Serving aid for serving staff for carrying serving utensils and/or glasses

Abstract

A serving aid has a suspension structure 3 with four elongated elements 5 that are connected crosswise at the upper ends by bridges 9. The elongated elements 5 are further connected crosswise via further bridge pieces 11 at points spaced from the upper ends. Trays 13 are attached to these further bridge pieces 11, on which serving utensils and glasses can be placed. The upper bridge pieces 9 are suspended in the middle from a crossbar 15 attached to a mast 17. The mast 17's lower end is located in a connector 19 attached to a belt 21. This belt 21 is part of a harness 23 worn by the operating staff. Near the top of the harness, harness 23 is connected to mast 17 via a connecting element 25.

Claims

1. Serving aid for serving personnel for carrying eating utensils and/or glasses to be served containing food and/or drinks to be consumed therein or thereon, comprising at least one support element in and/or on which the eating utensils and/or glasses to be served can be placed, characterised in that the serving aid further comprises a mast which is held or carried at an angle upwards during use, which mast is provided with a lower end and an upper end, as well as a hanging structure which is attached to the mast at or near the upper end, via which hanging structure the at least one support element is suspended from the mast.

2. Serving aid according to claim 1, wherein the serving aid further comprises a coupling piece in which the mast is detachably present with the lower end or to which the mast is detachably connected with the lower end, which coupling piece is provided with coupling means for attachment to a belt or harness of the serving staff.

3. Serving aid according to claim 2, wherein the serving aid further comprises a belt or harness to which the coupling piece is connected.

4. Serving aid according to claim 3, wherein the harness is provided with a connecting element located at a distance above the coupling piece and connected to the mast at a distance from the lower end of the mast coupled to the coupling piece.

5. Serving aid according to claim 1, wherein the suspension structure comprises an elongated element which is suspended from the mast and to which the support element is concentrically attached or to which the support elements are concentrically attached at mutual vertical distances.

6. Serving aid according to claim 1, wherein the suspension structure comprises at least two elongated elements, the elongated elements being suspended from the mast, and the support element being located between the elongated elements, or the support elements being located at vertical distances between the elongated elements, and the support element or the support elements being connected to the elongated elements.

7. Serving aid according to claim 6, wherein the elongated elements are connected to each other at their upper ends via a bridge piece, the bridge piece being suspended from the mast in the middle.

8. Serving aid according to claim 7, wherein the elongated elements are connected to each other at a distance from the upper end via one or more further bridge pieces, whereby the support element is connected to the further bridge piece or the support elements are connected to the further bridge pieces.

9. Serving aid according to claim 6, wherein the hanging structure comprises four elongated elements, each comprising two pairs of relatively closely spaced elongated elements, whereby the distance between the pairs is greater than the distance between the elongated elements of a pair.

10. Serving aid according to claim 1, wherein the suspension structure comprises cords or cables by means of which the support element is suspended from the upper end of the mast.

11. Serving aid according to claim 1, wherein the support element is formed by a tray and/or a glass holder provided with holes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The invention will be explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments of the serving aid according to the invention shown in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the serving aid according to the invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the serving aid according to the invention;

[0016] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of part of a third embodiment of the serving aid according to the invention;

[0017] FIG. 4 shows a top view of the serving aid shown in FIG. 3; and

[0018] FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the serving aid according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the serving aid according to the invention. The serving aid has a hanging structure 3 with four elongated elements 5, each comprising two pairs 7 of elongated elements. The distance between the elongated elements 5 of a pair 7 is smaller than the distance between the pairs 7. The elongated elements 5 are connected crosswise at their upper ends via bridge pieces 9. The bridge pieces 9 are attached to each other in the middle. The elongated elements 5 are further connected crosswise via further bridge pieces 11 at points spaced from the upper ends. Trays 13, on which serving utensils and glasses can be placed, are attached to these further bridge pieces 11.

[0020] The upper bridge pieces 9 are suspended in the middle from a crossbar 15, which is attached to a mast 17 near the upper end of the mast. The lower end of the mast 17 is located in a connector 19 attached to a belt 21. This belt 21 is part of a harness 23 worn by the serving staff. Near the top of the harness, harness 23 is connected to mast 17 via a connecting element 25 (e.g., a cord or rod).

[0021] FIG. 2 schematically shows a second embodiment of the serving aid according to the invention in perspective. All components identical to those of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals. This second embodiment of serving aid 31 is a simplified version of the first embodiment. Suspension structure 33 has only two elongated elements 35, and connector 19 is connected only to a belt 21 and not to a harness. Belt 21 can be part of serving aid 31, but it can also be a belt worn by the serving staff.

[0022] FIGS. 3 and 4 schematically show a section of a third embodiment of the serving aid according to the invention in side and top views, respectively. This serving aid 41 has only one elongated element 43, which is suspended from the mast and to which a number of support elements are concentrically attached at vertical intervals. The support elements consist of trays 45 and glass holders 47 provided with holes.

[0023] FIG. 5 schematically shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the serving aid according to the invention. All components identical to those of the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals. In this fourth embodiment of the serving aid 51, the suspension structure 33 is formed by cords 55 that suspend the upper platform 57 from the upper end 17b of the mast 17 and suspend the lower platform 59, which is provided with holes, from the upper platform 57.

[0024] Although the invention has been explained above with reference to the drawings, it should be noted that the invention is by no means limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The invention also extends to all embodiments deviating from the embodiments shown in the drawings, within the scope defined by the claims.