Portable support device for liquid container

Technical field

The present invention relates to a portable support device for liquid containers, such as glasses with and without stems, cups, bottles and other types of liquid containers. Background

It is very common for people to consume drinks or meals out of doors, for example in a park. In the park they usually sit on a grass surface, on which it is difficult to put down glasses, cups, bottles or the like containing drinks in a stable manner, and where there is a great risk of the drinks containers overturning. GB 367925 discloses a support device for liquid containers such as cups and glasses, comprising a saucer fixed to an elongated leg, which is inserted in the ground.

FR 1007292 discloses a table with hollow legs, arranged in such a manner that the tables can be stacked on top of one another where the legs from one table are placed inside the legs of the underlying table.

The object of the present invention is to provide a support device for drinks containers which is light and takes up little space during transport, and provides good support for drinks containers on an uneven surface.

Summary of the invention The present invention is defined in patent claim 1. Preferred embodiments will be apparent from the dependent claims.

Detailed description

Embodiments according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, where a drinks container in the form of a glass is lowered towards the support device;

Fig. 2 illustrates three support devices according to the invention located above one another;

Fig. 3 illustrates an intermediate position showing how the support devices in fig. 2 can be stacked on top of one another; and

Fig. 4 illustrates the support devices in figs. 2 and 3 ready stacked for easy transport and storage.

We now refer to fig. 1, where a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

A support device 1 according to the invention comprises a substantially flat, circular support plate 2. Three hollow legs 3 are mounted approximately perpendicularly to the bottom of the substantially flat support plate 2, where the legs 3 taper down towards a pointed end 6. In the preferred embodiment the legs 3 are conical in shape. Three circular openings 4 are further provided in the substantially flat support plate 2 above each of the hollow legs 3.

The support device 1 is used by pushing the legs 3 down into the surface, so that the substantially flat support plate 2 assumes an approximately horizontal position. This will be easy even if the surface is uneven. A drinks container, in the form of a glass 10 (indicated by a dotted line in fig. 1), can then be placed on top of the substantially flat surface 2 and will consequently stand steady without additional support.

During transport and storage, the support device 1 according to the invention can be stacked together with one or more other support devices 1 by the legs 3 being pushed down through the openings 4 and on down into the hollow legs 3 in the underlying support device. This is illustrated in figs. 2-4.

In a preferred embodiment an upwardly projecting collar 5 is mounted along the periphery of the substantially flat support plate. This gives added assurance that the drinks container will remain standing on the support device 1 without sliding off the substantially flat support surface 2.

Furthermore, a friction coating is preferably provided on the substantially flat surface 2 in order to obtain good friction between the support device and the drinks container. The friction coating may consist of a rubber material or other friction- producing materials.

In a preferred embodiment the support device further comprises a levelling indicator, for example a partly liquid-filled hemisphere, mounted centrally on the substantially flat support plate 2. This will make it even easier to set the substantially fiat support plate 2 in a horizontal position. Modifications

The support device according to the invention may be modified in a number of ways. Firstly, the number of legs may be more than three, for example it will also be possible to employ four to six legs.

In the preferred embodiment above, the legs are conical, but pyramidal and prismatic legs, for example, are also possible. In this case the openings 4 will be

triangular or square depending on the shape of the base of the pyramid or prism. Other shapes will, of course, be possible for the legs 3 and the openings 4.

Furthermore, the shape of the substantially flat support plate 2 may be square or rectangular instead of circular. The surface of the substantially flat support plate 2 may be provided with grooves or a similar surface structure.