US20150059622A1 - Spill Guard Clamp for Countertops - Google Patents

Spill Guard Clamp for Countertops Download PDF

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Publication number
US20150059622A1
US20150059622A1 US14/016,068 US201314016068A US2015059622A1 US 20150059622 A1 US20150059622 A1 US 20150059622A1 US 201314016068 A US201314016068 A US 201314016068A US 2015059622 A1 US2015059622 A1 US 2015059622A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
clamp
spill guard
countertop
guard clamp
lever arms
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US14/016,068
Inventor
Christian Oziel Quinones
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Individual
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to US14/016,068 priority Critical patent/US20150059622A1/en
Publication of US20150059622A1 publication Critical patent/US20150059622A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47BTABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
    • A47B97/00Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Definitions

  • the kitchen countertop is found within many homes as an area where, for example, food is prepared. Additionally, as is well known, kitchen countertops generally contain a sink. In preparing food or in operating the sink, food substances or liquids may spill from the edge of the countertop, onto the cabinetry and flooring directly below. As a result, unsightly food markings and food substances are left to be cleaned from contacted surfaces. In the long term, cabinetry and flooring may experience damage in the form of warping or discoloration.
  • a spring steel clamp is provided with removable lever arms and sealing pads of either elastic or sponge material.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the spill guard clamp in use, with the lever arms in place.
  • FIG. 2 is perspective view of the spill guard clamp in use, with the lever arms shown as being removed.
  • FIG. 3 is a side view of the spill guard clamp unstressed.
  • FIG. 4 is a side view of the spill guard clamp in use over the countertop edge.
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of multiple spill guard clamps in use for extending the spill guard perimeter.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of the spill guard clamp 10 in use, with the countertop 12 shown in phantom lines.
  • the spill guard clamp comprises of a spring steel clamp 20 , sealing pads 30 a (upper) and 30 b (lower), and two lever arms 40 .
  • the spring steel clamp 20 comprises of a steel base 22 , with upper and lower jaw ends 24 , similar to conventional binder clips.
  • the spring steel clamp is formed into the distinct profile shape shown in FIG. 3 using conventional sheet metal bending methods.
  • This distinct profile shape contains a slot 26 on both jaw ends 24 for accepting the lever arms 40 .
  • the steel base 22 has a shorter length than the jaw ends 24 so as to provide the spill guard clamp 10 a higher degree of discreetness while in use in the kitchen.
  • both the steel base 24 and jaw ends 22 can have the same length in effort to eliminate a step in the manufacturing process.
  • Sealing pads 30 a and 30 b have an equal length as that of the jaw ends 24 , and are to be attached to the jaw ends 24 by a means of mounting and fastening, such as screws, rivets, adhesives, sliding holder, etc.
  • the sealing pads 30 a and 30 b are an elastic material such as rubber, but can also consist of a porous material such as a polyester sponge for absorbing water and water-based solutions.
  • Sealing pads 30 a and 30 b are of a rectangular shape, typically with a 3 mm to 15 mm thickness.
  • the lever arms 40 consist of a metal rod, which is bent into a single open loop shape by conventional metal rod bending methods. However it is to be understood that the lever arms 40 can also consist of a plate that is formed and cut into a shape consisting of a handle extension.
  • the spill guard clamp 10 When unstressed, the spill guard clamp 10 takes the position shown in FIG. 3 .
  • To install the spill guard clamp 10 over the edge of the countertop 12 one first presses the removable lever arms 40 together as shown in FIG. 3 . This produce a cantilever effect, which consequently deflects each jaw end 24 in opposing directions. This allows for the spill guard clamp 10 to be slipped over the edge of the countertop 12 .
  • the removable lever arms 40 are then gradually released, causing the spill guard clamp 10 to engage and grip the upper and lower surfaces of the countertop 12 as shown in FIG. 4 .
  • the removable lever arms 40 are then removed as shown in FIG. 2 , and put away in a storage place such as a kitchen drawer.
  • the upper sealing pad 30 a creates a wall barrier 32 ( FIG. 4 ), preventing liquids and food substances from spilling over the upper surface of the countertop 12 .
  • additional spill guard clamps 10 can be placed in series, as shown in FIG. 5 . In this configuration, the spill guard clamps 10 are placed end-to-end.

Abstract

A spill guard clamp (10) for use on countertops, comprising of a spring steel clamp (20), upper and lower sealing pads (30 a and 30 b respectively), and two removable lever arms (40). The spill guard clamp (10) is installed by first pressing the removable lever arms (40), and then sliding the spill guard clamp (10) over the edge of the countertop. It is the upper sealing pad (30 a) that provides a boundary for preventing liquids and food particles from spilling over the countertop onto below cabinetry and flooring.

Description

    BACKGROUND Prior Art
  • The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:
  • U.S. Patents
    Kind
    Pat. No. Code Issue Date Patentee
    6,564,398 B1 2003-05-20 Trott
    5,625,910 1997-05-06 Erickson et al.
    2,508,808 1947-11-03 Warman
    1,302,658 1919-05-06 Henning
    1,150,073 1915-08-17 Spengler
  • The kitchen countertop is found within many homes as an area where, for example, food is prepared. Additionally, as is well known, kitchen countertops generally contain a sink. In preparing food or in operating the sink, food substances or liquids may spill from the edge of the countertop, onto the cabinetry and flooring directly below. As a result, unsightly food markings and food substances are left to be cleaned from contacted surfaces. In the long term, cabinetry and flooring may experience damage in the form of warping or discoloration.
  • Several types of guards for the kitchen countertop, particularly for the sink area, have been proposed—for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,398 (2003) to Trott, U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,910 (1997) to Erickson et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,808 (1947) to Warman, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,302,658 (1919) to Henning Although capable of guarding against splashes, these guards are relatively large. The splash guard shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,398 (2003) to Trott incorporates a panel portion to direct liquids from the faces of cabinet doors and drawers below the kitchen sink. However, during use, this restricts the ability to open and close cabinet doors and drawers.
  • There is a need for a device that can: prevent food substances and liquids from spilling over the countertop edge, be easily installed and removed when desired, and mitigate the aforementioned problems.
  • SUMMARY—
  • In accordance with one embodiment, a spring steel clamp is provided with removable lever arms and sealing pads of either elastic or sponge material.
  • Advantages—
  • Accordingly, several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows: to provide a spill guard clamp that can prevent food substances and liquids from spilling over the countertop edge, that can be easily installed and removed, that is constructed of lesser parts, that can be easily manufactured, that is economical, and that can work in series using multiple units to extended the spill guard boundary.
  • DRAWINGS Figures
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the spill guard clamp in use, with the lever arms in place.
  • FIG. 2 is perspective view of the spill guard clamp in use, with the lever arms shown as being removed.
  • FIG. 3 is a side view of the spill guard clamp unstressed.
  • FIG. 4 is a side view of the spill guard clamp in use over the countertop edge.
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of multiple spill guard clamps in use for extending the spill guard perimeter.
  • DRAWINGS Reference Numerals
  • 10 spill guard clamp
    12 countertop
    20 spring steel clamp
    24 jaw ends
    26 slots
    30a upper sealing pad
    30b lower sealing pad
    32 wall barrier
    40 lever arms
  • DETAILED DESCRIPTION—
  • Referring now to the figures, FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of the spill guard clamp 10 in use, with the countertop 12 shown in phantom lines. The spill guard clamp comprises of a spring steel clamp 20, sealing pads 30 a (upper) and 30 b (lower), and two lever arms 40.
  • Referring to FIG. 3, the spring steel clamp 20 comprises of a steel base 22, with upper and lower jaw ends 24, similar to conventional binder clips. The spring steel clamp is formed into the distinct profile shape shown in FIG. 3 using conventional sheet metal bending methods. This distinct profile shape contains a slot 26 on both jaw ends 24 for accepting the lever arms 40. Furthermore, the steel base 22 has a shorter length than the jaw ends 24 so as to provide the spill guard clamp 10 a higher degree of discreetness while in use in the kitchen. However, it is to be understood that both the steel base 24 and jaw ends 22 can have the same length in effort to eliminate a step in the manufacturing process.
  • Sealing pads 30 a and 30 b have an equal length as that of the jaw ends 24, and are to be attached to the jaw ends 24 by a means of mounting and fastening, such as screws, rivets, adhesives, sliding holder, etc. The sealing pads 30 a and 30 b are an elastic material such as rubber, but can also consist of a porous material such as a polyester sponge for absorbing water and water-based solutions. Sealing pads 30 a and 30 b are of a rectangular shape, typically with a 3 mm to 15 mm thickness.
  • The lever arms 40 consist of a metal rod, which is bent into a single open loop shape by conventional metal rod bending methods. However it is to be understood that the lever arms 40 can also consist of a plate that is formed and cut into a shape consisting of a handle extension.
  • Operation—
  • The manner of installing and using the spill guard clamp 10 to prevent spills over the countertop edge is described in this section.
  • When unstressed, the spill guard clamp 10 takes the position shown in FIG. 3. To install the spill guard clamp 10 over the edge of the countertop 12, one first presses the removable lever arms 40 together as shown in FIG. 3. This produce a cantilever effect, which consequently deflects each jaw end 24 in opposing directions. This allows for the spill guard clamp 10 to be slipped over the edge of the countertop 12. The removable lever arms 40 are then gradually released, causing the spill guard clamp 10 to engage and grip the upper and lower surfaces of the countertop 12 as shown in FIG. 4. The removable lever arms 40 are then removed as shown in FIG. 2, and put away in a storage place such as a kitchen drawer.
  • While the spill guard clamp 10 is engaged, the upper sealing pad 30 a creates a wall barrier 32 (FIG. 4), preventing liquids and food substances from spilling over the upper surface of the countertop 12. For extending the spill guard perimeter, additional spill guard clamps 10 can be placed in series, as shown in FIG. 5. In this configuration, the spill guard clamps 10 are placed end-to-end.
  • For removing the spill guard clamp 10, one inserts and presses the removable lever arms 40 together similar to the installation method, and removes the spill guard clamp 10 away from the edge of the countertop 12.

Claims (3)

I claim:
1. A clamp mountable on a countertop surface to prevent spills onto cabinetry and flooring, the said clamp comprising:
2. A spring steel clamp and removable first and second pivot arms for opening the said spring steel clamp.
3. The clamp of claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the jaw ends comprise of a sealing pad of an elastic material.
US14/016,068 2013-08-31 2013-08-31 Spill Guard Clamp for Countertops Abandoned US20150059622A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14/016,068 US20150059622A1 (en) 2013-08-31 2013-08-31 Spill Guard Clamp for Countertops

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14/016,068 US20150059622A1 (en) 2013-08-31 2013-08-31 Spill Guard Clamp for Countertops

Publications (1)

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US20150059622A1 true US20150059622A1 (en) 2015-03-05

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US14/016,068 Abandoned US20150059622A1 (en) 2013-08-31 2013-08-31 Spill Guard Clamp for Countertops

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11304518B1 (en) * 2020-02-20 2022-04-19 Hyla Emery Table stabilization system and method of use
US20220143620A1 (en) * 2020-11-10 2022-05-12 Fenwal, Inc. Retaining table for fluid processing system

Citations (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3701078A (en) * 1971-02-04 1972-10-24 Amp Inc Bussing connector
US3701171A (en) * 1969-06-24 1972-10-31 Gen Electric Work surface clamping means for drop-in cooking equipment
US4368912A (en) * 1980-12-04 1983-01-18 Leonard Holtz Slide holder and transfer device
US4722120A (en) * 1987-06-23 1988-02-02 James Lu Spring clip
US5183191A (en) * 1992-02-06 1993-02-02 Batts, Inc. Hangers with long lasting non-slip surfaces
US5312178A (en) * 1989-07-12 1994-05-17 King Donald G Knife rack and cutting board
US5390998A (en) * 1993-04-26 1995-02-21 Charles Wolf & Sons, Inc. Display case for jewelry
US5604011A (en) * 1992-08-26 1997-02-18 Aston Packaging Limited Edge protector and fitted article
US5647106A (en) * 1994-07-06 1997-07-15 Sensormatic Electronics Corporation Anti-theft system and method
US5677030A (en) * 1996-04-26 1997-10-14 Silvatrim Associates Spillproof shelf assembly for refrigerators, freezers and the like
US5819381A (en) * 1991-12-05 1998-10-13 Robert C. Bosack Apparatus for gripping thin flexible materials, such as cloth
US5871194A (en) * 1994-07-13 1999-02-16 Aston Packaging Limited Hinged clip and fitted article
US6612000B2 (en) * 2002-01-07 2003-09-02 Acotex Far East Limited Bottom hanger clothes clip
US7577264B2 (en) * 2004-06-07 2009-08-18 Konstantin A. Caploon Audio recordation and reproduction spring clips
US20130277517A1 (en) * 2012-04-19 2013-10-24 Taymor Industries U.S.A. Inc. Hair dryer holder
US8567020B1 (en) * 2010-02-12 2013-10-29 Geraghty, Llc Clip with retractable levers

Patent Citations (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3701171A (en) * 1969-06-24 1972-10-31 Gen Electric Work surface clamping means for drop-in cooking equipment
US3701078A (en) * 1971-02-04 1972-10-24 Amp Inc Bussing connector
US4368912A (en) * 1980-12-04 1983-01-18 Leonard Holtz Slide holder and transfer device
US4722120A (en) * 1987-06-23 1988-02-02 James Lu Spring clip
US5312178A (en) * 1989-07-12 1994-05-17 King Donald G Knife rack and cutting board
US5819381A (en) * 1991-12-05 1998-10-13 Robert C. Bosack Apparatus for gripping thin flexible materials, such as cloth
US5183191A (en) * 1992-02-06 1993-02-02 Batts, Inc. Hangers with long lasting non-slip surfaces
US5604011A (en) * 1992-08-26 1997-02-18 Aston Packaging Limited Edge protector and fitted article
US5390998A (en) * 1993-04-26 1995-02-21 Charles Wolf & Sons, Inc. Display case for jewelry
US5647106A (en) * 1994-07-06 1997-07-15 Sensormatic Electronics Corporation Anti-theft system and method
US5871194A (en) * 1994-07-13 1999-02-16 Aston Packaging Limited Hinged clip and fitted article
US5677030A (en) * 1996-04-26 1997-10-14 Silvatrim Associates Spillproof shelf assembly for refrigerators, freezers and the like
US6612000B2 (en) * 2002-01-07 2003-09-02 Acotex Far East Limited Bottom hanger clothes clip
US7577264B2 (en) * 2004-06-07 2009-08-18 Konstantin A. Caploon Audio recordation and reproduction spring clips
US8567020B1 (en) * 2010-02-12 2013-10-29 Geraghty, Llc Clip with retractable levers
US20130277517A1 (en) * 2012-04-19 2013-10-24 Taymor Industries U.S.A. Inc. Hair dryer holder

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11304518B1 (en) * 2020-02-20 2022-04-19 Hyla Emery Table stabilization system and method of use
US20220143620A1 (en) * 2020-11-10 2022-05-12 Fenwal, Inc. Retaining table for fluid processing system

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