A coaster having a pocket for receiving the base of a stemmed glass. The pocket is configured in the coaster to receive the base of the stemmed glass in sliding engagement from a side of the coaster. The pocket has an opening to permit the stem of the glass to extend through upwardly, thereby enabling the coaster to be a more stable platform to reduce tipping over or spilling. A removable spacer tab is configured to be received within the pocket. The spacer tab has a circumferential arc edge that can engage the base rim of the stemmed glass to secure the base of the glass within the pocket to provide further stability.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
. A coaster for supporting a stemmed drinking glass, the coaster comprising: a base member and an upper member, the upper member being attached to the base member to form a pocket between the base member and the upper member, an opening to the pocket being defined in the upper member, the pocket being adapted to receive therein a foot of the stemmed glass drinking vessel and the opening being adapted to receive therethrough a stem of the drinking glass.
. The coaster ofin which the upper member is unattached from the base member at a portion of a side perimeter of the coaster to receive the foot of the stemmed glass drinking vessel for insertion into the pocket of the coaster.
. The coaster ofin which a channel is defined in the upper member between the opening in the pocket and the side perimeter of the coaster to receive the stem of the drinking glass.
. A coaster for supporting a stemmed drinking glass, the coaster comprising:
. The coaster ofin which the spacer tab maintains a spacing between the upper member and the base member comprising the pocket.
. The coaster ofin which a channel is defined in the upper member between the opening in the pocket and the side perimeter of the coaster to receive the stem of the drinking glass.
. The coaster ofin which the spacer tab forms a raised edge at an outer perimeter thereof, the raised edge of the spacer tab being adapted to retain the foot of the stemmed glass drinking vessel received in the pocket when the spacer tab is inserted in the pocket.
. A coaster for supporting a stemmed drinking glass, the coaster comprising:
. The coaster ofin which the spacer tab comprises a tongue portion and a circular outer rim, the outer rim of the spacer tab having a circumferential edge coextensive with the base member when inserted into the pocket with the tongue portion lying along the base member, the spacer tab forming a raised edge at an outer perimeter thereof, the raised edge of the spacer tab being adapted to retain the foot of the stemmed glass drinking vessel received in the pocket when the spacer tab is inserted in the pocket.
. The coaster ofin which the spacer tab is separable from the coaster and may be used to cover a top opening of the drinking vessel.
Complete technical specification and implementation details from the patent document.
The present non-provisional patent application claims priority benefit of an earlier-filed provisional patent application of the same title, Ser. No. 63/569,382, filed Mar. 25, 2024. The identified earlier-filed application is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application.
The present invention relates to coasters on which drinks may be placed and, more particularly, to a holder/coaster for supporting stemmed glassware.
Coasters provide a protective surface between a drink glass and an underlying support such as a bar or table. They help prevent water rings and moisture damage to the table surface caused by condensation from cold drinks. They also act as a barrier between hot beverages and delicate surfaces to prevent heat-related damage. Coasters also help prevent spills and slippage of the drink glass along the support surface.
However, stemmed glassware such as wine, champagne, and margarita glasses are notoriously top heavy, unstable, easy to tip over and spill or break. Simple flat coasters do not provide substantial stability to drink glasses having a long stem.
Accordingly, there is a need for a drink coaster that is capable of providing retaining support to the base of stemmed glassware to resist the glass from tipping over.
An embodiment of the invention comprises a coaster having a pocket for receiving the base of a stemmed glass. The pocket is configured in the coaster to receive the base of the stemmed glass in sliding engagement from a side of the coaster. The pocket has an opening to permit the stem of the glass to extend through upwardly, thereby enabling the coaster to be a more stable platform to reduce tipping over or spilling.
A removable spacer tab is configured to be received within the pocket. The spacer tab has a circumferential arc edge that can engage the base rim of the stemmed glass to secure the base of the glass within the pocket to provide further stability. When the coaster is not otherwise being used for receiving the stemmed glass the spacer tab maintains the shape and proper surface area of the top coaster to provide a level surface on which a regular non-stemmed glass can also be placed.
An embodiment of the invention is described herein. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention.
The present invention comprises a holder/coasteras generally shown in. Coasteris comprised of a base memberand upper memberas shown in. For durability, the coaster may be comprised of leather and a welt layermay be placed between the base memberand upper member. Adhesive, stitching and other joining methods may be used to join the base member, the welt layer, and the upper membertogether.
The welt layerplaced between base memberand upper membercauses a space to be created therein which forms a pocketas shown in. Pocketis therefore dimensioned to receive the footof stemmed glass. Openingis formed in upper memberas shown in. When stemmed glassis inserted into the pocketof the coaster the stempasses through opening. Footof the stemmed glassware is held in place between base memberand upper member. The coaster has a wider footprint than the glassware itself, thereby providing more stability.
A spacer tabis slidably engageable in the coaster between base memberand upper member. The spacer tabis provided with an engagement memberto bear against the edge of the footof stemmed glassas shown in. Spacer tabhas an elongated tonguethat is receivable in pocket. Tonguewould be positioned under footof the glassand is adapted to provide a slight wedge effect of the glass within the pocket for enhanced stability along with the retaining effect provided by engagement member. When the spacer tabis placed under a glass retained within the pocket, the user may simply lift the glass and coaster together when drinking. Alternatively, the user may opt not to use the spacer tab in the coaster itself, such as seen in, and simply slide the glass in and out of the coaster as used. If not used within the coaster, the spacer tab can be used as a cover as seen into place over the glass to keep insects and debris from falling into the glass that might occur during outside use. When a glass is not placed in the coaster, spacer tabcan be re-inserted back in pocketto maintain the spacing between base memberand upper member.
Base memberis substantially circular. The welt layermay be arcuate in shape, having an outer radius substantially coextensive with an outer radius of the base member. Upper membermay be arcuate in shape, having an outer radius substantially coextensive with the outer radius of the base memberand the welt layer. Upper membersandwiches the welt layeragainst base member, wherein base member, welt layerand upper memberare substantially concentric as seen in. As a result, pocketis formed between base memberand upper memberas shown in. The footprint of pocketis dimensioned and shaped so that a foot/baseof stemmed glasswarecan be received therein.
Upper membermay be configured with a widened opening at its edge leading into openingto facilitate sliding a stemmed glass into pocketof coasteras shown in. Spacer tabis inserted behind the footof the glass and engagement memberhelps retain the base of the glass within the coaster. Engagement membercan be arcuately shaped to accommodate the circular edge of the base of the glass and to complement the circular shape of base member.
In use, one would simply remove spacer tabfrom coasterand slide the stemmed glasswareinto pocketformed between upper memberand base memberand position the stemof glassthrough openingas seen in. The resulting downward tension from upper memberagainst base memberholds the glass in place gently but gives far more stability due to its greater footprint as retained in the coaster.
A method of making the present invention may include the following. The individual components of base member, welt layer, upper memberand spacer tabare cut out by blades or dies, joined in proper alignment by adhesives, and may be stitched from top to bottom around the edge to secure them in place.
It should be understood that the foregoing relates to an exemplary embodiment of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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September 25, 2025
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