Lap tray

• US 5,915,561 A
• Filed: 12/26/1995
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Moises B. Lorenzana, Vance A. Lorenzana
• Original Assignee: Moises B. Lorenzana, Vance A. Lorenzana
• Inventors: Lorenzana, Vance A., Lorenzana, Moises B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, SHIAN TINH NHAN
• Application Number:
  US08/578,248
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 206/562, 206/563, 206/564, 220/575, 220/556, 220/23.8, 220/17.1, D 7/701, D 7/707, D 7/708, D 7/553, D 7/549, D 7/555, D 7/507, D 6/406, 108/25, 108/42, 108/43, 108/46, 224/222, 224/267, 224/926
• US Class Current: 206/562
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/0608 Lap trays

Abstract

A lap tray having an elongated body portion to be supported across the upper legs of a seated person providing recessed areas for food and beverage containers and having downwardly extending vertical projections at the ends of the body portion to engage the outer thighs to retain the tray positioned.

Claims

1. A lap tray for serving food and beverage items to a seated person with the tray positioned across the upper legs of the person comprising:

an elongated body portion having a length to span upper legs of said person while disposed horizontally, said elongated body portion having shallow food receiving recesses disposed along a lengthwise extending center line and terminating in first and second ends,

a first projection carried by said body portion and extending downwardly at said first end, said first projection being formed with a first pocket opening upwardly and being of a size to receive the lower end of and thereby support a large beverage container, said first projection extending downwardly beyond the outermost portion of one of said person'"'"'s upper legs with said tray centered in said person'"'"'s lap,

a second projection carried by said body portion and extending downwardly at said second end, said second projection being formed with a second pocket opening upwardly and being of a size to receive and support various types of food and beverage items, said second projection extending downwardly beyond the outermost portion of the other of said person'"'"'s upper legs with said tray centered in said person'"'"'s lap,

said first and second projections each having substantially vertical wall portions which straddle the upper legs of said person to maintain said lap tray in a fixed position with respect to said person and in a generally horizontal position,

said first pocket being generally cylindrical in configuration with inwardly tapering sidewalls to conform to the lower portion of a beverage container, said second pocket having an oval horizontal cross section to receive and support food and beverage items having non-cylindrical shapes, said pockets and said food receiving recesses and said body portion being symmetrical about said center line so that said lap tray may be laid crosswise in the lap of the person in either of two alternative positions to accommodate the convenience of said user.

2. A lap tray for serving food and beverage items to a seated person with the tray positioned across the upper legs of the person comprising:

an elongated body portion having a length to span upper legs of said person while disposed horizontally, said elongated body portion having shallow food receiving recesses disposed along a lengthwise extending center line and terminating in first and second ends,

a first projection carried by said body portion and extending downwardly at said first end, said first projection being formed with a first pocket opening upwardly and being of a size to receive the lower end of and thereby support a large beverage container, said first projection extending downwardly beyond the outermost portion of one of said person'"'"'s upper legs with said tray centered in said person'"'"'s lap,

a second projection carried by said body portion and extending downwardly at said second end, said second projection being formed with a second pocket opening upwardly and being of a size to receive and support various types of food and beverage items, said second projection extending downwardly beyond the outermost portion of the other of said person'"'"'s upper legs with said tray centered in said person'"'"'s lap,

said first and second projections each having substantially vertical wall portions which straddle the upper legs of said person to maintain said lap tray in a fixed position with respect to said person and in a generally horizontal position,

said body portion being formed with lengthwise extending edges which are concave to conform to the contour of the person'"'"'s torso and to facilitate insertion into and removal of the tray with respect to the person'"'"'s lap when lie is seated.

3. The lap tray of claim 2 wherein the distance between the first and second downwardly extending projections is on the order of 14 inches and the downward projection of said first and second downwardly extending projections is between 3 inches and 3 and 1/2 inches.

4. The lap tray of claim 3 wherein the width of said body portion at said first and second ends is on the order of 7 inches and the width midway between said first and second ends is on the order of five inches.

5. A tray of the type for use in serving food and beverage items when disposed horizontally across the thighs of a seated person comprising:

an elongated body portion having a length to span the upper legs of a seated person while disposed horizontally, said elongated body portion having shallow food receiving recesses disposed along a lengthwise extending center line and terminating in first and second ends, said body portion having side edges extending lengthwise between said ends, said side edges being symmetrical with respect to said center line,

first and second projections carried by said body portion and extending downwardly at said first and second ends respectively, said first and second projections extending downwardly beyond the outermost portions of said person'"'"'s thighs with said tray centered in said person'"'"'s lap,

said first and second projections each having substantially vertical wall portions which engage and straddle the thighs to maintain said lap tray in a fixed and generally horizontal position,

said substantially vertical portions which engage and straddle the thighs being provided with roughened surfaces to prevent sliding in the engagement between said projections and the thighs.

6. A tray of the type for use in serving food and beverage items when disposed horizontally across the thighs of a seated person comprising:

an elongated body portion having a length to span the upper legs of a seated person while disposed horizontally, said elongated body portion having shallow food receiving recesses disposed along a lengthwise extending center line and terminating in first and second ends, said body portion having side edges extending lengthwise between said ends, said side edges being symmetrical with respect to said center line,

first and second projections carried by said body portion and extending downwardly at said first and second ends respectively, said first and second projections extending downwardly beyond the outermost portions of said person'"'"'s thighs with said tray centered in said person'"'"'s lap,

said first and second projections each having substantially vertical wall portions which engage and straddle the thighs to maintain said lap tray in a fixed and generally horizontal position,

said first and second projections being formed with upwardly facing recesses which define first and second pockets respectively for receiving food and beverage items, said first and second pockets being of different size and shape to receive food and beverage items of various size,

said tray being positionable for use in either of two alternative positions extending transverse to the person'"'"'s legs with the location of the first and second pockets reversed to accommodate the convenience of the person using the tray,

said side edges being curved inwardly from the ends of said body portion providing concave side edges to provide a narrowed central portion between said first and second ends to facilitate said tray'"'"'s insertion onto and removal from the lap of a driver seated behind the steering wheel of a vehicle.