Abstract:
A napkin adapted to cradle a stemmed glass and a kit having such a napkin in combination with, and configured to mate with, a stemmed glass. The napkin of the present invention includes an absorbent body made of either cloth or paper. The napkin includes a centralized slit aperture with a depth equal to the portion of the napkin proximately surrounding it. The slit aperture, which can be bolstered to maintain its dimensional integrity, is preferably either longitudinal or diagonal across the face of the napkin.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of sanitary products and more specifically to the field of napkins. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Where one finds food, a napkin is sure to be in the proximity. Napkins serve many important purposes, they: shield clothing from food particles; clean clothing stained by liquids; remove food residue from hands; and act as a barrier for hot and cold foods and drinks. However, in addition to these general napkin purposes, highly specific napkin structures have evolved to assist the diner in more specialized dining pursuits. 
         [0003]    Napkins exist that act as a repository for eating utensils, see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,978,553 and 4,800,108. There are napkins designed to attach to specific portions of the body as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,813. There are even napkins designed for use with specifically-shaped food items as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,515. However, there is no satisfactory napkin structured to grip and cradle a stemmed drinking glass. 
         [0004]    Glasses with stems have stems for two reasons: the first reason is aesthetic, the shape is generally pleasing to the eye; the second reason is function, it ensures that the glass may be held without contacting the bowl. A diner directly contacting the bowl with his hands adheres greasy fingerprints on it, and holding a glass by its stem ensures that warmth from the hand does not increase the temperature of the liquid within the bowl—which is often served chilled. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need for a napkin suitable to grip and cradle a stemmed drinking glass, capable of shielding the contents of the glass bowl from the hand temperature of a user and vice versa, and maintain structural orientation while in use. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The present invention is directed to a napkin adapted to cradle a stemmed glass. The napkin of the present invention includes an absorbent body made of either cloth or paper. The napkin body includes the characteristic flat dimensions of a napkin, i.e. minimal height with a substantially greater length and width. The body is sized to be portable. 
         [0007]    The napkin body contains in a centralized location a slit aperture with a depth equal to the portion of the napkin proximately surrounding it. The slit aperture, which can be bolstered to maintain its dimensional integrity, is preferably either longitudinal or diagonal across the face of the napkin. Other embodiments might include grip surfaces upon the body of the napkin or a thermal barrier layer. 
         [0008]    In embodiments of the present invention utilizing the paper body, perforations might be beneficial to versions of paper napkin embodiment. In a still further embodiment of the present invention, a kit is provided that combines a stemmed drinking glass with a napkin adapted to accept the base of that particular drinking glass. 
         [0009]    It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a device and method capable of shielding the contents of the glass bowl from the hand temperature of a user. 
         [0010]    It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a device and method capable of shielding the hands of a user from the temperature of the contents of the glass bowl. 
         [0011]    It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a device and method to cradle a stemmed drinking glass with a napkin that maintains its structural orientation while in use. 
         [0012]    These aspects of the invention are not meant to be exclusive. Furthermore, some features may apply to certain versions of the invention, but not others. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read in conjunction with the following description, and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side cross-sectional view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the napkin of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the kit of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the kit of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the kit of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a basic embodiment of the napkin  100  for cradling a stemmed drinking glass is shown. The napkin  100  includes a body  102  and a slit aperture  104 . The body  102  of the napkin  100  includes a length L, a width W, and a height H (not shown). 
         [0026]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , the length (not shown), width (not shown), and height H should be dimensioned such that the body  102  of the napkin  100  is substantially planer. In other words, the length and width, which define the body surface, should have the dominant proportions in the napkin body, and the height H should be generally minimal. The height of the napkin will primarily depend upon the material from which the body is fabricated. The height, with respect to the material from which the body is fashioned, should be such that the body of the napkin in generally pliant and can conform to a given surface. The length and the width are dimensioned more for matters of personal taste regarding foreseen uses. Embodiments of the napkin designed primarily for restaurants might utilize embodiments having a length and width of twelve inches by twelve inches, while embodiments directed towards household parties might have length and width dimensions of six inches by six inches. In all cases, however, the napkin body is portable. The size allows the napkin to be easily gripped, and easily transported along with a stemmed drinking glass. 
         [0027]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , the body  102  of the napkin  100  should be absorbent. Materials commonly used in the napkin arts will suffice for the present invention. Cotton cloth may be used for some embodiments, paper for other embodiments. The absorbency need only be present to the extent to absorb moisture and liquid from surfaces. 
         [0028]    The body  102  of the napkin  100  includes a slit aperture  104 . The slit aperture  104  allows portions, particularly the base, of a stemmed drinking glass to slide through the body  102  of the napkin  100 . The slit aperture  104  is substantially uniform throughout its entirety. That is to say that any interior portions of the slit aperture  104  are not frayed or rough, but are instead generally continuous from the cleanly cut nature of the slit aperture  104 . 
         [0029]    The slit aperture  104  is substantially centralized within the body  102  of the napkin  100 . Some portion of the slit aperture  102  should pass near the general, though it need not be exact, center of the napkin body. A centralized position can include any position spaced from the periphery of the napkin body that allows a fair sized slit to be maintained, and allows portions of the napkin body  102  to be free to grip a stemmed drinking glass. 
         [0030]    Now turning to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that the slit aperture has a depth D equal to the height H of a proximate portion of the body  102 . The slit aperture  104  penetrates the entire of H of the body  102 . However, because it is not necessary that the napkin  100  have a single, uniform height throughout the body, it is merely necessary that the slit aperture depth D be equal to the body height H immediately surrounding the slit aperture  104 . The slit aperture  104  allows a portion of a stemmed drinking glass to pass completely through the body  102 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of the napkin  100  of the present invention having a slit aperture  104  with an accompanying buttress  106 . The buttress  106  acts as a structural stabilizer that supports the peripheral material of the slit aperture  104 . The buttress could achieve structural integrity via multiple materials and methods. A preferred buttress includes an elastic band about the periphery of the slit aperture  104 . Another preferred buttress includes additional material, preferably of the same variety as used in the body, to increase the volume of the body immediately surrounding the slit aperture. A stabilizer might be fashioned—depending upon the embodiment of the invention—to maintain the planar nature of the slit aperture, to maintain the slit-like dimensions of the slit aperture, or to make the portions of the body immediately surrounding the slit aperture substantially self-supporting. 
         [0032]    As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the slit aperture  104  need not be confined to a single slit. A multi-directional slit  104 —i.e. a single slice, but in multiple directions—may be desired in some embodiments of the present invention. The number of directions in which the slits may point is not fundamental to the present invention. For example, a single opening having eight directions could be desired in some napkin embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 5 , further embodiments of the present invention could include a slit aperture  104  having a centrally disposed stem recess  190  for accepting the stem of a glass. The centrally disposed recess  190  need not have the narrow dimensions of the slit aperture  104 ; as the recess  190  is adapted to circumscribe a stem, it should be shaped to achieve that function. As most stems of glasses include a roughly cylindrical shape, it is preferred that the recess  190  have a circular configuration. As  FIG. 6  illustrates, the shape of the slit aperture  104  can include many variations. In this arc slit aperture embodiment, the slit aperture  104  is curved to accept the base most common to stemmed drinking glasses: a circle. As  FIG. 7  shows, the slit aperture  104  size can be any which is dimensioned to accept a stemmed drinking glass; as stemmed drinking glass come in multiple shapes and sizes, the slit aperture size is accordingly unrestricted. 
         [0033]      FIG. 8  depicts a circular body napkin  100  of the present invention. The napkin  100 , although functional, can be styled to have a body that is suited to the taste of relevant consumers. In addition to rectangles; circles, triangles, diamonds, and other roughly planar geometric shapes are envisioned to be used with the present invention. 
         [0034]    As  FIG. 9  shows, when the napkin  100  of the present invention uses paper as a body material, the napkin can include multiple plies of paper and a perforated slit aperture  204 . In the embodiment shown, a first ply  202  and a second ply  302  compose the body  102 . Furthermore, other intricacies relevant to the paper napkin art may be applied to paper embodiments of the present invention. For example, it might be advantages to include a single body that is folded upon itself to produce a desired thickness or the body might include dimpling or designs. 
         [0035]      FIG. 10  shows a kit  900  embodiment of the present invention. The kit  900  includes a stemmed drinking glass  500  and the napkin  100  of the present invention. The napkin  100  embodiment of the kit  900  includes a slit aperture  104  specially sized to mate with the stemmed drinking glass  500 . The sizing should be such that the napkin  100  slides over the base  506  of the stemmed drinking glass  500  with minimal aperture space remaining. The slit aperture  104  includes dimensions sufficient to accept the base  506  with preferably minimal remaining slit aperture space. As  FIG. 11  depicts, after accepting the base (not shown) of the stemmed drinking glass  500  through the body  102  of the napkin  100  the slit aperture  104  will then close upon the stem  504  of the stemmed drinking glass  506 . In embodiments featuring the elastic slit aperture buttress, such closure would occur automatically; in many embodiments the user would simply fold the napkin upon the stem. As can be seen, the napkin is capable of a range of motion about the stem between the bowl  502  and the base (not shown), and is selectively restricted by the perimeters of the aforementioned structures. It is selectively restricted in the sense that a user, when finished with the napkin may again remove it via the base of the stemmed drinking glass, or in napkin embodiments simply tear the napkin away. 
         [0036]    As  FIG. 12  shows, cloth embodiments of the kit of the present invention should include a slit aperture  104  sized to accept the base (not shown) of the stemmed drinking glass  500  yet further sized so that the weight of the body  102  of the napkin  100  will not pull the napkin  100  past the base (not shown). The napkin body  102  is capable of hanging from the base. A further solution to such a problem would include some form of the slit aperture buttress. 
         [0037]    Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.