Tray assembly for attachment to folding chairs and other supporting structures

• US 4,861,102 A
• Filed: 03/01/1989
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerald W. Fuller
• Original Assignee: Jerald W. Fuller
• Inventors: Fuller, Jerald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zugel, Francis K.
• Application Number:
  US07/169,749
• Time in Patent Office: 181 Days
• Field of Search: 297/162, 297/194, 108/152, 108/134, 108/49, 248/231.8, 248/316.7
• US Class Current: 297/162
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/624 located on side of seat, e.g. on armrest
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/68 Arm-rest tables ; or back-rest tables

Abstract

Tray assembly for attachment to folding chairs and other supporting structures. The tray assembly includes a base adapted to be mounted on a supporting structure, a support arm which is mounted on the base, and a tray which is mounted on the support arm. The support arm has first and second cylindrical mounting pins which are received in tight frictional engagement in semi-cylindrical mounting ferrules on the base and the tray. The pins can be rotated within the ferrules to move the support arm and table to different angular positions relative to the base and the support arm, with the support arm and the table being held securely in the different positions by the frictional engagement between the pins and the ferrules.

Claims

1. In a tray assembly for use with a support:

a base adapted to be mounted on the support and having a pair of semi-cylindrical mounting ferrules spaced apart along an axis which is oriented in a vertical plane when the base is mounted on the support, an L-shaped arm having a generally planar body with first and second sets of mounting pins disposed along generally perpendicular edges thereof, said first set of mounting pins snapping into the ferrules on the base and being gripped thereby with a frictional engagement which permits the arm to be rotated about the axis of the ferrules to align the second set of mounting pins in a generally horizontal plane, and a tray having a pair of spaced apart ferrules which snap onto the second set of mounting pins and grip the same so that the tray can be rotated about the horizontally aligned set of pins to a level position where it remains due to frictional engagement between the ferrules and the pins, said base, said arm and said tray each being fabricated of a plastic material with the mounting pins and ferrules being formed as integral parts thereof.

2. The tray assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting pins have axially spaced flanges engagable with the ferrules to prevent axial movement of the ferrules relative to the pins.

3. The tray assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the ferrules has a pair of side flanges and a plurality of journal blocks spaced axially apart between the side flanges, said side flanges and said journal blocks having surfaces lying on a cylinder of slightly lesser diameter than the mounting pins for engagement with said pins.

4. The tray assembly of claim 1 wherein the base has an elongated ferrule facing in a direction generally opposite to the other ferrules on the base for snapping engagement with a cylindrical surface on the support.

5. The tray assembly of claim 1 wherein the base has a mounting plate adapted to be mounted on a generally planar surface on the support.

6. In a tray assembly:

a base member fabricated of a generally rigid plastic material, a generally L-shaped arm member fabricated of a generally rigid plastic material, a first pair of connectors pivotally mounting the arm member on the base member and permitting the arm member to be moved to different angular positions relative to the base member, a tray member fabricated of a generally rigid plastic material, and a second pair of connectors pivotally mounting the tray member on the arm member and permitting the tray to be moved to different angular positions relative to the arm member, each of said connectors having a cylindrical mounting pin formed as an integral part of one of said members and a semi-cylindrical ferrule formed as an integral part of another of said members, said ferrules snapping onto said pins and gripping the same to hold the arm and tray members in a predetermined position relative to the base member.

7. The tray assembly of claim 6 wherein the mounting pins have axially spaced flanges engagable with the ferrules to prevent axial movement of the ferrules relative to the pins.

8. The tray assembly of claim 6 wherein each of the ferrules has a pair of side flanges and a plurality of journal blocks spaced axially apart between the side flanges, said side flanges and said journal blocks having surfaces lying on a cylinder of slightly lesser diameter than the mounting pins for engagement with said pins.

9. The tray assembly of claim 6 wherein the base has an elongated ferrule facing in a direction generally opposite to the first pair of connectors for snapping engagement with a cylindrical surface on a support.

10. The tray assembly of claim 6 wherein the base has a mounting plate adapted to be mounted on a generally planar surface on a support.

11. In a tray assembly for use with a generally upright cylindrical support:

a base member having a semi-cylindrical mounting ferrule adapted to snap onto the cylindrical support and grip the same to hold the base in a predetermined position on the support, a generally L-shaped arm member, a first connector pivotally mounting the arm member on the base member and permitting the arm member to be moved to different angular positions relative to the base member, a tray member, and a second connector pivotally mounting the tray member on the arm member, each of said connectors having a cylindrical mounting pin formed as an integral part of one of said members and a semi-cylindrical ferrule formed as an integral part of another of said members, said ferrules snapping onto said pins and gripping the same to hold the arm and tray members in a predetermined position relative to the base member.

12. In a tray assembly for use with a generally upright cylindrical support:

a base having a first semi-cylindrical mounting ferrule adapted to snap onto the cylindrical support and grip the same to hold the base in a predetermined position on the support and a pair of semi-cylindrical ferrules which face in a direction generally opposite the first ferrule and being spaced apart along an axis which is oriented in a vertical plane when the base is mounted on the support, an L-shaped arm having a generally planar body with first and second sets of mounting pins disposed along generally perpendicular edges thereof, said first set of mounting pins snapping into the ferrules on the base and being gripped thereby with a frictional engagement which permits the arm to be rotated about the axis of the ferrules to align the second set of mounting pins in a generally horizontal plane, and a tray having a pair of spaced apart ferrules which snap onto the second set of mounting pins and grip the same so that the tray can be rotated about the horizontally aligned set of pins to a level position where it remains due to frictional engagement between the ferrules and the pins, said base, said arm and said tray each being fabricated of a rigid plastic material with the mounting pins and ferrules being formed as integral parts thereof.

13. In a tray assembly:

a generally planar tray member fabricated of a generally rigid plastic material, an arm member fabricated of a generally rigid plastic material for supporting the tray member, a cylindrical mounting pin formed as an integral part of one of said members, and a semi-cylindrical ferrule formed as an integral part of the other of said members, said ferrule having a pair of side flanges and a plurality of journal blocks spaced axially apart between the side flanges, said side flanges and said journal blocks haivng surfaces lying on a cylinder of slightly lesser diameter than the mounting pin, whereby the ferrule is adapted to snap onto the pin and grip the pin with a frictional engagement which permits the tray member to be moved to different angular positions relative to the arm member and to remain in those positions until moved therefrom.

14. The tray assembly of claim 13 wherein the mounting pin has axially spaced flanges engagable with the ferrule to prevent axial movement of the ferrule relative to the pin.

15. The tray assembly of claim 13 including a base member fabricated of a generally rigid plastic material adapted to be mounted on a support, a second mounting pin formed as an integral part of one of said arm and base members, and a second ferrule formed as an integral part of the other of said arm and base members, said second ferrule snapping over said second pin and gripping the same with a tight frictional engagement which permits the arm member to be moved to different positions relative to the base member and to remain in said positions until moved therefrom.

16. The tray assembly of claim 15 wherein the base member has an elongated ferrule facing in a direction generally opposite to the pin and ferrule on the base and arm members for snapping engagement with a cylindrical surface on the support.

17. The tray assembly of claim 15 wherein the base member has a mounting plate adapted to be mounted on a generally planar surface on the support.

18. The tray assembly of claim 13 wherein the tray member includes an upstanding peripheral rim, and an upstanding cylindrical flange defining a well for holding an object such as a glass.