portion without compromising with a safe securing of the mat to the underlying surface.

According to another embodiment of the invention the assembly further comprises a bib provided with securing means at a lower end thereof, which securing means are configured to engage with associated securing means provided on the dining mat and/or the dining plate in order to secure the lower end of the bib thereto. This dining assembly substantially reduces the risk of food being dropped in the lap of a child during use thereof, since the bib secured to the dining mat and/or the dining plate is configured to cover the entire area between the neck of the child and the table surface, when the dining mat is placed thereon. According to another embodiment of the invention said securing means of the bib comprise at least one magnet arranged along a lower edge of the bib, and said associated securing means com prise at least one magnet arranged along an outer edge of the base portion of the mat and configured to attract said at least one magnet of the bib.

According to another embodiment of the invention the dining mat is at least mainly made of silicone or another rubberlike nontoxic polymer.

According to another embodiment of the invention the dining plate is at least mainly made of a hard plastic, a metal or wood.

The invention also relates to uses of a dining assembly according to the invention, according to the appended use claims. Further advantages as well as advantageous features of the in vention will appear from the following description of an embodi ment of the invention. BRI EF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specific description of an embodiment of the invention cited as an exam ple.

In the drawings:

Fig . 1 is a perspective view from above of a dining assembly according to an embodiment of the invention in a state of use,

Fig . 2 is a perspective view from below of the dining assembly shown in Fig . 1 , Fig . 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 , in which the dining plate is removed from the dining mat,

Fig . 4a is a side elevation view of the dining assembly shown in Fig. 1 , in which the dining plate is about to be moved down into the receptacle of the dining mat to be secured therein,

Fig . 4b is a sectional view as seen from the plane A in Fig. 4a, Fig . 5a is a side elevation view of the dining assembly shown in Fig . 1 , in a state of use,

Fig . 5b is a sectional view as seen from the plane B in Fig. 5a, Fig . 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5b, in which the releas ing arrangement is operated to separate the perimeter wall from the plate allowing removal of the plate from the receptacle,

Fig . 7 is a view corresponding to Fig . 5b, in which the plate has been removed from the receptacle and the releas ing arrangement is operated to open the first opening of the air channel allowing removal of the dining mat from the underlying surface, and Fig . 8 is a simplified view of the dining assembly as shown in

Fig. 3, in which a bib is secured to the dining mat by means of magnets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE IN VENTION

A dining assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the appended figures 1 -8 and will now be de scribed while at the same time making reference to all these fig- ures. The dining assembly is configured to be used by an infant or a child (hereinafter referred to as child) at mealtime.

The dining assembly 1 comprises a dining mat 2 configured to be placed on an underlying surface 3, such as a dining table surface, the surface of an integrated table of a children dining chair, a countertop surface or the like. The dining mat has a rubberlike planar base portion 4 provided with a smooth undersurface 5 with a high coefficient of friction, which undersurface is configured to be in sealed contact with said underlying surface 3 when the din- ing mat 2 is placed thereon . This sealed, i.e. airtight, contact is preventative of displacement of the base portion 4 across the un derlying surface. The planar base portion 4 of the mat 2 need not be totally flat on its upper surface 7, but may for instance be pro vided with a raised portion 29 along its outer edge or have other design features. The dining mat 2 further has a flexible perimeter wall 6 protruding from the upper surface 7 of the base portion 4 so as to delimit a bowl-like receptacle 8 on the base portion. The perimeter wall and thereby the receptacle preferably has a substantially circular pe- ripheral shape, as is shown in the drawings. However, a perimeter wall 6 and receptacle 8 of another shape, such as an oval, is also possible. The base portion 4 of the dining mat 2 is made of sili cone or another rubberlike nontoxic polymer. The perimeter wall 6 is preferably made of the same material and is welded or glued to the base portion, or made in one piece therewith.

The dining assembly 1 further comprises a dining plate 9 config ured to be inserted and secured in a lower securing position (as is shown in Fig. 5b) in the bowl-like receptacle 8 of the dining mat 2 in a state of use of the dining assembly. The dining plate has a bowl-like shape corresponding to the shape of said receptacle in such a way that a sealed contact is established between an outer surface 10 of the plate 9 and an inner surface 1 1 of the perimeter wall 6 upon reaching said securing position of the plate in the receptacle. However, although the shapes of the plate 9 and the receptacle 8 correspond to each other in this way, these shapes do not have to be the same, and not even similar to each other. The outer surface 10 of the dining plate 9 must however have at least one portion with a diameter such that it assumes a position of sealed, i.e. airtight, contact with the inner surface 1 1 of the perimeter wall 6 when the plate is in the lower securing position. The plate 9 need not necessarily have a deep inner space, but may as one example be provided with a flat surface for holding the food carried by a base body with an outer shape correspond- ing to the outer shape of a bowl, thereby providing the dining plate with a bowl-like shape.

The dining plate 9 is configured to be moved down into the recep tacle 8 to said securing position (see Fig. 5b) by applying an ex ternal pressure thereupon, and more particularly by pressing it down by hand, preferably against its bottom portion 12. The pressing of the plate down into the receptacle makes the flexible perimeter wall 6 expand and bend down towards the underlying surface 3 while storing potential energy (see Fig. 5b), as at least one portion of the inner surface 1 1 of the perimeter wall 6 has a diameter which in a rest state of the perimeter wall is smaller than a diameter of an associated portion of the outer surface 10 of the dining plate (as is seen in Fig. 4b).

Upon removal of said pressure, the perimeter wall 6 rises towards its rest state by releasing the potential energy stored thereby urg ing the plate 9 in a direction away from the underlying surface 3 creating a negative air pressure in a first sealed volume 13 be tween a part 14 of the base portion 4 of the mat 2 constituting a bottom portion of the receptacle 8 and the plate. For providing a space for said first sealed volume 13 the dining plate is provided with an annular edge part 28 protruding from the underside of the plate 9 and extending along a peripheral edge thereof. This neg ative air pressure in the first sealed volume 13 is maintained by the sealed contact between the outer surface 10 of the plate and the inner surface 1 1 of the perimeter wall and serves to secure and hold the dining plate 9 in said lower securing position.

The urging action on the dining plate 9 away from the underlying surface 3 by the perimeter wall 6 and the negative air pressure in said first sealed volume 13 further lifting said part 14 of the base portion 4 from the underlying surface 3 while creating a second sealed volume 15 with a negative air pressure between said part 14 of the base portion and the underlying surface securing the dining mat 2 to the underlying surface 3. The lifting of said part 14 of the base portion 4 is made possible by said annular edge part 28 providing the space needed underneath the plate 9 for said part 14 to bend upwards. Accordingly, the dining mat is se cured to the underlying surface by the sealed contact between the undersurface 5 of the mat and the underlying surface, and further by the suction-cup-like locking provided by the receptacle 8 and the dining plate 9 when this is in said lower securing position. The dining plate 9 is made of a hard material, preferably a hard plastic, metal or wood, and is by that configured to make the flex ible perimeter wall 6 into a rigid coherent unit when the plate is in said lower securing position. This results in an effective distribu tion of external forces applied to the perimeter wall throughout the wall and to the base portion 4 of the dining mat 2 around the entire circumference of the wall. If for instance a child grabs a portion of the perimeter wall being a said rigid coherent unit and tries to lift it, the force will be substantially evenly distributed to the base portion 4 around the circumference of the perimeter wall. Without the hard dining plate 9 secured in the receptacle 8, such a pulling force would be focused to a single point on the base portion 4 underneath said grabbed portion of the wall and if this point would be located sufficiently close to an outer edge of the base portion the dining mat 2 could be released from the under lying surface 3. Hence, the feature of making the flexible perime ter wall 6 into a rigid coherent unit enables positioning of the pe rimeter wall closer to the outer edge of the base portion 4 without compromising with a safe securing of the mat to the underlying surface.

The dining assembly 1 further comprises a releasing arrangement configured to be operable to on one hand release the dining plate 9 from the receptacle 8 and on the other hand release the dining mat 2 from the underlying surface 3. The releasing arrangement has a tab-like member 16 arranged at an outer surface 17 of the perimeter wall 6, at an upper end and close to an upper edge 18 thereof. The tab-like member could also be arranged at said outer surface closer to the base portion 4 than is shown in the drawings. However, the member should be arranged closer to the upper edge 18 of the perimeter wall 6 than to a lower end of said wall connecting to the base portion, which is understood from the fol lowing description of its functions. Also, the tab-like member 16 could have another shape than that shown in the drawings, such as have the shape of a loop. The releasing arrangement is configured to be operated to sepa rate the perimeter wall 6 from the dining plate 9, when this is in said lower securing position, and by that break the sealed contact therebetween by applying an external pulling force to said mem ber 16, i.e. pull the member by hand, in a second direction in clined downwards towards the base portion 4 and away from the perimeter wall 6 so that the member and thereby a portion of the perimeter wall at which the member is arranged is pulled away from the plate 9 (see Fig. 6), starting from the upper edge 18 of the perimeter wall 6. When said sealed contact is broken, an air passage is created between the outer surface 10 of the plate and the inner surface 1 1 of the receptacle 8 opening said first sealed volume 13 to the ambient air whereby the negative air pressure in said volume ceases to exist and the dining plate 9 may easily be removed from the receptacle by pulling a tab 27 protruding from an upper peripheral edge portion 23 of the plate 9. Hereby, said part 14 of the base portion 4 constituting a bottom portion of the receptacle 8 returns to a position in contact with the underly- ing surface 3 so that also said second sealed volume 15 and the negative air pressure therein ceases to exist.

The releasing arrangement further has an air channel 19 extend ing through the base portion 4 of the dining mat 2 between a first opening 20 to the ambient air and a second opening 21 in the undersurface 5 of the base portion (see Fig. 7). The air channel is formed by a double-walled structure along a part of the perim eter wall 6 between the tab-like member 16 and the base portion 4. However, the air channel may have another design than this, such as be provided by a separate tube arranged along the pe rimeter wall. The member is resiliently connected to the perimeter wall and the first opening 20 of the air channel 19 is arranged adjacent to, and more specifically just below, said member at said outer surface 17 in such a way that said first opening is kept seal- ably closed by a part 22 of the member 16 blocking it in an inac tive state of the releasing arrangement, in which the member 16 is in a rest state (see Fig. 4b and 5b). The releasing arrangement is further configured to be operated to open the first opening 20 of the air channel 19 by applying an external force to, i.e. pushing or pulling, said member in a first direction upwards away from the base portion 4 and away from the first opening so that said blocking part 22 of the member is moved away from said opening (see Fig. 7). By this opening of the first opening 20 an air connection is established between the ambient air and the second opening 21 through the air channel 19 allowing air to enter between the undersurface 5 of the base portion 4 and the underlying surface 3 through said second open- ing 21 so that the dining mat 2 may be easily removed from the underlying surface 3.

The tab-like member 16 of the releasing arrangement is accord ingly configured to be moved downwards for releasing the dining plate 9 from the receptacle 8 and upwards for releasing the dining mat 2 from the underlying surface 3. However, the member 16 is positioned close to said upper edge 18 at the perimeter wall 6 in such a way that movement of the member upwards to a position in which said blocking part 22 of the member has been moved away from said first opening 20 is obstructed by the upper periph eral edge portion 23 of the plate 9 projecting over the upper edge 18 of the perimeter wall 6 when the plate is in said lower securing position. Thus, removal of the dining mat 2 from the underlying surface 3 by operation of the releasing arrangement is not possi- ble when the plate 9 is secured in the receptacle 8. This feature makes it difficult for a child to release the dining mat from the underlying surface during use of the dining assembly. Further more, the positioning of the member 16 close to said upper edge 18 of the perimeter wall 6 makes it at least partially hidden under the upper peripheral edge portion 23 of the dining plate 9 when the plate is in said lower securing position. Also, the member is arranged at a side of the perimeter wall intended to be faced away from the user of the dining assembly 1 during use thereof. Ac cordingly, the member 16 of the releasing arrangement is difficult to reach and operate by a child during use of the dining assembly.

The dining assembly 1 may further comprise a bib 24 provided with securing means in the form of an elongated magnet 25 ar ranged along a lower edge of the bib. This magnet 25 is config ured to engage with associated securing means in the form of magnets 26 arranged along an outer edge of the base portion 4 of the dining mat 2 in order to secure the lower edge of the bib 24 to the mat. The securing of a bib to the dining mat 24 is enabled by the suction-cup-like locking provided by the receptacle 8 and the dining plate 9 as this locking makes the dining mat 2 less sensitive to pulling forces near the outer edge thereof. However, the bib 24 and associated magnets 26 on the dining mat 2 is an optional feature and a dining assembly according to the invention can be without bib or magnets. Hereinafter follows a brief description of a possible use of the dining assembly, for feeding a child. Firstly, a parent places the dining mat 2 in a suitable position on a table surface, then presses the dining plate 9 down into the receptacle 8 to said lower secur ing position, releases it, and the dining mat is secured to the table surface by said suction-cup-like locking provided by the recepta cle and the dining plate. Food is then put in the dining plate. Op tionally, the bib is attached around the neck of the child and then to the dining mat 2. The child may then eat by him/herself without the risk that the plate with food is tilted over or thrown onto the floor. After the meal, the parent releases the dining plate 9 to be washed from the receptacle 8 of the mat by pulling the member 16 of the releasing arrangement downwards away from the perim eter wall. If food has been dropped onto the base portion 4 of the dining mat 2 the mat is wiped or released from the table surface by pulling said member 16 upwards so as to allow removal and washing of the mat. The dining mat 2 may of advantage be left attached on the table surface between the meals which is made possible by the removable dining plate 2, as washing of the mat itself may not be needed very often. Besides this use, a dining assembly with the features described is also very suitable to be used for feeding a pet, such as a cat or a dog.

The invention is of course not in any way restricted to the embod- iments thereof described above, but many possibilities to modifi cations thereof will be apparent to a person with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as de fined in the appended claims. The dining mat may be provided with a plurality of bowl-like re ceptacles, as one example.

The flexible perimeter wall may also include parts which are not flexible, such as parts of hard plastic.

A“state of use” of the dining assembly is in this disclosure to be interpreted as a state in which the dining assembly is completely assembled and ready for use.

Claims

1 . A dining assembly (1 ), especially for infants and children, comprising:

- a dining mat (2) configured to be placed on an underlying surface (3), such as a table surface, and having a rub berlike planar base portion (4) provided with a smooth undersurface (5) which is configured to be in sealed con tact with said underlying surface (3) when the dining mat (2) is placed thereon, wherein the dining mat (2) further has a flexible perimeter wall (6) protruding from an upper surface (7) of the base portion (4) so as to delimit a bowl like receptacle (8) on the base portion (4),

characterized in that the dining assembly (1 ) further com prises:

- a dining plate (9) configured to be inserted and secured in a lower securing position in the bowl-like receptacle (8) of the dining mat (2) and having a bowl-like shape corresponding to that of said receptacle (8) in such a way that a sealed contact is established between an outer surface (10) of the plate (9) and an inner surface (1 1 ) of the perimeter wall (6) upon reaching said securing posi tion of the plate (9) in the receptacle (8),

wherein the plate (9) is configured to be moved down into the receptacle (8) to said securing position while applying an external pressure thereupon and by that make said flex ible perimeter wall (6) of the receptacle (8) storing potential energy urging the plate (9) in a direction away from the un derlying surface (3) upon removal of said pressure creating a negative air pressure in a first sealed volume (13) between the part (14) of the base portion (4) of the mat (2) constitut ing a bottom portion of the receptacle (8) and the plate (9) lifting said bottom portion from the underlying surface (3) while creating a second sealed volume (15) with a negative air pressure between said part (14) of the base portion (4) and the underlying surface (3) securing the mat (2) to the underlying surface (3).

2. A dining assembly (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the dining plate (9) is configured to be secured and held in said lower securing position by the negative air pres sure in said first sealed volume (13) maintained by the sealed contact between the outer surface (10) of the plate (9) and the inner surface (1 1 ) of the perimeter wall (6).

3. A dining assembly (1 ) according to claim 2, characterized in that the assembly (1 ) comprises a releasing arrangement configured to be operable to at at least one location along the circumference of the perimeter wall (6) separate this from the plate (9) and by that break the sealed contact therebetween so as to open said first sealed volume (13) to the ambient air and thereby allow removal of the plate (9) from the receptacle (8). 4. A dining assembly (1 ) according to any of the claims 1 -3, characterized in that the assembly (1 ) comprises a releas ing arrangement which has an air channel (19) extending through the base portion (4) of the mat (2) between a first opening (20) to the ambient air and a second opening (21 ) in the undersurface (5) of the base portion (4), wherein the releasing arrangement further has a member (16) config ured to sealably close said first opening (20) in an inactive state of the arrangement, and wherein the releasing ar rangement is configured to be operable to move said mem- ber (16) away from the first opening (20) of the air channel

(19) so as to establish an air connection between the ambi ent air and the second opening (21 ) allowing air to enter between the undersurface (5) of the base portion (4) and the underlying surface (3) through said second opening (21 ) and thereby allowing removal of the dining mat (2) from the underlying surface (3).

5. A dining assembly (1 ) according to claim 4, characterized in that said member (16) of the releasing arrangement is a tab-like member (16) arranged at an outer surface (17) of the perimeter wall (6), at an upper end thereof, that the first opening (20) of the air channel (19) is arranged adjacent to said member (16) at said outer surface (17) in such a way that said first opening (20) is kept sealably closed by a part (22) of the member (16) blocking it in said inactive state of the arrangement, and that the releasing arrangement is con figured to be operated to open the first opening (20) of the air channel (19) so as to establish said air connection by applying an external force to said member (16) in a first di rection away from the first opening (20) so that said blocking part (22) of the member (16) is moved away from said open ing (20).

6. A dining assembly (1 ) according to claims 1 -5, characterized in that the releasing arrangement is configured to be operated to separate the perimeter wall (6) from the plate

(9) and by that break the sealed contact therebetween by applying an external pulling force to said member (16) in a second direction away from the perimeter wall (6) so that the member (16) and thereby a portion of the perimeter wall (6) at which it is arranged is pulled away from the plate (9).

7. A dining assembly (1 ) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said member (16) of the releasing arrangement is configured and arranged at the perimeter wall (6) in such a way that movement of the member (16) in said first direc tion to a position in which said blocking part (22) of the member (16) has been moved away from said first opening (20) is obstructed by an upper peripheral edge portion (23) of the plate (9) projecting over an upper edge (18) of the perimeter wall (6) when the plate (9) is in said lower secur ing position.

8. A dining assembly (1 ) according to claim 6, or claim 7 as dependent on claim 6, characterized in that said member (16) of the releasing arrangement is arranged at the outer surface (17) of the perimeter wall (6) close to an upper edge (18) thereof, that the first opening (20) of the air channel

(19) is arranged at said outer surface (17) between the member (16) and the base portion (4) of the mat (2), that said first direction is upwards away from said base portion (4), and that said second direction is inclined downwards towards said base portion (4).

9. A dining assembly (1 ) according to any of claims 5-8, characterized in that said member (16) is arranged at a position on the outer surface (17) of the perimeter wall (6) in which it is at least partially hidden under an upper peripheral edge portion (23) of the plate (9) projecting over an upper edge (18) of the perimeter wall (6) when the plate (9) is in said lower securing position, so as to be difficult to reach and operate by a user, such as an infant or child, of the dining assembly (1 ).

10. A dining assembly (1 ) according to any of claims 5-9, characterized in that said member (16) is arranged at a side of the outer surface (17) of the perimeter wall (6) intended to be faced away from the user of the dining assembly (1 ) dur ing use thereof.

1 1 . A dining assembly (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dining plate (9) is made of a hard material and is by that configured to make the flexible perimeter wall (6) into a rigid coherent unit when the plate (9) is in said lower securing position, whereby external forces applied to the perimeter wall (6) are distributed throughout the wall (6) and to the base portion (4) of the mat (2) around the entire circumference of the wall (6).

12. A dining assembly (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the assembly (1 ) further com prises a bib (24) provided with securing means at a lower end thereof, which securing means are configured to en- gage with associated securing means provided on the dining mat (2) and/or the dining plate (9) in order to secure the lower end of the bib (24) thereto.

13. A dining assembly (1 ) according to claim 12, characterized in that said securing means of the bib (24) comprise at least one magnet (25) arranged along a lower edge of the bib (24), and that said associated securing means comprise at least one magnet (26) arranged along an outer edge of the base portion (4) of the mat (2) and configured to attract said at least one magnet (25) of the bib (24).

14. Use of a dining assembly (1 ) according to any of the claims 1 -13 for feeding an infant or a child.

15. Use of a dining assembly with the features according to any of the claims 1 -13 for feeding a pet, such as a cat or a dog.