Folding lap tray

A lap tray that is folded from a corrugated cardboard blank. The tray portion can be permanently bonded in place after it has been folded from the blank. The tray has a central support means, which the user can grip with his legs. The tray's upper surface includes a receptacle for a drink container, and perimeter boundaries so that objects cannot easily slide off of the tray. The tray can be folded flat for easy storage and transport.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to lap trays, and more particularly 
is a folding lap tray designed to be used at a sporting event. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A common predicament with which many a sports fan has contended is what to 
do with the things he wants to have close at hand, e.g. refreshments, 
scorecards, etc. This problem is not unique to sporting events, but rather 
is common to everyone who has juggled multiple food items and drinks. The 
problem is magnified at sporting events due to the limited space 
available, and the large number of items that can be useful. 
There are many devices in the prior art which relate to the problem of 
holding or carrying food items. The device probably most often encountered 
is one such as the "PAPERBOARD SERVING TRAY" of Walter L. Peiker, U.S. 
Pat. No. 2,512,963. This device is that found at fast food restaurants, 
and includes receptacles for liquid containers, and a central depressed 
area for food items. While this device does alleviate the problem of 
carrying multiple food items, it makes no provision to aid the user when 
he sits down. 
An inventor who recognized that people often eat or transport food in their 
cars was H. E. Goings, who holds two patents on a "CAR SEAT TRAY", U.S. 
Pat. Nos. 3,326,445 and 3,326,445. These devices are designed to sit on a 
vacant car seat, and include receptacle for drinks and a space for food. 
These devices make no provision for being held on a user's lap. 
Devices that were designed to serve as lap trays are the "LAP TRAY" of C. 
A. Cramer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,191, and the "FOLDABLE LAP TRAY" of John J. 
Hood, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,339. The Cramer device is in the form of an 
angled box, with multiple areas on the top surface that can be punched out 
to hold various items. The device is angled on the assumption that the 
upper surface of a user's legs would be angled downward when sitting. The 
angled lower surface would therefore provide a flat upper surface. 
Unfortunately, that angle would depend on the length of each user's legs 
and the surface on which he was sitting. In addition, there is no 
provision to stabilize the device. 
The Hood device is also in box form, but is directed to a situation in 
which the user wraps the lower surface of the device under his legs to 
stabilize the tray. The user ends up with his legs inside the tray to keep 
it in place. While this would certainly stabilize the tray, it would 
require a good deal of space to deploy, and would greatly restrict the 
mobility of the user. 
There are also devices in the art which do provide legs for stability, 
while retaining the folding aspect of the tray. Two such inventions are 
the "FOLDING TABLE" of Stone, U.S. Pat. No. 2,240,024, and the "ONE-PIECE 
COLLAPSIBLE TABLE" of Lassaine, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,345. These 
devices provide support legs at the periphery of the table, while 
retaining the folding structure of the devices described above. 
None of these prior art devices disclose a lap tray that is foldable, so 
that it can be constructed from cardboard, and yet makes provision for the 
fact that a tray on a user's lap is inherently unstable. 
There are devices in the prior art which address these shortcomings, such 
as the "LEG SUPPORTED TRAY" of Jenkins, U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,274, which has 
a tray portion in addition to elements which are to be propped on the 
user's legs. However, this device is constructed from rigid material, 
which will eliminate any folding aspect of the device, and will greatly 
increase production costs as well. By creating a rigid device, transport 
and storage is also made more difficult. 
OBJECTS, SUMMARY, AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tray 
that is foldable from a cardboard blank, and which has means whereby the 
user can stabilize the device in his lap. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lap tray which 
provides a receptacle for a drink, and which also has a flat surface 
usable as a writing area. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that can 
be made from corrugated cardboard, leading to simple and inexpensive 
construction. 
In summary, the present invention is a lap tray that is folded from a 
corrugated cardboard blank. The tray can be glued, taped, or clipped in 
place after it has been folded from the blank. Ordinarily, the elements 
forming the tray surface itself will be permanently bonded. 
The tray has a central support means, which the user can grip with his 
legs. The tray's upper surface includes a receptacle for a drink 
container, and can have perimeter boundaries so that objects cannot easily 
slide off of the tray. 
An advantage of the present invention is that it can be gripped by the 
user's legs, thereby reducing the chances of the tray shifting position 
and spilling its contents. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that it can be easily and 
inexpensively constructed from corrugated cardboard. 
Still another advantage of the present invention is that it can be folded 
into a flat conformation, making for easy storage and transport. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that due to its unique 
construction, a double layer of cardboard is created on the tray portion 
for additional strength. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the description of the 
best presently known mode of carrying out the invention as described 
herein and as illustrated in the drawings.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a folding lap tray 10. Construction of the lap 
tray 10 can most easily be understood by reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows 
the cardboard blank 12 used to construct the tray 10. It should be noted 
that the cutting of the blank 12 from a cardboard sheet, and all necessary 
cutting and scoring in the blank, is performed in a single die-cut 
operation on a standard sheet of corrugated cardboard. 
The die cut is performed so that the blank 12 is scored along lines 14 so 
as to form three removable (by hand) perimeter boundary strips--a first 
strip 16, a second strip 18, and a third strip 20. The strips 16, 18 & 20 
may be affixed by gluing or taping during assembly to a front 22, left 24, 
and right 26 side respectively of a central panel 28 of the blank 12. 
In order to form the opening for a cup holder, a circular opening 30 is cut 
into the central panel 28, as well as a left semicircular opening 32 in a 
left inner panel 34 of the blank 12, and a right semicircular opening 36 
in a right inner panel 38 of the blank 12. Additionally, a left tab slot 
40 is cut as shown in the left inner panel 34, and a right tab slot 42 is 
cut in the right inner panel 38. 
To form support means for the tray 10, folding support tabs are provided in 
the side panels. A left support tab 44 is cut into a left outer panel 45 
just outside a left outer fold line 46. A right support tab 48 is cut into 
a right outer panel 49 at a corresponding location outside a right outer 
fold line 50. 
To provide a base for a cup or other type of liquid container, cup holder 
tabs are also cut into the side panels. A left cup holder base tab 52 is 
cut above the left support tab 44, and a right cup holder base tab 54 is 
cut above the right support tab 48. 
Assembly of the folding lap tray 10 is as follows: The three strips 16, 18 
& 20 are first removed from the main body of the blank 12, and are then 
separated from each other. If the raised perimeter is desired, the strips 
16, 18 & 20 are then affixed to the front 22, left 24, and right 26 sides 
respectively of the central panel 28. The strips 16, 18 & 20 thus form a 
raised boundary (see FIG. 1) on the upper surface of the tray to prevent 
items from slipping and/or rolling off of the tray. (The affixing of the 
strips can be performed after the tray is completely assembled if 
desired.) 
Next, the left and right outer panels 45 & 49 are folded inward along outer 
fold lines 46 & 50, past a 90.degree. angle with the inner panels 34 & 38. 
Then, the left and right inner panels 34 & 38 are folded downward along a 
left inner fold line 56 and a right inner fold line 58 respectively, until 
the left and right inner panels 34 & 38 lie flat against the central panel 
28. The left and right semicircular openings 32 & 36 align with the 
circular opening 30 to form a cup holder 60. 
At this point the left and right inner panels 34 & 38 can be permanently 
affixed to the center panel 28. By folding the inner panels onto the 
center panel, a tray portion 62 with a double layer of cardboard is 
formed. This gives the tray much greater strength and stability than many 
cardboard tray devices. 
The left and right outer panels 45 & 49 are next locked into place to form 
the legs 64 of the tray. This is accomplished by folding out the support 
tabs 44 & 48, and inserting them into tab slots 40 & 42 respectively. This 
configuration provides for a central base for the tray. Moreover, it 
provides a convenient means for the user to grip the tray with his thighs. 
The user can thus ensure that the tray remains on his lap. 
Finally, the cup holder base tabs 52 & 54 are folded across each other to 
form a cup holder base 66. A cup inserted into the cup holder 60 will rest 
on the base 66 so that it is stable and not likely to be spilled. 
Following these steps, the folding lap tray will be in the conformation 
illustrated in FIG. 1. The legs 64 form an inverted V-shaped base which 
the user can grip with his thighs. A rear side of the tray's upper surface 
is contoured to conform to the shape of the users body. The upper surface 
of the tray portion 62 forms a table which the user can use for his food, 
for writing on his scorecard, or for any other purpose a table serves. 
The tray 10 can be folded into a flat piece by removing the support tabs 44 
& 48 from the slots 40 & 42, and folding the tabs flat against the outer 
panels 34 & 38. The cup holder base tabs 52 & 54 are also folded back into 
the outer panels 34 & 38, leaving the tray completely flat for easy 
storage and transport. 
It is envisioned that the tray will be utilized to bear various team logos 
or other advertising. The flat upper surface is particularly well suited 
to this purpose. 
The above disclosure is not intended as limiting. Those skilled in the art 
will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the 
device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. 
Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by 
the metes and bounds of the appended claims.