Seat back mounted tray holder

• US 4,466,659 A
• Filed: 06/18/1982
• Issued: 08/21/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John R. Carpentier, Ruth L. Turner
• Original Assignee: John R. Carpentier, Ruth L. Turner
• Inventors: Carpentier, John R., Turner, Ruth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US06/389,918
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 150/35, 150/30, 150/31, 297/191, 297/193, 297/163, 297/146, 224/901, 224/269, 224/42.46 R, 224/258
• US Class Current: 297/188.06
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/70 of foldable type

Abstract

A folding tray holder for attachment to the rear of a stadium seat has hook like members on each side thereof which engage upright seat supports on each side of the seat and support the holder on the back of the seat. The holder has a rigid planar member in a bottom panel which may be folded upward from a supporting position when emptied to a stowed position to allow persons to pass along the aisle. The holder may be secured in the folded or stowed position and has a shoulder strap for carrying when removed from the seat back.

Claims

1. A seat back mounted tray holder, wherein a seat back-rest member extends between two spaced upright seat support members, comprising

a back portion,

a flexible bottom portion hinged along one side to said back portion and adapted to support a tray,

a planar stiffening member formed to fit within said flexible bottom portion,

opposing folding flexible end portions extending between and attached to adjacent ends of said back and bottom portions, said end portions operating when extended to limit the angular departure between said back and bottom portions,

and means connected to each of the ends of said back portion for attaching said back portion to the upright seat support members, whereby said bottom portion may be positioned between a substantially horizontal tray supporting position with said end portions extended and a stowed position alongside said back portion with said end portions folded.

2. A seat back mounted tray holder as in claim 1 together with means for releasably retaining said bottom portion in said stowed position when alongside said back portion.

5. A seat back mounted tray holder as in claim 1 or 2 together with a strap disposed for carrying engagement when said bottom portion is in said stowed position.

6. A seat back mounted tray holder as in claim 1 wherein said means for attaching comprises

a strap,

means for adjusting the length of said strap, and

a hook adapted to securely engage the upright seat support members.

7. A seat back mounted tray holder as in claim 6 wherein said means for adjusting on one end of said back portion comprises an elastic length in said strap.

8. A seat back mounted tray holder as in claim 6 wherein said means for adjusting on one end of said back portion comprises a double eye buckle.

9. A seat back mounted tray holder as in claim 1 wherein said back portion comprises a substantially vertically disposed portion when said means for attaching is coupled to the upright seat support members and at least one carrying pocket formed on the surface thereof which is disposed away from the seat back-rest.

10. A seat back mounted tray holder as in claim 1 wherein the seat back-rest rear surface is contoured and wherein said hinged one side of said bottom portion comprises a contoured edge adapted to substantially conform to the rear surface of the seat back-rest.

3. A seat back mounted tray holder, wherein a seat back-rest member extends between two spaced upright seat support members, comprising

a back portion,

a bottom portion hinged along one side to said back portion and adapted to support a tray,

opposing folding end portions extending between and attached to adjacent ends of said back and bottom portions, said end portions operating to limit the angular departure between said back and bottom portions,

and means connected to each of the ends of said back portion for attaching said back portion to the upright seat support members, whereby said bottom portion may be positioned between a substantially horizontal tray supporting position with said end portions extended and a stowed position alongside said back portion with said end portions folded, said bottom portion including a flexible outer cover and a rigid substantially planar member formed to fit within and to overlie said outer cover when in said tray supporting position.

4. A seat back mounted tray holder, wherein a seat back-rest member extends between two spaced upright seat support members, comprising

a back portion,

a bottom portion hinged along one side to said back portion and adapted to support a tray,

opposing folding end portions extending between and attached to adjacent ends of said back and bottom portions, said end portions operating to limit the angular departure between said back and bottom portions,

and means connected to each of the ends of said back portion for attaching said back portion to the upright seat support members, whereby said bottom portion may be positioned between a substantially horizontal tray supporting position with said end portions extended and a stowed position alongside said back portion with said end portions folded, said back portion including a substantially vertically disposed portion when said means for attaching is coupled to the upright seat support members, a top flap attached along the upper edge of said vertically disposed portion and means for securing said top flap to said bottom portion when said bottom portion is in said stowed position.

11. A seat back mountable and collapsible tray support adapted to releasably attach to the rear side of a stadium seat having a pair of upright seat support members and a seat back-rest extending therebetween comprising

a back panel,

means disposed between the ends of said back panel and adjacent ones of the upright seat supports for attaching and supporting said back panel adjacent to the seat back,

a bottom panel attached along one edge thereof to one edge of said back panel so that said bottom panel may be pivoted between a stowed position adjacent one surface of said back panel and a tray supporting position removed therefrom, and means disposed between said back and bottom panels for limiting said pivoting therebetween to said tray supporting position, said means for limiting including a folding end panel attached to and extending between adjacent ends of said back and bottom panels and operating to support said bottom panel in a substantially horizontal plane when mounted on a seat in said tray supporting position.

12. A tray support as in claim 11 together with means for releasably retaining said bottom panel in said stowed position.

15. A tray support as in claim 11 together with a carrying strap connected thereto for carrying engagement when in said stowed position.

16. A tray support as in claim 11 wherein said means for attaching and supporting comprises, a strap, means for adjusting said strap'"'"'s length, and a hook adapted to engage the upright seat support members.

17. A tray support as in claim 16 wherein said means for adjusting comprises an elastic length on said strap.

18. A tray support as in claim 16 wherein said means for adjusting comprises a double eye buckle.

19. A tray support as in claim 11 wherein said back panel comprises at least one carrying pocket on the surface thereof remote from the seat back-rest.

20. A tray support as in claim 11 wherein the rear surface of the seat back-rest is contoured and wherein said one edge of said bottom panel has a contour substantially conforming to the contour of the rear surface of the seat back-rest.

13. A seat back mountable and collapsible tray support adapted to releasably attach to the rear side of a stadium seat having a pair of upright seat support members and a seat back-rest extending therebetween comprising

a back panel,

means disposed between the ends of said back panel and adjacent ones of the upright seat supports for attaching and supporting said back panel adjacent to the seat back,

a bottom panel attached along one edge thereof to one edge of said back panel so that said bottom panel may be pivoted between a stowed position adjacent one surface of said back panel and a tray supporting position removed therefrom, and means disposed between said back and bottom panels for limiting said pivoting therebetween to said tray supporting position, wherein said bottom panel comprises a flexible outer cover and a rigid support member disposed therein.

14. A seat back mountable and collapsible tray support adapted to releasably attach to the rear side of a stadium seat having a pair of upright seat support members and a seat back-rest extending therebetween comprising

a back panel,

means disposed between the ends of said back panel and adjacent ones of the upright seat supports for attaching and supporting said back panel adjacent to the seat back,

a bottom panel attached along one edge thereof to one edge of said back panel so that said bottom panel may be pivoted between a stowed position adjacent one surface of said back panel and a tray supporting position removed therefrom, and means disposed between said back and bottom panels for limiting said pivoting therebetween to said tray supporting position, wherein a top flap is attached along an edge of said back panel opposite from said one edge, and means for attaching said top flap to said bottom panel when said bottom panel is in said stowed position.