Dish liners

Feb. 5, 1963

A. L. KUHLMAN

DISH LINERS

3,076,579

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3,076,579

A. L. KUHLMAN

DISH LINERS

Feb. 5, 1963

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United States Patent Office

3,076,579

Patented Feb. 5, 1983

3,076,579

DISH LINERS

Arthur L. Kuhlman, 38,192 Mnrdick Drive, New Baltimore, Mich.

Filed Dec. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 861,875

Claims. (CI. 220—65)

This invention relates to dish liners for use on plates and dishes in general, and more particularly to an inexpensive disposable liner which can be discarded after use.

The washing of plates and other dishes after each meal is a somewhat tedious and laborious operation, particularly in view of the fact that they must be first scraped, then washed and dried.

It is, therefore, one of the prime objects of the invention to design plate and dish liners or laminations of various shapes and sizes to fit over the face of the plate or dish on which food is placed for distribution and consumption, the upper liner or lamination being readily removable and disposable after removal, so that the plate or dish and the next exposed lamination presents a clean surface free of food, etc. for use at the next meal, thus eliminating the scraping, washing and drying above referred to.

Another object of the invention is to provide laminated liner cartridges applicable to a conventional plate or dish so that each liner can be individually removed without displacing or in any manner interfering with the next lowermost liner.

Another object is to provide a relatively thin liner of pleasing appearance, which can be transparent, if desired, so that the color and pattern of the dish will be readily visible therethrough.

A further object is to design packaged dish liners of simple, practical, and relatively inexpensive construction, put up and applicable to the dishes as a packaged unit, and which will not be damaged by use of conventional forks, knives or other utensils used by the diner, and from which the upper exposed soiled liner can be readily stripped for disposal at the end of the meal.

Another object is to devise disposable liner members shaped to fit the face of the dish to which they are applied, and provide means for securing the liner on said dish, said liners being formed of tough, thin plastic or other material; the thin sheets or laminations of which adhere to each other, and the entire cartridge or unit being applied to the dish so that when food is placed thereon it contacts the top liner only, the lower laminations of the unit forming a cushioning surface, so that forks and knives will not pierce or otherwise cause leakage from liner to liner.

A further object is to provide liners in cartridge form, applicable to the dish as a unit, and provide readily operable means interposed betwen the individual liners to permit the upper individual liner to be stripped from the cartridge after each use.

Another object is to provide liner units composed of multi-laminations, each of which, when removed, forms an individual bag in which particles of food and liquid remaining on the plate is held, so that the bag proper can be readily handled withouot soiling the hands, etc., of the person effecting the removal.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a liner cartridge in position on a plate.

FIG. 2 is a transverse, sectional view, taken on the line 2—2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 3—3 of FIG. 1 showing the backing and liner unit.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the separating means between each pair of sheets, the broken lines showing the cord being removed.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the removal of the top sheet or lamination.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the lamination used as a bag and ready for disposal.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a single disposable liner applied to a plate.

. FIG. 8 is a transverse, sectional view taken on line 8—8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the flexible plate used as a cover.

In FIGURES 1-5 of the attached drawings, I have shown the invention as applied to a conventional dinner plate 10 which can be of any desired pattern or design, and the liners can be manufactured and put up individually or packaged in cartridge form to provide individual units U, each unit comprising a plurality of laminated liners, which liners are tightly pressed together in a pack as shown to snugly fit the exposed face of the plate 10 on which it is secured.

In the unit form each package includes a base or backing member 12 which is preferably of heavier material than the individual laminations and is firmly secured thereto; it can be formed of plastic, stiff paper, or any other desired material, and is molded to fit either the rim section, or the entire face of the plate on which it is mounted. As is best illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the base member projects beyond the peripheral edge of the rim of the dish.

Cutouts 14 are punched in the projecting portion of the rim 15 of the backing member 12, in spaced-apart relation, each cutout including an inwardly projecting tongue section 16 with openings 17 on the opposite edges of the tongue, the free end of said tongue being severed from the main body, so that it can be pressed away from the pack of liners to engage the lower edge of the plate rim 15, all as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and the upper face of this tongue can be coated with an adhesive so that it readily adheres to the lower surface of the plate rim.

The liners 11 are secured to the face of the backing member 12 in any desired manner, they can be adhesively secured, by use of an adhesive similar to the self sealing envelopes presently on the market, or in any other desired manner.

To facilitate removal of the top liner when desired, I have pressed a very thin strip of cord IS between each pair of laminations, all as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, the one end 19 projecting slightly beyond the edge of the liners so that it can be grasped and pulled outwardly, separating the laminations sufficiently to permit a person to grasp the edge of the top lamination and pull it up and over as clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. Starting the stripping at the one point permits the user to first strip the lamination around the edge, and then pull upwardly to free the center portion of the liner; it thus forms a bag B (see FIG. 6) in which all waste food and liquid remaining on the plate is held, thus preventing contact or leakage onto the next lowermost liner.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, I have shown a

3,076,578 slightly modified construction in which the plate 20 is formed with a plurality of spaced-apart, inwardly-projecting, overhanging sections 21 spaced equidistantly around the upper edge thereof, so that an individual thin plate 22, sometimes referred to as picnic plates, formed of paper, plastic or any other material, can be placed on the plate 20, with the upper edge 23 thereof disposed beneath these overhanging sections 21, which hold the plate 22 in place.

In practice, the food, (not shown), is.placed on the thin plate 22, and after the meal is finished, these thin plates, due to their flexibility, are easily removable from the sections 21 and are disposable as desired.

These plates 22 can be plastic coated if desired, and they are also sufficiently tough to withstand the conventional usage of knives and forks and other dinnerware.

In FIG. 9 of the drawings, I have shown the flexible plate 22 inverted and used as a cover to keep food warm. The member 22 can be easily applied as it is sufficiently flexible to permit the rim to be inserted beneath the overhanging sections 21.

The dishes will, of course, be washed as desired by the housewife, but not nearly as often as is necessary when used without liners, and this will minimize breakage, cracking and chipping which usually occurs during the washing operation.

While I have shown and described one way of separating the liners by means of a thin cord; it will, of course, be understood that this can be accomplished in a number of ways; however, I find the instant method economical and satisfactory.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have perfected a simple, practical, and economical, disposable liner and/or unit for use on dishes of all kinds, and from which the individual liner or liners are easily removable when soiled.