Abstract:
A food and beverage tray is described having a supporting L-shaped bracket which is variably adjustable on the tray. Further, the tray has a first and a second strut member which extends rearward from the tray to the bracket providing a compressive force on a vertical supporting member in order to hold the tray steady. Thus, the tray is adjustable on three different structures, on the supporting bracket and on the first and second strut members. The tray itself has a first and second food recess for supporting food items as well as a drink recess for receiving a drink container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to food and beverage tray holders and in particularly to food and beverage tray holders which affix themself to a seat or other vertical surface. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Food and beverage trays are fairly well known in the art, particularly those holders which clamp onto a seat or car door frame. These prior art devices typically have an inverted U-Shaped bracket which provides vertical support of the tray along the upper edge of a supporting surface. These prior art devices typically rely upon a wide tray body which is directly adjacent to the vertical supporting surface in order to provide sufficient lateral support. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,628 discloses such a stadium seat tray for supporting food and beverages relative to the back of a seat. A U-shape support is provided for vertical support of the tray while the wide body of the tray provides sufficient lateral support to prevent the tray from tilting. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,128 teaches an additional drink holder wherein a clamp is provided for attachment of the tray to a chair leg or like structure. Lateral support may be provided with a second clamp which is perpendicular, both supporting clamps however requiring sufficient structure to ridgedly clamp thereto. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. 317,982 teaches a food tray for use in vehicles where a first and a second inverted U-shaped clamp provide vertical support for the food tray. The wide body of the tray provides lateral support but does not provide adequate adjustability for varying thickness vertical support body members. 
     The prior art therefor is lacking in a food and beverage tray which has an adequately adjustable retaining bracket for retaining the tray in the vertical position while also providing means to compressively adjust the tray against the vertical supporting surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a food and beverage tray, which has sufficient surface for placement of multiple food and beverage items while also providing adequate means for adjusting the tray for varying thickness vertical support members. Typically, food and beverage trays are supported by vertical support members, none of which are of standard size. It is therefor an object of the present invention to provide means to adequately adjust the beverage tray for variable thickness vertical support members. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a food and beverage tray wherein the food and beverage tray has an L-shaped retaining bracket which affixes to the vertical support member. 
     It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a food and beverage tray wherein the tray has a first and a second food recess in addition to having a drink recess easily accessible to the user. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable L-shaped retaining bracket for attachment of the food and beverage tray to a vertical support member while further having means to compressively adjust the tray against the vertical support member. 
     It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a first and second compressively adjustable strut members with an adjustable L-shaped retaining bracket, all three of which having locking means sufficiently locking all three members in place to provide significant vertical and lateral support and steadiness of the food and beverage tray. 
     The above objectives are met by the food and beverage tray of the present invention. The food and beverage tray of the present invention has a first and second food recess with a drink recess additionally formed therein. The tray of the present invention has an L-shaped retaining bracket which slides on a first side of the vertical support member to provide vertical support of the tray while additionally providing a first and second strut which provides adjustable compressive forces against the vertical support member to adequately affix the food and beverage tray against the vertical support member. The design of the food and beverage tray of the present invention allows the tray to be securely affixed to any width vertical support member while additionally allowing the tray to be securely affixed to a vertical support member which is not necessarily planar along the supporting surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the food and beverage tray of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the tray shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the food and beverage tray holder FIG. 1 wherein the tray is securely affixed to a vertical support member; 
     FIG. 4 is a close-up side sectional view of the retaining tabs for the strut members of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a close-up side sectional view of the retaining tab for the L-shaped bracket of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the food and beverage tray of the present invention securely attached to a car door vertical support member; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the food and beverage tray of the present invention securely affixed to the seat back of a chair; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and, 
     FIG. 9 is a close-up perspective view of the adjustable locking means for the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.  8 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The food and beverage tray  10  of the present invention is shown in FIG.  1 . The food and beverage tray  10  is comprised of the tray portion  20  having a first food recess  22 , second food recess  26  and drink recess  24 . The first food recess  22  of the tray of the present invention is designed of sufficient size so as to place a sandwich or other similar type food item. Additionally, second food recess  26  is designed to sufficiently support an retain an additional food item such as a package of french fries, potato chips or similar type item. The drink recess  24  is further designed to securely retain a drink cup or beverage container. The overall size of the tray portion  20  is sufficient to support an entire meal and suspend said meal directly in front of the user along a supporting edge of a vertical support member. While the food and drink recesses  22 ,  24  and  28  of the present invention are shown in particular geometry in FIG. 1, any recess geometry which will sufficiently support and hold these food and beverage items are contemplated to fall within the design of the present invention and variations of such are easily within one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     Drink recess  24  is provided with depending ribs  28  which extend around a circular recess oval down to drink recess base member  24   b . Drink recess  24 , as indicated, is of sufficient diameter to hold and retain an adequate size cup or similar beverage container. Ribs  28 , depending below tray  20  and extend to base  24   b , provide sufficient support within said recess for said beverage container. 
     Similarly, as is shown in FIG. 1, second food recess  26  has a plurality of depending ribs  28  which extend from the tray surface downward to the base  26   b  of the second food recess. In addition, the first food recess  22 , shown as a rectangular depressed area in the tray  20 , will retain a sandwich or similar food item. 
     The food and beverage tray  10  of the present invention is mainly comprised of a rear triangular portion  19  which extends rearward from the forward rectangular portion  19   b , the forward rectangular portion  19   b  comprised of said first and second food recesses  22  and  26  and said drink recess  24 . 
     The tray  20  is supported by an L-shaped retaining bracket  12  which is movably and frictionally engaged with the rear triangular portion  19 . The L-shaped retaining bracket  12 , more clearly shown in FIG. 2, is adjustably held in place on said rear triangular portion  19  by third retaining tab  21 . As shown in FIG. 2, the support portion  16  of the bracket  12  contains a plurality ridges  18 . Depending from the support portion  16  is the vertical anchor  17  which, depending upon the object the food and beverage tray is being affixed to, slides over a vertical support member not shown in this figure. 
     The plurality of ridges  18  on the support portion  16  of bracket  12  work in conjunction with the retaining tab  21  as the support portion  16  slides through retaining tab  21  and through shoulder  23 . The adjustable nature of the retaining bracket  12  through horizontal extension of the bracket allows the food and beverage tray  10  to be securely affixed to variable width vertical support members  50 , as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     A clearer understanding of the adjustability for the L-shaped retaining bracket  12  is shown in FIG. 3 whereby a vertical support member  50  of significant width is used to retain the food and beverage tray  10 . Bracket  12  is slidable below shoulder  23  to properly adjust the secure attachment of the rear triangular portion  19  atop the vertical support member  50 . Tab  21  engages ridges  18  to secure the support portion  16  of the bracket at the proper position. This adjustability of the bracket  12  asures secure fastening of tray  20  on many types of surfaces. 
     The adjustable nature of the L-shaped retaining bracket  12  works in conjunction with the first strut member  32  and second strut member  33 , shown in FIG.  1 . First and second strut members  32  and  33  act to provide adjustable compressive force against the vertical support member  50  to which the food and beverage tray  10  hangs upon and is affixed to. The compressive force supplied by the first and second strut members  32  and  33  allows the food and beverage tray to be adjusted to varying thickness vertical support members which rest between the vertical anchor  17  of the retaining bracket  12  and the distal end portions of strut  15  members  32  and  33  as is shown in FIG.  3 . Thus even high weight food items places on forward portion  19   b  of tray  10  are secured by the combined structure of the adjustable support bracket  12  and compressing struts  32  and  33 . 
     Similarly to the third retaining tab  21  shown in FIG. 2, a second retaining tab  27  is thereby shown wherein the second strut member  33 , having plurality of upwardly extending ridges  34  work in conjunction with the retaining tab  27  to securely hold the second strut member  33  in place. Second strut member  33  extends rearwardly, that is to say towards the right as displayed in FIG. 2, such that the strut member  33  enters through the aperture  31  toward the vertical anchor  17 . Thus, as shown in FIG.  2  and in FIG. 3, both the L-shaped retaining bracket  12  and the first and second strut members  32  and  33  are adjustable to sufficiently apply adequate force such that the tray  10  is supported in an upright position. Although in FIG. 2 only the second strut member  33  is shown, both the first and second strut members  32  and  33  work in similar fashion with first strut member  32  having a first aperture  30  through which to extend and additionally having first retaining tab  29  thereabove for frictionally engaging the ribs on said first strut member  32 . 
     Between rear portion  19  and forward portion  19   b  of tray  10  is beveled area  37  which allows the front portion  19   b  to be lower than the rear portion. Through this beveled edge  37  are apertures  30  and  31  through which the struts  32  and  33  extend. 
     Both the first and second strut members  32  and  33  have grasping tabs  32   b  and  33   b  respectively. Grasping tabs  32   b  and  33   b  allow the strut member  32  and  33  to be easily moveable through the first aperture  30  and second aperture  31 . A shown in FIG.  3  and FIG. 4, the second retaining tab  27  shown FIG. 3 acts to lock the strut member  33  in place by frictionally engaging ridges  34 . The second retaining tab  27  as shown in FIG. 4 is provided to slightly rotate or bend clockwise in order to raise the engaging member  27   b  upward away from the ridges  34 . The ability to rotate the tab  27  may be from providing an axis of rotation within the tab or allowing the tab, through manufacturing of plastic material, to deform sufficiently such that engaging member  27   b  may be raised sufficiently to avoid the ridges  34 . First retaining tab  29  and second retaining tab  27  act similarly on the strut members  32  and  33  so that the strut members may be locked in place against the vertical support member on which the food and beverage tray  10  is hung. 
     Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, the retaining bracket  12  having support portion  16  and ridges  18  thereon are locked in place by third retaining tab  21  which is similarly rotatable or deformable. Support portion  16  slides through shoulder  23  so that the vertical anchor  17 , not shown in FIG. 5, is adjustable to varying width vertical support members. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the second strut member  33  is adjusted rearwardly and locked in place by second retaining tab  27  against the vertical support member  50 . Additionally, the L-shaped retaining bracket  12  having the depending vertical anchor  17  is locked in place thereby providing sufficient support both vertically and laterally for the forward portion  19   b  of the food and beverage tray. Providing sufficient support for the food and beverage tray is of particular interest in that higher weights may be supported. 
     Turning to FIG. 6, the food and beverage tray  10  of the present invention is shown securely affixed to the side of car door  40 . Vertical anchor  17  is fitted between the car door lip  42  and glass  41 , while the first and second strut members  32  and  33  are extended rearwardly to compress against the car door surface  40 . Thus, even where the vertical support member is a relatively thin section, the food and beverage tray  10  of the present invention is sufficiently adjustable so that the tray is fully supported on the vertical support member and is firmly retained thereon. It is of import to firmly retain the tray  10  of the present invention such that little or no spilling of the contents on the tray occurs. The first and second strut members  32  and  33  provide such a function for adequate lateral support of the tray by being compressively adjustable against the vertical support member. 
     Alternatively as shown in FIG. 7, a seat back  50  is shown wherein the L-shaped bracket  12  is hung over the upper edge  51  of the seat  50 . First and second strut members  32  and  33  are again allowed to compress against the rear portion of the seat and locked into place so that sufficient support both vertically and laterally is provided. Thus, the design of the present invention, provides multiple adjustment means for supporting the tray on variable width vertical support members and allows the tray to adequately support food and beverages while securing the tray and preventing the movement thereof. Further, as can be readily seen, the design of the current tray allows secure attachment to even non-planar surfaces, such as the curved seat back of a stadium type chair. 
     An alternative embodiment of the tray  100  is shown in FIG. 8 wherein an alternative L-shaped vertical anchor  117  and positional locking or retaining sleeve  102  and  104  are shown. As can be seen in combination with FIG. 9, connecting assembly  110  is comprised of vertical anchor  117  which has extending rearward for engagement with tray  20  a first and second leg member  115  and  116 . Legs  115  and  116  telescope into first and second retaining sleeves  102  and  104  through apertures  120  and  122 . Legs  115  and  116  also act to support the tray in the connection between vertical anchor  117  and tray  20 . Legs  115  and  116  are retained within sleeves  102  and  104  while stems  106  and  108  extend rearward in between sleeves  102  and  104 . Threads  113  formed on the inner side portion of sleeves  102  and  104  coact with oppositely formed threads  111  formed on the outwardly facing portion of stems  106  and  108 . As the vertical anchor is moved rearwardly to engage tray  20 , threads  111  of stems  106  and  108  lock the stems in place so that, in order to disengage anchor  117  from tray  20 , tabs  103  and  105  must be compressed together thereby disengaging the threads and allowing legs  115  and  116  to be removed. 
     The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitation are to be understood therefrom for modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.