Abstract:
Placemats include a major portion sized not substantially larger than necessary to accommodate a place setting, and include an integrally formed coaster extension sized, with any overlap to the major portion, to accommodate a beverage container. Undue use of available space by the placemat is therefore avoided while the underlying surface is protected from condensation or spillage from beverage containers. Thematic content conveyed by the shape and/or graphics of the major portion and coaster extension are consistent or complementary to provide a unified conceptual appearance.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is related to and claims priority as a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/147,813 entitled COMBINED PLACEMAT AND COASTER and filed Sep. 5, 2001, which is a divisional of U.S. Design patent application No. 29/110,347 also entitled COMBINED PLACEMAT AND COASTER and filed Sep. 7, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. D448,232 issued Sep. 25, 2001. The content of the above-identified applications is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention is directed, in general, to placemats for table settings and, more specifically, to designs for placemats including thematic content such as holiday designs and the like.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Placemats are commonly employed in many households to protect a dining table or tablecloth from damage during meals, particularly in households having children. Such damage may result, for instance, from food or drink spillage or droppings, condensation from cold drinks, and the like. Placemats under the plate and beverage container protect the underlying surface from damage of this type.  
           [0004]    Conventional placemats, however, are generally sized and designed based on the plate and utensils (including, perhaps, a napkin), without consideration of the beverage container. However, condensation or spillage from a cold beverage container, or spillage from a hot beverage container, may significantly damage or stain many table surfaces and most tablecloths.  
           [0005]    One obvious solution is to simply make the overall size of the placemats sufficiently large to accommodate a beverage container. However, the requisite overall sizes for such accommodation of a beverage container will often preclude fitting the placemat into limited-area spaces and/or reduce the space available for other uses such as placement of serving dishes containing food, condiment (e.g., salt and pepper shakers), or decorative center-pieces.  
           [0006]    There is, therefore, a need in the art for an improved placemat design accommodating beverage containers without unnecessary increases in the overall, general size of the placemat.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide, for use as a placemat, a major portion sized not substantially larger than necessary to accommodate a place setting and an integrally formed coaster extension sized, with any overlap to the major portion, to accommodate a beverage container. Undue use of available space by the placemat is therefore avoided while the underlying surface is protected from condensation or spillage from beverage containers. Thematic content conveyed by the shape and/or graphics of the major portion and coaster extension is consistent or complementary to provide a unified conceptual appearance. The coaster extension may be fabricated to be removable, having an interlocking shape in common with a peripheral region of the major portion.  
           [0008]    The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the broadest form of the spirit and scope of the invention.  
           [0009]    Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words or phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or; and the phrases “associated with,” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such definitions apply in many, if not most, instances to prior as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers designate like objects, and in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIGS. 1A through 1D depict plan views of the general shape and configuration of a generically-shaped placemat each having a conformal, integral drink coaster according to one embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 2A through 2P depict plan views of the shape or configuration and design patterns of various examples of thematic placemats each having a conformal, integral drink coaster according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    FIGS.  1 A- 1 D and  2 A- 2 P, discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present invention may be implemented in any suitably arranged device.  
         [0014]    Each of the designs depicted in the figures and described below may be formed in the same manner utilized for forming conventional placemats and of the same materials (e.g., cloth, laminate, cork, rubber, neoprene and other plastics, etc.). Those skilled in the art will recognize that various surface coatings and the like may be suitably employed, and colorants for graphic content in thematic placemats may be applied in any suitable manner known in the art.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 1A through 1D depict plan views of the general shape or configuration of generically-shaped placemats each having a conformal, integral drink coaster according to one embodiment of the present invention. Each placemat  100 - 103  includes a major portion  100   a - 103   a  having a generally identifiable shape (circular, square, rectangular and triangular in the examples shown).  
         [0016]    The sizing of such major portions  100   a - 103   a  is selected to accommodate only a typical place setting—that is, a plate, and optionally also silverware (fork, spoon and knife) and/or napkin. Most dinner plates are less than approximately 10-12 inches in diameter, most silverware has a maximum width of less than about 2 inches, and typical napkins, when folded and placed under the silverware or rolled in a napkin ring, require less than about 2-3 inches of additional space over the silverware. Accordingly, an overall dimension of perhaps 12-14 inches in height by 18-24 inches in width is all that is required the major portion  100   a - 103   a  of placemats  100 - 103 . Such sizes generally will not easily also accommodate a beverage container.  
         [0017]    In accordance with the present invention, therefore, each placemat also includes an integrally formed extension  100   b - 103   b  projecting from a peripheral edge of the respective major portion  100   a - 103   a  and serving as a coaster. The extension  100   b - 103   b  is sized to accommodate typical beverage container (glasses, tumblers, mugs, coffee cups, soft drink cans, etc.), which are generally no large than about 3-4 inches in diameters at the base. Each extension  100   b - 103   b  may extend from any peripheral edge of the associated major portion  100   a - 103   b,  but preferably extends from the upper, right, or upper-right edge of the placemat for the convenience of predominantly right-handed diners. (For reversible placemats such as those described below, projection of the coaster extension from the upper-right corner of the major portion allows the placemat to simply be flipped over for the convenience of left-handed diners).  
         [0018]    The extensions  100   b - 103   b  of placemats  100 - 103  preferably have a shape consistent with the shape of the associated major portion  100   a - 103   a.  As shown, the shapes of extensions  100   b - 103   b  and major portions  100   a - 103   a  either may be contiguous (e.g., FIG. 1C) or may somewhat overlap (e.g., FIGS.  1 A- 1 B and  1 D), so long as sufficient area is provided by the overlapping and non-overlapping portions of the extensions  100   b - 103   b  to accommodate a beverage container, functioning as a coaster.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIGS. 2A through 2P depict plan views of the shape or configuration and design patterns of various examples of thematic placemats each having a conformal, integral drink coaster according to one embodiment of the present invention. As with the examples of FIGS.  1 A- 1 D, each placemat  200 - 214  includes a major portion  200   a - 214   a  nominally sized to accommodate a place setting (and preferably not substantially larger) and an integrally formed coaster extension  200   b - 214   b  sized (including any overlapping portions) to accommodate a beverage container.  
         [0020]    In the embodiments of FIGS.  2 A- 2 P, however, placemats  200 - 214  each have a shape patterned after or depicting an identifiable object, and preferably also have related graphic content depicting features of the object. Placemat  200  in FIG. 2A, for instance, has a heart shape, while placemat  201  in FIG. 2B has the shape of a United States currency bill (any denomination) together with graphic content depicting features of a currency bill.  
         [0021]    Coaster extensions  200   b - 214   b  preferably have a shape and graphic content, if any, consistent with whatever theme or subject matter conveyed by the shape and/or graphic content of the associated major portion  200   a - 214   a.  Thus, for instance, coaster extension  200   b  for placemat  200  in FIG. 2A has the shape of an arrowhead for an arrow through the heart shape of major portion  200   a,  while coaster extension  201   b  in FIG. 2B has the shape of a United States currency coin. The coaster extensions and the associated major portion have consistent and/or complementary thematic content conveyed by the shape or graphics.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 2C through 2G are examples of sports-themed placemats  202 - 206  according to the present invention. The shape and graphic content of placemat  202  includes a soocer ball major portion  202   a  and a net coaster extension  202   b;  for placemat  203 , a basketball major portion  203   a  and  185  basketball rim and net  203   b;  for placemat  204 , a football shaped major portion  204   a  is accompanied by a field goal shaped coaster extension  204   b;  the baseball major portion  205   a  of placemat  205  has a partial bat coaster extension  205   b;  and golf ball major portion  206   a  of placemat  206  has a partial golf club coaster extension  206   b.    
         [0023]    Further examples are illustrated in FIGS. 2H through 2P. Apple major portion  207   a  and partial worm coaster extension  207   b  make up placemat  207 . Grape leaf major portion  208   a  and small grape bunch coaster extension  208   b  comprise placemat  208 . Pot-of-gold major portion  209   a  and rainbow  209   b  form placemat  209 . Computer  210   a  and mouse  210   b  form placemat  210 , while earth  211   a  and moon  211   b  form placemat  211 . Saucer and teacup  212   a  with handle  212   b  form placemat  212 , mushroom  213   a  and butterfly  213   b  form placemat  213 , and snowman  214   a  with hat  214   b  form placemat  214 . Placemats  212  and  214  depicted in FIGS. 2M and 2O (and  2 P), respectively, illustrate that the coaster extension need not be a separate item from the identifiable object depicted by the major portion, but may instead merely be a component portion of that object which extends out from the remainder.  
         [0024]    The graphic content applied to the surface of the placemat is preferably duplicated, in mirror image, on the opposite side, so that both sides of the placemat display the same image except for orientation. In this manner, the placemat becomes reversible, with either side being suitable for use. Therefore, if the coaster extension is positioned to project from the upper right region of the major portion for the convenience of predominantly right-handed diners, the placemat may be simply flipped over as illustrated by FIG. 2P.  
         [0025]    The coaster extension need not necessarily be integrally formed with the major portion of the placemat in the present invention, but may be a separate piece which is attached by sewing (for cloth placemats), gluing or otherwise securing the coaster extension to the major portion. Moreover, the coaster extension need not be permanently affixed to the major portion; instead, the coaster extension may have a protrusion shaped to interlock with a cut-out from a peripheral edge of the major portion in the manner of jigsaw puzzle pieces. In this fashion, the coaster extension may be separated from the major portion for cleaning, storage, and the like, then reattached to the major portion at a later time.  
         [0026]    Although the present invention has been described in detail, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, substitutions, variations, enhancements, nuances, gradations, lesser forms, alterations, revisions, improvements and knock-offs of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.