Cover for an underplate   

The invention relates to an underplate cover.

Underplates, also known as “sous-plates” (French), are widely used nowadays, generally as decorative elements placed under the main plate where food is served. Shapes and designs of said underplates are multiple, and materials from which they are made range from ceramics, earthenware and china to gold, silver or pewter.

However, up to this day no underplates decoration may be modified since their very manufacturing, and accordingly they can not be adapted to different types of main plates as regards harmony and/or aesthetics.

For instance, where the case is a black plate and available underplates are gilded they may not match according to the user\'s taste, and so the user decides for table mats of the same color as the main plate. It is a reasonable fact to lack, due to money and/or space considerations, so many underplates aesthetically and harmonically matching the main plate motifs.

SUMMARY

The invention relates to a cover for an underplate, including a stretchable material of discoidal shape, whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the underplate. The invention also includes an elastic memory fastening element disposed about the periphery of the stretchable material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the sake of understanding and clarity of the invention several figures illustrate the underplate and installation thereof, according to one of its preferred embodiments, by way of example only:

FIG. 1 illustrates the inventive cover before it is used on an underplate.

FIG. 2 shows the inventive cover placed on an underplate without the presence of a main plate.

FIG. 3 shows the inventive cover placed on an underplate with a main plate on it.

The same elements or equal or corresponding parts are denoted in the different figures with the same signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The cover is made of a stretchable material as for example natural or synthetic leather, velveteen, skin, nylon, lycra, jersey or the like, said cover being of discoidal form which diameter is larger than that of an underplate, the periphery thereof including a fastening element, preferably made of a material with elastic memory, as for example elastic, an elastomeric band or the like. Said fastening element is preferably sewn to said periphery of said cover, although any other technique which is within the average skills of the expert in the art may do, as for example adhesivation, thermofusion, etc. Said fastening element, when in rest, reduces said cover diameter by 20% to 40%, defining in said cover a surface and a fold which extends under said surface. Once the cover is placed over an underplate, said surface extends on said underplate top and said fold extends under said underplate. Elastic memory of said fastening element should be such as to allow said cover to remain firmly fastened to said underplate.

Once the cover is fastened to the underplate, and in absence of a main plate, said surface of said cover adopts a flat shape. Once the main plate is placed on said underplate, said surface is deformed by the main plate weight and fully adopts the shape of the underplate, and becomes virtually a part thereof, i.e. it can not be visually distinguished whether it is a part thereof.

Once the main plate is withdrawn, said surface flattens again.

According to the above the cover is removable and interchangeable, the user thus being able to avail of countless options as regards designs and motifs for the utilization thereof on a same underplate. Further, the inventive cover may be washed and thus be reusable in the future, or it may be disposable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a cover 1 consisting of a stretchable material, as for example natural or synthetic leather, velveteen or skin, nylon, lycra, jersey or the like, said cover being of discoidal form which diameter is larger than that of an underplate, the periphery thereof including a fastening element 2 which reduces the diameter of said cover by 20% to 40%, generating in said cover 1 a surface S and a fold P which extends under said surface S. Said fastening element 2 can be attached to the periphery of said cloth by sewing it thereto or by any other technique which a person of average skill in the art may devise, as for instance, and without this implying any limitation, adhesivation, thermofusing, etc. Said fastening element may be an elastic, an elastomeric band, or the like.

FIG. 2 shows said cover already fastened to an underplate 3. In order to place said cover, user stretches same until its fold P can be placed under said underplate 3, surface S adopting a flat shape above said underplate 3, an air chamber A being created between same and base B of said underplate 3.

FIG. 3 shows how surface S of said cover 1 is deformed by the weight of a main plate 4 placed on said underplate 3, eliminating air chamber A. Said deformation is such that surface S copies exactly the shape of the underplate, it being visually virtually undistinguishable from the underplate.

The above represents a vital aesthetical importance, as it allows one to have a wide variety of covers of different designs or motifs matching the designs or motifs of different main plates, without the need of having more than a set of underplates. Further, these kinds of covers are removable and interchangeable, they can be washed for future uses or can be disposable.