US2893163A - Coaster - Google Patents

Description

E. HAZEL, JR

July 7, 19.59

COASTER Filed May 20, 1957 INVENTOR. f7/resi' /f/aje/ z//z United States Patent Hazrtel, Jr., Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Misso Application May 20, 1957, Serial No. 660,359

2 Claims. (Cl. I5-68.4)

r[his invention relates to coasters and more particularly to surface protectors of the character designed to receive a container and to afford complete protection to the surface upon which -the coaster and container are placed both by absorbing and by collecting the moisture in component parts of the coaster.

The primary object of the instant invention is to provide a coaster which may be easily and quickly formed from sheets of llexible material by disposing a thin sheet of such material that is non-absorbent between -two relatively thicker sheets of absorbent material that are deformed to provide a cavity, supporting elements, and other functional parts of the coaster.

Other important objects of the invention will become apparent during -the course of the following description of the form of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coaster made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

The coaster forming the subject matter of the present invention has la multi-part, unitary body broadly designated by the numeral and is particularly adapted to receive and support a container in the nature of a can or glass, fragmentarily shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and to prevent any moisture or condensate, which may ow down the outer sides of the container from reaching the surface upon which the coaster and the container may be placed.

Body 10 is provided with a cavity 12, having a bottom 14, and a plurality of raised ribs 16 which serve to support the container when it is placed within the coaster. The ribs 16 are arcuate in shape and diminish in length as the center of the bottom 14 is approached. The ribs 16 may take other forms but as shown they are well suited for supporting glasses with circular bottoms of various diameters. Also, the ribs 16, when so formed are well adapted to support a can and in so doing to allow the annular bead usually formed on the bottom of a can to lit snugly in the groove between the outer peripheries of arcuate ribs 16, and a marginal band 18 circumscribing the cavity 12.

The upper face of band 18 is generally convex and preferably composed of material which will absorb the condensate or moisture flowing downwardly along the outer surface of a container having its lower portion confined within cavity 12. Band 18 is an integral part of a layer of material 20 which forms the normally upper surface of body 10. As best shown in Fig. 4 the said layer of material 20 comprises the entire upper surface of body 10 and is centrally depressed to form the cavity 2,893,163 Patented July 7, 1959 ICC ,Y i 2 12, the bottom 14 and the plurality of raised ribs 16.

Disposed immediately to one side and normally below the layer of material 20-is a relatively thin, moisture irnyI pervious, intermediate sheet 22. This sheet 22 may be of any suitable material such as a vinyl plastic iilm and its presence completely prevents the passage of moisture from the upper surface of the body 10 to the lower surface thereof.

The normally lower surface of body 10 is comprised of a single sheet of material 24, formed to provide a band 26 and a at central portion 28. Band 26 circumscribes the ilat central portion 28, and is preferably composed of an anti-friction substance whereby to prevent the slid ing or slipping of coaster body 10 along a supporting surface.

In forming the body 10, the thin sheet of material 22 is disposed between the upper layer 20 and the lower sheet 24, and all subjected to heat and pressure whereby they are intimately fused to form the single unitary laminated body 10.

Circumscribing body 10 and formed thereby is a trough 30, created by an arcuate marginal portion of upper layer 20, thin middle sheet 22, and the lower sheet 24. Trough 30 is so positioned as to hold moisture in contact with the band 18 for absorption thereby insuring that no moisture or condensate reaching the upper surface of body 10 will pass to the lower surface thereof.

As shown by the drawing, body 10 is circular in shape but may take other forms without departing from the concepts of this invention. The advantages of a circular construction are manifest, in that a glass or can of standard size and shape, when placed within cavity 12, will have the outer surface of the side thereof immediately adjacent to band 18 thereby to have all moisture or condensate absorb therefrom as it ows downwardly along the outer surface of such a container.

This desirable result is attained by forming band 18 of absorbent material such as sponge rubber, foam plastic or the like. Since upper layer 20 of body 10 forms band 18 and raised ribs 16, they too may absorb the moisture or condensate on the bottom of the container, or any excess moisture which may collect within cavity 12.

It is thus apparent that when the coaster is in use all moisture is absorbed by the members 16 and 18 of the body. The nature and placement of the moisture impervious material 22 further prevents any moisture from reaching the lower sheet of material 24, or the surface upon which the coaster may be placed when in use.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A coaster comprising a laminated body including a relatively thin intermediate layer of moisture impervious material, a lower layer having a smooth, flat central portion and an antifriction boundary integral with said portion in surrounding relationship thereto, and an upper layer having a central cavity, a relatively at, smooth section dening the bottom of the cavity and a boundary integral with said section in surrounding relationship thereto, defining the side wall of said cavity, the layers being intimately fused together, there being a plurality of arcuate ribs within the cavity integral with said bottom, said boundaries and said ribs being of relatively soft, porous, spongy material; and a trough circumscribing said boundaries at the outermost edges thereof.

2. A coaster comprising a unitary, laminated body having an upper and a lower surface, said upper surface having a cavity provided with a bottom; a continuous band circumscribing each of the surfaces at the marginal edges thereof and opposed to each other, said bands being formedv from the material constituting` each surface respectively, each band having a substantially convex, soft, spongy face; a sheet of moisture impervious material disposed between said surfaces and said bands for preventing the ow of moisture through the body;

material.

a trughrssqrihilig, @Peripheral kedgef the bedr, 424,028 saidtrugh beingforrnei from an arcuate, marginal pgr- 1,924,926 tionb of said bands and saidprnoisture impervious nateijial; 1,971,337

anda plurality :orv arcuateribs within the cavity integr-aiA 10 2,652,703

Vwith said-upper surface, said'ribs being of a soft, spongy References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sautter Mar. 25, 1890 Gray Aug. 29, 1933 Collins Aug. 28, 1934 Keegan .`.'..j.`. Sept. 22, 1953

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