COLLAPSIBLE UTILITY TRAY WITH FLEXIBLE MOUNTING FEATURE

• US 20130048587A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gallup, Eric
• Original Assignee: Gallup, Eric
• Inventors: Gallup, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/132.1
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 23/02 releasably mounted on the bedstead or another item of furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 43/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features enabling folding of the cabinet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 43/003 Suspended shelves, e.g. by means of supple elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 43/02 made of cardboard or the like travelling wardrobes A47B61/06; hand-folded from sheet material and specially adapted for display A47F5/116
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 55/02 made of wire
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 55/06 made of cardboard, paper, or the like travelling wardrobes A47B61/06
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/027 Cantilever shelves
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/147 made of tubes or wire
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/01 made of tubes or wire A47F5/0807 takes precedence foldable or adjustable A47F5/13
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/112 hand-folded from sheet material
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/13 made of tubes or wire assemblies of elements of the same kind, e.g. stackable, A47B87/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 25/0614 for mounting to a door top
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/00 Supports, holders, or containers for household use, not provided for in groups A47G1/00-A47G27/00 or A47G33/00 for fastening kitchen utensils A47J45/00; for drying towels A47K10/04; stands, racks or the like for airing beds, garments or the like, clothes, drying devices D06F57/00

Abstract

A collapsible utility tray device with a flexible mounting feature. The device includes a main tray portion for holding various items as desired by a user. A combined back/top piece is hinged to the main tray portion, such that the back/top can be folded closed to serve as a lid for the tray, or can be folded open to serve as a back structure for mounting the device and holding the tray portion horizontal. The back/top piece is fitted with a large rubberized twist tie for flexibly attaching the device to an object. The large rubberized twist tie can also be used to keep the device closed when the back/top piece is folded down. The device further includes smaller rubberized twist ties which can be used for hanging other small items from the tray or securing items to the tray. A small light can also be included in the device.

Claims

1. A utility tray comprising:

a tray body for holding items;

a back/top, said back/top being hingedly coupled to the tray body such that the back/top can be folded down to form an enclosure with the tray body and said back/top can be folded open to serve as a back for mounting the utility tray to a mounting structure;

a first rubberized twist tie passing through holes in the back/top, where the first rubberized twist tie is suitable to attach the utility tray to the mounting structure or to hold the back/top in a fully closed position on the tray body, and the first rubberized twist tie can be removed from the holes in the back/top; and

one or more of a second rubberized twist tie passing through holes in the tray body, where the second rubberized twist tie can be used to secure items inside or outside of the tray body, and the second rubberized twist tie can be removed from the holes in the tray body.

2. The utility tray of claim 1 further comprising a light.

3. The utility tray of claim 2 wherein the light is a light emitting diode (LED) light.

4. The utility tray of claim 1 further comprising a closure device for holding the back/top in the fully closed position on the tray body.

5. The utility tray of claim 4 wherein the closure device is a magnet.

6. The utility tray of claim 1 wherein the back/top is coupled to the tray body with a hinge which limits rotation of the back/top to a maximum opening angle from the fully closed position.

7. The utility tray of claim 6 wherein the maximum opening angle is 90 degrees.

8. The utility tray of claim 1 wherein the tray body and the back/top are constructed of welded wire.

9. The utility tray of claim 1 wherein the tray body and the back/top are constructed of molded plastic.

10. A utility tray comprising:

a tray body for holding items, said tray body being constructed of welded wire;

a back/top, said back/top being constructed of welded wire, said back/top being coupled to the tray body via hinge loops such that the back/top can be folded down to form an enclosure with the tray body and said back/top can be folded open to serve as a back for mounting the utility tray to a mounting structure;

a light;

a first rubberized twist tie passing through holes in the back/top, where the first rubberized twist tie is suitable to attach the utility tray to the mounting structure or to hold the back/top in a fully closed position on the tray body, and the first rubberized twist tie can be removed from the holes in the back/top; and

one or more of a second rubberized twist tie passing through holes in the tray body, where the second rubberized twist tie can be used to secure items inside or outside of the tray body, and the second rubberized twist tie can be removed from the holes in the tray body.

11. The utility tray of claim 10 wherein the light is a light emitting diode (LED) light mounted in a face of the tray body to which the back/top is coupled.

12. The utility tray of claim 10 wherein the hinge loops are configured so that the back/top can only rotate open relative to the tray body by a maximum opening angle of 90 degrees from the fully closed position.

13. A utility tray comprising:

a tray body for holding items, said tray body being constructed of molded plastic;

a back/top, said back/top being constructed of molded plastic, said back/top being hingedly coupled to the tray body such that the back/top can be folded down to form an enclosure with the tray body and said back/top can be folded open to serve as a back for mounting the utility tray to a mounting structure;

a light;

a first rubberized twist tie passing through holes in the back/top, where the first rubberized twist tie is suitable to attach the utility tray to the mounting structure or to hold the back/top in a fully closed position on the tray body, and the first rubberized twist tie can be removed from the holes in the back/top; and

one or more of a second rubberized twist tie passing through holes in the tray body, where the second rubberized twist tie can be used to secure items inside or outside of the tray body, and the second rubberized twist tie can be removed from the holes in the tray body.

14. The utility tray of claim 13 further comprising a tension member attached to the back/top and the tray body, said tension member restricting the back/top to a maximum opening angle of 90 degrees from the fully closed position.

15. The utility tray of claim 13 further comprising a closure device for holding the back/top in the fully closed position on the tray body.

16. The utility tray of claim 15 wherein the closure device is a snap.

17. The utility tray of claim 15 wherein the closure device is comprised of mating pieces of hook and loop fastener material.

18. The utility tray of claim 15 wherein the closure device is a magnet.

19. The utility tray of claim 13 wherein the light is a light emitting diode (LED) light mounted in the back/top.