Roll-Up Tray for Eating and Play

Abstract

The present invention is a slip-resistant tray for placement on a table, counter or high chair surface, wherein the tray provides a high friction surface cover that can be easily stowed and deployed. The tray is of unitary construction having a top eating and play surface and a textured, high friction bottom surface that grips the underlying surface and does not cause damage thereto. The tray also provides a raised peripheral edge to prevent articles from rolling from the tray while deployed. The tray itself is a reusable, highly durable, liquid impermeable and easily cleaned and sanitizable structure that is made from a flexible material such that the tray is bendable, foldable or rollable to allow the tray to take on a compact configuration that is convenient for storage and transportation. The tray is adapted for use with small children, for aiding those in rehabilitation or those lacking motor skills.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/451,905 filed on Mar. 11, 2011, entitled “Eat/Play Roll-Up Tray.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a portable, durable, reusable tray for use while eating food or during play time activities requiring a contained and sanitized surface. More specifically, the present invention is a non-slip, easily sanitized tray that grips the surface upon which it is placed and does not cause damage thereto. This provides a protective surface and one in which food articles or play items may be supported and contained thereon. The present invention is made from flexible material that allows for the tray to be rolled or folded into a compact configuration for easy storage and transportation of the tray, along with preventing damage if dropped or thrown from an elevated position. The goal is to provide a secure tray to support articles for those lacking motor skills, wherein feeding themselves or handling objects would otherwise be difficult on a slippery surface or on a tray that allows movement of dishes in relation to utensils.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is well known that small children have a tendency to make messes while eating and playing. Part of early childhood development involves providing young children with ample opportunity to develop their motor skills. Children should be supplied with an array of opportunities to practice their motor skills, for example, by picking up and playing with small toys or pieces of food. It is common for parents to situate their children in a high chair at a table, for example, to better keep an eye on the child while the child practices their motor skills by playing with small toys or feeding themselves small bits of manageable food. Due to the lack of fully developed fine motor skills in their hands, picking up items is sometimes a challenge for children. It is common for small children to experience failure while attempting to grip an item with their hands and fingers. Sometimes, out of frustration, or in deliberate defiance of the parent, a child will shove these items to the floor, which can result in a mess for the parent to clean up. More innocently, children—in an attempt to feed themselves—often make large messes of the eating surface. It is often easier for the parent to simply allow the child to eat directly off of the dining surface as child-safe dishes and eating utensils can result in the child creating more of a mess.

A convenient solution is a tray that prevents a child's toys, food and dishes from sliding and falling during meal time and play time. A tray with a slip resistant surface on its top side—i.e., the play or eating surface of the tray—would help to keep items on the tray. Furthermore, a tray with a slip-resistant bottom side—i.e., the surface of the tray that makes contact with the table top or counter surface—discourages and prohibits the child from pushing the tray off of the dining surface or counter, without causing damage to the surface and thus reduces the risk that the child will make a mess of the tray's contents on the floor. Additionally, a tray having a raised edge could be useful to a child as the child may use a raised edge as a surface to gain leverage on the item that he or she is attempting to pick up or prevents inadvertent pushing of items from the tray surface while playing or eating.

A similar concern exists for those lacking adequate motor skills to properly feed themselves or access objects utilized for containing food. These individuals include stroke recovery patients, those in rehabilitation attempting to regain motor skills and those with physical impairments. These individuals may have trouble accessing food from a plate or bowl using a utensil while the plate or bowl is able to slide along an otherwise low friction surface. As the bowl moves, the user is required to have finely developed motor skills in order to access the food therefrom without disturbing the bowl position in the process. A tray is therefore desired that prevents movement of food support articles (bowls, plates, etc.) such that impaired users are capable of accessing contents therein with unrefined or impaired motor skills. Such a tray must be adapted to provide a high friction support surface and underside surface to support food articles in a static position without tray movement for improved access.

The present invention provides such a tray, in which a slip-resistant surface covering is provided that is specifically suited for use by individuals who are seated at a table, counter or high chair. The present invention is a tray of unitary construction having a top eating and play surface and a textured bottom surface that grips the surface which it is lain upon and does not cause damage to the underlying surface and provides a raised peripheral edge for article containment and improved lifting of objects. The tray is highly durable, liquid impermeable, and easy to clean and sanitize, thus making the tray reusable and an ideal device for covering an otherwise unsanitary surface (i.e. public or uncleanly eating surface). The present invention is made from a flexible material such that the tray is bendable, foldable or rollable allowing the tray to take on a compact configuration that is convenient for storage and transportation, while also providing a fun article for a child to manipulate. The flexible nature of the tray also prevents damage thereto if dropped or thrown.

Many variations of placemats or trays exist for a myriad of different purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,053,262 to Kerr describes a reusable and easy to clean child's serving mat. The device provides children with a sanitary food serving surface of durable construction for use in a variety of eating and/or playing environments. The mat device is made from a flexible, liquid impermeable material and comprises a central web with an overlying top surface that creates the upper serving and play area surface of the mat. The top surface overlays a matrix of suction cups located on the underside of the central web. The suction cups are intended to be mounted to the surface upon which the child is eating and/or playing. Mounting the tray via suction cups to the surface of a table, for example, discourages and prohibits the child from pushing the tray off of the table and thus making a mess of the tray's contents on the floor. Around the peripheral perimeter of the Kerr device is a surrounding wall. The height of the surrounding wall exceeds the thickness of the central web and creates a lip around the perimeter of the tray that prevents items contained on the tray from being pushed off of the tray by a child. The central web serving surface area has an overall concave curvature, creating a slightly depressed area at the center of the tray. The combination of the raised edges around the tray device and the concave curvature of the serving surface area of the device allows for any spilled fluids to concentrate towards the center portion of the top surface of the device. Pooling of spilled liquids at the center of the tray promotes easy and quick clean up of the serving surface.

The Kerr device employs an array of suction cups on the underside of the mat, which attaches the mat to the surface upon which the child is eating and/or playing. A concern arises with the use of suction cups as a means of affixing the Kerr device to a dining or play area surface. If, for example, the Kerr device where used on a dining room table, there is a possibility that the suction cups could cause damage to the dining furniture surface when the parent goes to detach the device from the dining surface. It is possible that the suction pressure inside the suction cups could be so great as to pull the finish off of the table top, or could welt the surface of the table. The present invention does not employ the use of suction cups to prevent articles from being pushed from the tray dining or play surface. Rather, the present invention has a textured, high friction bottom surface that discourages and prohibits individuals from accidently or purposefully sliding the tray off of a table, for example.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,356 to Shoemaker describes an inexpensive placemat, cup coaster or the like that do not skid or slip on the surface of a table or service counter and similarly do not permit items placed thereupon to slip or skid either. The placemat or coaster comprises a thin, planar base member having a top and bottom surface. The Shoemaker device employs the use of a high-friction material imprinted with an array of uniformly-spaced, discreet projections that are aligned and disposed on the top and bottom surfaces of the device in order to maximize the anti-skid and anti-slip properties of the placemat. The combined effects of the high-friction characteristics of the material used for the construction of the Shoemaker placemat device, in conjunction with the patterning of the top and bottom surfaces of the placemat with discreet projections, enhances the ability of the placemat or coaster to grip surfaces—i.e., the table or counter surface, as well as the bottom of a glass or a dish.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,012 to Forman describes a disposable placemat made from an inexpensive, flexible cellulosic material. The placemats incorporate adhesive backing which allows an individual to adhere the placemat to a dining surface for the duration of a meal and then easily remove the placemat from the dining surface at the completion of the meal. The adhesive incorporated into the Forman placemats is resealable, meaning that if the placemat were laid improperly on an eating surface, it could be removed and reapplied if necessary without leaving a significant residue on the eating surface. The Forman placemats may include an optional water resistant coating that protects the dining surface and prohibits soiling of the placemats due to liquid penetration during use. One embodiment of the Forman device provides an individual with a multitude of placemats, which are bundled together and available to the individual in the form of a roll of disposable placemats. A series of placemats are arranged consecutively together and separatable at the edges by a series of individual tear lines. This tear facilitating means on either side of the placemat ensures that each placemat is of uniform shape when it is pulled off the roll of placemats. Additionally, each placemat incorporates a tear facilitating means for providing the placemat with an overall arcuate shape that is intended to fit on the eating and/or playing surface of a high chair tray, for example. The Forman placemats are sanitary and can be used in place of dishware, such as a bowl or plate. Children could use the Forman placemats as an eating surface.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,964 to Kaminstein describes a non-slip, disposable placemat comprised of a flexible web of planar, flat material that is covered in a hydrophobic coating rendering the device substantially slip-resistant. The placemats are rectangular in shape with rounded corners. Like the Forman placemats, the Kaminstein device provides for a plurality of placemats arranged consecutively together in a roll. An individual tears off placemats from the roll as needed. In between each placemat on the roll is a weakened area of perforations that allows for an individual to easily pull a single placemat off of the roll of placemats. The slip-resistant coating on the Kaminstein placemats makes them ideal for use on surfaces that are subject to sudden movement, for example, dining surfaces and food trays in mass transit vehicles such as airplanes, trains, boats and busses.

The Forman and Kaminstein devices present two readily identifiable shortcomings. First, each device lacks a raised rim around the perimeter of the placemat. Young children and impaired individuals may lack fully developed fine motor skills in their hands, and thus picking up items is sometimes a challenge. It is common for such users to experience failure while attempting to grip an item with their hands and fingers. These users may drop small play things or toys often as a result of their developing or impaired motor skills. While a placemat with a slip resistant surface may help to keep items on the mat, a tray having a raised edge is more suited for a child or impaired user as they may use a raised edge as a surface to gain leverage on the item which he or she is attempting to pick up. Items on the Forman or Kaminstein placemats may easily be pushed off the tray as there are no raised edges to prevent items from getting away from the user's grasp. Secondly, the Forman and Kaminstein devices are intended to be sanitary, single use and thus are disposable placemats. A child or impaired user is highly capable of creating a mess on an eating or playing surface. Spilled liquids, spilled food items, drool from the child's mouth are all commonly occurrences experienced during eating and play time. A child or impaired user can go through many disposable placemats, thus a reusable and easily cleaned placemat is more suited for use. The present invention is reusable and easy to clean. It is also highly durable and is intended to withstand repeated use.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,846 to Rountree describes a placemat with an attached napkin ring member for holding a napkin and an attached pocket for holding dining flatware. The Rountree device is capable of being rolled up. Located at the middle of the placemat, on the underside, there is an attached ribbon that an individual uses to tie the mat in its rolled configuration. An individual can place a napkin in the napkin ring and flatware in the pocket and then roll and tie the placemat together in the rolled configuration, which provides for a convenient place setting for dinner guests. When the Rountree placemat is in the open configuration, lying flat on a dining surface, the napkin ring and the flatware pocket are situated on the placemat such that a dinner plate fits on the placemat in between the two, whereby the napkin ring is located on the left side of the dinner plate and the pocket for holding dining flatware is located on the right side of the dinner plate.

The Rountree placemat does not address any concerns regarding placemats for use by children. The Rountree placemat is for use by adult dinner guests as it provides for a formal dining setting and serves as a placemat to provide protection for the dining surface from foods that might accidentally fall onto the dining surface during a meal. The present invention is intended for use by children. It is a highly durable, flexible tray meant for use by children during meals and play time. The raised outer edge of the present invention helps to keep items within the confines of the tray, be those items spilled liquids, food items or small toys.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,735 to Snekeder describes a placemat for use by children. The Snekeder placemat has a flat mat member, which lies flat against an eating or playing surface, and a U-shaped storage area member, which hangs down over the edge of an eating or playing surface, for example, the edge of a table. Located on the underside of the placemat there is an array of suction cups attached for the purpose of securing the placemat to the eating or play area surface. The U-shaped storage member serves multiple purposes. For example, the U-shaped storage member catches any dropped food items or play things that may fall off of the eating or play surface. Rather than falling into the child's lap, the item is caught in the U-shaped storage member. Similarly, the child user could intentionally place items into the U-shaped storage member if so desired, giving the child convenient access to the temporarily stored items at a later point in time. The flat mat member of the Snekeder device is capable of being folded and rolled into a compact form for storage purposes. Once folded and rolled, the rolled up mat is capable of tucking into the U-shaped member for storage and transportation purposes. One embodiment of the Snekeder device incorporates a rim around the outer periphery of the flat mat member.

The Snekeder device describes a flexible placemat for use by children. Again, as with the Kerr device, the Snekeder device utilizes a set of suction cups to affix the placemat to the dining or play area surface. There is the potential for the suction pressure of the suction cups to cause damage to the underlying furniture surface. The present invention does not employ the use of suction cups to prevent children from pushing the tray off of a dining or play surface. Rather, the present invention has a textured bottom surface that discourages and prohibits a user from moving or pushing the tray from the table.

It is therefore submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing portable, non-slip tray devices for use by children during eating and playing. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of portable, non-slip tray devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new highly-durable, reusable, portable tray wherein the same can be utilized for providing children with a non-slip, sanitary surface to eat and play on when the child is seated at a table, counter top or high chair for easy supervision.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved portable, non-slip tray device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tray for use by children or impaired users made from a material that discourages and prohibits articles from being easily pushed from the tray and thus reducing the likelihood of making a mess of the tray's contents on the table and floor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a highly durable, easy to sanitize, reusable tray for use by children.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tray that is flexible such that it can be easily folded or rolled into a compact configuration for easy transport and storage when not in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reusable, easily deployable tray that provides a sanitary surface to play and eat.

A final object of the present invention is to provide a tray that aids impaired or rehabilitating users utilize utensils to access food from articles placed on the tray, wherein the articles are resisted from movement and thus improve the ability of one with reduced motor function to access food therefrom.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention in use holding a dish, eating utensils and pieces of food.

FIG. 2 is a close up overhead view of the raised edge around the perimeter of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention while being rolled from one end into a compact, rolled configuration.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention in its rolled configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the slip-resistant children's tray. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment of the non-slip tray will be discussed as used by children during eating and playing while seated at a table top or counter surface. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention in a deployed state 17. The device has a top side eating and/or playing surface 11 where loose snacks, toys and other small items 12 can be stored and grabbed by the child; a lower surface 13, which is textured as to grip the table surface upon which the tray device is placed; and a raised edge 14 along the perimeter of the tray that surrounds the top side, creating an interior eating and/or playing surface area 11 on the top side of the tray. The eating and/or play surface 11 is of a first thickness while the peripheral boundary and raised edge 14 may be of a second thickness. The raised edge further provides a height that is taller than the thickness of the tray. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the present invention in use as a dining surface. The tray is depicted as holding a child's food dish, eating utensils and pieces of food 12. Since the tray is easy to clean and sanitize, the top surface of the tray can be sanitized before use by the child, thus making the surface of the tray safe for children to eat from directly. Further, the use of high friction surfaces on both the lower and top side surface allows the tray to stay stationary and articles thereon to be resisted from movement as a child or impaired individual attempts to grasp or manipulate the article thereon.

The tray is of unitary construction, highly durable and flexible as to be bendable, foldable or rollable. The present invention can be manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors to suit the preferences of the user. For example, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention that utilizes an overall oval shape of the tray. The present invention is made of a flexible material and is capable of two configurations: a flat, deployed configuration 17 for use by a user eating and playing, and a compact configuration for convenient storage and transportation purposes. The compact configuration can vary as the tray can be folded, bent or rolled into a compact configuration. When the present invention is rolled into the compact configuration, an attached or optionally provided elastic band or strap may be placed around the tray to maintain its rolled configuration. The elastic band or strap may be attached to the lower surface 13 of the tray, or may be a separate element. Similarly, a piece of hook and eye fastening material can be used to secure the tray in the rolled configuration. If a separate elastic band is provided, a caretaker may wear the band or stow it until required for securing the tray in a rolled configuration. It is contemplated that the present invention can be made out of various flexible, non-slip, liquid impermeable materials, such as rubber, vinyl, plastic or silicone. Any material one skilled in the art of food trays and unitary injected or formed structures would deem accept is contemplated, falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a close up overhead view of the raised edge 14 around the perimeter of the present invention. A tray for eating and playing upon that has a raised edge 14 is useful to a child or motor skill impaired individual as they may use the edge of the tray as a surface to gain leverage on an item 12 being picked up. A raised edge 14 also serves as a barrier that helps to contain any messes or spillage created by the child inside the parameters of the tray 11. For example, spilled liquid or food remain contained on the tray by the raised edge and will not absorb into the surface of the tray due to the liquid impermeability properties of the material from which the tray is made. Individuals recovering from a stroke, accident or who are impaired are aided by providing a secure tray that does not move along a surface and further stabilizes articles placed thereon to facilitate ease of grasping or drawing food therefrom.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view of the present invention being rolled into a stowed configuration. The present tray is one that can be easily stowed and transported, making it ideally suited for use as a sanitary surface upon which a user may eat or play, preventing the user from making full contact with an otherwise unsanitary surface. The tray can be rolled into a condensed state and secured using an external or attached closure element, such as a strap or band, to reduce its volume and improve its utility while traveling, wherein most unsanitary conditions are encountered. The tray's inherent flexibility also eliminates the risk of damage from the tray being dropped or thrown.

Referring finally to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the present invention in the rolled, compact configuration. As shown, the underside textured surface 15 is also shown. When the present invention is rolled into the compact configuration, an individual can secure the tray in its rolled configuration by placing an elastic band around the rolled tray or simply stowing the unsecured roll in a larger container. Similarly, a piece of hook and eye fastening material can be used to secure the tray in the rolled configuration. The present invention can be contorted into other compact configurations, for example folding the tray or bending it into a compact shape for convenient storage and transportation of the tray. Convenient transportability of the present invention is a desirable characteristic as a parent may desire to use the present invention when the family dines out in a restaurant, or the family is asked to join a dinner party at another individual's home.

A slip-resistant tray for use by children or impaired individuals who are seated at a table, counter or high chair is described. The present invention is a tray of unitary construction having a top eating and play surface and a textured bottom surface that grips the surface which it is lain upon and does not cause damage to the underlying surface. The tray is highly durable, liquid impermeable, and advances the art in the field of reusable child trays. The present invention is made from a flexible material such that the tray is bendable, foldable or rollable allowing the tray to take on a compact configuration that is convenient for storage and transportation purposes.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1) A non-slip surface for those with reduced or impaired motor skills, comprising:

a unitary tray having a top side, a bottom side and a raised peripheral edge forming a raised lip around said tray top side;

said tray top surface within said raised lip provides an interior eating and/or play surface area bounded by said raised lip;

said bottom side surface having high surface friction to grip an underlying surface upon which said tray is placed;

wherein said tray is made from a liquid impermeable, flexible material;

wherein said tray is capable of two configurations: a flat, deployed configuration for use by an individual eating and playing, and a compact configuration for convenient storage and transportation purposes.

2) The device of claim 1, wherein said interior eating and/or play surface is un-textured.

3) The device of claim 1, wherein said bottom side surface further comprises a raised surface texture.

4) The device of claim 1, wherein tray further comprises an attached strap for securing said tray in said compact configuration.

5) The device of claim 1, wherein tray further comprises a patch of hook and loop fastening material for securing said tray in said compact configuration.

6) The device of claim 1, wherein said tray further comprises a unitary construction capable of being contorted into a compact form for convenient transport and storage.