Steering wheel table

• US 8,079,312 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald W. Long
• Original Assignee: Ronald W. Long
• Inventors: Long, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US12/242,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20090084291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 108/44, 108/45, 108/46, 108/47, 108/48, 108/49, 108/152, 248/354.6, 224/276
• US Class Current: 108/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/005 mounted on the steering wheel

Abstract

An adjustable steering wheel table for a vehicle steering wheel having a top section and a bottom section. The steering wheel table includes a table member, at least two wheel grasping arms and a brace arm assembly. The table member has a length, a width, an underside and a front edge. The at least two wheel grasping arms are connected to the table member and extend beyond the front edge of the table member and are releasably engageable with at least a portion of the top section of the vehicle steering wheel. The brace arm assembly is pivotally connected to at least one of the underside and edge of the table member and releaseably engageable with the bottom section of the vehicle steering wheel.

Claims

1. An adjustable steering wheel table for a vehicle steering wheel having a diameter, a bottom section and a top section having a side and a back, the steering wheel table comprising:

a table member having a length, and a width;

a first track extending across at least a portion of the width of the table member;

a second track extending across at least a portion of the width of the table member;

at least two wheel grasping arms connected to the first track of the table member so as to adjust the distance between the at least two wheel grasping arms to a distance less that the steering wheel diameter, the at least two wheel grasping arms configured to contact at least a portion of the back and at least a portion of the side of the top section of the vehicle steering wheel; and

a brace arm assembly pivotally connected to the second track relative to the table member, the brace arm assembly releasably engageable with the bottom section of the vehicle steering wheel, the brace arm assembly comprising a brace arm barrel and a brace arm rod;

the brace arm assembly comprising;

the brace arm barrel supporting a lock member, the brace arm barrel being disposed on the brace arm rod and movable between a retracted position and an extended position, the brace arm rod having a plurality of spatially disposed lock member guides forming lock slots therebetween, the brace arm barrel being movable on the brace arm rod for selectively and removably positioning the lock member into respective lock slots for adjusting the combined length of the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod.

2. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 1, wherein the at least two wheel grasping arms and the brace arm assembly cooperate to suspend the table member above the bottom section of the vehicle steering wheel.

3. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 2, wherein the brace arm assembly further comprises a brace arm flange releasably engageable with at least a portion of the bottom section of the vehicle steering wheel.

4. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 1, wherein the at least two wheel grasping arms each comprise an elongated member configured to contact at least a portion of the side of the vehicle steering wheel and a flange member configured to contact at least a portion of the back of the vehicle steering wheel.

5. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 4, wherein the flange member of the at least two wheel grasping arms comprises a region of non-slip material disposed on at least a portion of the flange member.

6. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 5, wherein the brace arm rod extends between the table member and the vehicle steering wheel when the adjustable steering wheel table is installed upon the vehicle steering wheel, and further comprising a brace arm flange rotatably connected to the brace arm rod.

7. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 1, wherein the table member is pivotally adjustable via operation of the brace arm assembly.

8. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 1, wherein the brace arm further comprises a flange configured to releasably engage the bottom portion of a vehicle steering wheel, and at least a portion of the brace arm flange of the brace arm assembly comprises a region of non-slip material disposed on at least a portion of the brace arm flange.

9. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the table member comprises a region of non-slip material.

10. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 1, further comprising a securement member attached to the table member and extending across the width of the table member.

11. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 10, wherein the securement member comprises a strip of elastomeric material having a first end and a second end, the first end releasably connectable to a first edge of the table member and the second end releasably connectable to a second edge of the table member.

12. The adjustable steering wheel table according to claim 1, wherein the table member further comprises at least one cooling fan.

13. An adjustable steering wheel table for a vehicle steering wheel having a diameter, a bottom section and a top section having a side and a back, the steering wheel table comprising:

a table member having a length, and a width;

a first track extending across at least a portion of the width of the table member;

a second track extending across at least a portion of the width of the table member;

at least two wheel grasping arms connected to the first track of the table member so as to adjust the distance between the at least two wheel grasping arms to a distance less than the steering wheel diameter, the at least two wheel grasping arms configured to contact at least a portion of the back and at least a portion of the side of the top section of the vehicle steering wheel;

a brace arm assembly pivotally connected to the second track relative to the table member, the brace arm assembly releasably engageable with the bottom section of the vehicle steering wheel;

wherein the steering wheel of the vehicle comprises a center plane dividing the top section of the steering wheel from the bottom section of the steering wheel; and

wherein the at least two wheel grasping arms comprise;

a left wheel grasping arm configured to contact at least a portion of the back and at least a portion of the side of the top section of the vehicle steering wheel at any point located between 180 and 135 degrees relative to the center plane; and

a right wheel grasping arm configured to contact at least a portion of the back and at least a portion of the side of the top section of the vehicle steering wheel at any point located between 0 and 45 degrees relative to the center plane.

14. An adjustable steering wheel table, for a vehicle steering wheel having a diameter, a bottom section and a top section having a side and a back, the steering wheel table comprising:

a table member having a length, and a width;

a first track extending across at least a portion of the width of the table member;

a second track extending across at least a portion of the width of the table member;

at least two wheel grasping arms connected to the first track of the table member so as to adjust the distance between the at least two wheel grasping arms to a distance less than the steering wheel diameter, the at least two wheel grasping arms configured to contact at least a portion of the back and at least a portion of the side of the top section of the vehicle steering wheel;

a brace arm assembly pivotally connected to the second track relative to the table member, the brace arm assembly releasably engageable with the bottom section of the vehicle steering wheel;

further comprising three dolly assemblies wherein the at least two wheel grasping arms are slideably connected to the first track of the table member via respective dolly assemblies and the brace arm assembly is slideably connected to the second track of the table member via one of the dolly assemblies, each of the dolly assemblies comprising;

a dolly body having a dolly latch groove, an actuator recess and at least one dolly wing constructed so as to be received within a dolly wing slot fabricated into the first track;

a dolly lever comprising a detent, the dolly lever constructed so as to be received within the dolly latch groove of the dolly body, the dolly lever selectively positionable between a locked position and a moveable position;

an actuator having an extended position and a retracted position, the actuator positioned at least partially within the actuator recess of the dolly body and connected to at least a portion of the dolly lever, wherein the actuator operates to move the dolly lever into the locked position when the actuator is in the extended position;

wherein when the dolly lever is in the locked position, the detent of the dolly lever is configured so as to be received within at least one of a plurality of detent grooves fabricated into the first track of the table member.

15. An adjustable steering wheel table for a vehicle steering wheel having a diameter, a bottom section and a top section having a side and a back, the steering wheel table comprising:

a table member having a length and a width;

a first track extending across at least a portion of the width of the table member;

a second track extending across at least a portion of the width of the table member;

at least two wheel grasping arms slideably connected to the first track of the table member so as to be selectively movable towards and away from one another so as to adjust the distance between the at least two wheel grasping arms to a distance less than the diameter of the vehicle steering wheel, the at least two wheel grasping arms configured to be contact at least a portion of the back and at least a portion of the side of the top section of the vehicle steering wheel; and

a brace arm assembly pivotally and slideably connected to the second track relative to the table member, the brace arm assembly comprising;

a brace arm barrel;

a brace arm rod configured to be received at least partially within the brace arm barrel;

wherein one of the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod further comprise a travel groove and a plurality of lock member guides defining lock slots adjacent to the travel groove;

a lock member connected to the other one of the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod;

wherein the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod are positionable in a lock position and a travel position; and

wherein the lock member travels along the travel groove when the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod are in the travel position to adjust the combined lengths of the brace arm rod and the brace arm barrel, and the lock member is configured to be received within one of the plurality of lock slots when the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod are in the lock position.

16. An adjustable brace arm assembly comprising:

a brace arm barrel;

a brace arm rod configured to be received at least partially within the brace arm barrel;

wherein one of the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod further comprise a travel groove and a plurality of lock member guides defining lock slots adjacent to the travel groove;

a lock member connected to the other one of the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod;

wherein the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod are is positionable in a lock position and a travel position; and

wherein the lock member travels along the travel groove when the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod are in the travel position to adjust the combined lengths of the brace arm rod and the brace arm barrel, and the lock member is configured to be received within one of the plurality of lock slots when the brace arm barrel and the brace arm rod are in the lock position.