IMPACT COLLAPSIBLE NON-RIGID LAP TRAY WITH FOUR SURROUNDING HIGH SIDES
The present invention relates to lap trays, specifically to non-rigid automobile lap trays with four surrounding high sides, constructed from FDA-approved materials for safe contact with food, having properties available to withstand temperatures greater than 200° F. The non-rigid automobile lap tray is formed through one of several processes: they can be compression molded or transfer molded if a rubber or silicone material is used, or injection molded with non-rigid plastic materials.
This application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/808,853, filed on May 30, 2006 entitled “NON-RIGID LAP TRAY WITH FOUR SURROUNDING HIGH SIDES”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to an impact collapsible lap tray composed of FDA approved flexible, non-rigid material for safe contact with food. In addition, these materials must be temperature resistant. The temperature resistance prevents the melting of the lap tray in climates of extreme temperatures within an automobile interior, or during the course of cleaning the lap tray in a dishwasher. Moreover, the flexible nature of the material allows a roll up to store away the lap tray.
The most common travel lap tray designs incorporate a flat rigid material as a base, generally have the option to hold a drink container, and exhibit a small edge around the periphery. Overkamp, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,532, and Neville in U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,933 show rigid Travel/Portable Lap trays. However, the rigid lap tray is likely to cause a safety hazard within an automobile if an airbag were to deploy either from the front of the car or from the sides in rear seats, where a rigid lap tray would be in the path of the airbag. By using a non-rigid lap tray, this hazard is avoided. In addition, storing a rigid tray is awkward within the interior of a car making it less accessible when needed.
Dedrick, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,479 shows a Reversibly Collapsible Lap Tray that is non-rigid and will collapse for easy storage (not impact). It has a spring within a web made out of thin fabric. The purpose is to enable the lap tray to collapse into a small size upon completion of use. It does not address the use of a lap tray requiring high sides to keep food, cell phones, toys, or other items from disbursing.
Sussman, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,885 shows a Lap Tray for Carrying Food that does have high sides and partitions in addition to a drink holder, with extensions underneath that extend a short distance downwardly against the legs of the user to stabilize the tray against lateral displacement. The lap tray is made from molded fibre paper, has internal sections, and is disposable in nature.
Rotstein, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,166 shows a collapsible child travel tray but it is not collapsible on impact. Also it is collapsible on hinges rather than flexible nature of the composing material.
Demaio and Piera, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,577 shows a Roll-Up Lap Tray made from material that is rigid, but in small, connected strips which allow it to be rolled up and stored in a cylindrical configuration. Again, the lap tray is missing the high sides to needed to prevent lateral movement of food and objects and one that is collapsible on impact
Spindler, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,781 shows a Tray and Bib Food-Catching Apparatus. Although this Lap tray is made of a flexible sheet of material, it is limited to an age requiring a bib and most likely not used within a travelling automobile, but in a highchair. Further, the tray is not impact collapsible.
The preferred material for this invention is silicone. Hompanera and Maria, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,359 have introduced a method of making silicone for bake ware. Many of the current silicone bake-ware products have high sides and flanges, but depart in similarity of design from the standpoint of the instant invention for a lap tray design as seen in
Hence there is a need a non-rigid, flexible lap tray that is permanent in nature, having high sides surrounding an open cavity with no partitions, which is easy to clean, is temperature resistant, and is flexible enough to collapse on impact and roll up to store away.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides an impact collapsible lap tray, made of non-rigid, flexible material having high sides surrounding an open cavity with no partitions, that is easy to clean, is temperature resistant, and is flexible enough to collapse on impact and roll up to store away.
The preferred embodiment in this invention for the lap tray is to use a silicone material, the method comprising the steps of: providing the lap tray with a bottom base, side walls extending upwardly generally at right angles from the bottom base, each side wall having a peripheral inwardly projecting or outwardly projecting flange, with side walls encapsulating the base. The lap tray is a generally rectangular shape and departs from this form at the rear side of the base where the walls form a semicircular inset into the rear side. The lap tray is made with stabilizing flaps (
In a principle embodiment of the invention is seen in
As part of the principle embodiment, the non-rigid, flexible material these materials must be temperature resistant to 200° F. and above. The benefit of the high temperature resistance is to prevent the melting of the lap tray in climates of extreme temperatures within an automobile interior, or during the course of cleaning the lap tray in a dishwasher. Moreover, the flexible nature of the material allows a roll up to store away the lap tray.
In a safety-conscious environment, there are elaborate laws for child safety in automobiles. As a natural consequence of these laws, car seats and booster seats have evolved in a much more safe, but complicated manner. An adult is required to strap the seats to the automobile, and, through a series of smaller straps, strap the child to the car seat or booster seat. To do this, an adult must feed the child's body through the straps and bring all the parts together in order to snap the straps together for a complete hold. More times than not, this duty is performed while the child twists, arches, and verbalizes in grave protest. Many adults have two or three children to fasten into the car seats on a daily basis. The present invention is designed to be easy to install, particularly as the last step in this process, without any additional snaps or straps or hooks or fasteners to further complicate the car situation.
The lap tray for general use is similar to the child's lap tray in that it has a flat base with four high sides and flaps extending outward or downward from the right and left side of the base made from materials exhibiting the same properties. It differs in design in that the flaps are fixed, or non-removable as seen in
The lap tray comes with side flaps as seen in
If it is an adult preference to secure the child's lap tray rather than have it merely drape over the child and car seat or booster seat, several options can be designed or employed. These options are provided by way of example without any limitation thereto. 1) The child's lap tray model could be manufactured with integrated “semi-circular pre-formed, arms”, or sold with a separate “strapping device” that would be placed around the sides and back of a child, or sides and back of the car seat or booster seat. 2) Depending upon the materials used for the flaps, which may differ from the materials used for the lap tray, an adult could use Velcro as a means of attachment, as described below.
To secure the lap tray to the car seat or booster seat, the side flaps may easily be flipped over and re-hooked to one of the attachment options. Once completed, the smooth surface of the flap would then face the body of the car seat or booster seat. A Velcro Square can then be applied to the hard surface or protective fabric of the sides of the car seat or booster seat, with its corresponding mate applied to the underside of the flap in correct alignment. As a second option, a strapping device can be employed attaching to the bottom of one flap, traversing underneath the car seat or booster seat and coming back up, attaching to the bottom of the recipient flap.
A car seat, stroller, or highchair manufacturer could also produce an attachable lap tray to accommodate their particular product. A possible design might be to install two large snaps below the arm rests on the right and left sides of the car seat, stroller or highchair with opposite snap ends on shorter, possibly wider flaps located on the left and right sides of the lap tray. One side could then be unsnapped and the lap tray rolled up and secured to the other side in some clever manner while still having two snaps in place. Another possible design would be to have only one snap on the right or left side with two on the opposite side. An adult would unsnap the two snaps and after the lap tray is rolled up, swivelled the roll down and around to be fastened. Still another design could be to create stationary, smaller flaps integrated into the rear sides of the lap tray wall, in the shape of a wedge style with the rear side vertical, that would travel straight up the inside of the sidewalls of the car seat and attach in a clever manner.
The most important advantage of this invention is a contribution toward safety within the automobile. The lap tray will immediately collapse during a car accident, a deployment of an air bag, or other pressure preventing injury to the passengers.
The invention lends itself to a safer and cleaner automobile environment. As a benefit of the lap tray non-rigidity, the lap tray can keep a pacifier, bottle, or toy from being thrown onto the floor in the rear of the car where an adult may have to divert their attention while driving to satisfy a screaming child. As a cleanliness feature for use in the car, an adult can feed their children within lap tray; limit the food fallout to the lap tray rather than on the seats or carpeting. As an adult safety use in the car, as laws become more restrictive on the use of a cellular phone in the automobile, the lap tray can be used to hold a mobile phone so that the driver would be able to use an ear wire attachment with the phone resting in the lap tray, and not divert their attention from the road by hunting around for the ringing phone.
The lap tray can be rolled up and tucked away in a sack, or constricted in a roll using an elastic band, Velcro band, or other products as a binding or securing agent, or simply folded, and in the case of use within an automobile, placed under the seat or in the glove compartment.
Other uses of the lap tray could be within the home, eating on the sofa, or in a production or manufacturing area where an employee would be seated at an assembly line working with small parts kept in the lap tray; used as a hobby aid, used in the airline industry, or any other industries or health-related facilities where there is need of a permanent, flexible to semi-flexible, washable, lap tray with high sides.
Future models of the tray can include, but are not limited to, adding semi-rigid reinforcement materials to one or more embodiments. Depending on the type of lap tray, the encapsulated flange may also provide a semi-rigid structural support. By controlling the geometry of the flange, it is possible to strengthen and stabilize the lap tray. A further embodiment of the invention provides for a reinforcing elements consisting semi-rigid plastic material, such as a honeycomb plate under the base of the lap tray to be held in place by tucking it into four corner diagonal pockets while in use. Still other permutations in design could include an addition of a wide band forming a cavity in the corner to support a cup; and a tray design featuring a smaller, more rectangular cavity with extensions that join with the flaps, or other designs and functions in the area of the flaps.
The present invention may be modified in many different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in this disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is properly defined by the claims set forth below.
Claims
1. A lap tray with a substantially rectangular base having continuous high sides, the said high sides generally perpendicular to the base, with a flange along the top or partial top of said high sides, molded from temperature resistant, non-rigid, flexible material, such as silicone or other materials which are considered safe for contact with food, such that the said lap tray is impact collapsible from an impact such as inflation of an automobile airbag.
2. A lap tray molded from temperature resistant, non-rigid, flexible material, which is considered safe for contact with food such that the said lap tray is impact collapsible from an impact of an inflating automobile airbag.
3. The lap tray of claim 1 to further comprise of two integrated attachment options on each of the right and left sidewalls generally at the rear of the tray.
4. The lap tray of claim 1 wherein there are flaps fixed to the bottom of the right and left sidewalls.
5. The lap tray of claim 1 to further comprise of two non-integral, non-removable clips on top of two side flaps, having a top and bottom, wherein the bottom of the clip is to be locked or heat-sealed to top of a flap, and the top of said clip creates an operable hook for attachment to the lap tray.
6. The lap tray of claim 1 such that the lap tray can be rolled and stored away.
7. The lap tray of claim 1 wherein there is a semi-circular portion of a rear wall that angles away from the tray and increases in wall height in a circular manner.
Type: Application
Filed: May 29, 2007
Publication Date: Dec 6, 2007
Inventor: Margaret Jean Grant (Sunnyvale, CA)
Application Number: 11/754,868
International Classification: A47B 13/00 (20060101);