Food spill catcher
The simplified food spill tray design addresses the complexity and safety issues of existing catchers by providing easy attachment, adjustment, and safe operation, ensuring effective food spill capture without protrusions.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025092179
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-02
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-06-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing food spill catchers have complex structures with numerous parts, making them time-consuming to attach and adjust, and pose safety risks due to protruding components that can collide with diners.
A food spill tray with a simplified design featuring detachable base materials, a receiving section, hanging members, and mounting fixtures, allowing easy attachment and adjustment, and ensuring safety by avoiding protrusions that can collide with diners.
The tray is easily attachable, adjustable, and safe, with components that do not protrude, enabling stable and efficient food spill capture without obstructing the diner's space.
Smart Images

Figure 0007749177000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a food spill tray in which a receiving part for catching food spills can be easily pulled out toward the front or pushed in to the other side. [Background technology]
[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In the past, in order to prevent food spills from soiling clothing or the floor, aprons were sometimes used to cover the chest and thighs of diners seated on chairs in front of the dining table. However, while such aprons can catch food that has been dropped at the mouth, there is a problem in that if the diner is far away from the table on which the food is placed, they are unable to adequately catch food that has fallen before it reaches the mouth. To solve this problem, in recent years, technologies have been developed to catch food spills that occur between diners and the table, and ideas related to this have already been disclosed.
[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a device called a "food spill catcher" that can catch fallen food that an apron cannot catch. The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is characterized by a set of two arms whose main components are a pipe-shaped outer rod, an inner rod that slides inside the inner space of the outer rod, an inner rod stopper that controls the driving and stopping of the inner rod's sliding, a swivel leg that suspends the outer rod and slides the outer rod in the same direction as the sliding direction of the inner rod, an outer rod stopper that controls the driving and stopping of the outer rod's sliding, and a bridge leg that suspends and rotates the swivel leg and a rotation control stopper that controls the driving and stopping of the rotation, and each of the arms is installed and fixed to a dining table via the bridge leg or a holder connected and fixed to the bridge leg while maintaining a predetermined distance from each other, and further a capture net is suspended using a holder provided at a predetermined position on the arm or from the arm itself. In a device with these characteristics, the arm has a two-layer structure with an outer rod and an inner rod that slides within it, giving the arm an extendable function. Therefore, by extending the arm with the capture net between the dining table and the pocket, it can capture objects that fall between the dining table and the pocket. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3134403 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] However, the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a large number of parts, including an arm consisting of an outer rod, an inner rod, an inner rod stopper, and a swivel. This can be time-consuming when attaching the arm to the table or adjusting the arm's length and extension direction. Furthermore, because the swivel legs protrude below the table, the diner's knees may collide with and rub against the swivel legs, making safety unsatisfactory.
[0006] To provide a food spill tray that is safe and can be easily attached to a table and easily adjusted for placement between a diner and the table, and that has been made to address such conventional circumstances. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a first invention provides a food spill tray for catching food spills when eating at a table having a tabletop, a plurality of legs supporting the tabletop, and a back panel attached to the underside of the tabletop, the food spill tray comprising a pair of base materials detachably attached to the back panel at a first interval from each other, a receiving section having a pair of opposing side edges and spanning between the pair of base materials to catch food spills, a pair of hanging members suspending the pair of side edges, respectively, a pair of holder groups for holding the pair of hanging members to the pair of base materials, respectively, and a pair of mounting members for mounting the pair of base materials to the back panel, the base materials having a first edge including one end edge The top panel has a main body having a first region and a second region that forms a corner with the first region and includes the other end edge, and an ear extending from the first region and attached to the back panel via a mounting fixture, the second region is arranged parallel to the underside and along the depth direction of the top panel, and has a plurality of holes arranged at a second interval along the longitudinal direction of the second region, the retaining device group consisting of a plurality of retaining devices that are respectively fitted into the plurality of holes, and the pair of hanging members can slide in both directions along the depth direction while each held by a pair of retaining device groups, allowing the receiving part to be pulled out towards the front and pushed in towards the back.
[0008] In the invention having such a configuration, the base material may be a flat plate made of, for example, hard plastic, wood, or metal. The receiving portion may be made of, for example, a flexible cloth material. The hanging member may be a hairpin-shaped member made of, for example, hard plastic, wood, or metal. The mounting fixture may be a clamping device such as a clip.
[0009] In the invention having the above configuration, the base material includes a main body having a first region and a second region that forms a corner with the first region, and a lug extending from the first region and attached to the top board via a fixture, so that when the food spill tray is in use, for example, the first region and the lug of the main body come into surface contact with the outside of the top board. At this time, the second region, the receiver, the hanging member, and the group of holders are arranged below the top board and parallel to its underside.
[0010] The second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the holder has a curved portion and a pair of ends that sandwich the curved portion, the curved portion is inserted into a hole portion and protrudes downward from the hole portion, and the pair of ends are hooked around the hole portion, the hanging member has first and second long portions that are parallel to each other and a connecting portion that connects one end of each of the first and second long portions, the first long portion respectively passing through the interiors of the multiple curved portions that protrude downward from the multiple hole portions, and the second long portion holds on to the side edge of the receiving portion.
[0011] In the invention having such a configuration, the shape of the pair of ends of the holder may be linear, spherical, or irregular. The holder may be made of, for example, a columnar or cylindrical body made of a hard material, or a half of these. In the invention having the above configuration, in addition to the effects of the first invention, the first long portion of the hanging member penetrates the interiors of the curved portions that protrude downward from the hole portions, and the hole portions are formed at second intervals along the depth direction of the main body, so that the first long portion can slide in both directions along the depth direction of the tabletop while being held by the curved portions, respectively. Furthermore, the second long portion holds the side edges of the receiving portion, so that the receiving portion can also slide in both directions along the depth direction of the tabletop as the first long portion slides.
[0012] The third invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, the pair of connecting parts are both positioned facing the diner and are provided with a pair of handles attached to each of the pair of connecting parts. In the invention having such a configuration, for example, a string or a tassel is used as the handle. In the invention of the above configuration, in addition to the effect of the second invention, the pair of handles are respectively attached to a pair of connecting parts positioned facing the diner, so that by grasping the pair of handles, it becomes easy to pull out or push in the pair of hanging members simultaneously.
[0013] The fourth invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, the pair of connecting portions are both positioned facing the diner and are provided with a connecting member having a pair of hook portions that are respectively engaged with the pair of connecting portions and an elastic member that connects these hook portions to each other. In the invention having such a configuration, it is desirable that the elastic member be, for example, one that can be adjusted to a desired overall length and can maintain this length. In the invention having the above configuration, in addition to the effect of the second invention, when a pair of hook portions are respectively engaged with a pair of connecting portions, the distance between the pair of connecting portions can be adjusted to a desired length by the elastic member, and this desired length can be maintained.
[0014] The fifth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, a stopper is provided which is attached simultaneously to the other end of each of the first and second long portions, the stopper having a clamping tool and a spacer interposed between the clamping tool and each of the other ends, and the spacer is formed with a pair of grooves into which each of the other ends fits. In the invention having such a configuration, for example, a clip is used as the clamping tool. The spacer only needs to have a uniform thickness and a certain degree of rigidity so as not to be deformed by pressure. In the invention having the above configuration, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, the stopper prevents the hanging member from falling off the holder group. Also, the spacer has a pair of grooves formed therein into which the other ends of the spacers fit, preventing the spacers from shifting or falling off from the other ends of the spacers.
[0015] The sixth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, a reinforcing member is provided on at least one of the outside or inside of the corner, and the reinforcing member consists of one piece and another piece perpendicular to the one piece. In the invention having such a configuration, the reinforcing member is made of, for example, a hard material that is difficult to deform, and one piece is fixed to the first region of the main body portion, and the other piece is fixed to the second region. In the invention of the above configuration, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, when the first region and ear portion of the main body portion are attached to the outside of the fascia, the reinforcing member prevents the other end edge included in the second region of the main body portion from tilting downward due to the load of the hanging member, the group of holders, etc.
[0016] A seventh invention is characterized in that in the first or second invention, the pair of side edge portions are each a cylindrical portion having a cylindrical shape. In an invention having such a configuration, the tubular portion is formed, for example, by folding back a pair of side edges of the receiving portion and sewing or gluing them to the planar portion of the receiving portion that occupies the space between these side edges. In the invention having the above configuration, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, it is possible to use the invention in a manner that a hanging member is directly inserted into the inside of the tubular portion, or that the tubular portion is folded back and hung on the hanging member, and then the tubular portion and the planar portion are fastened together using a fastener, and then a weight is inserted into the tubular portion. Thus, by providing the tubular portion, in the former case, the width of the receiving portion can be changed to adjust the tension, and in the latter case, the receiving portion can be easily hung on a pair of hanging members. [Effects of the Invention]
[0017] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the pair of base materials are attached to the top panel with a first gap between them by a pair of fixtures, so the food spill tray can be easily attached and detached. In addition, the first gap can be changed by moving the fixtures, so the width of the tray can be adjusted as needed. Furthermore, handling is simple, as the receiving part can be pulled out or pushed in simply by sliding the hanging member in either direction. In particular, when the food spill tray is in use, for example, the first area and the ear part of the main body part are in surface contact with the outside of the top panel, and the second area of the main body part is positioned parallel to the underside of the tabletop, so the position of the receiving part can be maintained approximately horizontally and stably.
[0018] In addition, the catcher can be pulled out towards the front and pushed in towards the back, allowing the positioning of the food catcher to be adjusted between the diner and the table. The food spill tray is made up of a base material, a receiving part, a hanging member and a mounting fixture, none of which are shaped to catch on the eater and are not positioned to protrude downward, ensuring safety.
[0019] According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the present invention, since the first long portion is held by each of the curved portions, the hanging member can be prevented from moving up and down or left and right during sliding, and therefore the hanging member and the receiving portion can slide smoothly along the depth direction of the tabletop.
[0020] According to the third invention, in addition to the effect of the second invention, by gripping the pair of handles, it becomes easy to simultaneously pull out or push in the pair of hanging members.
[0021] According to the fourth invention, in addition to the effects of the second invention, the distance between a pair of connecting parts can be adjusted to a desired length using an expandable member, so that this desired length can be maintained, and therefore the width of the receiving part can be changed or kept constant.
[0022] According to the fifth invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, the stopper prevents the suspending member from falling off the holder group, so that even if the suspending member is pulled out excessively during a meal, for example, it can be easily returned to its original attached state, allowing the person to continue eating. Also, the pair of grooves prevents the spacers from shifting or falling off from the other ends, so that the suspending member can be more effectively prevented from falling off.
[0023] According to the sixth invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, the reinforcing member prevents the second region of the main body from tilting downward, so that the receiving portion does not tilt and deformation of the base material over time can be suppressed.
[0024] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the provision of the cylindrical portion allows the receiving portion to be easily hooked onto the pair of hanging members, and also makes it possible to adjust the tension of the receiving portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of the food spill tray according to the embodiment when not in use. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view seen in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the food spill tray according to the embodiment when in use. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the configuration of a hanging member, a handle, and a stopper. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a holder. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an external view showing the connecting member in use. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an external view showing a state in which the reinforcing member is used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Example]
[0026] A spill tray according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 1 to 9. Fig. 1 is a side view of the spill tray according to the embodiment when not in use. Fig. 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spill tray 1 according to the embodiment is used to catch spilled food when a person eats at a table 50. The table 50 includes a top plate 51, a plurality of legs (not shown) that support the top plate 51, and a back panel 52 that is provided on the underside 51a of the top plate 51. The back panel 52 has an outer surface 52a on the periphery 51b side of the top plate 51 and an inner surface 52b on the back side thereof.
[0027] The spill tray 1 includes a pair of base members 2, 2, a receiving portion 3, a pair of hanging members 4, 4, a pair of holder groups 5A, 5A, and a plurality of mounting members 6. Each component will be described below. The base materials 2, 2 are detachably attached to each other with a first distance X1 (see FIG. 2) between them. Each base material 2 has a rectangular main body 7 and a pair of generally square ears 8, 8. The main body 7 has a first region 7A (see FIG. 2) that includes one edge 7a (see FIG. 2) and a second region 7B that includes the other edge 7b. The second region 7B and the first region 7A form a corner 7c (see FIG. 2). The angle of the corner 7c is approximately 90 degrees. The second area 7B is disposed parallel to the lower surface 51a and along the depth direction D of the top plate 51. Since the top plate 51 is normally horizontal, the depth direction D is parallel to the horizontal.
[0028] Next, the ears 8, 8 are attached to the back panel 52 via the attachments 6. More specifically, the attachments 6, 6 are, for example, clamps that simultaneously clamp the ears 8, 8 and the back panel 52. In this embodiment, the clamps are double clips. The receiving part 3 is a rectangular fabric material having opposing side edges 3a and 3b (see FIG. 2), and is bridged between the base materials 2, 2 at the pair of side edges 3a, 3b to catch spilled food. The configuration of this receiving part 3 will be described in detail using FIG. 7.
[0029] The hanging members 4, 4 are members for hanging the side edge portions 3a, 3b, respectively, and include a first long portion 9 and a second long portion 10 that are parallel to each other, and a connecting portion 11. The detailed configuration of the hanging member 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The first elongated portion 9 passes through the holder group 5A, and the second elongated portion 10 holds the side edges 3a and 3b. The detailed configuration of the holder group 5A will be described with reference to FIG.
[0030] Next, the state of the spill tray 1 when in use will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a side view of the spill tray according to the embodiment when in use. As shown in Figure 3, when the spill tray 1 is in use, the hanging members 4, 4 are pulled out toward a diner (not shown). At this time, the hanging members 4, 4 are held by multiple holders 5, so they are not inclined relative to the depth direction D. In Figure 3, it is assumed that the diner is seated in a chair to the left of the hanging members 4, 4. Furthermore, as the hanging members 4, 4 are pulled out, the catcher 3 is positioned between the diner and the table 50 to catch any spilled food. When the meal is finished, for example, by replacing the catcher 3 and then pushing the hanging members 4, 4 away from the diner, the spill tray 1 returns to its unused state (see FIG. 1).
[0031] The structure of the base material 2 will be further described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a development view of the base material. As described above, the main body 7 of the base material 2 is made up of a first region 7A and a second region 7B that is continuous with the first region 7A. Note that the dashed line L7 in the figure is the boundary between the first region 7A and the second region 7B. The corner 7c (see FIG. 1) is formed by folding the dashed line L7. The second region 7B has a plurality of holes 12 arranged at second intervals X2 along the longitudinal direction L. The holes 12 are formed by folding box-shaped slits provided in the second region 7B downward. Note that the holes 12 may be open holes that are always open instead of slits. The ears 8, 8 of the base material 2 extend in directions away from each other from the first region 7A.
[0032] Next, the configuration of the hanging member 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the hanging member, the handle, and the stopper. 5, the first long portion 9 and the second long portion 10 of the hanging member 4 are both made of cylindrical metal material and have one end 9a, 10a and the opposite other end 9b, 10b, respectively. The other ends 9b, 10b are each smoothly chamfered. Furthermore, connecting portion 11 connects one end 9a and one end 10a to form a substantially ring shape. When spill tray 1 is in use, connecting portions 11, 11 are both positioned to face the person eating.
[0033] Furthermore, a pair of handles 13 can be attached to the connecting portions 11 of the hanging members 4. The handles 13 are, for example, strings. A stopper 14 can be attached to the other end 9b, 10b of each hanging member 4. This stopper 14 has a clamping tool 15 and a spacer 16 interposed between this clamping tool 15 and the other end 9b, 10b. The spacer 16 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and one surface 16a thereof is formed with a pair of grooves 16b, 16b into which the other ends 9b, 10b are fitted, respectively.
[0034] Next, the holders 5 constituting the holder group 5A will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the holders, and is a view seen from the direction of the arrows from the second region 7B toward the first region 7A. As shown in FIG. 6, holder group 5A is a member for holding hanging member 4 on substrate 2, and is made up of a plurality of holders 5 fitted into a plurality of holes 12, respectively. The holder 5 is made of, for example, a metal material, and has a curved portion 5a and a pair of end portions 5b, 5b that sandwich the curved portion 5a. The curved portion 5a is inserted into the hole 12 and protrudes downward from the hole 12. As a result, the first elongated portion 9 passes through the interiors of the multiple curved portions 5a that protrude downward from the multiple hole portions 12. The end portions 5b, 5b are linear and are removably hooked to the second region 7B around the hole 12.
[0035] The configuration of the receiving portion 3 will be further described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the receiving portion. 7, the receiving portion 3 includes side edges 3a and 3b that are fastened to the second long portion 10 (see FIG. 1) of the hanging member 4, one edge 3c and the other edge 3d in the width direction of the receiving portion 3, and a planar portion 3e that is surrounded by the side edges 3a and 3b and the one edge 3c and the other edge 3d. The receiving portion 3 is made of, for example, a flexible and waterproof cloth material, a plastic film, or paper.
[0036] Additionally, the side edge portions 3a, 3b each form a cylindrical portion 17. Possible methods for using this cylindrical portion 17 include inserting a weight, a plate material, or a cylindrical body into the cylindrical portion 17. The former and latter are both intended to adjust the tension of the planar portion 3e when the planar portion 3e in contact with the cylindrical portions 17 is hooked onto the second elongated portions 10. In particular, in the latter case, a plate material or the like can be used as a core material when winding up the side edge portions 3a, 3b. In this case, as shown in Figure 2, the folded tubular portion 17 and the planar portion 3e may be overlapped and fastened with a split pin P.
[0037] In spill tray 1 configured as described above, second region 7B is disposed parallel to bottom surface 51a and along depth direction D from back panel 52 to top panel 51. In addition, since hanging members 4, 4 suspend side edges 3a, 3b of receiving portion 3 via holder group 5A, receiving portion 3 is also disposed parallel to bottom surface 51a and along depth direction D from back panel 52 to top panel 51. Furthermore, the first long portion 9 of the hanging member 4 penetrates the interiors of the multiple curved portions 5a that respectively protrude downward from the multiple hole portions 12, and the multiple hole portions 12 are arranged at second intervals X2, so that the first long portion 9 can slide in both directions along the depth direction D of the top plate 51, i.e., the horizontal direction. In particular, because the cylindrical first long portion 9 is inserted into the interiors of the curved portions 5a of the holder 5, there is little friction between the first long portion 9 and the curved portions 5a when sliding. Furthermore, the second long portion 10 holds the side edges 3a, 3b of the receiving portion 3, so that the receiving portion 3 can also slide horizontally and in both directions as the first long portion 9 slides.
[0038] Additionally, since stopper 14 consisting of clamping tool 15 and spacer 16 can be attached simultaneously to other ends 9b and 10b of hanging member 4, hanging member 4 is prevented from falling off holder group 5A. Furthermore, spacer 16 has a pair of grooves 16b, 16b formed on one surface 16a into which other ends 9b and 10b fit, respectively, preventing spacer 16 from shifting or falling off from other ends 9b and 10b.
[0039] As described above, according to the spill tray 1, the base materials 2, 2 are attached to the back panel 52 by the fixtures 6, 6 with the first distance X1 between them, so the spill tray 1 can be easily attached and detached. Furthermore, the first distance X1 can be changed by moving the fixture 6, so the width of the receiving portion 3 in the direction of one edge 3c can be adjusted as needed. In addition, the fixture 6 is an easy-to-use clamping tool, so it is not difficult to attach, detach, or move it. Therefore, the spill tray 1 can be easily attached to the back panel 52, and the width of the receiving portion 3 and the mounting position of the entire receiving portion 3 can be adjusted in a simple procedure.
[0040] Furthermore, when starting or finishing using the food spill tray 1, the hanging members 4, 4 slide in both directions along the depth direction D while being held by the holder groups 5A, 5A, respectively, making it possible to pull out the receiving part 3 toward the front and push it back toward the back. This makes it easy to handle before and after use. 1 and 3, the catcher 3 can be pulled out toward the front and pushed in toward the back, so the position of the spill tray 1 can be adjusted between the diner and the table 50. Therefore, the catcher 3 can reliably catch spilled food regardless of the diner's posture. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 1, when the spill tray 1 is not in use, the entire spill tray 1 is hidden below the top plate 51, so it is not noticeable and does not get in the way even when not eating.
[0041] The spill tray 1 is made up of base materials 2, 2, receiving parts 3, hanging members 4, 4, and multiple mounting fixtures 6, none of which are shaped to catch on diners or protrude downward, ensuring the safety of diners. In addition, the base materials 2, 2 and multiple mounting fixtures 6 can be separated in a simple procedure, making them easy to replace and maintaining cleanliness.
[0042] Furthermore, by attaching and gripping handles 13, 13 to the connecting portions 11, 11 of the hanging members 4, 4, respectively, it becomes easy to simultaneously pull out or push in the hanging members 4, 4. Therefore, for example, pulling out the hanging members 4, 4 can be done with one hand, and it is easy to use.
[0043] Furthermore, stopper 14 prevents hanging member 4 from falling off holder group 5A when it is pulled out, so that even if hanging member 4 is pulled out excessively while eating, for example, it can be easily returned to its original attached state, allowing the person to continue eating. Also, grooves 16b, 16b prevent spacer 16 from shifting or falling off from other ends 9b, 10b, so hanging member 4 can be further effectively prevented from falling off.
[0044] In addition, since the receiving portion 3 includes the cylindrical portions 17, 17, the receiving portion 3 can be easily hooked onto the first long portions 9, 9. This makes it easy to replace the receiving portion 3 and allows for hygienic use. Furthermore, by inserting weights or the like into the cylindrical portions 17, 17, it is possible to adjust the tension of the receiving portion 3 according to the first distance X1 between the base materials 2, 2. Therefore, the tension of the receiving portion 3 can be appropriately adjusted to an appropriate level that makes it easy to catch spilled food.
[0045] Next, a connecting member that can be used in place of the handle 13 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is an external view showing the connecting member in use. In Fig. 8, the receiving portion 3 is not shown. As shown in FIG. 8, the connecting member 18 has a pair of hook portions 19, 19 that are respectively engaged with the connecting portions 11, 11, and an elastic member 20 that connects these hook portions 19, 19 together. The telescopic member 20 includes, for example, a small-diameter cylinder 21 and a large-diameter cylinder 22 into which the small-diameter cylinder 21 is screwed and fixed. The overall length of the telescopic member 20 changes depending on the distance the small-diameter cylinder 21 rotates and is screwed relative to the cylinder 22.
[0046] Furthermore, base end 19a of hook portion 19 is cylindrical and is enclosed in spaces 21b and 22b formed in outer ends 21a and 22a of cylindrical bodies 21 and 22, respectively. Because base end 19a is smaller than spaces 21b and 22b, it rotates freely within spaces 21b and 22b. Therefore, hook portion 19 in space 21b does not rotate together with cylindrical body 21, which rotates. However, because cylindrical body 22 does not rotate, base end 19a in space 22b does not necessarily rotate within space 22b.
[0047] Therefore, when the connecting member 18 is bridged between the connecting portions 11, 11, the distance between the connecting portions 11, 11 can be adjusted to a desired length by the elastic member 20. This allows the first distance X1 between the base materials 2, 2 to be maintained at a desired length, and therefore the width of the receiving portion 3 suspended from the hanging members 4, 4 can be changed or maintained constant.
[0048] Next, the reinforcing member fixed to the corner 7c formed by the first region 7A and the second region 7B of the base material 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is an external view showing the reinforcing member in use. As shown in Figure 9, reinforcing member 23 is an L-shaped metal fitting consisting of one piece 23a and another piece 23b perpendicular to piece 23a, and is fixed to the outside of corner 7c. One piece 23a is fixed to first region 7A of main body 7, and the other piece 23b is fixed to second region 7B. This fixing is done with an adhesive. Alternatively, reinforcing member 23 may be provided only on the inside of corner 7c, or on both the outside and inside of corner 7c, or may be fixed with screws instead of adhesive.
[0049] When the reinforcing member 23 is fixed to the corner 7c, when the first region 7A and the ear portion 8 are attached to the outer surface 52a of the back panel 52 (see Figure 1), the second region 7B is prevented from tilting downward due to the load of the hanging member 4, the retaining device group 5A, etc. Therefore, the receiving portion 3 does not tilt, and food spills once received by the receiving portion 3 can be prevented from falling, and deformation of the base material 2 over time can be suppressed.
[0050] The spill tray 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. For example, one of the pair of ears 8, 8 may be omitted. A half-cylinder or cylindrical body may be used as the holder 5. In this case, the stability of the holder 5 is improved by hooking the divided surface of the half-cylinder into the second region 7B. Furthermore, the holder 5 may be configured to be unremovable from the hole 12. The number of holes 12 formed in the second region 7B may be three or more, and the number of holders 5 may be increased accordingly. Instead of a double clip, a fastening device such as a clamp may be used as the attachment 6. Additionally, the handle 13, the connecting member 18, and the reinforcing member 23 may be omitted. [Industrial Applicability]
[0051] The present invention can be used as a food spill tray that catches food spills when eating at a table. [Explanation of symbols]
[0052] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...food spill tray 2...base material 3...receiving portion 3a, 3b...side edge portion 3c...one edge portion 3d...other edge portion 3e...plane portion 4...hanging member 5A...holding device group 5...holding device 5a...curved portion 5b...end portion 6...mounting device 7...main body portion 7A...first region 7B...second region 7a...one end edge 7b...other end edge 7c...corner portion 8...ear portion 9...first long portion 9a...one end 9b...other end 10...second long portion 10a...one end 10b...other end 11...connecting portion 12...hole portion 13...handle 14...stopper 15...holding device 16...spacer 16a...one surface 16b...groove portion 17...cylindrical portion 18...connecting member 19...hook portion 19a...base end 20...expandable member 21, 22...cylindrical body 21a, 22a...outer end 21b, 22b...space 23...reinforcing member 23a...one piece 23b...other piece 50...table 51...top plate 51a...underside 51b...periphery 52...back panel 52a...outer surface 52b...inner surface
Claims
1. A food spill tray for catching food spills when eating at a table that includes a top plate, a plurality of legs that support the top plate, and a back panel that is provided on the underside of the top plate, a pair of base members detachably attached to the header board at a first interval; a receiving portion having a pair of opposing side edges and spanning between the pair of bases to receive the food spills; a pair of hanging members that hang the pair of side edge portions, respectively; a pair of holder groups that hold the pair of hanging members to the pair of base materials, respectively; a pair of mounting fixtures for respectively mounting the pair of base materials to the header board; The base material includes a main body portion having a first region including one end edge and a second region forming a corner with the first region and including the other end edge, and an ear portion extending from the first region and attached to the top board via the attachment device, the second region is disposed parallel to the lower surface and along the depth direction of the top plate, and includes a plurality of holes arranged at second intervals along the longitudinal direction of the second region; the holder group includes a plurality of holders fitted into the plurality of hole portions, This food spill tray is characterized in that the pair of hanging members slide in both directions along the depth direction while being held by a pair of holder groups, allowing the receiving part to be pulled out toward the front and pushed in toward the back.
2. The holder includes a curved portion and a pair of ends sandwiching the curved portion, the curved portion is inserted through the hole and protrudes downward from the hole, The pair of ends are hooked around the hole, the suspension member includes first and second elongated portions parallel to each other and a connecting portion connecting one end of each of the first and second elongated portions; the first elongated portion passes through the interiors of the plurality of curved portions that protrude downward of the plurality of hole portions, The food spill tray according to claim 1 , wherein the second elongated portion holds the side edge of the tray.
3. The pair of connecting portions are both arranged facing the eater, The food spill tray according to claim 2, further comprising a pair of handles attached to the pair of connecting portions, respectively.
4. The pair of connecting portions are both arranged facing the eater, 3. The food spill tray according to claim 2, further comprising a connecting member having a pair of hook portions respectively engaged with the pair of connecting portions, and an elastic member connecting these hook portions together.
5. a stopper attached simultaneously to the other end of each of the first and second elongated portions; the stopper has a clamping tool and a spacer interposed between the clamping tool and each of the other ends, 4. The food tray according to claim 2, wherein the spacer is formed with a pair of grooves into which the other ends of the spacer are fitted, respectively.
6. a reinforcing member provided on at least one of the outer and inner sides of the corner portion; 3. The food spill tray according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member comprises one piece and another piece perpendicular to the one piece.
7. 3. The food spill tray according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of side edge portions is a cylindrical portion.
Citation Information
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