Abstract:
An adjustable tray assembly for engaging a cupholder in a vehicle comprises a tray having a plurality of cuts to form an aperture; and a frustum adapter having a downwardly tapered cylindrical shape, wherein the frustum adapter defines a first cavity for removably receiving an inserted beverage container, and wherein the adapter is removably inserted in the aperture and in the cupholder to bind the tray in place, and wherein the tray is substantially perpendicular with respect to a central axis of the cupholder and is capable of supporting various items, including food items.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    More and more people in the United States are eating meals and snacks in their cars. Not too long ago, only certain vehicles were equipped with cupholders, which were considered luxury items. For cars without cupholders, the owner who wanted a cupholder had to purchase a removable cupholder from the auto parts store. Such a cupholder attached to the inside door panel, where the car window was mounted. Nowadays, however, cupholders are standard features in cars and other vehicles. Thus, the market for removable cupholders has diminished. When it comes to original, factory-installed equipment, there are basically two types of cupholders in vehicles. The first is the standard well-type cupholder  101 , which generally consists of one or two cavities  103  molded in a plastic base which is mounted in various areas of the car—in the console between the two front seats, for example. Such well cupholders have sidewalls  104  and bottoms  105  which encapsulate the inserted portion of the cup or other container, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The standard diameters of such well-type cupholders range from 2.75 inches to 4.0 inches. Some well-type cupholders may have an adjoining compartment  102  for holding various items, such as cassettes, pens, coins, etc. 
         [0002]    Another type of installed cupholder is a dashboard disc which is usually mounted in the dashboard  110 , and consists of a generally flat support piece  109  which slides in and out of the dashboard  110  and includes one or two circular cut-outs or holes  108  for receiving cups or other cylindrical containers, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The dashboard disc does not include a well with sides and a bottom for encapsulating the inserted beverage container, but rather consists of holes for receiving the container. The standard diameters of such dashboard disc cupholders range from 2.50 inches to 3.75 inches, and, thus, the dashboard disc cupholder tends to be smaller than the console-well cupholder. 
         [0003]    The vehicular cupholders heretofore have been intended solely to hold cups or other beverage or snack food containers. However, as the population consumes more food products in the car (which are not housed in beverage shaped containers), it has become desirable to have a tray for holding such food items in the car. Food trays which make use of cupholders for support have been proposed in the past, but such items have not been adaptable to many cupholders and have been costly and bulky, which has precluded successful and significant market penetration. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,109,590; 6,533,233; 6,732,990; and 6,808,097. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is desired to provide an economical, convenient tray assembly, which is preferably made of renewable, recyclable and/or biodegradable material, is inexpensive to manufacture, and is compatible with different vehicle cupholders and nearby equipment, such as gearshifis and steering wheels. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    An adjustable tray assembly is provided which includes a flat tray with an adjustable aperture formed of downwardly folding flaps for receiving a removably inserted, downwardly tapered frustum cylindrical adjustable adapter. The adapter may be inserted in virtually all standard cupholders of a vehicle for holding a beverage container and for supporting trays of different sizes and/or shapes, which may be used for keeping food items at hand. The adapter and/or aperture may be adjustable to meet the needs of different type and size cupholders in different vehicles and/or different beverage containers. The adjustable tray assembly may be reusable or disposable, and may be inexpensively manufactured. Paperboard is one of the preferred materials for the adjustable tray assembly, because its inexpensive cost and malleability facilitate economical manufacture. Molded and/or thermoformed plastic is another preferred material for one or both components of the tray assembly for reusability with or without disposable fitted paper placemats affixed to the tray top. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a well-type cupholder; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a dashboard cupholder; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of an adjustable tray assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of an adjustable tray assembly with side rims according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of an adjustable tray assembly with tabs to join the side rims according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of an adjustable tray assembly with a trapezoidal shape, and showing a placemat affixed with anchoring barbs, according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of an adjustable tray assembly with an adjustable aperture according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a tapered cylindrical frustum adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a frustum adapter inserted in the aperture of a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 10A  is a partial cross-sectional side view of an adjustable tray assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the adapter is inserted in the aperture and the diameter of the aperture approximately equals or is equal to the diameter of the cupholder; 
           [0016]      FIG. 10B  is a partial cross-sectional side view of an adjustable tray assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the adapter is inserted in the aperture and the diameter of the aperture is greater than the diameter of the cupholder; 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is a side view of an adjustable tray assembly with a beverage container inserted, according to one aspect of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a frustum adapter inserted in the aperture of a tray according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 13  is a top view of the adjustable tray assembly depicted in  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 14  is a plan view of an unassembled adapter, according to one aspect of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 15  is perspective view of an adjustable adapter with vertical cuts and horizontal scoring encircling lower wall, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 15A  is a bottom view of the adapter of  FIG. 15 , showing the lower wall folded inward; 
           [0023]      FIG. 15B  is a top view of the adapter of  FIG. 15 , showing the lower wall folded inward; 
           [0024]      FIG. 16A  is perspective view of an adjustable adapter with a pull tab, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 16B  is a perspective view of the adjustable adapter of  FIG. 16A  after the tab has been pulled; 
           [0026]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a two-tiered adapter, according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 18  is a partial cross-sectional view of an adapter separated by a gap from an inserted beverage container, according to an aspect of the present invention; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 19  is a top view of a flat tray with a second aperture for removably receiving a second container, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]    The present invention is described below with several embodiments of preferred paperboard for illustration only. Various other materials and modification of particular embodiments are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims, will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
         [0030]    The present invention relates to an apparatus that may be used in the typical cupholders found in many vehicles, such as those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The apparatus includes a tray for holding food items or other items, as well as an adapter for connecting the tray to the cupholder and holding a cup or other beverage container. The tray and adapter together form the tray assembly. The tray assembly may be constructed from an inexpensive material, such as paperboard and/or plastic, and may be disposable, recyclable or reusable. The tray assembly may be adjustable and may be constructed of two pieces, a flat tray and a cylindrical adapter, as described herein. 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  illustrates a flat rectangular tray  111  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The tray  111  may also be made in different shapes, including a square, triangular, trapezoidal or oval shape. In  FIG. 6 , a trapezoidal shaped tray  124  is depicted. The tray  111  may be constructed of paperboard, a rigid plastic, or any other suitable material. The formation of an aperture  112  in the tray  111  is depicted in  FIG. 3 . In a preferred embodiment, the aperture  112  has a polygonal shape. The aperture  112  is constructed as follows: a plurality of scores  113  are etched in the tray  111  along the perimeter of the polygon area. A plurality of cuts  114  are made along straight lines from each apex  180  to the center  182  of the aperture  112 . The scores  113  and cuts  114  define triangular shaped flaps  116 , in the case where the aperture  112  is a polygon shape. The aperture  112  may be formed in a corner of the tray  111 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , or may be formed at any other location, such as the center. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  illustrates another embodiment of the tray assembly according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the tray  186  includes a polygon shaped aperture  112  as described above. The tray  186  also includes upwardly foldable side rims  117 ,  188 ,  190 ,  192  formed along the edges thereof. The side rims  117 ,  188 ,  190 ,  192  are formed by scores  194 ,  196 ,  198   200  formed along the perimeter of the area which defines the tray  186 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the tray is rectangular, and the corners  118  are cut out, so that when the side rims  117 ,  188 ,  190 ,  192  are folded upward, there is no excess material at the corners. The rims  117 ,  188 ,  190 ,  192  are folded upward so as to contain the food items or other items placed on the tray  186 , so the items do not fall off the tray  186 . 
         [0033]    Alternatively, the corners may include tray material which forms a joining tab  123  at the corners thereof, as shown in  FIG. 5 , which is used to attach one rim to an adjacent rim, for example, to attach rim  202  to rim  204 . The joining tab  123  may be scored along one side  206 , and the other side  122  may be cut so that it is separated from adjoining rim  202 . According to the construction, the joining tab  123 , which is an extension of the rim  204 , may be folded along the score  206  and joined to the adjacent rim  202  by glue or other fastening means, including removable fastening means such as clips. 
         [0034]    According to another feature of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the adjustable tray assembly may include a disposable placemat  209  which may be removably attached to the upper surface of the tray  124 . To hold the placemat  209  in place, the tray  124  may be fitted with one or more anchoring barbs  208  along a perimeter of the tray  124 . The barbs  208  may be sharp, such as arrow-shaped barbs, so as to pierce the placemat  209  and hold it in place. Alternatively, the barbs  208  may be smooth and may mate with holes in the placemat  209  (not shown). In addition, the placemat  209  includes a hole  207  formed therethrough to coincide with the aperture of the tray. Although illustrated in  FIG. 6  in conjunction with a trapezoidal tray  124 , the placemat may be sized to conform to any shape tray. 
         [0035]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, as depicted in  FIG. 7 , each triangular flap  210  may include two scored lines  128 ,  129  so that the aperture  212  of the tray  125  is adjustable to accommodate different ranges of adapter diameters, as will be described in further detail below. The expandable aperture  212  includes cuts  127 , similar to those described above in connection with  FIG. 3 . The cuts  127  extend from the center of the aperture  212  to the apexes of the inner polygon, which is defined by the inner scored lines  129 . Each triangular flap, however, may be extended to the perimeter of the outer polygon, defined by the outer scored lines  128 , by breaking through perforations  126  which extend from each inner apex, for example apex  214 , to each corresponding outer apex, for example apex  216 . According to this construction, the expandable aperture  212  will not open to its expanded size, i.e. as defined by the outer scored lines  128 , unless the perforations are broken, and such expansion is desired, which will depend on the diameter of the inserted adapter at the aperture. The inner scores  129  may be deeper than the outer scores  128  so that more force is required to break the perforations and to bend the triangular flaps  210  along the outer polygon. This adaptability of the adjustable tray assembly allows the aperture to change its diameter in accordance with the diameter of the adapter at the point of abutment with the aperture of the tray  125 , as will be better understood below in connection with the discussion of  FIGS. 10A and 10B . Thus, the aperture is adjustable to the varying diameters within one or more adapters, because the diameter of the tapered adapter changes along its height, and also to varying diameters of differing adapters, because the tapered adapters may have differing overall sizes. 
         [0036]      FIG. 8  illustrates a hollow, cylindrical frustum adapter  130  according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the adapter  130  has a tapered shape, including a wider open upper end  131  and a narrower lower end  133 , which may be closed. The tapered shape of the adapter  130  is intended to generally conform to the tapered shapes of various drinking cups available on the market. Although the adapter  130  has a tapered shape, it may accommodate a variety of shapes of beverage containers, including cylindrical containers, water bottles, and soda cans and bottles, for example. The upper end  131  may include a beaded edge  220 , which will strengthen the opening. In addition, the lower end  133  may include a crimped skirt  132 , which is a construction well known to one of ordinary skill in the art, and which aids in the retention of the overall shape of the adapter  130 , and also strengthens the lower end  133  for improved insertion/removal of the adapter  130  from the aperture of the tray assembly. In particular, a strengthened lower end  133  facilitates the downward bending of the triangular flaps  116  or  210 , described above, and the tearing of the perforations  126 , as needed. 
         [0037]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the cylindrical frustum adapter  130  removably inserted in the aperture  112  of the tray  111  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). When a user assembles the tray assembly, the user positions the aperture  112  of the tray  111  over the cupholder, and inserts the adapter  130  into the aperture  112 , thereby causing the triangular flaps  116  to fold downward along the scores  113  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), and the aperture  112  opens accordingly without the necessity for costly scrap removal, and allows the adapter  130  to pass into the cupholder. The flaps  116  engage in frictional contact with the outer surface  137  of the adapter wall. This frictional contact may enable the tray  111  to be supported above the cupholder, as more clearly shown in  FIG. 10B , under certain circumstances. The frictional contact with the flaps  116  significantly improves the ability of the frustum adapter  130  to support the tray  111 , as compared to insertion of the adapter  130  into an aperture with no flaps. This advantage is owing, at least in part, to the increased surface area of contact, i.e. friction, between the tray  111  and the adapter  130 , that the flaps  116  provide. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the contact surface of the flaps  116  is uncoated and uncalendered so as to provide a rougher surface to maximize friction with the adapter  130 . In addition, the outer surface of the adapter  130  may be uncoated and uncalendered to likewise maximize friction. 
         [0038]    When the adapter  130  is inserted in the aperture  112  of the tray  111 , the outer surface  137  of the adapter wall may abut the scores  113  of the aperture  112 , as depicted in  FIG. 3 , for example, in which case the triangular flaps  116  will fold down, as shown in  FIG. 9 . The distance  138  defines the length of the triangular flaps  116 . According to a preferred embodiment, the rim  135  of the cupholder  101  engages the tray assembly at a point within the distance  138  so as to abut the downwardly folded triangular flaps  116 , as will be described in connection with  FIGS. 10A and 10B . The adapter  130  is hollow so as to receive a removably inserted beverage container  146 , as shown in  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 13  shows a top view of a beverage container  146 , which has a smaller diameter  151  at a lower end thereof, inserted in the adapter. As can be seen, the outer surface  137  of the adapter wall abuts the scores  113  of the aperture  112  of the tray  111 . 
         [0039]    It is well known that there are different sized cupholders in different vehicles. In addition, according to the present invention, there are different size adapters which may be used in the tray assembly. As described above, the adapter has a downwardly tapered shape, so that a diameter at one point along the length of the adapter is always greater than a diameter at a lower point. Accordingly, a variety of fits between the various components of the tray assembly is possible. 
         [0040]    There are several diameters which will be discussed in connection with the variety of fits between cupholder, tray assembly and beverage container, as shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B . The diameter of the adapter  130  at its upper opening  131  is represented by D A . The “diameter” of the aperture  112  is represented by D B . In an embodiment where the aperture  112  is not circular, such as a polygon, the diameter D B  refers to the diameter of the largest circle which fits within the boundaries of the aperture  112 . The diameter of the cupholder is represented by D C . In the case of a tapered cupholder, the diameter D C  would be the diameter at the uppermost edge, illustrated by ring  135  in  FIG. 12 . The diameter of the adapter  130  at the bottom tips of the downwardly extended triangular flaps  116  is represented by D D . And the diameter of the adapter  130  at the lower end  133  is represented by D E . According to the present invention,
       D A ≧D B ≧D C ≧D D ≧D E          
 
         [0042]    Other relative diameters, however, are within the scope of the invention. Thus, the diameter D B  of the aperture  112  must be greater than or equal to minimum diameter D E  of the adapter  130 , and the maximum diameter D A  of the adapter  130  must be greater than or equal to the diameter D B  of the aperture  112 . The diameter of the aperture D B  may be equal to the diameter of the cupholder D C , so that the tray  111  is supported on an upper surface  134  of the cupholder  101 , as shown in  FIG. 10A . If the cupholder is the dashboard type, and does not have a bottom, under the foregoing circumstance, the tray assembly will be inserted until the dashboard cupholder abuts the tray itself. According to the present invention, however, the diameter of the aperture D B  is never less than the diameter of the cupholder D C . If the diameter of the aperture D B  were less than the diameter of the cupholder D C , the tray would not be held in place, and would slip and slide because of the gap (not shown) which would remain between the aperture and the sides of the adapter. 
         [0043]    According to a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the aperture D B  may be greater than the diameter of the cupholder D C , so that the tray  111  is supported above the cupholder  101  by the triangular flaps  116 , as shown in  FIG. 10B . When the diameter of the cupholder D C  falls within the distance  138 , which is the length of the flaps  116 , the rim  135  of the cupholder  101  (illustrated as ring  135  in  FIG. 12 ) further abuts the triangular flaps  116 , so as to press the triangular flaps  116  against the outer surface  137  of the adapter  130  to support the tray  111  above the cupholder  101 . The distance  136  indicates the distance between the tray  111  and the upper surface  134  of the cupholder  101 . According to the present invention, this construction allows the tray  111  to be supported in a plane spaced from and above the cupholder, which may also avoid unnecessary conflicts with other items in the vehicle which are located in the vicinity of the cupholder, such as the gearshift. 
         [0044]    The adapter  130  may have a variety of configurations to adapt to different size cupholders, for example. In addition, the adapter  130  may be pre-formed as a tapered cylindrical frustum from plastic, which may be molded, extruded or thermoformed, for example, or, alternatively, the adapter  230  may be a flat, unassembled piece of paperboard, for example, as shown in  FIG. 14 , which is later assembled. According to this embodiment, which is similar to a bottomless paper cup or an insulating sleeve for a hot paper cup (such as a coffee cup) when fully laid out flat, the adapter  230  has a convex shaped upper edge  232  and a concave shaped lower end  234 . The adapter  230  may have transverse scoring  157 , to facilitate in the folding of the material into a cylindrical shape. The ends  158 ,  159  of the adapter  230  may be arranged in an overlapping fashion, with one end attached to the other by glue or any other fastening means to maintain the adapter  230  in a cylindrical shape. As shown in  FIG. 14 , the area  160  may mark the overlapping area where glue or another adhesive is applied to join the ends  158 ,  159 . 
         [0045]    According to various embodiments of the present invention, it also is possible that a user will desire an adapter  240  with a variety of selectable heights to adapt to varying depths of well-type cupholders, as shown in  FIG. 15 . Equipped with this feature, the height of the adapter  240  may be modified so that the rim of the cupholder abuts the adapter  240  at a location corresponding to the downward triangular flaps, as described above in connection with  FIG. 12 . As shown in  FIG. 15 , the bottom  153  of adapter  240  is open, and the lower section  242  of the adapter  240  is configured with a series of vertical cuts  154  which define vertical strips  244 ,  246 ,  248  etc., which are provided with horizontal scoring  155  at fixed spaced intervals throughout the circumference of the adapter  240 . The lower section  242  may comprise the lower half of the cylindrical adapter  240 , or any other portion. To vary the height of the adapter  240 , the vertical strips  244 ,  246 ,  248  etc. of the adapter may be folded inward by downward pressure against the enclosed bottom of a well-type cupholder along a selected score line  155 , as shown in  FIGS. 15A and 15B . 
         [0046]    The present invention further contemplates alternate constructions for providing adapters with varying heights. In  FIGS. 16A and 16B , one such alternate arrangement is illustrated, wherein the adapter  250  is provided with two perforated lines  252 ,  254  encircling the circumference of the adapter  250 . If the perforations  252 ,  254  are not broken, the adapter  250  maintains its original height. If, however, a smaller height is desired so as to accommodate a shallower well, a user may pull a tab  256 , which will activate the tearing of the perforations  252 ,  254 , so as to reduce the height of the adapter  250 , as illustrated in  FIG. 16B . 
         [0047]    It may also be desirable to have an adapter  260  with a stepped-down diameter, rather than a gradually tapered shape to obtain a wider diameter range in less height, as shown in  FIG. 17 . According to this embodiment, the adapter  260  may have a first diameter in an upper section  262  which is much larger than the diameter of the lower section  264 . The diameter of the lower section  264  may closely approximate the diameter of a disc cupholder (which is generally narrower than a well-type cupholder), whereas the diameter of the upper section  262  may be much larger so as to accommodate a significantly wider well-type cupholder. The transition between the upper section and lower section is rapid and severe, as compared to a gradual taper, as illustrated in  FIG. 17 . An adapter  260  constructed in accordance with this embodiment may have a diameter of 2.5 inches for the lower section  264 , and a diameter of 3.25 inches for the upper section  262 . In addition, the lower section  264  may have a height of 2 inches to fit in very shallow (e.g. 2 inch deep) wells. According to this embodiment, the adapter has two sections: an upper section  262  with a wider diameter, and a lower section  264  with a narrower diameter. In another embodiment, the adapter may have one or more intermediate sections disposed between the upper section  262  and the lower section  264 . The one or more intermediate sections (not shown) may have a diameter less than the section above it, and greater than the section below it, so that the diameters of the adapter are downwardly decreasing from the largest diameter at the upper end to the smallest diameter at the lower end. According to this embodiment, the diameter decrease between each adjacent section is severe (not gradual), similar to that shown in  FIG. 17 . 
         [0048]    According to one embodiment of the present invention, the adapter  270  is dimensioned in accordance with well-known dimensions of typical beverage containers, so that an inserted beverage container  164  does not abut the inner walls  272  of the adapter  270 , as shown in  FIG. 18 . According to this embodiment, when the beverage container  164  is inserted in the adapter  270 , the lower end  165  of the beverage container  164  rests on the bottom of the adapter  270 , but the outer walls of the beverage container  164  do not abut the inner walls  272  of the adapter  270 . A gap  166  remains between the beverage container  164  and the adapter  270  so that the beverage container  164  does not become stuck or lodged in the adapter  270 . In addition, the inner walls  272  of the adapter  270  may be coated so as to decrease friction in the event that the inserted beverage container  164  is larger than a typical beverage container and comes into contact with the inner walls  272 . This arrangement facilitates easy insertion and removal of the beverage container  164  to/from the adapter  270  so as to avoid, for example, spills. 
         [0049]    According to the present invention, the adapter  270  may be inserted in the cupholder for easily removably holding beverage containers, with or without the tray, so as to take advantage of the no-stick feature described above. 
         [0050]    It also may be desirable to provide the tray as described herein with the ability to hold food items or other items in additional apertures. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, a tray  169  may be provided with a second aperture  170  (or more) combining a scored outer perimeter  171  with inner cuts of perforations  172  as shown in  FIG. 19 . When the perforations  172  are pushed open, the second aperture  170  is formed. The shape of the second aperture  170  may be generally rectangular to as to accommodate food items or other items in rectangular, tapered containers, such as for French fries or the like. 
         [0051]    According to the above embodiments, an adjustable tray assembly is provided which is inexpensive to manufacture, which may be reusable in different vehicles and with food or other items purchased from a variety of establishments, and which can easily and readily be assembled and disassembled by user. 
         [0052]    The above specific embodiments are illustrative, and many variations can be introduced on these embodiments without departing from the spirit of the disclosure or from the scope of the appended claims. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of this disclosure and appended claims.