Cake caddy

Abstract

In some embodiments a cake caddy is disclosed that is placed over a cake and receives candles that would normally be place in the cake. Thus the cake caddy can prevent damage to the cake that would be caused by placing the candles in the cake. Additionally the cake caddy will prevent wax from light candles from landing on the cake and will protect the cake from bodily fluids and germs from individuals blowing out the candles. Other embodiments are otherwise disclosed herein.

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims the priority under 35 USC §119 of Provisional Application 60/617,176 entitled “Cake Caddy” filed on Oct. 8, 2004 and having P. Kevin McLemore as the inventor. Application 60/617,176 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety but is not prior art.

BACKGROUND

Baked birthday and celebratory cakes come in many shapes, sizes, flavors, and styles. Cakes may have no decorations, simple decorations, or very elaborate decorations. One thing in common with most birthday cakes is that they usually have birthday candles placed in them. While the candles are lit, a song is normally sung to the individual whose birthday it is. At the conclusion of the song, the individual normally blows the candle out. After that the cake is cut into smaller pieces and eaten.

Placing birthday candles in the cake leaves holes in the cake. Thus, nicer pictures of the cake should be taken before the candles are placed in the cake. Moreover, the wax from the candles may melt onto the cake further affecting the appearance of the cake. The wax on the cake may also affect the taste of the cake. In addition, when the candles are blown out the germs of the individual may be transferred to the cake. In the case of birthday parties for children, the child may transfer saliva, mucus, and/or other bodily fluids on the cake as they attempt to blow the candles out. In fact, often at birthday parties multiple children assist in blowing the candles out and thus the germs of many children end up on the cake.

After the cake is mark up by the candles, has waxed dripped on it, and has the germs of one or more individuals on it, it is normally served to the participants at the birthday party. As might be expected, eating a cake with the germs of others on it may not appeal to some individuals. Additionally, eating the cake may actually cause certain individuals to get sick.

Thus, there is a need for a device that can protect a cake from the germs and/or bodily fluids of the one or more individuals blowing the candles out. The device should not obstruct the view of the cake or diminish the beauty of the cake in any manner. Moreover, there is a need for a device that can protect the cake from the dripping wax of the candles. Furthermore, there is a need for a device to protect the cake from the holes that are normally made in the cake by placing the candle(s) in the cake.

SUMMARY

A device is provided that fits over a cake to protect the cake prior to the cake being eaten. The device includes a top surface and adjustable legs. The top surface goes over the cake and the adjustable legs can be used to adjust the height of the device. According to various different embodiments, the top surface may be made of a clear material so as not to obstruct the view of the cake; the top surface may be curved so as to provide more clearance in the center of the cake for decorations that may be contained thereon; the top surface has holes in it that can hold candles; the device may have multiple top surfaces so that it can be used for multiple different cake sizes and shapes; the top surface may be adjustable in size; the top surface may be capable of holding decorations; the device is made of a material that is easily cleanable and possibly dishwasher safe; the device may have built in light and/or music. The device may fit into a companion storage unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the various embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary cake caddy, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary cake caddy, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of an exemplary cake caddy, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary cake caddy placed over a cake, according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a top surface of an exemplary adjustable size cake caddy, according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate perspective, bottom and side views respectively of a cake caddy 100. The cake caddy includes legs 110 and top surface 120. The legs may include feet 130 to provide more surface area for supporting the cake caddy 100. The legs 110 may be adjustable so that the cake caddy 100 can be used for cakes of varying height. As illustrated, the legs 110 are made up of several pieces that can be put together to make different heights. For example, each leg may be made up of three one-inch parts so that the legs can range from 1 to 3 inches. The parts may be made up of pieces of varying size so that the legs 110 can be a wider variety of heights. For example, if the three leg parts were one inch, two inches and three inches, the legs 110 could range from 1 inch to 6 inches (all three leg parts stacked consecutively). Alternatively, the legs 110 may be formed like a telescope where additional layers are maintained within a main body and can be extracted from the main body by turning the leg in a certain direction. The various embodiments are in no way intended to be limited to any particular type of legs, type of adjustable legs, or number of legs. Rather, as one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize, there are many different types of legs that would fall within the cope of the various embodiments of the cake caddy.

The top surface 120 may be made from a lightweight material, such as plastic (e.g., styrene, acrylic, mylar). The top surface 120 should be rigid enough to protect the cake below. The top surface 120 may be made of a clear material so as to not obstruct the view of the cake. Alternatively, the top surface 120 may be made of a tinted or colored see-through material. The top surface 120 may be curved to provide more clearance for the cake and/or decorations that may be on the cake. The top surface 120 may include a side panel 140. The side panel 140 may be simply for support or it may provide protection to the side of the cake.

The top surface 120 may have holes 150 formed therein for holding candles. The holes 150 may protrude entirely through the top surface 120 or partially through. The holes 150 may be sized to hold one size candle (e.g., standard birthday candle) or may have varying sizes to hold different candle sizes and/or types (e.g., number candles that tend to have a larger base, sparklers that tend to have very skinny leg). With the candles placed in the holes 150 any wax dripping from the candles is captured by the top surface 120 and would not drip on the cake. As illustrated, there are many holes 150 aligned in circles of varying sizes. The various embodiments are in no way intended to be limited to the amount, size, shape, or configuration of the holes. Having multiple holes 150 allows for any number of candles to be placed on the top surface 120 in various configurations. This allows the cake caddy 100 to be used for birthday parties for any age, or for any other occasions where candles may be desired (e.g., anniversaries, retirement parties).

The legs 110 may connect to the top surface 120 in any manner. The connection may be permanent or temporary. If the connection is temporary the legs 110 may slide, screw, or snap into the top surface 120. The top surface 120 may have an orifice 160 for accepting the leg 110. The orifice 160 may be formed in the bottom side of top surface 120, the side wall 140, or extend from the sidewall 140. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the orifices 160 extend from the sidewall 140.

The embodiments described with respect to FIGS. 1-3 have illustrated the cake caddy 100 as having a round top surface. The various embodiments are in no manner intended to be limited thereby. Rather, the cake caddy could be any size or shape without departing from the scope. In fact, the cake caddy 100 may come with standard legs and multiple top surfaces that the legs 110 can be used with so that the cake caddy can support various different size and shape cakes. Standard cakes are often round, rectangular or ½ or whole sheet cakes so that the standard configuration may come with top surfaces to support at least some subset of these standard cakes.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary cake caddy 400 covering a cake 410. As illustrated, the cake caddy 400 covers the cake 410. Candles 420 are placed in the cake caddy 400 so that the candles 420 don't make holes in the cake 410 and do not drip wax on the cake 410. As should be understood, if an individual was blowing the candles 420 out the cake caddy 400 would provide protection to keep any germs or bodily fluids off the cake 410.

According to one embodiment the top surfaces 120 may be adjustable in size. The adjustment in size may entail adding leaves to the top 120 (much like a kitchen or dinning room table is extended). FIG. 5 illustrates the top surface of an exemplary adjustable size cake caddy 500. As illustrated, the cake caddy 500 is broken into two parts 510, 520 that connect together. Also included are leave(s) 530 that may be inserted between the two halves 510, 520 to extend the size of the cake caddy 500. As one skilled in the art would know there are multiple means for connecting the halves 510, 520 and the leaves 530 that would be within the scope of the various embodiments described herein, such as sliding, screwing, or snapping. According to one embodiment, multiple leaves of varying size may be provided to offer the most options for extending the cake caddy 500. For example, if 1, 2 and 3 inch leaves are provided that would enable the cake caddy to be extended between 1-6 inches by utilizing various combinations of leaves.

According to one embodiment, the top surface is configured to support decorations in addition to candles. The top surface may have additional holes provided therein to hold the decorations or may be made of a non-slip or sticky material so that the decorations can be placed on the top surface and will not fall off.

According to one embodiment, the cake caddy is provided with lighting that can be used to illuminate the cake or add to the decorations. The power for the lighting may be provided by a battery contained within the cake caddy or by a cord that is connected to the cake caddy and can be plugged into a power source. The lighting may be such that a portion of the entire top surface lights up, or it may be such that individual lights (same or different colored) light up on different portions of the caddy. The cake caddy may be configured in such a manner that a user can select what light or lights are used for each occasion.

According to one embodiment, the cake caddy may have power so that devices plugged therein can operate in some fashion. For example, power may be provided to certain holes on the top surface so that devices plug therein may operate. For example, candlelights may be placed in the appropriate holes on the cake to give the appearance of lit candles. As one skilled in the art would recognize, more complex decorations utilizing the power provided by the cake caddy would be within the scope. For example, a miniature racetrack or moving figurines could be placed on the appropriate place on the cake caddy.

According to one embodiment, the cake caddy may include a musical device that is capable of playing certain songs (e.g., Happy Birthday). The cake caddy can be powered by a battery located somewhere on the cake caddy or by a plug that connects to a power source.

According to one embodiment, the cake caddy is made of a material that is easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

The many features and advantages of the various embodiments are apparent from the detailed specification. Thus, the appended claims are intended to cover all such features and advantages of the various embodiments that fall within the true spirit and scope of the various embodiments. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the various embodiments to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described. Accordingly, all appropriate modifications and equivalents may be included within the scope of the various embodiments.

Although the various embodiments have been illustrated by reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made which clearly fall within the scope. The embodiments intend to broadly protect within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for protecting a cake, comprising:

a top surface to cover a cake, the top surface made of a material that does not obstruct view of the cake; and

legs that connect to the top surface to raise the top surface above the cake.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the top surface has holes formed therein for supporting candles.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the top surface is capable of preventing wax from dripping on the cake.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the top surface catches prevents germs or bodily fluids from one blowing out the candles to land on the cake.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the legs are adjustable in size.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the top surface is curved to provide additional clearance for the cake.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the top surface includes lighting.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a power source.

9. A device for protecting a cake, comprising:

a surface capable of being placed over a cake, wherein the surface does not obstruct view of the cake, and wherein the surface has holes formed therein that are capable of accepting candles or other decorations; and

legs, connectable to the surface, to hold the surface above the cake.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the legs are adjustable in size.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the leg size adjustment is performed by telescopic action.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the legs include several pieces that can be connected interchangeably to adjust the height.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the surface is colored or tinted.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the surface includes separate pieces that can be connected interchangeably for size adjustment.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the surface is non-slip.

16. The device of claim 9, further comprising a musical device.

17. The device of claim 9, wherein the surface is curved to provide additional clearance for the cake.

18. The device of claim 9, wherein the surface includes lighting.

19. The device of claim 9, further comprising a power source.

20. A device, capable of being placed over a cake and accepting candles, to protect a cake from wax dripping from the candles or germs or bodily fluids from individuals blowing out candles, the device comprising:

a top surface having holes formed therein for receiving candles, wherein the top surface is opaque;

legs, connectable to the top surface, to support the top surface, wherein the legs are used to hold the top surface above the cake so that the top surface is capable of protecting the cake.