Patent Publication Number: US-2011056958-A1

Title: Anti-spill vessel

Description:
The present invention relates generally to an anti-spill vessel and more specifically to an anti-spill vessel which is convenient to use. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Knocking over utensils and in particular vessels in use by accident is unavoidable and may cause troubles or even scorching. The issue is that these utensils are not properly secured or locked in their normal position. Knocking over utensils causes breakage or substances inside the utensils to fall or to spill out. 
     Particularly with children who are determined to feed themselves before they have the level of co-ordination required to use a spoon or any utensil. They end up at the end of a meal wearing most of it. 
     The invention of securely retaining vessels has many applications. The invention is not only useful for children who tend to move or to knock over bowls and cups, but also beneficial to adults with control deficiencies in handling the unsecured vessels. Further, using unsecured vessels in a moving environment such as in a vehicle, watercraft, aircraft, spacecraft or other moving environments will easily cause dislocating of the vessels or spillage of the substances in the vessels. 
     To overcome the problem, it is known to mount a bowl onto a base which is connected directly onto the table by one or more screws. There are however disadvantages. The table surface is unavoidably damaged because holes are drilled in or through the table for the screws, and drilling holes is cumbersome. Also, the base is not readily removable for cleaning. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages and/or more generally to provide an anti-spill vessel which is convenient to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, there is provided an anti-spill vessel for use on a support surface of a table comprising a receptacle having a first attachment portion, a base including a second attachment portion which is releasably inter-engageable with the first attachment portion such that the receptacle is attached to the base; and an elongate pliable connector extending from the base for fastening upon a said support surface so as to releasably connect the base to a said table. 
     Preferably, the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion are inter-engageable through relative rotation about a vertical axis. 
     More preferably, the elongate pliable connector is connectable to all possible variations in design or nature of the table. 
     Further more preferably, the elongate pliable connector has two free ends each provided with a part of a two-part fastener, the two parts being co-operable to fasten the elongate pliable connector upon the support surface so as to releasably connect the base onto the table. 
     Preferably, the first attachment portion is a seat extending downwardly from a bottom of the receptacle, the seat being internally threaded, and the second attachment portion is a platform atop a bottom of the base, the platform being externally threaded for inter-engagement with the seat of the base through relative rotation. 
     More preferably, the base has a circular groove surrounding the platform, the groove being conformed to accommodate the seat. 
     Further more preferably, the base has an aperture, the elongate pliable connector extending through the aperture and hence connected with the base. 
     Preferably, the base has two said apertures on opposite sides of the base, through both of which the elongate pliable connector extends. 
     Further more preferably, the elongate pliable connector comprises two separate belts, each being attached to one of the apertures. 
     More preferably, each aperture is provided by a loop on a periphery of the base. 
     Preferably, the base is wider than a bottom of the receptacle, acting as a wider bottom of the receptacle for stability. 
     Further more preferably, the receptacle comprises a bowl. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective schematic illustration of an embodiment of an anti-spill vessel in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional schematic illustration of the anti-spill vessel of  FIG. 1 , taken along line A-A; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective schematic illustration of a receptacle of the anti-spill vessel of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration of a bottom of the receptacle of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional illustration of the receptacle of  FIG. 3 , taken along line B-B in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective schematic illustration of a base of the anti-spill vessel of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration of a top of the base as shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional illustration of the base of  FIG. 6 , taken along line C-C in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded schematic illustration of the anti-spill vessel of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded schematic illustration of the anti-spill vessel of  FIG. 1 , showing the way to connect the receptacle to the base; 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic illustration of an elongate pliable member connected with a male part of a fastener; and 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic illustration of an elongate pliable member connected with female part of a fastener. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 12  of the drawings, there is shown an anti-spill vessel  1  embodying the invention, which has a receptacle in the form of a bowl  2  mounted on a generally flat circular base  3 . The base  3  is releasably held onto a table, such as the table of a high chair, by means of a pair of Nylon belts  11   a,    11   b  to prevent the bowl  2  from spilling or slipping off. The vessel  1  is particularly suitable for use by kids and young children learning to feed themselves. 
     The bowl  2  is firmly attached to the base  3  using a releasable screw-fit attachment. The bowl  2  has a bottom  6  and a flat cylindrical seat  5  lying directly on the underside of the bottom  6 . The seat  5  has a screw-threaded internal wall  5   a  which forms a first portion of the screw-fit attachment. The seat  5  is threaded internally such that the screw threads are concealed. 
     The base  3  has a flat cylindrical central platform  7 . The platform  7  has an externally screw-threaded peripheral wall  7   a  which forms a second portion of the screw-fit attachment. The base  3  has a circular groove  10  that runs around the platform  7 . The groove  10  is conformed to accommodate the seat  5 , that is by having the same shape and a slightly larger size. The groove  10  has an inner wall  9 , which is provided by the peripheral wall  7   a  of the platform  7 , and an outer wall  8  which conceals the screw threads on the inner wall  9 . 
     With matching dimensions the seat  5  can fit on and around the platform  7 . The screw threads on the wall  7   a  are engageable with the screw threads  5   a  in the seat  5 , such that the bowl  2  and the base  3  can be screwingly connected together through relative rotation about their common vertical central axis Y. 
     The base  3  has a considerably larger diameter than the seat  5 . It offers a wider bottom/seat for the bowl  2  when the bowl  2  is attached to the base  3 , such that the bowl  2  can stand more stably. Even without the belts  11   a,    11   b,  the bowl  2  is less likely to spill when it is used with the base  3 . 
     The base  3  has a pair of loops  12   a,    12   b  on its opposite left and right sides and along its periphery. The two belts  11   a,    11   b  are connected to the base  3  through the loops  12   a,    12   b.  Each of the belts  11   a,    11   b  runs through a respective loop  12   a,    12   b  and has its free ends connected with a male or female part  13   a,    13   b  of a fastener, such as a snap-fit buckle  13 . The belts  11   a,    11   b  extend from opposite sides of the base  3  for fastening upon the table surface to thereby releasably connect the base  3  onto the table. 
     In operation, the belts  11   a,    11   b  are wrapped around the table, with the male and female parts  13   a,    13   b  of the buckle  13  then snapped together to close and fasten the belts  11   a,    11   b  around the table, whereby the base  3  is connected to and retained on the table. The base  3  may stay on the table for as long as required, ready for use with the bowl  2  at any time. 
     The bowl  2  may be placed co-axially on to the base  3 . By turning the bowl  2  clock-wise in direction X, the seat  5  is screwed into the groove  10 . The bowl  2  should be turned until it stops to ensure that it firmly attached to the base  3 . The seat  5  is concealed in the groove  10  to give an overall neat appearance. 
     To release the bowl  2 , it should be turned anti-clockwise and lifted from the base  3 . To release the base  3  from the table, the buckle parts  13   a,    13   b  are slid apart to release the belts  11   a,    11   b  from the table. 
     The belt  11   a  is fitted with a buckle  14  for adjusting its length such that the two belts  11   a,    11   b  together can fit around all possible variations in design or nature of the table, for connection therewith. 
     The bowl  2  may be used with or without the base  3 . 
     The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above description. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art. 
     For example, the bowl and the base are attached together by screw-fit attachment. In an alternative embodiment, the attachment may be effected through the use of a bayonet joint or a snap-fit connection. 
     For example, the fastener closing the belts is a buckle in the describe embodiment. In an alternative embodiment, the fastener may be implemented using Velcro loop-and-hoop fasteners. 
     As a further example, the belts are connected to the base through the use of a pair of loops. In a different embodiment, there is only one belt which is connected to the base through a flat passage at the bottom of the base.