Abstract:
A self-locking deal tray for use in a countertop and a transaction barrier. The deal tray has a frame with at least a partially open top and can be secured to the countertop. The deal tray further has a movable receptacle that is movably connected to the front face of the frame. The movable receptacle can then move between lowered position away from the barrier above it and a raised position against the barrier above it. Finally, the deal tray includes a support movably attached to the bottom of the movable receptacle that can be moved between a supine position and a standing position, respectfully corresponding to the receptacle&#39;s lowered and raised positions.

Description:
[0001]    This invention relates generally to deal trays such as those used by cashiers for through-the-wall transactions with customers, and more particularly with a deal tray with a self-closing feature.  
           [0002]    An earlier patent of mine is U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,901. This patent discloses a transaction drawer within a housing that can be mounted in a building wall. The housing has a front door. A drawer is glidably mounted in the housing behind the door and has a lid at its top. When the drawer is closed, the lid accommodates access of the cashier to the contents of the drawer, and the front door is closed. A cam on the drawer is operated to raise the lid to an access-excluding position as the drawer is opened, and open the door for access to the drawer by a customer outside the wall. The cam on the drawer and lid have different rates of actuation so that the lid is closed more quickly than the door is opened. This device is not always viable for use in some applications.  
           [0003]    There is a need for a less expensive deal tray that can be readily locked closed by an employee at the end of the day or between transactions than is currently available. This invention is one solution that addresses that need.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    In one aspect, this invention is a deal tray for transactions between a location in front of a barrier and a location behind a barrier. The deal tray has a frame with at least a partially open top and at least a partially closed bottom. A receptacle rests in the frame and is movably connected to the front face of the frame. The movable receptacle moves between a lowered position toward the bottom of the frame and a raised position away from the bottom of the frame. A leg is movably attached to the bottom of the receptacle. The leg moves from a supine position when the receptacle is lowered to an erect position when the receptacle is raised.  
           [0005]    In another aspect, this invention is an improvement for the combination of a countertop and a transaction barrier. The improvement is a deal tray that is mountable between the external side and internal side of the barrier. The deal tray has a frame with at least a partially open top that can also be secured within the top surface of the countertop. The deal tray further has a movable receptacle that is hingedly connected to the front face of the frame. The movable receptacle can then move between a lowered position away from the barrier above it and a raised position against the barrier above it. Finally, the deal tray includes a support hingedly attached to the bottom of the movable receptacle that can be moved between a supine position and a standing position, respectfully corresponding to the receptacle&#39;s lowered and raised positions.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the patent:  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the deal tray with the receptacle in the raised or closed position and showing the placement of the deal tray in a countertop in the barrier in a building according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the deal tray with the receptacle in the lowered or open position and showing the placement of the deal tray in a countertop in the barrier in a building according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the deal tray with the receptacle in the raised or closed position according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the deal tray with the receptacle in the lowered or open position according to one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a plan view of the deal tray according to one embodiment of this invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing one embodiment of a slidable sealing engagement according to one embodiment of this invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]    For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, specific language is used to describe the embodiments of this invention that are illustrated in the drawings. Please understand that no limitation of the scope of the invention is intended by this description. Any alteration and modification to the illustrated device that would normally occur to one of average skill in this art are also included.  
         [0014]    As used in this patent the term “arcuate” is used with its ordinary meaning of bent or curved or bowed.  
         [0015]    As used in this patent the term ‘clearance” is used with its ordinary meaning of the distance by which one object clears another.  
         [0016]    As used in this patent the term “concave” is used with its ordinary meaning of curved or rounded inward like the inside of a bowl.  
         [0017]    As used in this patent the term “frame” is used with its ordinary meaning of an open case or structure made for admitting, enclosing, or supporting something.  
         [0018]    As used in this patent the term “leg” is used with its ordinary meaning of structure serving as a support or prop.  
         [0019]    As used in this patent the term “median plane” is used with its ordinary meaning of a vertical longitudinal plane that divides an object into right and left portions.  
         [0020]    As used in this patent the term “receptacle” is used with its ordinary meaning of structure that can receive and contain or hold something.  
         [0021]    As used in this patent the term “standing” is used with its ordinary meaning of upright on the feet or base: erect.  
         [0022]    As used in this patent the term “supine” is used with its ordinary meaning of lying on its back or with a face generally upward.  
         [0023]    Referring to the attached drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a preferred example of the deal tray  7  when it is respectfully in a raised position and in a lowered position according to the principles of the invention. One feature of deal tray  7  readily noted is frame or housing  8 . See also FIGS.  3 - 5 . Frame  8  preferably includes lateral sides  9  and  10 , front face  11 , bottom  12 , an open top  13 , and a back face  15 . Frame  8  also preferable includes a flange  14  that laterally extends from the top edges of front face  11 , lateral sides  9  and  10 , and back face  15 .  
         [0024]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, bottom  12  is preferably not horizontal. Rather, bottom  12  is preferable tilted so that any rainwater, which happens to fall into frame  8  drains toward back face  15  on the exterior side  18  of barrier  19  instead of draining toward front face  11  on the interior side  20  of barrier  19 . This optional feature is preferably accomplished during the manufacture of frame  8  by constructing front face  11  of comparatively less width  22  than the width  21  of back face  15  and appropriately tapering lateral sides  9  and  10  in a fashion to compensate for a bottom  12  that has a slight incline or upward curve from the bottom edge  16  of back face  15  to the bottom edge  17  of front face  11 . Frame  8  then includes a passageway  23  preferably located in the lowermost portion of frame  8  through which the rainwater may drain out from frame  8 .  
         [0025]    FIGS.  1 - 5  depict a frame  8  with a fully closed bottom and a fully open top  13 , however, this is not necessary to practice the invention protected by this patent. The top  13  need only be partially or sufficiently open to allow a customer standing on the exterior side  18  to pass items to the interior side  20 . Meaning, the top  13  possibly may be partially obstructed by accessories, a cover, or other structures and still practice the principles of this invention. The bottom  12  need only be partially or sufficiently closed so that leg or support  24  has some structure or structures on which it may stand when leg  24  is in an extended position. For example, such structure could even be provided by the barrier  19  in which deal tray  7  is mounted and still practice the principles of this invention.  
         [0026]    Frame  8  may be constructed from many materials including those materials particular suitable for exposure to the elements of weather, such as stainless steel or fiber-reinforced plastics. For example, a highly preferable material is 16- or 10-gauge stainless steel.  
         [0027]    Deal tray  7  further includes a receptacle  25 . Referring to the figures, receptacle  25  has a top surface  26 , a bottom surface  27 , lateral edges  28  and  29 , a front portion  30 , and a back portion  31 . Receptacle  25  is generally sized to fit within frame  8 . The front portion  30  of receptacle  25  is movably attached to the front face  11  of frame  8  by a hinge  32 . As shown, hinge  32  is preferably of the piano hinge variety and extends the entire width  33  of receptacle  25 . And although a piano hinge is shown, it is contemplated by this invention that one may also use similarly operating structures such as a flexible membrane of plastic or rubber secured between receptacle  25  and front face  11  or use multiple hinges, rather than a single hinge, attached over the width of receptacle  25  to the front face  11 .  
         [0028]    The front portion  30  of receptacle  25  is preferably substantially flat. When in its lowered position shown in FIG. 4, the flat surface allows items to side down receptacle  25  to the bottom  34  of receptacle  25 , preferably on the inside  20  of barrier  19 . (FIG. 2) The flat surface also provides a cover that portion of open top  13  of the outside  18  of barrier  19  when receptacle  25  is in a raised position. (FIG. 1) And although a substantially flat front portion  30  is shown, it is contemplated that the surface of front portion  30  could also be convex as well as concave and still accomplish the principles of the invention. In other words, it is not an absolute requirement that front portion  30  be flat in order to practice this invention. Most any surface configuration over front portion  30  would suffice.  
         [0029]    The back portion  31  of receptacle  25  preferably includes a concave curved portion  35 . In one embodiment of this invention, the concave curved portion resides in a medial plane  36 , the cross-section of which being shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Relevant here, although receptacle  25  is shown only curved along this medial plane, it is also contemplated that that back portion  31  of receptacle  25  could be simultaneously curved along other planes as well. Allowing, for example, the back portion to resemble the shape of a parabola or bowl and still practice the principles of this invention. In other words, preferably back portion  31  simply includes some form of an arcuate surface to receive items sliding down the front portion  30  of receptacle  25  into back portion  31 .  
         [0030]    Receptacle  25  further includes a handle  37 . Handle  37  is preferably attached to the proximal end  38  of receptacle  25 . In one embodiment, handle  37  is a flange that extends over the entire width  33 . This flange then rests upon the top edge  38  of back face  11  when receptacle  25  is placed it is lowered position. In other embodiments, handle  37  may be simply attached to the top surface  26  of receptacle  25 .  
         [0031]    The respective clearance between the lateral edges  28  and  29  and the lateral sides  9  and  10  can be most any that will allow receptacle  25  to pass inside frame  8 . In one embodiment nor more than one-half of an inch is contemplated. In another embodiment no more than one-quarter of an inch is contemplated. Be that as it may, it is further contemplated that one could also use a weather-tight seal  40  between lateral edge  28  and side  9  and a weather-tight seal  40  between lateral edge  29  and side  10 . This seal  40  could be made of an appropriate elastomeric material such as silicone rubber, natural rubber, or nylon fibers, and could be attached along the lateral edges  28  and  29  to ride against sides  9  and  10 . A cross-sectional view of such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 6. In this arrangement seal  40  is held in bracket  41  and bracket  41  is attached along the length of lateral edges  28  and  29  while allowing the seal  40  to extend over the clearance between receptacle  25  and frame  8  to contact its lateral edges  9  and  10 .  
         [0032]    Similar to frame  8 , receptacle  25  may be constructed from many materials including those materials particular suitable for exposure to the elements of weather, such as stainless steel or fiber-reinforced plastics. For example, a highly preferable material is  16  or  10 -gauge stainless steel.  
         [0033]    Deal tray  7  further includes a leg or support  24 . Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, leg  24  resides between the bottom surface  27  of receptacle  25  and the bottom  12  of frame  8 . Leg  24  is movably attached to the bottom surface  27 , which as shown, is most preferably done with hinge  43 . But although a hinge is shown, it is further contemplated that other methods of connection could be used, for example, one could also use a pivot, a universal joint, or swivel connection between leg  24  and receptacle  25 . In one embodiment, leg  24  is substantially wide, being made of one continuous piece. In another embodiment, leg  24  could include multiple legs attached to the bottom surface  27  of receptacle  25  and be either attached to operate in unison or unattached to operate independently. Leg  24  is designed to move from a supine position as shown in FIG. 4 and a standing position shown in FIG. 3. Leg  24  further preferably includes a foot  44  at its bottom to assist in maintaining leg  24  in a standing position. Leg  24 , like most of the deal tray  7 , may be constructed from many materials including those materials particular suitable for exposure to the elements of weather, such as stainless steel or fiber-reinforced plastics. For example, a highly preferable material is stainless steel.  
         [0034]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, deal tray  7  is mounted within a building by placing deal tray  7  within a countertop  45  that in turn resides in an opening  47  in one of the barriers  19  of the building. Barrier  19  preferably includes a clear but bulletproof portion  46  that allows one to see from the internal side of the booth to the external side and vice versa. Materials and methods of the construction of such countertops and barriers are well known in the art.  
         [0035]    A final aspect of the present invention is the manner in which deal tray  7  closes preventing access from the exterior  18 . In its lowered or open position (FIGS. 2 and 4), receptacle  25  has a comparatively lower position in frame  8  to allow for passage of items from the external side  18  to the internal side  20  of barrier  19  over the top of receptacle  25 . While in this lowered position, leg  24  is supine, resting preferably on its side against the bottom  12  of frame  8 . When the transaction is complete, the clerk locks deal tray  7  closed by lifting receptacle  25  against the bottom  48  of opening  47 . Once lifted to this position, leg  24  moves or swings to a standing position (FIGS.  1  or  3 ) between receptacle  25  and the bottom  12  of frame  8  to continue holding receptacle  25  against barrier  19 . The deal tray now prevents access from the exterior  18  because the front portion  30  residing outside barrier  19  is still in the confines of frame  8 , leaving only the clearance, if any, between the lateral edges  28  and  29  of receptacle  25  and the lateral sides  9  and  10  of frame  8  to allow passage to the inside. The clerk on the inside  20  of barrier  19  can reopen deal tray  7  by moving leg or legs  24  from its standing position and relocating receptacle  25  to its open position with leg or legs  24  back in a supine position.  
         [0036]    While the invention has been illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the description, these are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. It must be understood that preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are included where described by the following claims.