Food tray for automobiles

• US 4,040,659 A
• Filed: 06/01/1976
• Issued: 08/09/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Addie M. Arnold
• Original Assignee: Addie M. Arnold
• Inventors: Arnold, Addie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US05/691,233
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 297/194, 297/188, 297/113, 297/411, 211/132, 248/279, 248/298, 108/28, 312/282, 312/235 A
• US Class Current: 297/188.17
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 31/06 adapted to the use in vehicles with a set of feet and a part resting on someone's lap A47B23/041; arrangements or adaptations of tables in vehicles B60N3/001
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/62 Accessories for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/624 located on side of seat, e.g. on armrest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/793 for use as storage compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/102 storable or foldable in a non-use position

Abstract

A food tray for automobiles adapted to be built into the center arm rest of the front seat of an automobile, normally entirely enclosed within the arm rest, comprising a tubular arm normally enclosed within the arm rest but being slidable forwardly therein to provide a forward extension thereof, and auxiliary tray members normally enclosed within the arm but being laterally extendable therefrom when the arm is in its forwardly extended position.

Claims

1. A food tray for automobiles comprising:

a. a hollow, elongated tubular arm,

b. mounting means operable to support said arm for longitudinal sliding movement horizontally in the arm rest of an automobile, whereby said arm may be extended forwardly from the forward end of said arm rest, and

c. a pair of tray leaves normally enclosed in said hollow arm, said leaves being substantially horizontal, each having a transverse width substantially equal to the transverse width of said arm, and being disposed in over-and-under relation when enclosed in said arm, each of said tray leaves being pivotally mounted within said hollow arm on a vertical axis, whereby to be laterally extensible from said arm in a horizontal direction.

2. A food tray as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said tray leaves has a horizontal configuration corresponding to a sector of a circle, with their apeces extending rearwardly and being pivoted to said arm on axes disposed respectively at laterally opposite edges of said arm, whereby when said leaves are extended their distal edges are disposed in forwardly divergent relation, and whereby as said hollow arm is moved rearwardly into said arm rest, said arm rest will slidably engage said divergent tray leaf edges to cam said leaves to their retracted positions within said arm.

3. A food tray as recited in claim 2 with the addition of cooperative horizontally engaging support members carried respectively by said hollow arm and each of said tray leaves so as to be engaged when said leaves are extended, and operable when engaged to support said tray leaves vertically relative to said arm, at points spaced forwardly from the pivotal axes of said leaves.