Abstract:
A decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder including a tapered cut-out in the table top and an optional mountable flexible beverage receiver for use as a TV tray.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     I. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to portable tables and, more particularly, to portable tables for watching television with a beverage holder.  
         [0003]     II. Discussion of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Portable tables are well known in the art. They are generally smaller in size than conventional tables or collapsible, so as to facilitate storage. These include card tables, tailgate party tables, convertible table/benches, collapsible picnic tables and TV Trays. Many people employ portable tables when they are inside watching television. These tables are used to facilitate eating luch or dinner sized meals including beverages.  
         [0005]     The problem with conventional TV tray&#39;s is that due to their small size beverages are easily upset and spilled. Several inventions including U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,286 Cline acknowledge this problem. However, Cline&#39;s attempt to resolve the problem is to move the table substantially over the person so that they are less likely knock a drink over.  
         [0006]     TV trays are often folded up for easy storage and as such are limited in the number of accoutrements for specialized functions. For instance rigid holsters would not be collapsible and thus would not allow the TV tray to fold properly for storage. This is especially true when it comes to functional beverage holders in TV Trays.  
         [0007]     Further, TV trays are used in the home. Most homes are decorated to individual&#39;s taste and style. The field of TV trays is filled with quite functional designs; however, they significantly lack true decorative qualities.  
         [0008]     Given the state of the art in TV tray design it would be a tremendous improvement to have a well designed, fully functioning TV tray with an integrated beverage holder. A further improvement would be to have the same well designed, functioning TV tray have a decorative table top to accent an individual&#39;s home. The present invention is directed at overcoming, or at least improving upon, the disadvantages of the prior art.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     An object of the invention is to provide a TV tray with an integrated beverage holding system that is stable, capable of holding a variety of shapes and sizes of beverage containers, and capable of easy compaction for ease of storage.  
         [0010]     Another object of the invention is to provide a TV tray that is decorative and capable of accenting home decor. How these objectives are accomplished will be readily apparent in the following description and drawings.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The present invention accomplishes this goal by providing a decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder. The table top surface having ornamentation such as reproductions of classical paintings and also having a decorative frame around the tray surface capable of decorative structure such as crown moulding. Further, the present invention&#39;s beverage holder accomadates a wide variety of beverage containers, due to the tapered design. The tapered design clenches the beverage container when it is placed through the TV tray surface.  
         [0012]     According to one broad aspect of the present invention, by way of example only, the beverage holder is capable of holding medium to large sized beverage containers of varying shape because the tapered design allows the surface of the beverage container to increase frictional contact with the TV tray until it fits snuggly into the TV tray. Further, because the beverage container is held below the surface of the TV tray the center of gravity is lowered, thus reducing possible spills.  
         [0013]     According to another broad aspect of the invention, by way of example only, the beverage holder is capable of holding small to medium sized beverage containers that are not large enough to be fully supported by the tapered beverage holder via a removable flexible system of netting or telescoping concentric rings.  
         [0014]     According to another broad aspect of the invention, by way of example only, the eating surface may be decorated in a variety of methods including graphic reproductions and structural elements such as decorative framing to better match or accent home decor. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     Many advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with a reading of this specification in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals are applied to like elements and wherein:  
         [0016]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are perspective and top views, respectively, of a decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a side perspective view, illustrating a folding table top, scissor-like support legs, and a flexible beverage holder, components of a decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view, illustrating the bottom surface of the table top as well as the support legs in the closed poition and a horizontal stabilizer, components of a decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view, illustrating a decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder in the folded position and stacked on a portable mounting rack system. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]     Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder disclosed herein boasts a variety of inventive features and components that warrant patent protection, both individually and in combination.  
         [0021]      FIG. 1A  illustrates the decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  of the present invention. The decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  includes a table top  2  supported by two sets of support legs, each set having an outer leg  4  and an inner leg  6  connected to each other via a horizontal stabilizer  8  capable of allowing the outer leg  4  and inner leg  6  to freely rotate from the closed position to the open position and then back to the closed position.  
         [0022]      FIG. 1B  illustrates the decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  of the present invention. The decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  has a table top  2  with a decorative frame  12  attached to a decorative table top surface  14 . The decorative table top surface  14  has a circular hole  16  in the table top  2  for receiving a beverage container. The circular hole  16  for receiving a beverage container consists of a specific tapered cut creating a tapered concentric surface  18 . The tapered concentric surface  18  contacts a deposited beverage container, to ultimately hold a beverage container firmly to the table top  2 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrates decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  of the present invention. The decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  has outer legs  4  and inner legs  6  in the nearly closed position. The table top  2  is shown neatly folding towards the outer legs  4  and inner legs  6 . Further, there is a flexible beverage holder  22  mounted to the table top  2 . The flexible beverage holder  22  is capable of collapsing against the bottom surface  24  of the table top  2  when in the closed position and will not interfere with storage.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates the decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  of the present invention. The decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  shows the table top  2  completely folded against the outer legs  4  and inner legs  6 . The horizontal stabilizer  8  is shown to be attached to both pair of outer legs  4  and inner legs  6 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 4 . illustrates a mounting system  20  for the decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10 . The mounting system  20  consists of a base  25  connected to a support frame  28 . The support frame  28  consists of two symmetrical mounting arms  26  capable of receiving a plurality of the decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10 . The support frame  28  additionally consists of a vertically disposed member to fixedly attach the mounting arms  26  at the appropriate elevation to support the decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10  off of the ground and not stored so high as to be unstable. The vertically disposed member of the support frame  28  additionally has a handle  30  disposed very near the top so that the average person could pick up the whole mounting system  20  without undue interference from the table top  2  of the decorative TV tray with an integrated beverage holder  10 .