Support

The invention relates to a subclause.

For example, in the catering sector or during any festivities we like to use coasters to put vessels on it. These vessels are to be understood, in particular, as drinking glasses of any kind.

Especially in darkness, a visually very pleasing effect can be achieved by illuminating the liquid in the vessel. This also makes it easier to recognize such a vessel in the dark.

In the light of this, DE 299 19 755 U1 proposes a support for a drinking vessel which has a luminous means. Thus, an illuminated underlayer or an illuminated drinking glass is created. DE 299 18 185 U1 even proposes to integrate a lighting means into a bottle or a drinking glass.

A disadvantage of the proposals in the prior art is that the devices can be easily stolen. In a gastronorm operation or at a solemn ceremony there is not such an accurate overview by the staff that such an action would be discovered. The consequences of several stolen devices are particularly annoying for the operator of the gastronomy, because the suggested devices are probably in the price clearly over conventional "beer covers".

In another approach, US Pat. No. 4,446,508 discloses a holder in which drinking glasses are placed on an absorbent mat. A light source is provided on the holder which ensures that the edges of the holder light up.

Compared to this holder, the task is to achieve a very good illumination and at the same time to deal with the energy, which is compulsorily limited in a tray, in a more economical manner.

Illuminations associated with drinking glasses are also known. Thus, US Pat. No. 2,114,460 shows a drinking glass holder, in particular for fixed installations in automobiles. An area for advertising is provided on the holder, this surface being discreetly illuminated by a lower surface. US Pat. No. 4,254,452 proposes a drinking glass holder which can be used as a loose accessory in automobiles, in particular mobile homes. The holder is to be used as a tray and, in addition to drinking glasses, for example, also to pick up ashtrays. In order to prevent slipping, a holder is mounted above the actual tray. Light sources are arranged under the holder which ensure indirect illumination of the tablet.

The object of the invention is to provide the described desired effect in the gastronomy to customers at a low cost, while at the same time preventing the excessive theft of the lighting converters.

This object is achieved by a subset according to the subject matter of the main claim.

The inventive finding is, in particular, that there are coasters in the gastronomy also for storing several glasses at once. These personnel are rarely handed over by the staff. Above all, these are rectangular and round glass tablets or supports or a special holder for, for example, eleven linearly arranged glasses, in restaurants in the Rhineland called "one meter of beer". Numerous further supports or supports for glasses or the like are also possible. In this respect, the invention is directed precisely from the solutions known from the prior art, according to which a small, portable light source is provided individually for each glass.

Even if the staff discard these types of subordinates and entrust them to a guest or a variety of guests at a table, coasters for a plurality of jars are compulsively so large and bulky that unauthorized removal of the coasters is made considerably more difficult. Therefore, a large and bulky support can also be expensive and relatively expensive, for example by integrating a light source.

It should be mentioned that the concept of a light-conducting vessel is to be widely understood. Above all, drinking glasses are addressed. However, the term should also encompass plastic glasses, glasses and other vessels which are only partially made of glass and / or plastic. It is essential that the vessels of the subsystem can selectively, unintentionally, bundled and / or uncoupled uncoupled coupled light, and thus be deflected or scattered in such a way that it emerges visibly from a person in a conventional use of the vessel, in particular from the side. For example, a plurality of conventional Kölsch glasses can be illuminated on a subset according to the invention. The subassembly is, for example, made of a synthetic resin or a solid plastic type and includes a circuit with an electric light source. Thus, the electronics can be completely insulated from the outside. The substructure, like the vessels, should at least be translucent on a part of the surface in order to be able to decouple or couple light.

If, for example, Kölsch glasses are filled with beer or else a cocktail glass or longdrink glass with an arbitrary beverage and are placed on the invented sub-base, they are illuminated, for example with a light color tone or simply light-white. This will awaken among other things the drinking stimuli of the consumer

The subset according to the invention can be characterized in that it has one or preferably several switches. In this case, a single switch can, in particular, be switched on and off manually. However, the switch can also be switched in that at least one vessel is parked on the substructure. In the case of a "meter of beer", the switch can be switched, in particular, by the fact that a certain number of glasses, for example one, all eleven or any number which can be predetermined therebetween, rests on the sub-set. This can be determined, for example, by a series circuit of switching contacts or by the total weight of the vessels. The invention also achieves a very striking effect even when a carrier handle of the sub-set, for example a "meter beer" tablet, A central switch is provided so that the light is automatically switched on when the sub-set is being worn. In particular, a switch on the carrying handle can be connected in parallel with further switches.

For example, a plurality of switches can also be arranged in such a way that vessels individually switch on specific vessel setting surfaces due to their presence or non-presence. In this case, light coupling surfaces, which are assigned to the vessel positioning surfaces, for coupling light emitted by a light source into the vessels which are arranged on the respectively assigned vessel positioning surfaces can be present. If the consumer now lifts a glass in order to drink a sip, the light source, for example a power light diode, can be switched off again or at least guided such that at least essentially no light emerges at the glass surface, in particular at the light coupling surface. After drinking, the glass is again turned off and lit again until the glass is empty; For example, it may stop automatically when the switch switches on in a weight-dependent manner and its sensitivity is matched to the weight of an associated glass. This can also be realized very well, especially in the case of the "meter beer", since the shape, weight and number of the glasses are precisely specified.

It is advantageous if the substructure has means for generating a light beam which is directed perpendicular to a main direction of extension or a main plane. A main stretching direction has in particular the special carrier for the "meter beer". Other substantially planar trays have a horizontal plane lying horizontally when the tray is in use. The vessels are often symmetrical with their axis of symmetry perpendicular to the main direction of extension or to the principal plane when they rest on the pedestal. By means of the proposed light-directing or directing means, the light can be coupled as symmetrically as possible into the vessels.

A subset according to the invention looks particularly pleasing and protects the light source particularly well against damage when the light source is arranged within the subset.

The invention has several vessel faces. The more vessel surfaces a substructure has, the larger and more bulky is the substructure. On the one hand, the size ensures theft protection. On the other hand, however, more space can also be provided for the lighting device. Thus, a light source having a light distributor, a plurality of light sources with light distributors or one or more light sources without light distributors can be accommodated relatively freely. In particular, large batteries, rechargeable batteries or other voltage or current sources can also be provided in a large subset, for example, in a carrying handle, which is hardly possible with small, only a glass-bearing supports. In this way, the costs for an energy source can be kept within limits,

If a light distributor is provided, it is proposed that the light source distributes the emitted light from a light source to a plurality of designated vessel positioning surfaces and decouples therefrom for coupling into the vessels from the subassembly. As a result, several vessels can share the energy of a light source and thus advantageously save a portion of the energy required.

The larger the subset, the more bulky it becomes; The illumination can also be provided more economically with increasing number of vessel positioning surfaces.

For example, a vessel surface can have a diameter of approximately four to nine centimeters for a glass.

Irrespective of the number of vessel positioning surfaces, it is of advantage if the support according to the invention has means for holding the vessels against an unlimited movement parallel to the main extension direction or parallel to the main plane. These may be, in particular, round fixtures. In the case of the "meter of beer", such as in the case of many round trays, partly at the bottom of the substructure - at the bottoms of the containers - and partly at a certain height to the footprint - are approximately five to ten centimeters high Above. As a result of the holding means, the position of a vessel to be removed is predetermined very precisely. A switch or the light coupling surface can therefore get along without large surplus areas which are connected or illuminated with the switch and instead can be tuned to the relatively precisely predetermined position. In particular, a good light coupling into the respective glass or into the respective glasses can be ensured in this way. Thus, production costs can be saved.

A secondary effect of the invention is that a lettering can be irradiated or illuminated by the beverage producer. Here, an advertising effect is also possible. On the one hand this concerns a possible lettering on the sub-set and on the other hand a lettering on or in the respective glass.

The invention therefore encompasses all illuminations of beverages in glasses or plastic glasses by means of a subset provided for a plurality of glasses or plastic glasses.

In the foreground of the invention are the advertising carriers, such as the producers of longdrink, beer or cocktail drinks, which apply lettering, logos, etc. to glasses. It is even possible to bring the company logo closer to the consumer by means of a targeted lighting of the drinks in order to make the sale of beverages, especially in bars, discotheques, VIP areas and events all more attractive. Beverages, when they are radiated or illuminated, also appear more attractive. The secondary effect of bringing advertising media to a better effect by means of illuminants also occurs in the case of a receptacle for hot ash with a light source. Above all, a tablecloth cup is intended here.

Hot ashes can easily lead to damage to tables etc. or even to injuries caused by combustion. Therefore, it is particularly important to be able to completely dispose of hot ash in receptacles which are resistant to heat. For example, the ash of cigarettes, cigars and similar smoking substances must be able to be completely knocked off in ashtrays. If the ash reaches the ashtrays only partially, this can easily lead to the described damages or injuries. Therefore, it is particularly advantageous for a receiving vessel for hot ash, if this has at least at least one illuminated partial surface.

This can preferably be ensured by the fact that a light-conducting body is coupled to the light source. In particular, the light-guiding body can be a circulating, diffuse light-emitting guide body, which surrounds the actual collecting surface for the hot ashes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. Identical reference numerals in different figures can be identical elements. In the drawing show<dl id="dl0001"><dt>FIG</dt><dd>In a schematic perspective view, a glass on a receptacle surface, which is part of a tablet, and FIG</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>In a schematic perspective view, a special tray, designated as "meter beer" or "beverage meter", with eleven vessel shut-off surfaces and a central switch on a carrying handle.</dd></dl>

The vessel surface 1 in FIG. 1 is identical in size to a glass bottom 2 of the glass 3, which stands on the tray (not shown beyond the limits of the vessel positioning surface 1). Realized by a melted electronic circuit 4, the control surface 1 is illuminated when a foil sender 5 is loaded.

Apart from the foil sender 5, the circuit 4 consists merely of a battery 6, a light-emitting diode 7, and wires connecting these components (exemplarily numbered with 8).

While in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the foil stencil 5 is switched in the event of pressure on a lower side 9 of the tablet, for example when the staff grips the tablet just underneath the control surface 1, a switch, in particular on a top side 10 of the tablet, As a part of the positioning surface 1.

The light of the light-emitting diode is centered on the center of the glass to achieve uniform illumination of the beverage by means of a separate attachment. For this purpose, a play gel film is melted in the tablet. Alternatively, the LED 7 can also be arranged centered under the footprint 1.

A beverage carrier rim, for example, has adjusting surfaces, which are formed as glass inserting devices at certain intervals, in which a glass or a plurality of glasses are accommodated. A built-in electronic circuit is located at a bottom of the beverage ring in a closed cavity which can be opened for changing the batteries, and luminous means are located under each glass inserting device in order to achieve a centered illumination. A central pushbutton is located on a peripheral gripping surface in a gripping trough of the tabletop, which, when pressed, illuminates all of the positioning surfaces. At the same time, a light-conducting tablet edge body is also illuminated, so that this diffuse light radiates.

The beverage meter 40 in FIG. 2 uses the same principle as the beverage carrier rim. The difference, however, is that the glasses are not arranged in a circle, but are arranged one behind the other. The central switch (not shown) is attached to the carrying handle 41. This can be a push-button, so that the beverage meter 40 lights up automatically when carrying to the table. However, alternatively and cumulatively, the switch can also be manually reversed, so that the personnel can leave the lighting of the positioning areas (for example, numbered with 42), for example with incandescent filament lamps, individual LEDs or a central LED, switched off on the table. With this variant, it is possible in particular to provide a number of individual buttons corresponding to the positioning surfaces (exemplarily numbered by 43), which only illuminate positioning surfaces 42 on which a filled glass is placed. For this purpose, the threshold switching force of the buttons 43 must correspond to the slightly reduced weighting force of a filled glass of the relevant type. The glasses are set in round fixtures (numbered 44 by way of example), whereby the positioning surfaces 42 can be determined very precisely. A voltage source 45 is mounted laterally outside of the beverage meter 40 since the beverage meter 40 is traditionally made of wood and thus no accessible cavity is available for accommodating the voltage source 45.

It is, of course, also possible to apply the invention to any storage areas, even if glass inserting devices are not explicitly specified. In particular, this is possible by arranging many small regions, each with their own switches and their own luminous means, which are preferably directly adjacent to one another. Instead of switches, all other measures can be used, with which a light source can be switched on or off. In particular, these sensors can be, for example, sensors sensitive to light or heat, which react to the presence of a glass.

The switches or sensors can be individually provided for each individual glass insert device in conjunction with a beverage carrier rim or meter as explained. A common switch can also be used.

Alternatively, it would also be possible to use a common light source for this idea if the separate regions each have their own means for directing light. This could be used, for example, on a counter surface or on a conventional beverage tray.

Depending on the configuration of the light sources or the sensor system, means can also be provided which measure on a surface where a glass is located and then precisely in this region ensure lighting through the underside of the glass. For this purpose, for example, a technology similar to that for touch-sensitive flat screens could be used.

It is also possible to selectively activate the light source by means of external measures. For example, such activation could be effected by induction.

The same principle applies to the lighting of ashtrays as with the illuminated supports. The core is a preferably melted electronics in the ashtray with a light source on the ashtray or on the edge of the ashtray.