Foldable Sturdy Travel Tray

Abstract

A foldable tray includes first and second base sections (BSs), lateral side members (LSMs) and a locking device. Each BS comprises opposed lateral edges, an inboard edge and a rigid hard surface. They are adjacent along their inboard edges, and foldable along those edges between an extended position where the hard surfaces lay in a plane and a folded position where the surfaces are stacked. The LSMs are attached along the opposed lateral edges of each of the BSs and foldable along that attached edge between an upright position where the LSM is at a substantial angle to the hard surface of its attached BS and a portable position where it is either stacked with its attached BS or has a major surface lying in the same plane as the hard surface of its attached BS. The locking device retains the BSs in the extended position only when engaged.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority to provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/715,719 filed on Aug. 7, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

The described invention relates to a foldable tray having a broad, sturdy surface with sides extending substantially perpendicular to the sturdy surface and foldable relative thereto.

BACKGROUND

Trays are used for holding or transporting any type of object of such size and weight that the tray can accommodate, depending on the size and material of which the tray is made.

Trays of various types are known in the art and span a wide variety of shapes and sizes; for example round, oval, square, triangular and most commonly rectangular. Trays are typically composed of solid sturdy materials, although less solid materials such as paper board are known. Typical examples of paperboard trays are those commonly used for carrying small amounts of food such as at a movie theater or sports stadium, and are characterized in that they are collapsible, disposable and not intended for re-use. Trays are used whenever a flat surface is desired or necessary, providing a means of setting objects on to it to carry or support those objects such as food and beverages or other sorts of objects, and to provide a surface from which to eat, work or play such as when used to hold a laptop computer or an adult board game or a child's small toys and in most all cases an edge of various heights is included. Trays are commonly used while sitting and supported in a person's lap. Certain other trays, sometimes referred to as tray tables, have extendable or adjustable legs to elevate the tray above a user's lap to accommodate use while the user is sitting or lying in bed, or to elevate objects above a table top for example while the user is standing.

One example of trays that lay directly on a user's lap is a laptop computer tray having a wooden or other flat surface which may be affixed to the top of an upholstery-type pillow. The rigid tray, or the pillow upon which it is mounted, rests directly on the user's lap and the user's laptop computer is placed on the flat solid surface so the user can work with the laptop computer while in a reclined position. A common example of a tray with legs is a breakfast tray table having a smooth rigid surface upon which food items are typically placed bordered by low sidewalls. Such breakfast trays generally have foldable legs that extend from below the tray opposite the smooth rigid surface for suspending the tray over a user's lap while the user sits up in bed. Rigid trays with low sidewalls are also used in the medical community, for example for holding an arrangement of sterilized surgical tools or a hospital patient's food or medicines. Typically surgical trays used for medical procedures are constructed of stainless steel or other metal to better facilitate sterilization. Cafeterias and fast food restaurants often use a similarly shaped rigid tray with low-sidewalls for holding customers' food items which are generally made of plastic for its cost advantage over the metal of surgical trays. In all respects, such trays of solid construction are not conveniently portable and require storage space that may not be available or convenient, particularly for non-commercial use by individuals as opposed to commercial use as in the above medical and cafeteria examples.

The above storage disadvantage relates to the sheer size of the tray. The rigid surface that directly supports the user's laptop, or food items, or surgical implements, is typically a uni-body design akin to a metal cookie sheet which requires an inordinate amount of physical space in which to store the tray when it is not in use, especially any tray with substantially tall side edges to prevent objects from rolling, sliding or falling off. This disadvantage may be less pronounced in a hospital or other professional environment where the tray is used frequently in commerce because in many commercial settings there is a need for many such trays and storage requirements are mitigated by making them stackable with very small side edges. But stack-ability mitigates the physical storage space problem far less for trays that are not used in commercial settings because non-commercial users generally have only one or two or occasionally three trays of the same type and have taller side edges. See the breakfast tray tables and laptop computer tray examples detailed above. As more specific examples; a married couple may have two identical breakfast tray tables to enable them to share breakfast side by side in bed with individual tray tables; or a homeowner may have two or three cookie sheets for occasional use when guests are expected. Stacking two or three such trays is better than if they were not stackable but the physical storage space problem persists whether there is a single tray or a stack of two or three, particularly when such trays are not used every day as is typical for non-commercial uses. Of course this physical storage problem becomes more acute in smaller dwellings such as condominiums, apartments, and boats.

Another problem with the above examples of prior art trays is that the uni-body design discourages portability. A commuter may prefer to place his/her breakfast sandwich on a tray resting on the car's passenger seat rather than on the sandwich wrapper resting on his/her lap. Enabling that with one of the trays in the above example takes an inordinate amount of space in the car when the tray is not in use. Because such a prior art tray with a uni-body design has a substantial edge its sheer size prohibits it being tucked into a briefcase and carried into the office or home once the commuter arrives at those locations. The commuter may simply leave the tray on the passenger seat but may then need to remove it to the trunk/boot in order to transport colleagues or clients during the workday or family members after returning home.

What is needed in the art is a tray that mitigates the above problems related to storage and portability, without the disadvantages of single-use paper trays that may be collapsible but lack rigidity. Embodiments of these teachings do so via a foldable tray.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of these teachings there is a foldable tray comprising a base, lateral side members, and a locking device. The base comprises first and second base sections each comprising opposed lateral edges, an inboard edge and a rigid hard surface. The first and second base sections are adjacent to one another along the respective inboard edges, and foldable along said adjacent inboard edges between an extended position in which the respective rigid hard surfaces lay substantially in a plane and a fully folded position in which the respective rigid hard surfaces are stacked relative to one another. The lateral side members are attached along the opposed lateral edges of each of the base sections, wherein each lateral side member is foldable, with respect to the base section to which it is attached and along its respectively attached lateral edge, between an upright position in which the respective lateral side member is substantially perpendicular to the rigid hard surface of the base section to which it is attached, and a portable position in which the respective lateral side member is either stacked relative to its respective base section or has a major surface lying in the same plane as the rigid hard surface of the base section to which it is attached. The locking device retains the first and second base sections in the extended position only when said locking device is engaged.

These and other aspects of the invention are detailed further below with particularity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective line drawing of a foldable tray in the extended position, according to a particular embodiment of these teachings.

FIG. 1B is identical to FIG. 1A with shading to better illustrate certain aspects, and additionally showing further exemplary features, of the foldable tray.

FIG. 2A is a perspective line drawing of the foldable tray of FIG. 1A but with the side members extended to lay flat with the base members.

FIG. 2B is identical to FIG. 2A with shading to better illustrate certain aspects of the example foldable tray.

FIGS. 3A-B are different perspective views of the foldable tray similar to FIG. 2A except the tray is flipped upside down to illustrate example embodiments of a locking device that spans the base sections.

FIGS. 4A-B are different perspective views showing an embodiment of the foldable tray in a portable position with the base sections folded to a stacked relation relative to one another.

FIGS. 5A-B are perspective views of the inset portion of FIG. 4B illustrating detail of a particular embodiment of the corner lock 190.

FIGS. 6A-B illustrate similar perspective views of the example foldable tray 100 in an A-frame orientation, in line drawing and with shading respectively.

FIG. 6C illustrates detail of an exemplary embodiment of the hinged end of the arm shown at FIGS. 6A-B.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of three foldable trays 100 arranged to raise elevation of one of them that is in the fully extended position, according to various example embodiments.

FIG. 8A illustrates a perspective view of the example foldable tray in the fully extended position and with an embodiment of a cup strap 198 extended to hold a cup.

FIGS. 8B-C illustrate detail of the cup strap of FIG. 8A in the stowed and operative positions.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the example foldable tray in the fully extended position with a removable seatbelt strap attached thereto at corners of the tray.

FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing detail of an example embodiment for attaching free ends of the seatbelt strap to the corner locks of the tray.

FIG. 9C is a perspective view illustrating a use case for the seatbelt strap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of these teachings encompass a foldable tray formed from a single flat material such as rigid plastic, and in such an embodiment the various edges described herein may be pre-formed creases to enable folding as described herein. Other embodiments may encompass the base and side members described below being formed of a metal or a thin wood material in which the variously described members may be formed separately from one another and bound together along the described edges using an overlay material such as cloth, Kevlar, carbon fiber, silicone and the like. In this regard this description refers to certain elements of the foldable tray as base and side members having edges, but as in the examples above such an edge may be a crease fabricated into a uni-body flat piece of material or it may define the terminus of a member that was originally formed separately from the member to which it is attached in the final tray. More generally, the description herein is exemplary and non-limiting to the broader teachings herein.

The foldable tray disclosed herein has a variety of uses, for example providing a flat, clean and portable surface for eating or working with a portable electronic device, or in another example providing a sterile surface for holding appliances for a medical procedure.

The foldable tray disclosed herein has a variety of uses, for example providing a flat, clean and portable surface for eating or working with a portable electronic device, or in another example providing a sterile surface for holding appliances for a medical procedure.

FIG. 1A is a perspective line drawing of an embodiment of such a foldable tray 100 in the extended position, and FIG. 1B is identical but with shading and showing additional features that may be present in certain embodiments. FIG. 2A is a perspective line drawing of the foldable tray of FIG. 1A but with the side members extended to lay flat with the base members. Lay flat in this regard means that a major surface of a given side element lay in substantially the same plane as the rigid surface of the base member to which it is attached, as will be detailed further below, where substantially refers to within 15 degrees of the same plane. FIG. 2B is identical to FIG. 2A but with shading. Note that the orientation of FIGS. 2A-B is opposite that of FIG. 1B, as evidenced by the cup strap 198.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-2B the base of the tray comprises a first base section 110, a second base section 150, and side members 120, 130, 140, 150, 160. The first base section 110 is bounded by an internal edge 110i, an opposed distal edge 110d, and two opposed lateral edges 110l. Those same edges also bound a rigid hard surface 114 for holding users' food or other items when the tray 100 is in use. A first outboard side member 140 is attached to the distal edge 110d of the first base section 110 along an inboard edge 140i of that first outboard side member 140. First 120 and second 130 lateral side members are attached to the lateral edges 110l of the first base section 110 along respective inboard edges 120i, 130i of those respective lateral side members 120, 130. Each of those inboard edges 120i, 130i of the first 120 and second 130 lateral side members are adjacent to one of the lateral edges 110l of the first base section 110, and the first 120 and second 130 lateral side members fold relative to the first base section 110 along those adjacent edges. Similarly, the inboard edge 140i of the first outboard side member 140 is adjacent to the distal edges 110d of the first base section 110 so that the first outboard side member 140 also folds relative to the first base section 110 along those adjacent edges. As noted above, these adjacent edges may be defined in certain embodiments as a pre-fabricated crease in the sheet material from which the tray 100 is fabricated, where the pre-fabricated crease or creases facilitate folding the differently members 110, 120, 130, 140 relative to one another as described.

As best shown at FIGS. 1A and 2B, the first outboard side member 140 further defines two opposed lateral edges 140l, and the first 120 and second 130 lateral side members each define a distal edge 120d, 130d that are adjacent to those lateral edges 140l when the tray 100 is in the extended position of FIG. 1A-B. The first 120 and second 130 lateral side members further define a lateral edge 120l, 130l opposite their respective distal edge 120d, 130d (see FIG. 1A), and an outboard edge 120o, 130o opposite their respective inboard edge 120i, 130i (see FIG. 2A).

The second base section 150 is substantially similar to the first base section 110 with internal edge 150i, distal edge 150d and two lateral edges 1501. Attached to the second base section 150 is a second distal side member 180 similar to the first distal side member 140 with inboard edge 180i, outboard edge 1800 and two lateral edges 180l. And similar to the first 120 and second 130 lateral side members attached to the first base section 110, also attached to the second base section 150 are third 160 and fourth 170 lateral side members defining respective inboard edges 160i, 170i, outboard edges 170o, 180o, distal edges 170d, 180d and lateral edges 170l, 180l. In this regard, to the extent described thus far the second base section 150 with side members 160, 170, 180 is substantially a mirror image of the first base section 110 with side members 120, 130, 140. Certain added features of certain embodiments that are described below do not hold to that mirror image, for example the cup strap 198, arms 194, locks 196a/b and ledge 199 are not mirrored in the embodiments particularly described herein. Note that the mirror image feature implies but does not necessitate that the dimensions of the mirrored components be identical. For example, while the illustrations herein imply that the first 110 and second 150 base sections are identical in size or substantially so, such is not a limitation to the broader teachings herein. Some variance in size between those sections 110, 150, or between other mirrored side members, may exploit other advantages while minimally impacting to how small the tray 100 folds for storage.

When the tray 100 is in the extended position shown at FIGS. 1A-B, the internal edges 110i, 150i of the first 110 and second 150 base section face one another, as do the lateral edges of lateral side member pairs attached to the different base sections 110, 150. That is, the first 120 and third 160 lateral side members form such a pair, and their respective lateral edges 120l, 160l face one another when in the extended position as FIG. 1A particularly denotes. The second 130 and fourth 170 lateral side members form another such pair and their respective lateral edges 130l, 170l face one another when the tray 100 is in the extended position. This facing relation is also true in the flat position shown at FIGS. 2A-B, so the extended position of FIGS. 1A-B is defined as the lateral side members 120, 130, 160, 170 being upright with respect to the rigid hard surfaces 114 of the base sections 110, 150 when the rigid hard surfaces 114 of those base sections 110, 150 lay in substantially the same plane. The illustrated embodiments show the lateral side members 120, 130, 160, 170 being perpendicular to the base sections 110, 150 at FIGS. 1A-B but some embodiments may have them disposed at less than a 90 degree angle from the flat position shown at FIGS. 2A-B to facilitate stacking while in the extended position. In this regard the lateral side members 120, 130, 160, 170 being upright with respect to the rigid hard surfaces 114 of the base sections 110, 150 means there is a substantial angle between them, for example at least 30 degrees as compared to the flat position shown at FIGS. 2A-B and preferably at least 45 degrees.

Whether perpendicular or at a reduced angle with respect to the rigid hard surfaces 114 of the base sections 110, 150, there is a locking device 192 that in the locked position retains the rigid surfaces 114 of the first 110 and second 150 base sections in substantially the same plane. In the disengaged position this locking device 192 allows those base sections 110, 150 to fold along their adjacent internal edges 110i, 150i. Disclosed below are different examples for implementing the locking device 192; disposed along pairs of lateral side members that are adjacent to one another 120/160, 110/170 (at least when in the upright position where the tray is extended); and disposed along one or both of the base sections 110, 150.

For the embodiment shown at FIGS. 1A-B this locking device 192 spans the facing lateral edges 120l/160l, 130l/170l of at least one of lateral side member pair (illustrated for lateral side members 120 and 160) that are attached to the different base sections 110, 150. This may be embodied in various ways, for example a semi-flexible loop that can be inserted into and removed from one or both of the lateral side members of the pair, such as for example a zip tie or a flexible solid or hollow tubular material such as soft plastic or silicone defining two ends that removably interlock with one another to form the tubular material into a loop which passes through holes defined in the adjacent side members as in FIGS. 1A-B. Other example embodiments of the locking device 192 include a flexible fabric or plastic strap having a male tab or female receptacle that mates with a complementary female receptacle/male tab on the other lateral side member of the pair, a flexible fabric or plastic strap fixed to one (or both) of the side lateral members of a given pair and removably attachable to a loop and hook fastener (e.g., Velcro®) to its paired lateral side member, a sliding connector such as a sliding bar latch or a U-shaped connector that slides into holes in each lateral side member near their adjacent edges, a folding connector (e.g., a fold over clasp or latch) such as a tab extension of one lateral side member with male tab/female receptacle complementary to a receptacle/tab on the opposed lateral side member similar in kind to the corner lock 190 detailed at FIGS. 5A-B, or a latch (e.g., hook and eye latch mechanism) rotatably mounted to one (or both) lateral side members of a pair that rotates into and out of a locked position with a mating receptacle mounted to the opposed lateral side member of the pair, or a flat bar mounted to one lateral side member of a pair that slides into a receptacle mounted to the other lateral side member of the pair. The locking device 192 may also be embodied as a non-mechanical mechanism, such as a magnetic field between a magnet and a metal or between two magnets respectively embedded near the lateral edges 120l, 160l of the given lateral side member pair. In these embodiments of the locking mechanism, the lock between pairs of lateral side members enables all of the lateral side members 120, 130, when unlocked or otherwise disconnected, to fold relative to their respective base sections 110, 150. It is this folding of lateral side members 120/130 that enable the base sections 110, 150 to fold relative to one another along their internal edges 110i, 150i that face one another when the base sections 110, 150 are not folded.

Other embodiments of the locking device 192 may be disposed on the first 110 and/or second 150 base sections themselves. FIGS. 3A-B are similar to FIG. 2A but the tray is flipped upside down to illustrate example embodiments of this. In one embodiment there is one or more rigid sliding (FIG. 3A) or rotating (FIG. 3B) bridges mounted to the underside of the tray 100 opposite one or both of the rigid hard surfaces 114; when this sliding or rotating bridge is extended or rotated to span the facing internal edges 110i, 150i of the base sections 110, 150 it retains those rigid hard surfaces 114 in substantially the same plane and when the bridge is retracted or rotated to underlie only one of the base sections 110, 150 the tray is free to fold along those adjacent internal edges 110i, 150i. For the sliding embodiment shown by example at FIG. 3A the sliding bridge 302A may slide into and partially out of a pocket 304 mounted to the underside of one of the base sections 110, 150, as shown by the bi-directional arrow. For the rotating embodiment shown by example at FIG. 3B, the rotating bridge 302b may be attached to one base section 110 via a mounting pin 306 and rotatable about that pin between a first position shown at FIG. 3B via dashed outline in which the bridge spans the facing internal edges 110i, 150i to retain the rigid hard surfaces 114 in substantially the same plane, and a second position in which the rotating bridge 302b completely underlies only one of the base sections 110, 150 which frees the tray to fold along the adjacent internal edges 110i, 150i. For consistency the first position of the sliding bridge 302a may be the extended position and the second position retracted into the pocket 304 so in both cases the first position is locked with the tray open and the second position is unlocked such that the locking device does not obstruct folding of the tray. Such sliding or rotating bridges 302a, 302b may be constructed of a rigid flat material such as aluminum, wood, carbon fiber, plastic and the like to enable the first 110 and second 150 base sections to fold flat relative to one another despite the additional layer of material comprising the bridge. Unlike embodiments of the locking device disposed on the lateral side members, when the locking device is implemented entirely on one or both of the base sections 110, 150 such as the sliding 302a or rotating 302b bridge immediately above it is possible to fold the base sections 110, 150 relative to one another along their internal edges 110i, 150i without first folding the lateral side members 120, 130 relative to their respective base sections.

FIGS. 4A-B illustrate different perspective views of the tray 100 with both base sections 110, 150, folded along their respective inboard edges 110i, 150i to the fully folded position in which the respective rigid hard surfaces 114 are stacked relative to one another. Note also in this fully folded position that each of the lateral side members 120, 130, 160, 170 are folded, with respect to the base section 110, 150 to which it is attached, along its lateral edge 120l, 130l, 160l, 170l such that a major surface of the respective lateral side member lays in the same plane as the rigid hard surface 114 of the base section 110, 150 to which it is attached. For convenience refer to this as the portable position. Like the lateral side members, for the portable position the two outboard side members 140, 180 may also be folded along their respective inboard edge 140i, 180i such that a major surface of the respective outboard side member 140, 180 lays in the same plane as the rigid hard surface 114 of the base section to which it is attached.

In other implementations the fully folded position may have each lateral side member 120, 130, 160, 170 in a stacked relation relative to the base section 110, 150 to which it is attached. This implementation would define a lesser span of length and width for the fully folded position and greater than the two layers of height that FIG. 4A-B illustrate. To fold the tray 100 such that the lateral side members 120, 130, 160, 170 are in a stacked relation relative to the base sections 110, 150 to which they are respectively attached would entail transitioning through the orientation in which the respective lateral side member lays in the same plane as the rigid hard surface 114 of its attached base section as FIGS. 4A-B shows. The two outboard side members 140, 180 may also be folded along their respective inboard edge 140i, 180i similar to the lateral side members in this implementation, also transitioning through the orientation specifically shown at FIGS. 4A-B. Where all of the side members are folded to the stacked relation with the base sections 110, 150, the fully folded position would span no more than the length and width of one base section (assuming as illustrated herein that there are only two base sections of identical size).

In this regard, a tray comprising two base sections 110, 150 of substantially identical size is a non-limiting embodiment. In other embodiments there may be three or more base sections, each foldable to stack with the other base sections to achieve the portable flat position. For many of these embodiments there will be at least one internal or external locking device 192 for either or both of: a) each pair of lateral edges 130l/170l, 120l/160l of adjacent lateral side member pairs 130/170, 120/160 that face one another when the tray is in the extended position; and b) each pair of internal edges 110i/150i of adjacent base sections 110/150 that face one another when the tray is in the extended position. FIG. 1A shows an example for the option a) locking device and FIGS. 3A-B shows an example for the option b) locking device.

FIGS. 5A-B are perspective views of a portion of the folding tray 100 shown in FIG. 4B as the inset that illustrate detail of a particular embodiment of the corner lock 190 which FIG. 1A shows in the locked position. FIG. 5A illustrates transparently and FIG. 5B illustrates with shading. In this embodiment the corner lock 190 is at each corner of the extended tray 100 and is implemented as a tab 502 that extends beyond the distal edge 120d, 130d, 160d, 170d of the lateral side member 120, 130, 160, 170 to which the tab 502 is foldably attached. When the respective lateral side member 120, 130, 160, 170 and its adjacent outboard side member 140, 180 are folded such that their respective edges 120d/140l, 130d/140l, 170d/180l, 160d/180l are adjacent to one another, the respective tab 502 folds around those adjacent edges and removably attaches to the respective outboard side member 140, 180. Equivalently one or some or all of the tabs 502 may be foldably attached to the outboard side member 140, 180 and fold around those adjacent edges to removably attach to the respective lateral side member 120, 130, 160, 170. As shown there is a male protrusion 504 and a complementary female receptacle positioned on the respective outboard side member 140, 180 and lateral side member 120, 130, 160, 170 such that one fits into the other to lock the corner lock 190 so as to retain those side members in the locked position as FIG. 1A illustrates.

Other example embodiments of the corner lock 190 include a fabric or plastic strip having a fixed end attached near the distal edge 120d, 130d, 160d, 170d of the lateral side member or near the lateral edge 140l, 180l of the outboard side member 140, 180 and having a free end that is removably attachable, such as via a hook and loop (e.g., Velcro®) fastener, to the other of the outboard or lateral side member when folded around their respective adjacent edges 120d/140l, 130d/140l, 170d/180l, 160d/180l. The tab 502 embodiment detailed above may also be implemented with a hook and loop fastener in place of the illustrated male protrusion 504 and female receptacle 506. A further example of the corner lock 190 includes magnets or one magnet and a magnetic metal embedded in the outboard and lateral side members near those adjacent edges. The corner lock 190 may be implemented similar to any of the examples detailed above for the locking device 192 betwixt adjacent lateral side members 120/160, 130/170, but note the U shaped connector may not be substantially planar when implemented for the corner lock 190. For the case in which the corner lock 190 is implemented as a hook and eye latch mechanism, the hook would extend beyond the distal edge of the lateral side member or the lateral edge of the outboard side member such that the hook mounted near the adjacent lateral or distal edge would rotate into and out of a locking relation with the eye. A clasp mechanism may be implemented similarly, with a fixed portion that receives the movable portion of the clasp extending beyond those same edges, or alternatively the movable portion may extend around the adjacent distal and lateral edges of the respective side members to removably engage with the fixed portion. While the illustrated example of the corner lock 190 has the mechanism disposed on the outward-facing surfaces of the described side members, in other embodiments they may be disposed on the inward-facing surfaces of these same side members that lay adjacent to the rigid hard surfaces 114 of the base section 110, 150 to which they are foldably attached when the tray 100 is in the extended position. For the case where the corner lock 190 is implemented as a length of flexible tubular material with removably interlocking ends, when locked different sections of this tubular material would extend across both the inward-facing and outward-facing surfaces.

FIGS. 6A-B illustrate similar perspective views of the foldable tray 100 folded to an A-frame orientation, in line drawing and with shading respectively. Each shows the second base section 150 with inboard edge 150i adjacent to the inboard edge 110i of the first base section 110, lateral side members 160, 170 with an arm 194 attached thereto at its hinged end 194h and tab 502 extensions with male protrusions 504, an outboard side member 180 bearing a ledge 199, and one of the lateral side members 120 attached to the first base section and bearing an arm lock 194a and a combined lock 194b. These drawing figures illustrate the foldable tray 100 in an A-frame orientation that is convenient for holding a laptop computer or tablet in a predominantly upright position for reading. In this regard the ledge 199 is to retain the computer device in place by preventing it from sliding off the outboard side member 180 of the tray 100. FIG. 6A illustrates a narrow A-frame orientation in which the free end 194f of the arm 194 is attached to the arm lock 194a. The arm lock 194a is disposed nearer the lateral edge 120l of the lateral side member 120 to which that arm lock 194a as compared to the combined lock 194b on that same lateral side member 120. FIG. 6B illustrates a wide A-frame orientation in which the free end 194f of the arm 194 is attached to the combined lock 194b. The arm lock 194a and the combined lock 194 b may be physically identical except for the position at which they are disposed; different terminology is used to distinguish them for certain embodiments of the foldable tray 100 in which the combined lock 194b has a dual use as detailed below with respect to FIGS. 8A-C. The free end 194a of the arm 194 and the arm lock 194a/combined lock 194b form a removable locking mechanism, of which one example is shown at FIGS. 8B-C as a pin-and-hole arrangement. Other arrangements can be utilized for this locking mechanisms, for example those detailed above for the locking device 192 and corner lock 190, though the tab 502 embodiment is seen as a less practical implementation for the arm 194/lock 194a-194b arrangement.

FIG. 6C is a detailed transparent view of an example implementation of the hinged end 194h of the arm 194 and its connection to the lateral side member 160. In this non-limiting embodiment the hinged end 194 defines a fixed pin 194p that extends from and retracts into the lateral side member 160. In the extended position illustrated at FIG. 6C the hinged end 194h of the arm 194 is free to rotate about a central axis of the pin 194p, whereas in the retracted position the lateral side member 160 itself prevents rotation of the arm 194. In this regard the hinged end 194 enables the arm 194 to rotate from a first position in which the arm 194 lays adjacent to the lateral side member, and a second position in which the arm 194 is rotated from that position and not adjacent to the lateral side member 160. In the particularly illustrated embodiment, for the first position the arm 194 is nested within a recess defined by the lateral side member 160.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of three foldable trays 100 according to embodiments already detailed. FIG. 7 illustrates that when two trays 100 are folded to the wide A-frame orientation and arranged such that their outboard side members 140, 180 abut one another, the distance between peaks defined by the internal edges 110i, 150i of their respective base sections 110, 150 spans less than a largest span of the foldable tray 100 in the fully extended position. This enables three trays to form the arrangement of FIG. 7 which is useful for elevating the height of the fully extended tray above a surface supporting the two trays with the A-frame orientation. Note that while FIG. 7 specifically shows peaks defined by lateral edges 130l, 170l of lateral side members, these peaks are in line with peaks defined by the internal edges 110i, 150i of the base sections 110, 150.

FIG. 8A illustrates a perspective view of the foldable tray in the fully extended position and with the cup strap 198 extended to hold a cup. FIG. 8B is an isolated view showing the cup strap 198 in the stowed position and FIG. 8C is an isolated view showing the cup strap 198 in the operative position for holding a cup. FIG. 8A shows the base sections 110, 150 and side members 120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180 of the tray 100 in the fully extended position, with the hinged end 198h of the cup strap 198 attached to one of the outboard side members 140 and the free end 198f attached to the combined lock 198b disposed on an adjacent lateral side member 130.

FIG. 8B illustrates the cup strap 198 in the stowed position in which the free end 198f is locked into a stow lock 194c, which is similar in kind to the combined lock 196c but disposed on the same outboard side member 140 as the hinged end 198f of the cup strap 198 is attached. FIG. 8C illustrates the cup strap 198 in the operative position in which the free end 198f is locked into the combined lock 196c. As particularly shown at FIGS. 8B-C, in this implementation the free end 198f defines one or more protruding pins and each of the combined lock 196b and the stow lock 196c define a complementary hole into which any one of those pins may be inserted to lock the cup strap 198 in the stowed and operative positions. Multiple pins as shown better secures different size cups when the cup strap 198 is in the operative position.

FIGS. 9A-C illustrate an optional removable seatbelt strap 902. FIG. 9A illustrates the seat belt strap 902 attached at the corner locks 190 of the foldable tray 100 in the fully extended position. The seatbelt strap 902 defines two free ends and is preferably made of a fabric material, and may further include a length adjuster 902a. As detailed at FIG. 9B each free end of the seatbelt strap 902 may have a rubber or plastic tip 902t defining a hole 902h through which the male protrusion 504 of the corner lock 190 extends to mate with the female receptacle 506. Other non-limiting implementations to removably attach the free ends of the seat belt strap 902 to the foldable tray 100 include clasps, hook and loop fasteners, and spring-loaded clips. Any of these may be particularly attach to the corners of the tray as does the example at FIGS. 9A-C, or to the outboard side members 140, 180 between their respective lateral edges 140l, 180l. FIG. 9C illustrates a preferred use case in which the seatbelt strap 902 is run behind a vehicle seat. In this manner the seatbelt strap 902 with its free ends attached to the tray 100 keeps the tray 100 from sliding off the lap of a person sitting in that seat while the vehicle is in motion, or at least keep it from sliding forward and away from the person such as when the vehicle decelerates. For at least this use case the mechanism by which the free ends of the seatbelt strap 902 attaches to the tray 100 need only attach when the tray 100 is in the fully extended position.

The above embodiments are illustrative and not limiting to the broader teachings herein. Whereas the illustrated embodiments demonstrate multiple and varied features such as the arm and lock(s) to sustain the tray in an A-frame orientation and the cup holder and the seatbelt strap, it is within these teachings for an embodiment to have all or some or none of these added features. Further, variations that are within ordinary skill in the art that may not be specifically detailed herein are not excluded by the foregoing claims merely for the fact they are not specifically claimed.

For convenience the table below recites reference numbers used herein.

100  Foldable tray
110  1st base section
110i Internal edge of 110
110d Distal edge of 110
110l Lateral edge of 110
114  Rigid hard surface
120  1st lateral side member
120i Inboard edge of 120
120o Outboard edge of 120
120l Lateral edge of 120
120d Distal edge of 120
130  2nd lateral side member
130- Same edges as 120
140  1st outboard side member
140i Inboard edge of 140
140o Outboard edge of 140
140l Lateral edge of 140
150  2nd base section
150- Same edges as 110
160  3rd lateral side member
160- Same edges as 120
170  4th lateral side member
170- Same edges as 120
180  2nd outboard side member
180- Same edges as 140
190  Corner lock
192  Locking device
194  Arm
194h Hinged end
194f Free end
194p Pin
196a Arm lock
196b Combined lock
196c Stow lock
198  Cup strap
198h Hinged end
198f Free end
199  Ledge
502  Tab
504  Male protrusion
506  Female receptacle
302a Sliding bridge
302b Rotating bridge
304  Pocket
306  Mounting pin
902  Seatbelt strap
902a Length adjuster
902h Hole
902t Tip

Claims

1. A foldable tray comprising:

a base comprising: first and second base sections each comprising opposed lateral edges, an inboard edge and a rigid hard surface; said first and second base sections adjacent to one another along the respective inboard edges, and foldable along said adjacent inboard edges between an extended position in which the respective rigid hard surfaces lay substantially in a plane and a fully folded position in which the respective rigid hard surfaces are stacked relative to one another;

lateral side members attached along the opposed lateral edges of each of the base sections, wherein: each lateral side member is foldable, with respect to the base section to which it is attached and along its respectively attached lateral edge, between an upright position in which the respective lateral side member is at a substantial angle to the rigid hard surface of the base section to which it is attached and a portable position in which the respective lateral side member is either stacked relative to its respective base section or has a major surface lying in the same plane as the rigid hard surface of the base section to which it is attached; and

a locking device that retains the first and second base sections in the extended position only when said locking device is engaged.

2. The foldable tray according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the first and second base sections comprises a distal edge opposite the respective base section's inboard edge;

the foldable tray further comprises outboard side members attached along the distal edges of the first and second base sections; and

each of the outboard side members is foldable, with respect to the base section to which it is attached and along its respectively attached distal edge, between an upright position in which the respective outboard side member is at a substantial angle to the rigid hard surface of the base section to which it is attached and a portable position in which the respective outboard side member is either stacked relative to its respective base section or has a major surface lying in the same plane as the rigid hard surface of the base section to which it is attached.

3. The foldable tray according to claim 2, wherein:

each lateral side member comprises a distal edge;

each outboard side member comprises opposed lateral edges; and

the folding tray further comprises at least one corner lock that retains the distal edge of a given one of the lateral side members adjacent to one of the lateral edges of a given one of the outboard side members only when the corner lock is engaged while said given lateral and outboard side members are in the upright position.

4. The foldable tray according to claim 3, wherein the at least one corner lock comprises a tab extension attached to and foldable along:

the distal edge of the given lateral side member such that when the corner lock is engaged the tab is folded to extend alongside the given outboard side member, or

one of the lateral edges of the given outboard side member such that when the corner lock is engaged the tab is folded to extend alongside the given lateral side member.

5. The foldable tray according to claim 4, wherein the corner lock comprises a male protrusion (504) and a mating female receptacle disposed on different ones of the tab and the given outboard or lateral side member alongside which the folded tab extends.

6. The foldable tray according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the lateral side members defines a lateral edge such that at least in the upright position lateral edges of lateral side members attached to different ones of the first and second base sections face one another;

the locking device spans the facing lateral edges of at least one pair of the lateral side members.

7. The foldable tray according to claim 6, wherein the locking device comprises a flexible material fixedly attached to one of the lateral side members of the pair and removably attachable to another of the lateral side members of the pair.

8. The foldable tray according to claim 1, wherein the locking device comprises a rigid bridge disposed on the first base section opposite the rigid surface, and movable between a disengaged position in which the rigid bridge completely underlies the first base section and an engaged position in which the rigid bridge spans the internal edges of the first and second base sections when the foldable tray is in the extended position.

9. The foldable tray according to claim 1, further comprising: wherein the arm lock and the free end of the arm are removably engageable with one another such that when engaged they retain the first and second base sections in an A-frame orientation.

an arm defining a hinged end attached to one of the lateral side members that is attached to the second base section, and a free end; and

an arm lock disposed along one of the lateral side members that is attached to the first base section;

10. The foldable tray according to claim 9, wherein:

each of the first and second base sections comprises a distal edge opposite the respective base section's inboard edge; and

the foldable tray further comprises: outboard side members attached along the distal edges of the first and second base sections; and a protruding ledge disposed on at least one of the outboard side members and spaced from the distal edge of the base section to which said outboard side member is attached.

11. The foldable tray according to claim 9, wherein the arm lock is a first arm lock and the foldable tray further comprises a second arm lock disposed at a second position along the said lateral side member that is attached to the first base section different than a first position at which the first arm lock is disposed;

wherein the second arm lock and the free end of the arm are removably engageable with one another such that when engaged they retain the first and second base sections in an A-frame orientation that is narrower or wider than the said A-frame orientation.

12. The foldable tray according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the first and second base sections comprises a distal edge opposite the respective base section's inboard edge;

the foldable tray further comprises: outboard side members attached along the distal edges of the first and second base sections; a cup strap having a hinged end attached to the outboard side member attached to the first base section, and a free end; a first lock disposed on one of the lateral side members that is attached to the first base section and adjacent to the said outboard side member attached to the first base section; a stow lock disposed on the outboard side member attached to the first base section;

wherein the first lock and the stow lock are each removably engageable with the free end of the cup strap.

13. The foldable tray according to claim 12, wherein the free end of the cup strap defines multiple parallel pins, each of which is removably engageable with the first lock.

14. The foldable tray according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the first and second base sections comprises a distal edge opposite the respective base section's inboard edge;

the foldable tray further comprises: outboard side members attached along the distal edges of the first and second base sections; a seatbelt strap having opposed free ends that are removably attachable to the outboard side members.

15. The foldable tray according to claim 14, wherein each of the free ends of the seatbelt strap define a hole by which said free ends are removably attachable to corner locks of the foldable tray when the tray is in the extended position.