Abstract:
A modular rotatable food tray supported by a vertical support member features tray segments that are easily removable and free standing. Each tray segment has a depending clip that is received in a hub of a bearing for rotatably supporting the tray. The individual tray segments may be removed for filling and cleaning, and segments of different configuration can be used for different purposes. The trays can also be removed for serving away from the support member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    This is the first application filed for the present invention.  
         MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
         [0002]    Not Applicable.  
         TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0003]    The present invention relates to rotatable food service trays, and in particular to a modular rotatable food tray supported by a vertical pole, such as an umbrella pole disposed in the middle of an outdoor patio table.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The umbrella has become commonplace in the use of outdoor table furniture, providing those who are seated at the table a degree of protection from sunlight, precipitation, or falling debris. Placement of the umbrella at the center of a table, the table accommodating the umbrella pole by use of a centrally disposed opening, provides an encompassing shelter over a perimeter of the table.  
           [0005]    Similar to indoor tables, the umbrella table has a variety of uses, including that of a sitting location for the consumption of food. However, a centrally located umbrella pole presents an obstacle that persons at the table must pass food or dishes around. The umbrella pole not only creates an obstacle but it also occupies critical space in the middle of the table. Consequently, trays of various configuration have been invented to utilize the umbrella pole in order to minimize its distraction from the table space.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,803 (O&#39;Brien et al) teaches a rotatable food tray for use in combination with an outdoor patio table having a centrally located umbrella. A bearing assembly is designed to surround the umbrella pole and rotatably support a tray. The bearing assembly can either rest on the table, or alternatively may be supported at a desired distance above the table by a support element secured to the umbrella pole. The tray is divided into a pair of semi-circular tray sections, which are designed to clip together to form a continuous tray surface which surrounds the umbrella pole.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,712 (Weir) teaches another rotatable tray, in which a unitary tray is rotatably supported a predetermined distance above a table surface by a support element fixedly attached to the tray and having an internal diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the umbrella pole.  
           [0008]    The rotatable trays described in both of the above patents suffer a disadvantage that the tray must be installed about the umbrella pole before it can be used. However, food products are commonly prepared at a location remote from a garden table (e.g. in a kitchen or at a barbecue) and then carried to the garden table for serving. The trays of O&#39;Brien et al and Weir cannot conveniently be used for conveying food products from the food preparation area to the garden table for serving, so that a second tray may frequently be required for this purpose. The tray of O&#39;Brien et al suffers a further disadvantage in that it merely rests by gravity on the bearing assembly. With this arrangement, the tray of O&#39;Brien et al is vulnerable to tipping in the event that the tray is unevenly loaded.  
           [0009]    Accordingly, there remains a need for a rotatable tray system which enhances the convenience and enjoyment of outdoor patio furniture.  
           [0010]    Outdoor decks and patios are highly popular for outdoor entertainment and social functions. Frequently, the use of outdoor patio furniture (such as tables with a centrally mounted umbrella) are conveniently used to enhance the value of the deck for this purpose. However, for large social gatherings, it may be undesirable to devote a large deck area to an umbrella table and surrounding chairs. In such cases, a rotatable tray mounted atop a supporting pole independently of an umbrella table would be highly desirable as a means of serving hors d&#39;oeuvres or the like without occupying a large deck area.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    An object of the present invention is to provide a rotatable tray system in which tray segments forming a modular tray are independently mountable on a hub disposed about a substantially vertical supporting pole.  
           [0012]    An aspect of the present invention provides a rotatable tray system comprising: a hub assembly rotatably mountable on a substantially vertical support member; and a modular tray comprising a plurality of tray segments independently mountable on the hub, the plurality of tray segments being adapted to cooperatively define a substantially contiguous tray surface.  
           [0013]    The substantially vertical support member is preferably a pole, such as, for example, an umbrella pole. The umbrella pole may be mounted in an umbrella table suitably designed for that purpose, or may be suitably supported in an umbrella stand independently of any other garden furniture. Alternatively, the substantially vertical support member can be a free-standing pole secured to a support assembly and arranged to support the rotatable tray system at a desired height above a deck surface independently of any other patio furniture such as tables or the like.  
           [0014]    In an embodiment of the invention, the hub assembly comprises: an inner bearing member capable of being fixedly secured to the substantially vertical support member; and an outer bearing member having a substantially cylindrical bore capable of slidably receiving the inner bearing member such that the outer bearing member is freely rotatable about the inner bearing member, and pivoting of the outer bearing member with respect to the inner bearing member is inhibited.  
           [0015]    The inner bearing member may include a pair of opposed semi-cylindrical bearing portions defining an axial channel for receiving the support member. In this case, the opposed semi-cylindrical bearing portions are preferably capable of clamping engagement with the substantially vertical support member. Further, the inner bearing preferably includes at least one fastener capable of securing the semi-cylindrical bearing portions to one another and to the support member by clamping the support member between the semi-cylindrical bearing portions.  
           [0016]    Preferably, the inner bearing comprises: an upper bearing surface capable of slidable load-bearing engagement with an end wall of the cylindrical bore of the outer bearing member; and at least one perimeter wall for slidably engaging a side wall of the cylindrical bore of the outer bearing member to prevent pivoting between the inner and outer bearing members. The inner bearing may include at least one flange portion, a respective outer edge of each flange portion defining the at least one perimeter wall.  
           [0017]    Preferably, the bore of the outer bearing member comprises: a substantially cylindrical inner wall and an end wall. The cylindrical inner wall is preferably capable of sliding engagement with a perimeter wall of the inner bearing member to substantially prevent pivoting of the outer bearing member relative to the inner bearing member. The end wall is preferably capable of slidable load-bearing engagement with an upper bearing surface of the inner bearing member.  
           [0018]    In an embodiment of the invention, the outer bearing member further comprises a receptacle portion capable of receiving a respective clip portion of each tray segment to thereby removably secure the respective tray segment to the outer bearing member. The receptacle portion may comprise an annular groove.  
           [0019]    In an embodiment of the invention, each tray segment comprises: a top surface defining a portion of the substantially contiguous tray surface; and a clip portion depending from the top surface for securing the tray segment to the hub assembly.  
           [0020]    Each tray segment may be independently mountable to extend radially outwardly from the hub assembly.  
           [0021]    The respective top surface of each tray segment may define a substantially equal portion of the tray surface. The clip portion may comprise a semi-cylindrical wall disposed proximal an inner edge of the respective top surface of each tray segment.  
           [0022]    An advantage of the present invention is that the tray segments can be individually attached to the hub assembly for rotation about the supporting member (pole). The inner and outer bearing members of the hub assembly cooperate to prevent the modular tray from tipping, even when it is partially complete (i.e. tray segments are missing) or when it is loaded in an unbalanced manner. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]    Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1. is a perspective view showing a rotatable tray system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention mounted for use about an umbrella pole;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with one of the tray segments removed;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 a  shows an inner bearing member of the hub assembly of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 b  shows the inner bearing shown in FIG. 3 a  mounted about an umbrella pole;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  are perspective views of an outer bearing member of the hub assembly of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; P FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a tray segment of the modular tray shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIGS. 6 a  through  6   h  show respective alternative embodiments of a tray segment for the modular tray shown in FIG. 1; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a rotatable tray system in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, mounted for use about a free-standing pole.  
         [0031]    It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0032]    The present invention provides a rotatable tray system  2  in which a modular tray  4  includes a plurality of tray segments  6  and a central hub assembly  8 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hub assembly  8  is designed to be mounted about a substantially vertical support  10  such as, for example, an umbrella pole. Each of the tray segments  6  is designed to be individually mounted to the hub  8  to define a modular tray  4  which is rotatable about the support member  10 . Thus a modular tray  4  can be formed which completely surrounds the support member  10  (as shown in FIG. 1). Alternatively, a modular tray  4  only partially surrounding the support member  10 , as shown in FIG. 2, may be used.  
         [0033]    In preferred embodiments of the invention, the outer (e.g. plan-view) dimensions of all of the tray segments  6  are substantially identical, so that tray segments  6  are fully interchangeable on the hub assembly  8 . In the illustrated embodiment, four tray segments  6  are used to define a complete modular tray  4  surrounding the support member  10 . Furthermore, each tray segment  6  is shaped as a sector of a circle, so that the complete modular tray  4  is substantially circular in plan view. It will be appreciated however that more or fewer tray segments  6  may be utilized in the construction of a modular tray  4 . Similarly, the shape of the tray segments  6  may differ from that shown in the illustrated embodiments, so as to provide a desired shape of a complete modular tray  4 . The tray segments  6  may be used alone or in combination to provide a complete or partial modular tray surface as desired. Preferably, the tray segments  6  are sized to facilitate easy cleaning in, for example, a standard kitchen sink, or dish-washer machine.  
         [0034]    Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the hub assembly  8  includes an inner bearing member  12  which is designed to be fixedly mounted about the vertical support member  10 , and an outer bearing member  14  which is designed to be rotatably mounted about the vertical support member  10  while being supported and stabilized by the inner bearing member  12 . As shown in FIG. 3 a  the inner bearing member  12  may conveniently be formed by a pair of bearing elements  16 ,  18  which cooperate to define an interior channel  20  sized to receive the vertical support  10 . The bearing elements  16 , 18  may be independently formed (and therefore separable), or may be joined by a plastic hinge  22  along a common longitudinal edge as shown in FIG. 3 a . In either case, the bearing elements  16 ,  18  are designed to cooperate to receive the vertical support member  10  and to be secured to each other by at least one fastener  24  (see FIG. 3 b ) which secures the inner bearing member  12  to the vertical support member  10 .  
         [0035]    As shown in FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b , the inner bearing member  12  includes an upper bearing surface  26  which receives and supports axial loads due, for example, to the weight of the modular tray  4  and food products placed on the tray. In addition, at least one peripheral surface  28  is provided distal from the upper bearing surface  26  so as to stabilize the modular tray  4  against tipping in an event that it is unevenly loaded. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b , the upper bearing surface  26  and the peripheral surface  28  are provided by face and perimeter edge surfaces of respective flanges  30  extending outwardly from the central channel  20  of the inner bearing member  12 .  
         [0036]    Referring now to FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b , the outer bearing member  14  is conveniently provided as a generally hat-shaped component having a central bore  32  sized to receive the inner bearing member  12  and a receptacle portion  34  designed to facilitate the mounting of tray segments  6  around the exterior of the hub assembly  8 . The central bore  32  generally includes a cylindrical inner wall  36  and an end wall  38  that at least partially occludes one end of the bore. The cylindrical inner wall  36  preferably has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the peripheral edges  28  of the inner bearing member  12 , so that there is sufficient clearance between the inner bearing member  12  and the interior wall  36  of the bore  32  to permit the outer bearing member  14  to rotate freely on the inner bearing member  12 . On the other hand, the clearance between the inner bearing member  12  and the interior wall  36  of the bore  32  must be sufficiently small so that the outer bearing member  14  is effectively stabilized against tipping with respect to the inner bearing member  12  (by contact between peripheral edges  28  of the inner bearing member  12  and the interior wall  36  of the bore  32 ). The end wall  38  of the bore is designed for sliding contact with the upper bearing surface  26  of the inner bearing member  12 , so that axial loads (e.g. due to the weight of food items placed on the modular tray  4 ) can be transmitted from the outer bearing member  14  to the inner bearing member  12  and thus to the vertical support  10 . An opening  40  within the end wall  38  of the bore  32  can be provided to permit passage of the vertical support  10 .  
         [0037]    As shown in FIG. 4 a , the receptacle  34  is conveniently provided as an annular groove  42  or slot defined by a circumferential outer wall  44  extending around the exterior of the outer bearing member  14 . Bracing walls  46  extending across the annular groove  42  can be used to increase rigidity of the exterior wall  44  and so improve the stability with which tray segments  6  may be affixed to the outer bearing member  14 .  
         [0038]    As shown in FIG. 5, each tray segment  6  generally comprises a top surface  48  and a clip portion  50  that extends from the top surface  48  for securing the tray segment  6  to the hub assembly  8 . The clip portion  50  is preferably a cylindrical section-shaped wall  52  which is sized to fit within the receptacle portion  34  of the outer bearing member  14  to thereby removably secure the tray segment  6  to the hub assembly  8 . The cylindrical section-shaped wall  52  of the clip portion  50  may be reinforced with ribs  54  that extend (e.g. radially) under the top surface  48  to improve rigidity of the joint between the clip portion  50  and the top surface  48  to thereby stabilize the tray segment  6  when it is secured to the hub assembly  8 . An optional perimeter wall  56  that depends from an outer edge  58  of the top surface  48  further rigidities the tray segment  6 , and thereby stabilizes the top surface  48 . Preferably, the height of the perimeter wall  56  is selected to match that of the clip portion  50 , so that the top surface  48  is supported in a level condition when the tray segment  6  is placed on a table or a countertop. This permits food items to be conveniently placed on the top surface  48  of the tray segment  6  proximal a food preparation area. The tray segment  6  can then be used to convey the prepared food items to a food serving area (e.g. a patio table) where the tray segment  6  is attached to the hub assembly  8  by inserting the clip portion  50  into the receptacle  34 .  
         [0039]    As shown in FIGS. 6 a  through  6   h , various designs may be incorporated into the top surface  48  of the tray segment  6  as desired. FIG. 6 a  shows a basic tray segment  6  having a flat top surface  48  (as is also shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and  5 ). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 b , holes  60  are provided in the top surface  48  to receive upstanding U-shaped supports  62  that define an adjustable napkin holder. In the embodiments of FIGS. 6 c  through  6   g , compartments  64  of varying shape and size provide a user with a wide range of food service options. As shown in FIG. 6 h , a lid or cover  66  (which may be transparent) can be provided for use in conjunction with any of the tray segment designs shown in FIGS. 6 a  through  6   g , in order to shield food products from, for example, insects.  
         [0040]    As shown in FIG. 7, the rotatable tray system  2  of the present invention may be used independently of an umbrella mounted in an umbrella table. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the rotatable tray system  2  is mounted about a free-standing pole  68  which is securely held in a base assembly  70  described in applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,091.  
         [0041]    Thus it will be seen that the present invention provides enhanced convenience of enabling food items to be easily carried from a food preparation area to a patio table, and then providing a modular rotatable tray affixed to the patio table to facilitate the convenience and enjoyment of the patio table as an eating area.  
         [0042]    The embodiment(s) of the invention described above is(are) intended to be exemplary only. The scope of the invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.