Abstract:
The present invention provides a solution to the handling of dishes and silverware. One or more magnets are added to a saucer to secure the silverware to the saucer, thereby preventing the spoon from slipping, falling or ending up in the area of deposit reserved for the cup.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 USC § 119(e) to German application 202 12 355.3 filed on Aug. 8, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The handling of dishes and silverware is often very delicate, and slipping or falling silverware and dish elements can cause disturbances, staining, or in unfortunate cases even injuries. In particular, coffee and tea dishes consisting of many and small parts require an attentive and diligent handling, whereby not only the loosely deposed cup on the saucer should stand securely, but a spoon is also regularly added, which should not slip over the rim of the saucer, nor slip into the little depression meant as deposition area for the cup.  
           [0003]    Every day problems like these arise even at private coffee invitations. In the restaurant business, the problems that the users have with the dishes, for example in a populated location, and which often encumber the personnel, re-enforced by additional helpers, have an economic impact even with small repeating incidents. Difficulties with dishes and silverware of this kind are also disturbing and unpleasant in break or recreational situations i.e. in offices or at conferences, where coffee and tea is taken from preparation devices or areas in order to then be drunk standing or at tables.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The invention&#39;s purpose is to facilitate and simplify the handling of the dishes, in particular that of coffee and tea dishes, and to minimize the so far often neglected difficulties with these problems without thereby renouncing the usual expectations in the dishes and silverware as far as handling, cleaning opportunities, and form design are concerned. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    Two embodiments of the present invention are represented in the drawing and will be described in more detail hereafter. These embodiments are provided for exemplary purposed only and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the appended claims.  
         [0006]    The drawings show:  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 Bottom view of a saucer in a first version.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 Section through saucer pursuant to FIG. 1.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 Bottom view of a saucer in a second version.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 Section through the saucer pursuant to FIG. 3. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]    According to the invention, this task is accomplished by a saucer pursuant to claim 1. A fixation of the spoon or another piece of silverware creates security in the handling. If, for example, while drinking coffee in a company or during work or conference breaks, the spoon is fixed in the deposit area of the saucer, not only the disturbances in connection with this normally easily slipping and falling spoon or spoon ending up in the area of deposit reserved for the cup are eliminated, it also prevents reactions that are otherwise connected with the slipping movements of the spoon and which endanger the stable standing of the cup. The handling of the coffee and tea dishes is much simplified.  
         [0012]    Compared to other fixing options, the magnetic fixture has the advantage of being user and material friendly and can also be done inconspicuously. While glue or adhesive surfaces, or elaborated cavities for a spoon encumber the manufacturing, handling, and cleaning, a magnetic fixation of the spoon can be obtained without disadvantages in the use. Hence, a magnet can, for example, be fixed inconspicuously as a totally compact and small single magnet on the bottom of the saucer. In the same manner, a magnetic stripe or magnetic ring in flat form as platter or foil can be attached on the bottom side, in order to not only create a punctual deposit area, which for that purpose can also be marked or rendered recognizable from above, but also to create a free deposit common type area all around i.e. in a circle symmetric saucer. In the same manner, commonly sold compact or strong single magnets can be aligned to a strip or ring, preferably with distances among each other, to create a correspondingly large deposit area.  
         [0013]    The magnetic material can be conveniently included in the saucer from beneath the surface of the saucer, in a way that for a single magnet a cavity is integrated on the bottom side or has been provided for in the manufacturing. Insofar as the magnet is still visible from beneath, it will be conveniently designed for the outside through a decoratively designed surface which also hides plastering and gluing.  
         [0014]    Similar magnets can also be completely embedded in the material of the saucer. Insofar as a constant magnetism cannot be maintained in ceramic material at high burning temperatures, such a saucer needs to be adequately re-magnetized in the deposit areas after the burning process. With other materials, i.e. plastic ware commonly sold, pre-magnetized elements can be embedded without damaging the magnetic forces.  
         [0015]    It is understood, that such magnets have effect only on ferro-magnetic materials. This is given with steel in wide ranging combinations. Similar silverware need not be ferro-magnetic as a whole. With silver plated material it suffices for example, that the nucleus consists as a whole or in part of ferro-magnetic material, in particular in the area of the round end of the spoon. Through the embedding of ferro-magnetic material, plastic spoons can also be rendered adhesive to magnets.  
         [0016]    A saucer, jointly described in FIGS. 1 and 2 as saucer  1 , shows the common form of a flat circle cylindrical bowl with a raised external rim  2 , a bottom ring bead  3  to place on a table or something similar, and a top side flat depression  4  to put a cup. Based on the wall strength of saucer  1  it is clear from the section represented in FIG. 2, that we are dealing with ceramic material. However, as discussed above, any material may be used to form the saucer  1 .  
         [0017]    In a single spot between the depression  4  and the rim  2 , a magnet  5  will be integrated in the saucer  1 , which will, this time, be completely embedded in the wall of the saucer, which needs to be performed during the ceramic production of the saucer. A subsequent embedding of such a magnet  5  in the saucer would conveniently be done from the bottom. The manufacturer could arrange for a cavity as long as it is not incorporated only later through drilling and grinding.  
         [0018]    Above the magnet  5  results, thus, an area of deposition  6  for a spoon, which will have ferro-magnetic material at least in some areas, so that the spoon is fixed to the deposition area. If saucer  1  is inclined, or during rapid movement, the spoon remains in its position in the deposition area  6  and does not run the risk of slipping over the rim  2  to the outside or into the depression  4  as commonly happens. The deposition area  6  can, of course, be marked through the top side design of the saucer  1  to make it readily identifiable for the user.  
         [0019]    It is understood that such magnets  5 , which can be obtained commercially in a very strong and compact form, will be distributed not only in single spots, but over a part or the whole of the perimeter of the saucer  1 , so that a deposition area  6  is created around the depression  4 . In this embodiment, more than one ferro-magnetic element may be securely deposited on the saucer.  
         [0020]    A modified form of a saucer  7  is in FIG. 3 and  4 . Since the basic form coincides with the version pursuant in FIG. 1 and  2 , the single, previously referenced areas of the saucer are also marked with the already used reference signs  2 ,  3 , and  4 . A ring form magnet  8  is embedded in saucer  7 , which encloses the area of the depression  4  concentrically and, thus, creates a surrounding deposition area  9  independent from the angular position, respectively the positioning of saucer  7 . The magnet  8  is, as represented, formed as a slightly cony disk to adapt it to the form of saucer  7 . It is, however, understood that the represented size could also be a flat ring, like a plate or foil, placed in the wall of the material. In the same way, the ring could also be replaced by a row or chain of single magnets to avoid special manufacturing.  
         [0021]    In the inverse way, such a saucer can also be initially designed according to the desired design of deposition areas and magnet embeddings. This is possible not only with the free design options of saucers in plastic, but generally also with ceramic material.  
         [0022]    The figures have been provided for exemplary purposes only. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed in the figures, but is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit of the invention, which are set forth in the appended claims, and which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures.