TRAY PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE SUPPORT FOOT

Abstract: Tray provided with at least one support foot (4), said tray being used for carrying glasses, cups, dishes and such like in a public house and for household purposes said tray being provided with a substantially cylindrical foot (4) with a length of at least 15 mm, at least the lower free edge (5) of said foot (4) being locally interrupted (6) and said foot (4) in respect of the outer circumference of the tray (1), being positioned such that the distance between the foot (4) and said outer circumference is at least 30 mm.

Description: Tray provided with at least one support foot. The invention relates to a tray provided with at least one support foot, said tray being used for carrying glasses, cups, dishes and such like in a public house and for household purposes. Such a tray is known by FR-A-770,299. This known tray is supported by a lug provided with an opening for receiving the user's thumb and additionally by some further feet, if any, positioned near the outer edge of said tray. Obviously it is not easy to bring the thumb of a hand into said opening when using the tray. The object of the invention is to modify said known tray such that it is easier and safer to handle. According to the invention this is obtained by providing the tray with a substantially cylindrical foot with a length of at least 15 mm, at least the lower free edge of said foot being locally interrupted and said foot in respect of the outer circumference of the tray, being positioned such that the distance between the foot and said outer circumference is at least 30 mm. The experience has learned that the spread fingers of a hand can be positioned within said cylindrical foot such that the tray will not slip away from the hand also when there is pushed against the tray. Because of the length of the cylindrical foot and the distance between this foot and the outer circumference of the support portion of the tray the latter can easy be taken up from a table or such like. By applying locally interruptions into the lower free edge of said foot it is prevented that the tray is adhering to a table top or such like. By using said cylindrical foot it is also obtained that no water film can be present between the lower surface of the tray and a table top as this can be the case when a tray is not provided with a foot. According to a further embodiment of the invention the upstanding rim of a tray is executed such that when nesting two or more trays the foot of an upper tray will positively rest on the support portion of the tray below it. By this it is obtained that when nesting the trays the rims of the trays will not fixedly be nested one into the other by which it might be difficult to take away the upper tray of the pile. To obtain a stable pile preferably the upstanding rim of a tray will be executed such that the lower rim of an upper tray is positioned just inside the upper rim of the tray below it. By using this feature the trays, after being nested one into the other, cannot be moved in a horizontal plane. In particular the tray will be made of a plastic material by means of injection molding, although the tray can be made of other materials such as metal, wood and such like. The invention is described by means of an embodiment shown in the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a vertical sectional view of a tray according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a top view of the tray of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of the tray of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 shows a vertical sectional view over a number of trays according to the Figs. 1 - 3 nested in each other. The tray 1 shown in the drawing comprises a support portion 2 provided with an upstanding rim 3 and a cylindrical foot 4. The cylindrical foot 4 is having a length a of at least j 5 15 mm such that the tray 1 can easily be taken up from a table or such like on which it is positioned. For the same reason the distance b between the cylindrical foot 4 and the outer circumference of the support portion 2 of the tray will be at least 30 mm. 10 The lower free edge of the cylindrical foot 4 can be provided with some recesses 6 to prevent adhering of the tray to a table top or to the support portion 2 of a tray on which it is positioned such as shown in Fig. 4. As in particular appears from Fig. 4 the upstanding 15 rim 3 of a tray will be executed such that when nesting two or more trays the cylindrical foot 4 of an upper tray will rest on the support portion 2 of the tray below it. Further the shape will be such that the trays can hardly move in horizontal direction when nested in each 20 other. The tray 1 as shown in the drawing is preferably made of a plastic material by means of injection molding. To prevent that the upper edge of the upstanding rim 3 should be sharp the dividing of the composite mould will be 25 such that the dividing surface is lying just below the rounded-off edge 7 of the upstanding rim 3. Obviously the tray 1 can also be made from other materials J^ and in particular the support portion 2 of it can have an other configuration so may have an oval, elongated, f 30 rectangular and any other shape. It is important, however, that the shape of the foot 4 is such that the spread fingers of a hand can be brought inside it, so that it is easy to carry the tray 1 by one hand.

Claims: _ A _ - C l a i m s - 1. Tray provided with at least one support foot (4) , said tray being used for carrying glasses, cups, dishes and such like in a public house and for household purposes, characterized in that the tray (1) is provided with a substantially cylindrical foot (4) with a length (a) of at least 15 mm, at least the lower free edge (5) of said foot (4) being locally interrupted and said foot (4) in respect of the outer circumference of the tray (1) , being positioned such that the distance (b) between said foot (4) and said outer circumference is at least 30 mm. 2. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the upstanding rim (3) of the tray (1) is executed such that when nesting two or more trays (1) the foot (4) of an upper tray will positively rest on the support portion (2) of the tray (1) below it. 3. Tray according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upstanding rim (3) of a tray (1) is executed such that the lower portion of the rim (3) of an upper tray (1) is positioned just inside the upper portion of the rim (3) of the tray (1) below it. 4. Tray according to one of the preceding claims, - characterized in that the tray is made of a plastic material by means of injection molding.

Inventors: TIMMERMANS GERARDUS JAN MARIE, TIMMERMANS, GERARDUS, JAN, MARIE
Applicants: TIMMERMANS GERARDUS JAN MARIE, TIMMERMANS, GERARDUS, JAN, MARIE
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A47G23
IPC codes: A47G23