Numerous designs are already known which allow eating and drinking tableware to be carried.

The solution which is most widely known is the tray, which has the drawback that two hands are needed to carry it. Only experienced users can carry the tray using only one hand positioned centrally underneath the tray.

Carrying the tray in one hand by gripping the edge of the tray requires considerable strength on the part of the user, owing to the considerable torque which is produced.

Conventional trays have the further drawbacks that they have to be held in a reasonably horizontal position and that acceleration and deceleration forces give rise to a considerable reaction on the part of the load to be carried, which may cause the liquid foodstuff to spill over the edge of the crockery.

Another known feature consists of a support surface which is provided with chains or cords which come together in a handle above the centre of the support surface. Cf., for example, FR-A-2,428,424. A drawback of this is that the handle is not situated in a convenient location when the device is being picked up. The chains and the handle may end up between or even in the crockery.

US-A-4,117,965 discloses a device in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. The device comprises a round support surface which, along its circumference, is supported by a frame. A carrying bracket which extends in a curve above the support surface from one circumferential side to the other is attached to the frame. By means of a freely movable chain, a handle is connected to the carrying bracket above the centre of the support surface. Owing to the freely movable chain, the support surface maintains a horizontal position irrespective of jerky movements of the handle when the device is being carried.

A freely movable handle has the drawback that the support surface is to a certain extent able to rotate freely about the attachment point. On the one hand, this has the drawback that undesirable rotation of the support surface about the perpendicular cannot be corrected by turning the handle in the opposite direction. On the other hand, it has the drawback that it is not possible to achieve a desired rotation of the support surface about the perpendicular when the device is being operated with one hand. A rotation of this nature is desirable, for example, when giving someone a cup of coffee which is situated on the opposite side of the support surface. A further drawback of the known device is that the support surface will begin to swing about with respect to the handle as soon as the support surface collides with anything or if very sudden acceleration forces are exerted via the handle.

It is not possible to damp these swinging movements without taking hold of the support surface or the carrying bracket.

This requires two hands, which are not always available.

The object of the invention is to provide a device without the drawbacks described above.

This object is achieved by means of a device according to claim 1. The device comprises a support surface and a carrying arm. The carrying arm extends from the support surface to a substantially central position above the centre of gravity of the device. The device furthermore comprises a handle which, via a coupling piece, is movably connected to the carrying arm. The coupling piece is made from an elastically deformable material which has a certain amount of flexibility and torsional rigidity.

The flexibility allows the handle to move with respect to the carrying arm, while the torsional rigidity ensures that rotation of the handle about its longitudinal axis causes a rotation of the support surface. This device can be used effortlessly with the aid of one hand and the torque exerted on the wrist can remain minimal. Acceleration and deceleration forces have scarcely any effect on the liquid levels with respect to the eating and drinking tableware, so that spillage will occur only in the event of

exceptional movements. Furthermore, one or more items of eating or drinking tableware can be positioned in such a manner that the support surface remains horizontal when lifted. In the rest position, the handle is in a fixed position, which means that it cannot unintentionally be situated in or between the crockery. The support surface can be rotated about the perpendicular by turning the handle about its longitudinal axis. Owing to the flexi- bility of the elastically deformable coupling piece, the support surface maintains a horizontal position irrespec- tive of jerky movements of the handle when the device is being carried by means of this handle. Owing to the torsional rigidity of the elastically deformable coupling piece, it is possible not only to rotate the support surface as desired but also to counteract undesirable rotations by means of a suitable rotation of the handle.

The device is particularly stable and the user is able to carry out desired manipulations of the support surface even when carrying the device in one hand. The coupling piece according to the invention provides the device with the freedom of movement required to achieve a corrective, balancing action.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the subclaims.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a front view of a variant with a pivotable carrying arm which is shown in two positions; Fig. 3 shows a side view of a variant with a fixed carrying arm, with the handle illustrated in two positions; Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a top view of the support surface in accordance with Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a front view of a handle which is integral with a coupling piece, arranged on a carrying arm, part of which is shown;

Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the handle in Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a connection between a carrying arm and a support surface.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is sketched in Fig. 1. A support surface 1 is connected to a carrying arm 2. The carrying arm 2 rises up to a position in the vicinity of the upwards perpendicular 5 extending from the centre of gravity S of the support surface 1. At this position, an elastic coupling piece 3 is attached to the carrying arm 2, and a handle 4 is attached to the other end of this coupling piece 3.

In the exemplary embodiment, the support surface 1 is designed as a planar oval. Numerous other shapes are equally possible. The carrying arm 2 is designed as a single rod or tube. Here too, numerous other forms may be possible without impairing the inventive idea.

Consideration may be given, for example, to a number of rods, plate material or even a design in which the support surface 1 and the carrying arm 2 are integral with one another.

It is essential that there is an attachment point for the elastic coupling piece 3, in the vicinity of the perpendicular 5 and above the centre of gravity S of the support surface 1, thus leaving all the space for positioning eating and drinking tableware free.

The elastic coupling piece 3 is dimensioned in such a manner that the handle 4 will adopt a position which differs considerably from a vertically downwards position.

The elasticity of the connection 3 is selected to be such that the handle 4 can be pivoted to a considerable extent upwards, downwards and sideways without this having any significant adverse effect on the horizontal position of the free support surface 1. The elasticity of the coupling piece 3 is also such that it is possible to rotate the support surface 1 about the perpendicular 5 in a desired manner by rotating the handle 4 about its longitudinal axis. On the other hand, this rotation can also be used to counteract a rotation of the support surface 1 about the

perpendicular 5.

The handle 4 is in this case sketched as a cylinder. This cylinder can be taken hold of, as desired, from above or below. It will be clear that numerous other handle shapes and models may be used.

An exemplary embodiment with an additional feature is sketched in Fig. 2. In this case, the carrying arm 2 is attached to the support surface 1 by way of a rotatable connection 6. The carrying arm 2 can be moved downwards out of the position of use 7 into the storage position 8, and vice versa. The position of use 7 can be fixed, for example by means of a resilient catch which engages in a cavity in the rotatable connection 6.

An additional feature of this nature ensures that the appliance is in a position to take up less space during distribution and storage and also when the user wishes to store the device.

A further development of the invention is sketched in Fig. 3. The handle can be gripped from the rest position 9 in which the device is carried from above. In addition, it is possible to move the handle into a vertical position 10 and then to grip it from below. This possibility may provide additional ease of use for people with, for example, a physical handicap.

In Figs. 4 and 5, the device has a round support surface 20 which substantially comprises a planar plate with an upwardly projecting, profiled circumferential edge.

At one location, the circumferential edge is made wider and is provided with a continuous opening 21. One end of a rod- shaped carrying arm 22 is fitted in the continuous opening 21. The rod-shaped carrying arm 22 is bent in such a manner that its other end opens out in the vicinity of the upwards perpendicular 25 leading from the centre of gravity S of the support surface 20. An element 26 made from an elastically deformable material is attached to this end of the carrying arm 22. The element 26 can be subdivided into two parts, namely a handle part 27 and a narrowed coupling- piece part 28. In this way, the handle is advantageously integral with the coupling piece and both components are

made from the same elastically deformable material. The dimensions of the handle part 27 are such that it is relatively strong by comparison with the tapered coupling- piece part 28. The taper is of sufficiently slim design to produce a flexibility, according to the invention, which allows the handle part 27 to move with respect to the carrying arm 22 and the support surface 20 which is connected thereto and to provide a torsional rigidity which means that a rotation of the handle part 27 about its longitudinal axis 29 causes a rotation of the support surface 20. If, in practice, a device is carried using the handle part 27, the weight of the device will cause the handle part 27 to bend about the tapered coupling-piece part 28. Depending on the weight and the degree of flexibility, the handle part 27 with its longitudinal axis 29 will adopt a substantially vertical position. In this position, a rotation of the handle part 27 about its longi- tudinal axis 29 results in a rotation of the support surface 20 about the upwards perpendicular 25. In this way, it is possible, in a very simple manner, to impart desired rotations to the support surface 20 or to counteract undesirable rotations thereof directly by using the handle part 27.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a possible connection between a combined handle/coupling-piece element 40 and a carrying arm 41. In this case, the carrying arm 41 comprises a round, hollow, metal tube. The element 40 is shaped in such a manner that a plug part 43 thereof fits into the hollow tube and a collar part 44 thereof engages around the wall of the tube. This connection can be achieved, for example, by placing the tube forming the carrying arm in a suitable mould and then injection-moulding an elastically deformable material around it, so that the combined handle/coupling- piece element is produced. It is also possible to connect the element 40 to the carrying arm 41 by means of a clamp fit or an adhesive bond.

The elastically deformable material is preferably an elastomer, such as for example polyurethane. This material is readily mouldable and has both a desired level

of flexibility and a torsional rigidity.

The carrying arm according to the invention can be connected to a support surface in a number of ways. In a preferred embodiment, the carrying arm is attached to the support surface by way of a releasable plug-in attachment.

An example of this is shown in Fig. 8. For the sake of clarity, the plug-in attachment is partially cut away and illustrated on an enlarged scale. It is possible to see part of a support surface 50 which is provided, in its circumferential edge, with a continuous opening. Two coupling pieces 51,52 are arranged in the continuous opening. The coupling pieces engage inside one another and, in so doing, clip onto the circumferential edge of the continuous opening. The two coupling pieces 51,52 define a cylindrical space into which a bottom tubular part of a carrying arm 54 can be fitted. The top coupling part 52 is provided on the inside with one or more projecting latching lugs 56. The bottom end of the carrying arm 54 is provided with one or more corresponding locking recesses 57. By fitting the bottom tubular part of the carrying arm 54 into the coupling parts 51,52, the latching lugs 56 will move into the latching recesses 57. The result is a reliable, easily connectable attachment between the carrying arm 54 and the support surface 50. If the device is not in use, the carrying arm 54 can be removed from the support surface 50, so that the device does not take up much space.

Although the figures show a carrying arm which is connected to the support surface at only one point, it is also possible, for example, to use a carrying arm which extends in the form of an arc above the support surface from one side of the circumference to the other. In this case too, the handle may be attached to the carrying arm by means of an elastically deformable coupling piece at a position in the vicinity of the upwards perpendicular extending from the centre of gravity of the support surface.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide the device with additional accessories, such as for example a sugar bowl, a teaspoon pot or a dish for powdered milk. These accessories are preferably arranged in the vicinity of or around the carrying arm, so that they are not in the way of the rest of the eating and drinking tableware which is to be positioned on the support surface.