FIELD OF APPLICATION

The present invention relates to an object holder into which a user can arrange his/her own personal objects and that can be installed, for instance, on support elements such as tables on beaches, terraces or in places of public entertainment.

A possible application of the object holder is on tables provided with an upright, or central pole, supporting both a support plane and, when in use, a sunshade umbrella.

STATE OF THE ART

Object holders are known that can be installed on support elements serving, for instance, both as tables and as supports for sunshade umbrellas, and that are designed to contain objects.

The support element usually consists of an upright, or pole, that is driven in the ground, or that has a support base to allow positioning on a support plane.

The upright is usually provided with a tubular cavity into which the rod of a sunshade umbrella is inserted, when in use.

At the free end of the upright a support plane is fixed so as to define, on the whole, a table.

The beach object holder known comprises a containment body of a substantially toroid shape, or doughnut shape, defining a central hole into which the upright of the support element is positioned, when in use.

The containment body is defined by a plurality of walls which together define a containment compartment, which has a substantially toroid shape too and which develops around the afore-mentioned central hole.

The walls, therefore, define with their outer surface at least the aforementioned central hole, while with their inner surface they define the containment compartment for the objects.

In at least one of the walls an opening is formed which allows access to the containment compartment so as to put the objects in it or take them from it.

Said object holders are integrally fixed to the support element and are installed on the latter already during the assembly phase of the support element. In particular, the upright is usually positioned on, or fixed to, a support plane or ground. Subsequently, the object holder is inserted with its central hole into the upright through a first end of said upright. The support plane is then fixed to the first end of the upright. Securing the object holder to the upright is then usually effected by positioning the object holder beneath the support plane of the support element.

Said operations prove to be particularly complex and need a long time for the installation of the object holder.

Installation time turns out to be even longer if a replacement of one of the above-mentioned object holders is required, for instance because it is damaged or ruined, or if the installation of such object holders is required on support elements that are already existing and assembled, for example, on a beach.

In such cases, in fact, a disassembly of the support element is usually required, with a possible damaging also of said support element, to allow the subsequent installation of the object holder.

An object of the present invention is to provide an object holder for a support element that is easy and quick to be installed on a support element.

An object of the present invention is also to provide an object holder for a support element that can be installed also on already existing support elements. It is further an object of the present invention to provide an object holder that can be easily and quickly replaced.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an object holder that is economic and easy to be manufactured.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an object holder that has a containment capacity for objects which is bigger than that of known object holders.

To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to achieve these as well as other objects and advantages, the Applicant studied, experimented and realized the present invention.

EXPOSITION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set out and characterised in the independent claims. The dependent claims expound other features of the present invention or variants to the main idea of solution. In accordance with the above-mentioned objects, an object holder, according to the present invention, can be fixed to a support element, such as a table, and comprises a containment body defined by a plurality of walls which define, on their part, a containment compartment into which objects can be positioned.

At least some of the walls are configured so as to define together between them also a housing seat, outside of the containment compartment, and into which at least part of the above-mentioned support element can be positioned, when in use.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the housing seat extends throughout the entire height of the containment body and has a "C"-shaped laterally open concave shape which, when in use, surrounds part of the support element.

Such configuration allows to provide an object holder that can be easily and quickly installed on a support element by simply inserting it laterally, with its housing seat, on part of the support element and by fixing it to said support element.

The particular configuration of the housing seat allows to define a lateral passage through which it is possible to insert part of the support element without requiring a disassembly of the latter or an installation of the object holder during the assembly phase of the support element.

In accordance with a possible embodiment solution, the containment compartment defined by the walls also extends so as to surround the housing seat according to a "C" shape. This allows to achieve a maximum capacity of containment of the object holder, which is higher than the capacity of containment of known object holders.

Forms of embodiment of the present invention relate also to a support element which comprises the above-mentioned object holder.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the present invention will be clear from the following description of forms of embodiment, provided by way of a non- limiting example, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

- fig. 1 is a front perspective view of an object holder according to the present invention; - fig. 2 is a plan view of an object holder according to the present invention;

- fig. 3 is a front perspective view of an object holder according to a possible form of embodiment of the present invention;

- fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of an object holder in accordance with a further form of embodiment of the present invention;

- fig. 5 is a schematic view of a support element comprising an object holder in accordance with the present invention;

- fig. 6 is a section along line VI-VI of fig. 5;

- fig. 7 is a section along line VII- VII of fig. 5.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numbers were used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the figures. It shall be understood that elements and features of a form of embodiment can be suitably incorporated in other forms of embodiment without any further specifications.

DESCRIPTION OF FORMS OF EMBODIMENT

With reference to fig. 1, an object holder for a support element 1 1 is indicated in its entirety with the reference number 10 and comprises a containment body 12 that can be fixed to the support element 1 1, in the case illustrated in fig. 5 a table.

The containment body 12 is defined by a plurality of walls 13a, 13b which define, on their part, a containment compartment 14 into which objects can be put or from which objects can be taken.

The containment body 12 can be made of polymeric materials, for instance rubber, polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, or the like. The use of polymeric materials allows to achieve an object holder having an extremely reduced weight. In accordance with a possible embodiment solution, the containment body 12 can be manufactured by moulding techniques. Moulding techniques allow to manufacture in a quick and economic manner the object holder according to the present invention also in batches of large quantities, as well as they allow to obtain different shapes of the containment body 12.

According to the present invention, the walls 13a, 13b are configured to define together between them also a housing seat 15, outside of the containment compartment 14, into which part of the above-mentioned support element 1 1 can be positioned, when in use. In accordance with the present invention, the housing seat 15 has a "C"-shaped laterally open concave shape that extends throughout the entire height of the containment body 12 and that surrounds, when in use, part of the support element 1 1.

In particular, with "C"-shaped open concave shape it is meant that at least some of the walls 13a, 13b of the containment body 12 are arranged in a manner such as to define between them a recess, i.e. the above-mentioned housing seat 15 that is open laterally in correspondence with a lateral passage 16 through which, for the installation, part of the support element 1 1 is made to pass.

With the term laterally open it is meant that the housing seat 15 opens towards the outside in a lateral, respectively transversal, direction with respect to the development in height of the containment body 12.

In accordance with a possible formulation of the present invention, the containment compartment 14 extends so as to perimetrically surround the above- mentioned housing seat 15 to define a laterally interrupted ring shape. Such embodiment solution allows to exploit to the maximum the containment capacity of the containment body 12.

According to a possible form of embodiment, illustrated in figures 1-4, the walls 13a, 13b of the containment body 12 have inner surfaces that define together the containment compartment 14, and outer surfaces, at least some of which define the above-mentioned housing seat 15.

In accordance with a possible embodiment solution, the housing seat 15 is defined by a plurality of first walls 13 a, possibly angled to one another, to define the above-mentioned "C"-shaped laterally open concave conformation.

The first walls 13a can have a configuration that is plane, arc-shaped, with inclined planes, with joints, or a possible combination of the previous forms.

In accordance with a possible embodiment solution, the containment body 12 comprises second outer walls 13a defining at least a lower base 20, an upper base 21 and a perimetric development 22 of the containment body 12.

The distance between the lower base 20 and the upper base 21 substantially defines the height of the above-mentioned containment body 12.

According to a possible embodiment solution, illustrated in figures 1, 3, 4, and 6, at least some of the first walls 13a are configured in a manner such as to define a flared portion 23 of the housing seat 15 that opens divergent towards the upper base 21 of the containment body 12.

The flared portion 23 can have a flaring angle a (fig. 6) of a width between 50° and 150°.

The flared portion 23 of the housing seat 15 allows to install the object holder 10 also on support elements 1 1 having a protruding portion 28 that, when in use, is positioned in the housing seat 15 as illustrated in fig. 6.

In particular, with reference to figures 5 and 6, a possible installation of the object holder 10 to a support element 1 1 is described that, in the specific case, comprises a table.

The support element 1 1 comprises an upright 25, for instance of the type that can be driven in the ground.

The upright 25 is usually provided with a tubular cavity, not visible in the drawings, into which the rod of a sunshade umbrella 26 is inserted, when in use. At the free end of the upright 25 a support plane 27 is fixed so as to define, on the whole, the table.

The support plane 27 can have the above-mentioned protruding portion 28, with respect to the prevailingly plane development of the support plane 27, which is positioned, when in use, into the flared portion 23 of the housing seat 15.

The protruding portion 28 can be defined by connection elements such as flanges, threaded elements, pins, pegs, or similar and comparable elements.

The flared portion 23 allows to obtain an object holder 10 that can be installed on various types of support elements 1 1, without requiring a structural modification of said support elements.

Moreover, due to the presence of the flared portion 23, it is possible to position the upper base 21 of the object holder 10, according to the present invention, to be directly resting on the lower surface of the support plane 27, avoiding any empty spaces, into which dirt can enter, between the support plane 27 and the object holder 10.

The object holder 10, according to the present invention, can be fixed to the support element 1 1 with connection elements selected from a group including quick connection elements, removable connection elements, threaded connections, snap connections, bayonet connections, strips, metal wires, or similar or comparable connection elements.

In accordance with the form of embodiment illustrated in fig. 7, the object holder 10 is fixed to the support element 1 1 by means of one or more strips 29 that wrap around the first walls 13a, defining the housing seat 15, and around the upright 25 of the support element 1 1.

In particular, according to the embodiment solution illustrated in figures 1, 3, 4, and 7, the first walls 13a are provided with a plurality of through holes 30 between the containment compartment 14 and the housing seat 15, into which the strips 29 for fixing are inserted.

In particular, on each first wall 13a a plurality of through holes 30 can be provided, which are arranged mutually spaced apart one from the other, and into which the strips 29 can be inserted in different positions, so that the fixing condition can be adapted to the different dimensions and/or shape of the upright 25 to which the object holder 10 can be connected.

For example, as illustrated in fig. 7, it is provided that the object holder 10 according to the present invention can be installed both on an upright 25 with a circular cross section, indicated in fig. 7 with a dashed line, and with a polygonal, in the specific case a rectangular, cross section.

The different position of the through holes 30 in the first walls 13a allows to insert the strip or strips 29 in suitable positions so that said strips 29 wrap at least partially around the upright 25, thereby securing fixing.

According to a further form of embodiment, at least one of the second walls 13b is provided with an opening 17 configured to allow access to the containment compartment 14 so as to put objects into it or take objects from it.

In accordance with a possible embodiment solution, illustrated for instance in fig. 3, the opening 17 can be associated with a closing element 18, for example a cover, that can be selectively positioned so as to close the opening 17.

In accordance with a possible embodiment solution illustrated for example in fig. 3, the closing element 18 can be provided with a locking member 19 that is suitable to selectively lock the opening 17 with the closing element 18.

According to possible embodiment solutions, the locking member 19 can comprise at least one among a lock, a padlock, a customisable/programmable code lock, an electronic lock, for example with RFID, a latch or a possible combination of the foregoing.

In accordance with a further embodiment solution of the present invention, illustrated for example in figures 4 and 7, the object holder 10 comprises a closing panel 31 that is positionable for closing, at least partially, the lateral passage 16, and which closes the housing seat 15 laterally. With the closing panel 31, the housing seat 15 therefore assumes a substantially tubular conformation.

The closing panel 31 allows to hide the housing seat 15, and possibly also the connection elements provided to connect the object holder 10 to the support element 1 1 , from the sight.

The closing panel 31 can also serve to prevent accessibility to the connection elements and, hence, to avoid a quick removal of the object holder 10 from the support element 1 1 by ill-intentioned persons.

According to possible embodiment solutions, the closing panel 31 can be fixed to the containment body 12 by means of securing elements 34 such as, merely by way of an example, snap elements, trip elements, pegs, threaded elements, or similar and comparable elements that are suitable for the purpose.

According to possible embodiment solutions, the object holder 10 can comprise also at least one solar energy absorbing panel 32 to convert solar energy into electrical energy to be stored in energy storage devices 33 placed inside the containment compartment 14 or integrated in the closing panel 31.

The energy storage devices 33 can be designed to be connected to electronic devices.

In a possible, exemplary embodiment solution, the energy storage devices 33 can be used as a source of energy to recharge electronic devices, such as mobile telephone apparatuses, tablets, smartphones, or the like.

In accordance with the embodiment solution illustrated in fig. 4, the solar energy absorbing panel 32 can be integrated in the closing panel 31, or connected with it, thereby allowing a rapid replaceability with regard to the containment body 12.

In accordance with forms of embodiment, not illustrated in the figures, it can be provided that the containment body 12 can also be associated with lighting elements, for instance LED strips that can be fed electrically, for instance with the energy storage device 33, to light up the environment which surrounds the object holder 10, or the containment compartment 14 of the object holder 10 itself. The lighting elements, besides lighting up the surrounding environment, can also serve as ornaments of the containment body 12.

The lighting elements can be fixed to the containment body 12 for instance in correspondence with housing seats or peripheral grooves provided in said containment body 12.

In accordance with possible embodiment solutions, not illustrated in the drawings, at least part of at least one among the walls 13a, 13b, the closing element 18 and the closing panel 31 can be provided with ennobling elements, such as prints, decorations, to confer a desired aesthetic value to the object holder 10, or to associate advertising messages to said object holder 10.

In accordance with embodiment variants, not illustrated in the figures, the closing panel 31 can be associated with, for instance they can be integrated in it, electronic devices such as screens, displays, receiving or transmitting radio equipment, sensors, sound diffusers or the like.

According to further forms of embodiment of the present invention, the containment compartment 14 can be associated with, for instance they can be arranged inside it, refrigeration devices designed to cool the containment compartment 14, into which, for instance, food or drinks can be placed.

By mere way of example, the refrigeration devices can comprise cooling elements based on Peltier cells to cool the containment compartment 14.

According to possible embodiment solutions, the refrigeration devices can be fed electrically or through the same solar energy absorbing panel, or by energy storage devices 33 or other sources of electrical energy.

Here below a description follows of a possible way of installation of the object holder 10 to a support element 1 1, according to the present invention.

The containment body 12, made in accordance with the methods described above, is associated to the support element 1 1 by inserting it laterally, with its lateral passage 16, into part of the support element 1 1.

With the object holder 10, according to the present invention, it is no longer required to disassemble the support element 1 1 completely in order to allow installation of the object holder 10, but the latter can also be installed directly with the support element 1 1 already mounted. In particular, it is provided to position the housing seat 15 so as to surround, when in use, part of the support element 1 1, in this specific case the upright 25.

Subsequently, it is provided that the object holder 10 shall be secured to the support element 1 1 with connection elements.

The object holder 10 can be positioned to be directly resting with its upper base 21 against the lower surface of the support plane 27.

It is evident that modifications and/or additions of parts can be made to the object holder 10 described heretofore, without, for this, departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, even though the present invention was described with reference to some specific examples, a person skilled in the art will certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of the object holder 10 having the characteristics set out in the claims and, hence, all of them falling within the scope of protection defined by them.