Patent Publication Number: US-2007113757-A1

Title: Lap tray

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      Not Applicable  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
      Not Applicable  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates generally to trays for holding items on a user&#39;s lap, and more particularly to a lap tray that can be used alternatively for eating or for writing.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      The following art defines the present state of this field:  
      T. E. Nance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,374, teaches a food container that is adapted to be mounted on an airline seat. The container is adapted to hold a meal, and includes recesses shaped accordingly. The container has a lid that closes over the food (or dirty dishes) to both contain the food and provide a writing surface.  
      Ryan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,688, teaches a tray assembly for the delivery and service of foods. The tray assembly includes base and cover sections having a plurality of opposing recesses for enclosing a number of dishes, cups, and other utensils needed for a complete meal service. Proper vertical alignment of the two sections as they are fitted together is facilitated by corresponding lateral indentations in the side walls of both parts which serve in manual guiding of the cover into position upon the base, and by accurate shoulders spaced circumferentially about a generally central recess in one of the sections, such shoulders being received in a complementary channel in the other section.  
      C. A. Cramer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,191, teaches a lap tray that includes a top side with punched portions for receiving cups, plates, etc., and a flat bottom side for supporting the top side above a person&#39;s lap.  
      Pasmanick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,102, teaches a portable work and play station particularly suited for a child traveling in an automobile or airplane. A planar work surface is provided to which a clip for holding a workpiece in place is attached. The work surface is supported by a deformable support bag, preferably filled with particulate materials so as to rest on a child&#39;s legs while in use. Covered rectangular storage wells for writing instruments are provided and circular wells for drinks are included. An interior storage volume is provided for paper and other apparatus as well as a book holding device. Single piece and two piece folding configurations are disclosed.  
      Rousch, U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,292, teaches a tray for use by both children and adults while traveling in an automobile. The tray includes a box-like frame and is supported by hinged panel legs. The box-like frame has a food serving surface on one side, a smooth desk surface on the opposite side, and a storage compartment within the box-like frame. A hinged door provides access to the storage compartment. The tray is placed over the legs of a user and secured to the user&#39;s seat belt. The hinged panel legs may be rotated 180 degrees to allow the tray to be used as a food tray in the normal position and as a desk when the box frame is inverted. In an alternative embodiment, the tray includes a food serving surface supported by hinged legs which may fold under the food serving surface for storage. A storage bag, which may be attached to the back of a passenger seat, provides for convenient storage of the folded tray.  
      Lorenzana, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,561, teaches a lap tray adapted to be supported across the upper legs of a seated person for providing recessed areas for food and beverage containers. The tray includes downwardly extending vertical projections at the ends of the body portion to engage the outer thighs to retain the tray positioned.  
      Cloud, U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,913, teaches a portable adjustable work station that including a base and a substantially planar work platform disposed vertically above the base. A support assembly extends between the base and proximate the work platform for support thereof. The support assembly includes structure for vertically adjusting the vertical spacing of the work platform above the base, and further includes an upper end. There is interposed between the upper end of the support assembly and the work platform structure for interconnecting the upper end of the support assembly to the work platform and defining an axis for rotation of the plane of the work platform in either direction from the horizontal between first and second limits.  
      With, U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,751, teaches a portable and adjustable activity surface for use by a wide variety of individual users and that can accommodate a wide range of different activities thereon. The device has a support pad with a resting surface, a forward surface, a rearward surface and a sloping surface. The device also has a platform that contacts the sloping surface. The height of the platform can be increased by moving the platform up the sloping surface, and the height of the platform can be decreased by moving the platform down the sloping surface. The platform remains in contact with the support pad either by frictional forces or with hook-and-loop fasteners.  
      Blanchard, U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,656, teaches a portable lap table to be used by small children for traveling in a vehicle. The lap table includes a kidney shaped board surface, a center support structure, and the center support structure being arched and contoured to fit the user&#39;s thighs for comfort and stability. The table&#39;s top surface may have various recesses for holding crayons, drinks, and the like, a gutter for containing liquid spills, an outer lip to prevent objects from rolling off the surface, and handles for portability.  
      Neville, U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,933, teaches a portable lap tray for securing to a user&#39;s thighs for use inside of a vehicle. The inventive device includes a tray portion having a generally rectangular configuration. The tray portion includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface has a circular recess formed therein.  
      Hayward, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,956, teaches an improved tray apparatus that includes a single, flat, opaque surface having a border. The border accommodates a member positioned on the surface for dividing the surface into at least two or four compartments. The opaque surface would allow light to be transmitted through the surface when the tray was placed upon a lighted table or the like, so that food could be easily identified by the user.  
      Eisenberg, U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,119, teaches a fast food lap tray that is particularly suitable for use in an automobile to support and secure fast foods and their containers. The food lap tray includes a pair of pliant leg straps whose lengths are sufficient only to be individually secured beneath the legs of the user. As such, the lap tray is adapted to be positively secured to the lap of the user, yet will not cause discomfort to the user or bind or excessively restrain the legs of the user during use. In particular, the lap tray enables rapid positioning on the lap of the user, as well as rapid removal from the lap of the user.  
      Pipkin, U.S. 2005/0178297, teaches a reading tray for mounting on an aircraft seat. The reading tray includes a substantially planar top side and bottom side; the top side being substantially parallel to the opposite, bottom side; a space in the center of the top side extending partially through the tray; a support panel that is removably insertable in the space; and an arm support assembly connected to the support panel for supporting the support panel in an open, inclined position, or in an alternate, closed position wherein the support panel fits closely within the space with an upper face of the support panel flush with the top side of the tray.  
      Other patents of interest include Davis, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,702 (portable tray); and Rousch, U.S. Des. Pat. No. 359,862 (ornamental design for a traveler&#39;s tray).  
      The above-described references are hereby incorporated by reference in full.  
      The prior art teaches trays for holding food and for eating. However, the prior art does not teach a tray that is adapted for being positioned on a user&#39;s lap for either eating a meal or for writing. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.  
      The present invention provides a lap tray for holding a plurality of eating utensils, or, alternatively, for providing a writing surface. The lap tray includes a rigid base, a lap pillow, a plurality of depressions, and a cover element. The rigid base has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a peripheral lip extending upwardly from the top surface. The lap pillow is adapted to be attached to the bottom surface of the rigid base, the lap pillow being adapted for supporting the lap tray on an uneven surface such as a lap of a user. The plurality of depressions in the top surface are shaped to hold the plurality of eating utensils. The cover element is shaped to be positioned over the top surface, on or within the perimeter lip, the cover element having a writing surface.  
      A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a lap tray having advantages not taught by the prior art.  
      Another objective is to provide a lap tray that enables the user to position the lap tray on his or her lap and use the lap tray either for eating a meal, or for writing.  
      Another objective is to provide a lap tray that includes a lap pillow that may be removably attached to the lap tray.  
      A further objective is to provide a lap pillow that includes a resilient, foam rubber element, and a flexible shell element, the flexible shell element being removable from the foam rubber element for cleaning and/or replacement.  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
      The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a lap tray according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a plurality of depressions adapted to receive a plurality of eating utensils;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view thereof, illustrating a cover element positioned to cover the plurality of depressions shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view thereof; and  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a lap pillow of the lap tray.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a lap tray  10  for holding a plurality of eating utensils  12 , or, alternatively, for providing a writing surface  42 . Briefly stated, the lap tray  10  includes has a rigid base  20 , a plurality of depressions  28 , a cover element  40 , and a lap pillow  50 . As described in greater detail below, the plurality of depressions  28  hold the plurality of eating utensils  12 , and the cover element  40  provides the writing surface  42 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the rigid base  20  has a top surface  22 , a bottom surface  24 , and a peripheral lip  26 . The plurality of depressions  28  in the top surface  22  are shaped to hold the plurality of eating utensils  12 . The plurality of depressions  28  preferably includes a plate depression  30  shaped to receive and frictionally engage a plate  12 A, a cup depression  32  shaped to receive and frictionally engage a cup  12 B, and a flatware depression  34  that is adapted to hold and partially contain flatware such as a spoon  12 D and a knife  12 E. Other depressions may also be included for holding a fork  12 C and other items. The rigid base  20  may be formed from wood, synthetic, plastic, or any other suitable material.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the peripheral lip  26  extends upwardly from the top surface  22 , and is preferably generally rectangular in shape. The peripheral lip  26  preferably includes a ledge  36  for receiving and frictionally engaging the cover element  40 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the rigid base  20  preferably includes a pair of C-shaped handles  38  extending from the rigid base  20 . The pair of C-shaped handles  38  enable the user to more easily grasp the rigid base  20 . While one particular form of handles is shown, those skilled in the art will recognize that the handles may have other shapes, and alternative embodiments should be considered within the scope of the claimed invention.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the cover element  40  is shaped to be positioned over the top surface  22 , on or within the peripheral lip  26 . The cover element  40  includes a writing surface  42 , and functions to enable the user to use the lap tray  10  for writing. The cover element  40  is preferably generally planar, and may be constructed of wood, synthetic, plastic, or any other material that provides a suitable surface.  
      The cover element  40  preferably includes a gripping element  44  that can be grasped while the cover element  40  is positioned over the top surface  22  of the rigid base  20 . The gripping element  44  preferably is at least one cutout area that enables the user to fit his or her finger through the cutout area and grasp the cover element  40 . The gripping element  44  preferably includes a pair of cutout areas, to facilitate grasping of the cover element  40  with either of the user&#39;s hands.  
      While one version of the gripping element  44  is shown, it should be understood by one skilled in the art that alternative embodiments of the gripping element  44  should also be included in this description. For example, the gripping element  44  may also include a loop (not shown) attached to the writing surface  42 , enabling the user to grasp the loop and remove the cover element  40  from the rigid base  20 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the lap pillow  50  is adapted to be attached to the bottom surface  24  of the rigid base  20 . The lap pillow  50  is adapted for supporting the lap tray  10  on an uneven surface, such as a lap of a user. In the preferred embodiment, the lap pillow  50  is removably attached to the rigid base  20 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 3 , the lap pillow  50  is preferably removably attached to the rigid base  20  with a hook and loop fastener  52  such as VELCRO®, although snaps or other fasteners are also considered within the scope of the claimed invention. Also as shown in  FIG. 3 , a plurality of support elements  62  preferably extend from the bottom surface  24  of the rigid base  20  for supporting the lap tray  10  when the lap pillow  50  is removed.  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , the lap pillow  50  preferably includes an interior component  54  and a shell element  56 . The interior component  54  may be a resilient foam rubber element, a plurality of resilient foam elements, or any other suitable materials. The shell element  56  preferably includes an aperture  58  for receiving the foam rubber element  54 , and a fastener  60  for closing the aperture  58 . The fastener  60  may be snaps, a zipper, a hooks and loops fastener, or any other suitable or equivalent fastener. The shell element  56  is preferably removable, so that it may be cleaned and/or replaced.  
      While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.